Book Review: Three Thousand Stitches by Sudha Murty

There are only two prerequisites for being a story teller - having a good story, and having the unending desire to tell it.
There are also only two prerequisites for a good story - content and fluidity of expression.
Rest everything are side-effects.

And Sudha Murty does it best once again with her latest collection called Three Thousand Stitches.

These stories are a delight, for any time and any age. And the fact that these are real life accounts only adds to the joy of reading. Yes, truth is, more oftentimes, stranger than fiction. And at many points during the course of the book, this truth gives goosebumps, for the wonder called life.

Being a mother has seriously challenged my capacity to digest stories which don't end on an happily ever after, and I am trying to come out of it. But till then, I thank T.J.S. George who inspired the author to tell her stories.

With eleven bite sized chapters, this collection is different from her other works. It is reveling, relatable, thought provoking, thoroughly enjoyable and leaves the reader high on life. A unique token of gratitude, a chance meeting, having to eat your own words or being the single girl student in an engineering college class with 149 boys years ago, these are things that could or could not happen to anyone of us. Weaved in her characteristically simple English, the aftertaste of these stories will remain with you long after the last page has been turned over. And if I were to tell which was my favorite, well, hands down it has to be chapter number 6.

On my scale of Joy of Reading, I mark it a 3.5/5

Kindle Unlimited: How You Became My New Best Friend...!!!

From the times of gloriously licking and slurping every word off from the day's newspaper, I have now come to THAT place in my life where I get to lay my hands on a national daily only while aiming to dispose off soiled diapers.

And some headlines are such, they manage to jump at you and grab your eyeballs with their tiny invisible hands even in such uninhabitable conditions (ref: wrappings for soiled diapers).

It was one such headline that did the trick. It said something about a movie being made out of a book called: "How I Braved Anu Aunty & Co-Founded a Million Dollar Company" by Varun Agarwal. 

I have a thing for books. And when someone tries to turn them into movies, my attention is rapt and undivided. Not because I like movies better. In fact I feel movies murder the spirit of books, as has happened with most cases, except for "To Kill A Mocking Bird". It is because I like to see different renditions of the same story - powerful insights into human behavior, a subject I adore.

Now, this book had been leaping at me time and again during my frequent visits to Amazon, something I do on a regular basis, in order to build up my To-Read list (to be converted into Order Confirmation Receipts when I can procure the funds, in the form of Gift Cards from Mr. Husband; cuz all book lovers know, a bought book isn't as much fun to read ;)). But I somehow managed to douse it every time. Till now.

So, instead of Amazon guiding my search 'based on my browsing history' and being the more-than-perfect salesperson it is, I went online window-shopping and purposefully looked it up. 

And there it was, perched elegantly next to this book, vouching for itself, decorated with the golden words "Subscribers read for Free". Needless to say, it was the last word of this phrase that actually caught my awareness. Just the way it works for us Indians.

I looked it up. Kindle Amazon that is. There were three different memberships - Monthly, Half-yearly and Annual. Despite its uncanny and almost eerie resemblance to school examinations, which thankfully are no longer a topic of worry amongst the many others inside the channels of my brain (soiled diapers being the predominant one), I appreciate the concept. Try for a month, validate your potential and then decide if you have the digestive capacity to go longer-stronger.

Given how I am, I had no other option than to try the monthly one, for I have always belonged to that school of thought which professes: "once you own, all charm is gone".

And thus arrived Kindle Unlimited into my phone and my life. And I am so happy it did. Because:

1. All the time "Wasted" on useless internet stuff (read: scrolling) is now spent reading.

2. This gives me an elevated sense of self, that I am doing 'at least something for myself''.

3. It is bringing me a tad bit closer to my goal of finishing 12 books in a year, a resolution I have been making every time since the last 3 years, and have been missing by game point.

4. And last but of course not the least, because it has brought me back to my writing, to my beloved blog.

Book reviews coming up soon.

Soiled diapers aren't that bad after all...!!! 

:) :)

#FirstMother'sDay...!!!

"A child gives birth to a Mom." With this calculation, I am almost 7 months old today. 

My baby, you only make my resolve stronger, my spirit undefeatable and my patience abundant. When you were inside me, I used to think that it is the best this way, you and me always together - like a Mamma and Baby Kangaroo, always in conversation and sharing everything; but since the moment you came in my arms, you made me realize that 'possibility' is so underrated. 

It never fails to amaze me how much love you can be capable of after being a Mom, and how less that can become the next instant! I may be unshowered or unkempt, sweaty or stained, exhausted or elated, but your eyes always, only spell love. And THAT makes my world go round.

I cannot find the right words to tell how happy I am about being eligible for being wished on this Mother's Day. All I can say is, Thank You Shivaansh...!!! This one is for both of us...!!!

(Could not recollect the login details to my blog last week, therefore this post is coming up now :D)

T & J...!!!

Times could be sailing smooth

Or it could be a bumpy way,

Just one look at you 

And You make my day...!!!

If childhood was "rang sharbaton ka", then Tom & Jerry were "meethe ghaat ka paani".
[This inspired metaphor comes from the beautiful song playing in the background :) ]

Disney and childhood make the perfect combination, even today. And if were to me, I would make it mandatory for every household to have a Disney Corner - with Disney drawing, toys or merchandize. Yes. Because I know that no matter how much we grow up, characters like Tom and Jerry can always lift our moods and bring us in a positive state of mind.

Just like I am yet to hear from a person who does not like "Paani-poori" (gender-bias notwithstanding!), I am yet to meet a person who does not like Disney, Tom and Jerry in particular.

