The Red Chill Car

It is my favorite photo from the month of July 2015. This beautiful and immaculately maintained original Fiat 500 was standing outside Merci, a magnificent store in Paris. I absolutely love this photo. It feels timeless, except if you look closely there is a phone in the hands of one girls sitting on the stairs outside … Continue reading The Red Chill Car

A Pair of Chukka Boots in Every Color

I am a big fan of Chukka Boots and believe that every guy should own at least one pair. The best part of Chukka’s is that they come in suede which in turn is offered in many colors. I own a pair of basic brown Alden chukkas, but this season there is an explosion of color. I found these dazzling and colorful array on display when I visited Crockett & Jones store in Paris. Also, there are more photos from my visit to C &J store in Paris. Don’t worry, you won’t have to charge up your credit cards just yet — C&J don’t sell these fine looking shoes in US and restrict to their stores in France.

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Paris, till we meet again!

I am not the one for vacations. Instead, I like to take two-or-three day trips to clear out the cobwebs of the mind and change up the scenery, just so I recalibrate my world view. And that is why I surprised myself when I took a whole week off. I even left all my computing devices back at home — with the exception of my iPhone, of course — and went to Paris. And boy, did I need that break. 

Paris is one of my favorite cities, even though I don’t speak a single word of French. I love it because I can enjoy the silence that comes with not knowing the language. I love it because I can get lost, and find history at every street corner. I love it because it teaches me a lesson: the weight of one’s past can define one’s future. I love it because I can visit all the artisans who toil away, making beautiful things at a pace that is anathema to our give-it-to-me-now society. I love it because of the food. But most importantly, I love it because I don’t have to talk. Just see, just hear and just be. 

Today, I went back to work, feeling rested and in much better spirits. I caught up with my colleagues, read all the news, mulled on a few blog post ideas and finally got a decent cup of coffee. Paris, I will see you soon. Life, it is good to be back. 

PS: Here are some of the left over photos from my visit to Paris. Enjoy! 

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Walking around Paris

My second day in Paris was marred by me breaking the lock on my SD card which led to about half a day being lost when it comes to taking pictures. Of course, once I got a new card, regular service resumed, though I admit, I could do a better job of taking pictures. Anyway back to walking later tomorrow so that will bring back the creative spark.
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A visit to shoe maestro, Pierre Corthay

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When you think of high-quality, high-end shoes for men, you think of shoes made in England or Italy, thanks in part to brands such as Alfred Sargent, Trickers, Loakes, Santoni and Bontoni. French brands don’t get that much mindshare, even though the French shoemakers hold their own against their European peers.

The venerable John Lobb brand is owned by Hermes, but there is more to French shoes than Lobb. J. M. Weston, for instance makes great loafers and is preferred shoe of choice for many French politicians. There is Berluti, the Bentley of shoes, that has its roots both in Italy and France. There is Marc Guyot, an artist among shoemakers. Other names Aubercy, another high-end bookmaker. However, I have been a big fan of the creations of Pierre Corthay, who along with his brother Christophe head up his Paris-based shoe company, Corthay.

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My year in photos

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2012… I hardly knew ya! Probably one of the busiest years of my life, it was one of the most fun fruitful and satisfying years as well. Sure it was stressful at times and yes, I packed on a few pounds, but let’s just say it was a year lived. Of course this is the year, I fell in love with Photography, thanks to Instagram which gave me the confidence that – yes I can take decent photos and share them with others. And as a result I am going to recap my year in photos.  Continue reading “My year in photos”