O: Oh my hair!

Once you decide you need a haircut, you just can;t wait. It always happens with me. Yesterday I decided I need a haircut and went to the parlour near my hostel to ask the rates. Her rates seemed fine to me and I decided not to wait till going back home, to get one. I would have got it done right then, had I been carrying enough money. I asked her if she was open on Saturdays and she said she was.  So today I decided that I will go out at five and get a nice new haircut. After more than 8 months, I must add here. At  5.!5 I left the hostel and in 5 minutes I was there. Guess what? It was closed. Disappointed, I came back. I am feeling restless now. I want a haircut.

As I said, now that I have decided that I need a haircut I can see loads of problems in my hair. Suddenly I can see split ends which I didn't bother caring about all this while. I suddenly do not like the shape of my hair anymore. I just need to get my hair cut. Soon. Tomorrow. It's been ages now. 

I have never really experimented with my hairstyle, since I took the reigns of how to get my hair cut in my hands. In std 10, I decided to chop off my waist length hair and get a cool new style. The hairdresser called it "steps" and it really suited my curly locks. 

A few years later, another hairdresser suggested I try layers instead of my steps. So she gave my hair layers. Which looked good too. And the next time she gave me a combination of steps and layers. To be honest, it did not look that different to me. 

Last year in January I got my hair cut really short. The shortest I have had in a long, long time. It was a sort of  bob cut designed for curly hair. It looked cute. I didn't have my "soft curls" for about a month. Then my hair grew and my curls came back. 

I think I want to the "long hair" look again. But my hair still needs shape and so I still need to get it cut. 

Most of us get hysterical when given the wrong cut. That's why we don't experiment much with our hairdresser. I had changed my hairdresser once and she messed it up. Even though I explained to her thrice, what I want. 

I think I have second thoughts about getting my hair cut here, in Mumbai. But I just can't wait another month. I really, really want it cut. Fingers crossed,  the person at the parlour  does it well. But then, why even take the risk. I might as well as wait and ignore the nagging feeling that my hair looks unshapely. I don't know. I am confused. It's my hair, after all. I want it to look good. And nothing can save a bad haircut. 

I love my curls. I love the colour of my hair. I do love my hair. And if I get a haircut, it should be good. Otherwise, all hair may break loose. 

N: Not the same

Now a comment about the male species. They may not come from mars but  that does not make them easy to figure out. This is not an extensive research as guy behavior is not something I have been dwelling on. With only a measly few years of experience I came up with some observations about guys in general. Remember that this is a generalization. No way am I saying that all guys are the same. But they have a few key quirks which are common.

Guys like explaining things. They explain the smallest of things in great detail, specially if it concerns them directly.  They also assume that you know nothing about the subject. For example;  most guys assume that girls don’t know much about gaming. Another thing they love to explain is sports. Any sport. And they go on and on. Infact they are know it alls. They just like to explain. Even if they know nothing about the subject they pretend like they know. It is both amusing and frustrating.

Also, once they are depressed they go on being depressed. Maybe because they don’t believe in eating chocolate. Or dancing alone in a room to their favourite music.

Guys  do think a lot. They think about everything else except feelings and emotions. And when they do think about an emotion they just don’t know what they are thinking.

Their egos are easily bruised.  These bruised egos hurt as much as physical pain does. I do not understand why.

I think most of them sometimes get scared of the woman they know. Even the grown adult ones. Woman seem to intimidate them. Maybe coz they don’t understand us.

Getting over a broken relationship  they were intimately involved is difficult for them because they do not talk about their feelings with anyone. Guys in relationships sometimes talk about what is troubling them; with their partners. But, that too is rare. They don't want to to think about it more than they have to. I think it's  a defense mechanism. They don't even want to ask for help. It's the ego thing again. The biggest issue they have.  The natural thing we woman do to comfort someone is to ask them what's wrong. Right now I am talking to a friend who is upset and I am asking him why. He refuses to tell me. He is telling me to bunk it but I can't because I am not a guy.They just don't talk.  They just beat around the bush.  I wish they did but that's how they function. 

