blog contest – Page 9 – That Madras Mom

August 6, 2019August 7, 2019

I’m proud of what held me down

The very things that hold you down are going to lift you up.

– Timothy Mouse (Dumbo)

How many times are we being questioned or ridiculed for the choices we make. Many a times people are often pushed into stress to make a choice. People tend to lose their individuality or their voice in making (their) choices to be accepted in the society.

This starts right from the moment the child is born. No no nowadays it even starts with the process of birthing.

People don’t even wait for the natural birthing process then begin and are forced for a c section. If you are stubborn that would still wait for normal delivery you are accused of putting the life of an unborn child into danger. Being four hours into labor and with a strong grit that I’m not going for a c section labeled me a stubborn mom for quite sometime. But the moment I delivered normally after about an extra waiting time of an hour made me happy. I did not care about what people or staff talked about me for the little while I was stubborn, but the end result was worth it.

Next came in the breastfeeding phase. Every mother is unique and knows how to take care of her newborn child. The moment you deliver you have advices pouring in from all corners. People who wouldn’t have even inquired during your pregnancy have all the right to advice you during breastfeeding. Every mother is not blessed with much needed supply.

Some could give what is needed for their child, some could pump more that what is required and are kind enough for them to even donate. Some moms could not but stood strong and continued formula feed. I was initially not happy with my supply. There we go, so many advices, suggestions and what not. I was completely let down. Comments of your child is not getting enough, she needs more kept coming in. Then came my health into picture. I was determined to prove people wrong and most importantly to give my baby what she needed. I read blogs and articles to know what needs to be done to increase supply. Know what, the supply depends only majorly upon your thinking and health has a much lesser role. That was a Eureka moment for me. I started concentrating on my thinking that I can do it. I can supply what my baby needs. I started taking foods that increase supply, I believed in me. That made a change and I was able to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months. That was a major milestone for her and me. I felt overwhelmed and could see my baby doing better. Also knew that nobody in age circle in my family did that and yes it was a proud moment.

These are some instances where I realised the things that let me down, are the ones that held me up.

This blog is a part of the #WeeklyBlogHop hosted by Alpana and Neha. I would like to thank Pragnya for introducing me to this blog hop and would further like to introduce Aditi to share her take on the prompt.

May 25, 2019May 27, 2019

5 unique ways to tackle reader’s block

Quite often while reading a book, we suddenly go blank. Kaboom…. Completely blank that you cannot proceed beyond that point. There is that lack of concentration or that loss of focus that does not let you read thereafter. I was not aware of how you would describe that. As a naïve human, I would just say I went blank or I had no mood to continue. Thereafter I came to know that the term used to describe such a condition is reader’s block. So far, I’ve read only about writer’s block and experienced it at times too.
So now that you experience this emotion or whatever you call it by the term reader’s block, how do you tackle it? The topic mentions to list 5 unique ways, I do have some more and I wish to share them here to help fellow readers.

DROP THE BOOK AND GET YOURSELF A REFRESHING DRINK

Yes, you heard me right. Drop of the book exactly where you are. Leave the place immediately and get yourself a drink. It could be a cappuccino, green tea, lime juice, hot chocolate or even a glass of water. A quick refresh is sure to give you a change of mind.

KEEP YOURSELF OCCUPIED

You can keep yourself occupied, when you are away from the book. Say catch up on some old friends. Call them and talk, complete some pending chores.

GO FOR A POWER NAP

Yep. It’s great to have a power nap and then get up feeling fresh. I’m sure that would give you a lot of new thoughts and energy to continue reading that book.

DO NOT STRESS OUT

When you have a reader’s block, do not stress out on deadlines. You might have to submit a review or even come up with content for a blog post. Do not do that in a hurry or when you do not have the focus. That is not going to give you fruitful results.

BINGE WATCHING

Ahh. Now there is an even better way. Now that you do not have to read why not finish watching the series that you always wanted to, but did not have time for. Some series are shorter that you can finish watching them by the time the reader’s block gets out of you.

