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Reading Recap: 2018

Image Source Since I comfortably read 50 odd books last year , this year I decided to top it. When the year began, I set myself a target of 60 books and within the first four months of the year, I was already half-way through it. I was pretty happy with my success at reading and kept going book after book. By August I had finished reading around 40 books and I was looking to surpass my challenge easily. Then, September happened.

#GuestPost | 5 Benefits Of Reading - By Shalini

Hello guys! Today, I have someone very special here to talk about something that is very special to me. Shalini has been a dear friend ever since we connected offline and has been the perfect friend to talk about books, writing and everything else in random. I rarely do or accept guest posts, but when she asked me for one , I had to oblige. She graciously returned the favor as well. So, do give her the same love you give me. Or more. Hola folks. 

Bend, Don't Break

It is impossible To do it all If you bear all the weight You're bound to fall Take a deep breath Relax for a while Once in a while it is okay To ignore the task pile

Action Replay + Gratitude List: November 2018

Image Source " Life is what happens to you when you are busy making other plans " - Whoever said this knew what they were talking about. This is what November was for me. While October was a really busy month, I thought November would be a little relaxed, but was I in for a surprise! November was twice as busy as October with me working continuously day after day without a break. There was nothing else in my life apart from work this November. Stress was at its peak and I barely had any time for myself or my hobbies. As busy as it was, November taught me a lot of lessons and kept me strong.

#FeministMondays | Sexism At The Workplace

Image Source There hardly would be any workplace that doesn't reek of sexism. No, I'm not talking about sexual harassment. Nor am I talking about the income parity. Those are reserved for stand alone posts. I'm talking about sexism in general here. I've finished a decade of my corporate life within the same company and I'm proud to say that I work for a company where more than 50% of the workforce are women. How many of them make it to the top rung I'm not sure, but the current CEO and chairperson is a woman and I'm incredibly proud of that fact. How many of us can say that we work in a company run by a woman and be proud of it? Well, I surely can.

Book Review: Erotic Stories For Punjabi Widows

Image Source Title: Erotic Stories For Punjabi Widows Author: Balli Kaur Jaswal Publisher: Harper Collins (24 March 2017) Genre: Fiction Price: Rs. 300 on Amazon Pages: 320

Family Is An F Word

Image Source Festivities always remind me of family and one Diwali that remains closest to my heart is the Diwali of 2011. I was invited by my friend's family to celebrate it with them. When another friend and I walked into her house, it was filled with so much love and warmth. The whole family was gathered under one roof, dressed in their traditional best and laughing and talking away! They even brought in gifts for each other and it was such a happy ambiance. Every one was genuinely happy to see the other and this one episode showed me what families should all be about. Once the evening ended, I headed to a coffee shop near home, where Cal was waiting for me. We spent the rest of the evening, being the lone members in the coffee shop and with the noise and light of crackers around us. The Diwali of 2011 was magical in its own way.

Action Replay + Gratitude List: October 2018

Image Source Poof! That's how October went for me. I swear, I still remember writing the gratitude post at the end of September. October was chaotic to say the least. I do not remember anything that happened throughout this month. The days started and ended, and nothing substantial happened during the day. At the end of the day as I lay in bed, I felt exhausted to the bone, but nothing felt accomplished. The whole of October was like this. The whole month revolved around work, so much that it was heavily taxing for me. There was so much work to be done that the weekdays merged with the weekends and I was working non-stop, morning, noon and night. As much as I love my job, sometimes it does take a toll on me and that is exactly what happened this October.

#FeministMondays | Believe Survivors, Believe Women

Image Source Roughly around a couple of months ago, I woke up to a comment on one of my pictures on Instagram. The comment said 'Dagar' and I honestly had to google the word to understand what it meant. The comment was left by a random stranger, who did not look a day more than eighteen from his display picture. I immediately blocked him of course, but sat down to think what prompted this random kid to leave such a comment on a picture of mine. Before you can ask, this was a selfie of mine and I was wearing a sleeveless top and only half my shoulders were visible along with my face. The reason I'm saying this is because when I mentioned this incident to a few people in my circle, the first thing they asked me was what was I wearing in the picture. Some even asked me what was the need for me to post a picture of mine and invite trouble. Both men and women were a part of this conversation and for some reason they all thought that it was my fault.

