I celebrated my birthday over the weekend with this amazing calvin and hobbes cake. I love Calvin, he cracks me up, his parents are pretty funny too. This is a photo cake, you send the bakery a picture and they somehow print it onto the cake using a sugar and cornstarch mixture. I loved this chocolate truffle cake, every bite was sinfully good. 
Ordered a waffle cone with crunchy choco ice cream and raspberry ice cream, both were pretty good. They have sandwiches and other starters too.
Onam (the festival of Kerala) was celebrated a few days back, and these designs made of flowers are a defining feature of the festival. Houses, offices and other institutions are decorated with elaborate and colourful flower designs on Onam.
Stopped by a church on the way home and saw this grotto of our Lady and St. Bernadette. The writing above Virgin Mary is in Tamil and it reads 'Here is your Mother.' Please click on the picture for a larger view.
So it's the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi and at every corner you see Ganesh idols like this. This festival goes on for ten days and there is a lot of dancing and drama on the streets. He is the elephant headed god, history has it that Lord Shiva (Ganesh's father) accidentally beheaded his son and then replaced his head with that of an elephant's. As usual click on the picture for a larger view.
Was away for a few days, had gone home to see my folks. Took this picture from the train as it was creeping into my hometown Nagercoil. Those rolling hills and the green paddy fields are characteristic in my region... I can never tire of this sight. The air is also so clean and inviting, not like the city, clogged with vehicle fumes and dust. Click on the picture for a larger view.
Canals like this are quite common in my hometown, they make a great hangout place... and the running water gives a healthy massage to the body. Click on the picture to enlarge it. 
So this temple festival is going on near my place, this four handed goddess made of serial lights marks the road that leads to the temple. This goddess called Mariamman (Mother Mari) is the goddess of disease and rain. At her festival, the devotees walk on burning hot coals to prove their undying devotion to her.
Those intricate patterns are pretty neat...
Enchanting, right...
I found this yellow dot running around in my room, and picked it up. It was a yellow and black stripped bug and it looked like it was smiling... really. Click on the picture to enlarge it, then you can see an insect smiling...
