If I had to ask you what is the importance of love in your life, then what would you say?
Do you have someone special in your life? Do you love someone? Have you ever loved someone? Are you still together? Or had to break up due to various reasons? Do you miss them?
If these questions evoked some or any emotions, then this is what you will feel while reading Tumhari Humari Zindagi. Written by Ravindra Raghav and printed by Notion Press, this one is a must read.
Ravinder is the Head of Biomedical Engineering and Deputy General Manager- Supply Chain at Medanta Hospital but deep inside there is a writer who finally gave wings to his talent in the year 2020 by launching his solo book, Tumhari Humari Zindagi in 2020.
He approached me through LinkedIn and shared his book and his desire to send me a copy. I agreed and in lieu of that informed that I would review his book on my blogs in different platforms. He agreed for that and I finally got a chance to read his poetries.
This book is a collection of his poetry and sharia in Hindi. Even though I am not a Hindi reader but this book kept me hooked. The cover is simple, beautiful and attractive. The innocence, the feeling of love blossoming, the agony of separation, when someone cheats you, doesn’t commit you or reciprocate your feelings has been perfectly described by him through his words.
The poetries usually focus on life and love. If you have ever fallen in love with someone, or love someone, then you will surely be able to relate to his poems. You will find yourself visualizing as the lines progress.
However, if you haven’t ever loved, you will fall in the love with the idea of love. Such magical are his writings. I am not exaggerating when I say this but his words will touch and even rip your heart. You will feel as you read.
His poems have it all, the feeling when you first meet, when you talk, spend time, love each other with your heart and soul, when you have to separate, the last time you see each other, the heart burn of breaking up, etc. Additionally, there are supporting images with reference to the writings on the right page and this makes the book all the more interesting.
My favorite lines
While there were many lines and shayari which touched my heart, sharing my few favourites (choosing them was tough) –
तुम्हारी हमारी ज़िन्दगी भी नदी के किनारों की तरह है,
जो चलते तो साथ साथ हैं, लेकिन मिल नहीं सकते।
तुम्हारा दिल तो अंगूर के गुच्छे की तरह है,
हर एक दाना हर एक के लिए।
साहिब बड़ा गुरूर था मुझे अपने उसूलों पर,
तुम से मलने के बाद ना गुरूर रहा ना उसूल।
साहिब तुमसे अब मा कोई शिकवा न शिकायत,
भूल मेरी थी जो तोड़ दिए उसूल तुम्हारी खातिर।
तेरी मेरी मोहब्बत का दुश्मन कोई और नहीं,
तेरा द्धर्म और मेरा भगवान हो गया।
And this is just the beginning. There is a lot more!
I like this book because–
The poems and shayaris are short. For those who have a short attention span, this will be a good read as you will be able to quickly finish bulk pages in a few minutes. The writings perfectly describe the emotions are relatable. The innocence, pain and emotions can be felt as they have been expressed perfectly. Not being a hard core romantic myself and preferring English works, this one made me kept me hooked throughout especially since the start. And when it ended, it left me with a feeling of wanting more.
The only thing which didn’t strike with me–
Was that poems were less. I wish they could have been a bit more. For a reader like me, I crave for more.
The Scribbler’s Dais rating- 4/5
I request you to purchase his book from Amazon over here. Meanwhile, you can reach out to him at shayari_ravinder at his Instagram profile.
Have you ever savored the taste of an artistic cake which is not only tempting from the outside but 10x times scrumptious on the inside which will give you foodgasms?
If not, then you need to check out Ruchika Mittal’s cakes.
Cake by Ruchika
She has set a good example of the perfect independent women who took her passion forward. One fine day, she was attending a family function and got attracted by the designer cake and BOOM! There was love at first sight. She decided to go ahead with her heart and she never looked back. No, she did not get married or hooked rather she found love in baking and preparing artistic cakes.
Cake by Ruchika
She went on, researched, tried, failed, and tried again. One thing she did was never stopping and never losing hope. It’s been years now and she has been successful in creating her bakery business, Ruhlicious (Cakes by Ruchika)!
One look at her Instagram profile will definitely make your mouth salivate. By the way, she has over 4k followers on Instagram and is soon on her way to 5k. Her profile will be a treat not only for the eyes but also for your taste buds. She identifies herself as a ‘Cake Artist’ and creates masterpieces ranging from cakes, cupcakes, to brownies and chocolates.
Customized cup cakes
Customized cup cakes
The best bit is you ask it and you will have it. Be it any design, any flavor, any occasion, she will craft it making it a huge success. It will not only be aesthetically pleasing but will explode your taste buds too! So far, she has designed cakes for all occasions, ranging from Bachelor and Bachelorette parties, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, cake jars including Rasmalai and Gulab Jamun customized options, alphabetical designs, molten lava, cakesicles, cupcakes, etc.
Alphabetical cakes
Numerical cakes
Cake Jars
In a conversation with the young baker, Ruchika who talks about her journey, tips about baking and even breaks a major myth about fondant cakes (ohh yes, this will blow away your minds)-
How long have you been in the baking industry?
It’s been more than 6 years now that I started my venture. It feels as if time flies!
The female behind the beauty- Ms. Ruchika
Roughly an estimate, how many cakes, cupcakes and chocolates have you baked till now? The bifurcation if possible!
That would be extremely difficult to answer. But taking a rough idea, I guess I have created around 1000-1200 cakes, over a 1000 Cupcakes and over 500-800 Chocolates so far. This could be more considering the 6+ stint in the business. I never really counted to be honest.
What do the clients usually demand?
Clients primarily demand for discount and free deliveries! Hahaha!
Jokes apart, the request for cupcakes and cakes is usually high throughout the year. Chocolate Truffle variant is a huge seller and is preferred by many of my customers!
Best selling- Chocolate Truffle
Which one has been the most memorable work?
That would have to Mother’s Day orders of May 2016. That day was special as I had my first bulk order of 7 cakes in a day! Damn, that was hard but at the end everything went well!
Bulk Order on Mother’s Day 2016
Which one has been the most challenging work?
It would have to be Mother’s day again. I completed 46 orders in a day. And I was literally dead by 2:00 AM.
The work that is close to your heart?
Every cake/Cupcake I create is of course my baby. It’s hard to choose any one. But if I had to answer, then I would say that I am really proud of my PAAN GULKUND cake. It’s been a super hit ever since I created it!
Paan Gulkand cake
How would you describe your baking journey in a few words/lines?
Baking memories for life! Period.
Please share about the trainings/courses you took up to pursue baking.
I am actually a self-taught baker and cake artists. YouTube, Google, lots of trials and errors, failed recipes are behind my success. 15-18 hours every day on YouTube is what I took and hours of practicing to master the recipe and carve out my innovations! Phew! But once it started falling in place, the aroma of the cakes and their aesthetic decoration filled my room, I knew I was going the right way.
What gave you the idea/inspiration to indulge in bakery and come up with a business?
Just after completing graduation, a very beautiful cake caught my attention at an engagement party i attended. And that was it! I developed love for such artsy cakes! That was the moment I felt this is for me!
Who do you follow amongst the celebrity bakers/chefs?
Amongst celebrity bakers would be YOLANDA GAMPP for sure! I do follow shows like CAKE BOSS TLC for their unique and inspiring content.
A baking tip you swear by?
Crumb coat and Chill work wonders!
A myth about bakery which you would have heard often but would want to break for our readers?
Fondant Cakes taste good too! Yes, they do! Try mine and you will realize that what I am saying the truth!
Do you have a sweet tooth?
Only for my own crafted delicacies- New York Baked Cheesecake & Blueberry Cake. (It’s to die for!)
How many hours does it take you to create a cake?
It actually depends on the design. The basic ones usually take around 3-4 hours but the extremely intricate and delicate designer cakes could take even a day or two.
Which cake took you the longest and how long?
I prepared a 3D Animal School Bus Cake for a 2 year old. It took me 8-10 hours as far as I can recall.
3D Animal Cake
What all varieties and flavors are available?
You will find everything at Ruhlicious (Cakes by Ruchika)! Ranging from Cakes, Cupcakes to Cake Jars, Chocolates & Brownies! You name it and we have it!
Theme based birthday cake
Personalized cup cakes
Cakesicles
Cakesicles
Paan Gulkand Cake Jar
Cake Jars
What would be the price range?
The pricing has no bar. It actually is dependent on the flavor, size and design. Every cake has its own price! For an idea, Basic 1/2 kg Chocolate Truffle is 600/- to 700/-
From where do you usually shop for the baking ingredients and essentials?
I usually buy my stuff online. Preferably Amazon.
One baking technique/trend you like and dislike/would like to change?
Monogram Cakes are all time love. I don’t dislike any trend and I am hopeful I never will.
Monogram cake
Monogram Cake
A tip you would like to give to the budding bakers out there?
The one and only tip would be- GOOD PHOTOGRAPHY IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!
Mini 3 tier cake
Many a times people wish to try their hands at baking but fear they won’t be successful. Any tip or motivational words for them?
This is a place for people who have absolutely crazy passion for cakes and baking! If you have the will to step out of your comfort zone and learn something new, passion for spreading smiles and good taste, and even a tiny bit of creativity, you should give it a shot. Of course, it will take time and efforts but it will be worth it.
PS- A little heads up- It’s not a 9 to 5 job and there are no Sundays!
Have you come up with classes for teaching/do you plan to come up for classes?
Not as of now! I myself still have a lot to learn. I want to become a pro first and then pass on my experience and learning’s to the people around. Having said this, I am always there for people who are stuck, want some advice or tip or even want to talk about baking.
Newly launched flavour- Molten Lava Cake
Blackforest Birthday cake
Delicious Brownies
Ruchika’s favourite
Most loved design by clients
Ruchika has indeed made a mark of herself in the baking industry with her talent, hard work and innovation. The only thing that we must inform you is that she does not deliver the cakes. But don’t you worry folks. As she has come up with solutions for those too. You can either rope in the third party delivery apps from from where you could schedule your delivery or you could book Uber cabs and have your little bundle of happiness delivered right at your doorstep.
You can find her clientele’s love and blessings on her profile too. Their testimonials are the proof that she has been doing an amazing job with her heart, sweat and soul and that the delivery bit does not hamper her work! Her work actually makes up for it.
To blow away your taste buds and to brighten up any occasion, you know what to do! DM her and you will have your sugary delight ready!
‘The comical journey of an office doormat’ is the tagline of the novel and perfectly describes it. The story takes us through the protagonist, Abhay’s viewpoint, and is seen struggling to settle in the new city of Bangalore and get accustomed to the new job of a Financial Advisor in the finance sector at WCA (Wealth Capital Advisors Pvt. Ltd.).
The novel is divided into two parts- Part I is before the market fall (March 2007-Mid Jan 08) and Part II is after the market fall (Jan 2008 and beyond). The story has everything-that the title offers- the typical boss who doesn’t let him take the responsibility at work, pesters him on and off, has a small team, a weird landlord. For those who are in college awaiting for a campus, recruitment will relate to this. But in fact, it offers more! It will leave you with a different kind of end and emotion that you expected. The pressure to perform well, to handle clients, to handle the client’s rational and irrational demands when a market falls and hits an all-time low, the appraisal verdict, a cold landlord and her sweet and beautiful daughter, a lonely corporate job-goer looking for some company.
Everything goes well in the story until the markets crashed in 2008. That is when things take a turn. Clients are upset and disappointed! His appraisal seems to be slipping away. He seems to be losing his calm and is way annoyed with this scratchy boss who always keeps on ordering him to work, never lets him take any responsibility or for him to be at the forefront, dumps work on him, bores him with his gyaan.
Picture credits: Abhay’s website
If you are the curious minds who wish to know how and when was this book written, then here is a hint- If you read the book with interest and attention, you might find the answer to the same! (wink wink).
The characters were well thought of. The pain in the everywhere boss, a cold landlady, a dash of spark and attraction by the landlady’s daughter, the various types of clients, some flexible, some happy, some rude, and some illogical!
The only things which didn’t strike with me were that while the story will take you down the memory lane of the similar boss you have had, the financial technical terms would take you time or even a dictionary or Google baba’s help to understand because the common man might not know these terminologies. Also, I felt the story kind of going a bit boring in between but then I also feel it could be because it was in the finance sector perse and not a generic industry or the one with which I could relate to. I also wanted to sort of know more as to what happens after the appraisal verdict! How his journey goes ahead?
Will he get an appraisal? Will he continue to work or will he leave? Will there be a love streak between him and the landlady’s daughter?
