Tushar Rao Photography

Goa. My acquaintance with this sea side heaven is relatively recent. I visited Goa for the first time a couple of years ago and fell in love with it's lush rain drenched fields, the winding roads, quaint villages, beautiful houses and the gentle folks who live here. I remember one balmy afternoon on that trip, mellow after a few chilled drinks, I had sighed and wondered aloud, what it would be like to live here? That was then, and today, I am penning down this post, sitting on the terrace of my little studio, cooled by the Goan sea breeze, listening to the constant sound of waves in the background, and well, warding off all sort of insect life which is making itself comfortable on my brightly lit laptop screen! 

This move to Goa has been possible because of the help and support I got from friends and serendipitous connections. Tushar Rao, a resident of Goa, was one one such connection. And what an interesting friend he has turned out to be! A photographer, who has traveled the length and breadth of Goa, capturing vignettes from daily life and shooting many beautiful homes, boutique stores, hotels, Tushar's work portfolio is a treasure trove for any Goa-phile! And as we chatted, I kept exclaiming since I realized that I have been familiar with his work from way back in time, when as a bright eyed young design enthusiast, I would pore over the one interior design magazine [Inside Outside] that used to be published in India. He is the one who had shot some of my favorite features from that time! It's but obvious that I demanded that he hand over his portfolio to me, since such loveliness must be shared with my folks over at An Indian Summer!

Tushar started experimenting with the camera when very young, and after 8 years as an amateur photographer, he has been a professional since the last 20 years. His work has been published in various magazines like Elle, Inside Outside, Better Interiors, Society Interiors, India Today, Design Today and Verve. He has shot extensively for books on Goa and also had the opportunity to assist the well known French photographer, Robert Polidori. 

Here are some of my favorite picks from the homes Tushar has shot. Dive right in!

You can see more of Tushar's work right here!

[All Images: Tushar Rao. Storyboarding: An Indian Summer]

When I Am Feeling Blue

All I have to do

Is take a look at...

The Sea!

Then I am not soo blue.  

[Had to sing just one more line. Now, I'll stop]

The things I do to sing a song on this blog of mine. As an example, to sing this song, I moved to Goa. And just so that I can let you know that now, I wake up and the first thing I see is the sea. I make my morning toast while looking at the sea. I brush my teeth, and yes, the sea is to my left [I kid you not]. I work and the sea keeps time with it's tide. I close my eyes at night and the last thing I see are the twinkling lights of the boats on the sea. Like an old sailor, I make profound announcements like Oh, the sea is calmer today or Oh, the water today is three shades of blue. No one can tell that it has just been a week that I have been in Goa. Except perhaps when I drive my car into shrubs or ditches or the one-off human drinking his morning tea at the local village chai shop, because I was so engrossed in, you know, looking at the sea.

 

I am settling in, my lovelies, in this coastal city. The search for a home that calls my name started earlier this year, and I wouldn't settle until I found something that sang to me. And I realized something. As much as I love history and the old Portuguese villas that abound in Goa, I am a sucker for vistas and views. And this little studio of mine that I now call home, allows me to feel the expanse, the vastness of the ocean and the sky. That, and of course, the realization of the (im)practicalities of living in an old house over ruled my romanticism of heritage living. As so many of you have been writing in, asking me for advice, here's what I recommend - come and spend some time exploring the city, the villages. Speak to the locals and the residents. Find your groove. Find what speaks to you; it will be different for different folks. Imagine your home with people and imagine being in that home alone. Explore the neighborhood. It's actually such an enlightening experience to do this for yourself - you find out what really does matter when you think of your abode. This is my very first time of living on my own, that too in a completely new city, so pardon my halo which has come from the last few months of self-realization and aha moments while searching for a home in Goa!

The exciting part of settling in is always doing up the place! I brought in only books from my home in Gurgaon, so it has been a fun & tiring week shopping for everything - from kitchenware to furniture to well, pretteh stuff that has little utility except looking oh-so-pretteh. The choice of today's rooms for this post is what has been inspiring me as I gradually do up the studio. Casual decor, low furniture, linen and more linen, a place where you walk in and can relax with salt in your hair and sand on your feet. Speaking of which, can some one please, for the love of Good Hair Days, tell me how do I manage my hair in ALL this humidity? I have gained atleast two inches in height because of what humidity does to my hair. I look in the mirror and jump for I think there is someone else in my studio with all those voluminous curls. I will be eternally grateful, my kittens, if you can let me know of some tips and tricks! Phew.

