Because it pays to be a snob.....

.....when it comes to writing.

Weird much? You might want to read the whole piece here.

Oh, and not to miss the Liz Gilbert video :)

Have a great week ahead y'all!

 

Day 14 - The best thing I read today

This is THE best thing I read today.

Here's wishing every Father who has raised his little girl to believe that she is no less than anyone, a Happy Father's Day!


 

Day 13 - Overanalyze this, and that!

Now that work deadlines and season five of GoT has come to an end (sob!), its time to sit down and write again.

Just the other day I stumbled upon an article written by an author whose writing I quite enjoy. She had written a piece about the movie Dil Dhadakne Do and how it shows women in a bad light.

I am not sure how many of you have seen the movie. But if you have,  what is your opinion?

I quite enjoyed the movie and in my opinion I felt that she has over analysed the movie a bit much! Don’t get me wrong. I am definitely a supporter of equality of the sexes and everything, but why must we dissect everything we see and hear today?

If you ask me, the men in the movie were equally flawed, if not more than the women.

It is after all a piece of fiction and I believe there is no need to delve any deeper to it than what meets the eye. It is a movie that showcases broken relationships and insecurities that many of us face in our day to day lives. It has been well portrayed by all the actors and that is all there is to it. If there are instances where some of the female characters are shown as submissive, over-emotional and lacking confidence, then the male protagonists too are shown as rash, irresponsible, and pompous! But then of course they all realize their shortcomings and come together in the end to live happily ever after. Just like how it happens in most movies.

Let us not unnecessarily over analyze and make everything about gender, race, class, etc.

Imagine a piece of fiction that features men and women who are flawless, living in a perfect world without any problems, would there be any story at all?

 

Thoughts on reading Sheryl's note to Dave

I came across Sheryl Sandberg’s note about her husband last evening. I had tears in my eyes even before I reached midway.

The trauma, the heartache, the void – she pours her heart out in honest words and thanks every single person who has been her rock during her darkest hours.

Millions of supporters offer her their prayers and well wishes pour in from various parts of the globe.

There are many amongst us who go through what Sheryl did.

But a majority choose to keep their heartaches to themselves. They do not how to articulate. Even if they did, there may be no one to listen.

A loss of a loved one is irreplaceable. No matter what your last name is, I am sure the pain is mind numbing to say the least.

Respect to each and every one of you who have reached this far.

I pray you keep going ahead, much farther and much more stronger.

 

Day 11 - The city that means home

You know a while back I had started this section on the blog called Out of Focus.

Let us revive that as a part of this 30-day challenge, shall we?

Kochi Backwaters

This photo was taken two years ago when I was on board my father’s ship. He happened to be posted in Kochi during that time and we as a family grabbed the chance to spend one entire day on board.
Boy, was it fun! We had a grand guided tour of the ship followed by a lovely meal.  Post which, my sister and I watched the dolphins from the deck, and waved at almost every other ship that passed by.
(Of course I also bullied her into posing for photos at almost every nook and corner.)

The day came to an end sooner than we expected and this was the last shot I could manage before sunset.

Isn't she a beauty?

Day 10 - Hang on Jon Snow

I remember writing about this particular sitcom that I was addicted to.  But then that was before GRRM's masterpiece.

For those who know me well or even others who may have spent a ‘considerable’ amount of time with me would know how much I LOVE this show. (to the point of obsession, really. :-I)

And good for me some of my closest friends feel the same too. About those who never had anything to do with it, well I converted them. Now they are hooked too.  *Evil Laugh*

In case you just scoffed at what you read above, I suggest you begin by watching the History and Lore videos. A sheer delight to watch, these videos are true examples of story telling at its best.

Huh? You never enjoyed reading mythology and fantasy while growing up?

Not even a single story from Amar Chitra Katha sparked your interest?

*Shudder*

But then again, nothing beats watching the actual show.  As I type this, Episode 7 awaits.

Hang on Jon Snow, I pray you don’t get on that mighty ship.
Till I settle on my yielding throne, armed with cuppa and chips.

Day 9 - The Estranged Taxi Driver

One thing I really miss in this city is a Metro. Not that finding a taxi here is difficult or anything, but sometimes you are forced to ride with drivers who are garrulous and tend to ask you a zillion questions about your nationality, your place of stay, etc.

Thankfully the rules here are pretty strict that they wouldn’t think of pulling any stunt (touchwood!) or they would face the music BIG time. Not just one or two, it’s their only 4367 questions that you have to put up with. Not all are this way, but some can drive you nuts. (The intention is not to generalize.)