I like this book because-
It indeed was a much-needed breather from the typical romantic sagas and motivational battles. It’s a simple yet humorous account that will leave you light-hearted. You will enjoy it because you will find it relatable. It will add a dash of laughter to your boring and mundane days! Honestly, my lockdown days went well because of this book!
It was to name my anthology after my blog/pen name. Now, I feel it can be a great marketing stint.
Even though I am yet to receive a response on how the book is, people have started approaching me to send compliments about the unique name of the book. All I could say was that I have my blog with same name. So I thought the name felt would fit in perfectly with the anthology’s title too.
Honestly, I feel it worked. The name feels magical and radiates positive vibes.
Having a name on the cover is every author’s dream. For me even though it was an anthology, it feels like a dream come true. And its all the more special because I got my parents’ work published too. they have been passionate writers and I thought what it could be a better way than this to get their work published.
My solo book still seems to be a long way to but I am grateful to everyone who made The Scribbler’s Dais possible.
The Scribbler’s Dais, an anthology by Spectrum of Thoughts is one of its kind! Compiled by Garima Batra, it consists of exquisite works by both national and International authors. It brings together budding and passionate 60+ co-authors on one platform. Every co-author has scribbled down his/her heart out and have penned down their emotions and perspectives spread across genres, themes and formats. Be it blooming romance, agony of separation, bitter realities of life, motivation to move ahead by fighting the troubles, the feelings of a writer, real life experiences, this anthology has it all!
Grab your copy from Amazon today from the link shared below.
A millennial love story with twists, family issues, the saga of traditional values and family legacy, and melodious tunes of classical music. This is how I would prefer to describe the Bandish Bandits show on Amazon Prime Video.
Picture credits: Amazon Prime Video’s Twitter account
Name- Bandish Bandits
Where can you watch- Amazon Prime Video
Number of episodes- 10
Genre- Rom-Com
Casting- Shreya Chaudhary (as Tamanna), Ritwik Bhowmik (as Radhe), Naseeruddin Shah (as Pandit Ji), Sheeba Chaddha as Mohini, Rajesh Tailang as Rajendra, Amit Mistry as Devendra, Kunaal Roy Kapur as Arghya, Rahul Kumar as Kabir, Dilip Shankar as Raja Ji, Atul Kulkarni as Digvijay, Rituraj Singh as Harsvardhan, Shashi Kiran as Munshi Ji, Meghna mailk as Avantika, Tridha Choudhary as Sandhya, Priyanka Arya as Paddu and many more
Picture credits: Amazon Prime Video’s Twitter account
Review
Bandish Bandits is the typical small city guy and a celeb metropolitan city girl and a not-so cliché story. Both of them are on their paths to achieve their respective goals. Somehow, they work together as a team to help each other reach their aim but also help resolve each other’s shortcomings.
The show will hook you right from the starting with its title song which is a perfect medley of modern tune and traditional voice! Set in Jodhpur, it will give you a complete account of the classical musical family, known as Gharana. The legacy of music is passed on to generations but isn’t something that everyone can handle well.
The tale of the famous pop star, Tamanna, and the ordinary classical singer, Radhe is indeed relatable and heartbreaking too. The show has depicted various subplots in a single plot and all of them are important to be shown and have been presented well. Be it acting out to seek inspiration for a song, the typical love story, disturbed family, a parent who never appreciated his/her child for the achievements, the entertainment industry business’ politics, the tiff between the town boy and a city girl who is a pop star, a dream to perform with an international artist, a female giving up on her dreams and her love for family, the young facing the financial pressure and doing everything to take out his family from the debt, an MMS going viral over the internet and affecting one’s life has been depicted amazingly. These elements combined with the excellent cinematography, aesthetic locations, and soulful music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy will indeed keep you hooked and watch till the end.
Picture credits: Amazon Prime Video’s Twitter account
While the storyline might not seem fresh but the depiction surely is. Every character has its distinct importance in the story and this is something which I admired. Naseeruddin Shah was a good choice to portray the character of Pandit Ji. And I won’t hesitate to say that the character was selfish and self-centered, dominating and insecure.
Being a musical show, the music was of course amazing and a perfect blend of traditional and modern at some points and one overpowering the other at the right places. The music producers, singers, and lyricists did a fabulous job with the music content of the show. For those who are music lovers will be in for a treat while watching the show. The costume designer too thoroughly researched and organized the wardrobe and every character seemed to be dressed perfectly as per the scene and their character sketch.
Picture credits: Amazon Prime Video’s Twitter account
While on one hand, Radhe tries to solve his family issues and save his musical legacy, on the other hand, Tamanna and he have turbulence in their relationship. Eventually, Tamanna gives up on her dreams and singing. While the first half focused on their meeting, their partnership, and their respective issues, the second half showed they battling issues together, each preparing and motivating the other for Tamanna’s live show and Radhe’s Sangeet Samrat. But in between, Tamanna vanishes from his life.
The show will twist and turn in the most unimaginable ways. As for me, Tamanna’s character with her blue highlights, a soft voice but the bold and strong girl made a place in my heart. As for Atul Kulkarni, he is one of my favorites and he did complete justice to his character with his acting and emotions.
The series is humorous at one point, lovey-dovey and intense at the other. At some points, it did feel like it was stretching a bit but on the whole, it will keep you entertained throughout and will leave you heavy-hearted.
Picture credits: Amazon Prime Video’s Twitter account
Will her live show go well? Will he win the title of Sangeet Samrat? Will they continue their journey as a musical duo and a couple? To have answers to these questions, you will have to watch the show.
In an attempt to try something new and bring some excitement in my life, I took a decision that turned out to be a roller-coaster ride.
I thought of compiling my own anthology.
So far, I had co-authored in 50+ anthologies and my inner voice said, ”let’s try compiling for once.’‘
I connected with a friend from the team and we started our project. I started searching for writers in full force and in just 17 days, I had 62 co-authors on board.
Most of them were my friends and friends of friends and the rest were whom I reached out organically or vice versa.
The convincing sessions, the submissions and payment procedures, the manuscript finalization, proofreading, and corrections, working with the team on the cover, it was a hilarious and exciting journey with its share of downs too.
Some people backed off at the last moment, irrational requests of o-authors, resolving their queries every day, getting the changes done in manuscript and cover back and forth, etc.
Finally, we revealed the cover yesterday. And the response was overwhelming.
Do you eat food? Of course! We all do right? But are you a foodie or a food enthusiast? Well, some of you reading this would be! Well then, have you heard about red okra, purple and elephant yam, air potato, sponge gourd, peppercorn (it is a fruit), turkey berry or sunberry?
What happened? Are you confused as to what are these? Please don’t be! These are all edible vegetables which are referred to as forgotten now! But Akash Muralidharan doesn’t only possess knowledge about these ingredients but also cooks them in his kitchen!
He spent his lockdown days quite differently. He organized 10 days of cooking project, Cook and See on his Instagram profile. But it wasn’t an ordinary cooking streak if you think so!
He didn’t just adorn the master chef hat just like many of us. Instead to make a difference in the food arena and to bring back the traditional recipes and ingredients back into our kitchens which had been long forgotten! This food designer used the forgotten vegetables and created unique dishes the traditional way.
You would be wondering why they are referred to as forgotten. They are known so as they are unusual and kinda extinct and aren’t found easily. But we can identify them! They could be just around the corner or on a tree but we could have easily ignored him. Akash’s cooking challenge was an attempt to bring back the extinct legacy of the food culture of India, particularly the South area.
He has had a distinct and quirky journey. He opted to pursue Food Design and Innovation from Milan, Italy. He not only successfully completed 100 days of cooking but is also planning to convert it into a book.
In conversation with the food designer, Akash sharing about his journey of life, cooking and the 100 days project:-
1. You clearly made an effort to spend your lockdown the fun way by coming up with the 100-day challenge. But what made you come up with this idea?
It all started off with me finding the books of “Samaithu Par” written by Meenakshi ammal in the attic. The books belonged to my grandmother. They were written almost 70 years ago. As I started reading it I realised I didn’t recognize a number of vegetables mentioned in it. It made me very curious and that’s how the idea for the challenge came up.
2. Please take us through the 100 days in a few lines. How did it feel before starting, while doing and after it was over? Basically about the entire process.
I was very excited before the challenge to learn more about these lesser known vegetables and to share my knowledge with the world.
The hundred days were very intensive. Quite exhausting as we did it without breaks in between. The pressure to keep posting everyday was intense.
After the challenge was over I felt the satisfaction of achieving a great feat. But I was sure that it wasn’t the end. It was just the beginning to a bigger search.
3. Did you have any specific aim in mind to organize this? If yes, were you able to achieve it?
I wanted to find out what happened to these vegetables. And I believe I am getting there one step at a time.
4. How did you plan and execute everything? Who all supported you during this process?
My mom was a big help in executing the recipes. We planned the veggies and respective recipes at the beginning of each week, shopped them on the same day and kept ourselves prepared for the following week. She cooked them and I took videos of it. After the lockdown when we started doing it digitally, my friends Priyadarshini Narayanan and Srishti Prabhakar helped me with the illustrations. Magesh and Ramya helped me with the Animations.
5. How did you get to know about these unknown vegetables?
Some of them were from the book. Some of them through word of mouth of friends and relatives and some through the Instagram acquaintances I made once the project gained attention.
6. How did you get access to them?
A majority of the veggies are available in the markets. Some of them are only in specific regions. Some of them are definitely present in our friends and relatives gardens and if you look properly they could be in your street. We just have to start looking for them.
7. According to you which was your most challenging discovery?
The most challenging discovery was the Country cucumber. We could find only the sun dried versions of them in the city. I still haven’t seen the raw versions yet.
8. One memorable day and one challenging out of the 100-day challenge and please explain the reason why is it so.
One memorable day is the day we made palmyra sprout fritters. This is because I had never tasted them before and I was very excited about it. The most challenging day was when we worked with the veldt grape. It was very challenging to work with because it causes itching in your hands and throat if you don’t cook it properly.
9. You have received a great response to the challenge? How does it feel that your work got recognized?
I am very happy that my work gained so much recognition. After all, my efforts were to highlight the existence of these vegetables and I am glad that they are receiving so much attention.
10. Your grandmother is your inspiration. Unfortunately, she is not with you now. But which is your favorite dish which she makes for you?
Mysore Pak. She makes the best I have ever had!
11. At what age did you develop an interest in cooking?
I have had interest in cooking from the time I have been conscious. I started cooking by myself when I was 12 years old.
12. How do you think has the food industry changed in the past few years?
The food industry has changed drastically over the last few years. In my perspective food has also fallen prey to the term trendy. There are so many foods that gain so much attention due to their trend factor and die down after a very short while. There are so many short lived food trends that have happened in the recent past.
13. And how do you think is it expected to change in the future?
I believe that the answers to our future lie in the past. In understanding the transformation that food has gone through in the past. If we don’t find answers to questions about what happened to our food in the past we cannot predict our future.
14. Do you wish to come up with your cookbooks or start your own food channel or YouTube videos?
I think there are enough cookbooks, YouTube channels (I mean enough very good ones) and enough recipes. I do not wish to create more. I only wish to reflect on the attitude with which we approach these recipes and foods.
15. Would you be interested to collaborate with the other major food channels?
I would definitely if there’s an interesting concept or motto to it.
16. What are your future plans?
As of now I am working on converting this 100 days project into a book.
17. What is food for you?
Food for me is a very powerful tool that can change the whole world in seconds.
18. Describe food in one word.
Food = Emotion
19. One myth about food?
One myth about food that I do not believe in is that Vegan food is good for all and the environment. I believe that it’s very subjective, depending on each person’s body conditions and the region in which they live. Being a vegan could be very harmful for a person’s health or an environment. One rule does not apply to all when it comes to food.
20. What can you cook? Like how many cuisines, varieties of dishes, etc.
I am very good with cooking Indian food be it South Indian or from other regions. When I was in Europe I learnt to cook Italian and Spanish food. A little bit of Dutch cooking as well.
21. One cooking rule that you always abide by.
Clean as you cook. Haha I am not sure if that’s a universal rule. But that’s mine.
22. One tip to the fellow chefs/cooking enthusiasts out there.
I don’t know if I have the experience to offer advice to fellow food enthusiasts. But I would definitely like to tell the world that food is much bigger than what’s present on their plate. Therefore it’s very important to understand the food and its journey to reach your plate.
23. Would you consider it a profession someday or limit to passion?
I do consider it as a profession. Right now I work with The Center for Genomic Gastronomy as a researcher and designer. THE CENTER FOR GENOMIC GASTRONOMY is an artist-led think tank that examines the biotechnologies and biodiversity of human food systems.
