We are all aware of what is happening in the world today. And I can say without doubt, we are not too proud of it.
After much contemplation, cribbing, and ranting, I have finally come to accept that the answer to all our troubles does not lie in looking back at the past and trying to correct it. (Because it may be too late to change the narrative of our lives, too much damage has been done for that already. )
Instead, it lies in ensuring that our mistakes aren’t repeated. That out faulty mentality and biases do not form part of the legacy that we are handing over to our children. That they turn out better than we turned out to be.
Here are five ways we can help the children we birth/raise/know grow up into better human beings:
1) Build their trust: When a child smiles at you, smile back. No matter how your day is going. Maybe you are running late for work, or have missed the bus, or your boss is mad at you for submitting a work file too late. Maybe you have flunked a test, or have just broken up with the love of your life. But if a child smiles at you, smile. Children are innocent and often see the world as a compassionate place where what you give is what you get. Do not let them down. Let them believe that kindness exists. Do not shatter their expectations. Let them grow up knowing that the easiest way to make a friend is to smile.
2) Introduce them to the magic of reading: Read out a story to a child, preferably one every week, with full animated gestures et al give flight to his imagination. Introduce him to the art of reading and story telling. You can read out to an adult too if you like. You’d be surprised how much they enjoy it.
3) Teach them the importance of art - Contribute to the world of art. Even the smallest of contributions make a huge difference—-Spend time sketching. Do a doodle. Paint a picture. Write a poem. Make your own music. Spin a story. Even if you don’t have an audience, create. For yourself. And for your kid who is constantly watching and emulating you.
4) Break a taboo - this is a social change you can start at home. We have age old customs around everything. Replace them with stories of feminism and gender equality. Speak to your children openly on topics of menstruation and sex. Buy them games and clothes that are gender neutral. Hand then equal responsibility when it comes to household chores. We have enough male chauvinists in our patriarchal society. Make sure you are not raising one.
5) Tell them it is fine. That it is fine to lose a game, fail a test, or make mistakes...if it ends up teaching you something in return. Teach them it is fine to feel different from the rest of the world as long as they lend a patient ear to those who ‘feel’ different too. Teach them that the colour of your skin, the labels on your clothes, the money in your wallet, does not matter. What matters is the strength of your character the fact that we all need the same things to keep us alive; blood in our veins, air in our lungs, and compassion in our heart.
“Old men can make war. But it is only children who will make history.”- Ray Meritt
Let’s ensure that the generations after us live a happier story right from the very beginning, and do not have to carry the burden of our sins.
What a wonderful little chance to rewrite history—-of course, you do not necessarily have to birth a child in order to raise it right.
The best teachers have embraced the onus of raising children...a responsibility that is sometimes tougher to handle than that of a parent.
Children are like water, taking up any colour you mix in them. A child can be encouraged with as little as an uplifting word or an act of kindness. Make sure you mix the right colours. Say the right words. Be kind and considerate in your behaviour.
Remember, the ‘future’ is constantly watching you.
I recently watched ‘The sky is pink’, a touching reel life portrayal on the real life journey of Aisha Chaudhary and her family through her battle with a life threatening disorder.
This, however, is not a review.
This is about that one line that stayed with me all through the movie and then some more.
This is about ‘Moose’ (aka Priyanka Chopra) sharing an emotional moment with her onscreen son, wherein he complains to her about being rebuked by his school teacher and mocked by the other kids. Reason being; he had coloured the sky pink in his kindergarten drawing book.
That is when Moose tells him that he shouldn’t worry about it because contrary to what the teacher says, he wasn’t wrong.
“We are all given a piece of sky,” she says, mentally defending the choices she has made in her life. “If you think the sky is pink, then it IS pink.”
That for me for much more than an ‘aww’ moment. What Moose said there was something I have always wished for, believed in, and to a great extent stuck by. Making the best out of the bit of sky that has been allotted to me.
Yet, a burning question remains...how do we colour to our heart’s content if society with its limited mentality makes sure our colour palette is limited too.
There is black and white, and a few other primary colours. But try and dip your brush in grey, or a few blended shades, and it will alienate you, ostracise you, make you feel like you don’t belong.
It’s a tale as old as time. Ideas are met with resistance. Creativity is challenged. Bravado is mocked. Vincent Gogh, Oscar Wilde, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, all revolutionaries in their own rights, had to suffer strong criticism for their views, each in their own field. Even today, so many years later, the risk their modern day contemporaries have to face has only gotten worse.
Sometimes, I wonder how our skies would have been had we been offered a larger palette of colour.
I am sure everybody would have so much more to create, to display, to share.
But no! We have become a society of restrictions and rules. And breaking any of these laid down fundamentals is considered sacrilege.
So we stay within the limits that are drawn for us. We colour inside the lines. We laugh at different...discourage creativity...misinterpret genius.
And deem a pink sky preposterous...
We coerce ourselves into accepting that a sky of any colour other than blue will never find its rainbow. We keep reiterating it to ourselves...until it finally becomes our thought. Our belief. Our mindset.
Well, what we need is to change that mindset...to be inspired by the rebels...to break the stereotype, one step at a time.
For now, let’s start with ourselves. Let’s paint our bit of sky with the colour of our choice.
If our palette is not equipped with the hue we desire, let’s create it. Mix, match, bleed, blend—-until you achieve the perfect shade you always desired.
For complacency has to be broken.
For change has to begin somewhere...sometimeAnd if not now, when!
Ask me, and I’d choose alternating shades of purple and yellow to colour the canopy of my sky.
How would you paint your firmament?
Her timeline was flooded with similar tweets and messages. All of a sudden, everybody wanted to be a kid again.
14th November, the day when everyone reminisced about their childhood days, the good old days like they called it, the days of glory.
She cringed at the mention. Try as she might to avoid it, she was forced to temporarily relive her past on this one blasted day every year.
She had managed to slay the monster from under her bed.
But every once in a while, someone would reminded her of that ugly phase in her life. She would then feel it fresh in her bones, in the blood of her veins...that ghost of a memory that devoured her entire childhood or whatever she had ever loved of it.
Unlike the others swinging back and forth in nostalgic meanderings, she never wished to go back. How she hated the kind of wishful thinking her friends indulged in—-the kind about time machines and hypothetical travel that can transport one through time back to their childhood. What was the big hype about cotton candy and hop scotch anyway? They missed the innocence of childhood, they’d say. And she’d stay silent, not wanting to argue any further, because they wouldn’t understand. They hadn’t had to live with her demons.
They hadn’t had to go to bed every night, terrified wondering whether the monster from under her bed would come atop of it. They hadn’t had to go through the agony a nine year old felt when a middle aged male violated her fragile body. They hadn’t had to lay beneath him afraid of being crushed to death by his weight, his palm blocking out their shrieks until they could feel nothing but the wish to die before the next morning.
