The black and white story of a sweet and sour mind

When you are extremely happy over a news, what is the first voice that greets your ears?

When you are disappointed over a loss or failure, who comes across as the first comforter?

If you are about to attempt or experience something for the first time, where does the cautionary voice originate from?

If you are angry or raging over a thought, who initiates a speech laden with hatred?

   Though the answers may differ for each one of you, my reply over these questions was ‘MIND.’ As the closest companion one can ever get, mind controls every little thing that crosses our life. Be it happiness over an achievement or sorrow over a failure, be it anger over an unavoidable incident or word of caution for a difficult adventure, mind ensures to send its first message always. Though our parents, family, friends and loved ones share a close bond filled with love, care and support, mind will never leave its loyal job of being there for everything. While certain unavoidable circumstances may keep us away from people who care, mind can never repeat the same.

   So if this hero called mind seems to behave as a good friend, what is the reason to term it ‘sour’? Does this ‘companion forever’ come with its hidden baggage of faults?

    Mind often tempts us to enter into its long train of thoughts. Forcing us to leave the tasks in hand, it drags us into its trip of guilt, distraction, assumptions, doubts and worries. With its uncertain approach and desire to run away, mind can prompt one to follow suit. Most of the unwanted worries and unnecessary tensions are born from the core of this mind that seems to enjoy it. This makes it essential to control our mind in the right way.

    A factory of negative thoughts, distracted ideas and useless desires, mind should be trained to perform the opposite. Mind has an unbelievable ability to change its colors instantly. Depending on our mood and situation, this member depicts its course. From happiness, sorrow, excitement, embarrassment, boredom and enthusiasm, as its jumps from one feeling to another, the entire thought process changes along the way.

     Though we understand this uncertain and unreliable nature of mind, we often fail to act on time. While we allow it to cast a powerful influence, we may prove unsuccessful in molding it in the right way. As mind is our own asset, we must train it for positivity and peace. By staying away from unwanted troubles, we can engage it into constructive ideas.

  It is funny how this invisible master can hold us under its command. Though our mind may not know every little factor in life, it appears to have a powerful opinion over everything! Be it food or fashion, pleasure or danger, good or bad, happy or sad, this mind makes sure to voice its first thought. While it may often fail in its judgment and force us to spend our valuable time, there is no alternative way to avoid it. Though we may not look forward to its voice, it will make itself heard. Unless we spend some time over its idea, we may find ourselves trapped.

   But does this mind really bother us in an unwanted way always? What are its sweet flavors that seem desirable?

    As the first cautionary voice, mind ensures helpful support always. Though our loved ones may convince us about a difficult project or motivate us to take a powerful challenge, nothing is possible without the positive nod of our mind. Unless mind fills our life with happy enthusiasm, we cannot reach our goals. As it works closely with our life, it performs its role as a fuel. By taking us to the end of our destination, mind does not allow us to quit. Strong mind and powerful thoughts are all we need to be successful, happy, peaceful and satisfied. If our mind decides to support us through a mission, it will be there till the end. Along with support of willpower and confidence, mind works hard to succeed in the plan. Many aspects in life demand the participation of mind alone. No matter how many positive words may reach our ears or hopeful thoughts may be delivered by our closed ones, unless this mind decides to enter into the activity, we cannot expect a happy ending.

      With power of intuition, our mind often prompts us to think about what is good for us. As the closest companion in our life, it knows about the factors that can make us happy and cheerful. At times, some alone and quiet moments with this inner mind are all we need to be back on track. As mind has a powerful hold of its own, it is very essential to tame it for our benefit. By working on positivity and stability, we can create a healthy aura. While we all pay attention towards the physical fitness of our body, we often fail to invest any efforts towards the mental faculty. Both healthy mind and healthy body are equally essential for the strength called ‘life.’

  To conclude the black and white story, let me highlight the sweetness and sourness of this unsung hero.

Sweetness:

• ·         Supportive
• ·         Motivational
• ·         Stays right through the end
• ·         Prompts us to stick to our goals
• ·         Warns us about undesirable occurrences with its strong intuition
• ·         Gives confidence and offers smile
• 
  

            Sourness:

•        Can force one to worry and take tensions
• ·         Tends to sow seeds of doubt and queries, even for a simple aspect
• ·         Prompts one to waste time behind unnecessary matters
• ·         Invites confusion, assumptions and anxiety quite often.
• ·         May present unnecessary opinions and engage in its own unwanted tales.
• ·         May often turn judgmental

What is your black and white story of mind? What are your experiences, while dealing with this imaginary boss?

Difficult to live with, difficult to stay away from – this mind seems to have an interesting love-hate relationship with each one of us!

Celebrating the 100th milestone with a literary surprise!

    

   

     While gearing up for my usual schedule of blog, an interesting fact greeted me on the way. As I sat to frame my next post, I realized that there was something special about this one. Though just another figure along the journey, writing my 100^th post of the blog deserved special mention. Happiness, excitement, satisfaction, joy and pleasure danced together on an interesting number as all seemed to be equally surprised with this milestone. Though it may be inappropriate to celebrate this happening as a special event in the calendar of mankind, it definitely needs to be mentioned to keep the ball rolling. As a form of encouragement and motivation, this 100^th post will inspire me to continue the journey ahead.