Guys  just don't want to grow up. For them, the world is still a playground. All the guys I know, once in a while say or do something really kiddish. And it's not once or twice. They just randomly come up with ideas that make them sound like 5 year olds. Two of my friends, do that quite often. 

I don’t even want to talk about the burping and farting and scratching their balls in public. Let’s simply not go there.

The male species is very different from us. But that’s okay, right? We like different. And we will learn to live in harmony. Someday.

M: M n Ms

Maida is here to stay in my life.  I think I must have used thousands of kgs of maida in the last four months. In the bakery, whatever we make requires maida. You just can't escape from it. Actually I should say flour, but we Indians tend to call atta flour. Technically, atta is whole wheat flour and maida is called flour. 

Anyway, maida with sugar; maida with butter; maida with eggs. There is maida in everything we make. It's intriguing how one ingredient can taste so different in different recipes and in different proportions. 

I taste every product I make. Before joining my course I have hardly consumed  maida. I have never really baked cakes, nor do we use that much maida while cooking. Except in pasta.  I love pasta. Making and eating it. 

My mom has been a friend for a long time now. I think it was three years ago, when she had accompanied me to Pune, where I had gone for an interview. Those three days I had her all to myself. After a long, long time. Those three days we bonded over cheese spread sandwiches and murku for breakfast. That's when she became my friend. 

I am glad I am close to her. I am glad I can be myself with her. I am glad she doesn't judge. I am glad that she is so generous. I am glad she is my mom. 

Memory is one of my favourite words. We all have a story to tell because we all have memories. And memories matter. What would you be without your memories. Think about it. And that is why Mneme is my favourite Greek Goddess. The muse of memory. I have named my laptop after her. 

Monsoon is my favourite season. And it has hardly rained in Mumbai; this year. It has hardly rained anywhere ; this year. I miss rains. I miss getting wet in the rain. I know, it sounds weird; but I still love jumping in puddles. 

Moody, is the first thing you will notice about me. Ok, maybe not the first thing. But if you know me well, you will know that I am moody. That I have no control on how fast my moods change. And if you are close to me, you have somehow handled my moods pretty well. My mom, my sister I, AK, A, Kaniti have all dealt with my mood changes with elan. Thanks! 

Mixed bag. That's what this post is. There were so many things starting with M that I wanted to write about and I just could not decide. So I decided to write about  all of them!

L: Lists

Lists and me have a long  history. Very few people are list maniacs. Those who are, inevitably end up being compulsive list makers. I am one of them. I have made lists ever since I remember. Lists of everything under the sun. My favourite books. My favourite smells. My favourite words. The ideal guy. Things I need to buy. Things I want . Things I hate. My list of lists is endless. I even have a list of all the lists I have made.

In class 11, I met AK. Who happens to be another list maker. Imagine my joy when I found that out! Infact we made our ideal guy list together. We made quite a few lists together. 

Last year, I reconnected with S (also known as Amateur at this.) She too is a list maker. There are very few list makers in the world and when one finds the other, an eternal bond is forged. 

Whenever I am confused about the oh-too-many-things at hand, I make a list. And feel better. Suddenly the world seems more organised and less like a mass of confusing here and theres. 

We list makers have lists tucked in everywhere. I sometimes make a list of things I want to say to a person, lest I forget. 

I was over the moon when I found Confessions of a list maniac in the library. Even though it's written for young adults, I loved reading it. Just because it was about a compulsive list maker. The numerous lists the protagonist writes made it such a fun read. The author herself confesses that she absolutely adores making lists. 

I am not organised, otherwise. List making is more than being "organised". It's fun. It's comforting. And one of my favourite things to do. 

K: K...not Kiran!

Kashmir. Raipur. Russia. Ahmadabad. Denmark. 

My roomie and I  were playing connections the other day. And yes, it was fun. It had been ages since I have played any game. Or turned to any sort of entertainment that does not need me to switch on my laptop. 