Koffee With Karan #NotAMovieReview

Image Source Koffee with Karan is one of my guilty pleasures, I honestly accept. As much as I love my English sit-coms and thrillers, Koffee with Karan is something I watch for the laughs and the WTF moments. I have actually watched every episode of the past five seasons and I'm looking forward to season 6 that will air soon. I know you are judging me, but like most of the guests on the show, I couldn't care less. I have always wondered what it would be like to sit there across from Karan and talk to him. Obviously, since my life is hardly interesting, he wouldn't invite me to his show. Also, since I am not born to famous parents or come from a credible family, I knew it was never going to happen. So, I decided to invite him for a chat instead. I had given myself a month to talk to his team and persuade them to agree for a chat with the man himself. Surprisingly, they agreed on the first try.

Book Review: The Forty Rules Of Love

Title: The Forty Rules Of Love Author: Elif Shafak Publisher: Penguin, Latest Edition edition (2015) Genre: Fiction/Historical Fiction Price: Rs. 399 on Amazon Pages: 368 I had heard glowing reviews of this book from many book bloggers I trust and yet I bought this book mainly for its gorgeous cover! The cover is so magical and as much as they ask us not to judge a book by its cover, I had crazy expectations from this one.

Action Replay + Gratitude List: September 2018

Image Source September probably has been the best month of 2018 for me so far! It kept me on my toes and I loved every bit of it. It was a very peaceful month in all possible ways. While work kept me really busy, I did manage to take time out to cook, read and write! Deadlines kept looming over my head but I did not lose my cool. I continued doing my best and took breaks as and when I felt the stress getting to me. Working with new people is always a challenge, especially, when you have to get your work done through them. A lot of time and effort needs to be invested in them and not everyone does this. I, on the other hand, take it up personally to make sure they are comfortable and good at what they do. This is turning out to be my Achilles heel, but I'm going to do what I feel is right.

Living With PCOS

Image Source Most of my adult life, ever since I reached puberty, I have been skinny. My weight has always remained between 43-45 kilos until I was 25 years of age. While many thought that I looked emaciated and frail, I was pretty happy being skinny. Then, in early 2012, I took a sabbatical from work and was at home for three odd months, waiting for the right project to join work back. These three months were all about eating, reading and sleeping for me. The lack of exercise and travel took a terrible toll on my body and before I knew it, my weight has touched 65 kilos. Since I'm pretty tall and was skinny, the weight gain didn't show much. Yes, I looked slightly chubbier and healthier and my clothes did not fit me. Apart from having to give away my entire wardrobe and replacing it, I was pretty okay with the weight gain as I was not looking fat or obese. Then, I missed my period and everything went downhill from there.

The Art & Comfort Of Food

Image Source The one thing that can transform my mood from 'blah' to 'wow', apart from the man I love, is some good food. I love everything about food and I worship it. Food is very sacred to me and I enjoy every aspect of it. Today, as I was making a health mix porridge for breakfast, I was thrilled by how the powder and water came together to form a golden mass that tasted delicious! Have you ever wondered how grains of wheat transform into your roti? How flour, eggs, sugar and butter combine together to form a delicious cake? I worship the genius who decided to add tomato marinara and some toppings to bread to create pizza! Food, my friend, is no less of an art. Food appeals to all the senses and rightly so. The foodie in me cheers up instantly as soon as I smell something delicious. I love a well presented dish. I love to hear the sizzle of a piping hot dish. I appreciate different textures in a dish and when it turns out to be delicious, I attain nirvana.

Book Review: Pyjamas Are Forgiving

Title: Pyjamas Are Forgiving Author: Twinkle Khanna Publisher: Juggernaut (7 September 2018) Genre: Contemporary Fiction Price: Rs. 197 on Amazon Pages: 256

#FeministMondays | A Penny For Your Thoughts

Image Source We women are expected to dress a certain way, behave a certain way, talk a certain way, laugh a certain way, and what not. Who decided that women should be like this? Who decided the default characteristics of a woman? Ever since I can remember, I have always been a rebel. It had nothing to do with the fact that I was girl. I was a curious child and I asked a lot of questions. Growing up, I became ambitious and worked hard to get where I am today. Still there are a few people out there who raise their eyebrows and drop their jaws every time they learn something about me. Most of them can't believe that my parents and my husband "let me" be the way I am. If I had a penny for every time someone asked me the following questions or made the below statements, I'd be richer than Jeff Bezos today.