SWITCH TO OTHER GENRES

You might have encountered reader’s block at times, because the plot is moving too slow or it goes to the uninteresting phase. So your next step should be simply switching the genre. Take up reading a different genre or short stories or even read out a book for your kid.

DO SOMETHING RELATED TO BOOKS

What if you are not reading, you can do something relating to books. Set up blog schedules or posts. Take pictures, come on you are a bookstagrammer you will have to take cool pictures. Read some articles relating to reading or try reading posts of other bloggers if you are participating in a blog train. Just like we are doing now.

SOCIAL MEDIA

You could catch up on some latest buzz, or read articles or browse pictures or statuses posted online. Check out memes that will give you a good laugh.Let me tell you that is really good to take your mind off. But precautionary is have the right kind of people in your circle, so that it gives you some positive vibes. Not viewing updates of someone who portrays life to be better than yours and you end up feeling like a piece of shit. I’m definitely not recommending following such kind of people.

OUTDOORS

Get a breath of fresh air. Go for a walk. Jog or take a stroll. Go for a ride on your bike or ride in your car. Call your coffee buddy. There is definitely no person who would say no to a coffee.

These are some of what I follow to tackle reader’s block. I hope it would be of some help for people who face similar blocks.

This article is written as a part of #Thebookblogtrain conducted by Vidhya Thakkar and Siddhi Palande powered by Penguin India and Redwolf should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. Hosts are not responsible for any infringement caused.”

March 4, 2019

Review of Pyjamas are forgiving #instacuppa #superbloggerchallenge

BLURB:

There sitting on that porch, that light-eyed man, a pitta like me, was my ex-husband and that woman whose inner element I was unaware of, unless bitch is accepted as an undiscovered fourth dosha, was his young wife. In the serene sanctuary of Kerala’s Shanthamaaya spa where food is rationed, sex forbidden and emotions centred, Anshu meets someone familiar and deeply unsettling – her ex-husband. Bittersweet, funny and wise, Pyjamas Are Forgiving confirms Twinkle Khanna as one of our great storytellers.

MY REVIEW:

When Twinkle Khanna made announcements for releasing her third book, it piqued quite a lot of eagerness and interests in her fans and minds of other readers. Since the second book did not do seemingly well, the timing that the release came in, it set the minds of the readers who were expecting a comeback.

The plot begins with the protagonist, Anshu ; a 40 year old divorcee who seeks rejuvenation and is a regular at the Shanthamaaya sthalam, Kerala. No it is not a spa when I meant she sought rejuvenation, it is an Ayurveda Ashram by Dr. Menon where people come in seek of freedom from the doshas that plague them.

Anshu seeks peace from her fast paced life in Mumbai and comes to Kerala seeking peace and tranquility. She signs up for the 28-day rejuvenation program, which holds her a lot of surprises. Among those who signed up, Anshu’s ex-husband Jay and his new wife Shalini are also included. Anshu is in for a roller-coaster ride of innumerable emotions at having to come to terms with her ex’s presence in such close vicinity.

Shalini can be described as everything in opposite to what Anshu is. She is young, flexible, beautiful and thin. It no longer is surprising that Jay fell for her when Anshu was still starting to get used to marriage and its many bizarreness. Anshu’s heart still skips a beat seeing Jay; even though they have been separated for over a decade. After all its her first love so she cannot get over so soon.

All the characters we are introduced in the book are realistic and serve a purpose of their presence.

The writing style as always is filled with wit and humor and it cannot go wrong if I say it is generously present throughout the book. But even then it did not make a strong impact.

The book is a short read but loses the engaging or the intriguing factor somewhere in the middle as it becomes monotonous. At some instances Anshu’s encounters with Jay and the instances handled seemed to lack luster and was becoming repetitive.

The cover of the book is designed so well; in fact, it was one of the factors that pushed me to read the book. But we also know that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

BOOK DETAILS:

Paperback:256 pages
Publisher:Juggernaut (7 September 2018)
Language:English
ISBN-10:9386228971
ISBN-13:978-9386228970

MY RATINGS:

Cover: 4/5

Title: 4/5

plot: 3.5/5

Writing and Presentation: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Twinkle Khanna is one of India’s top-selling writers and the author of two national bestsellers, Mrs Funnybones (winner of a Crossword Book Award 2016) and The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad. She is one of Times of India’s most read columnists and has won numerous awards, including India Today Woman Writer of the Year, Outlook Award for Most Inspiring Woman of the Year and Vogue Opinion Maker of the Year. She is the founder of Mrs Funnybones Movies and in 2018 produced the highly acclaimed film Pad Man. Khanna lives in Mumbai with her family.

