Conch and Drum
Tomorrow is Bijoya Dashami, the culmination of the single-most important festival Bengalis celebrate: Durga Puja.
Image: Arindam Bhattacharjee via Flickr, Creative Commons
If I were back in Kolkata, I’d be hearing conchs and drums from dusk till dawn.
I’d be visiting puja “pandals” – essentially massive tents artfully constructed from bamboo and cloth, one more elaborate than the other, housing elaborate idols, each more marvelous than the next.
Paint and clay crafted with loving attention.
Goddesses and demons
Filed under Personal, Shonali Burke | Tags: bijoya dashami, durga puja, festivals, kolkata, pandal | Comment (1)Time Flies When You’re Having Fun
Yesterday this blog turned a year old. I’ve actually been doing this – sometimes not at all consistently, but I’ve hung in there – for a year.
Wow!
I do want to share some thoughts on what I’ve been through as a new blogger, as well as call out some people without whom it wouldn’t have been possible, but right now, I’m going to share another milestone.
In four days, I’ll turn 40.
Yup, I thought I’d get a bigger reaction out of you with that one. Time flies when you’re having fun.
I don’t know if I’m killing my future career prospects by revealing my age, but let’s face it, if you know me and/or have been following me, you should’ve figured it out by now.
Plus, this is supposed to be social media and the 21st century, right? “We’re here and we’re ol-der, get used to it” and all that.
I’ll confess, I still get a kick out of it when I’m carded. Who doesn’t like being thought younger than they are, other than, possibly, five-year-olds? But I watched with admiration as Danny Brown pulled together the 12for12K initiative when he turned 40 and figured I could try to do something along those lines.
Filed under Personal, Philanthropy, Shonali Burke | Tags: alissa friedman, beth kanter, calcutta, geoff livingston, kids with cameras, kolkata, Personal | Comments (11)Through a Lens, Richly
Communicators: how do you use your lens to impact the world?
While channel-surfing a couple of years ago, I came across the documentary “Born into Brothels.” Having been born and brought up in Calcutta (now Kolkata), I was instantly captivated by the story. More than that, I was touched by Zana Briski‘s commitment to these children born, through no fault of their own, on the wrong side of the street; and her covenant to open their eyes and bring them the riches of hope – through a camera lens.
The original Kids with Cameras. Source: Kids with Cameras
The Communicator’s Lens
When “Slumdog Millionaire” swept last week’s Golden Globes, I was reminded of the “kids with cameras,” and the power an image has to convey what, often, 516 words cannot. That is the essence of what we, as communicators, should aspire to, isn’t it? To convey a message to our audiences in such an efficient and impactful way that they are moved to action, enabling our clients or organizations to achieve their goals.
Filed under Communication, Philanthropy, Shonali Burke | Tags: 12for12k, beth kanter, calcutta, camera, cause, change, charity, children, communications, community, danny brown, donate, facebook, hope house, kids, kids with cameras, kolkata, lens, Philanthropy, Public Relations, Sharing Foundation, slumdog millionaire, Twitter, Zana Briski | Comments (19)