   What started off as an activity, while locked inside the house due to immense snowfall, soon turned into a passion, hobby, enjoyment and profession! Little did I know that this love for words will transform into a source of work in the future. As the scientific worm in me has taken a new route towards literary arts, this blog has certainly played an important role. Posing as the initial preparatory base, the blog has pushed me towards newer and newer adventures. While exploring, experimenting, attempting and enjoying, as I moved closer towards the literary charm, I was immediately gripped within its hold.

    From movie reviews to articles on motivation, from entertainment articles about television series to informative ones about environment, as I marched ahead along the route, the experience has been truly interesting in every way. As my readers and critics play an important role in the process, this 100^th post deserves their special mention. Be it grandparents, parents, sister and relatives with their quick reviews or friends with their honest opinions, be it publishers and editors with their encouraging observations or poor husband with his forced praises, every single member has made a significant contribution in this journey. While learning the tricks of the trade, as I toiled to improvise along the way, there were many interesting facets to learn about.

     Though the blog has reached its 100^th number, it still has a long way to go. With your feedback and encouragement, as I hope to look forward to the journey ahead, I am excited for new adventures and newer experiences. Though expression of gratitude and satisfaction are the two most important goals of this blog, there is something more to it. The words ‘literary surprise’ in the title are not meant for adding glitter alone, they are sitting there with a purpose.

    After working on a secret project for almost a year now, my little baby is all ready for its first step. Though this baby does not mean a real one with cute looks and sweet smile, if refers to my eBook on fiction.As I waited for a perfect moment to release it, I realized what occasion could be better than this exciting celebration of a century. While working on it with all my dedication and devotion, I hoped to create something good in the process. As my first ever attempt of framing a story, this novella or short version of novel has total 11 chapters including the prologue and epilogue.

    A fiction story with simple elements of friendship, love, family and life, this novella titled ‘…and they kept her word’ can be read free of cost over the internet. Published as a ‘self-published’ piece of work, this online version of the book is a new experience over the traditional way of turning pages. Though we all enjoy hard copy of books with smell of fresh pages and feel of a book cover, I hope to materialize this dream sometime in the future. As my first experiment, while this free version of eBook will do the job of reaching out to readers, I am equally excited to sell my next creation to you all!

  Written under my pen name ‘Lavanya’, you can access the entire book on your laptop, computer, tablet or smart phone. Click on the link https://www.booksie.com/471240-....and-they-kept-her-word and start reading the book (You do not need any login details or registration to read the book). Select the option of chapter from the drop-box and you can read all the chapters one by one.

  If in case of any troubles with the link, follow these steps:

1.       Go to https://www.booksie.com/

2.       Type ‘Lavanya’ in the search icon on top of the page.

3.       Select the book that appears.

  Hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I did, while framing every single word of it. Send me your honest opinions, shower me with your truthful comments and be my strict critics. After all, no piece of art can be brought to life unless read, observed, touched or experienced by the audience. As this literary surprise shall add glitter to my blog, I look forward to the next course of posts. Stay tuned for more gift of words as life is all about giving and some more giving :)

Letter to the past, email to the present, 4-D message to the future…

      While performing the usual ritual of browsing through the internet, I came across an interesting image, recently. As a direct form of communication with one’s past, present and future, the message had some words addressed to each of them. Though it consisted of few sentences, the idea was to speak to these three heroes, while focusing on their key points. With an aim to draw humor, sarcasm and enjoy the flow of this journey called ‘life’, I was inspired to ponder about it in my own blog. With celebration of my birthday still fresh and ripe, the moment was ideal to enter into a philosophical mode. A perfect way to exhibit the matured shade of turning a year older, this blog topic seemed absolutely flawless.

     Past depicts the way our life has been shaped so far. Though we are always encouraged to forget the past and march ahead in the present, past is the storehouse of our wonderful memories. By filling our lives with good, bad, happy, sad moments that turn into memories for a lifetime, past certainly has endless stories in its collection. Thinking about mistakes and errors from the past is one of the biggest troubles that can hamper with our present. This makes it essential to revisit our past only for its rich experience and value-added guidance, yet refrain from deep involvement and engagement. As regret, guilt, embarrassment, disappointment are just novel ways to disturb our tasks in hand, it is necessary to stay away from each of these elements.

  Present is the time in hand. The only phase to create, build, materialize, progress, develop and succeed, present is all about working hard and enjoying life. Present prompts us to stay awake all through its duration and extract maximum benefits from its dynamic course. By keeping our mind and body in the present, we can work towards building our future. Spending the ‘present’ in thoughts and ideas alone can never yield any success. Rather investment into efforts and hard work can offer fruits of success in the future. Working hard in the present is the only way to expect a colorful future that shall convert into a happening past sooner or later.

