Make your own lamp

I got crafty last week and decided to make a string lamp using the instructions from a here and here. It's real easy - all you need is a balloon, any sort of string and fabric stiffener (starch). Wrap the string around the balloon, apply the starch, leave it to dry, when dry deflate the balloon and -Voila - you have a lamp!

Ideally I should've got some hemp yarn but I'm a tad bit lazy and didn't have the patience to go buy supplies. So I used some wool that has been lying in my craft box for the past two years (which was waiting to be turned into a muffler that never happened). I also substituted some of the supplies with locally available products (aka with supplies available at home).

I started off by wrapping a balloon with the wool. I tried two methods - one where I applied the starch on the wool as I wrapped it around the balloon (in the picture below its the orange balloon with the white wool), and, another where I wrapped the dry wool around the balloon and dipped the whole thing into a bucket of starch (in the picture below its the yellow balloon with the blue wool) .

Once the wrapping and applying starch was done, they both were hung on the clothes wire to dry.

The instructions recommended to let the starch dry for least 48 hours before deflating the balloon. But I didn't have the patience to wait and deflated one of the balloons 24 hours later and this is what happened - :(

So I tried saving it - once the balloon had deflated fully I pushed the wool back into shape and then let it dry for the next 24 hours. It didn't turn out too bad. Here is a picture of it in my room now - the wool got a bit messy because I deflated the balloon early but I think it still looks pretty cool.

Of course I let the other balloon dry fully after I saw what happened to the first one. This one turned out a lot better.

I must get out of the house

I couldn't take it anymore - I had to get out, this weekend of most. So after one call to Susie and two phone calls by Smith to cancel her appointments for the day, we were on our way to Nityagram. Of course we had to deviate from the plan as usual and make stops along the way. But our biggest deviation was at a HUUUGGE field, right by Nityagram, that was filled with cows and goats amongst a dismantled Ferris wheel. Nityagram itself was very mama-hoho (Mandarin for 'very so-so'), especially since we arrived too late for the regular weekend program.

Here are a few shots from the day. We spent the day -

Jumping,

Chasing cows,

Climbing trees,
Watching geese,

And lots of other things, but mainly taking pictures. :)

The classic self portrait.

Pictures are taken by Smith, Susie and of course me. To see more of my pictures from this day you can visit my photo blog.

Back in B-Town

I've been lucky enough to meet my best-est friends in the whole wide world every time I've come down.

Here's a snapshot of us BBQ-ing away, late on a Sunday Night.

I see time everywhere

My pizza telling me that it's 9pm already (or maybe 6:15 if I flip the picture around)!!

Alright, I have been slacking. But I really have reasons. This was my schedule last week (which is a typical week for me over here in Bangalore).

• Sat (1st August): Woke up at 7am (after a late Friday night at a play) to go shopping for the bridesmaids outfits which lasted all the way until 2pm; lunch with my aunt; household chores in the afternoon; a friend's wedding in the evening (which took place in a location that is 25 kms from my house).
• Sun: Breakfast at South Indies with my closest friends from college (who I only got to meet a month after I got here); lunch with some other friends; the afternoon is spent making calls to extended family and friends to let them know I exist and that I'm around here; the rest of the day with my mom (who hasn't been too happy with all my gallivanting).
• Monday through Friday: The gym at 6am; work from 9:30am to 6pm (for which I drive at least 36 kms a day in crazy traffic); along with dance classes from 8pm to 9pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays and drinks with friends on any evening that is free.

And then onto another weekend which is as hectic and jam-packed as the previous one. Is the lack of time a good enough reason?