Sixty Thoughts That Crossed My Mind While Watching 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' #NotAMovieReview

Image Source I know this movie released a couple of years ago but I only happened to watch it recently. I do remember trying to watch it earlier in between the breaks of the Oscars telecast, but every time I switched the channel, Ranbir was brooding or was crying or was doing both. A few weeks ago, when the husband was away and I was bored to death, I switched on the television after years. After getting used to Netflix and Prime, there is hardly anything exciting on TV anymore. As expected there were no good shows or movies to watch. A channel was playing 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil ' and the movie was just starting so I decided to watch it. Honestly, as much as a lover of movies I am, some Hindi movies absolutely make no sense to me. Sometimes I just watch movies for the "What nonsense" part of it. It is quite a humorous past time, trust me.

Love In The Time Of Social Media

Image Source Social Media was the perfect tool for us to connect with our old friends and like minded people. It also was a good tool to express your thoughts, have discussions and learn about many things. And then, it turned toxic. Now, Social Media is nothing but a place one goes to feel good or miserable about themselves. It is like a competition where everyone feels the need to prove something to someone else and everyone is competing with one another for an invisible prize or an inflated ego. People are quick to take offense and retaliate often spreading hate and vitriol. While it has given a platform for everyone to have a say, most people use it as a tool to show off to the world or desperately try to fit in to it.

Action Replay + Gratitude List: August 2018

Image Source As expected, August was a fantastic month. No, not only because I had my birthday this month, but because of a lot of other things. August again, has been a month of learnings and experiences. Once you let go off a few thoughts and focus on newer things, it is amazing how fresh things fall in your lap. One of the most important things that I did this month, was to apologize to my mind and let it breathe. I strive so hard to be a perfectionist and do everything I can that I'm stressed most of the time. This month I had way too many headaches thanks to this. One day, when I was at work and felt like I was almost going to pass-out because of a headache, I knew that I had to do something about it. I was over-worked, over-stressed and over-agitated. I could feel another burn-out approaching and I did not want to go through it again. Gave my mind a short holiday and things seemed better from there.

Dear Mind, I'm Sorry

Image Source Dear mind, I'm sorry For not thinking about you soon I know I keep you overworked Morning, night and noon Dear mind, I'm sorry For plaguing you with list after list Too many things to remember As I fight hand over fist

The Art Of Unlearning

Image Source As we grow up, we learn a lot of things. I do believe that every person who comes into your life teaches you something. Every situation that you encounter does too. All of us have been given the same set of cards, what we do with it makes all the difference. How do we learn what to do with it? Life teaches you that by putting you in certain situations and bringing certain people in to your life. I have always been a keen learner, be it art, cooking, professional work or anything new that fascinates me. I am a self-made woman and I am proud of the way I have brought myself up. Every turn that I took in life has taught me a lesson and I am a product of these lessons today. The most important lesson that life has taught me is the importance to unlearn. You need to unlearn many things during the course of life and this probably is the most vital thing that life teaches you.

#FeministMondays | Default Skills And Characteristics

Image Source Every time my husband and I visit a certain household, he is asked how his work is going on and if it is getting hectic for him. I am asked what I cooked for breakfast/lunch/dinner. If this is not unfair, then what is? I work the exact same hours as my husband in an equally demanding job and contribute equally to the household, yet, why am I only expected to focus on domesticity? Why is a woman expected to be born with a certain set of skills and characteristics? She needs to know to cook well, to clean well, to take care of the house, to satiate her husband, to have an inbuilt motherly instinct, continue to look after the house even with a kid seated on her hip, and not complain. Who defined this? Why aren't women expected to have ambitions, rise up the ladder, be financially independent and excel at their work? It doesn't mean that these women will not take care of a house, they might even do that. Still, why isn't what they want from their life ever co

