Racing Car

Of late, whenever I decide to write about something, my mind drifts like an anxious dog spinning in circles, then taking a break only to jump up and down over nothing. Absolutely nothing. Writing needs a controlled mind, and nothing seems to be in control in the midst of these uncertain times we are living in.

Who am I kidding? Pandemic or no pandemic, this head has always been like this. The other day I was reading that meditation is especially difficult for a lot of Geminis because their mind is always speeding like a racing car. You bet! I fall asleep exactly after five minutes of meditating.

On a serious note, I am in the middle of a lot of things. Life is 1@**d3kdhb... No matter how much I try, no good, put-together piece is going to come out today. No beautiful imperfection or haute mess. I should just stop typing now...

See you later. Hope everyone who reads this blog is doing okay. If you want to rant, the comment section is all yours. Sorry for wasting your time. Will come up with a better post next month. 

Missing this day on the beach though....

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Zero Talent Days

Is writer's block a real thing? I very much think so. I am not talking about that occasional blank screen or that once in a while mediocrity that makes the words that you type look like a bunch of hybrid plants that no one wants. I am talking about the vacuum that doesn't let even a simple 300 words write-up happen...at times for as long as a week.

I have googled ways to overcome this. But somehow nothing seems to be the perfect cure.

Take a walk

Here is the thing. I walk for at least half an hour everyday. So when I decide to take a creative walk, my system fails to see the novelty. I am full of purpose when I walk, but at the end of it, nope. Nothing.

Eliminate distractions

Since I have this interesting ability to look at things and think nothing, for hours, (remember those scary girlfriend videos of early 2000? Same expression.) I don't really know of distractions. And when i have a distraction - like a real, walking chocolate cake that I see only once in a while - then I put down my pen. Simple!

Play a game

I suck at playing games. I don't understand half of those walking, creepy looking things on screens of all kinds. No, I don't mean to say I don't like them. I mean it literally. i don't understand them. It's like Monica telling Joey about commitment and he keeps saying "Not following".

I am sure if I was a little more flexible and had a little more IQ, I would have done better. Will try the next three ways in the next three months. You guys have a great weekend there.

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New Mornings

One of the things that impacted me in 2020 was the shutting down of my favorite blog, Manrepeller. For a while, I felt I had nothing to read. And there was no point in going through lame articles in the name of fashion and lifestyle. One of the best things about Manrepeller was that the articles were written in the first person. That made for a diary-like read. The blog also talked about our lives as they are, and how we manage to survive, despite all odds. However, since it's the new year, what I am missing the most about the blog is the lists that its writers threw at us, random lists of things one can do if one wanted to. These lists didn't preach or anything, they just were feel-good lists. So, today, I dare to come up with my own list that you may choose to go through just for the heck of it.

1. Aim to read for an hour without touching your mobile phone.

2. Try a coconut latte if you are a coconut person.

3. Be the first one in the morning to shop at a supermart, just for once, explore the less-crowded aisles.

4. Videocall someone and cook with them.

5. Call your parents and ask them about things they like.

6. Finish the Queen's Gambit in one weekend.

7. Make the first move, dial that number.

8. Say good morning to everyone you see this weekend before 11 am of course!

9. Make a list of friends you haven't called in some time. And call them.

10. Give compliments that are not about looks.

11. Go for a walk. 

12. Accept that you are the lead actor in your life story. No matter what happened to you. 

Disclaimer: It is just a list.
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Time to Kill

She laughed at those who didn't see it coming

Smiled at her little victories

Hid everything that gave away her away

Ran on the blood of her victims

She came at dark, dressed in black

Yeah she cast a spell on everyone

Made them stare at her luminousness

Left a trail of blood near the shack

She loved to see him go in for a kill

Pick the dagger, wash his bloodstained hands

Spray the perfumes from Arabia  

To mask the stinking after-smell  

And when he was a little hesitant

She struck the final strike

The witches sang in a far, far land

Two souls just died, two souls just died 

One Year

One year. 

Since the rain gods danced.

The vases shook.

The flowers withered.

Since I sat on the front porch.

Saw you walking past my house.

Carrying two hearts in a shoebox.

One year. 

Since I closed my eyes

Dreamt of pink roses. 

In a fool's paradise.

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Taking a short break from fashion posts.

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Things I Have Learnt So Far in Quarantine

Before you tilt your head on your comfortable side (mine is right), raise your unthreaded eyebrows, and say,"Not another quarantine article!", let me assure you I won't present any data that would make you more frustrated than you already are. I don't know if we are going to emerge stronger - like those forwarded whatsapp messages claim we will- or will play a blink-and- you-miss-it role in a real life version of a pandemic movie. I don't. So I am just taking the liberty of talking about random, not necessarily sad things, I have observed during this quarantine. And here they are!

People Snack! Like a Lot!
So I am a part of a whatsapp group where we can mention the things we need, and a local kirana store guy will get it for us at the society gate. Very good initiative I must say, because that ensures very few people actually step out of the society. For all those who know me and my knack of observing the weirdest things ever, would totally understand why I read the lists sent by so many people everyday! No, I have no role in procuring that stuff, I just read because I can! It's out there in the chat group, for everyone to read. And my latest research tells me people snack a potato pile lot more than I thought. Biscuits, cookies, chips, cake slices, you name it, they are eating it. I must have been living under a rock all these years, thinking we Indians snack less and hence have healthier food habits. Suddenly I am worried more about obesity in the country than corona. I even dreamt of babies eating Nutella pancakes while sitting on a mountain  of soft vanilla cake!

Some people have better WhatsApp statuses than others 
One of the many times I realise I know the worst set of people in the world is when I check out the status section of my WhatsApp, filled with banal, meh content. Why, people why? But before I begin to take you through the streets of quarantine-snobbery, by saying more mean things about people who do not need my permission on the kind of things they have to say, let me be a little bit nicer. Let me talk about the bright yet soft rays of light, about those that upload kick-ass statuses. Mehak Mann, Jatin Khurana, and Hardeep Kaur, you know how to make a forever-irritated, quarantined woman happy. Thank you for existing. 

People are revealing their true selves, almost.
A friend who was gushing about a guy in February, just realised he can only waste so much time on her. Another one has realised how unhappy his job had made him and is already working on something new. Another one I know is going to confess her love to someone the moment all this is over. People are coming out. The flaunters, the singers, the pessimists, the optimists, the potential social butterflies hidden in the garb of loners, the alcoholics, the cooks, the fuckboys, the kind hearted....and so on and so forth. Now is the time you may discover something about your friends. They are all quarantined, masks reserved only for grocery shopping. Take a peep guys. You have the chance to know thy loved ones like never before. 
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Five Things

I have been trying to find one good topic to write about, but I have nothing. So let me cleverly find something easy to write about. Like, five clothing items I have grown to appreciate... Here goes the list.

A black blazer
For all those days I felt totally clueless about what to wear, and for those when I felt very lazy to put in efforts to look put-together.

A lovely blouse
This one can brighten your mood. Just like that.

Hoops
I know it's not a clothing item. But coming to accessories, these little guys can make one feel a little extra...in the best possible way.

Black boots
They keep you warm and they make you look good. What more do you need during winters?

Parka
An under-rated jacket that is meant to be thrown over almost everything, dresses, jeans, shorts...
Please ignore the lack of creativity...and please follow me on GFC and Facebook and Instagram if you like reading the blog.