I own a SLR since the last 7 months. I totally enjoy using it and have put it to good use during each and every trip of mine. I am a self learner and only after the first 600 snaps was I able to come out of the auto mode. Since then I have never been back. Dublin had a great web site called meetup and i had joined it many months ago. There was an amateur photography group but I had never joined them on any meetup's. This weekend there was a small celebration at O'Connel street where the christmas lights would be turned on by the mayor. On the site, I saw the group had planned to meetup.So there, that gave me a good enough reason to pack up my camera,Lenses and the Tripod and got to the meet up place.
There were a few of them. Some of them for the first time and many of them were long timers. They were talking about being here at the same place last year. Me being Mr.Hasty in spite of knowing that it will drizzle, forgot a few essential things. Like the lens hood,lens cleaning cloth and most important of all an UMBRELLA!! Mr.Richard in the group was a pro and he was guiding most of them on how to operate and the various settings that would be optimal.
Mayor of Dublin and the Dublin City Council Corporator showed up there was the count down and then came the lights!! It was beautiful. I must admire the spirit of the people. At least a thousand had gathered there weathering the irritating chill drizzle and the six degree temperature. I met guys from Costa Rica and Philippines and shared my experiences with the camera. I very weired thing happened at the meetup; it was like as though its meant to happen.All the "
Nikkonias" were one group and the "
Cannonians" the other. Later both the sub groups went to a pub and I headed to Pennys for a little shopping for myself with a humble wish in my mind; "May the next amateur photographers meetup be on a much sunnier day"
I had brought a few bananas that look like the kerala "nendram" bananas but the sticker on that said, Congo. Thought it would be nothing like it, but to my surprise before i binned it I just tasted it and "walla" it was almost the same!!. That resulted in some fantastic banana pakodas. prepared some veg puluo which would beat the can air freshener in fragrance. Mihir bhai took care of the potatoes and made the "aloo sagoo" for the masala dosa. Mihir bhai had come in with two bottles of the finest wines and so did Paula and Noreen. Paula was eager to open up the wine and all had some with the banana pakodas and god did they both go down well!! Masala dosas was next along with wine. What a terrific combination I must say. I must truly appriciate Noreen and Paula who had the food in Indian style, with bare hands!. We talked and sang and laughed and spoke. The perfect desert was the perfect ice cream. I can imagine the ice cream being a perfect topping on the wine and masala dosa in my tummy. Brought out my camera and lenses and everyone had a go at it. before we know it it was well past midnight. I was feeling sleepy because i am not used to late night stay ups. My good friends were having a good time. Finally bid good bye and all I remember was I slept like a log till 4 am, till the wine inside of me decided to come out the way it went it. None the less it was a great time we all had together.
its' more than a kilometer long. The stena line was getting loaded with passengers and cars with its engines humming all set to sail to Hollyhhead,Whales. The winds were so strong that i had to duck down and put my head low to keep the wind from knocking me down.Could not hold the camera steady many a times. All the while i was wondering what kind of massive effort would have gone into building this harbor, while I can even just hold a camera steady. The cold was getting to me and realised its better for me to get back to the warmth of my apartments keeping self preservation in mind.