I remember this one particular taxi that I got into in front a popular supermarket.  The driver appeared silent at first. As luck would have it, I was on phone with my dad and he immediately realized that we shared a common mother tongue. And the questions began as soon as I hung up. He started by asking me where I am from, what I do, my family members etc. I answered the first two questions very curtly but I pretended like I am busy after that and ignored him completely, hoping he would get the message.

Somehow he didn’t seem to care, he only wanted to talk. I didn’t budge and pretended to be on the phone. But that didn’t have any effect. It was as if he just wanted a human being to be there to listen. He started with his childhood in Kerala and went on to talk about his family members, their lives and what not. I lied that I had other appointments and asked him to drive faster.

Suddenly out of nowhere he started talking about wars and began raving about some political parties that he supported during his college years. Then he started taking names of global leaders and abusing them. Before I could ask him to shut up, he turned around and asked me if I knew to make bombs!!

He said that he knew and he has taught many in his hometown how to make them. Warfare ran in his blood he claimed. He referred to a few global tragedies and said those folks who were bombed deserved it. I just couldn’t take it anymore. I knew I had to get out. I asked him to stop immediately, handed him the fare and got out.

He didn’t seem affected at all. Not one iota of regret or surprise or shock. Nothing! With absolute nonchalance, he took the fare and wished me a pleasant day!

I walked away as fast as I could.

These days I make it a point to carry the most valuable weapon of self-defence while traveling alone –  ear phones.

Day 8 - Remembering Gita

The year was 2012 and we both happened to be staying at the same place in Jersey city.  

I first met Gita at the hotel lobby one evening when I was back from work. If I remember clearly, she was enquiring about a taxi service with the receptionist. It was my second or third day in a foreign land and I was happy to chat up with any Indian who appeared to be in the same shoe that I was – Alone and traveling on work.

Forthright and unfussy, she was a Godsend while I nursed bad bouts of jetlag and homesickness.

We chatted for some time and Gita helped me familiarize myself with the hotel facilities and the neighbourhood. She assisted me with  basic cooking and accompanied me to super markets and taught me how to spot a good bargain.  It was Gita who introduced me to Google Voice calling and till this day I use it for all my ISD calls. (Yep, I didn’t even have a smartphone then. Don’t ask me why! ) I was thrilled beyond words then to be able to speak to my family and friends, and that too everyday with such ease. In short bumping into her helped me get over my homesickness.

 

Later as the days grew by, I began to feel absolutely at home and every weekend I would be out visiting friends in Jersey or out sightseeing in NYC. Gita used to  travel a lot on work and I barely saw her during weekends.

One weekend when we both were in the hotel at the same time, we decided to spend the day together. It was a fun day! We took numerous photos by the water-front in Jersey city. Took the subway to Times Square and visited Madame Tussauds, and saw our first 4D movie. .

She asked me if I would mind having a meal with her at the Saravana Bhavan in Manhattan. (Truth be told, the last thing on my mind was an Indian restaurant during my first week in the US of A. I was thinking of trying some pretzels, bagels and a hotdog, maybe? ) Such humble and kind-hearted people are not easy to come by. I said "YES" in a heartbeat. For a pure vegetarian like her there was no better option than a nice mini meal cooked to perfection, just like how it was made at her home in Chennai.  (You will be interested to know that we had to wait for 30 minutes for a table.)

 
That was the only weekend we got to spend together. Her stay in the US ended within one month of my reaching there and she eagerly waited for the last day to arrive. Gita was one of those who had to travel very often to the West on work and she had grown tired of it and missed her family and homemade food terribly.  

We exchanged emails shortly after we both reached India. Soon we got engulfed in our own lives and the trip of course became a distant memory.

 

While rummaging through some old photographs the other day she came to my mind and I instantly searched for the old mail thread and dropped her a note. Unfortunately it bounced back. I tried to search for her on social media, but so far no luck.

Gita, this one is for you.

Trust you are keeping well  in whichever part of the world you are and doing what you do best.

Putting a smile on someone's face.

 

 

 

 

Day 7 - Move over Interstellar

“ Why are you so complicated? You know the next Christopher Nolan movie is going to be about you!!!”

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHA”

I laughed so hard during that argument. I can’t even seem to remember what it was about.

Here’s to many more years of laughter and of course, movies.

Happy Anniversary Sweets.
 

Day 6 - Lessons in Positivity

I am big fan of podcasts and videos, and not to mention TedX Talks.

While I shall post a list of my favourite talks on this site one day,  today I want you to watch this video as it is really heart-warming.

 Kudos to Lakshmi Rebecca and her team for this fantastic idea and of course “Margarita with a straw” just got added to my list of movies to watch.  It’s amazing how free-spirited and resilient Deepa is.