   Promising success, happiness, joy and pleasure, future is an excellent phase in disguise. By sitting behind closed doors, future often appears as a ‘mirage’, giving hope of water in a barren desert! Future is all about dreams, hopes, wishes and desires as we all look forward to something different from the monotonous present. Be it plans about a new job or dreams of a fun vacation, every act pertaining to the future seems extremely colorful, till it actually turns into the ‘present.’ Dreaming about a happy future is truly one of the best exercises in the present, as it can provide much needed inspiration and motivation to continue ahead.

  With this, now is the time to communicate with the past, present and future. As I write down messages for these three friends, I believe your own version will also resemble mine in many ways. Enjoy this communication and frame your own letters too, after all these are some of the interesting ways to celebrate our birth on earth!

LETTER TO THE PAST

Dear Past,

   Thank you for being with me all through my life. Though you are far away from me today, I still remember every moment spent with you. You made me laugh, cry, smile, love, care, enjoy and glow. You gave me several opportunities to make the best in life and that is why I am here today, standing at a better position with better understanding of my interesting life. Though you made me smile, you were not kind always. I still wonder the reason behind your unusual plans and weird actions that made me suffer, sad, cry and broken. May be, you had your own unavoidable reasons for it that do not matter today. I am happy for the share of failures, as it has made me strong now. As if a valuable lesson was hidden behind each of the failed attempts, I feel confident, learned and happy in the present.

   Thank you once again for painting wonderful memories in my canvas. I am rich and satisfied with the stock of memories that you have gifted me and I promise to treasure them for a lifetime. As it is impossible to erase all my mistakes that you have hidden far away, I shall be thoughtful to avoid them in the future. Wish me luck for my present and future, take care of yourself. Do visit my thoughts with your happy people but keep the bad members away.

Yours truly,

The matured person in me

EMAIL TO THE PRESENT

Dear Present,

  You are my best friend and true companion. As you take me through different experiences, adventures, tasks and duties, I feel extremely active and alive. You have loads of plans and ambitions in mind that I hope to accomplish on the way. You always give me opportunities, while forcing me to step out of my comfort zone. I am amazed by your energy level, as you refuse to halt or waste your time. Though you have filled my life with so many tasks, I enjoy your company.

       To be honest, I am scared of your expectations and often tend to push your plans into the future. While I know, this is incorrect by all means, I promise to work hard and make the most of all the resources. You have brought purpose and happiness in my life, as every single day in the present demands my attention, involvement, work and efforts. Though I am thankful to you for all the joy, I feel sad for the failures and mishaps you bring in the way. While I concentrate on my work, you manage to bring some interesting changes in the situations and circumstances, pushing me into disappointment.  I understand it is your way of increasing my patience, and I hope to make the most of it.

 Thank you once again for all your assistance in coloring the pages of my life. Bless me for the future and stay with me always.

Yours truly,

Practical version of me.

4-D MESSAGE TO THE FUTURE

(If you are wondering what a 4-D message is, even I do not know; as it is meant for the future, novel innovations and newer ideas need to be in the game!)

Dear Future,

  You are safe in my dreams. As images filled with happiness, hope, joy and excitement, you seem to be interesting in every way. I cannot wait to meet you and look forward to enjoy your presence. As I am not aware about your way of functioning, I can only request you to bring happiness and joy in surplus amounts. Do not bring any stock of sorrow from the past or the present. They may influence you with their talks, but you continue to be firm with your happy colors.

   I promise to be your best buddy after you meet me. I have made several plans to spend my time with you. Hope you will stay with me for all these ideas and support me along the way. I shall ensure that we be together with happiness and peace. I need to make a sincere request, stay true to your image. Do not increase my excitement with a happy trailer, only to be accompanied with a disappointing picture.

   Waiting for you with lots of excitement.

Yours sincerely,

The dreamer in me.

He said....She said...

  

    Confused by the title of the blog? Well, my aim was not to confuse the reader in you, but to make you think.

What is the most obvious relationship that always manages to engage into interesting and unique conversations?

  While some of you must have guessed it right, let me share my own idea behind this tricky question. Conversation between a man and his woman bonded by the sacred relationship of marriage give way to best unique moments ever. Misunderstanding, confusion, love, care, war, naughtiness, craziness and loads of his and her interpretations mark their talks, as both struggle together as a team.

   Though as a woman, I may tend to lean towards the feminine strength in this conversation, the blogger in me will strive towards delivering a perfect balanced entertainment. Inspired by our own conversations as a couple, I always realize this form of communication is truly the best storehouse of fun.

   While he says something, she refuses to accept or understands it in a different light, giving way to arguments and funny replies. Likewise, her talks are greeted with unusual interpretations and hilarious words.

    This form of entertainment does not apply to every conversation between a couple. While some important decisions and plans demand serious discussion between the two, remaining others are free for unlimited fun and humor. Though it is impossible to generalize every couple under this umbrella of entertaining conversation, it certainly applies to most of the man-woman duo. Probably, the only relationship that allows freedom of speech, leading to arguments and fights; only to be followed by endless love and warmth at the very next instant, this ‘he said…she said’ is truly unbelievable in every way.