I used to love playing such games. Still do. We played a lot of board games and card games at home; as a family. Rack-O, Monopoly, Uno are some of our favourites. 

Then there is the memory game. Even though I am absent minded, I am pretty good at memorising consequent words. Wonder why I can't mug up boring notes! 

We have forgotten the value of such games. I don't want to sound preachy, but these games do help in bonding. I know I am close to my parents because they made it a point to spend time with their children. They made sure we spend quality time together. Some evenings we sat together in the living room and three of us- my mom, my sister and me sang songs; while my dad sat back and enjoyed the songs. On some days we just chatted about our day. 

On Sundays, we all read newspaper supplements after breakfast. We subscribe to 4 dailies so there are a good number of supplements. My dad is big on telling jokes. My sister and I know most of them so we take turns in delivering the punchline. He calls us his shahgirds. This word is sort of untranslatable but loosely translated it means that we are his disciples. His able students. And we will carry forward his legacy of making people laugh. 

I dont' tell much jokes here. Probably it's a father- daughter thing. Like singing countless songs is a mother- daughter thing. 

My parents have given us a lot of freedom. Both of us can voice or views, debate, argue, discuss. We have talked about so many things with mom and dad. Intelligent discussions. And learnt a lot. Such openness has broadened our horizons. 

We should all take time out from our laptops and smartphones, from our TV and our social networking, from gossiping and cribbing; to spend time with our loved ones. To talk, to play, to bond. 

J: So J

Jealousy is  an inevitable sentiment in any relationship. It’s funny when your friends get jealous if they see you close to other people. It’s cute when your boyfriend is jealous when you talk too much about this cool guy who happens to be a friend. But when jealousy turns into possessiveness, it’s time to see red.

There is a very thin line between being possessive and being jealous. Many a times,  it is not apparent that  the line has been crossed. Possessiveness sometimes translates to having the desire to control the other person’s action and the need to dominate. Often it is the result of deep-rooted chauvinism .

Possessiveness is something I cannot tolerate.  No one can control my actions, no matter how much he or she loves me. Possessiveness is not a sign of love. It’s a sign of a desire to own someone. In a romantic relationship, one partner may show a desire to decide what their partner wears, a desire to know where their partner is going, who he or she is meeting; there is a need to know what their partner is doing at every minute. In extreme cases, there is a desire to dictate what one’s partner should do; all the time.

In many cases both partners are possessive. In most cases(here I am citing straight relationships) the male is possessive about his partner. His partner may not have male associates, friends; his partner may not decide what to wear or where to go on her own. In such cases of extreme possessiveness violence is also involved. Obviously, such relationships are unhealthy.

In cases of parent-child relationships if parents are too possessive of their children; it will hinder their personal growth as an individual. After a certain age it is necessary for children to learn to make their own decisions. If they are not allowed to do so,  it will lead to clingyness and unhealthy dependency. Such dependency will again deter the person from being able to move on and learn to live if and when their parents expire.  Such people fail to have normal relationships with other people. They also may need counseling or psychological help.

Jealousy on the other hand, does not do much harm. Unless ofcourse it’s envy. The green eyed monster. Though envy is a synonym of jealousy, it is a more intense emotion. Envy. So many things have been written about envy. So many poems and plays are based on this emotion. Woman are said to have mastered the art of being envious. A very stereotypical view, I must add. It’s a lot of things. Resent. Spite. Even hatred. Jealousy seems, less complicated, less harmful. 

Semantics define jealousy as the base emotion which may give birth to possessiveness and envy. Its like a river with two distributaries.

It's fascinating that one emotion can imply so many different things.  They have different undertones at different times they are used. Emotions are complicated, ain't they? And language is an amazing thing. 

I: It is not that tough

It’s the weekend and I have a lot to do.  Journals to complete, pending work to be done. And I am feeling lazy about it all. Such a long week and such a short weekend.