This article is written as a part of SuperBloggerChallenge conducted by Healthwealthbridge.com , Allaboutthewoman.com and powered by Instacuppa and should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. SuperBloggerChallenge is not responsible for any infringement caused.”

March 4, 2019

Forgive and forget #writebravely#celebratewritetribe

To err is human, to forgive is divine.

We have all heard this phrase quite often making rounds. But what does it intend to convey really. We all know it is human nature to commit mistakes. I’m just talking about the minor one’s here. All human cannot be 100% right all the time. They might say I never make a mistake, I always think and act. But that cannot be possible all the time because we do know that one more saying ‘Great homer sometimes nods’ means an accomplished writer such as Homer could also make mistakes. There is nothing wrong when you realize and confess that you made a mistake.

Forgiveness is often compared to being divine. This is put forth in Tamil (my mother tongue) in another way which is more or less similar. Someone who makes mistakes is human and that someone who forgives the mistake done is above human. Such high is the quality of forgiveness given a place in the world we live in. Forgiveness shall not be given for namesake and later being subjected to repeated recap episodes of the error committed. When someone confesses their mistake that it is an unknown error, we could empathize their situation or understand what made them commit the mistake and forgive. But this is only for errors that could be forgiven and not any major blunder or something that is done of major negligence.

For instance, a doctor cannot perform an error while operating a patient. The full concentration should be only on the surgery, leave out whatever personal problem they might be going through, the doctors should be diligent in the duty conferred on them. They cannot seek forgiveness since the mistake is purely medical negligence. Since forgiveness is compared to divinity not all errors could be forgiven, there is clear cut boundary us humans should draw as to what could be forgiven and what cannot be.

Being selfish and keeping ego in mind we shouldn’t make decisions and let the person who seeks forgiveness suffer. After all we are humans, so the quality of love in soul would creep out from the hiding place that is deep down inside us. It was better said by Zora Neale Hurston,

“Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.”

I’m Writing Bravely for the Write Tribe Festival of Words – March 2019’

March 4, 2019

Being a selfless mother #superbloggerchallenge #instacuppa

The clear-cut definition of a mother is selfless service to another. In return for her abundance, she receives no lack of admiration.

Mom or mother as she is known lovingly is always really good at putting the needs of others before her own. She is so very good that there is never a single syllable ‘no’ from her; I often wonder has she forgotten the word. The ‘me time’ factor that is doing all rounds now for the modern moms like us was never taken up by her or her ancestors I hear of.

She has always tended to the needs of me and my sister before herself. The way she takes care of her in laws or her parents you can never draw a line of difference. The innumerable sacrifices she has made such as looking after us when we were small, catering to a job 8-3 and then getting back to us when we come back from school has made her very busy. She continues to help even now. Taking care of my daughter as a child of her own is something I really I am elated about.

We do live in a culture that women in particular the mothers must be selfless, caring and emotionally available. The society waits for a chance to pounce if in a way the women is distant, intolerant and selfish.

The exhaustion, the bitterness in silence, emotional labor that they go through constantly is the end results of the selfless moms who give themselves tirelessly. Not all women or mothers find themselves in this burdensome cycle, but those who do seem to live in a reality dictated by everyone else’s needs.

We have known a proverb that could not have said better “God could not be everywhere, and therefore He made mothers.” We also know that “The mother is a school; if she is well reared, you are sure to build a nation.”

So let us make sure we do ask them if they are in need of something, devote some time to look after them, take them out and make them enjoy life much as we do nowadays.

This article is written as a part of SuperBloggerChallenge conducted by Healthwealthbridge.com , Allaboutthewoman.com and powered by Instacuppa and should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. SuperBloggerChallenge is not responsible for any infringement caused.”

