Sights and Sounds at Okhla Vegetable Market - Part II

Location: Okhla Vegetable Market

Time: 04:10 a.m. to 5:30 a.m.

20 sounds that I liked:

1. Namaz – coming from the tent put up for the auspicious Ramzan season.
2. The sound of stray dogs being kicked intentionally or unintentionally, in any crowded places is common.
3. ‘Aao! Aao!’ – Shopkeepers keep shouting this to lure customers.
4. ‘70 Rs. bahot ho gaya’ – the price may change but this is one dialogue you get to hear from both the customers and the shopkeepers.
5. As a vegetable market is a crowded place the commotion of people, the mixing of chatter, with the sound of walking and other activities creates a noise unique to the place.
6. ‘Hato!’ – Very commonly heard by the workers carrying big sacks or huge boxes on there backs when somebody is blocking there way.
7. A radio playing in the background is common to a lot of places, but a vegetable market is one place where in order to here it you would have to close your eyes and feel it.
8. ‘Papita!?’ – the item may change, they may know you are not there to shop, but a good vendor will never let an opportunity pass by to inquire if you need something.
9. ‘Puch ke laga cheezein’ – a shopkeeper instructing a worker under him, or a father teaching his son, this is very often heard in various forms.
10. Sound of the honking of cars from the road, and the trucks in the mandi are a constant sound effect in a vegetable market.
11. Thumping noises caused by beating of hand against the sides of a truck, signaling it to back or stop is common here. This avoids any mishaps and allows smooth movement in the market.
12. When vegetables like potatoes, onions, corncobs etc. are dumped, along comes a lot of dust and irritants which can cause coughing. So coughing is another common sound.
13. Sound of dumping of sacks, after they have been packed into the truck.
14. Taking off the big brown tapes that seal the fruit boxes is another frequently heard sound, especially near the fruit shops.
15. As the ‘Okhla Sabzi Mandi’ is near a railway stop, you can constantly hear the train’s horn whenever one passes by.
16. By the time we were leaving, it had started raining. And there was already a big puddle on one side. So whenever a truck would pass, it would make a splashing noise.
17. ‘Aye rickshaw!’ – used to call a rickshawala, grab his attention for some work.
18. ‘Kacha, Hara’ – sometimes the vendors use innovative words like these to grab the customers’ attention. He says ‘Kacha, Hara’ but doesn’t specify what he is selling. It could be anything dhaniya, chilly, banana, mango, beans, capsicum, bitter gourd, etc. so when you hear this, you tend to look for the shop and see what he is selling. Good marketing strategy!
19. As we were exiting, a man’s mobile started ringing in a funny Bollywood ring tone. It was funny and at the same time very symbolic of our visit. As that was the only moment when people around us actually silenced a bit, to see where it was coming from.
20. Whistling – I spotted these few people who were using whistling as some kind of codes to call out to each other and signal certain actions. It actually comes handy in a crowded and difficult to move around environment like a vegetable market. 

Use of light in the film ‘Brief Encounter’

The black and white film that I saw recently saw used a lot of light and shadows. Lighting was used to create bright and dark patches, which add meaning to the scene and also create the right kind of ambience to suit the mood of the scene. In a black and white film, light is used to make objects brighter or darker and thus becomes a very important agent in conveying messages and creating effects visually for the audience.

The first thing I noticed in the film was that the faces of all the main protagonists were lit, so as to draw our attention and show their expressions clearly to the viewer. This was evident from the first scene itself, where Mrs. Dolly, the Doctor, and Laura are sitting in the café at Milford station. There is bright light on all the characters faces.

There’s also use of the backlight in scenes, so as to make the characters stand out from the background, and not merge with the background especially in scenes where the clothes of the characters match the backdrop. One very good scene is when the Doctor and Laura walk down the subway, its dark and yet lit up perfectly enough to show them pass through it. Clever use of backlight and light coming through both the ends of the subway helps the scene immensely.

Also, in a lot of scenes when Laura is sitting in the train, we are shown the movement of the train not by things moving back outside her window; but by showing shadows move across the protagonists face as she sits and thinks and thoughts cross her mind. Shadows have also been used to depict moods in the film – long, dark shadows to depict broody, sad, melancholic state of mind, for e.g. in the scene where Laura is sitting in her house and thinking about her brief affair with the doctor – the mood is very gloomy and brooding. Similarly, in scenes of happiness the light is bright and without much shadows, making it bright and ‘clear’!

LSR Prakriti Week 2011- Registrations Open!!

Prakriti- The Environment Society of Lady Shri Ram College Presents "Prakriti Week" from 21-26 March 2011!

• 21st March: Tree Plantation (intra-college)

• 22nd March:
Environmental Quiz-12:30 pm (inter-college)
1. Each participating team must consist of 2 members.
2. Cross college teams are allowed.
3. The first round will be a written round with Multiple Choice Questions. The top eight teams will qualify to the next round and will be contesting in the quiz.
4. The quiz essentially will be questioning you on environmental issues, environmentalists, global networks supporting the cause of the environment, etc.
5. Prizes worth Rs.3,000 to be won.