In the hostel we can’t fully enjoy the luxury of not having to wake up early for class. If we don’t want to be cribbing of hunger, we need to wake up and keep breakfast for ourselves. What I usually do is, get up at 8; keep breakfast; brush my teeth and then sleep for another hour or so. It’s luxury, interrupted.

My roommate Tallu is up early on a Saturday, for the first time. She has to go to her piano class; which was rescheduled. It was my duty to wake her up at eight. I attempted. Let’s just say that her bed loves her too much; it doesn’t want to let go.

I am sitting on my bed; trying to decide what time I should start working. To post this I will have to go to the common room and connect a wire to my laptop; only then will I get access to the net. My bottle of water is empty. I will get up soon to fill it; again in the common room. And now I have finished my breakfast and I have to wash my plate.  I have to go to the common room. It’s inevitable.

Even though we crib about it, it’s convenient. The hostel, that is. No travelling, three meals a day. And compared to the other accommodation  options it’s pretty reasonable.  I can live with that. It has been four months, already. Next month we have exams. When I gave my C.U finals in April I had assumed that those were the last exams I was going to give, ever. Look at me now, giving exams again. Life can’t be predicted, can it?

In April next year, I will be leaving for home again. It seems a long way off now, but it isn’t really. Before I will know it, it will be April. I wonder who  I will miss. I wonder WHAT I will miss.

It’s almost the end of the year too. One more week of September and then October. The festive season. If I was in Calcutta, I would have been gearing up for Puja. My friends would have been telling me what new clothes they have bought. Lanes would have been partially blocked as labourers constructed elaborate pandals. Right after Durga Puja, Diwali arrives. This year, both are late.

It’s not yet the end of the year and I am reflecting on how 2012 flew by. April 2012 and September 2012 don’t seem like months apart, they seem like years apart. Was it this year that I gave my exams? Was  it only this year that I graduated? It seems like long ago. August seems long ago while December seems so close by. Why is that?

I have decided not to worry about the future anymore. It’s not worth it. Late realisation, I know. But better late than never, they say. One day at a time. I will keep reminding that to myself.  Taking this challenge helps. One letter at a time and I will get there. I know I will.  

H: How, just how...

How does one know what is worth writing and what is not? How do I know what my words will turn out to be when I finish spewing them? How will I know if all is this is nothing? I won't. Until I write it. When I start writing something I don't know how it will turn out to be.

"Writers spend years rearranging 26 letters of the alphabet," novelist Richard Price had once said. I think that's a fascinating concept. What is writing but the rearranging of alphabets and words; playing around with them; till they start to sound as if they fit together.

 Author Jerry Pinto came to our college today to talk about his new book. This is his first novel and the first story he wanted to tell. And he had written 26 drafts for it. I just manage to write one draft and I feel drained. I feel as if I have no other way of telling the story.


There is so much I need to learn about the craft of telling a story. They say everyone should know their customer. I don't think I know who my reader will be. I always thought I write best when I write for myself. But I need readers too. Is it a mix of writing for myself and also knowing what kind of readers will read me? Food for thought for me, now.

How does one know what works and what does not? Do I just keep writing and leave the figuring out for later?

I have so many questions now. And I am not afraid to say that don't have the answer. Yet.

G:Girly and gay

Girly seems like an alien word to me. Not that I am not feminine. But whenever I hear the word girly I feel as if I am not matching up to the image.

Who decides what is girly and what is not anyway? And why do I have to to follow the stereotypical image of girls that everyone has. Why do others get to decide how feminine I have to be? I get to decide that. Decisions about my body ; how I want it to look and what I want to do with it are mine and mine alone.

I don’t like stereotypes. I absolutely hate it when people judge anyone on the basis of stereotypes. Stereotypes about gender can cause unequal and unfair treatment because of a person’s gender.

Society has certain expectations about how we should act as men and woman. Gender is supposed to be neatly divided into two categories. If you are a man you do this; if you are a woman you do this. 