24. Please tell us more about your course in food designing.
The Masters in Food design and Innovation course in SPD Milan is a very unique course that opens your mind to possibilities in the fields of food and design to innovate and create beautiful products and better solutions to existing food scenarios around the world.
It gave me the opportunity to meet, discuss and work with a number of food designers from around the world and widen my perspective about food as a tool to send out powerful messages to the world.
Akash is humble and so down to earth that when I asked him if he would be able to give inputs for my blog, he agreed in an instant! He has over 6k followers on Instagram and his profile is a treat for the eyes! And if you can gather the ingredients, then you can prepare a unique celebration for your taste buds too.
The aesthetic posts, the quirky veggies and the content around them, everything is just way beyond the league in his profile. But his idea and the aim to bring back the forgotten was a distinct and he presented it in a commendable fashion. His content will literally blow your minds away with the truck loads of information you will carry with you while leaving his profile (which by the way you wouldn’t want to. You would want to keep on scrolling).
It was just recently that a salsa dancing video went viral over social media which grasped the attention of many. The distinguishable fact about the video apart from the amazing salsa performance was that the Indian young couple was performing it on the famous reality show, America’s Got Talent’s stage. This is the show’s 15th season and the video is of the auditioning stage.
The clip will start with Sumanth and Sonali putting forward the point that they will perform bad salsa. This made the judges believe that the bar of the performance will be low. However, after confusing them for a few seconds, the duo explained that BAD is an acronym for their dance troupe, Bivash Academy of Dance.
When the video will start, you will watch them dancing on Shahid Kapoor’s movie’s song Dhating Naach, (Phata Poster Nikla Hero). The moment they started their act, they set the stage on fire. Their moves, the coordination, the energy was off the charts. The performance will make you clinch and flinch a lot. At one moment, they are on the floor, the other in the air.
A snippet from their performance Picture Credit: BAD Salsa’s Facebook profile
Their swirls, stamina, flexibility, splits and their flips will take your breath away. You getting goosebumps would be normal. Your eyes will be glued right from the start to the end. Even the audience’s applause and hooting will be audible and visible to you. You will find the judges giving similar responses too. The judges aptly described their performance as dangerous. They were stunned and mesmerized by their dance performance. Even they were rooting for the duo and hoped to see them in the selected list.
As per a behind the scenes video interview uploaded on America’s Got Talent’s Facebook page; the duo shared that they are childhood friends. Sonali hails from a farmer’s family and they have seen a lot of struggles. They have been dancing since they were kids and are glad to have supportive parents.
When questioned about the dance video going viral, they replied, ‘’ we feel honored and lucky. It felt like a dream come true performing on the global stage and touching the hearts of millions of people through our art form. It was indeed a pleasant surprise for us when the video went viral and people showered their love and blessings on us. We felt that the hard work Bivash sir has put in molding us has actually succeeded.’’
Sharing their experience on the platform, they say, ‘’It was amazing. Form backstage crew members to the producers, the judges, and even the contestants, everyone was in awe with our choreography. They made us feel very comfortable and even appreciated us. However, it was indeed challenging as America’s Got Talent is a global platform we had the responsibility of representing India and we knew we couldn’t fall out. We are ecstatic that we could live up to the expectations and performed well.’’
When we asked what keeps them going, they informed us, ‘’ The D3 Policy of our sir has worked for us in many ways i.e. Discipline, Determination, and Dedication. Never Give Up has been our team’s motto since the beginning and it keeps us working and smiling in our tough times. Turning Chances into Opportunities is what we have been doing all these years.’’
Picture credit: BAD Salsa’s Facebook group
Bivash got his first break from a regional reality show, Dance Bangla Dance. He shares,’’ after that breakthrough, I thought of building a dance institute to train talents and provide them a way to grow in life. Hence, BIVASH ACADEMY for DANCE was thought of and I came up with its acronym, BAD. It was attractive and unique. Additionally, Michael Jackson’s track, BAD was my favorite back then. ’’
When probed about the future plans, Bivash hinted they could mark their journey in the cinema. He said, ‘’ In future, the audience can expect BAD performing international level of performances and create many world-class performers and also featuring in films.
Bivash who considers Remo D’Souza as his mentor shares his mantra (which is also a tip for the budding dancers out there),’’ The D3 policy is the key that I teach my students. The P3 policy, i.e. Purity, Passion, and Perfection is what I have developed in my characteristics to succeed. The A3 policy, i.e. Ambition, Aspiration, and Attitude keeps me going through different life stages.’’
The trio of BAD Salsa
The video has received likes, comments, views, and shares in huge figures across all social media platforms. You can catch up on the missed episodes of the show, America’s Got Talent at NBC and Voot.) You can watch the video from their Facebook profile over here.
The trio spends 10-12 hours on an average every day on their practice sessions. Sumanth and Sonali were also the winners of India’s Got Talent season 4. They have indeed made us proud by reaching from India’s Got Talent to an international platform like America’s Got Talent. Winning or losing is a part of life but the duo has surely won our hearts!
Yash Tiwari could have been an ordinary 18-year-old boy. But he chose a different path. He wanted to fly high and now along with being an adult, he already is the author of two books.
His debut novel, ‘A Celebration in Tribulation’ was internationally acclaimed. The surprising part is that he wrote it when he was just 16 years old. However, his skill set is not just restricted to writing. He is also a four times TEDx speaker, JOSH Talks speaker, and an international youth mentor and has mentored over thousands of students.
It was just a few days ago that he launched his second novel on the topic which resonates with each one of us across the globe- coronavirus. His book ‘Pandemic 2020- Rife of the virus ’ is the world’s first fictional novel on this issue. Published by Notion Press, it is available at Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Flipkart, and Google Playbooks. Oxford Bookstore even organized a digital launch of his book which was on their Facebook live.
Yash has indeed set an example for the youth. We got an opportunity to discuss his writing journey. Here are excerpts from the interview:-
How does it feel to be introduced as an awarded author of an internationally acclaimed novel, a motivational speaker, and a youth mentor at the age of 18?
These titles come as a reminder about the role I wish to play in this world; to drive social changes, instill the feeling of passion and enthusiasm in the hearts of people and use my voice to take a stand for the worthwhile causes. I had always wanted to utilize my potentials and put forth my efforts towards creating an impact on society.
2. What was the motivation behind Pandemic 2020- the Rife of the virus?
My primary motivation to pen down the novel was to pay my tribute through my words to the ones who fought and are still fighting against this incurable flu and their respective stories.
3. What made you opt for the fictional route?
Well, I would prefer to say that the book is a creatively written account of what all happened during the pandemic. While the characters are fictional; the four stories are of course inspired. The book as a whole narrates precisely what unfolded in the real world from January onwards and till April (first week). The facts, figures, and dates used in the entire novel were meticulously researched upon by me, and then the four stories were conceptualized and penned down.
4. What do the four stories focus on? What was your inspiration behind choosing these particular stories/aspects/situations?
We have four globally distinct yet interconnected tales narrated in the novel- Huiqing – an impoverished boy in China, Alanna – a helpless doctor in the U.S., Terrell – a stranded traveler in Italy, and Yash – a blooming journalist in India. These stories provide a harrowing look at how the pandemic overturned everyone’s lives. The tales are based on actual incidents, mishaps, stories, facts, and data findings from all around the world.
5. What inspired you to write a novel when you were just 16 years old?
By the age of 16, I had already authored many poems and stories that got published as well as research papers that were presented at two international conferences. However, I had this aspiration to take that up to a greater notch. That is when I decided to pen down my first novel before the beginning of my 12th Standard. Moreover, the agenda to write a long-form narrative to illuminate an unheard and unspoken topic became yet another motivation for me. (Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease)
Yash Tiwari
6. Is it true that you completed your first novel in just 22 days?
Yes, it is correct!
7. How much time did this second novel take you to write?
Less than 1 month
8. What would be your pick-Hard copy versus e-book/kindle?
As convenient as it seems to have an e-book, I’d still go with a hard copy of any book. I mean, can we even compare the feeling of holding an actual book in our hands with a digital device? I guess not. Actually, I hope not. Because no matter how digitalized the world is becoming, I hope for certain things to remain constant forever. For example, the joy of holding a good book in your hand and feeling calm by the soothing smell of its pages as you sit by a window on an odd, rainy day. Ah, that feeling!
9. What drives you to write? How do you try to fight the writer’s block?
What drives me to write, or speak, or take up any project in my life is my will to create a positive impact with my words – be it verbal or written.
The practical way to beat writer’s block is by conceptualizing before writing. One should always first outline the plot properly and then gradually progress writing. This way whenever you feel stuck, you will have a basic plan that will steer you on the right path to write your story.
10. You have managed to achieve a lot at such a young age. How do your parents react to your success? Of course, they would be happy watching you achieve great heights and success. But do they discuss future plans just like Indian parents usually do? Or are they easy-going?
I always say this in all my interviews and talks- everything that I have achieved wouldn’t have been possible without my family being there by my side at every step.
Yes, plans are discussed but it is more of a healthy discussion. They’re open, accepting, and supportive of all that I am doing and what all I aspire for.
11. Would you accept if given an offer by someone from the film industry or TV industry to convert the novel into a show/movie?
Of course! That’d be like a dream come true, really. I mean, while writing, I always try to visualize all the character or situations that I am writing about. Whether I talk about the intricacies of the plotlines, or the complexities in the characters – I write it all in a way that my readers get to visualize it. That is the positive review I receive as well. However, to really get to see a visual representation of my Novel is something I surely look forward to.
12. As an author, what three qualities do you believe any writer should have?
Write the kind of content that you yourself would be interested in reading. For example, don’t write a story on Pandemic just for the sake of it or because it is trendy, Haha! I wrote one because I was truly thrilled and intrigued by the global scenarios surrounding it. So feel the essence of the topic that you’re willing to write on, decide where you’re actually vibing with it or not, and then write on it.
Write content that your readers can visualize. The only way to do that is by basing all of you characters and storylines on the realistic human and worldly dimensions, no matter how fictional your story might be. Let your readers visualize what all they read in your stories.
Yash Tiwari
Take inspirations from another person’s works only to a level that you do not end up losing your own unique style of writing.
13. Any quick tips for the fellow writers out there?
Be risk takers. Don’t shy away from topics that the world hasn’t yet talked about, or even appears to not be ready to talk about. If you feel it is worth a shot, then give it a shot. Use your quill and paper to write impacting tales, and not just interesting ones.
14. Any motivational advice as a mentor that you believe in and which you would want to share with our readers? Amidst all the negativity around, what message would you wish to send across?
There’s this one quote I created that I have even written in my debut novel), which I always live by in my life – “Dream Big And Work Hard, No Matter What The Odds Are”.
Well, I have been a chocolate lover since I was a kid. And no it’s not a cliché. Not every girl likes chocolate. For instance, my best friend. She isn’t crazy about these sugary delights. Occasionally, she gorges on Kit Kat or dairy milk (the normal one). And that too she takes hardly a cube.
Picture credits: Pexels.com
On the other hand, I have been a maniac. Back in college, whenever I used to help someone for their assignments or project files; all I asked was for chocolates. They used to be happy that they got away in a cheap way and used to feel weird too as I never demanded money or treats at restaurants. I always demanded chocolates.
Picture credits: iStock and Pixabay
Yes, I love them. I have a sweet tooth and chocolates have been my mood lifter and celebrator. I remember on almost all my birthdays, I have received chocolates in bulk by my friends. The lot was enough to last until the next birthday. And every year, my stock got refilled.
Please trust me when I say this, I have never bought chocolate for myself! I never had to. I always got it from my friends on birthdays (as mentioned above) or by my relatives at festivals like Raksha Bandhan, Bhai Dooj, exam results, get together, etc.
Chocolates and chocolate cookies as birthday gift
I got this habit from my mom I guess. Even she loves chocolates. It is our blood pressure lifter too. Since we both often have low blood pressure; we pop a few pieces to maintain our BP levels. And yes, we eat a few pieces. We can’t just get away with one or two squares.
Chocolate bouquet
Coming to my favorite chocolates, they would be Dairy Milk Silk and Hersheys! The creaminess of silk and its smooth texture works as anesthesia for me. Its quirky advertisements are not only melodious but also convey a cute yet meaningful message. Kiss me close your eyes has been imprinted in our minds for sure all thanks to their creative ads. I loved the puppet and library scenarios. Dairy Milk’s saath samundar paar ad has a place in everyone’s lives. The visual of the mother in law and daughter in law (saas bahu) breaking the ice over the chocolate and dancing madly in a stranger’s wedding procession (baraat) is humorous and loving. Their kuch meetha ho jaaye campaign was successful in bringing about a major change in the consumer’s perception that occasions can be celebrated with the easily accessible chocolates too. The traditional sweets aren’t a pre-requisite. Those bite-sized Hersheys are little drops of heaven and just melt in your mouth. You can never be satiated with just a few. You will end up craving for more.