I have been click-happy with my phone and sharing the life in Goa over at instagram. Just send me a follow request and join me as I start heading out exploring the nooks and crannies of Goa starting next week. I will be more regular with my posts here as well, as I settle in and calm down after exclaiming over the excellent wifi I have managed to get here [fingers crossed!] As I announced in my previous posts, one home tour and another home tour by a photographer is baking in the oven! I will be seeing you again soon :)

[All images: Here & Here]

There She Goes

There She Goes Again!

It is happening. Finally. Infact, it is happening tomorrow. Tomorrow evening to be precise. I am moving. Moving cities. Leaving on a jet plane. Yes, songs about leaving and moving are at the tip of my tongue. For all our momentous and non-momentous moments in life have an associated playlist. Let there be music, they said, especially when you are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime!

If my consistent rambling over the past few months about Goa wasn't a clear enough indicator, these pics will leave no doubt as to where I am heading. A desire to stay closer to nature, out of the big city, a place that will inspire me, and be a wanderer for a few years led to this brilliant flash of inspiration last October, when I told my furball, Let's move to Goa! That was then, and after months of patient searching and planning, here we are! The bags are packed. The first C of the three C's, ie Cartons of books, are already on their way. The other two C's - the Car and the Cat will follow in a month's time. Speaking of the Cat, it's this madcap bundle of fur, claws and whiskers that is totally ruling my heart and mind right now. Here I thought I would be all joyous and merry and spring-in-step-y on the eve of departure to Goa, but it's breaking my heart to leave my boy behind. As I cry I-love-yous and I-will-miss-yous in the furry ears, he swishes his tail in impatience and waits for me to get it together and get moving, for the love of wet food! [cat & dog minions will get that analogy]. And of course, I have enough fur in my luggage and clothes to knit myself a brand new kitten once I am in Goa. Where thou luggage lies, thou cat shall lie there too - that, is the 614th commandment.

So, I will be in Goa, my kittens, Goa! I have found myself a little studio overlooking the sea [the pic above is the view, ahem]. There are thousand and one things that I am excited about, things that I am planning to do when in Goa - in work, leisure, travel, and I can't wait to share the adventure with you! Goa is the beginning, and I dream, hope and plan to wander through many cities and countries in the coming years, before settling in to warm my feet in front of a crackling fire in a cottage high up in the Himalayas. Wish me luck and love, my munchkins, and do join me!

As always, catch the action as it happens, on instagram

I will see you next week, once I am settled in. Already have a line-up of beautiful posts for you - a lovely home tour and a brilliant home photo-shoot by one of my favorite photographers. Plus plus, Goa and the immense creativity and loveliness of Goa is going to be a frequent visitor on An Indian Summer now. Keep reading!


[All images: An Indian Summer. Last Image: Scribbled on illustration by Lov_e]

Checking In

I am sitting beneath a sky lit up by stars, a cool breeze playing with the wind chime and the night sounds from the forest around my cottage adding chorus to the playlist humming in the background. I haven't been wrong about Goa inspiring me; I am typing out this post on the leetle notepad app on my phone with a broken screen, so inspired I am! When do I actually get to post this will depend on when I get decent wifi. As you may gradually notice, while in Goa, I am also embracing patience and becoming more zen (ahem) as the days pass. Well, almost. It's a start to zen-ness, let's just put it this way.

I have so many stories to tell you. To begin with, my brand new rental car to which I was handed the keys very ceremoniously by the obviously proud owner, turned out to be this shiny silver thing with the driver's seat just a few inches above the ground. The people in the know know that low cars and and I just don't see eye to eye. I didn't have the heart to request for another car and with my arm barely reaching the window, I waved goodbye to the proud owner, his prouder flunkey and the beaming staff. What with getting wonderfully lost (sometimes) to terribly lost (every single day) to hurling bad, very bad words at the wayward GPS signal, to smartass google maps taking this cue to reroute such that I cover every possible road in Goa, well, it has been quite an adventure so far when it comes to getting my good self from point A to point Z. But but, I am happy to declare that more & more, I am able to navigate Goa without the help of that stoned (clearly!) google maps app. When I can actually see the road from this darned car, ie. And when I am not getting all nostalgic traversing through familiar roads traversed during journeys past.