To pay my respect to this awesome duo, and as a token of gratitude for filling my world with ringing laughter even today, this is what I did a few days ago...

I really don't know how this missed making it to the blog till now, but am happy it is better late than never.

T & J, I love you! truly madly deeply...!!!

15 Ways To Be Creative...!!!

I have realized in due course of time that for the 'starters-from-scratch', the most time consuming part of the entire project is to decide what to do. Be it writing a new book, making a new painting, wanting to try out a new Entrepreneurial venture (a Start-Up :) ) or writing a new post for a blog (like this one :D ), the most challenging part is to decide: "What". Once this is done, the 'Hows' and 'Whens' and others take care of themselves.

Here's a list of some of the tips on 'How to be creative' that work pretty effectively and efficiently for me, and so I couldn't resist sharing.

• Read more. Read anything that comes your way. You never know when a turn of a page could turn your line of thought around.
• Work more. On whatever art or skill you want to master.
• Play more. With different media, tools, techniques and methods.
• Always "Think" about what is a better way to do something. And then try it out.
• Think. Really think. About 90-95% of our brain remains unutilized for most part of our lives, for most of us. 
• Meet new people. Every person's life and experiences are brand new stories in themselves.
• Visit new places. Travel. A lot. Nothing can open the nucleus of our being more.
• Try new food. When the stomach is happy, it sends happy signals to the brain and heart.
• Be observant. Be alert. Be present in the present moment. There is a lot of innovation happening around us every instant. Even for the simplest of things. 
• Spend as much time as you can with kids. They are idea generators. If you don't have kids around, watch movies made for kids.
• Listen to different genres of music, watch different genres of movies. Especially if they are not of your usual taste.
• Open yourself to new things, new experiences. Don't hold yourself back. If you feel scared or if something is holding you back, just think of this - You have Only One Life. 
• Always block your calendar with some engagement for a future date - it could be visiting any exhibition or a book fair, any inauguration or a new movie, planning some near one's birthday or making an anniversary card for a relative or friend. Be prepared to surprise others and yourself. This way you can minimize brooding and always have something to look forward to. Racing with time can be pretty interesting if you are busy.
• Promise yourself to do something new everyday. That could be listening to a new song or reading a new article from a lesser known author. You could even shampoo your hair in a new way.
• More than anything else, feed your desire to be uniquely creative in whatever you do, simply by committing to the idea. Keep repeating to yourself that there is definitely a better way to do a task, and only that will be Your way to do it.

Being creative is much of an exercise till the time anyone becomes a natural at it. But once the temperament is developed, there is no looking back.

Make a go at any or all of these points. Let me know how they work for you. And if you have any ideas other than these, I am waiting to hear from you, all ears...!!!

Some Of The Completely Underrated Pleasures In Life...!!!

A small list of sensations that are totally 'feel-awesome' even at first read...

1. Lying warm in the bed on a rainy weekend morning.
2. When something stuck between teeth finally gets out.
3. The moment when the doorbell rings after ordering home delivery for Pizza.
4. Waking up well rested. After a dreamless,|absolute| sleep.
5. Having the song on FM radio finish the exact instant you pull into your parking spot and turn off the car.
6. Hearing that gentle crumbling sound the Vacuum cleaner makes when it pulls something up.
7. Fresh sheets on the bed.
8. First gulp of water after walking home on a hot day.
9. Going to bed after taking a shower.
10. The feeling when you first wake up only to realize you still have a few more hours to sleep.
11. When you are congested and suddenly your nose opens up.
12. Getting goosebumps from music. And pee-shivers.
13. Sitting down after being on your feet all day.
14. Putting on a brand new pair of socks. Or shoes. Or underwear.
15. Opening a book to the correct page on first try.
16. Unwrapping a gift.
17. Singing out aloud in a place where your voice echoes.
18. Getting the perfect selfie the first time.
19. Finding your wishlist item at 70% discount.
20. That feeling when your maid shows up after she's really late and you thought she went on unplanned leave.

Each one is a winner, isn't it...!!!

Finally, "Banter"...!!!

About a week ago when I decided to take a break from Photo Fables (I had probably hit the Blogger's Block) only with the sincere intentions of doing another season of them in a short while, I guess the decision dissolved a jinx or two.

1. I am finally able to get back to the blog.

2. I finally, FINALLY (Yayy!!) finished my most meticulous painting till date. Something that had been in the making for almost 2 years now.

I started this painting in the beginning of 2014, when I was picking up my brushes and paint again after a while. Whenever I sat down for it, it always felt like I had completed a sizable amount of work. However, whenever I looked at it after I called it a day, there was always so much left to be done! That I was picking up painting after a big enough break made me nervous and scared that I might spoil it. For a year and half, the girls were faceless, only because I could not pull myself together to add their features.

Finally last week, when it got too boring and exasperating for me to see this unfinished business of mine for so long now, I started again, albeit in bits and pieces. But this 'bits and pieces' part was intentional. It helped me take a look from a distance and get the improvements in place before it was too long.

This is how my baby turned out:

It is a 12" by 16", acrylics on canvas, titled: "Banter".

Working with and on my Sita and Gita for such a long time now, I feel they are family. :)

What I like best about this is that whenever I look at it, I can almost smell 'Mharo Rajasthan' sitting here in Hyderabad. Tells me, that Art was, is and shall always be a unifier.

That, for me is an artist's high!

And getting back to my dearest blog, this for me is my Blogger's High...!!!