February 18, 2019February 19, 2019

Keeping yourself energised throughout the day #superbloggerchallenge #instacuppa

Living a routine life, that too in a metro we are always in hurry burry. We are always running behind and want to get things done the way we want, that we fail to take care of health. Especially people working in the corporate world, it’s always like we are in the whirlpool.

Waking up after multiple snoozes, cook something, get ready to work, travel, work, meetings, late lunches, lots of caffeine breaks, get back home, spending very little time with family members since you are already worn out, eat, sleep and again the cycle goes on.

But a few changes here and there can make you feel energised throughout the day.

Get up in the first alarm

Stop snoozing the alarm first thing in the morning. Make sure you get a goodnight sleep of about 7 hours. So when the first alarm rings, get up from bed to turn it off.

Get yourself some natural light and fresh air

You can do this by standing in the sunlight either in balcony or terrace. Make sure you open up curtains or blinds in your room as well.

Get yourself some fluids

Once you wake up, either drink

two glasses of warm water
lemon water
water boiled with fenugreek
jeera/cumin water

These are sure to flush out the toxins and ease the colon to clear out the waste.

Be light on the caffeine

Take a small quantity of coffee or tea.

Eat small, healthy meals

Make sure you plan the days meal a night before so that you can save time of chopping and cutting them. Make sure you get right amounts of fibers, proteins, vitamins. Be light on the carbs.

Healthy breakfast

Make sure you take healthy breakfast and don’t dump whatever you find for the first meal of the day. Eat like a King is just a comparison and doesn’t mean you have to eat more quantities.

Take a walk

If the workplace is near take a walk alternately or don rely on the cab always. Get the metro or the bus occasionally.

Drink plenty of water to keep up the fluid levels

Again 8 glasses of water is just a measure, you can drink up to 2 liters. Keep in mind not to overdo. IF you would want to incorporate some flavor, you can try adding green tea or even have fruit infusion waters to keep you drinking throughout the day.

My go to solution for this is always INSTACUPPA

You can try their Infusion bottle

https://instacuppastore.com/products/instacuppa-fruit-infuser-water-bottle-1-litre-with-full-length-tritan-infusion-unit

or their green tea detox bottle if you want to add green tea infusion to your fluids.

https://instacuppastore.com/products/instacuppa-green-tea-detox-bottle-glass-with-steel-infuser

Amazon link to buy

Do mild stretches in between work

There are certain stretches that you can do even while sitting on the chair that can keep you energised and renew energy.

Take a power nap

There is nothing wrong if you take a power nap of about 10-15 mins. It has proven to bring in a lot of productivity. Since your mind is fresh, it sure is to bring in a lot of new and innovative ideas to solve problems.

Limit your caffeine intake post 12 PM

Caffeine sure is to have effect up to 8-10 hours so it is better if you do not indulge in caffeine drinks in afternoon.

Green tea any day to boost up

Green tea is known to provide instant stimulation and energise the body immediately. Hence you can make yourself a cup of green tea with honey anytime of the day and anywhere.

Now that is easy with the INSTACUPPA TRAVEL MUG

https://instacuppastore.com/products/instacuppa-vacuum-insulated-coffee-tea-travel-mug-470-ml-sipper-lid-with-filter-silicon-grip-black

Amazon link for buying

And if you want to get to know the benefits of having green tea, you know where to check.

Keep yourself light on the dinner plate

Again do not overeat. Keep it light. If possible, drink some water or even a glass of milk before going to bed.

Get some reading

Reading books is a best way to relax. Instead of sitting down with gadgets, you can sit down with a book. You can look out for options in my blog or read though the latest review in my blog. Or an even better idea would be to sit down with your kid and read along with them.if you want to what to read you can check here.

Getting a good night’s sleep

Set yourself an alarm after about 7 hours. Yes, keep that in mind, you need 7 hours of good sleep to make yourself feel fresh the next day. Relax your eyes before you go to sleep and no gadgets at least an hour before sleep.