Alpha & Alpha

Image Source Everyone by now knows that I'm an outspoken person who calls a spade a spade. I always speak my mind and never sugarcoat stuff. I have always been straightforward even when I was child. While I am pretty diplomatic at work, because I need to be, I still remain outspoken and express my thoughts freely and as often as I can. I have been often told that I have a dominant personality and that I'm someone who likes to lead. While I do agree on the latter, the former is highly debatable. I've lost count of the number of times people have called me "Bold" (Gosh! I hate that word!), just because I choose to voice my opinion. While most people just nod along or prefer to stay quiet and go through it, I choose not to. It is not that I am trying to be a rebel without a cause here. I just believe in doing things the right way. If something seems off or wrong, I talk about it. I am called bold because of this. I am called dominant because of this. Well, if t

Action Replay + Gratitude List: July 2018

Image Source While it is almost time for my birthday month, I cannot wait to stop and look at how awesome July was for me. No, nothing great happened in July, but what ever did or did not happen, left me with innumerable lessons. Over the years, I have tried my best to stay away from negative people and focus on bettering myself. It has worked out well for me and I have reached a phase in my life where hardly anything from external sources bother me. You know, all of us have one single nerve in our body that no one should get on. But there are some people who aim straight for it and groove on it. Some times I wish that we could just write off people from our lives and erase all remnants of them. While I have managed to do that to a good extent, thanks to many other people, there always is a reminder in some form or the other.

Book Review: The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck

Image Source Title: The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck Author: Mark Manson Publisher: Harper Collins; Int edition (19 January 2017) Genre: Self-help/Personal Development Price: Rs. 311 on Amazon Pages: 224 I'm going to be honest here, the first thing that works for this book is its title. If three million copies of this book has been sold this date, the title is the sole reason. That sure is enough reason for most people to pick it up. I have never read a self-help book until now as I find it to be quite preachy and annoying to the point of getting me to loathe my own life. Like many others, I too succumbed to the catchy title of this book and bought it. The happy orange cover does the trick too. It promises to be young, quirky and genuine. So, does it live up to what it promises?

My Tryst With Veganism

Image Source Towards the end of April, when I was focusing a lot on my health and on being fit both physically and mentally, I decided to try going vegan for a while. No, it had nothing to do with trying to be cool or following a fad. I have terrible skin and I had heard that dairy aggravates it, so I wanted to check if not having dairy would help my skin or not. Before I got married, I was a hardcore non-vegetarian, as we always used to have some meat cooked at home on a daily basis. When I fell in love with a pure vegetarian and later married him, my consumption of meat reduced to a great extent. Did it trouble me? Honestly, no. While I couldn't cook meat at home, I used to eat it out, as and when I felt like. The thought of giving up meat never occurred to me even once. But, when I decided to give up dairy, I thought why not give up meat as well. The idea was to try this diet for the month of May and if it works out well, continue it for the next couple of months. If it he

How Often Do You Appreciate Someone?

Image Source "Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." - Voltaire. When was the last time you appreciated someone? It can be in person or even online. How often do you take some time out to write a good line for someone? How often do you congratulate someone for an achievement? How often do you praise someone for something? In today's life, when everything is about comparison and competition, basic appreciation is getting lost. While most people are good at being critics, no one now has the time to drop in a good word. Most importantly, no one feels the need to appreciate someone. This is so sad. For me, appreciation is like magic. It motivates me to perform even better. It makes me feel good about myself. In short, appreciation is a booster. Personally, I love to appreciate people. I feel that it helps many others. A kind word or a compliment has healing powers. People need to understand this better.

