Home is where my camera's heart is

A trip - any trip - is a rejuvenator.  Seeing something new or even revisiting something that you have already seen and enjoyed earlier can help remove cobwebs and infuse freshness into our drab routines. That’s why when K told me that we were going on a trip to Tokyo, I was over the moon and whatever is beyond! And the first thing that I got ready was my camera. 

My camera was my husband’s ‘thala Diwali’ (first Diwali after the wedding) gift to me. It’s an Olympus XZ-1 and is one of my favourite things in the world! And the pictures it takes are pretty awesome too. 

And being a passionate photographer’s spouse it’s only natural that I picked up a little bit of that interest too! Sayonara Chennai, Konnichiwa Japan it was! After some initial literally 'picture perfect' shots, my camera got moody and after a while simply retreated into a shell. 

Our second trip - to China - was met with even more over-the-moonness than the first! I love…LOVE…LOVE Chinese cuisine and after watching A Bite of China both hubby and I were looking forward to our food…err…business trip! (If you haven’t watched A Bite of China yet, please do! It’s an amazing documentary and an addictive watch - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRHNa9qdtlw. ) I had vowed to take photos of every single thing we eat - B, L, D and any snacks in between! So, we reach Shanghai and, as promised, I take pictures of the ‘original’ shrimp fried rice, the mind boggling Xialongbao and the tarts and biscuits that were complimentary at the cafe in our hotel. A day later, my camera starts sulking and a few hours later goes to sleep. 

The thing with traveling is that though you might be blown away by the newness, awesomeness and yumminess of it all, at some point in time it makes you realise that the chaotic, messy and familiar place you left behind - and only that place - is the legendary ‘sweet home’ people talk about. 

So, when we returned to sultry, hot and traffic-jammed Chennai and my camera suddenly sprung back to life, I realised that despite its Japanese roots,  my sweet camera is actually a Chennaite at heart. 

P.S: My husband says that the sensor in my camera starts acting up because of lower temperatures (both Tokyo and Shanghai were chilly when we went) and that’s why what happened, happened. I think this argument is best settled over full meals and filter coffee.