Essential oils in the bedroom

If you are used to essential oils, then you can either use some oils in bedroom for a calming effect. Simple way would be to squeeze 2-3 drops on to a handkerchief and tie it around the best post.

These are my go to ways to keep myself energised and I hope this would be of some help to you too.

This article as a part of SuperBloggerChallenge2019 conducted byHealthwealthbridge.com, Allaboutthewoman.com *and should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. SuperBloggerChallenge2019 is not responsible for any kind of infringement caused***

September 25, 2018September 25, 2018

Review of on the open road by Stuti Changle. #myfriendalexa

On the open road

BLURB:

Myra wishes to break free of her cubicle. Kabir wonders what life would be to build on his own. Sandy drops out of college to work on the next big startup idea. Ramy inspires millions of his generation on his travel blog – on the open road.

on the open road – THREE LIVES, FIVE CITIES, ONE STARTUP, revolves around the lives of these restless and dreamy 20-somethings as they battle their inner demons and the societal taboos to live life on their terms. It is an emotional journey of following one’s heart. The journey entails undying friendship, love and loss, happiness and depression, fear and conquest, dreaming and achieving.

Will they be able to embark on the hard yet empowering journey to their true selves? Or succumb to the hardships on their road to freedom?

MY REVIEW:

The story revolves around three people- Myra, Kabir and Sandy. We have the struggle part described for all three of them. Myra is fed up of her 9-5 cubicle life but longs to startup a business with friends. Kabir is a rich gyu who has his family business, but he wants to have a business of his own. Then we have Sandy who is Kabir’s friend, who’s a college dropout and has his own startup creating apps but is not very successful.

We have another Character Ramy(Myra’s friend) to whom people look up to. He is a traveler and a blogger. Kabir and Sandy draw inspiration.

The plot is something that every single person in the corporate rat race can relate to. It has elements of love, friendship, dream, travel and success. The writing is simple and crisp. I completed the book at one go. The book is mentioned as unputdownable on the cover, since its fast-paced. But seriously, it did not let down my expectation and has lived up to it.

Stuti, coming from the corporate background herself has brought out the experiences just as it is in reality.

The one liners and the quotes will inspire anyone with ambitions but has inhibitions to proceed with it. I have listed out some of the one-liners I liked.

I loved the cover and how the title aptly suits the plot. I loved reading the second half especially. The characterization was done brilliantly with no sugar-coating. They were genuine in their portrayal.

Anyone who has a dream of owning a startup should give this book a read. I felt people from other walks of life could find it a little difficult to relate to the experiences noted by Stuti. Though the book is a light read, the amount of experience and self-motivation we gain is a lot. The book makes you self-introspect to think ahead of career and make decisions.

BOOK DETAILS:

Book name: On the open Road
Author: Stuti Changle
Paperback:188 pages
Publisher:Invincible Publishers & Marketers (2 March 2018)
Language:English
ISBN-10:9387328465
ISBN-13:978-9387328464

The book is available on Amazon https://amzn.to/2zqBsZY

MY RATINGS:

Cover: 4.5/5

Title: 4/5

plot: 5/5

Writing and Presentation: 5/5

Overall: 4.5/5

ACCOLADES:

Winner of ‘Notable Mentions’ in Amazon Kindle’s Pen to Publish competition

‘Unputdownable, lively and fast-paced, it promises to inspire the youth to pursue their dreams.’- Ashish Kashyap, founder – Goibibo & redBus

‘The book reflects you and me. A great group of characters who bring life into a great story. It’s a must-read.’- Neha Hinge, Actress & Miss India 2010

Quotes from on the open road:

“Somewhere between the right and the wrong, the past and the future, there lies a now. Don’t let it go. For ‘now’ often leads to a new road!”

“Life proves to be one hell of a ride. All you’ve got to believe is that the things that do not work out lead to the ones that do! As the journey goes on, there’s a lot more to learn.”

” Citylights seem glorious at night, the high rises stand in splendor, in my mind I have a fight,what do I want in life? I wonder! ““Whenever you have a problem, try to enlarge your perspective, look at the sky and the stars.”

“If you feel that the cubicle isn’t for you, build some for others!”