     While playing their role as partners and handling the show of the house as teammates, these two characters of husband and wife encounter several challenges. As two minds, but one team; when they engage into their course of activities, there are expected chances of confusion. When one says, the other loves to disagree, and when the other speaks up, this one refuses to agree. Giving way to their own style of conversations, these disagreements decorate the course of the relationship. Though my married experience of 1.5 years is definitely too short to be considered as rich; quiet observation and careful analysis of couples for all these years has certainly added to the value. From parents to relatives, grandparents to cousins, friends to neighbors, as I have witnessed these exciting encounters, it definitely seems significant in every way.

      If you observe carefully, none of these conversations are designed with an aim to win the trophy, they are only meant for having some ‘say’ in every topic. Be it food, groceries, house, children, school, vacation, office, career, relatives, friends or in-laws, each of the two must contribute in their own unique way. With typical instincts of a man or a woman, when the two participate in the discussion, there are expected course of agreements and disagreements. What surprises me is the quick transformation from war to peace. What starts off as a serious form of verbal encounter with unique weapon of words, immediately converts into love and peace, as the two resume with their normal course of life. Programmed to perform in a dynamic environment of love and hatred, God must be designing this unique program for every married couple. 

    

     No wonder these unusual and difficult equations must be preventing all the singles from following the mistake of their married friends, keeping them peaceful and calm. Though I will not blame these singles to think in such a manner, marriage is truly magical in its own way. No matter how many versions of these conversations enter into our daily routine, I believe they truly decorate the course of our married life.

    Let me take you through some of these examples of classic ‘he said…she said’ instances.

Disclaimer: For all the readers: Though I was tempted to take real-life references from our own conversation as a couple, each of these examples are purely fictitious in nature, bearing no resemblance to us or any of my people in the universe.

 For all the men: Though the woman in me shall be tempted to empower the feminine side of the conversation, I am working towards a perfect balance. Any marked bias towards feminine victory shall be a part of the natural flow, purely unintentional.

For all the women: Though you may expect more preference and advantage, I have promised to remain balanced. Stay assured, feminine victory is truly natural and does not need any adjustments!

When he starts the conversation....

1.       He said: “You look different and beautiful today”

  She said: “Thank you, but what do you mean by ‘today’? You mean to say I am not beautiful always?”

  He said: “I said it because of the new dress you are wearing, it suits you”

  She said: “So now, the dresses will decide if I am beautiful or not?”

2.       He said: “Let us do some cleaning of the house this weekend.”

  She said: “I do it every single day, by suggesting a master plan of cleanliness for this weekend, you intend to point that I don’t keep the house clean?

  He said: “No my point was to help you with it, since you do it alone all week round.”

  She said: “Yes right, your cleaning help for a single day will be able to replace all my hard work of the entire week?”

When she does: 

1.       She said: “I have done all the packing for the trip.”

   He said: “But I did the most important job.”

   She said: “Spending the entire day behind making lists and talking about its significance does not constitute important job.”

   He said: “Lists will guide us about the things to carry, this reminds me did you pack all the essential items marked in red in accordance with the list?”

2.       She said: “Help me in kitchen this weekend, we have to cook dinner for the get-together function.”

  He said: “Let us bring food from a restaurant, cooking will be too tedious.”

  She said: “But you yourself proposed home-cooked food for cost and quality.”

  He said: “My friend told me about a new restaurant -economical and excellent quality food, I did not know about it until yesterday, hence I propose the change in plan.”

    Now, I am sure these sound totally funny and avoidable, as we read them as sane individuals; but in real lives, when we enter into the skin of the character, no one can stop us from our unreasonable and enthusiastic participation!

    Though I would have loved to continue these conversations in the natural flow, the blog length demands an exit. Hope you enjoyed this unusual topic that is perhaps an interesting aspect for all the married couples.

    So whether, he said or she said, let both of them continue the game of thrones over words, after all these sweet conversations are symbol of their love, care, trust and togetherness!

   

That unreliable, unfaithful, uncertain, unusual friend called ‘MOOD’

   

     This is the same ‘Mood’ that makes you good, bad, happy, sad, helpful, cheerful, annoying, irritating, embarrassing and unpredictable. An aspect that refuses to part away from your personality, a factor that decides the fate of your experiences and adventures, mood chooses to stay with you as your shadow.

   So, why have I framed it as a ‘friend’? What features of this ‘Mood’ reflect the relation of friendship?

     Mood accompanies, supports, stays and claims responsibility for our mistakes. When people around seem to alienate from us, this crazy, unusual mood comes to the rescue. Forcing us to respect, respond, value and acknowledge, mood makes valuable space for itself. Often prone to misunderstandings and confusion, mood bears the blame for many of our actions. As an integral state of mind that determines our attitude, behavior, conduct and presentation, mood certainly decides a lot for us. As it presents us to the world around, this mood needs to be protected in a flawless manner.

   Many a times, our actions, responses and reactions seem to be out of control. Though we may not realize the real culprit at that very instant, we may conveniently blame it over our mood at a later stage in future. A powerful weapon fueled with the ability to influence our moments, memories and experiences, mood determines ‘the end’ to every activity. Though mood is believed to cast such an influential spell over our living, it is very important to bring it under our tools. By allowing bad mood to spoil a significant event or by letting an overconfident, happy mood take over the charge of a serious responsibility, we may experience failure, troubles, disappointment and sorrow.