They hadn’t had to wake up to the disappointment of seeing another day, to the helplessness of knowing they wouldn’t be believed, to the dread that they would have to bear the same excruciating pain again that night and God-forbid so many innumerable nights in the future, and to the insurmountable anger and disgust at having to acknowledge the man their mother loved and depended on as the monster who visited them in the dark, as the demon who raped them when all else were sleeping, as their ‘Dad’.
Yes, she was glad she wasn’t a child anymore. It had taken her years to fight the cutting, the drug dependency, the suicidal urges.
And now she was finally here. She had fought through the ghosts of her childhood to reach where she was today.
It had taken forever to kill the child within her. The scared, trembling, fragile child whose vulnerabilities had made her a victim for far too long.
Today on Children’s day, she felt a protective urge towards all those who might be going through the same experiences as her.
“Keep the child within you alive.” flashed the message on her timeline.
She knew the message meant well, but she did not need it.
She had cleansed herself from the toxic effects of her ruined childhood, killed off the demons.
Now if only she could exorcise the ghosts!
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Author's note: Those who undergo the trauma of childhood abuse often tend to internalize such incidents and suffer internally for years after. If you are one of them, please remember; YOU are strong. YOU are resilient. YOU have survived it. And most importantly, IT IS OVER!
As adults, our favorite travel destination are often those that we as children dreamed of visiting.
When I was a child, I'd often get asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. My answers would keep changing. Sometimes, a sailor, a pilot, a musician, a singer...depending on the mood and the reasons, my response to that question varied.
Eventually, I ended up being a doctor (since that was what stuck with me for a very long time. However, what went unnoticed back then was that it was the books I read that primarily influenced my decisions and instilled in me the fear of missing out. There was so much to be, and so little time.
As I grew older, I developed another addiction of sorts that was synonymous with my addiction of books. I had developed 'armchair wanderlust'.
The term is pretty self explanatory. Armchair-wanderlust is just your typical wanderlust, but one you can satisfy, sitting at home in an armchair. Bibliophiles would agree with me on this.
Being a book dragon (I have always hated being labelled a meek little bookworm) since an early age, and one who suffered from travel sickness during most of her childhood, my only resort to travel was through my books and stories. However, I had no reason to complain since my books allowed me to visit wonderful places that perhaps never even existed in the real world, but which I could travel to and stay at as long as I wanted, inside my head. As I read about the whereabouts of my favorite fictional characters, I found myself day taking a boat ride to the most amazing islands, trekking up snow clad mountains, and strolling down lanes, both real and imaginary.
All this was so much fun that when my motion sickness did eventually improve, I was a tad disappointed. This meant I had no excuse to sit back and enjoy my travails within the confines of my bed room. I was saddened by the thought that I'd be now roped into some real time traveling and be forced to cut down on my armchair wanderlust. But addicted as I was, I could never give up the company of my books and all the places they took me to. Instead, I compounded the effect by taking up writing. While I did manage the occasional mandatory family tour, I often tried my luck at inventing new excuses to miss long distance travel. Irate cousins often called me a 'cooped up chicken', which sounds even worse in Konkani, because it translates as 'ghar kombdi'.
I'd ignore them. I had planes to catch, places to go, in my secret kingdoom queendom of books.
Then growing up happened, and the castles I had built started collapsing brick by crick. Reading was no longer a day dreaming activity.
Life makes robots out of us. Mechanical, unimaginative, boring adults who often forget what it means to dream anymore. However, the dreams that we once saw stay with us forever. Somewhere down the line, the innocence of childhood takes a backseat and a sense of practicality sets in...until something out of the blues springs up and reminds you of those good old days once again.
For me, this someone happened to be Indiblogger and Lufthansa coming up with this brilliant idea of a blind date with the world. No sooner had I read about it, my mind immediately jumped back to a wish list I had created years ago, during my childhood.
"If the world had to actually take me out on a date now, it would have to satisfy a reader's imagination and a writer's childhood fantasies," I grinned. "Serves it right for taking so long to ask."
I was hoping my date would be an enriching experience.
Thus started #TheBlindList...a first hand account of all that happened on my date with the world.
Pic source: Google
We started close to home. RK Narayan's fictional town of Malgudi was the perfect first stop.
Somewhere within me, I was still fascinated by this childhood dream of a town. Sitting by the Sarayu river, where Swami, Mani and Rajan played, I let myself drift back to those lovely childhood memories I made with them. How I had loved being the fly on the wall, peeping at Raju, the holy man in 'Guide' as he fasted on the banks of the Sarayu, praying for it to rain.
I relived every memory, this time for real. I walked down Kabir Street with its Lavely extension. I visited the Malgudi Medical Centre and instinctively submitted a job application there, hoping I'd hear from them. How wonderful it would be to work and live in Malgudi. Later, the world and I sat and had a wonderful lively discussion on the same, as we sipped on hot Chai and gorged on garma-garam snacks at 'Boardless', Malgudi's popular restaurant. Until it was time to say goodbye and move towards our next date-destination. But not without visiting the Mempi forest. On our return trip, we hopped on a train from Malgudi railway station, a constant fixture of Narayan;'s stories and my childhood imagination. We traveled to reality just for a little while...to Agumbe in Karnataka in order to draw parallels between the fictional town of Malgudi and its onscreen version. (Agumbe in Shimoga district was where the TV series was shot.).
Pic source: Google
The next stop was 'Emerald city', another childhood favorite I insisted we visit.
The 'Wizard Of Oz' was one of the earliest books I'd read. I remember being completely besotted by Emerald City and the adventures young Dorothy and her friends had in Munchkin Country.
Even though Dorothy might have figured it was all a dream, I never woke up from it.
Somewhere in some corner of my mind, I was still walking down the yellow brick road, searching for answers to questions that life often threw at me. Agreed this journey of self exploration, had made me more open minded to the world, but there was a still a part of me wanting to leave everything behind and slip away on an unplanned trip, an impromptu experience.
On my date, I did not allow life to come between the world and me. For once, I forget about the questions, and took everything the world had to offer at face value. How else could one enjoy Emerald City otherwise?
Next in tow was the magical Narnia. Although I was hardly a kid when this was released, I was so impressed with the series that it got me crossing my fingers and tapping on the inside of my wardrobe on a couple of occasions. Whaat?! A woman is allowed to believe in a little bit of magic at times, isn't she?
So we traveled to the mystical world of Narnia next, but only after booking an appointment with Aslan...
The world had a lot to discuss with him. I watched them converse and connect. The creator and his creation. I don't know why, but this connection made me feel happy from within. Maybe because I was convinced the world wasn't such bad company after all. Aslan believed in the world. And that made me believe too.
By the time we were done, it was rather late. I was curious about Gotham City, but I'd dare to venture there only if Batman accompanied me. Then there was the Shire, Hogwarts, Wonderland, 21 B Baker Street.....my thoughts were suddenly halted by a realization.
What was I doing reliving my childhood fantasies when I had a chance to know reality up close and personal?