#FeministMondays | Lessons From Sulu

Image Source I watched ' Tumhari Sulu ' over the weekend and was really impressed with it. For those who haven't watched it, this movie is the story of Sulochana or Sulu (Vidya Balan, in a role tailor-made for her), a middle-class housewife who lives with her doting husband Ashok (an endearing Manav Kaul) and her 11-year-old son Pranav. As a person with varied interests and hobbies, her education has suffered in the past. As a housewife, she dreams of being a working woman, but her lack of higher education doesn't allow her to get any white collar jobs. She's interested in everything around her and thinks of setting up multiple business as a 50-50 partner with her husband, even though none materializes. She takes part in every competition possible, be it a saree draping contest, a vegetable cutting contest, radio and TV contests or a lemon and spoon race. When she wins a contest on Radio Wow run by Maria (Neha Dhupia, who looks stunning and is brilliant as t

Action Replay + Gratitude List: June 2018

Image Source So, we're now officially in the second half of the year. Wow, that was quick, wasn't it? Time is passing by so quick and everyday I find so many new things to do. Over the past couple of months, my outlook towards life has completely changed and this has made me much clearer in the head. I already spoke about letting go of unnecessary thoughts and people in my last replay post but I will state the importance of it again. We all need to take some time out to de-clutter our life. This needs to happen periodically and this should be considered vital for our survival. Once you let go of that negativity, life becomes so simpler and you become more happier. June kept me insanely busy as I was in the middle of a really tough release at work. It took up all my time with late evening calls and weekend work that needed to be put in. Since my work life is more often than not peaceful, and rushes like these are not very often, I do not complain about them. Honestly, I

Of Misers & Millionaires

Image Source I've been wanting to write about this for quite sometime but I kept putting it off because it is a very sensitive topic and I did not want to offend anyone. Money has always been a debatable topic. I am someone who believes that money cannot buy happiness, but it can certainly make your life comfortable. But, is this the only thing in your life? Is money the only thing that can make you happy? Is having a big fat bank balance your only goal? These are the questions we need to ask ourselves. I come from a lower middle class family where I was used to fighting for the basics let alone the luxuries. So, I always knew the importance of money. When I grew up and started working, I did not take it for granted. I am very smart when it comes to money and I invest it wisely. Yes, I do shop and indulge in luxuries once in a while, but that is not my sole agenda when it comes to money. I am a person with many passions and passions come alive only when you invest something

Why Daily Motivation Helps

Image Source In February last year, I hit a very rough patch in my life. My mother fell sick, work was at its peak and everything around was getting too much to bear. I had my first burn-out then and it was a feeling that made me feel miserable about myself. One fine day, I sat down and decided to work on getting out of that melancholic phase. I started a self-project called 'Getting Better' and wrote down things that made me feel better day after day. I started each day writing down a quote in my diary that would inspire me for the entire day. Every time I encountered something tough, I reminded myself of that quote and that gave me the strength to get past it. Soon, I started putting up a quote on Instagram every morning, as part of my healing. This helped me get better. Of course this was not the only thing that helped, but this gave me the motivation to push myself and fight harder. A month or two into the 'Getting Better' project, a couple of my Instagram f

Book Review: The Time Traveler's Wife

Image Source Title: The Time Traveler's Wife Author: Audrey Niffenegger Publisher: Publisher: RHUK (23 July 2009) Genre: Science Fiction/Romance Price: Rs. 275 on Amazon Pages: 624 What intrigued me the most about this book was its gist and the beautiful front cover. I bought this book years ago, on a whim, and it stayed on my shelf. It was only recently that I read a glowing review about this book and decided to read it. It is quite a fairly long book with minute font that makes the reading very exhausting, but I wanted to know what happens to the leads, so I persisted. When I was done with it, I did not know whether I liked the book or not. I had mixed feelings about it and after a few days I spent some time thinking about the book and its story. That is when I realized the true beauty of it.

#FeministMondays | Decoding The Bechdel Test

Image Source I only recently read about the Bechdel Test. For those who are unaware of this; The Bechdel test is a method for evaluating the portrayal of women in fiction. It asks whether a work features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. The requirement that the two women must be named is sometimes added.  This test is apparently used as an indicator for the active presence of women in films and other fiction, and to call attention to gender inequality in fiction. We already saw how women are portrayed in Indian cinema last month . This week, before getting into the real life scenario I want to talk about three classics that miserably fail the Bechdel test. Before we get into that, let's ask ourselves one question. What do we women like to talk about the most? To other women, I mean.