“We belong to a generation full of broken hearts and wandering souls, just blank from the inside, in a constant search for ourselves, looking for something we don’t know yet, in the empty spaces of life. It is not that we can’t do great things, but we’re raised to believe – we can’t!”

“When you work on what you love; it acts like meditation. If each one of us does what we love and pour our heart and soul into it, we would not have to meditate elsewhere at any point in time.”

About the Author (in her own words)

A minimalist at heart, with every passing day, I find myself moving farther from the never-ending quest of owning material possessions and a step closer to owning a vast ocean of experiences. In 2016, at twenty-three, I packed a rucksack and left Mumbai, in search of my true self. I met people with extraordinary stories – the travelers, the entrepreneurs, the artists, the visionaries and the saints, who inspired me to the core and gave a new direction to my life. on the open road draws inspiration from my real-life experiences and I wish to inspire my readers to follow their dreams.

Share your thoughts about the book using the hashtag #OTOR

She interacts with the readers’ community through Instagram Live and Facebook Live. @stutichangle

About the Author

A post-graduate in management from the prestigious B-school IMI, New Delhi and a graduate in Computer Science and Technology.Winner of Notable Mentions in Amazon Kindle’s Pen to Publish Competition.

I am taking my Alexa rank to the next level with Blogchatter .

#sindhusblogs #myfriendalexa

September 21, 2018

Never ending list of pregnancy myths #myfriendalexa

Pregnancy is deemed the best phase of being a woman. Being born a woman attains full glory when she becomes a mother.

But it’s also the timeline where you get to hear a lot of myths. Not only in our Country, it happens all over the world. So let me list them down for you and you can comment if you came across something more. So let’s get those myths busted.

It starts with the date you conceive. Add the month of conception to your age, the total is even it’s a girl else you’re in for a boy.

Then comes morning sickness, if you have it throughout your first trimester then it’s a girl else if you don’t experience it you have a boy.

Pregnancy glow People have different versions here.

Indian:

“You’re glowing you definitely will have a girl” is what you hear and if it’s the other way , you look tired and dull they say you are having a boy , since the male child draws out all the energy.

Rest of the world:

If you’re dull it means you have a girl, since she takes up all your glow. And if you are glowing and look fabulous you will have a boy.

Carrying high or low, wide or outward:

If you are carrying low and belly is outward, you are probably carrying a boy.

If you are carrying high and belly is wide you are carrying a girl.

Food habits:

If you crave sweets and dairy rich stuff, you are probably carrying a girl.

If you crave salty and spicy food, you are probably carrying a boy.

Doesn’t it depend on what the woman usually wants to eat?

Fetal heart rate:

If it is over 140 per second you are carrying a girl and if it’s below, you are carrying a boy.

Swelling of nose:

They say if you have a swollen nose it’s probably a girl.

But the actual fact our noses swollen up due to increased estrogen levels.

Wedding ring myth:

Tie a strand of the father’s hair to your wedding ring and swing it over your belly, you are probably carrying a girl if it goes in circles; if it swings back and forth then it’s a boy.

Doesn’t it depend on wind direction?

Stepping over ropes:

It’s considered that stepping on a rope results in umbilical cord coiling around the fetus neck.

In modern days, now it extends to electric chords as well.

Usage of hands:

Ancient days people say If the pregnant woman is seated on floor and when she tries to get up, if she uses her left hand first it would be a boy; if its right you would be carrying a girl.

I don’t think that would change once a woman becomes pregnant. Even when she was ten she would have been using the same hand to get up.

Whatever the above points seem to convey what all mothers want is to have a healthy, cheerful baby. Gender discrimination should not be taking a priority here. No mother will want to abandon a child just because she was expecting the other gender. In the end, he/she is another tiny living human being created by her and who is now dependent on her.

Keep having positive thoughts, surround yourself with loads of happiness, positive vibes and most importantly people with positive vibes. Keep yourself well hydrated and well-fed. And that is all that takes to see your little dude/duddette.

Let’s hear those myths coming and keep nodding heads; get the myths busted. I will always love my baby no matter he/she. A baby is a baby.

I am taking my Alexa rank to the next level with Blogchatter .