     Mood is a temporary player that can bring permanent changes. Words arising from an angry mood can cause undesirable strains in a relation, conclusions made during the state of boredom can form permanent images in our head. Though these are some of the examples of an undesirable mood, there are some happy features, too. Energetic, enthusiastic, cheerful and lively mood can set a stage for power, ambition, tasks and actions. Mood laced with happiness prompts us to think beyond the limits and expand our horizon.

     If you observe closely, mood is a background that can change the overall effect of a picture. When you think about a plan for the future, the same idea may seem exciting, welcoming, possible and achievable during a happy mood; spelling out success and hope, over and over again. Nothing may seem difficult or impossible along the way. Though challenges may present their case, these may appear as achievable in the light of a hopeful mood filled with energy. Now, if we imagine these same ideas in a sad, gloomy and dark mood, every aspect of the plan may come across as an impossible block. By allowing the sad mood to take charge, every happy factor may transform into sadness, every hopeful agenda may turn into hopeless action and every manageable task may convert into an impossible load.

      For a more related example to this thought, I am tempted to ponder about our moods along different times of the day or along different days of the week. Early morning mood reflects seriousness, maturity and an absolutely no-nonsense behavior. Combined with a vulnerable and non-resistant attitude, any major discussions, plans and concerns during the morning can leave a major impact. As the day progresses, the afternoon sun takes away some seriousness from the concern, leaving behind a lazy mood and careless attitude. Setting sun may wipe away all the cares completely. What may seem as a major worry during the start of the day gets converted into a manageable job by the end, leading to a good night and a happy mind. This answers the question why Monday morning talks, plans and actions seem irritating and annoying, but the same aspects seem colorful and bright along the weekends. In each of these experiences, the innocent, yet powerful mood certainly does its job well!

      While talking about mood, we cannot forget to include its famous partnership by the name ‘mood-swings’! Known to be the best friend of females alone, I often wonder about the source of origin of such a false claim. Though women excel in the art of expression, making them the best communicators and emotional members, men also exhibit the shades of mood-swings, quite prominently. As deep bond between women and mood-swings has been depicted since several ages in the past, this norm has been safeguarding men till date. Be it shouting from mother or useful instructions from wife, be it serious advice from sister or sincere words from daughter, men always find it convenient to transfer every single action of women and every single blame on them over the usual ‘mood-swings’.

     With this, let us perform a fun exercise to celebrate this friendship with MOOD.

Think about your reactions to the following ideas, while being in diverse moods:

1.       Suggestion of a vacation trip by family or friends:

i.   When you are broke.

ii.   In the middle of a difficult assignment on a busy Tuesday.

iii.  During a relaxed and lazy Sunday afternoon.

2.       News about a friend’s wedding or birth of their first child.

 i.   When you are being pressurized for these activities by your own parents.

ii.    When meeting friends over a weekend

iii.   While speaking with your thoughts late in the night.

3.       Plans about purchasing a house or a car

i.  When calculating the practical costs with the dealer.

ii.  When dreaming about it with your family.

iii.  When worrying about its expenses and after-effects in the middle of your work.

Each of these thoughts will reflect the power of mood. Though a particular action may seem impossible or weird under the influence of a sad mood that very same aspect will jump with joy during a happy one.

P.S: A note for all the men, though the feminine blogger in me has blamed you all for the misunderstandings with mood-swings, you can continue to pamper your woman under the pretext of her regular, expected, unpredictable friends!

Thank you for feeding the creativity in me.

     

      While you are wondering about the title of this post or pondering about its recipient, let me clear it out for you. This thank you note is meant for every single reader such as yourself. Readers who constantly give me their valuable feedback, readers who prompt me to improve with each passing post, readers who connect with the writer in me, this is an appreciation account for each one of you. Be it in the form of a personal message or a comment, be it through likes and shares on social media platform or through spoken words of encouragement, every single feedback has been extremely valuable for this humble, little blogger.

     Feeding back response, criticism, improvement and appreciation to the creator of an art is the novel task of ‘feedback’ that helps in innumerable ways than we can think about.

   Be it positive encouragement or negative criticism, every form of feedback brings out the best in a person. By offering an honest and true picture, feedback offers scope for improvement. Though the heart in me always longs for words of appreciation and praises, my mind reminds me about the need to wish for a sincere feedback. While some aspects may work in my favor and enable constant flow of appreciation, certain factors may need improvement, prompting me to evolve, develop, flourish and grow. Besides the ability to create and display, it is extremely essential to show sincere willingness towards honest feedback. As a growth supplement that can promote success and satisfaction, feedback is certainly the key player in the game.

      Feedback is a universal factor that works in every single domain of our life. Be it academics in school or work assignment in office, be it arts, hobbies, talents and skills or activities of recreation, feedback encourages the creator within us; bringing out smiles, laughter, happiness and satisfaction. While offering an honest opinion is the rule of the feedback game, false praises and manipulative words with an aim to look good can do more harm than one can imagine. Besides the eagerness to bombard one with feedback, we must also have the capacity to accept the feedback from others.