Guys don't ask for directions. They cant cook. They are messy. Girls need help picking up stuff. They like flowers and cheesy gestures.

Our cultures teach women and men to be the opposite of each other in many ways. The truth is that we are more alike than different.

The problem with gender stereotypes is that they are so deep-rooted  in us that we don’t even realise it.  We fall in the trap as soon as a baby is born. It’s as simple as buying a pink jumpsuit for a new born girl and a blue one for a boy. It’s as early as a  nurse announcing “it’s a girl” or “it’s a boy” instead of just saying “it’s a healthy baby.”

Even though it's not  easy to change that mindset, there is no harm in trying.  The few of us who do not believe in gender stereotypes should set examples. Respect people, regardless of their gender, gender roles and gender identities. Point out gender stereotypes when you spot them. Challenge sexist jokes and remarks.  Break out of the stereotype. Do something not normally expected of your gender. 

No matter who you are, what gender you identify with; you should be able to be yourself without being judged. If I am less "girly" than other woman I should not have to  think about matching up to that image. My appearance, my personality traits,my occupation do not need to follow the standard set by the society for my gender. I should not be afraid of  being happy, the way I am. Regardless of what society thinks I should be. 

F: Familiarity

Familiarity becomes important when you are away from home. There are so many places in Mumbai that remind of Calcutta.  There is this whole stretch of road near CST station which looks like central avenue. Then there is this road near Churchgate area which looks like Maidan area in Calcutta. Colaba Causeway reminds me of Gariahat. The buildings look like old Calcutta but when I go there I feel as if I have come to Gariahat. 

Maybe someone else won't see the similarity between Gariahat and Colaba. We tend to see what we want to see. The connect to our old life. That something that reminds us of home. 

Most of us want the comfort of the known. And why not? It's easier, right? I find it easier to cope in a new environment when I have atleast something of my old life with me. Its a comfort to know that my cousin V lives in Andheri. If I would have been at another place I would have somehow found someone familiar. I think my parents know someone or the other in most cities in India. Which seems like a kind of blessing, now. 

When I go back to Calcutta after my course is over, things won't be the same. Too much has changed. I have changed. I know I can't go back to my old routine. Four months away from home and I know that when I go back to Calcutta I will look at it with new eyes. Things will seem different. Maybe not as familiar. 

I think it's not about the city. It's not about the oh-so-known lanes and bylanes. Because one can easily familiarize oneself with any place you are living. Breach Candy, Andheri is as as familar to me as New Alipore or Exide area is. It's about the people. The people you  care about and love. When I say I miss Calcutta, I don't miss the city per se. I miss the people I love. If they were someplace else, it would not matter whether my hometown was Calcutta or Timbuktu. 

It feels good when I pass by a place that reminds me of another place. It brings back memories. It makes me feel more at home. And more then anything it reminds me of the fact that all places are ultimately the same. It is the people  that matter. 

E:Energy. Prana. LIfe. Ki

Energy. One word with so many connotations. Science defines it as the ability to do work. Wikipedia says it is "  an indirectly observed quantity that is often understood as the ability of a physical system to do work on other physical systems"

What I want to talk about is the science of using energy to heal. Energy or prana(life) can be utilized to heal. This science, has been adapted and systemised by Grand Master Choa Kok Sui. Pranic Healing is based on the overall structure of the human body. Man`s whole physical body is actually composed of two parts: the visible physical body, and the invisible energy body called the bioplasmic body. The visible physical body is that part of the human body that we see, touch, and are most acquainted with. The bioplasmic body is that invisible luminous energy body which interpenetrates the visible physical body and extends beyond it by four or five inches.

I have been a Pranic Healer since 2009 and it has been  quite an enriching journey. It is amazing how recognising the existence of an energy body can change how you see things. After learning the art of Pranic Healing, I became more aware of the energy around me; negative and positive. When you know how to feel energy, you can feel energy everywhere. This awareness is both exciting and confusing for a beginner. It's like being blind for a long time and then suddenly be able to see.