And then there are these people I am meeting. Strangers, new friends, friends of friends, breakfast buddies, dinner companions, home owners, cocktail cheerers, direction givers, tech issue solvers, creative visionaries, big-city-corporate-job-deserters  - such an eclectic bunch and all so very nice! I have also been bumping into people who exclaim 'Ah! An Indian Summer!' and I respond, surprised and chuffed, 'Yes! That's me!' and then we laugh and talk about all things creative and I am welcomed with open arms. To add to the merry party, a dear friend joined me for the Holi weekend. The day began with wine for breakfast and six shades of organic colors, leading to driving wherever the road took us with us screaming singing along with Bon Jovi, to chatting incessantly about anything and everything, as only the closest friends can do, to almost drowning in the pool for we were laughing so hysterically! Well, we can satisfactorily say that Holi was celebrated as it should be celebrated!

Now that I have figured out wifi with the help of some good folks, you will see the blog and I get back to regular posts. If you have emailed me and haven't heard back yet, I will get to your email within a day or two. You guys, you do overwhelm me sometimes, you know. All in a good way. I love love the emails you have been sending, sharing tips, wishing me well, joining me vicariously in Goa...you guys are to me what puddles of warm sunshine are to my boy cat! Keep writing and I will see you again before this week is through.

[All images: An Indian Summer]

Have Feet, Will Travel

It's time again to take off.

Where to now? You ask.

And I say that you ask a pertinent question, Milady & Milord.

I will pause the obsessive marathon sessions of Downton Abbey and take this post to apprise you of my forthcoming wanderings.

I am going to be in Goa for the next few weeks. I will be hopping across the length (primarily) and breadth of North Goa on my own (gasp! & yaay!) exploring the country side, the old cities, the villages, the beaches, looking up homes, meeting fresh-off-the-oven friends, visiting creative folks, avoiding snakes, attending events and getting inspired by it all. Except the snakes bit ie. And don't even start on the what-you-do-unto-snakes-the-poor-snakes-won't-ever-dream-of-doing-unto-you  spiel. They can be the most pious, gentle creatures to slither on the face of the earth and I am happy for their general goodness. But I do hope one of them reads this blog post and tweets about re-routing their slithering to the direction opposite to my general direction. And by doing so we avoid general nuisance, mutual inconvenience & singular oscar winning dramatic episodes. There. This is as environmentally, herpetologically & politically correct as I can be when talking about them slitherers.

So, moving on, if you happen to be in Goa and notice a petite woman standing by the side of a lovely  winding road, next to a lush green field, with a large map flapping wildly in the Goan breeze, that, that will be me! Please stop, say hello (for we are always polite, even when not under the influence of Downton Abbey) and help with directions and such.

Sigh. The romanticism of paper maps and a breeze in Goa at this time of the year! In reality, if you see a petite woman, standing, to begin with, in the middle of a road, and then jumping indignantly to the side of the road, next to a lush green field (we like fields and always stop by their side), rotating her smart phone left to right to get the orientation right and muttering terrible threats at google maps, that, that will be me! Please stop, say hello and wassup (for we like some American soaps too) and help with directions and such.

Apart from your Advanced Directional Support, tell me things about Goa, people. Things you have discovered. Things you love. Or don't love. Nooks to see. Homes I would love to stay in.  People to meet. Those winding roads off the map. The ways to spend evenings. And nights. THE beach to catch the first rays of the rising sun. Where do I get to hear the most sublime music. Where are the cats. What about the dogs. I would love to know all, for Goa is going to see a lot more of me in the coming months. And it's about time that we got better acquainted. Email me, message me here, tweet me. Tell me all. And I will tell you all that I experience and discover as my Goa saga evolves.

This trip is as much about working as it is about exploring. So I won't be missing in action completely, but will keep popping in, if not with a post, then with updates on my wanderings (with pretty pictures. always with pretty pictures) on facebook and twitter. If you don't hear back from me within reasonable time, rest assured that some *&h%$ snake, who CLEARLY has been living under a rock and doesn't follow that twitterati snake fellow respectfully mentioned above, has gotten the better of me. No other reason will keep me away from you. Except maybe Desmondji. Just maybe. :)

While I expound on all that I have been expounding about, you must have noticed these gorgeous rooms that keep popping up between my monologue. What to do. Hard to keep pretty rooms away from this blog of mine, irrespective of how profound the monologue is. These rooms, my dear people, are from Morocco. The lovely Villa Maroc, located in the heart of Medina of Essaouira, in Morocco. Such rooms, spaces and decor, that for a moment I forgot about Goa. Just for a moment that is. If not for the early morning flight that I need to catch, I would have gladly spent another page or two talking about oh, my pretteh feet and all their wanderlusting!

You, my favorite people, you have a marvelous weekend.

I'll talk to you again, soon, reporting live, from Goa!

[All images: Villa Maroc. Villa Maroc on Facebook]