Chocolate as a sweet and as a flavor rules our meals. Be it truffle cakes or choco chip pastries, cornetto ice creams or dough nuts, momos or gol gappas, cookies or brownies; they have created a place in our mens in various ways.
Picture credits: Pexels.com
Despite being a chocolate lover, I have never made any dish with it! I never felt like. I like chocolates the way they are. Well, of course, I love the chocolate flavor everywhere be it cakes or muffins. But I could never gather the courage to prepare a chocolaty dish. Well, writing this piece gives me the motivation that I should sometime soon!
World Chocolate day background with melted chocolate swirl by iStock
Have you ever cooked anything with chocolate? Or wish to share your chocolaty story? If yes, then please comment below or write to us!
The recent upheaval in the US with reference to racism was indeed a misfortunate event. Late George Floyd’s last moments which were captured on a video went viral and have led to serious protests in the country. The police officers who were held responsible for his passing away have been charged with aiding and abetting George’s murder.
Credit: Pexels.com
This unfortunate incident has indeed affected a lot of us. The video is heart wrenching and makes us question the existence of humanity and compassion. We being adults can understand the concept of racism. But the difficult part for the parents is to introduce racism to our kids who are naïve and in their growing years. We do fear and have apprehensions that they won’t be able to comprehend such a grown up theory.
This is undeniable that racism, casteism and discrimination are sensitive and hard topics to discuss about. Yet they are important and unavoidable too. As parents, our aim should be to make our child learn about various important concepts like these not just from school but us from too. But the question which rings in many parents’ mind is ‘how can we educate about the concept of racism to our kids and why is it important’?
Credit: Pexels.com
While discussing about racism, there is neither a particular way to talk about it nor any tips or hard and fast rule to be followed. It is a complex issue which has to be communicated effectively yet in a subtle way. We do not want to instill any fear or insecurity amongst our children; all we want and have to do is to impart knowledge.
Here are a few things to be kept in mind before taking the big step:-
Accepting the reality and researching thoroughly
The first step is to research and read about the issue. Only when we have a clear understanding of the concept can we impart and share it with our kids. It would be good that you research and understand yourself before having the talk. Nowadays, Google is our savior and you will find various resources to fill your knowledge bank. You would be even amazed on what all you might have missed and the knowledge you would gain after the completion of your research.
Meanwhile, we as parents have to amend our behavior and view point too. The kids have a tendency to imitate their parents. Hence, it is essential for us to fix our perception about the stereotypes so that our kids can imbibe the right attitude and behavior from us and not continue the legacy of stereotyping.
Ayushi Malhotra, a Child Counsellor and Behavior Therapist points out, ‘’Many families in India knowingly or unknowingly encourage racism. Asking your kids to wear certain colors as per complexion and applying ubtans or face masks or behaving differently with two siblings on the basis of their skin color are all ways in which parents and family members support this concept. (The family reiterates the fact that the dark complexioned kid won’t get a suitable bride or groom and stresses on the importance of applying ubtan so that the skin tone can be altered to the fairer side). The sad part is that they promote and pass on racism through generations. What they need to understand is that behavior, love, care and attention shouldn’t vary as per the child’s physical characteristics especially skin color. Families do not understand that giving importance to color complexion or stereotypes on the whole can affect the child in the long run. In some cases, they even grow up and develop a personality with intimacy, confidence or low self-esteem issues just to name a few. Hence, it is critical to break free from this chain of stereotypes.’’
Credit: Pexels.com
Communicate
The next step is to actually talk. While some parents prefer speaking frankly with their kids, some resist talking about such controversial topics. The point to be understood is that running away from any sensitive topic’s discussion is inevitable. They will be someday taught about racism in their schools. That day they will come back and raise questions and expect answers too. So it’s better to explain them now and save ourselves from embarrassment in the future. These days, kids are social media savvy. Before they read it from somewhere else and interpret it in a different way, they should know about such concepts from the parents’ side first. Additionally, we have to explain our child that beauty is deep within so that the child grows up to be confident in his/her skin. We have to make them understand that how you are from the inside matters and not the physical characteristics or features.
Ayushi informs,’’ In the 21st century, a lot of information is constantly consumed by the kid via social media, advertisements, cartoons, shows or movies over which we do not have any control. The effort which can be made at our end is to explain to them right away, at the very same instant when they have had the exposure to such content that the concept portrayed is incomplete/incorrect reality. For example, various fairness cream ads appear on the TV. At that point, we should become their friends and explain to our kids that the skin being clear matters and not the complexion. Nobody is perfect and everyone is beautiful in their own distinct way. Commenting on someone’s complexion and judging is an insult to the other person. It is no less than abusing. Hence, it is wrong and should never be done.
The environment, exposure, family, peers and the media all have an influence on the child and affect its behavior. In case of lack of information and knowledge, they will never share about their racist experiences and this will lead to having major issues as and when they grow. Hence, communication from the start is important to ensure that the kid understands the difference between right and wrong and that having racist biasedness is intolerable and morally wrong.’’
Credit: Pexels.com
Explain with examples and stories
Explain to them the situation with simple examples or real life instances from the history or the present (be it Nelson Mandela or Mahatama Gandhi). Even stories might work as kids eagerly look forward to story –telling sessions. They are able to grasp effectively when the story telling method is adopted. You can even watch documentaries with them (this is where your research stage will help). Taking a different approach will help you make them understand and help them comprehend racism in a much better way. This is the stage when you communicate to them that racism is wrong, bad or evil and should not be done. Explaining from your real life anecdotes, be it your diverse friend circle or your loved ones’/acquaintances experiences will help the child understand the concept.
Credit: Pexells.com
Communication should be a dialogue
Include all the important points in your communication. Teach them to be kind and compassionate to all. The discussion should not be one way street. It should be a dialogue. Confirm from them if they have questions. Resolve their queries and confusions. Explain them that noticing the differences isn’t wrong but making judgements, behaving differently and discriminatively is unacceptable. We should explain to them that everyone is not same be it looks or thought process. This is how we can begin a change in the way the stereotypes can be broken.
Ongoing process
Ayushi also points out an important fact that the discussions have to be an ongoing process. She says, ‘’ we should not force the children to grasp everything at once. As and when the child grows mentally and physically; the situations around us change too. Hence, we will have to modify our ways and ensure that the communications keeps flowing and is altered as per their mental level and grasping power.’’
There have been many debates about the right age. The right time or age is subjective as different families have different environment and exposure. Considering the increased mental growth in the coming generations, the concept should be introduced when the kids are 4-7 years old. Usually, the kid starts noticing differences when he/she is as small as a few months old. Hence, by the time the kid is ready to kindergarten, he is aware about the variations in the way people look, dress and converse.
Credit: Pexels.com
Ayushi agrees with this and shares that, ‘’ the infants start noticing and observing his/her surroundings when they are just six months old. It is the responsibility of the family members to not encourage racism and the fact that judgement or comparison on skin color is normal. Hence, it is essential that the correct information is fed since infancy so that they grow up and learn that racism is wrong and racist comments are a big no.’’
Ayushi adds that additionally, along with family, the schools can also contribute by organizing workshops and explaining the concept of racism to the children and how to handle when they experience it, how to react and report when they witness someone else being bullied and how to counsel when their friends are facing troubles. The schools should emphasize that judging or comparison on the basis of complexion is wrong and should not be encouraged. This way the kids will be informed and will report such incidents due to intolerance. They will even counsel their friends when they commit the act or become a victim of it.
Credit: Pexels.com
Parnika Bansal, a young practicing Psychologist adds to it and shows us a different side. She says, ‘’
Many a times it does happen that parents have had racist experiences which they might pass onto their kids. While there are others who are reluctant to have open conversations with their kids because having the talk seems painful, tough and irrelevant. They unknowingly or knowingly pass on such negative traits and concepts to their kids. Some of them personally hold biases and this significantly influences what they teach and what they don’t to their children. However, it is essential to understand that it is our responsibility as parents to ensure the kids are informed so that they report such incidents, explain the victims and the person bullying the victim that racism needs to stop or else there could be consequences. Whatever is happening in the US is indeed unfortunate but there are also two sides of the story which should be taken into consideration before forming an opinion. The way the black people are responding now is disturbing.
We all need to change, need to respect life and work to live in harmony and co-existence. we should cherish life and focus on ourselves, thought process, our prejudices and strive to become a better human being.Breaking free from racism is indeed possible but will definitely need time. It can be achieved only if constantly make efforts to spread awareness, come out of our prejudices, pre-conceived notions and modify our thought process. Only then we would be able to make sure that our kinds comprehend the concept.‘’
Credit: Pexels.com (Unit and concord in multiethnic team, all hands together)
We as parents want our kids to have the maximum knowledge possible. It should be our responsibility that they know about these important issues from us rather than having partial knowledge from a third party or social media. For the kids, their parents are the best examples. If we make them proactively understand things, they will grasp it and these values will be them for long. Imparting knowledge now might reduce the chances of them experiencing this or becoming a witness to this event in the future. With proper information and guidance, we will be able to help them make an informed decision of the right and wrong.
Food miniature art has given a major creative twist to the concept of miniature art. These miniatures are the petite (smallest) version of the foods around us. Their tiny avatar will not only make you adore them but their realism will make you gorge on these creations. Unfortunately, these are only a treat for your eyes and not for your taste buds. These are made out of substances like clay, plastic and polymer and hence are not for consumption purposes. These can be used to give your personal/professional places a creative and artistic presentation.
Indian dishes miniature by Cn Arts
Amongst the few artists in India, I got a chance to connect with clay artist, Ms. Sudha Chandranarayanan. She has been uploading mouth watery pictures of her creations on her Instagram page, @cnarts_miniatures. She has bestowed the platform with her designs and artistic presentations. Her profile is flooded with her creative skills where she along with her daughter, Neha, has recreated and transformed the food to give it the mini size with the real presentation. Be it a pizza or cookies, appetizers, or desserts, you name it and they will present before you the food miniature in the form of fridge magnets and keychains which will take you aback. They look real to such an extent that your mind and eyes might end up in a battle.
Instagram account of Cn Arts
Even though they both had been creating these cute replicas for the past two years, Sudha Chandranarayanan started her brand, Cn Arts with her daughter, Neha Chandranarayanan this year itself. When asked about the brand, she shares, ‘’ my daughter loves miniatures. She is a huge foodie which is why on her 18th birthday, I gifted her a fridge magnet of her favorite food, dosa. She absolutely loved it and this is how we got this idea of taking our skills forward by creating more food miniatures. When we gave it a shot, it was loved and appreciated by all our friends and family members. This gave us the much-needed motivation and since then, we have focused on expanding our brand to hone our skills. This is how our brand, Cn Arts came into existence in 2020 even though we have been creating the miniatures for the past two years. At Cn Arts, our aim is on replicating yummy real food in the form of cute miniature creations. We create these food miniatures in the form of fridge magnets and keychains so that our clients can use them regularly. ‘’
Doughnuts keychain by Cn Arts
Who would believe that behind this super talented clay artist has in fact been a Science student? When we questioned Sudha about how she realized and developed the passion for food miniature art, she says, ‘’ I am a chemistry graduate but always had a keen interest in crafting since childhood. I have an experience of clay crafting for the past 15 years. My daughter (who is doing her Engineering now) too is a clay artist and she loves clay crafting. We both have been creating lovely food miniatures from the past two years with our crafting skills. Though this field is nowhere related to our educational backgrounds, we took up this unconventional career because we just love creating miniature food items and that’s where our true passion lies. My experience as a clay crafter helped both of us to bring about the real effect in our food miniatures.’’
Clay miniatures by Cn Arts
When questioned how much it takes her to create a piece, she informs, ‘’ It actually depends on the dish we are creating. Few are simple as compared to the others. Each ingredient in our creation such as vegetables, rice grains to the tiny mustard seeds are all handcrafted by us. So the time taken to complete a single piece depends on its complexity and the varied ingredients used in it. For example, a dosa platter takes us close to 4 hours whereas the biryani takes close to 15 hours as every rice grain is created by us. We spend long hours to make the creations look as real as possible. The average size of the pieces is mostly 5 cm. But we have also created some as tiny as 3 cm and as long as 11 cm depending on the number of the dishes and the kind of platter to be created.’’
Clay miniatures by Cn Arts
When probed about the process and the equipment required, she explains, ‘’I use air dry clay and very basic tools to create the miniatures. Making these tiny bits does not require any complex tools. All it requires is a lot of practice, hard work, and patience as we are creating everything on a very tiny scale. Basically, we take reference of real food and its picture and try to create it in the most realistic way possible. Once we research about all the ingredients and the actual appearance of the food items, we then replicate it with the right amount of texture, color, and shape to bring about the realistic effect in our food miniatures.’’
When we puzzled her to pick one creation of the mother-daughter team which is close to her heart, she replied, ‘’ while all of them are dear to me, our miniature creation of South Indian thali with 15 different varieties is the one which we are proud of and are happy to have pulled off.’’
South Indian thali clay miniature thali by Cn Arts
When enquired that if they have any plans to enter the edible arena, they informed that they have created innumerable clay miniatures and as of now are content with they are doing. They do not plan to enter the edible food miniature art space any time in the future. Sudha believes that the concept of the miniature is now known to many but the art of food miniature is still a rarity. However, she also adds that it is picking up the trend and hopefully will have increased space and prevalence in the near future.
Their hard work, efforts, and skills are indeed visible in their creations. They also customize as per their client’s requirements. Their clientele does not just buy these miniatures for self-use but they also have a demand for customizing them for special occasions like birthday, wedding, bachelor parties, etc. The surprising point to be noted is that the mother-daughter duo is self-taught food miniaturists. They take the reference of the real food before crafting them out intricately. The interesting part is Sudha is also imparting her knowledge with other people via online workshops which she is conducting regularly.
So if you are interested for enroll for her classes, or even wish to place an order for your loved ones, then please contact me or reach out to her at her Instagram account- @cnarts_miniatures.
Apoorva Sikka from our ‘Smoker gang’ group; is a South Delhi girl but is nowhere like the ones shown in the famous ‘South Delhi girl’ videos. She is bubbly, lively, friendly, and classy. Her elegance and sophistication are visible in her food too.
Avocado cheese toast and avocado milkshake by Apoorva
She shares her encounter with cooking, ‘’I have always been a foodie but due to my work schedule, I never got the time to cook for myself. With this opportunity to spend time at home, I have finally applied my love of food in the kitchen. I prepared an avocado cheese toast, different types of milkshakes, and dark chocolate fudge just to name a few. I’ve found that cooking is my therapy and helps me like no other activity to reduce my stress and the negativity around. I am looking forward to trying more recipes and experience food in its glory!
Dark chocolate fudge by Appu
My ex-boss, Piyush Lilaramani, who never behaved like one but has rather been my friend always, is presently a Communications professional.
Guacamole with poached eggs by Piyush and his wife, Sanjana
He shared his lockdown cooking experience,” My wife and I, we both are in the communication field. In the hectic days of lockdown where we spend most of our time on our respective laptops or calls, we take out some time to cook good food to cheer ourselves, which can also spare us from the habit of ordering food from outside. While my wife, Sanjana, and I have learned some new dishes, it turned out to be a major stress buster for both of us. I love to assist her in the kitchen while she is taking advice from my mother in law, Mallika, or watching YouTube recipes. We have prepared prawn spaghetti, guacamole with poached eggs, and shakshuka till now to name a few.”
Prawn spaghetti by Piyu and SanjuShakshuka by Sanjana and Piyush
Piku, aka, Priyadarshini Mazumdar, shares her viewpoint, ‘’Staying away from family and with work from home in the self-isolation phase was becoming a bit difficult for me initially. However, I soon decided to channelize my energy towards something which would provide me happiness and solace. And what better option could have been for a foodie like me other than cooking. The lockdown has also given me an opportunity to start my YouTube channel (Sweet and Chilli peppers). While I cook every day, you can check out selective recipes of keema dosa, keema cutlets with sweet potatoes, stir fry vegetables and soft shell tacos with Mexican salad, salsa and creamy cilantro dip on my channel.’’
My newlywed best friend Arushi, presently enjoying the marital bliss, says, ‘’ I am from UP and recently got married in Maharashtra, in a different culture. Not having much prior experience of cooking, I began trying my hand at desserts. Presently, I am spending quality time with my husband, Aditya (Adi) as he is a Merchant Navy officer and will go for his sail soon for a long period of time. Hence, this is the time we have to be with each other. Adi loves to cook and his jovial style of cooking intrigues me to join him in preparing different dishes. Moreover, since both of us have a sweet tooth, I wanted to make unique desserts and not just limit myself to the staple food. Hence, I prepared banoffee pie, banana pancakes with caramelized apples, blueberries, and honey. I tried the eggless version and surprisingly the taste was the same as the egg variety which we eat outside. During an anniversary celebration in my family in this lockdown, I tested making a cake with suji that too in a cooker and it turned out to be pretty good. Until the time Adi doesn’t get his joining date, I am looking forward to pampering him with different delicacies. ”
Banoffee pie by ArushiPancakes by AruSuji cake in cooker by Aru
Aru and I used to always have our post office dates or Friday nights usually at cafes nearby our office, especially The Big Chill.
Our Sindhi friend, Bhavika Kateja, expresses her situation, ‘’ Since, I am living alone and have to manage all the chores, cooking is my therapy and kitchen is my happiness abode. It’s been a few months that I have shifted to a new country and I am still settling in. The colors and the whiff of the food give me the much-needed motivation and strength to keep going.’’
Garlic bread with hash browns by BhavikaVeg chilli garlic noodles by Bhavika
She has prepared many dishes; however, her garlic chilli noodles and hash browns pictures took my breath away.
Veggie delight pizza by Bhavika
My cousin, Pragya, is an excellent cook and an amazing baker. She has been baking for quite a long time now and vouches for leading a healthy life. You name it and the bread will be ready. One peep at her Instagram profile will make you drool! Spending the lockdown with her husband, Ankit, they are gorging on delicacies such as vegetable pizza, banana muffins, jaggery muffins, and different kinds of bread. And all of this my cousin is preparing at home from scratch. The moment she sent the pictures for my blog post, I literally felt like digging in on the food via the screen. Her Instagram page, ‘Breads by Pragya’ is just mind-boggling and mouth-watering.
Another cousin of mine, Bhanu is also resorting to food to keep herself happy and distracted from the negativity. Trying to maintain a balance between work and household activities, food is her companion and is helping her to survive through this phase. She has already prepared kadhi, khasta puri and chole,pav bhaji, fruity chia seeds pudding, samosa, and the delectable pancakes along with our North Indian food like rajma, bhindi, etc.
Samosa by BhanuPav bhaji by BhanuFruity chia seeds pudding
As for my place, ghiya, tori, tinda, sitaphal rule our supper, but my parents ensure to include my favorite dishes too. We have collaboratively prepared rajma chawal, aloo tikki, bhel puri, aloo puri, my late nani’s recipe of soup-rice, masala idli, and atte ka chilla, aloo gobhi, and pasta.
Soup-matar rice by mom and meKali masoor dal, rice, ghiya kofta curry, salad and atte ka halwa by momAloo tikki by mom, dad and meCorn salad by mom and meAloo toast, cheese slice toast with ketchup and papad chaat by mom, dad and meIndian style pasta with cheese and spices by mom and me Bhel puri by dad and meAloo bonda, fryums and roti pakora by dad, mom and me
Seeing my friends and family, I can say that we have learned the art of cooking. Coronavirus had one major positive result, while for some it helped developed their culinary skills and invoked their interest for food while for others, it helped them reconnect with their long lost passion.
Do you have any special recipes? Comment below and I will help spread it with the world.
Writing has been a pleasure for me and therapeutic too. But for my friends, food therapy is what they swear by. While I sat down to write my previous post, read- When Coronavirus brought out our ‘inner chef’, I checked with a group of friends if I can include their dishes in my blog post. When they happily agreed within a fraction of seconds, our WhatsApp group was soon flooded with scrumptious food pictures which we hadn’t shared till now. It literally gave us all of the foodgasms! Until now, we were just interested in eating but the lockdown has made us wear chef aprons and toque blanche (chef’s white hat).
Credits: Pexels.com
The bombarding of the group compelled me to create two separate posts so that justice can be done to their food and my writing. Long posts can be tedious to read which is why I am dividing them and this being part is here while part two will be uploaded soon. Sharing about my friends’ culinary skills, some of them have honestly taken cooking to the next level. They are preparing diverse delicacies, be it street food, North Indian, healthy stuff, continental, Italian, fusion, and the list is endless.
Jayashree Maji, a PR manager has cooked various dishes ranging from Indian and Mexican to the healthy stuff. Her food is lip-smacking and the perfect combination of traditional and modern cuisine.
Anda Khichdi by Jayashree MajiBiryani with raita by JayashreeChicken curry by JayashreeChicken momos by JayashreeCurd oats by JayashreeDal chawal, baingan bhaja and salad by JayashreeDark chocolate with roasted mix dry fruits by JayashreeFish curry by JayashreeGup chup and ghugni chaat by JayIdli by Jay
Sharing her cooking journey, she says, ‘’Food has always been a stress buster for me. Since it’s been many years that I have been living away from my family, cooking was initially a necessity but over the years, it became my passion. The onions being sautéed in oil, the burnt garlic fragrance, the colorful vegetables, and the aroma of the spices make me happy high and relieve me from all the tensions and rejuvenate me. As I am presently living with my cousin, Krishnendu, I try to cook different dishes so that there is a variety as in the present scenario, its’ only food along with video calls with friends and family which keeps me going. I have made many dishes including chicken momos, hot and sour soup, tortillas, spinach walnut pesto pasta, and Biryani. Since I was missing home; I prepared my favorite Bengali specialties too like fish curry, gup chup (Gol gappe), and ghugni chaat. Because I work out daily, I also try to include healthy stuff in my diet which is why I have also prepared roasted pumpkin soup, anda khichdi, curd oats, and chia seeds pudding. I hope to take my cooking skills to a grand level in the future. ‘’
Rabri jalebi by JayMexican combo by Jay’s Maji KitchenMexican rice pudding by JayRoasted pumpkin soup with toasted bread by JayShakshuka by Jay
Amongst the desserts, she has prepared Mexican rice pudding, jalebi, and dark chocolate with roasted dry fruits. Can you believe that all these items are just to name a few? For my group and me, any dish made by her is to die for. We address her as our annadatta and keep on motivating her to open her ‘Maji Kitchen’ soon!
Shweta Bhatia, who is presently on a sabbatical and taking care of year and a half old daughter, Vaagmi, is indulging herself in preparing out of the box dishes.
Cajun potatoes by ShwetaDahi ke sholay by our sexy, ShwetaLasagna by Shweta
She says. ‘’ My husband, Vicky and I are working as a team to sail through this phase. It’s hectic as we have a small kid who needs care and attention and then we have the household chores too. Meals, to be honest, are the best part of the day when we can relax and spend some time with each other; which is why I was inclined to try out new recipes. Apart from the normal Indian food, I have prepared cajun potatoes, dahi ke sholay, katori chaat, and gobhi Manchurian. I even experimented with making lasagna with bread instead of sheets and it turned out to be good. I also spent my birthday in lockdown last month and to make it special, I prepared mezze platter with Vicky’s help. With the handy recipes and experiences, I am trying to make restaurant like food at home.’’
Katori chaat by ShwetaMezze platter by ShwetaGobhi manchurian by Shweta
Shweta and I share our fondness for Punjabi and Gujarati cuisine and often indulge in long discussions about our culture and traditions.
Another close friend of mine, Smita Agarwal from the communications field is high not just on ludo but food too! She was never vocal about her culinary skills and when the conversation started over our WhatsApp group, the moment she shared her food pictures, I was in awe.
Pancakes by SmitaBaked palak corn by SmitaBaked vegetable by my baby doll, Smita
She shares, ‘’I have spent many years in Pune away from family. When you leave your comfort zone to settle in a new city, you have to learn new skills specifically cooking as you can’t depend on anyone else. You learn to be independent and cooking is one such area. Food is one important aspect of my life in which I can’t compromise. What earlier started as the task of the day has now become my happy source. Along with the work from home, I am cooking too and have prepared pancakes, chicken burger, dum aloo, fried rice, and chilli paneer, chicken labadar, chilli chicken, and veg clear soup just to name a few. I also tried my hands at baking techniques and have baked a cake along with making baked vegetable and palak corn. Apart from my two nieces, food is both my life and the love of my life.’’
Cake by SmitaChilli chicken by SmitaChilli paneer by SmitaFried rice by SmitaDum aloo by Smita
The pictures do not do justice to her food and I am eagerly waiting to taste the dishes cooked by her.
Our friend Rupam, the fashionista and makeup artist of the group is now widening her talent base by learning to cook.
Chicken focaccia by RupamDal rice and bhindi by RupamPesto salad by Ru!
While sharing her cooking journey, she jokes, ‘’before the lockdown, my knowledge about cooking was just limited to making maggi. However, now, since, I am living away from the family and the helps aren’t allowed; I have learned cooking with the help of my family, friends, and technology. The YouTube recipes have been a huge help too. I take great pride in saying that now I can prepare a variety of dishes. I made dal chawal and bhindi one day and was surprised when it tasted good since that was my first proper cooking experience. Apart from the routine meals, I have also prepared pesto salad, chicken focaccia with my customized stuffing of corn with veggies, and a complete English breakfast comprising of toasted bread, sausage, and sunny side up eggs. I even recreated the Indore style breakfast of poha and jalebi and patted myself on the back when both of them turned out to be good. What started as a work in the ‘to-do list’ has now become my area of interest. I wish to explore more cuisines and experiment to come up with innovative dishes. The only qualm I have is that the process of washing the utensils seems to be never-ending. ”
English breakfast by RuJalebi by RupamPoha by Ru
While we met at a weird phase of our life, we are now close friends and term our ‘ludo game time’ as panauti hour as we always lose when paired against each other!
The bride to be of our gang, Bhavna Sharma, is all set to take the vows and is waiting for the situation to improve so that she can finally be with her ‘the one’ for the rest of her life. While she is juggling between her new job and setting up her house in a new city; food is giving her the much-needed happiness and strength.
Banoffee pie by BhavnaBride to be, Bhavna following the trend of Dalagona coffee
She shares, ” I was all set for the wedding when the pandemic occurred and the lockdown was announced. Ankur, my fiancé and I are spending our courtship days via virtual dates. Being away from my family and him, cooking a variety of dishes is keeping me sane and happy. The unique items which I cooked are pav bhaji, puran poli, banoffee pie, and my home town’s special-lauki ka halwa. Since the dalagona coffee trend was also viral; I tried that too but with an Oreo twist. I am excited to begin my new journey with Ankur. I just wish the condition improves soon so that I can tie the knot in the presence of my loved ones without any tension and stress.’’
Pav Bhaji by BhavnaBhavna’s special- lauki ka halwa
Bhavna and I connect over our shared love for chai and books and will be often seen discussing the same.
In my eyes, all of them are MasterChef’s! We all have evolved from office friends eating together and sharing our meals in the conference room to now showcasing our cooking enthusiast version on our ‘Smoker gang’ group.
Amidst all the negativity spread by Coronavirus, people surely know how to make the best of the situation. Are you wondering why we say so? Pause for a few minutes and please check your WhatsApp chats and groups or the social media and you might get the answer. Haven’t been able to solve the mystery yet? Read on to find out the answer.
You would agree that the lockdown had forced all of us to enter the kitchen as a gesture of helping our partners or parents. However, now we have started enjoying the activity and are looking forward to trying out new recipes each day. Not even the common man, but the celebrities too have turned chefs cooking delicious meals while in quarantine.
Picture credits: Vector Stock
We have resorted to cooking and baking to sail through the quarantine phase in the most productive way. Since everything is shut; we have transformed ourselves into cooks, golgappewale bhaiya, baker, halwai, or even the next Haldiram’s and Aggarwal sweets shop. So what if we can’t step out to eat or order in, we can prepare the dishes and savor them in our comfort zone- is what we are living by now.
Rabri Jalebi by Jayashree Maji
This trend was highlighted by Google Trends a few days ago. It mentioned that apart from asking Google to solve our queries, or keeping ourselves updated about the coronavirus rising cases, we are also searching for different kinds of recipes. While there were memes across the internet that Indians have adorned the chef hat and there will be a huge line for MasterChef auditions post quarantine; our social media and our phones are the proves that people are increasingly spending time in their kitchens- whisking, whipping, baking and sautéing! Each time we access our Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp, we see someone posting their ‘dish of the day.’ Recipe search is on an all-time high with cake, samosa, jalebi, momos, dhokla, pani puri, avocado, chocolate cake, etc. just to name a few are actively looked upon in our search bars as per Google trends. (You can check Google Trends for the same)
Dalagona Oreo coffee by Bhavna Sharma
Dalagona coffee which became the new fad was of course there in our search list and our kitchens too. However, since, it is the mango season; we have also requested Google a lot about the various mango recipes like mango pudding or mango ice cream. Baking search has also witnessed a surge especially ‘how to make bread in the microwave’ along with cakes. It won’t be wrong to say that cooking new dishes every day and relishing them together with our loved ones is giving us an opportunity to spend quality with them.
Samosa by Bhanu Malhotra
Quarantine snacks seem to be the new trend now. The aroma of the samosa being fried, the multi-grain bread, the home special pizza or the cake being baked in the oven, the smokiness of the grilled veggies, the fragrance of the spicy momo chutney have filled our nostrils and our homes and have been a source of joy and adventure in our mundane ‘stay at home’ routine. Our tasteless and black and white life seems to be painted with colors, flavorful taste, and succulent aroma of our victuals. We are preparing these tempting dishes with a lot of hard work and sweat. Cooking is giving us the required strength and optimism to keep going and is helping us to sail through this unfortunate phase.
To take our culinary skills to the next level, some of us have even taken our first baby step by creating our YouTube channels, social media pages, groups, etc. Expressing her views on the same, Priyadarshini Mazumdar, a Communication professional from the luxury goods and jewelry industry says, ‘’The current global crisis that we are going through has put each one of us under tremendous mental pressure. We all are battling with different levels of emotions on a daily basis in this unfamiliar situation. It was difficult and depressing for me to adjust to this self-isolation time away from family and hence I needed to focus my energies on something apart from my job. Since long, I was planning on starting my food channel on YouTube (Sweet and Chilli Peppers) and the lockdown was the perfect opportunity to invest my time on the same. I am happy that I was able to take this small step towards my dream that gives me creative satisfaction and keeps me sane.’’
Chicken momos by Jayashree Maji
Various studies suggest that cooking is therapeutic, stimulates our creativity, boosts our confidence, and helps provide relief from stress. And well in our case, the myriad of colors and the whiff of our feast are uplifting our mood and making our mouth salivate too.
White sourdough bread with nigella seeds by Pragya Taneja
It seems we are beating the lockdown stress by gorging on different items from the menu. However, during the pandemic phase, since we are gobbling a lot on the scrumptious meals, burning those calories, staying fit, happy, and positive should be on our essential items list too. While the food would be completing our happiness quotient, fitness and optimism can be achieved via exercise (along with yoga and meditation). As Joey’s character joked in the Friends series, ‘a moment on the lips, forever on the hips.’
Picture credits: Pexels.com Burning those calories is important too!
Sharing my friends’ culinary skills, some of them have honestly taken cooking to the next level. They are preparing diverse delicacies, be it chaat, north Indian, continental, Italian, Mexican, fusion or the healthy stuff, the list is indeed endless. Stay tuned as my next blog post will be focusing on my friends cooking mouth watery dishes and updating me over WhatsApp.
If you wish to share your special Lockdown recipes or Quarantine special meals recipes with us, then please write to me and I would be glad to share it with everyone through my blog.
My nani’s recipe of Soup-Matar rice/pulao prepared by my mom
Let’s learn to embrace the present moment and free ourselves from the past or the future
Recently, my mother shared with me a video that initially made me laugh but a few seconds later, the writer inside me felt it could be a story idea. The video showed a teacher taking attendance in a classroom in the year 2025. Contrary to what one would expect, the teacher started calling out weird names of the students as opposed to the common Aditya, Anjali, etc. I was taken aback when I realized that the kids were named after coronavirus. The names ranged from Quarantine Kumar, Lockdown Rathore, Coronavirus Awasthi, Wuhan Joshi to Social Distance Singh, Mask Mahto, Gloves Gaikwad, and the funniest of them all, Atmanirbhar Kelawala. The video was a humorous one and was aimed to tickle our funny bone. However, it forced me to think about what does the future holds for us.
This made me ponder over that all of us have been speculating about the fact that there will be massive changes even if the lockdown is relaxed. We feel that we will have to face long term repercussions and that it will take time for normalcy to re-appear in our lives. Well, there is no denying the fact that there can be a huge transformation and probably just like our weight loss journey pictures which are captioned- ‘before and after’, the same caption will be used for our lives ‘before COVID and after COVID’.
Here are some alterations that might happen:
Mask will be our companion for the coming few months, even a year.
Our concern for cleanliness and hygiene of our homes, offices, restaurants, malls, all the possible places we pass by or stay, what we eat, what we wear, what we use, will increase.
There will be less paper wastage as electronic work culture will be increasingly preferred.
Flexibility in work will be the new norm now. Gone are the days when we would witness a full house in our offices. Rotational shifts and work from home will rule now along with e-meetings.
There will be public-less public places. Hopefully, crowds won’t be visible in malls, restaurants, movie theatres, markets, grocery stores, offices, billing counters, public transportation, etc.
‘Stay at home’ might be the new routine. We will travel less and stay more at home. We won’t step out unless it would be the need of the hour. We will think twice before making plans of hanging out with friends or planning the much-needed vacay.
Grand celebration with hundreds or thousands of well-wishers is now passé. An intimate gathering with a handful of closed ones will be our choice now.
Coronavirus has led to the formation of the actual digital era as not only businesses or services but even our communication is happening virtually.
The craze of watching the first-day first show in the theatres will now wither away as OTT rules over the theatres and television. The same will be for our shopping sprees, we will order more online instead of going out and trying out clothes which may have been tried by many people before.
While, there will be no more PDA, hugs or handshakes but our desi Namaste will be the preferred way to greet or even waving hello in the air along with flying kisses. High fives will now be air fives.
However, despite the various changes which the virus has brought about in our way of living, the pandemic has helped us to live in the moment and to have gratitude for this life, for all that we have. If at this point, we have food to eat, a roof over our heads and clothes to wear, in short, we possess roti, kapda aur makaan, and if we are safe, then, we indeed are lucky.
There are people out there who are struggling with these basic amenities. Others have these facilities but are working 24/7 to ensure our safety, be it medical staff, the police, the militants. Not to forget, many are in isolation or the hospitals fighting their battles with the virus. And some have lost their loved ones too. Looking at the situation from a different perspective, it was coronavirus that made robbery, murder, and theft, and rape incidents to be reduced at least for now.
Coronavirus has made us learn some life lessons the hard way- health is wealth, nothing is temporary, change is the only constant, money can’t buy happiness and life, following the rules is for our benefit, to be prepared for the unexpected, keep calm, to live in the moment, that positivity, willpower, and fitness will help us and be kind and considerate to all. We have now learned to embrace the present and let go of the past. It is high time we think about how we want things to be in the future and prepare as per the present situation at hand.
COVID has changed our perspective and made us live in the moment, one day at a time. Even though it was a sudden event in our lives, it’s been a while now that we stop sulking and make efforts to ease out the situation as little or as much as possible. Even individual contribution at this stage would count a lot. Hence, instead of being disheartened, if we all will make persistent and consistent efforts, this phase might soon be over. It was created by us but can also end by us, by our efforts.
A recent report by the UN body stated that between March- December 2020; more than 20 million babies are expected to be born in India. Why not let’s fight this virus together (by following all the rules of course) and make this world a better place for all of us and especially for the newborns that are expected to arrive soon. Let’s welcome them in a world where they can breathe freely, live happily. So that when they grow up we can narrate them the story –‘’Once Upon a time, we emerged victorious over the evil coronavirus!’’
P.S- All the parents reading this are requested not to be influenced by that video or this article while deciding a name for your kids. Just imagine how would COVID Awasthi seem to be on your child’s report card or their wedding card?
P.P.S- If you have no clue which video am I talking about, then, please contact me and I will share it with you.
If you have any suggestions, please feel free to comment below.
Are you clueless about it? Well, then read on and find out!
Happy mental health awareness month everyone!
This concept began in 1949 in the US by the Mental Health America Organization. Each year there is a different theme. This year it is ‘kindness’ as the organization believes that kindness and mental health are deeply connected.
We all must have read or heard about the term, ‘mental health’. But very few of us know what it means. Mental health refers to our psychological health. It includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health includes “subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, inter-generational dependence, and self-actualization of one’s intellectual and emotional potential, among others. The WHO further states that the well-being of an individual is encompassed in the realization of their abilities, coping with normal stresses of life, productive work, and contribution to their community. Cultural differences, subjective assessments, and competing for professional theories all affect how one defines mental health.