The video took me back to all the times that I have visited the ladies orphanage where my mother volunteers. Unlike Deepa here, those women were left at the orphanage as their families had no means to look after them.

I have not seen a more cheerful bunch of women.  I still remember this one time when I was visiting, they all got together and sang a song for me that they had heard on the radio. I was so overwhelmed with the gesture that I felt my eyes moisten.

The best lessons in positivity often come from unexpected quarters.



 

Day 5 – Observations

How many WhatsApp groups are you a part of?

I have lost track.

They normally fall under these two buckets -  Groups where actual conversations happen. Groups which exist only to share photos, videos and 'Good-Morning' quotes.

The latter of course is the most active when you are typing an important e mail at work.

That aside.

If you pay close attention, you will notice that the "participants" who are the most active, who are a storehouse of photos and videos, are the ones who truly want to talk, to someone, anyone.

Yet they prefer to hide behind technology. And sadly, no one pauses to ask why.

 

 

Day 4 - Finding Serendipity

Gosh. I still can’t believe I made it to Day 4!

Anyhoo, before I take a quick break for the weekend.

Here is a true story on Finding Serendipity.

See y’all on the other side.


 

Day 3 - Xtend Barre-ed

So I went ahead and signed up for this new type of workout.

Talk about the ultimate test of flexibility!

Oh and to add to that, there were two pregnant women who seemed to be more at ease than the majority of us in that room.  (I am convinced pregnancy does give one super powers.)

Thankfully, the second class was waaaaaay smoother than the first. And I came back home completely satisfied of having worked those muscles. Woot!

Apparently this total-body workout is in the news as well these days. The next fitness fad?

Well it is pilates, yoga and ballet. All rolled into one.

Exhaustive much? ;)

Day 2 - Yet another favourite book

I read this book last year and it immediately became a favourite.

I usually stumble upon books via blogs, Goodreads, personal recommendations, etc. But this one sparked my interest due to the movie trailer .  (Have I ever mentioned that I frequent IMDB to browse through trailers before I decide which one to download?)

And yes, I watched the movie after I read the book.  I urge you to do the same.

I do not want to review the book here as there are already zillions of reviews available online. But I sure can tell you that I am in awe of the author’s unsurmountable level of grit and faith. 

Cheryl Strayed is an excellent story teller and if you did enjoy her writing, you may find this interesting.

But what really stayed with me is her plainspeak here.

“Go above your nerve”

 

Day 1 - Just like that

Exhaustion had become her. Almost every cell in her limbs had begun to cry out loud in protest.

Barely a gulp of water left, she reeled under the heat of the feisty sun.

Almost there, Almost done……..she told herself in quite whispers.
 

  

In case you are wondering what the above is about, allow me to explain.


This is what happens:

• When you sit on your butt for 1 whole month with barely any exercise (walking around in an overcrowded mall for 4 hours straight to find that perfect pair of jeans obviously DIDNOT count) and then you wake up one morning filled with remorse and you decide to go for a run.

• When you don’t write for ages together and then when you start, you cannot stop till you make it sound sufficiently (overly) dramatic.

  

In other news, I decided to challenge myself to write for 30 days ( Ahem. hopefully continuously!) starting today.
 

  

I really truly badly madly deeply hope to survive this one.

 

Don't get fooled by the 'likes' that you got!

Last week at the movies, I heard the lady seated behind me exclaim to her partner.

“700,000 followers already!.. Wow!”

The producers obviously thought it important to include details of the debutant actor’s fanbase in the closing credits. Honestly, I did not think it was a big deal. If you can throw a few dollars to have “fans” receive you at the airport, then is it really that difficult to get a few more to “like” you online? I don’t mean to generalize, but I found that number a bit tough to digest. The young man was only a regional artist and barely a movie old...


Click here to read the full article.

Is your content losing its groove?

A few weeks ago while refreshing my newsfeed on Facebook, I came across an email from a leading airline company. It wasn’t a sponsored post, rather a friend had posted it as one of the worst examples of marketing emails. The visual sparked my interest and I....


( As published on the Compile Blog. Click here to read the complete article.)

Moving onto the other side

"Why don’t you buy an e-reader, like a Kindle or something?"

A year back, I would have considered that question rather abhorrent.

Enough to elicit a reaction that involved rolling of eyes and flaring of nostrils. And even before I realized, the words would be out of my mouth.  “NOOOOO WAY! HOW CAN YOU READ FROM THAT “THING”!

Now, that 'THING' is what I stare at most of the time.

The story goes something like this.

You know that feeling when you go to a bookstore and see at least four paperbacks that you want to pick up. And one look at the price tag is all that you need to walk out of the door as fast as you can. Trust me that feeling surfaces very often IF you live in any country where the official currency is not INR.