#sindhusblogs #myfriendalexa

September 17, 2018

Motherhood Mantra that keeps me going #myfriendalexa

“I am a good Mother; I do my best as a Mother.

Each day I am getting better, life can’t get any better.”

Mom and daughter

This is my mantra these days. I keep saying this to myself. No, I am not under any pressure or depressed.

Repeating this gives me a boost; a sense of accomplishment and gives me a push to go that extra mile and do whatever it takes to keep my daughter happy.

A great start for the day is a lovable hug when she’s up. Though I am up early, (okay let’s say just a couple of minutes or rarely hours), before her, that wait for her hug is so special.

When there are so many things running in your mind and your running here and there, that monosyllable “MAA” from her makes me forget everything.

Mom and daughter

Though I get angry with things lying around, after she’s left at my mom’s place in the morning I do enjoy replaying stuff in my mind- the tiny blocks or alphabet chunks lying around, the vessels and Tupperware boxes misplaced, that cute teddy inside my coffee filter. All these make me forget that this is part of a household chore that I am doing.

Those teeny tiny hands mixing an empty bowl with spoon and feeding you, pulling your hair is all instances that need to linger around in mind always.

Even if you try concentrating hard at work, a corner of your mind just keeps thinking that she is okay. Those blank phone calls or the beep beep sounds from the keypad when you call her is all a bliss.

When you reach home and you know she is there waiting for you, and watch her eyes glow in excitement on seeing you makes you the happiest person in the word.

Listening to her stories of what she did throughout the day (okay technically not stories) I mean even if it is gibberish, it’s good to hear.

Cuddling her, getting her dressed to bed, making her sleep and falling asleep with her is indeed the best way to end my day. And so the next day starts, yes with the same mantra.

“I am a good Mother; I do my best as a Mother.

Each day I am getting better, life can’t get any better.”

I am taking my Alexa rank to the next level with Blogchatter .

#sindhusblogs #myfriendalexa

September 11, 2018September 13, 2018

Review of Sneak peak by Krishna Kumar nair

BLURB:

THIS BOOK IS FOR ALL THOSE DARING HEARTS, WHO HAVE SECRETS OF THEIR OWN AND WOULD WANT TO CONFESS A FEW IN FRONT OF OTHERS. Sneak Peak will take you through a time when APPLE was still a fruit, children spend time playing with each other rather than in front of computers and a time when people rescued a dying person instead of taking their video and posting on Facebook. There was a simpler time in the 80’s and 90’s and those who lived those times and who didn’t, will equally love what you are going to read here. It’s not my story but it is yours too! The hero of this story is not Dhyankumar but the story itself. Here Dhyankumar closely post-mortems the various phases in his life, how he felt and how different it would have been, or should have been, had he thought in a different way. The book deeply emphasizes the values of friendship and how it can change one’s life and sometimes destroy the same.

MY REVIEW:

The book is of a different genre from the current trend that prevails. I felt like reading out from a diary of kind born in 90’s, keeping in mind I am one such. It brings out numerous nostalgic incidents.

It speaks about an era of no social media intervention. Yes, that’s right no mobile phones, no tabs. Leading a simple life enjoying a vacation with no social media check-ins, hanging out with cousins, TV series and cartoon and most important of all staying with our grandparents. Isn’t that a wonderful feel, staying as a complete family with many people and relatives, helping each other out, laughing, sharing. This I feel is something that the current generation is missing out on.

Though we have several advancements in technology and comforts at all levels, the concrete jungle can never equal the above mentioned joys.

The book is about a protagonist Dhyankumar who introspects the various phases of his life. The narration portrays his life filled with love and affection as a boon of staying with grandparents. A couple of mischievous events and few confessions make it an interesting read.

The pace of the story seems to be slow at places and characterization needs betterment. The cover design could have been improved. With no surprise elements the narration is pretty good except for the slow-paced parts which seem dragging. The language is simple and crisp making this a good choice for one time read.

MY RATINGS:

Cover: 3/5

Title 3.5/5

Plot: 4/5

Writing and Presentation: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

BOOK DETAILS: