Here's something on doodling

It turns out doodling is not as simple as I thought it was. There are various terms used for this meditative art, depending on your intention behind doing it.

Doodling is said to be done out of boredom and mindlessness. It is done when you are blank and randomly scribbling on a piece of paper or your text book even. I had read somewhere that doodling is somewhat like automatic writing because it just happens sub-consciously.  

Zentangle, on the other hand, is an art where you plan and doodle. It includes making repetitive patterns like doodling, but it is well-proportioned and neat. Since it is planned and requires more attention and discipline, the outcome is way better. Zen-doodle is another word for it.

Mandala is Sanskrit for sacred circle. You basically draw a big circle and doodle within it. Many even paint in it. Since centuries, various eastern cultures have been practicing this therapeutic art.

It was interesting to know that this is such a developed art. I wasn't aware that all this while I've not just been doodling, but making zentangles and mandalas as well. :D 

So for all those dummies who call it a mehendi design drawn on a paper, I hope this helped. 

Somewhere in the clear skies

You must have heard people saying that sometimes one has to go farther to get closer to them self. They mean, when we go away from our regular course of life, from our chaotic routine and this pandemonium that we call home, we are able to reconnect with ourselves. We get an opportunity to listen to our heart beating and feel the air going in and out.

I remember getting off the car in the middle of an unknown road that ended at Sandhan Valley eventually. It was 4am in the morning, and it was just us on the road. God, it was so cold! My teeth were clattering. The sky wore a dark shade of blue with a million stars embedded on it. That was the first time in my life when I could see the stars with such flawless clarity. It felt… divine. Truly!

There are many such beautiful and unforgettable moments that place has gifted me. That trip will always be a special one because it marked the start of my journey as a traveler.

No, I may not travel all the time. And no, I’m certainly not trying to emulate some fictitious movie character. I am a real person, with real ambitions, financial uncertainty and big dreams to be an inspiring writer. I just know that I am going to explore the world, little by little. And by doing so, explore myself, little by little.

Also, there is some magic in the murk as it is only during the night when I am able to connect with myself, even in this pandemonium that we call home.

‘...akelepan se chedhi jab guftagu, mere dil ne awaz di...’
Some songs have a soul of their own.

P.S.: I am eagerly waiting for my next trip in May. I’m eagerly waiting to be with myself, and only myself, again.

  

My New Blog

Okay so, in order to write some more I finally acted upon the thought of having another blog.

My new blog address is: http://thedreamsville.wordpress.com/

This doesn't mean I won't be posting here. Of course, I will. This place is my voice as an individual, a woman, a writer.
The new blog is created with the purpose of enhancing my knowledge in Literature.

An incomplete story...

How did she even enter the dark valley, this was not the route she had taken. 

She wondered if she was lost or was this the right path.

Bewildered as she continued to explore the valley to find a way out, it grew darker and darker.

She trudged through the jagged path, thorny branches tearing her skin and laborious insects stinging and buzzing incessantly. 

She was exhausted. Hope was eluding her. She did not wish to go any further. 

But what was she to do? Await death? And for how long?

There seemed no other alternative to moving ahead.

And so she did.

The murk grew thick, and strangely, so did her faith.

She was oblivious to the will that was budding inside of her.

She knew there has to be light at the end of the tunnel. She just needs to get there.

Devious creatures resided deep in the dark valley.

She could hear them and even feel them nearing.

She was valorous, but their deviltry knew no bounds.

All of us, at some point in life, have encountered this phase where it's hard to say no. And then, we learn to do it. I, too, have learned to say no with time. I do hesitate sometimes, but I still do it.

What's the big deal is saying no, anyway? 

Perhaps it's the fear of losing your likeability or hurting the other person.

As I grew up, I realized, saying no is what makes you, you. It defines you in a way. If you don't wish to do something or go someplace or talk to someone, then you don't because that's how you are and that's what you want. Saying yes to the things you wouldn't want to do is hypocrisy. You are portraying yourself to be someone you are not. 

Today's playlist:

RAMelia

Dynamo

Clarity

No beef

And,
My dislike has grown towards people who boast about all good & expensive places they have been to, the latest albums they have in their phone and the juicy gossip they get from their 'sources'.

A relationship that hurts you the most and has no warmth left anymore, is it worth keeping?

If yes, then why? For the memories? What if I say that the misery of today is poisoning the memories of yesterday, is it still worth keeping?

If no, then how do you get rid of it? 

When a bond is irreparable and the desire to make things alright has died, almost... It's stuck like a tattoo on you, you can't do anything about it. It's a curse and you have to deal with it all your life.

Somethings may never change and so you have to change. This can't be easy. Try.

Nonetheless, there always will be a few others who will make life worth living with their unconditional love. :)
Thank you Mr. God, for them. 

....................................

To a special friend,

We will make it till the end. :*

...................................

And above all, you will always have music.
A thousand years - Christina Perri
Queen Soundtrack
Dark Horse - Katy Perry
Adore you - Miley Cyrus
Wrecking ball - Miley Cyrus
Demons - Imagine Dragons

Because I wished to write.

I just read an awesomely inspiring blogpost and I feel like writing something beautiful and honest.
I want to write something magical. Something that lights up the eyes of the reader.
I want to write something that comes right from my heart and reaches out to many other hearts.

I want to write about...
the sound produced on pulling the strings of a guitar
the bubbles that protrude and burst when tea boils
the relief that one feels on finally reaching home after an exhausting day at work
the clattering of teeth when the weather gets cruelly cold
the feeling I get when I step on sand and it takes the shape of my feet
how music inspires me, how the pumping beats make me want to achieve more while the soothing rhythms pacify me
the smallest of my dreams

I just want to write till the end of time.
Pen down every sight I see, every sound I hear, every emotion I feel.

I want to write not for the sake of writing, but because that is the easiest way to express myself. I want to write because I wish to create something, whether good or bad, beautiful or ugly.

I want to write to become a writer. I want to write so I learn some more. I want to write to be a better person. I want to write to inspire. I want to write to be inspired.

I want to write because I don't know if there is something else that I can ever do with such intense passion.

The Big 'Bhaang' Theory

I with my bunch had gone to Uran Beach to celebrate Holi on Sunday and we also had bhaang. It was a different experience. We actually consumed a lot of it; we should've gone slow. 

The effect was quite similar to what they show on TV. We were all delusional and hallucinating. There was puke everywhere. I couldn't eat and neither could I keep my eyes open. I was getting adrenaline pangs every now and then. I experienced an array of emotions and each one was so intense. I had never in my life felt the way I did then. Everything seemed so psychedelic.

It felt as though we were a part of some silly zombie movie.

I am not saying that I won't have it again, but I am certainly going to be careful about the quantity next time. 

Here are some things you should know when planning to have bhaang:

• Do not mix 10-12 bhaang golis in just 3 litres of thandai. 6 bhaang golis in 7-8 litres of milk/thandai or more is the right mix.
• Go slow. Don't keep chugging glass after glass like a fool. It is not beer or tequilla  
• Do not go to a beach or in a pool after having bhaang because you might pass out there and die
• Make sure you have it at some safe place so that it's okay if you doze off there. Bhaang makes you sleepy
• Always do it with a bunch of people you trust
• Keep munching and drink lots of water after you consume bhaang

You need to be careful about the decisions you make as even a small one can affect your life enormously. It is in your hands to make this festival of colors a source of joy or a reason for regret.

We just got lucky. 

Links for an Indian woman

You may have seen these videos before as they gained a lot of popularity, but I would like to share them again.

Happy Women's Day! Really?

I saw a women’s day parade happening near Ghatkopar Station on 8^th March, around 4:30 in the evening. For the first time on that day, I could feel the spirit of International Women’s Day, and was pretty happy that ladies are coming out and celebrating womanhood. 

Just 2 days after women's day, it's 9:30pm, I am walking from a friend's place towards home, and a biker pulls over near me. He asks me for an address, I guide him. As he gets ready to leave, instead of saying thank you, the guys throws a disgusting, lewd comment and speeds away.

Girls will find it disgusting, but they won't find it surprising because all of them have faced this and even worse already. Guys, on the other hand, may not justify this creep, but will ask me to be more cautious and careful.

There is worst that has happened in the past so I am really glad that this guy did not touch me and simply left after the comment. But why even that comment? Why is it so common? Why should I take it?

I know, people will agree that it is unacceptable, but we women still have to accept it! We have no other option, do we? Eve teasing, molestation, lewd comments and rapes are all a part of our society now. And it not just resides in a single part or area of the society, but is scattered all over.

I have nothing new to say. It's all been said and done. Feminists have been voicing their opinion against this. Men, on the other hand, have been constantly displaying their annoyance towards women generalizing on the basis of these dirty acts of some males.

There is so much I wish to say. There are so many emotions gushing inside me. But I choose not to say anything anymore. At least, not at the moment. Because I know it will all fall on deaf ears. No one can help me. This is going to happen to me again. This has been happening and will continue to happen with my girl friends, my mum, my sisters, my daughter and all other women I know and do not know. I can't do anything to help them. I can't do anything to help me.

These safety apps, helpline numbers, pepper spray and other little weapons are not always helpful. The ogling won't stop. If you are a female, every of your body part will be minutely examined even when when it is convered with layers of cloth, and you cannot do anything about it. There always will be lecherous eyes lurking around. Deal with it!  

Ideas, where do they come from?
This has been such an unproductive week! I am so tired and uninspired, and I am not liking that.

Listening to Hardwell On Air - Episode 157

On girls and their friendships

This entire concept of 'BFF' has been a joke with me. I have never had a friend who has been my BFF. I do have long-running friendships, which I know are going to be there with me throughout my life. But I am talking about that one best friend who knows you better than yourself, who is a part of your everyday life, just like a boyfriend/girlfriend. You will always have other close friends, but you and her share a bond that is more special. And more than anything, it's not a temporary affair.

I have had my share of failed BFF-ships until I finally concluded that maybe I am not the kind of person who can maintain consistency in any sort of relationship. But this conclusion seems like a foolish excuse for escapism.
Perhaps, you don't want to take too many efforts to save a friendship because all other relationships - like with your family and partner - require enough struggle.
Why do we take our friendships so lightly?
(I have walked out on some of my good friends in the past, and there have been some who have abandoned me. So I am not removing my frustration on anyone here in this post.)

In my social circuit, there are a couple of examples, where I've seen two girls maintaining their best-friendship over years. Their ship has been successfully sailing through the sea of changing scenarios. Touch wood.
I had met two BFFs yesterday, and I was so happy to have them around. They share this great bond, which may have taken enough efforts, I'm sure, to be the way it is, but they did it, and maybe without even realizing that they have actually taken pains for the survival of this special bond.
When people say they have never had fights and arguments with their best friends, it is because they understood that it was unnecessary and unimportant.
The rest who have survived all the misunderstandings and disagreements, must be nurturing their friendship with sufficient reassurances, security, love and expression.

Well, I feel it's a mark of being a good human if you have a 'BFF' because this kind of bond, being platonic, has the least selfishness involved, neither is there an obligation of being related by blood.

Sometimes uncertainity is good.

There really are no free lunches in life.

I can see months of uncertainity coming up, and I am glad for them.
It is better to have that thin ray of hope than having nothing at all. So I am happy, and more than that, charged up to do some mindblowing work.

It is so important that you learn a few ways of motivating yourself.