Each team is required to register on or before 21st March 2011 by filling out the following: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGpCWXBkSzNYcWs1eVZmV2ZaTVdNdlE6MQ

Eco Friendly Folder Making Competition-12:30 pm (inter-college)
1. Participation maybe either in the form of a team of 2 or an individual.
2. A set of two folders has to be made on any one of the themes given below. Each folder should have a different design or pattern.
• Cartoon
• Traditional
• Natural
3. Each folder should be of A4 size.
4. Only handmade paper can be used.
5. Drawing/ painting/ decoration has to be done on the spot.
6. You will be required to bring any material you require- handmade paper folders, scissors, paints, etc.
7. The decision of the judges will be final and binding.
8. Prizes worth Rs. 1,800 to be won.

Each team is required to register on or before 21st March 2011 by filling out the following: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dFFQZWRRcTBFN2pJd3pJdTZDUDJjeXc6MQ

• 23rd March: Green Ad Mad Competition- 3 pm (inter-college)
1. A team of 2 or maximum 3 members can participate.
2. The competition will consist of 2 rounds.
3. Preparation time before each round will be given.
4. Different forms of expression can be used- skit, jingles, slogans, or any other innovative form.
5. Time duration to present each act is 3 minutes.
6. The decision of the judges will be final and binding.
7. Prizes worth Rs. 3,000 to be won.

Each team is required to register on or before 21st March 2011 by filling out the following: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dE5PRUMxMThnVGFLRDRtOG5yY0xKM1E6MQ

• 24th March: Panel Discussion: 'Climate Change is an Exaggerated Concern'- 11:30 am (inter-college)

• 25th March: Film Screening (intra-college)

• 26th March: Lady Shri Ram Model Conference of the Parties (LSR MCOP)- 9 am (inter-college) http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=157058624348045&pending#!/event.php?eid=202974346386758

• Photo Story Competition: Theme- Environment and Growth: Contradictory or Complementary? (inter-college)
1. Only one photo story submission per participant is allowed.
2. Each photo story must have 3 photos in it.
3. Photographs must not be digitally altered in any way (only cropping is allowed).
4. Size of each photograph should be 6" x 8".
5. Each photograph in the story should have a caption and the name, college, course, and contact details of the participant clearly mentioned behind each.
6. Please send all your entries together, enclosed in an envelope to
Faculty Apartments # 21,
Lady Shri Ram College,
Lajpat Nagar 4,
New Delhi- 110024,
India
7. Entries must reach LSR by 24th March, 12 pm.
8. The decision of the judges will be final and binding.
9. Prizes worth Rs.3,000 to be won.

Queries if any can be addressed to lsr.prakriti@gmail.com

LSR Model Conference of Parties (MCOP)

‘Prakriti’, the Environment Society of Lady Shri Ram College invites applications for the first Lady Shri Ram Model Conference of the Parties (LSR MCOP) to be held on 26th March 2011 during its environment festival, ‘Prakriti Week’ (21st-26th March 2011). http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=157058624348045#!/event.php?eid=157058624348045&notif_t=event_wall#wall_posts

• Applications are open for the following positions:
1. Govern...ment Delegates for the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA)
Agenda: ‘Sustainable Development through Adaptation to and Mitigation of Climate Change’
2. Media Delegates (choose one of the three positions):
a) Chief Editor (1)
b) Reporter (3)
c) Photographer (1)
3. NGO Delegates (4)
For whichever delegate position you are applying, please write 250 words on why you want to be a part of LSR MCOP, and what makes you a suitable candidate for the position you are applying for (if you are applying to be a Media Delegate please include relevant samples of your work).
Additionally, please mention previous debating and/or MUN experience. Please note however that we will welcome those with no prior experience as well.
Send in the above (on or before 13th March 2011) to lsr.prakriti@gmail.com along with the following details:
Name, College, Course, Year, Email Address, Phone Number, and Top Three Country Preferences* (in case you are applying to be a Government Delegate)
*Countries:
China, Maldives, Australia, Russia, United Kingdom, Bolivia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Nigeria, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Mexico, Indonesia, United States of America, Brazil, South Africa, Haiti, India, Afghanistan, Japan, Chile, United Arab Emirates, Congo, France, Turkey, South Korea, Malaysia, Iran, and Norway.

• Applications are also open for the Executive Board of the (AWG-LCA). It is mandatory for applicants to have had prior Executive Board experience. Knowledge about UNFCCC and Conference of the Parties is also a must. Positions are:
a) Chair
b) Vice- Chair
For whichever Executive Board position you are applying, please write 250 words on why you want to be a part of LSR MCOP, and what makes you a suitable candidate for the position you are applying for.
Please also mention previous debating and/or MUN experience.
Send in the above (on or before 13th March 2011) to lsr.prakriti@gmail.com along with the following details:
Name, College, Course, Year, Email Address, Phone Number

Prizes:
Best Delegate: Rs. 2,000
High Commendation: Rs. 1,000
Special Mention: Rs. 500

Queries, if any, may be addressed to lsr.prakriti@gmail.com.