After a few Google searches and long walks around the neighborhood, I discovered libraries only to feel more disappointed.  Ok, no offence here, but the last time I ruffled through a Women’s Era was when I was at a Salon, maybe, like 4 years ago or something? The librarian insists that they have a great collection including issues from the late 90s. Did she think I missed “Hubbies Howlers”? (Really???!)

The second library was definitely relaxing, by the beach and all that, but then coffee table books are not the only thing I want to read. The thrift shop around the corner too decided to close operations.

You can imagine how much of a letdown this was when back home I used to buy books, borrow books, be part of libraries where they picked and dropped books. Sigh. It was easier than ordering a pizza!

The overzealous expat that I am, none of the above really stopped me from joining a new book club. And yet again I was back to square one.

 “Do I really need to BUY every book that we are discussing!?”

“Why is the best library in town the farthest from my house?”

“Ok, maybe I don’t need to attend this meeting because they are not discussing a book which I have”

Then, of course, there is the eternal problem of weight and space and everything else especially when you are a nomad shifting houses, cities and countries! Where do you think we send all our beloved books? Of course, to the best book keepers in the world, our parents J

All is hunky dory till even they start shifting houses.

My mother had to single handedly pack four giant cartons full of books while Dad and her shifted to a new house, the after math of which was the ISD call she made to politely let me know that all the three bookshelves and the loft were filled with books belonging to me and my dear sibling. Let me sum up that conversation in a single statement - “No more books in this house please!”

Dang!

It was time to move.

The next thing I knew I was placing an order for the 'THING' - Amazon Kindle Paperwhite.

No biggie. I am sure most of you who are reading this might already own an e-reader.

But for someone who always rolled their eyes and scoffed at the idea, it was a big decision

Fortunately, our beloved internet is full of websites that offer the widest variety of e books, and many of them don’t even cost a penny.  The mere satisfaction of having so many books in your possession does give you one hell of a high and you are never out of options to read.  Heck! I am even getting used to reading three at a time!

Although having said that, deep down I am still a paperback girl. I guess we all are.

Maybe a book here and a few there?

Sorry Ma, we may just have to build another book shelf!!

Chocolate is so passé!

A different kind of high.  Simple. Unadulterated. Bliss. 

And not associated with Chocolate, even remotely. 

If you ever land up in Dubai Marina and are undecided where to pig out for breakfast, please go here and simply order their Scrambled Eggs and Smoked Salmon with hollandaise sauce! 

Next on my list is their “Eggs Benedict” which too I hear is sinfully delicious.

Although the restaurant has an option of terrace seating where you do get to enjoy a great view of the Marina, it can get stifling if the Sun decides to be at her glorious best.  

For the sweet toothed, there are macaroons, muffins, pastries, crepes and pancakes (phew!) in plentiful.

But of course if you prefer something more saccharine like retail therapy for instance, then that too is available in copious amounts just next door! ;)

Come to think of it.....Chocolate is so passé!

Anybody Here??

Somebody?

A half written short story on your desktop screaming for attention

Rough draft of a book review (more like a bulleted list!) gathering dust

Tackling the above two, you must know, is faaaar from easy.

IF:

• Numerous seasons of your favourite sitcom(s) are being downloaded every other day
• Steady supply of riveting reads, by the week if you will. The repercussions of having generous friends, next-door libraries and some very promising thrift shops.
• You are too busy trying to knock off most items on the “must-eat” list.  When not, you are busy trying to fit into the same old pair of jeans. :-/
• There are friends who hang out all day on Skype/Viber and they would OBVIOUSLY feel bad if you didn’t hang with them. 
• You are experiencing early symptoms of “The Relentless Job Hunt”!
• Corniche is only two blocks away and is perfect for a good run. ‘Must visit’ if you ever come to this side of the globe.
•  Most importantly, tinsel town and the BFF is just a bus ride away!
• You are still basking in the feel of all things NEW! Sigh!

While I try and get my groove back (trust me writing prompts are NOT my thing), I am going to let pictures 'do the needful' in my next few posts. One photo a week! Yes? No? Maybe?

…………

Bookworm or not, this place is pure heaven for anyone who is remotely fond or associated with books. Spanning a few thousand square feet, this store is just books, books and more books till your eyes can see.

Most visitors grab a cozy corner and plant themselves in the same spot for hours buried in a book.  I was busy trying to cover every rack scanning new releases and trying to make mental list of the ones I want to devour next!

Bookworld by Kinokuniya

Thanks to their strict “No Cameras Inside” policy, this is the only shot I could manage.

Takeaway: You need a whole day and maybe slightly more to do justice to the bibliophile in you!