We all don’t want any physical injury, disease, or infection right? In the same way, keeping our mind and psychology healthy and happy is essential. However, people don’t understand the importance of mental health. Our minds should be stable, balanced, and happy just like our bodies. An individual’s emotional health can impact their physical health too. Poor mental health can lead to problems such as the ability to make adequate decisions and substance abuse, getting diagnosed with various health issues, etc.
Evidence from the WHO suggests that nearly half of the world’s population is affected by mental illness with an impact on their self-esteem, relationships and ability to function in everyday life. According to Mental Health America, 1 in 5 people will experience a mental illness during their lifetime; everyone faces challenges in life that can impact their mental health.
Their toolkit provides practical tools that everyone can use to improve their mental health and increase resiliency regardless of the situations they are dealing with. During the pandemic, these tools will especially come in handy. (Please free to contact me if you want the toolkit).
Mental illness is normal like a fever or cold. However, we tend to ignore it. And somehow, we feel going for therapy or psychiatrist means we are mental or crazy. And society will judge us.
Psychotherapy. Woman psychologist with tangled and untangled brain metaphor, society psychiatry concept vector illustration
Having a healthy mental state helps us live happily, relaxed, and honestly, disease-free. Not many of us would know that our mental issues can lead to other diseases and physical issues of the body. No one can understand this better than the ones who have gone through it and probably still are. We don’t even know we are suffering from a psychological issue and when we do, it might be late. That is because of the lack of awareness levels. In that case, there are some warning signs one needs to take care of. When you feel you are ticking some items on that sign list, it is a red alert for you to consult a professional.
(Some of them would be lack of appetite, lack of sleep, social cut off, etc. For the complete list, kindly refer to the link below. )
It is high time we spread awareness about it. Let us unite to fight against mocking- if someone is going through a rough patch and confesses that they are facing troubles, to fight against people who think depression or anxiety or any psychological issue is just a thought or a figment of our imagination and does not exist, to lend a helping hand to those in need, to motivate people to talk and share their feelings, to spread the word that we are there if anyone wants to talk, we are there if they wish to seek help, we are there if they wish to speak up.
Let’s come forward and share our stories with the world so that they can be inspired and share theirs too. And those who are going through a similar situation can gather up the courage to step up and talk, talk to vent out their feelings, talk to share what turmoil they are going through, talk to let us know what is bothering them. Facing psychological issues is nothing to be ashamed of. Surprisingly, people don’t even know they are facing it themselves. It does not see age, gender, caste, financial status before attacking. A person can be at high points in his life and still undergo depression or have anxiety attacks.
Ways to maintain positive mental health
There are some simple hacks to maintain your mental health.
Just talk– Share your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. This is the most effective yet free solution one can adopt. Even if you feel the person won’t understand, just talk. They will get an idea that you are going through something and will be there to be with you. Don’t mistake it as sympathy, consider it their care and love for you. They will do what it takes to set things straight, what they want is you to be happy and fit. Sometimes, pouring our heart before strangers helps a lot. If you feel that is your case, the, do that but just speak up
Seek professional help if necessary– Facing mental health issues is not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it means you are strong enough to take up some burden but now that is affecting you and it is time to let go of it
Optimism is the key– Don’t hesitate or shy to stay away from people, situations, or environments which make you weak, affect you or spread negativity. Just walk away and move on. Life is too short to have regrets
Have a work-life balance– Try to balance your work and home. Anything of excess can be bad
Stay happy– Always have that curve on your face
Avoid over-thinking or taking stress- Stop worrying, live in the present, switch off your mind and let it rest, don’t think about the past or the future
Exercise– Have an exercise regime which should include walking, yoga, meditation
Have a hobby– It will help keep you engaged in a productive way
Have a good sleep– Sleep is responsible for the smooth functioning of our body and brain. Have good sleep to ensure you are healthy
Include happy foods in your diet– This will provide cure from your mood swings and cheer you up in your low phases
Be aware– Know about mental health. Read, read and read, so that if you or someone around you is suffering, you can quickly take an action
Let us pledge to stop making fun!
Let us pledge to motivate people to talk!
Let us pledge to spread awareness!
Let us pledge to share our stories and inspire others!
Let us pledge to show kindness!
Let us pledge not to fear to consult a professional!
We together can break these barriers. But please remember, the first step is to take care of ourselves. Helping others while you are in a mess won’t do any good. Usually, people do not understand the concept of self-love and self-care. It is your body, heart, and soul and it is your responsibility to take care of it. Because if anything happens to you, it’s not just you who gets affected but you’re loved ones suffer too.
P.S- Mental Health Foundation requests us to take out half an hour for ourselves every day. Do whatever physical exercise or chore you can as per your ability- something which interests you whether it is walking, gardening, baking, cooking, yoga, etc.
For further information, please check their website.
Showing kindness and speaking up your mind and heart take courage.
So what would you opt for- speaking now to your closed one or ones which is easy, effortless and free of cost or later, putting your life out before a therapist, pay many bucks for it and invest your time too? The choice is yours!
I hope you are doing well. By the way, I shouldn’t you be asking you this. You would be wondering why I am saying this.
Don’t take me wrong but you are doing great. I know this as the news constantly keeps flashing that you have made a home in new bodies and are proliferating. In India itself, your mark has crossed 50k. Just imagine how much it would be in the entire world.
Credits: Google
But I wanted to share something with you. Do you have any idea about the trouble you are causing? That too at the global level? The entire world is locked down, the businesses have come to a halt, the employees are losing jobs, the economy and the markets are crashing. It’s all chaotic and gloomy.
As you increase, the depression cases, the stress levels, the negativity, the firing of employees, the losses in business and of loved ones, the domestic violence cases increase too.
Credits: Google
There are people who do not have food to eat or a place to live. Some might have to shut their business. Some had to postpone their weddings, some had to suffer a break in their exams and studies, some have to do all the household chores as the males in the family don’t help and are not even ready to adjust.
Credits: The Telegraph (Google)
And then, there are the heroes fighting on the border for our safety and in the hospitals fighting with you, ensuring that all of us are safe and the affected ones are treated. They are trying their best to keep the situation in control by risking their lives.
Credit: Zee News (Google)Credits: Business Insider (Google)
I know you need people to feed on. But can you just for some time, hang on and not grow? It’s been a while you took lives and disrupted others.
Do you know we even lost two Indian cinema legends and everyone is blaming you for this? That you got this doomed situation. That since the time you have come, everything is falling apart.
Here in India, we consider curse to be powerful. Honestly, you are being cursed a lot. You took away lives, jobs, food and roof from some people especially from the daily wagers.
You destroyed our festivals which were possibly the only time we could bond. You took away lives and jobs. You are conducting mass killing and it feels like fighting a war in the present times, the only difference is this battle is with you and not with any other country as for now.
And the worst thing is that you brought such a situation that we can’t even come together. We have to stay far away from each other and practice social distancing to keep our selves and people around us protected.
There are a few good things which you gave which I would like to mention. But do not take this as an agreement for you to stay.
Since you came, some of us are able to spend time with our loved ones. It is altogether a different point that even then we are sulking. This is human nature. What we have, we don’t value it and when we don’t have it, we realize its importance.
What is surprising is that even being in the comfort zone with all the facilities has now become claustrophobic for some of us. Some of us are getting frustrated and the fights have increased rather than coming together as a family. Earlier, people used to die and complain for having family and ‘me’ time. Now when they have it they can’t enjoy it. Since, the burden of the work has fallen on our shoulders. House helps aren’t allowed now all thanks to you.
While, some are with their families, some are far away from their loved ones and can’t even travel as the entire nation is locked down. They are homesick, upset and stressed.
However, the bright side is that the birds are chirping, mother earth is healing and the animals are finally walking freely. Some of us realize the value of nature and have learnt to be considerate towards it. We have now understood the importance of socializing, the challenges in managing the household tasks and may be the value of relations.
Credits: The Sentinel (Google)
Well, some people are utilizing this time to do what they couldn’t for a long time. Some are using it as a break and pondering what to do ahead with life, some are reading, some are learning to cook. But I can tell you they are in the minority. The majority ones are the sulkers and pessimists.
Credits: Pexels.com
Well, all I can say is your occurrence was highly unexpected. Who could have even dreamt about such a crisis happening and that it could spread far and wide? Everything seems to have become ‘virtual’ and nothing seems real.
But you know what you have already caused a lot of trouble and we have suffered a lot of damage. Please stop for some time so that we can breathe. I request you to go back and never return. All I like to believe is people have got their lesson. We don’t want your existence anymore. We wish to bid you goodbye as soon as possible. Please put an end to all the suffering.
Credits: Amazon (Google)
You have turned around the saying-‘united we stand, divided we fall’. With you and because of you we have to stay apart to stay safe as coming together is increasing our troubles. Hope you would understand.
Credits: Telangana Today (Google)
Yours sincerely, (hoping to never hear about you)
Garima Batra (a middle class girl from Delhi trying to share everyone’s plight and speaking on their behalf)
World Laughter Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of May every year. The founder of this day is Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of the worldwide Laughter Yoga movement. It is based on the theory that our facial expressions can have an effect on our emotions. (facial feedback hypothesis).
Laughter is positive and powerful. It is the magic cure to stress and helps bring about a change for the better, be it in our personalities or in our surroundings. And which is why it is all the more important for us to laugh and stay happy as due to the pandemic, there is a gloomy environment around us.
Once the situations around us are peaceful and light, we will automatically be relieved and stress-free. And this is what is essential to keep us positive and going.
Laughter day is now a global event. Though earlier, it was celebrated by gathering in person, we can, however, spend it online this time while being in quarantine.
Wondering how? Read on the given hacks provided below:-
Fun sessions with family
You read that right. You can have a gala time with family. Sit together and share all the forward jokes. Your phones are flooded with them. Why not put them to good use right? If you are creative enough, you can write your own jokes and perform. Have your stand-up show with and for the people you love.
Another fun way would be to give everyone a different tongue twister and make them repeat it fast. Most of us will end up blabbering and this will definitely leave you all in bouts of laughter.
Another idea is a bit nostalgic yet will bring a smile on our faces. Take out the old photo albums and CDs. Revisit the memories and just laugh at your infancy and teenage years.
P.S- We all used to question our parents when we were kids that why we weren’t invited to their marriage. (Hahaha)
Watch comedy movies today
This is a must one on the list. Create a watch list and have movie shows back to back. Have a fun-filled day with comedy and cinema. My favourite would be Dhamaal, Her Pheri, Phir Hera Pheri, Ishq and Golmaal.
Laughter yoga
We might have heard about it but would have never thought of trying it. Well, what better day than today to initiate this. Open YouTube and their videos will teach you various exercises. And it is extremely simple, all you have to is LAUGH!
Interestingly, there are various online courses available where you can learn the exercises and also get certified in laughter yoga. A pretty good and productive way to use the lockdown days and add some humor to life I must say.
Stand-up comedy is the new way
If you don’t want to perform, you can certainly watch it. Stand-up comedy has certainly picked up over the years. Dig out all the videos of your favorite comedians, compile them, and just hit the play button. Your stomach and jaws will definitely pain with all the laughter.
I also suggest shows such as Comicstaan 1 and 2 (Amazon Prime), Khichdi, Mr. Bean, Takeishi’s castle, Tu Tu Main Main, Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, and well a favorite of many, Kapil Sharma. Our beloved, Tom and Jerry can be another great show to binge watch on.
Chat with your friends
This is the best laughter source. Video call your friends and just gossip. Amidst all the chaos, they are our happiness abode. When you will end up gossiping, sharing each other’s troubles, look each other’s so-called homeless state in the video; playfully abuse and tease each other, pull each other’s legs, you will have the best time of your day. You will end up laughing the entire time.
Whoever said nothing in the world is free didn’t include laughter I suppose. It is one of the easiest and cheapest yet effective ways to instill positivity in our lives and be healthy. It is indeed the best medicine and therapy. It not only keeps us happy from within but also makes us look attractive and cheerful from the outside. As the saying goes, ‘smile is infectious’. Hence, always have that curve on your faces, do not give the power to anything or anyone to steal it away and keep on spreading it far and wide.
Hiam Abbass rightly explained, ‘’ Laughter is a way of really letting out all this pressure that you could face in your daily life in the suffering of your people, and comedy is almost like a medicine to your soul in a way. So, why not take a pledge and spread laughter all around us and help everyone especially in this stressful period?
This is what you will read if you open UNESCO’s website.
On 23rd April, readers and authors all over the world celebrated World Book Day. This day marks the celebration of one of the most beautiful feelings and activities in the world- Reading. The history of this day dates back to 1995 when UNESCO decided to celebrate 23rd April as World Book and Copyright Day in a Press Conference in Paris. This day is a tribute to significant literary figures like William Shakespeare. This day also marks the birth and death anniversary of Shakespeare, along with the death anniversary of along with Miguel de Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. Each year this concept is being increasingly loved and supported by people globally.