It has made me an emotionally stronger person and a lot more calmer. I know now that every action we take has consequences. The knowledge that simple ailments AND severe ones can be healed with not much trouble is an exciting prospect. I experienced this myself when my mother was down with severe rashes and the doctor had adviced her not to travel. We had to attend my cousin's wedding in a different city and I really wanted her to come. I started healing her. and surely her rashes reduced. We consulted the doctor and he said that she could travel. That was when my faith on healing heightened and I decided to continue with the next levels of learning.


In pranic healing, there is no physical contact between the healer and the patient. Physical contact is not required because the practitioner is working on the bioplasmic or energy body and not directly on the physical body. This energy body, or aura, is the mold or blueprint that surrounds and interpenetrates the physical body. It is the energy body that absorbs life energy and distributes it throughout the physical body, to the muscles, organs, glands, etc Thus Distant healing is also possible. You could be sitting in Tamil Nadu with high fever and your healer may be healing you; sitting in his home in New York. Pranic healers are also taught to self heal. So, if I have a backache I can heal myself. It's another thing that I am lazy about it.

The best part about Pranic Healing is that it is not out of reach. Any healthy person with an average intelligence, an average ability to concentrate, an open but discriminating mind, and a certain degree of persistence can learn pranic healing in a relatively short period.

I still have a lot to learn. I am still an amateur. There is so much to be explored. But I like to take my time. This is one part of my life where I don't need to compete. It's something I do for myself. To be spiritually sound. To understand life better. To be able to touch a few lives. 

Passing the challenge

So my friend Amateur at this loves the A-Z Blogging Challenge and wants to try it too. So I decided to tag her and pass on the challenge. 

The rules are
1. You have to write everyday for 26 days
2. On the first day your post should start from the letter a, the second day it should start with b and so on; till you reach z.
3. You can pass on this challenge to anyone you want. 

Check her out. I am sure she will come up with some damn good stuff. Read her latest post meanwhile. 

D: Dating debacle

Dating sucks. No, seriously. The whole process of going on dates, trying to find someone you could fall in love with; it’s tedious. I would not want to go through that again. I remember my first date. It was a disaster. Typically, that guy could not stop talking about himself. Or rather, his music. The only good part about that date was that it was in my favourite coffee place. I ordered my favourite coffee, Devil’s own. And paid for it. I had this thing of going dutch on the first date. I hated it when guys went all chauvinistic and insisted on paying. Specially because we were both students and he certainly did not have extra cash to spare. Unless of course he was a rich brat; which I have never had the good fortune to encounter. (thankfully!)

My first date was certainly not my worst date. My worst date happened in 2011, but that a different story, entirely. I deviate from my point. This dating thing is warped. I was once set up with a guy. Who I somewhat liked. We had a great conversation. AND he was cute. The only problem was I didn’t hear from him again. Was it because my friend had dropped me on his bike?

So, dating is complicated. You don’t know who you would end up liking. And whether he will like you back. And dates which end with the guy awkwardly trying to hold your hand and declaring that he loves you suck the most. Love at first sight? No way. Stay away, please.

I have encountered a few jerks over the years. But I have also met sweet guys, who I ended up being friends with. There was a prolonged period where all the guys I was meeting, whether with intentions of dating or not; turned out to have jerk characteristics. And then there was this guy hating phase and the who needs guys phase and the I hate being single phase.(These three combined phases lasted around three months.)  And the in between two relationships phase(I didn’t know that then, of course) of nonchalance and uncertainty

Is it worth it? Would I change any of that if I ever get the chance? I don’t think so. If I had not experienced all of this I wouldn’t have  such funny stories to tell.  I wouldn’t know what kind of guy I don’t want to fall in love with. And I would not even have the guts to have my heartbroken.

And that is why I really like this quote from the movie He’s just not that into you

“Or maybe the happy ending is this, knowing after all the unreturned phone calls, broken-hearts, through the blunders and misread signals, through all the pain and embarrassment you never gave up hope.”