In Conversation With The Veeres #NotAMovieReview

Image Source After watching 'Veere Di Wedding' on the weekend, I decided to sit down and have a chat with the Veeres themselves as I had a lot of questions on my mind. When I called the producer, Rhea Kapoor, asking if I could have her four leading ladies for a chat, she was confused. I then corrected myself by asking for her two leading ladies and the two extras. Then, she got it. Soon, Sonam K Ahuja got in touch with me and put forth her demands before the interview. She wanted me to arrange four cameras and have two of it focusing on her and the other two on Kareena Kapoor Khan. She also asked me to get four comfortable couches as the women would be dressed in couture and there needs to be enough room for them to sit. When I told her that I was only a small time interviewer with nothing but a notepad, she was not pleased. Nevertheless, since I had watched the movie and I was a woman, she agreed to go ahead with the interview. I met them on my terrace and was just thi

Action Replay + Gratitude List: May 2018

Image Source May has been a pleasant month and I cannot be more happier about it. Five months have already passed since the year started and I have seen myself change as a person month after month. 2018 is going to be a turning point in my life for sure. May has been a month of many learnings, many realizations and many vital decisions. In the end, I have a smile on my face and that's all that matters. Right? Work has been crazy hectic, leaving me with hardly any time for anything else. I learnt many new things at work and explored new areas. As much as I crib about the stress at times, I cannot help but be happy about what I'm doing. Work has always been the topmost priority in my life and I think that I do more than enough justice to it. Because I was busy with work, reading took a hit this month. I could only read five books and most of them have been excellent. I will review some of them later, but for now follow me on Goodreads to be a part of my reading journey.

Book Review: The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society

Title: The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society Author: Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing; 1 edition (10 May 2009) Genre: Historical Fiction Price: Rs. 182.07 on Amazon for the Kindle Edition Pages: 257 Let me start with how I came across this book. I had never ever heard of this book until Shailaja shared it on her Instagram story that this book was available on the Kindle for under 100 bucks for a day. Since I trust her choices, I promptly bought it. Later, she tells me that she's not read it, but has heard good things about it. Then Shalini recommended the book on her blog and I knew that I had made the right choice. Soon after, I began reading it. It took me quite a few days to get used to the title of the book. It is almost like a tongue-twister and only half-way through the book I got to say it correctly. This book is a historical novel set in 1946. The best part about this book is that the entire book is in the

The Purpose Of Travel

Image Source " Show me the pictures. I hope you clicked many of them ." " How much did it cost? " " What did you bring from there? " It's been close to two months since we've come back from our vacation and we are still being plagued by these questions. Some people prefer to right away ask these instead of asking how our experience was or what places we visited. It is really annoying, to be honest. Travel to me was something new until I met my husband. Right from when we started dating, we started traveling together and we enjoyed it a lot. As people who can talk non-stop, we were each other's perfect travel companions and since our thoughts and ideologies match, we love traveling together. Initially, it was all the thrill about the travel. I used to take a lot of pictures and check in on Facebook as often as I could. After a couple of vacations, it was all about the place and the person that I'm with. Nothing else mattered aft

#WednesdayVerses | Rain & Steam

Image Source It all started with a drizzle Then formed the spirit for the mood Not taking advantage of this ambiance Would be considered rude I take a step forward You come grab my hand One look into your eyes I know your intentions are grand I watch that lone crystal of rain Hanging on to your lower lip What I'd not do to be that drop But I don't want to easily slip

#FeministMondays | Women In Indian Cinema

Image Source I watched Alia Bhatt's ' Raazi ' yesterday. Although the movie received glowing reviews, it did not work for me. I found the story to be dragged out unnecessarily and somehow it did not hit the right emotional note. While Alia was fantastic in the movie, a brilliant actor like Vicky Kaushal was wasted. The only take away for me from the movie was having a female protagonist who risks her life for her country. But who is behind all this? Yes, men. As much as Alia's Sehmat is brave, the strings behind are pulled by men. She blindly follows her father orders and marries a man she has never seen. From asking for basic help to get her things done, she needs to use code words to reach out to men. Even in the end, the man who trained her doesn't blink twice before issuing orders to have her killed. I know it is all about patriotism, but why weren't there any other women who could help her? What's the point in being brave, when you are a mere pupp

Not A Stranger To The Dark

Image Source The greys in my hair have taught me now That life comes with a share of up and down I've learnt to swim against all tides Braved the flood when others expected me to drown Way too many people have come into my life While some have stayed, most have left Each of them did teach me a lesson It made me more strong and not bereft I celebrate every small high Because I have seen the lowest of lows Each day I emerge stronger Learning to adjust my sails as the wind blows

Reflections: A To Z Challenge 2018 #AToZChallenge

The first time I took up the A to Z challenge was in 2014, and since I was new to it then, I had no theme. I just wrote about what ever I felt like. The posts were decent enough but nothing great, still I managed to complete the challenge successfully. In 2015, I wanted to have good quality posts and went with my strength back then and chose ' Shades Of Love ' as my theme. Most of my posts included fiction and poetry which I seldom write now. Not too sure how and why the transition happened though. This time, the posts were good and I was enjoying the challenge much better. For 2016, I wanted to have more personalized posts, so the theme I went for was ' All About Me ', and although it sounds easier to talk about oneself, I wasn't too sure about what I wanted to share with the world and what to keep private. It wasn't an easy battle, but I managed to complete it successfully. By 2017, my writing had evolved a lot and so had my reading. I was doing quite a

Book Review: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine

Title: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine Author: Gail Honeyman Publisher: Harper Collins (30 May 2017) Genre: Contemporary Fiction Price: Rs. 359 on Amazon Pages: 400 I had heard a lot about this book on Social Media and everyone was going gaga over it. But after ' The Fault In Our Stars ' which was one of the most lamest books that I've ever read, I stopped taking Social Media reviews seriously. When many friends started personally recommending this book to me, I was intrigued. Still, not enough to go and buy it. When Shailaja , whose taste in books I immensely trust, pushed me to read it, I knew it was time to give in and pick this one. So, I did. I started reading this on my plane journey and read bits and pieces of it throughout my European sojourn and I completed this on the flight back home.

Action Replay + Gratitude List: March & April 2018

Image Source Let me start with how thrilled I am to be finally writing this post. I didn't do a replay post for March as I was travelling and once I came back, I jumped head first into the A to Z challenge for April and that left me no room to write anything else. As much as I enjoyed the A to Z challenge this year, I felt really constrained as I was sticking to a theme. There was so much I wanted to talk about all the other things under the sun, but with writing a post everyday, I couldn't find time to write other posts apart from the challenge ones. But now, I'm free and I cannot wait to get back to the writing groove and talk about things that matter to me. Before I get to doing that, let's see how March and April fared. March was a pretty chaotic month in terms of work, but I'm not complaining. It kept me busy the way I like it to be. Health and lifestyle took primary focus and I continued to eat healthy and stay fit. However, the highlight of March woul

Z: Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara #AToZChallenge

Movie Name: Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Language: Hindi Genre: Drama/Road Film Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Abhay Deal, Farhan Akhtar, Katrina Kaif, Kalki Koechlin Director: Zoya Akhtar Year Of Release: 2011

Y: You've Got Mail #AToZChallenge

Movie Name: You've Got Mail Language: English Genre: Rom-Com Cast: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan Director: Nora Ephron Year Of Release: 1998

X: X-Men Series #AToZChallenge

Movie Name: X-Men and the rest of the series Language: English Genre: Super-hero Cast: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellan Director: Bryan Singer Year Of Release: 2000

W: Wonder #AToZChallenge

Movie Name: Wonder Language: English Genre: Drama Cast: Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, Jacob Tremblay Director: Stephen Chbosky Year Of Release: 2017

V: Vaaranam Aayiram #AToZChallenge

Movie Name: Vaaranam Aayiram Language: Tamil Genre: Drama Cast: Suriya, Simran, Divya Spandana, Sameera Reddy Director: Gautham Vasudev Menon Year Of Release: 2008

U: The Usual Suspects #AToZChallenge

Movie Name: The Usual Suspects Language: English Genre: Mystery Cast: Kevin Spacey, Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri Director: Bryan Singer Year Of Release: 1995

T: The Theory Of Everything #AToZChallenge

Movie Name: The Theory Of Everything Language: English Genre: Biographical Drama Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones Director: James Marsh Year Of Release: 2014