The theme city this year was Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur because of the strong focus on inclusive education, the development of a knowledge-based society, and accessible reading for all parts of the city’s population.
With the slogan “KL Baca – caring through reading”, the program focuses on four themes. They were:-
Reading in all its forms
Development of the book industry infrastructure
Inclusiveness and digital accessibility
Empowerment of children through reading
Among other events and activities there will be the construction of a book city (the Kota Buku Complex), a reading campaign for train commuters, enhancing of digital services and accessibility by the National Library of Malaysia for the disabled, and new digital services for libraries in 12 libraries in poor housing areas of Kuala Lumpur.
UNESCO is also providing access to some free books. Visit their website and satiate the reader in you.
Also, UNESCO and Idries Shah Foundation have launched the “World Tales” Short Story Competition. The details of which can be accessed through the link below.
My mum gave me an activity yesterday. (Not the household chore silly). She said, ‘’ you love books and possess so many. I have a task for you. Count them and tell me the figure in your stockpile. ‘’ (Which is why this post is coming today as I was busy the whole time counting the books and soaking in their fragrance. Hahahaha). I first giggled at the idea but then I thought to myself, ‘let’s do this’. When I did, I couldn’t take out all the books since they were neatly stacked and I didn’t want to disturb their sequence. (Read- taking them all out would have been a mess and I didn’t have the time to rearrange them back).
Well, when I did the calculation in my head, I roughly estimated that there would be around 120 books. The figure is higher than this, to be honest. But the immediate question which my heart popped was.’’ aren’t they less?’’ My mind replied,’’ considering the space, not at all. The shelf is already stuffed.’’ My soul said,’’ I want more!’’ ‘Excess of anything is harmful’ doesn’t apply to books I suppose. For me, it’s ‘the more, the merrier’.
In this pandemic, hard copies should not be preferred. E-books and audiobooks can be considered as an option now. Something is better than nothing. In these tough times, Amazon comes to our rescue. It is providing some free issues and is offering some great deals for the e-books which are pocket friendly and along with giving a wide variety of books.
So what if the World Book Day is over, the lockdown isn’t. Here I enlist the 5 must-read books in the quarantine from my collection. (Honestly selecting only 5 was pretty tough). I am hoping they will help you sail through this gloomy phase.
Bridget Jones’ Diary
This book by Helen Fielding is one that I can read anytime anywhere. The protagonist shares her story via her journal and is a light story packed with many elements- drama, romance, comedy focusing on all aspects of her life- career, family, friends, relationship, her personality, her feelings, her emotions.
P.S- This was probably the only one which when adapted into the movie, won my heart in the screenplay form too. Kudos to the author who did wonders.
2. Life is What you make it
I am a Preeti Shenoy lover. And I don’t hesitate in admitting that. Whenever I read her books, I am mesmerized by her writing and story-telling skills. In this particular piece, she has perfectly explained the journey and struggle the protagonist faces while she is in depression and eventually becomes a bipolar personality. I won’t give any spoilers and reveal the ending. You will have to read it to know the end. All I can say is that this is one of the motivating books I have read and helped me sail through many low phases in my life.
3. Tuesdays with Morrie
This is a story about Albom’s regular visits to his professor who doesn’t have much time in hand. A beautiful tale of the student-teacher relationship, this will touch your hearts. It even topped the New York Times Non-Fiction Bestsellers of 2000. Also, I find this one special because my cousin introduced me to this author.
4. Adultery
To read about the grey areas of relationships, I suggest this one. Apart from being written by a famous author, Paulo Coelho, this adultery story is interesting and gripping.
5. Corporate Atyachaar- The Comical Journey of an office doormat
Well, the name in itself is self-descriptive and interesting too. I am sure you would like this. The story of a fresher stepping into the corporate finance world as a financial advisor, settling in a new city, you will relate to it. A dominating and controlling boss, managing a weird client portfolio and the frustrations, this book by ABHAY NAGARAJAN has it all.
Apart from the above ones, you can also read The Secret wishlist (for the friendship rides, love roller coaster, boring marriage, temptations of extramarital aggair), Love, Cricket and SRK (the name says it all), Almost Single (It has humor, love, customs, family, a drama about mother-daughter disagreements on marriage as the clock is ticking), Almost There (Almost Single’s sequel), P.S I Love You and The Faultin Our Stars (for the hopeless romantic in you).
Reading has off lately, taken a backseat for quite some time as people now have access to other entertainment sources. However, I would suggest revisiting your reading habit as this lockdown can be a perfect time to do so. Apart from providing knowledge, they will instill positivity which is required to beat the self-isolation stress.
John Green aptly describes the quality of books, ‘Books are the ultimate Dumpees: put them down and they’ll wait for you forever; pay attention to them and they always love you back.’ For those who already have a collection, it’s time to wipe the dust and start reading! For those who don’t, please initiate the process. It will be a magical journey, trust me. As Ernest Hemingway rightly explains books,’ there is no friend as loyal as a book’.
A Happy World Book Day to all the avid readers out there!
On this special day, I wish to dedicate this blog to our beloved novels. I fall in that category of readers, where if you ask me my favorite book, I won’t be actually able to think of just one. For me, every book is mon amour (It means my love in French). I am a bibliophage along with being a bibliophile. Basically, all the adjectives you associate with books.
Since my childhood, I have a collection of books, and I have been updating it as and when I get an opportunity. I also get many of them as birthday presents from my friends since they know my craziness levels for them. I owe this fondness for books to my mother primarily, since; she was the one who introduced me to them. I still recall an incident when in my second standard, I secured third rank (90 plus %-mentioning this just to show off a bit. Wink, wink!) and when my parents questioned about the gift I wanted, all I said was, ”I want storybooks”. I indeed got one and still have it in my stockpile.
Even now I buy books wherever my eyes can search them- at the airport, the railway station, the book fairs (this is an obvious one), any roadside stand. Despite living in a 2 room house, and having limited space, I have managed to dedicate a separate shelf to my books and I term them as my ‘prized possession’. For me gold is secondary but books are the primary ‘asset’. They are not only my best friends; they are my companion, my partner in crime.
I am sure many of you would agree with me that the hard version is the best. Even in this age of Kindles and e-books, I just can’t get myself to sit and read the soft copy. I want the hard copy, to soak in the smell, to feel the book’s texture. I know with this pandemic striking us, a hard copy is out of the question and should not be preferred. Well, I am ready to wait!
This World Book Day, I would like to thank all the authors who came up and brightened our world with the light of their words and books. Our life would have been colorless without your work. I would also like to thank the aspiring authors who took that leap of faith and started to write. All I want to say that you are amazing. Deciding to write is one of the bravest decisions one can make and requires a lot of courage. It is easy for others to criticize and pinpoint the mistakes. So, the next time you find one, just ask them to sit for half an hour or how much time they want and just write! Write about anything. Well, this is my viewpoint and a guess that either the paper might be blank or there would be a few lines written. This will make them understand that when it comes to writing, it is an art and requires hard work and patience and an open mind.
But yes, please don’t misinterpret my statement. Healthy criticism should always be welcomed. It will definitely help you improve your writing and your thought process. But the ones who constantly focus on the negatives rather than appreciating for the positives and who question your abilities, it’s time to ignore them and move on. Write and write and write! Your written words shall answer on your behalf. The verbal speech might not even be required.
I honestly cannot imagine my life without books. I actually keep one in my handbag always, literally, always. I might skip makeup but not that copy. Honestly, if I have to sit down and write something, it does take me a minimum amount of time to think and list down what I wish to focus on. But while writing this blog, as I sat down to write, I really did not need any focus points or keywords. The emotions just started flowing and my fingers started typing on the keyboard. Hence, this has been written from the heart and not from the mind.
Lastly, all I want to say is that off lately, reading is not preferred by people now since we have a lot of other entertainment options available. However, my request would be to revisit the books. They will not only entertain you but will broaden your thought process spectrum and provide you the knowledge and will take you away in their mystic land where no airfares, railway reservations are required. All you need is a quiet place and your book. Along with a cuppa maybe. Trust me, this feeling is one of the magical feelings in the world and only those can understand who has ever read a book by choice. As Jhumpa Lahiri rightly said, ‘That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet. ‘
I am aware that many of us are agitated as the lockdown period got extended. But I wish to ask you that amidst all the negativity why are we increasing our stress levels and blood pressure? Already our shoulders are burdened and hands tired with all the household chores which we have to do now. Criticizing the situation won’t help you know. If you are questioning ‘why’ in your heads, the answer is because it is just making you anxious and robbing you of your mental peace.
So, how can we sail through this time? Sharing below a few tips which might come in handy.
Reduce the time spent on watching the news
You read that right. Of course, it is essential to be updated on the developments but gluing on the TV screens the entire day adds up to your stress. Hence, limit the news watching to 1-2 hours a day and instead opt for Ramayana, the re-telecast of the other shows, music, etc. as they will definitely divert your mind.
Keep those steps going, body moving
I am sure the bed would be luring you to sleep but at the same time, being active during this phase is essential too. There are a plethora of options available- virtual yoga, Zumba, etc.
The best would be to just create a playlist with all upbeat tracks, dance and just sweat it out. Keep those hips grooving! This is the best workout and will also cheer you up.
Presently, so many apps offer free virtual classes and sessions for cardio, dance, meditation, yoga, etc. They will help calm your mind and body.
My favorite is Cure Fit. It offers sessions throughout the day (from morning till night) and has various options to choose from- Dance fitness, cardio, meditation sessions to reduce anxiety, to be happy, hatha yoga, vinyasa yoga, just to name a few.
I also listen to meditative sounds at night provided by the Urban Yogi app before sleeping. It is extremely relaxing and helps improve my sleep.
Include happy foods in your diet
Try including happy foods in your diet will prove to be a great mood lifter. There is a limitation on the eatables available but these happy foods are pretty much easily accessible.
Banana, dark chocolate, berries, apples, turmeric, coffee, walnuts, mango, green tea, mushrooms, quinoa, grapes – these are just to name a few. They are either there in our homes or the market until now at least.
This tip might sound boring or cliché but in this critical phase eating a nutritious meal packed with all the essential elements, vitamins and minerals are essential. A balanced diet with immunity-boosting ingredients is required.
Follow 2 hours:10 minute trick by taking breaks in between
I know I know you will say that you have so much on your plate- cooking, cleaning the house, doing laundry, work from home, etc. etc. and the list is endless. However, I suggest for every 2 hours of work, take a 10-15 minutes break. Either do stretching or listen to a song, watch an episode of your favorite show or maybe eat a snack (but it should be healthy stuff, prefer not to binge eat or stress eat).
Try to use the time productively
With whatever leisure time you have, try to utilize it productively. Either create a to do list of the important tasks to be done post the lockdown, take up online courses to enhance your CV. Start that blog, read those books! This would be the best time to take care of your skin, hair, and nails- Massage your hair with oil, do facial at home, devise a hygiene regime. Scroll through tutorials for nail art, makeup, smoky eyes, DIY masks, etc. POP Xo and lbb are also coming up with different live sessions to help you learn something new and also help you sail through this time.
The main aim is to do what you love and what makes you happy. The best would be to take up that hobby you always wanted to go ahead with but couldn’t because of your fast-paced life never gave you the free time. Well, now you have it. Take up whatever you like or are therapeutic for you- be it reading, painting, writing, it could be anything. So what if the material isn’t available physically, virtual versions via internet technology are there for our rescue. It’s the app dominated world now you see, you have apps for everything.
Taking up these activities will provide you happiness and keep your mind diverted towards the good activities and save you from the guilt of wasting your time.
We always complained earlier that we do not have time to do certain stuff or spend time with our family and talk to friends because we were stuck, we were too busy with moving ahead in the race of life. Well, now we do have the time. Yet, we are still complaining that we are getting irritated and frustrated just because it is required to stay home. (It is our benefit if we do this. This is for our safety). I think humans can never be happy in any situation. Most of us have a roof over our heads and food to eat. Think about the daily wagers and the homeless. The real struggle is for them. We should feel blessed and pray and donate for the ones battling with these tough conditions.
Considering the present scenario, we know we can’t change the situation. Hence, we have just two options- either to sit and sulk about it or to step up and make the most of it. I sincerely hope you choose the latter. So please stay at home, stay safe and bring about a positive change in your life. So that few years down the lane you do not regret that you wasted your time or did not make any contribution. Who knows we might never get a chance like this again and well, I sincerely hope that we don’t get such an opportunity, this way at least.
The Scribbler's Dais 