"Next place, your choice," I smiled sheepishly at the world. "I will go anywhere you will take me."
I was shocked at my own words. When did I start trusting the world so much?
Out came a blindfold. As I nervously allowed myself to be led by the world, I felt as if I was floating in thin air.
"Where are we going?" I smiled, quite enjoying the journey already.
"The second star to the right, and straight on til morning," the world whispered.
'Neverland', I almost screamed, exultant at the surprise. What better end to a perfect date than this? How did the world know exactly what I wanted?
Pic source: Google
I had always been fascinated by Neverland. So often I had wished not to grow up that growing up decided to greet me a little quicker than it had met the others.
In life where most things are temporary, I would give anything to embrace that moment of perfection (fleeting though it may be) in a place I have always wanted to live...a land with no boundaries, where dreams are remembered and love is never forgotten.
I met my childhood friends, Peter Pan and Tinker Bell there, and introduced them to my world. In turn they introduced me to theirs. We danced all night. Peter with Tinker. The world with me.
All of a sudden, I had a sinking feeling...our date was coming to an end. I quickly proceeded to have a last Waltz with the world. One dance to remember for eternity. Lea Salonga's 'A whole new world' was playing softly in the backdrop.
As the world twirled me around, the sky above me changed into a giant 360 degrees slideshow of views I had never seen, places I had never visited. Beauty that was far beyond my dreams and imagination.
"Have you seen a reality as special as fiction?" the world asked me.
The screenshots were changing at rapid speed, but I managed to get snatches of a spell binding reality...some of the most magnificent sights in the world. I caught a glimpse of the Palawan Island in Phillipines, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Antelope Canyon in Arizona,
I saw spring with trees covered with cherry blossoms in Japan, the pristine white beauty of Santorini in Greece, the architecture of basilicas in Rome and Paris.
"Unbelievable sights Indescribable feeling Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling Through an endless diamond sky," the song played on...
By the time the music faded, there was the rich display of the breathtaking Aurora borealis lighting up the sky. In a matter of a few magical minutes, the world made me witness a slideshow of its bewitching beauty, and overwhelming me with its irresistible charm, as if trying to prove to me that reality could be more glorious than fiction, if only I gave it a fair chance. #SayYesToTheWorld, a voice within me screamed.
And in that moment of complete happiness, I wished my date with the world would go on forever.
My wish could have been granted. We were in Neverland after all, where time stops and nobody ages. But to have another equally mesmerizing date with the world, it was necessary for this one to end.
A date through the realm of fiction had opened my eyes to the miracles of reality. This blind date with the world had proved to be a kind of trust exercise.
I was now ready for adventure...adventure outside books and imagination. I was ready to go wherever the world would take me.
Every end from now on would be a new beginning. Every journey would be an adventure. For I had said Yes to the world
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This post has been written as an entry for a contest by Indiblogger and Lufthansa, titled '#TheBlindList -A blind date with the world.' If you liked what you read, do vote for me here.
I was reading a bit on clairvoyance the other day, and it made me think on a tangent.
Honestly, I believe every one of us has a little bit of clairvoyance hidden within us.
A sixth sense of sorts, an extra sensory perception, an ability to foretell or see a little of our own future. But we are so stuck up in considering ourselves ordinary, that we pay no heed to this tiny voice struggling to be heard.
“I never saw it coming,” is a phrase commonly used by people from all generations. But so is “I told you so.”
Ever noticed how these two juxtaposed phrases always alternate? The former is more often than not, always used with reference to the self while the latter with regard to someone else. The order seldom changes.
So how is it that we hardly realize the consequences of our behavior when we can easily tell what impact somebody else’s action will bring about?
Well, the reason is pretty much the same as why we always manage to notice the pimple on someone else’s nose and not ours...until of course we stand in front of a mirror.
Some people find this mirror in a friend, a confidante.
Some may find it in meditation. Others in instrospection. While a few may never find it at all, never discovering their self-clairvoyant abilities, believing that they are and will forever remain flawless.
You know how in those horror flicks, the protagonist thinks the monster is killed, the evil is destroyed, and just when he least expects it, it springs up, catching him unaware?
Well, a similar horror has been happening with our planet, the monster being replaced by an equally threatening but insidious hazard waiting to kill you slowly but surely...and then all at once!
Yes, I am talking about the present state of the Ozone layer, the umbrella to the earth.
Lets dig a little deeper, shall we?
What is the Ozone layer?
The ozone layer is a region of gas, about 15-30 kms above the surface of the Earth, in the stratosphere that acts as a shield to the Earth's surface, thus protecting us from the harmful effects of the ultraviolet rays of the sun.
What causes the umbrella to tear? Causes of Ozone depletion
There are certain compounds called CFC's (Chloro Fluoro Carbons) that are responsible for the destruction of the Ozone layer. These are cheap, and non-inflammable compounds used mainly in refrigerators, air-conditioners, fast food packaging etc. These CFC's rise, and accumulate in the stratosphere where they are broken down by UV light, releasing free chlorine radicals which in turn destroy the Ozone layer.
In 1987, the Montreal Protocol was signed by leading industrial countries as an international agreement to ban the use of these CFC's.
However, some countries like China and N Korea increased the use of CFC's, thus exposing the Earth to the hazards of Ozone depletion.
Effects of Ozone depletion
Climate changes: Accumulation of tropospheric ozone and acid aerosols worsens the air pollution and causes acid rain. As a consequence, crops and forests are damaged. Depletion of the ozone layer may also cause temperature alteration and bring about changes in climate.
Depletion of the Ozone layer means that this will cause increased UV-B radiation to reach the Earth's surface. This can result in direct effects on human and other forms of life.
In humans, it can cause suppression of immunity, thus leading to increase in infectious diseases and less effective vaccination.
Direct exposure to UV radiation can cause skin burns in under ten minutes of exposure and may also increase the incidence of skin cancers.
Eye damage: Higher incidence of cataracts and other types of blindness.
Ozone depletion may also cause damage to biological links in the food chain. There would be reduced crop yield and stunted plant growth, thus affecting the food chain. Also lesser ocean planktons may result in lower fish harvest.
How can we prevent Ozone depletion?
A few measures at the individual level can help in reducing the Ozone depletion and thus saving our planet. These include:
Reduction in consumption of electricity - Do not forget to switch off the electrical appliances in your house after use. Avoid unnecessary wastage of electricity during festivals, parties, social gatherings etc
Drive less : Car pooling or using public transport whenever possible will also help to reduce the pollution caused due to vehicular exhaust and thus reduce the emission of toxic pollutants in the air.
Do not buy aerosol products containing CFC's Check the labels of your hair sprays, and deodorants. Avoid buying products dispensed in pressurized cans to reduce the use of these CFC's.
Do not use fire extinguishers that have 'halon' as the active ingredient. This chemical is responsible for ozone depletion.
Choose organic farming over the use of harmful pesticides.
