As we all continue to recover from the horror fest that was the past 2-3 months (at least for us in India), I remembered that I had this ritual of jotting down thoughts about books I have been reading. Why? Maybe whoever stumbles upon this might find something of interest. In that case, do drop a note/comment? We could connect over books. In no particular order (actually there is one – ruled by my memory) here you go: Masala Lab…
Twitter’s magic brought this article on my timeline and I was fascinated. I see the point of order as an independent grown-up because it makes life in the outside world easier. Especially when dealing with red-tape issues or in general trying to navigate life sometimes. But in the context of books and arranging them, I have never felt the need. I have a lot of books. More books than clothes and other things. Proof is a recent apartment move, that…
Preamble: T and I have a ritual of gifting books on each others’ birthday. (a few other friends and I also share it but that’s not the point). Last year around my birthday, I was shameless in telling T that I didn’t need a book yet because of the too big unread pile piling at home. I told her that I would let her know when I was ready for a new book. I read someone’s tweet about ‘The 10…
Like a lot of things, my reading habits and reporting underwent a change this year. I have stopped looking at things from a better vs poorer lens (something that 2020 taught me). It is what it is. I tried reading a book per week post-July with the target of posting my thoughts about that book on Instagram stories. For what it’s worth, it did not seem daunting and that target-oriented reading worked for me. It aligned me at a time…
This little person sings in the bathroom. She makes up songs. And then after the routine of washing her hands and feet struts into the room nagging me to help her wear her pajama. I am in an office meeting and she appears on my side to stare at the screen. In her signature gentle style she then asks me about all the icons on the dock. After a quick revision she vanishes. She then sits by aaji’s side when…
I watched Axone (pronounced – akhonee) on Netflix 10 days ago. It’s a quiet, satirical portrayal of feeling like an outsider – in this case in your own country – because of one’s food preferences. The story revolves around a bunch of North-east Indian friends living in the capital and trying to cook a traditional pork dish cooked using the ‘smelly’ akhonee to celebrate their roommate’s nuptials. It’s a story of friendship, heartbreak, and belonging tied together by food. The…
Writing this as part of a writing workshop I had the privilege to be a part of. The exercise was to write something inspired by a favorite song. I struggled a lot with picking a favorite song. Not only there are many, but in these times it’s tough to put a finger on what I am feeling at any moment. But I am ‘blessed’ with great friends. When I told P about this struggle, he told me, I had already…