C: Everyday life

Catastrophe. Mumbai crowds. My  friends  were standing on the platform, waiting to go to Dadar.  The train came and this man standing on the door, fell on the track. His leg got stuck. The train left the platform. And the man. He was panting, trying to free himself. Unconscious for a moment, he was literally begging for help when he came back to his senses. And then people woke up from their own sleep. To pretend to help him. Two people stepped forward to pick him up. Blood was flowing from his limbs. The man was slipping in and out of unconsciousness . And people were shouting around him. The two men carried him off the platform. 

That’s when my friends  saw. He had lost his leg. 

B: Animated

“Bob the builder, Can we fix it?

Bob the builder, yes we can!”

I was wondering what to write about today and I suddenly started humming this song.  Bob The Builder  was such a cute show. Though I was older, my sister was a kid when it started airing in India. Bob and his gang helped with construction, renovation and repair. All the characters and equipment were made of clay and In think it was one of the cutest animated series airing at that time. My sister didn’t see a lot of cartoons. But as a toddler this was one of her favourites, though she does not really remember it that well.

Another claymated series that used to air when I was a kid is Pingu; a show that revolved around a family of penguins living in the south pole. The show had no spoken language and nearly all dialogues were in penguin language. Pingu was also one of the cutest anthropomorphic charactors created for children.  I think Bob the builder reminded me of Pingu and that is why I was so enthralled by it.  

I remember watching a lot of cartoons and children’s shows as a kid. StarPlus used to dedicate one and a half hour to children everyday. They used to air Full House and Small Wonder and half an hour of either Donald Duck or Tom and Jerry.

Then ofcourse there was Cartoon Network. I was a big fan of this show called The Adam’s Family; a show about a family of spooky charactors. Scooby doo  was also  watched frequently. I was somehow not that big a fan of Tom and Jerry but yes it did make me giggle whenever I saw it.

I used to be at my grandma’s place and my cousin and I used to wake up early on Sunday mornings for a marathon session of cartoons. Captain planet, The Flintstone, Tom and Jerry, Looney Tunes; all back to back. When we were a little older Powerpuff girls was added to the list.

Cartoons are weird these days. Neither do they teach morals nor do they make anyone laugh. Infact they are not cartoons, at all. They are just animated series that are supposed to entertain kids. Ben10, Pokemon, Digimon, Dragon ball and other Japan created animations are what children see these days. Have people stopped creating content for children? I think children would still love the original Hanna-Barbara shows if given a chance.

It can’t be helped, I guess. Television content has changed drastically over the years. All I can say is that our generation was lucky enough to see good quality cartoons we would still love to see re-runs of. We can still remember the words to the theme songs and sing it(even if it’s off key). And we can boast that we saw and loved better stuff.  

A: Time flies.

Another day has almost ended. And for once I have no assignments to do. Interestingly today was full of A's.I went to Amarsons park with Aparna. This place is quite breezy and it overlooks the sea. The fascinating sea. Moody. I like that. Today has been a good day.


August was fun but I want September to end. I don't like this month. Green Day were right. It IS a  weird month.

Highlight of the day: Watching the last half an hour of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. There is something highly comforting about watching an old( Can't believe how old it is! I was 8 when it was first released!) familiar movie. No matter how illogical and stupid it sounds now, it made me smile then and it makes me smile now. Sharukh has always been good at being the emotional lover boy. 

A good start to a blogging challenge? I think It's decent. And I am done for the day. B there tomorrow. 

The a-z guide

I am going to give myself a blogging challenge. It's a 26 day challenge. Ya, I know the normal trend is 30 days but I dont like trends. Here are the rules. I write everyday for 26 days but each day I start my post with a new alphabet. So the first day I start my post with 'A' and the second day I start with 'B' and so on; till I reach 'Z' 

Starting tomorrow with A.

P.S: Writing continuously for 26 days seems tough already. But it's a challenge. Yo!