Plant more trees. Tree planting reduces the Ozone layer damage. Trees give out oxygen and sequester carbon, thereby helping to reduce the content of carbon dioxide and other harmful greenhouse gases from the air, thus causing the climate to cool (the 'greenhouse effect').
Last but not the least, spread awareness about this global problem. Promote the 'Reduce, reuse, and recycle' mantra among all those you know. Saving the planet is a combined effort. Lets do this together.
Today, on World Ozone Day, lets work towards patching that hole in our umbrella.
I have often found myself grappling with self doubt and confusion of whether I can be labelled as an extrovert or an introvert.
As much I'd like to choose the best of both worlds and call myself an ambivert, I am aware that it would be choosing this would be a safe strategy of not taking any side--the fence sitter's solution, the diplomat's trick, the escapist's attitude to evade confrontation with the truth.
So what is the truth exactly? Well, it's not always black and white you see. There is this collosal mix-up of traits within me that make it difficult to choose one side. Before you ask, let me admit. I am a Gemini. Now does that make you understand me any better? Sigh!
While I'd talk my head off on most days, there would be times when I';d want to just crawl inside my shell and hibernate for as long as I want without being questioned or disturbed. Unfortunately, those unaware of the dual nature of a typical Gemini fail to understand this extremism. Those who know I like cheese cannot understand my attraction for chalk. And hence, I am the reason of mass hysteria and confusion amongst most of my friend groups.
But as much as I'd love to make this post all about me, I won't. Well, at least I won't make it all about me.
I have observed behavioral patterns for a while now, and have made some observations, based on which I am forced to conclude that introverts have it easier than extroverts.
Surprised? Here are the reasons why I think so...
1) Once identified and acknowledged, an introvert can slip in his/her comfort zone, and sit quietly judging people all he/she wants. As opposed to the extrovert who cannot enjoy the luxury of solitude without people wondering why he/she is behaving so abnormally silent?
2) When it comes to introverts, brevity of words is taken for introspection, retrospection, gyaan-yoga, meditation etc. He is labelled 'thinker' without even needing to be one. An extrovert however needs to be constantly on his toes, generating new ideas and thoughts. All this for the price of being called an 'entertainer'.
3) An introvert can say 'No' to parties, coffee conversation, dates, dinners, without upsetting anyone or hurting their feelings (because c'mon, that is what introverts are expected to do). An extrovert, on the other hand, on saying no is bound to have all ties broken for the next seven lives (because then it's not about them, it's about you.)
4) It is common myth and a popular assumption that introverts tend to be better listeners. (But I think this is an extremely unfair bias.)
5) An introvert changing into an extrovert is usually taken as a pleasant surprise, while an extrovert turning into an introvert, as a rude shock.
6) Introverts generally tend to be more self-reliant. As a consequence, they are exceptionally good at DIY skills due to their aversion towards group interaction.
So the nest time you think you are better than that person sitting quietly in a corner, nursing a coffee or reading a book (basically minding his/her own business), don't allow yourself, not even for a second, to feel all socially superior.
Sometimes the soul shattering silence of an introvert is much more eloquent than the blood curdling scream of an extrovert.
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Life is like a blank canvas and our mind a paintbrush. We dip it in hues of varied emotions; the red of anger, the crimson of blush, a gloomy blue, a sunny yellow, a refreshing green and a million others.
However, the same colour can have different interpretations for different people. For example, red can mean passion to you, but to me it can mean aggressiveness or wrath. I may associate blue to gloom, but you may relate it to the serenity of the pristine ocean or the clear sky. Green may remind me of a lush verdant countryside mood, but you may call it the shade of envy.
No matter what colours we choose to use, each of us will create art that has it's own unique meaning.
And that is exactly what make life so beautiful.
The final artwork is not based on our experiences alone but more importantly on how we perceive them. That's what makes each one of us so similar and yet so unique.
Learn to exchange stories. Communicate effectively and interact intensely. Sharing views can only enrich your creative experience, it will never snatch away your exclusivity.
So keep aside your ego, and express your colours as freely and intimately as possible.
If mirrors could talk, I'd demand to know
Why it stays mum when I wear my make up too loud
My lipstick too red, my kohl too dark
Why doesn’t it tell me that I am still beautiful
Without that layer of white-wash on my face
That appearances do not define me, it is what
Lies inside me that does, why doesn’t it tell me
I do not need to prove myself to the world
That there is a whole universe inside me
Waiting to be discovered, why doesn’t it tell me
I needn't be ashamed of the scars on my face
That the blotches, spots and acne in this case
Are temporary but the blow to my self esteem may be not
That the 18 hour lip color is easier to wipe away
Than the tears springing from my eyes
While I am worried even then about
The mascara ruining my plastic-doll lies
If mirrors could talk, I'd demand to know
Why it fears so much to show
A reflection of me that truly matters!
~ Priyanka Naik aka Pri
(Originally written and published at Story Mirror)
“I wish I could be in two places at one time,”my friend sighed.
“Wished every woman ever,” I laughed, and we both rolled our eyes.
She was desperately trying to squeeze her hair spa appointment in between her work hour break. The voucher she had won for an Instagram giveaway had been pending since the past five months now and was nearing expiration, and Ria (name changed) was, in no way, one to give up on a freebie without a fight.
“Just imagine!” she sighed, “I could be at the spa enjoying my aroma oil hair massage therapy, and completing my project with my team at the same damned time. It would make time management so much simpler.”
And that got me thinking. There have been so many times I have actually been in two places at the same time. Physically present in one, and mentally somewhere else altogether. We drift off in between conversations. doze during seminars, are constantly distracted by our phones during dinner with friends or on a movie date.
In today’s day and age, mindfulness is a diminishing art, known and practiced only by a select few.
We talk more than we listen. We listen to only half of what we hear. And we hear the cacophony of a million tongues wagging at the same time.
So what exactly do we mean by mindfulness? To put it simply, mindfulness is the art of giving your whole self to the moment you are in, and accepting it without prejudice or judgmental any sort.
Studies have shown that this kind of interaction (with the self and with others) has a lot of positive effects on our physical and mental well-being.
It helps to alleviate stress and prevent stress related ailments like hypertension, heart disease, diabetes etc.
Improves concentration and allows one to focus better.
Increases creative potential.
Has a soothing effect on the nerves, thus helping to calm the mind.
Sharpens cognitive abilities.
Improves memory.
Contributes in building healthy, happy relationships.
Betters social skills and interactions.
Makes one feel content and satisfied with oneself.
Allays anxiety, palpitation, nervousness and helps elevate a depressed mood.
How do we then practice mindfulness in our day to day life? Here are some tried and tested tips that I have been practicing for a while now.
Maintain a gratitude journal. Write about the things you are grateful for. It could be a lottery won, a vacation with a loved one, a promotion at work, or a flower blooming in your garden, count your blessings. Jotting them down in your journal will only remind you how lucky you are.