    Along the journey of a blogger and writer so far, I have now realized the value of feedback closely. Expecting feedback from every single reader for each of my posts, hoping for nothing besides praises and longing for positive comments were some of my incorrect demands as an amateur writer. As I moved along the path, I came closer to the true realities of feedback. Born with an aim to improve and evolve, rather than flatter and look good, the true meaning of feedback presented itself right in front of my eyes. While I appreciate the influence and presence of feedback, I always look forward to the opportunity of receiving it.

    Feedback does not follow any particular pattern or adheres to any specific rules. Be it any form, manner, mode or medium, the job of feedback is to reach to its rightful owner. By offering its message, feedback initiates the job of improvement. As honest and true feedback is more beneficial than false words of praises, one must display willingness to accept every piece of criticism that comes their way. As I evolved with passing time, I understood the harm in crying over negative comments. Though such words shine under the light of negativity, their true aim is to prevent similar mistakes in the future. Understanding the true meaning of feedback and utilizing it for one’s own progress is the key to success. Drawing happiness and joy from positive feedback; analyzing, interpreting and learning from negative feedback and striving towards improvement all along can bring out the best from deep within.

Back to the thank you note, let me spell out every single reason for the gratitude and appreciation:

THANK YOU ALL:

-          For reading my posts and enjoying all its flavors.

-          For boosting my confidence as a blogger and encouraging me to continue this mode of expression.

-          For motivating me to display my love for words.

-          For encouraging me to expand my horizon, as articles and write-ups have entered into the basket along with blogs.

-          For inspiring me to return back with new topics and fresh pieces.

-          For pointing out my weaknesses and prompting me to develop my strengths.

-          For playing along with me in this game of words as readers are the most important components.

-          For strengthening the belief that I can express my thoughts, beliefs, memories and experiences in the written form.

-          For being there for me as enthusiastic readers with patient thoughts, eager eyes and happy heart.

and lastly,

-          For reading my extremely long posts without any complaints!

   Thank you for every single factor mentioned above, besides any other aspect I must have forgotten about.

 Thank you for feeding me with creativity, confidence, happiness and satisfaction, after all your feedback definitely feeds me well! 

Experiences of Indian cuisine on a foreign land!

A guide on what to expect and what not to expect in Indian restaurants for the foodies abroad.

      Though I strongly believe in the thought ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do’ and I do enjoy the local flavors of diverse cuisines in this foreign land- the tongue, eyes and stomach can never stop their craving for Indian food. Residing in foreign soil for more than a year now, the excitement and happiness to look around for Indian restaurants continues to stay strong. Though my interest towards cooking inspires me to stay close to the roots of Indian cuisine, it cannot replace the joy of enjoying a ready meal in a relaxing ambiance. With this thought in mind, as me and my husband hunt around for Indian restaurants and fast-food joints, the joy of experiencing diverse flavors of home country, while being miles away add to the overall appeal of the food.

      With increasing demand for Indian cuisine, several style of restaurants have made home in the United States. From authentic South Indian delicacies to true North Indian varieties, from popular street food dishes to interesting sweets and desserts, Indian cuisine has made its way into the hearts of people around. One peculiar aspect of these restaurants that always grabs my attention is their perfect balance between taste and surrounding. While serving authentic Indian food with its unique touch of spices, ingredients, preparation and recipes, these restaurants perform an excellent task of blending it well with the ambiance of the foreign surrounding.

      Relishing Indian cuisine, while being abroad bring back wonderful memories of the home soil. Though enjoying such Indian food in a restaurant may be an affair of a few minutes or hours, the experience and ambiance showers a lot more. The experience certainly seems heart-warming and welcoming, while I admire the same joy back home. The excitement of spotting a favorite dish on the menu card or happiness of searching a restaurant that serves the same style of favorite food truly brings a big, board smile on the face of every NRI!

      Sharing these experiences with family and friends or showing off the happiness of enjoying authentic Indian cuisine in the foreign land soon turns into a matter of pride, as it acts as a means to be closer to the Indian residing deep within. Though these restaurants toil to offer the best possible pure taste with their true preparation, there are several chances of disappointment along the way. Hoping to relish the same taste, yet residing miles away can lead to some troubles as the mind and tongue are still programmed for the flavors from home soil. During times like these, I realize the contribution of water, soil, climate, local harvest and environment in offering the final masterpiece. Though one may mimic these conditions in every possible way, the freshness of air and tanginess of local spice shall certainly differ.

      Besides filling the stomach with delicious food and pampering the tongue with its authentic taste, Indian cuisine always drives me over the lane of nostalgia. Though these restaurants are famous among Indians longing to get a feel of the home land; some of these are equally famous among local folks, too. Offering them a sneak peek view of the Indian land, such restaurants can attract them to experience the real feel of the country.

 Such is the magic of relishing Indian cuisine on the foreign land. While this aspect of Indian cuisine and food may have been taken for granted while residing back home, it has truly occupied the center-stage miles away.

