When You Change The Way You Look at Things, the Things You Look at Change #MondayMusings

I have been meaning to write a post about living in the pandemic times since long. In fact, this post was lying half-written in my drafts for over a month now. The thing is when you are leading a quarantine life, things seem to move rather slowly (at least so has the case been with me). It has been more than 5 months since our normal lives were replaced by the lockdown/quarantine life. While we are living safe and sound (*conditions apply) within the comforts of our homes, but life is not the same as before. Like most of us, I prepped myself mentally with the mantra - this too shall pass and for the most part, I like to believe that I did fine. There were some days in between when despair and anxiety would take hold and I would step back and just breathe and let things be.

20 Years Ago #WordsMatter

20 Years Ago #WordsMatter 

20 Years ago I had passed my 10th board exams and had chosen 'Science' as my preferred stream of further studies. When I think about myself then, I realize how serious I was about life. There was zeal and a desire to do something. I was a sincere and hardworking student and academically I did pretty decently for myself. But did life turn out to be the way I envisioned during those days? Well, not very much. There have been detours and curveballs along the way and I believe I am where I am meant to be (maybe), but not where I thought I would be.

Come to think about it, I think most of us given a chance to go back in life would want to do certain things differently; certain things that might even change the course of our lives. At some point or the other, we have all said if only I had that chance, if only I had this opportunity earlier if only this and if only that. The list can be unending.

When It Rains #WordsMatter

When it rains… 

I crave for a plateful of freshly fried onion bhajis and a cup of strong adrakh-wali chai. And as I write this, the memories of many rain-soaked evenings spent with friends in Pune indulging in these small pleasures of life come to my mind.

I love rains. I always have. I love the freshness and moisture it brings to the air. I love how everything green starts looking lush after the rains. I grew up in Assam, so I have always experienced the rains of the torrential kind – not for a few minutes on some days - but for hours, for days on - like the sky would pour incessantly – relentlessly. As a kid, I would listen to the pitter-patter of the raindrops falling mercilessly on the slanted tiled roof of our house, in some rhythm of its own. just by the sound of it, it was easy to know when the intensity of the downpour increased and when it stopped.

Outside My Window #WordsMatter

The scene outside the windows can serve as an inspiration - if we are looking for it. The seat by the window has always been a coveted one - I can remember numerous occasions as a kid and as an adult when I had wanted that seat - during a car journey, on a train trip or on a flight. But what I am sharing today is not from a journey, but a scene outside my room window one evening some days back. Some days the sky can amaze us with splendid colours. Well, that was one such day and I can tell you this much - my phone camera did it's best to capture the scene - but there is still so much that you can perceive through your eyes only. 

I am not much of a poet, but seeing the sight these lines came to me automatically - simple lines written by a heart that was enchanted by the sight.


The Evening Sky Outside My Window

I looked up at the evening sky
It was painted in shades of pink
Telling the story of the day gone by
Go home I heard it say
For the sun has set for today

Another day will dawn tomorrow
And will bring sunshine and hope
Or it might rain and bring some cheer
And sooth the scorching land
Both the sun and the rains do us good
So take them both in your stride.

The things that went awry
Take lessons from them
The good moments
Forget not to rejoice
Life goes on regardless
So stop sometimes to marvel
At the splendour of the sky.

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I am participating in the #WordsMatter Blog Hop initiated by Corrine, Shalini and Parul. The prompt for this month was "Outside My Window".

I received this tag from Shalini at Shalzmojo. It’s my pleasure to pass on this tag to Pragnya at Life With My Penguin There are 47 of us on this Blog Hop and it will be spread over 3 days – 2, 3, 4 August. Do follow the #WordsMatter Blog Hop and prepare to be surprised!

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Gearing up for The Write Tribe Reading Challenge #MondayMusings

4 months of the year has already passed by and I am miserably lagging behind in my reading goals. I didn't aim for anything too far fetched as a part of the GoodReads challenge - just 2 books a month. Should not have been that tough right? But it is becoming so, given the fact that I am also putting my hands into a number of other things. So, to get myself back on track, I am signing up for another reading challenge. Although I am pretty late for it already, Corrine of Write Tribe has been kind enough to let me into 'The Write Tribe Reading Challenge 2019'.

As a part of the challenge, I am hoping I will be reading 24 books (book lover level) of which 12 can match up to the book prompts listed in the challenge plus I will be posting a review of at least 1 book a month. Of course, there will be some catching up to do. But then, that's my intention for taking up this challenge.