Follow a simple meditation routine every morning. Mindful meditation sessions can range from 1 of 2 mins to as long as fifteen minutes or more. I’d suggest a fifteen minutes session every morning. And brief sessions as and when you feel stressed out during the day.
When you are eating your meals, keep your phone away and focus completely on what you are eating. Be mindful of every bite. Appreciate the sight, smell, and taste of every morsel you eat. This will not just keep a check on how much you’re eating, but will also ensure you relish the food on your plate—something we often tend to take for granted.
Keep your eyes and ears open only for the one you are conversing with. Giving your hundred percent attention shows that you care. Exercising mindfulness during conversations will automatically improve your quality of interaction and strengthen your interpersonal relationships.
I recently read about known as ‘Thin slicing of mindset training’ which is a fascinating mind exercise that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadela follows. It includes four easy steps spread over a period of 90 seconds. Every morning when you wake up, take in a deep breath for around 12 seconds while still in bed. This will reset the sympathetic nervous system that activates the ‘flight or fight’ mode. Next, mentally name something that you are grateful for. This step triggers in you a cheerfulness and optimistic approach. Then decide on one intention for the day and visualise it in your minds eye. This will help you visualise yourself performing better and more efficiently. Lastly, put your feet on the ground and just feel them. This makes you aware of the thoughts, emotions or body sensations you are experiencing in that moment. Practice this exercise on a daily basis to combat stress, improve concentration and make every day into a productive one.
In short, focus on one thing at a time. Do not worry about the past or future. They are not in your control. Just throw in your entire self in the present...in the now.
It is never too late to start this journey of mindfulness. All you need to do is begin.
I started noticing positive effects within a week of practicing mindfulness. I was feeling less stressed and more at peace with myself.
Below is an easy guide to initiate the journey:
Select a spot in your house. A spot with a window view is preferable since this tends to be more comforting and relaxing. This will be your go-to spot for mindful meditation.
Slowly but surely, your mind will be conditioned to accept that spot to be a meditation zone.
Sit up straight with your legs folded (but stay relaxed), hands on your lap, eyes closed, focus on your breath for the inhale-exhale rhythm. Then slowly drive your attention to the sounds around you. Try to concentrate on the most distant sound you hear. Maybe a car honking from across the street, or a cycle bell, or a bird chirping. Notice the quality of that sound, the duration, the nature, the fine details you normally overlook. Now slowly move your focus to the other noises, until you come nearer and nearer and back to the source of your own breathing.
While doing this, try to drive away all stray thoughts that tend to interrupt. It’s going to be difficult in the beginning. Forgive yourself if your mind tends to wander. With practice you will soon be able to focus on your thoughts and improve on your concentration power.
In the wise words of Henry Miller,
“The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.”
Start paying attention to the world around you... Start exploring the universe within yourself!
Have you ever witnessed an exhibition of nude paintings? What is your first reaction? Do you lower your gaze and turn away out of fear of appearing too brazen? Do you look around to observe reactions from people around you before voicing your own? Or do you stand in silence, lost in reverance for the splendid creation the human body is, a fact that you might have otherwise taken for granted, had it not been for such art?
But how many of you wonder about the model posing for the portrait? About their feelings? Their life? Their experiences and expectations? How many would imagine what it would be like to step into the mind of the artist to understand what he perceives?
I remember the first time I saw a nude painting. I was around thirteen or fourteen then. My parents had enrolled me in this recreational art program during my summer vacations, and that was where I knew Samit, (name changed) a shy and extremely talented boy, a real crackerjack in art class. So when this shy, bespectacled boy with the kind eyes and toothy grin sketched an almost life-like picture of a nude woman, I was shocked.
While a few of the bemused boys in the batch got busy discussing who his inspiration could be, I recall we girls had been embarrassed to even look in the direction of the sketch.
I, who would normally appreciate his paintings had refrained from commenting on that particular work of art. The boy definitely had an artistic bone in him, but this kind of audacity was unexpected. He was stretching it too far, I thought. The news spread and soon enough all the girls (including me) attending the summer program refrained from talking to him. I would often feel guilty of cutting off like that, but the verdict had been passed. Samit was branded a pervert. Ergo I too restricted my interaction with him to the occasional smiles and hellos. A couple of weeks down the line, he stopped attending class. We heard his dad got transferred to another city. The summer vacation ended, and I never saw or heard of Samit after that.
Cut to present day. Facebook tells me that the same 'audacious' boy has made his way into the art world, and is the talk of many art circles in London where he currently resides. He still sketches women, many of them in the nude. But as opposed to giggles and glares from classmates back then, receives accolades and praises now. And I wonder, if all the girls from that summer program are feeling as guilt ridden as me for our behaviour towards him back then. After all, what was his fault really? Was one misunderstood sketch enough to tarnish his otherwise spotless reputation? We'd have never known what went on in his mind back then. He was much too well-mannered to react to our petulance anyway.
Young and easily impressionable, art to us, was black and white, and even the slightest bit of grey (especially from someone of the same age group) was unwelcome.
Luckily (at least for me), over the years, I managed to break out of that mentality...
Growing up came with myriad types of interactions and experiences, which played an important part in changing my world view and broadening my perspective. Also, discovering my passion for writing made me realise and acknowledge the need to express freely by all other art forms as well...
And Ravi Jadhav's movie, 'Nude', explores the struggle to preserve this very freedom of creative expression.
Yamuna (played by Kalyanee Mulay), a woman who has been ashamed and abandoned by her philandering husband leaves the village and arrives in Mumbai with a teenage son in tow. Seeking shelter with the tough and brazen Kaveri akka (played by Chhaya Kadam), she struggles to find employment, but in vain. Until she discovers her akka's dark secret; she has been posing as a nude model at the JJ school of arts since the last thirty years. When Yamuna confronts her about it, Kaveri explains to her in a wonderful discourse on the artist’s gaze and perspective, on how the artist sees his muse as a sacred subject of study and worship, until Yamuna is convinced that beyond the surface of the job is genuine intent to preserve the sanctity of art and free expression.
Tempted by the remuneration and discretion the job offers, Yamuna agrees to pose for the students, and soon enough earns not just their respect but their friendship too. However, the clandestine nature of the job proves to become the millstone around her neck. Her son, who is her only reason for living, misunderstands the nature of the job, leaving Yamuna bereft that he never will.
Through ‘Nude’, Ravi Jadhav has explored the nuances of art and human nature. There are a few cliched lines (quipped by Naseeruddin Shah who is obviously playing MF Hussain), but they too manage to move something inside you when heard in context.
The actors have done a commendable job. Chhaya Kadam is brilliant as the staunch and sensible Kaveri Akka, while Kalyanee has played her transformation with finesse. Om Bhutkar has proved his acting prowess, by provoking the audience with his insensitive and perverted character representation. Madan Deodhar does justice to his role, but Kishore Kadam and Neha Joshi are wasted.