       Though I and my husband love the opportunity to explore Indian cuisine, we always experience a fixed circle of emotions. Starting with interest and excitement, moving towards appreciation, proceeding towards deep observation, analysis and discussion and finally ending the conservation with wonders of taste back home, this order of events is bound to repeat after every adventure. After gaining valuable feedback and suggestions from our friends around, when we look forward to the experience of relishing this Indian food, we are almost sure of the repetition of these events.

   As a guide for my fellow NRIs or as a learning tutorial for all those about to make this land their second home, let me frame certain useful points of advice. Though individual experiences and encounters differ for each one, the blogger in me cannot stop herself from doing the obvious- talking, writing, talking and some more writing. While I share these experiences with you, enjoy every single piece of information – whether you are a prospective NRI who can note these for future reference, or an existing member of the club who can relate with it, whether you are RI (residential Indian ;) who can draw humor with occasional wish to offer sympathy or a person confused to decide which club to enter into, sit back and enjoy this gift of words!

1.       Looks can be deceptive:

  

   While name of a restaurant may tempt the patriot in you, or its online description and reviews may bring out the Indian in you, it may not necessarily turn out to be as expected. Though looks and ambiance may reflect our country in every way, it may just prove as a deceptive magnet for the Indian foodie in you.

2.       Enter at your own risk:

   Now, though your friends, colleagues and neighbors may give you a patriotic speech about the true taste and authentic flavors of food served in an Indian restaurant, do not forget about the diverse varieties within the Indian cuisine and complexities within various cultures. So while south, north, west and east of Indian cuisine shall differ by all means, enter at your own risk to experience the spread as described.

3.       Keep comparisons and analysis at bay:

   An aspect that we learned the hard way, comparing Indian food with the one served at home can lead to nothing besides disappointment. Though Indian restaurants abroad toil to offer the best experience to its patrons with close resemblance to ingredients, taste, flavors and presentation, it is absolutely inappropriate to compare them with Indian restaurants in India. By handling several contrasting factors along the way, they truly bear the brunt of expectations.

    While settling in a foreign land, yet offering a cuisine that can appeal to all, this transaction certainly calls for more hard work and consistent efforts. Enjoying their offered menu without any preconceived ideas and judgments can enhance the overall dining experience. As the only means that can connect an NRI back to the home ground, they certainly deserve the credit, respect and gratitude.

4.       Relish your meal with a pinch of salt!

    Though we may not bother much about the ingredients, style, pairing and presentation of food, while relishing a meal in a restaurant in India, all these observations and analysis come out effortlessly, while at a restaurant abroad. As patriotism and love for the country reaches its peak at such places, it is necessary to savor the taste with a pinch of salt. Disappointment due to over-analysis or impossible expectations from the restaurant staff will only add to the pile of sorrow.

5.       Adaption is the rule for survival

    While Indian restaurants make efforts to survive and flourish in a foreign environment, they have to adopt certain variations and changes. By adapting themselves to the needs, demands, expectations and customs of local land, they may be forced to drift away from an authentic taste. Be it involvement of local vegetables or change in source of spices, be it change in the presentation or inclusion of side dishes, adjusting to the local demands is the need of the hour.

Hope these guidelines can entertain and guide at the same time. As we continue our adventures and experiences, I hope to add some more content in the future! 

The ‘Home Coming’ series….4

     

     After an exciting nostalgic journey of my trip back home, it is now time to draw curtains over this series. While decorating the experiences, highlights, memories and adventures within the scope of words, the blogger in me has enjoyed every bit of the process. As words form the primary components of any blog, framing these interesting experiences with their aid turned into an exciting task. While the series comes to its last phase, final summary of the entire experience would represent a ‘happy and a true ending’.

    Ranging over duration of a month, every single day was filled with its own share of happiness, joy, adventure and novelty. Embracing warmth and love of home country, while breathing its air and walking over its soil was truly exciting by all means as ‘home coming’ brought loads of joy in its stock.

    While I summarize this series along the finale episode, I hope to include every single color and shade that made the trip absolutely wonderful in its own way.

SEASON 1, EPISODE 4: Summarizing the fun, frolic, flavors and feelings

   A trip marked with loads of fun, food, meetings and greetings, the summary deserves to be grand, just as its main content. While each of the episodes have conveyed their message loud and clear, the blogger in me looked around for novel ideas to present the final show stopper. With this, the idea of presenting one thought for every single alphabet from A-Z took birth! Sit back and read through this post, while framing your feedback; after all your words over mine can bring out the best from the blog!

1.       Amazing experience of touching the home ground, the trip was marked with love and affection for its land and people.

2.       Blessed with the opportunity to meet my little nephew for the first time ever, this reason alone marked the charm of the trip.

3.       Continuous talks and endless chats formed the central theme of the trip, as words chose to stay with me right till the end.

4.       Date with little nephew and days spent with him formed the best highlights.

5.       Eagerness to enjoy nostalgic trip over good, old days and excitement to visit favorite places marked the flow.

6.       Food, feast and some more food - as the dominating theme of the entire trip; relishing home-cooked meals and gorging on outside delicacies enhanced the overall flavor of the experience.

7.       Generation of remarkable memories and long-lasting moments that shall always stay close to me as my first trip back home.

8.       Happiness to meet family, friends, relatives and neighbors after long duration of years and distance of several miles.

