LOL: Life Of Leo

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.