Check out this haunting melody, depicting the life of a nude model, sung, written and composed by Sayali Khare...
The film is aided with brilliant and equally sensitive cinematography, from the private art room in the institute to cramped and crowded shanties to the penultimate scene on the beach which with its hard hitting dialogue and intensity manages to leave you with goosebumps.
Personally, I thought the movie should have ended there for maximum effect. In fact, I was quite expecting the credits to roll, leaving the audience in stunned silence. But that didn’t happen.
The last bit could have been avoided as it distracted from the impact the beach scene managed to create. But I guess the director thought differently.
Nevertheless, ‘Nude’ provides that essential glimpse inside the soul of an artist, on the true meaning of art often misinterpreted by a merciless society that is too quick to judge.
Imagine this enticingly gorgeous Black-Forest cake (complete with dark chocolate glaze dripping et al) sitting coyly in your fridge, waiting to be devoured. You have recently discovered and confessed your love for Black-Forest, and your possessiveness is at its zenith, forbidding everyone else from enjoying it, because, well, you’re a crazy cookie who tends to go bat-shit-obsessive in love.
Anyway, moving on...
Days turn into weeks. Everyday, you have a slice of that sinfully delicious cake. Every night you remind yourself how lucky you are to have such a decadent treat all to yourself. Every time you see your friends in confusion on which pastry to pick, you convince yourself how lucky you are to love something without a doubt. Then you go home and have that customary bite of your Black-Forest (BF) cake in the fridge. The cake that is always there...
Weeks turn into months. By now, everyone is convinced of your sheer love and loyalty towards BF. Your friends and family never miss on getting it along whenever you join them. It’s amusing (and mildly irritating too), you think, how wherever you go, BF tends to follow...
And then, one fine morning you wake up. Brush your teeth as usual. Perform your daily ablutions as usual. Check your email, read the news, get dressed, as usual. And just before leaving for work, you open the fridge, expecting your black forest cake to be there, waiting for you like always.
And bammm!! It’s gone! Vanished without a trace.
However, instead of feeling shock and remorse, you are actually happy. You feel liberated of the pressure of having to keep up with your alleged passion for BF. So glad are you, that you don't even bother finding out what happened. Maybe someone got tempted and ate it without your knowledge, or maybe it sprung feet and walked out of the fridge all by itself.
"It was time for a detox anyway," you say to yourself, experiencing a strange sort of relief.
And that, my friends, is exactly how falling out of love feels like...
#OpenNTalk is a bloggers league wherein forty selected bloggers are divided into eight teams. Each team has five members, who will blog on varied topics during the month of June. Each blogger will post a series of four posts, one post every week.
My team for the Bloggers League is #CrossBorderSisters, and blogging with me are four other wonderful bloggers. 1: Aditi: Blog| Facebook| Twitter| Instagram
Every year, the United Nations celebrates 5th June to commemorate our relationship with the environment and make us aware of where we are heading with it.
As a child, I remember planting a sapling on this day each year. It was a kind of school tradition, an extra curricular activity to help us understand that the planet was our friend, and that it was alright to get our hands dirty if it meant saving a friend.
But what we didn't know then was that we were actually saving ourselves. Then growing up happened, and friendships got neglected. And the one relationship that suffered most was the silent one, the one that we had started to ignore slowly but surely. But the planet watched quietly, hoping we'd change, praying we'd realise on our own someday how we have been treating it, suffering, hurting, but still hoping...
Days change into years, and we don't change. We have turned from passive aggressive to abusive. It, however, hasn't changed (much) either. It is still waiting for us to reform. By now, we have started enjoying the power play. Of course, there are guilty days when we feel sad for letting down a friend, but most days we just manage to convince our conscience that we are way too swamped with life and work and that it will understand. Mud slinging, blame games, and finally an interlude of indifference.
Relate much? Does the above sound familiar? Well, if so, then you are in trouble, because these are the signs of a toxic relationship. And that is precisely the road we are on with our planet, the friend we used to know...
From the soul-cleansing friendship we started in school to this toxic relationship (which can only lead to eventual disaster for both), we and the planet have come a long way.
Cut to present day, knowingly or unknowingly, we end up doing things that are hazardous to our natural ecosystem, that are toxic to our environment, and that are eventually harmful to us. Little do we realize the magnitude of the problem until it is too late.
However, I strongly believe it isn't over until it's over (and fortunately for us--the earth and us, it isn't too late yet). All is not lost. We can still proceed to take baby steps towards saving our relationship. (Or am I being too hopeful?)
So without further ado, lets put this relationship in perspective...
Besides, India being the host country this year, it becomes our added responsibility to lead by example and save this relationship while we are still ahead.
So for the uninitiated, here's a little about World Environment Day 2018...
Theme of World Environment Day 2018: 'Beat Plastic Pollution.'
The role of plastic in our lives:
Today, time being our major constraint, most of us opt for more convenient, on-the-go options. These include containers and tiffins made of plastics, plastic wraps, use and throw cups, plastic cutlery, plastic bottles, plastic bags etc.
Since plastic is inexpensive, it is used widely and sometimes negligently.We all have that one friend who uses everything 'disposable' right from his coffee cup to packaged water bottles, which he later on dumps without thought or concern in the nearest waste basket or thrash can. Sometimes, we 'are' that one friend in the group. What we do not understand is that this seemingly harmless 'single use' plastic can pose a major threat to our environment. It can pollute our lands as well as our oceans.
Why so harmful?
Plastics contain major pollutants and toxins that are capable of causing major harm to our environment; namely air, land and water.
Also plastic decomposes very slowly owing to the strong chemical bonds it is made up of. Simple plastic products take around 80 to 100 years to disintegrate, while complex plastics can take as many as 800 to 1000 years to decompose, thus allowing ample time for accumulation and pollution in the process. This exposes humans and their environment to many hazards, including exposure to dangerous carcinogens (cancer causing chemicals).
Consequences of plastic pollution:
Every year, at least 13 million tonnes of plastics end up in our oceans, thus destroying marine life.
Around 100,000 marine animals (esp sea turtles) are killed by plastics every year.
The plastics that end up in our oceans and other water bodies are consumed by planktons, which are in turn consumed by acquatic life and fish, which are eventually eaten by humans (thereby disrupting the food chain). In this way, we create a toxic cycle, and the poison (read 'plastic') that we dump is dumped back into us.
Every year, the world uses up five trillion plastic bags. These bags when dumped eventually end up polluting land, water, and air. They can also choke and suffocate tiny helpless animals that may come in contact with them. Apart from that, plastics bags disposed off carelessly litter the area. They may float around in water bodies, degrading the quality of water and life. When burned they emit toxic fumes and chemicals, leading to human sickness, breathing problems, and illnesses.
Plastic makes up ten percent of all the waste we generate, a shameful statistic that needs to be controlled.
Excessive accumulation of plastic can block sewer lines, drainage pipes and other water ways, leading to hazardous consequences to health and eco-system.
A rough estimate of seventeen million barrels of oil are used in plastic production each year.
The amount of plastic bottles we buy is staggering. Research shows that we buy around one million plastic bottles every minute.
Polystyrene, a plastic used in food packaging, is based on styrene which is a neurotoxin and a carcinogen.
So having said that, what can be done in order to beat plastic pollution?
The Government of India has already started taking steps in this direction.
India is cleaning up hundred of its historical monuments, including the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal, a symbol of love and beauty which was being degraded by careless tourists showing no reverence by littering the place, is finally going to receive the respect it deserves. Efforts to clean up the Yamuna behind the monument are also underway.
Maharashtra Government has been trying to emulate France in imposing a ban on plastic, from milk packets, single-use plates, cutlery etc, and has asked consumers to pay extra, a step to reduce unnecessary employment of single-use plastics. Also waste plastic is being crushed and considered for use as raw material in the construction of roads (these can bear around 2500 kgs weight).
Gujrat has been conducting plastic-free drives are being conducted for devotees heading to religious places. These 'Yaatra' routes are frequently polluted by plastic bottles, bags, cups, and eatables that come in plastic packets. Last year, the Gujrat Pollution Central Board implemented cleanliness drives, in collaboration with civil society, to see that there was responsible disposal of litter by devotees.
However, no Government effort can be successful if its citizens do not participate. It is our combined responsibility to rid our country of plastics, one step at a time. Only then can we have a pollution-free world.
But how can we help at an individual level? Here's how...
REFUSE , REUSE, OR RECYCLE
Use of Eco-friendly cloth bags for shopping:
These multipurpose cloth bags can be custom made or bought, and play an integral role in regulating the amount of non-recyclable and non-biodegradable plastics that we use on a daily basis. Be it for grocery shopping or shopping at the local store, one can carry these every time they leave home. Every town will have at least one man selling these bags. But we don't see them because we aren't looking.
Avoid packaged drinking water and drinks: This will be useful not just in keeping our environment healthy, but in keeping us fit too. The amount of sugar and preservatives that goes in aerated drinks is much more harmful to our health, than the packaging is to the environment. So do yourself a double-favour and say no to those attractive colas in plastic cans and bottles.
Make use of glass or metal or stainless-steel bottles instead of plastic ones. This will save both you and the environment.
Try as much as possible to avoid as much as possible, the use of plastic cups, plastic cutlery, and ask your family to do the same. Use non plastic packaging instead.
Last but most importantly, when you cannot refuse or reuse, learn to recycle. While shopping, try and select products that are available in non-plastic, recycled packaging. Also segregate your waste into recyclable and non-recyclable products. Recycling plastics rather than disposing them ineffectively is an effective method of controlling pollution. So if you cannot refuse, then reuse, and if you cannot reuse, recycle!
With that, I come to the end of this post, and the start of a decision; a decision to evoke my long lost love for the planet, a decision to reform and renew our relationship, and never again to take it for granted.
This Environment Day, I promise to contribute my bit towards making the planet a cleaner, greener, and less toxic place.
#OpenNTalk is a bloggers league wherein forty selected bloggers are divided into eight teams. Each team has five members, who will blog on varied topics during the month of June. Each blogger will post a series of four posts, one post every week.
My team for the Bloggers League is #CrossBorderSisters, and blogging with me are my four other team mates namely 1: Aditi: Blog| Facebook| Twitter| Instagram
There comes a time when the only way to start living is to tell a story. Some may call it redemption, some call it the truth. Whether fact or fiction, who is to say? Life, after all, is a complex amalgamation of what is and what we want it to be.
As children, we are taught to always speak the truth, that lying is a sin. Honesty is the best policy. He who lies has to face the burden of guilt and the wrath of goodness.
But today, when I think back, I wonder how much of that is actually true. What about the lies we tell ourselves, the fibs that our heart coerces our mind to believe? Defense mechanisms, coping methods; we all device those as we grow up, sometimes to save ourselves and sometimes to save the situation we are in.
God (again, a highly debatable belief system) save us, it seems like we are all heading straight to purgatory. Purgatory??! There goes another half-truth we keep trying to convince ourselves of in order to live according to the so called moral standards set by society, which in turn again are a farce.
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."
~ St Augustine
I was bitten by the travel bug rather early on in life. As a child, I recall looking forward to the end of every academic year. Vacations not just meant freedom from exams and school but also meant adventure and travel. Come summer and I'd already be dreaming of the trip that lay ahead. This triggered in me an irresistible wanderlust that with time only grew stronger.
Cut to present day, I am always up to venture and explore new places. However, the meaning of travel for me has evolved over the years. Traveling, to me, is no more only about the destination. It has become more about the people I meet, the experiences I share, and the lessons I learn along the way. It has become more about the stereotypes it helps me break, the conclusions it helps me draw, the roads it helps me pave for the journeys ahead, an exploration of the deeper nuances of other cultures and customs.
In a way, I can say travel has shaped my personality to a large extent as well. Then again, it could also be just an extension of my personality. Either way, I'm not complaining.
Those who know me will know about my fascination for nostalgia. I like to think of myself as a memory keeper, someone who carefully procures, polishes and preserves these precious nuggets of reminiscence, only to render them sacrosanct. And travel caters well to this habit of mine.
However, holidays cannot be always organised well in advance. But some of my best holidays have been spontaneous decisions. And why not? Haven't you ever felt the need to disconnect from the busy humdrum of life and break free from the monotony and madness of a mundane existence? I know I have. At times, we need to desperately fall back in love with the universe, and life always presents us with a choice---continue living the same tasteless documentary or turn it into a commercial feature film replete with new people, new cuisines, new environs and more importantly, new possibilities.
With travel being the perfect recipe for a delicious cocktail of adventure and therapy, all we need is good timing, and VOILA! There we are, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to love the world by embracing it with open arms.
So when Indiblogger with Lufthansa organised this contest, my mind immediately started playing the feature film of my travel experiences, urging me to present a collage of memories for the occasion.
Accordingly, I have jotted down my travel inspiration and experiences; particularly the ones that made me reconsider my opinion, revise my outlook, broaden my horizons, and open my eyes to a whole new world. So here goes...
**insert flashback mode with dreamy effects and soft music**
In Nuremberg Germany, when I was introduced to this car pooling service called Mitfahrzentrale...
I was thoroughly impressed by the States initiative to conserve energy. Mitfahrzentrale are facilitation centers that provide unique, low cost, car pooling services that provide those traveling cross country or cross continent travel (with shared fuel resources) at a nominal fee. These centers also serve as pick up and drop off points to help avoid delay, confusion and further expenses. I liked the idea, and silently wished for similar safety standards back in India that allowed strangers to commute together without worry. Being Indian, I was slightly wary of traveling like that. I recall thinking of all kinds of misadventure and mishaps that I could have met with. But the pleasant company put me at ease. And although I didn't get a chance to share food or drink with them, we shared our travel experiences and regaled each other with stories. By the time we reached our destination, my irrational fear had dissipated by the incessant chatter in the car, and I bid a warm adieu to my co-travelers, happy to have connected with them and brushed off a bias.
