Won't you allow yourself to be seduced by local metaphors/similes

Some time ago in 2010, I invited my readers to exercise their grey cells and come up with metaphors and similes from their immediate environs - in short, local and regional similes/images and metaphors. Well, we did try to come up with something and in the process tried to invent our own images! Well, I'm tempted to do something like that again and so I invite you to come up with unique metaphors and similes of your own and from your own locale. Let's be done away with those cliched, "As blind as an owl" and "as sly as a fox!"

Leaving you with some examples from the comments of the post I did in 2010.

~ "As it shifts out of sight, the birch trees and farms in my view become dark silhouettes on a canvas of silver. Like a gentle painter, the sun leaves behind brush strokes of warm colours on the evening sky for a short instance, before submerging us in dense darkness yet again, without any promises to return..."

(Zuzana Hansen)

 ~ "There was so much humidity in the air that photosynthesis threatened to become audible"

(Yuvika Chaube)

Okay, shall we begin? Here are some of mine:-

1. Her voice was as shrill as the Lapwing during monsoon
2. He became predictive as the words in the word document ;)
3. Your face is beaming as the smiley that my G-chat provides!
4. You are slowly becoming tasteless like the leftover dal that is three days old!
5. Her imaginary ghosts within were numerous than those found on the Tamarind tree in our village square!


Image 1: Internet
Image 2: Internet

An invitation to flirt with similes and metaphors

My preoccupation with similes and metaphors has heightened after reading the almost unusual ones used by Nevine in her writings. This has created in me a burning desire to try and jot down some similes and metaphors from my immediate vicinity which can be local. Many a times I find stale similes which have almost become cliched. Similes like "As light as a feather," "As pure as milk" have been around since god knows when.

Let them be.

I thought why don't I ask you to jog your Grey cells and try some similes and metaphors from your immediate environment. For example I just brushed my teeth and the thought that crossed my mind was: Sometimes thoughts have to be squeezed like paste from a paste tube. I don't know whether this is original but it definitely seemed better than the cliches.

So readers why don't you try something NOW and put them down as comments. It would be peculiar to your physical surroundings and YOURS. And I hope this has been created by you and is not a cliched one!

Shall we . . .

Image courtesy: Internet

My photograph is a liar

Attributing human qualities to inanimate objects reflects the literature background of the one writing. Have you ever heard this: "When I saw your picture, I thought you were blah blah blah but when I am talking to you, it is a contradiction." Boo. Now this statement mildly irritates me. Judging and second guessing the person's traits from the image. It happens all the time. Now even psychologists assert that within five minutes of seeing a photograph, the individual is judged and discerned. NO. It cannot happen. Based on experiences and previous analysis, one often tries to dissect the image and perceive it. Well, the perceived becomes the real until (I don't know when).

I am guilty of this as well. "Well, he looks arrogant," "She looks like an angel" -- The first judgment is on the characteristics and the second is based on looks. The first one can be wrong and the second one, I don't know. Why is that every time we seek to fence and border one's personality based on images, looks and voice. I might look absolutely adorable in a photograph but in reality I can be someone who is quite adorable but with shades of gray! Now does that qualify as adorable?

The 'About Me' column is another shade of the image. Again judgments are made reading the 'About Me' column and probably that is why many individuals don't mind writing and filling up those columns. You may say that it is my perception that images are often projections but not reality. Maybe. In a certain frame of mind even I would take that position. But not today.

So all said and done, my photograph is a liar or perhaps it is but a partial truth to the real me.

Image courtesy: Internet

The energy that is Latin America

For a long time now, I don't remember how long, I have been fascinated with Latin America. It evokes many synonyms within my mindscape: images of Salsa, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Caribbean islands, Romance languages and most fondest of all - La Bamba. I don't know how many of you have listened to the La Bamba. Its just an excuse to groove and move. One cannot just sit there listening to La Bamba. There have been many versions of the song and all of them are equally well-rendered. Of course I cannot find much difference except the few improvisations by the singers. Latin Americans can spot the differences, I presume.

In spite of not having visited Latin America, I feel quite at home thinking about the place. The whole place with its diverse cultural potpourri seem a collage of beautiful images. Have you ever felt that way without having visited a place. I feel that kinship with United Kingdom as well. Probably studying about England and the other places in and around UK in my literature books has given me a voyeuristic vision of those places.

Marquez is another image of Latin America. I have immensely enjoyed his One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera. Magic realism, dreams and a love that seems surreal is what Marquez offers to me and that can be associated with Latin America as well.

Many times there are certain images and flashes that colour the mind while thinking of a place. India for many is snakes and elephants while for me Latin America is Jennifer Lopez, Fidel Castro and Salsa. How are these images formed? Are they the projection of media, books or popular lore. For me it started out with individual aspects say, the flamboyant dances then people like Castro then La Bamba . . . Now linking all the different images, I call Latin America a collage of all the aforementioned things. But is that all that is Latin America?? I am afraid not. It is much more than that. For people living there, it might be something totally different as India is much more to me than snakes and elephants.

Whatever said and done, Latin America stands for energy, vitality, sexiness and a certain vibrancy to me. If you've been to Latin America, then tell me if my images describe the place succinctly or is it much more than that.