First priority

I am playing against my strengths. And it is one hell of an experience. For the first time I am pursuing something I am not really good at. I am just trying to get there. Where? To be able to bake decently. When my bakery course started I had other things in mind. Learn this and expand my business. But now I want to get back to my first love. The only thing I am passionate about. No prizes for attempting to guess that one.

It's not as if I am not enjoying my course. No, I am loving it. Learning how to bake wonderfully tasty stuff is great. Just that I cannot see myself baking cakes and cookies for a career. Not for the rest of my life.

The goal is still the same. I still want my own business. But now I will not give it first priority. Because if I am not going to write, there will always be a piece of me missing.

If I knew I possibly cannot survive without doing what I love, why did I even attempt doing something else? Was I scared? I have never been scared of treading the beaten path. It was not fear. Nor was it uncertainty. I guess it was " let me do something else and see If I find anything else as appealing."  I sort of feel that I ignored my calling just to try my hand at something else, just so I could experiment.

And now I  know. I have chosen. For better or for worse. 

"You would be pretty if..."

The following has not been written by me. I just wanted to share this article with whoever cares to read my blog. I found this online when I was looking for some food for thought for 20 something girls of my college. We are constantly been told..."You would be pretty if you lost weight"; "You would be pretty if you had longer hair." ;"You would be pretty if you did this, did that". It dampens sprits. This write up was exactly what I was looking for. Read on:

Feeling Good About Your Body Is Up to You

Contentment is an achievable state of being.

Published on June 27, 2011 by Dara Chadwick in You'd Be So Pretty If...

An editorial in my local newspaper recently touted the health benefits of looking on the bright side. It cited a 10-year study of Canadian adults, which found that "having a positive outlook on life can reduce your risk of heart disease and heart attack by as much as 22 percent."

That's a significant impact.

It's hard to accept sometimes that our thoughts can be such a powerful force in our lives. But they are. In my book, You'd Be So Pretty If...: Teaching Our Daughters to Love Their Bodies -- Even When We Don't Love Our Own, I mentioned a Harvard Business School study that found that workers who smiled felt happier at work -- even if they were faking it. I was fascinated by that idea, and found myself wondering if the same concept might apply to body image.

What might happen if women told themselves they were content exactly as they are? If they learned to see their bodies in a positive way?

Notice I didn't say "perfect" or even "beautiful." If you're a regular reader, you know full well that I don't believe in perfection. And for many women, thinking of themselves as "beautiful" would be a foreign and difficult concept.

But contentment? That's an achievable state of being, no matter where you are.

When I make a conscious effort to eat well, get some exercise and look after my own needs, I feel better--almost instantly. In fact, studies have shown that women who exercise feel better about their bodies long before their bodies start to change as a result of that exercise. There's something very powerful about shifting your focus from the negative -- e.g., "I'm so out of shape" -- to the positive: "I'm a person who cares about her health and is making time for exercise."

One of the great things about thoughts is that they build momentum. Learn to look on the bright side and before long, you may find yourself experiencing healthy, happy changes in many areas of your life. We can't always control what happens to us, but we are in charge of how we respond to the events and people in our lives. We may have negative feelings, but it's our choice to wallow in them or pick ourselves up and move on. The same goes for how we feel about our bodies.

That's a powerful concept.

Dara Chadwick is the author of You'd Be So Pretty If…:Teaching Our Daughters to Love Their Bodies—Even When We Don't Love Our Own, which grew out of her experience as Shape magazine's 2007 Weight-Loss Diary columnist. A former magazine staff editor, she's a New England-based freelance journalist specializing in health, wellness and lifestyle topics. Her work has been published in magazines such as Shape, Parenting, Working Mother, Family Circle, Woman's Day, Better Homes & Gardens, For Me and VIV.

 I have lost the original link but you could check out her  website 

Sometimes waiting is all you can do...

RO #3 Sometimes silver linings are hard to find. You have too squint and concentrate and even pray to be able to see them.