This experience taught me something.
The most interesting encounters are sometimes the briefest.
Geographical distance doesn't make us any different from each other. At the end of the day, we are all story tellers living the same life, just different stories.
My first encounter with Durian in Singapore.
I was wandering through the local fruit market, when a strange intense odour caught my breath. I was about to run away from the place when I realized the odour was coming from the direction of the local fruit called Durian. Curiosity got the better of me, and I asked the vendor to pack me a slice. I had to give it a try. Pinching my nose shut, I bit into the fruit and immediately regretted it. It was only much later that I realized it was an acquired taste, and I was glad I hadn't given up on it.
That day, I decided that I would not hold bias against any kind of food. And although I still have my priorities, I am of the belief that if someone somewhere is eating it, you can eat it too!
In Sri Lanka when I realised the real meaning of meditation and inner peace...
We were visiting this Stupa when I saw a monk immersed deep in meditation. Eyes closed, glowing visage. Just looking at him made me happy. There was a lot of commotion around him. Tourists clicking pictures, talking among themselves, discussing itineraries. But the monk stayed undisturbed. On finishing his meditation, I went up to him and asked him why he hadn't instructed them to maintain silence.
His words will always stay with me. 'I cannot ask the world to shut up,' he said, smiling calmly at me, 'But I can listen better to myself.'
In Amsterdam, when I visited Anne frank house and Van Gogh museum...
It was heartwarming to witness in front of you what you'd only read in books and seen in pictures. I could feel the overwhelming presence of Anne and her family. How they must have sought shelter in that cramped little secret annexe was beyond me. The pieces of furniture, the notches they made in the wall (to mark heights of family members during the incarceration) were all a reminder of how terrifying the experience must have been. I'd read the diary of Anne Frank multiple times, but standing there, breathing the air she once had breathed, touching the things she once had touched felt like an emotional holocaust in itself. There was an eerie silence amongst us tourists who had traveled back in time to pay homage to the place. But somewhere we knew there was a silent bond being shared between each one of us. The bond of empathy. Of feeling a common love for a girl long gone, someone we had all read and heard about. Of respect to all those who struggled to fight the holocaust. Of hatred for the dastardly Fuhrer who was responsible for the inhuman concentration camps
The Van Gogh museum presented us with a similar experience. Here we were all linked by the love of art and empathy for the disturbed life of a genius who had left us all a legacy of paintings to reminisce and admire.
In London, when I witnessed the overview of the entire city in the London eye...
London Eye
I also had a wonderful time at Madame Tussaud's wax museum, and despite the teeming crowd of over enthusiastic tourists, I did manage to get a few hasty clicks with Mahatma Gandhi and the Queen.
Lesson I learned in London
No matter where you go, you will always find friendly Indians smiling at you, making you feel comfortable in foreign land.
The British might not miss much from India. But they surely love the butter chicken.
The Brits couldn't get heaven on earth. So they opened Thorntons instead.
In Kovalam, Kerala when we bargained a fantastic boat ride through the marshy back waters...
View from the boat
A beautiful opportunity to explore the aquatic life and birds there-the abundant flora and fauna God's own country is blessed with. There was a young couple accompanying us on the ride, and the man turned out to be an ornithologist who was only too happy to identify and explain about the varied species of birds we saw. However, this did rob the local boatman of his share of attention as all doubts and queries were now directed towards the young specialist instead of him.
In Brussels, we were only too happy to reach in time for the annual 'flower carpet' festival...
Grande Place - Brussels
It was a beautiful sight to behold, with the whole of Grande Place carpeted with brightly coloured flowers in full bloom. The mannequin piss and other tourist attractions faded in comparison, hence proving that nature has its own way of impressing mankind. Be it the wonders of weather or the sights of Spring, we can never beat it at its game. The magnificent experience of the 'flower carpet' festival only accentuated the feeling of comfort as I sunk my teeth into fresh, hot, made-to-order waffles and crepes, reinforcing my belief that food forms the deepest connections in the most wonderful ways. From butter chicken to waffles to scones and cream. From the simple to the complex. We are bound to each other by the tips of our taste buds. And as scientifically improbable as it may sound, I still think there must surely be a special undiscovered relation between our taste buds and our heart strings.
When we visited the artisans of Dandasahi...
The Pattachitra I bought--- 'Dasha Avatar'
Located 12 kms from Puri, Dandasahi is a small village in Odisha renowned for its craftsmanship and artistic talent. I visited 'Ananta Maharana Gurukul' and was left mesmerized by its famous art of 'Pattachitra' paintings. The canvas for these paintings is mostly cloth, and the colors used are natural made from seashells, powdered stone, soot, leaves etc. Stone carving, papier mache, mask making are other dying arts that need to be preserved as a part of our heritage. Interacting with these craftsmen in Dandasahi made me realize that talent does not discriminate or differentiate. It is distributed without any bias. These craftsmen may be financially backward but are blessed by Goddess Saraswati. They were only too happy to showcase their work and talk to me about it. Their work was their passion. So much so that even though it may not make their pockets jingle, it surely made their faces beam. I bought a couple of paintings and left the place feeling positively inspired.
With that, I come to the end of this post. I have loads of stories to regale, myriad more experiences to reminisce about, but I think we will keep them for another day. Globe trotting has invariably taught me countless lessons, thus showing me how much I still have to learn. It has made me far more open minded...about things, people, and their opinions. It has taught me to approach new people, embrace their thoughts, listen to their views, and understand them better. I have met and conversed with various people during my trips. But each person, each place has its own unique quality and something special to share, making me believe that the world is such a colossal sea of experiences and knowledge, and I am but a mere speck.
However, every journey till date has inadvertently made me understand one thing about life---we are all in this together; working towards a common goal, exploring the world, discovering one another, and perhaps leaving a small part of ourselves wherever we go, with whomever we meet along the way. That way, we are all connected, each bearing a piece of each other within ourselves---each a part of that one big story.
So be gentle to everyone you meet along the way. Walk a few steps together. Share some smiles. And make lots of memories...
Life is this huge unpredictable adventure, part beautiful, part scary. We are all travelers on the same road, heading towards the same destination, with no one road map. We are all fighting the same battles, nursing similar wounds, and hiding matching scars. Sometimes we stumble and fall. The trick is to learn...always learn. Making notes may feel exhausting at times.
But never forget; Adventure is out there!
And with the right balance of compassion, positive attitude, and will to explore, we can unravel all the mysteries of the world.
In the famous words of Mark Twain,
"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the things you did. So throw off the bow lines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, dream, discover.
So let's pack our bags, flip open the camera of our mind, and say yes to the world...
As cohorts....
As co-passengers...
As friends!