9.       Interesting analysis between life here and there, giving way to practical differences between lifestyles and experiences of both the countries.  

10.   Joy of being surrounded with familiar people all around, with similarities of language, nature, behavior and thoughts.

11.   Key elements of the trip such as spending time at home, playing around with nephew and seeing the changes in the home city formed the best activities during this vacation.

12.   Long flight and extremely long journey to reach the home country seemed exciting as the experiences on the other end waited for their magic.

13.   Meetings and greetings were undoubtedly the only tasks of this trip, with great scope for photographs, discussions, chats and food.

14.   No scope for boredom or relaxation as every day was more interesting than the previous one and schedule packed to its brim.

15.   Opportunity to celebrate nephew’s first birthday was truly the best highlight of the trip as wishing this little superstar, while showering him with love and kisses was the entire plan since several days. 

16.    Participation in every task of the little nephew was truly exciting- from preparing his meals to playing with his toys, from forcing him to sleep to giving him a special bath, every task was enjoyable to the core.

17.   Question and answer session was one of the most common engagements of this trip, as answering the questions about lifestyle, food, travel, nature, environment, behavior, social life of the experience abroad occupied the center stage.

18.   Replay of old memories and events, while touring the city roads and admiring the life back then.

19.   Satisfaction of spending adequate time with family and friends, since days were limited, while plans unlimited.

20.   Truly memorable, remarkable and enjoyable in every way, a trip to be remembered forever.

21.   Unique experience of holding a little kid in my arms, while behaving responsibly as his aunt!

22.   Vast range of experiences and memories that gave birth to this series.

23.   Wonderful in every way, ‘Home coming’ was all about coming back to the place where the heart is.

24.   X-factor of this vacation was enthusiasm to look at my old belongings, clothes, accessories within my cupboard of my very own room.

25.   Year and a half long wait to visit the home city came to a happy ending as every moment spent was truly worth the wait.

26.   Zooming in all the fun, happiness and joy of the meeting, while zooming out patience for the next trip.

   With this, as the wonderful series of ‘home coming’ comes to an end, it is time to initiate the next phase of pondering soon. Till I return back with my blogs once again, ‘Happy reading and happier living!’ 

The ‘Home coming series’…..3

   

       While describing a journey or soaking into the feel of nostalgia, no series can be declared as ‘completed’, without mention of some of the most interesting aspects of that particular phase. Lightly termed as ‘highlights’, these aspects transform into wonderful memories, longing to stay with us forever. Highlights that dominate the plot of a series, factors that influence our experiences, moments, adventures and realities, such aspects remain close to our heart always.  While thinking about the fantastic memories of my home visit, I could not resist the temptation of penning down my own highlights. 

    

      Listing all the contents that made my visit memorable, as I touch yet another episode of this series, I can only hope for more feedback, comments, happiness and smiles. While writing about them shall open my luggage of joy, I wish to transfer those feelings to you, too!

SEASON 1, EPISODE 3: HIGHLIGHTS- from ‘Welcome’ to ‘See you again’

      From the moment, the eyes were greeted with a heart-warming board of ‘WELCOME’ into the home country to the moment of farewell, until the next meeting - excitement, happiness, joy, laughter, fun, emotions and smiles chose to stay with me. Be it meeting family and friends after a long time or walking over the lanes of the home city; be it gorging on favorite food or being surrounded by familiar faces around, several highlights such as these deserve an entry into the list. Offering the joy of nostalgia, love, warmth and connection, these factors colored the course of my month-long journey.

     As I take you all through this interesting list, I hope to include something and everything of all that resides in my mind, waiting to find a means of expression!

1.       ‘Just like you and me’

   The first observation registered by the eyes and mind was presence of my own country people all around. While residing in a foreign land teaches you the aspects of multi-cultural groups, diverse nationalities, foreign practices and novel beliefs, touching feet at the airport brought me back to the feeling called ‘home’. Though each of these experiences named ‘foreign’ and ‘local’ have their own unique highlights and low-lights, the feeling of being surrounded by familiar faces that sinks at that very instant transforms into the most valuable memory.

2.       Gastronomical ride to the villa of ‘appetite’

    Though my near and dear ones will remark about the incorrect inclusion of food as one of ‘my’ highlights, I do have valid explanation to justify this gastronomical ride! From home-cooked food over the cooking gas to bliss of outside treats, from favorite restaurants for a pre-decided fixed demand to spread of mangoes to the heart’s content, this journey was definitely about food, food and more food. Though I am a self-confessed non foodie, with no additional room for extra food of any kind, I did enjoy every local experience of taste and flavors. 

    Known for the unique blend of spices and traditional method of cooking, preparation of food from local ingredients on the home grounds did enhance the overall taste. While mangoes dominated the flow of this ride, enjoying the king of fruits within its royal kingdom was undoubtedly amazing. Each of the fantastic hands that made such scrumptious meals deserve special credit, after all happiness is where the food is!

P.S: Special mention of cooking gas was due to the practice of electric cooking range in this second home away from home.

3.       About meetings and greetings

     Undoubtedly one of the best highlights of this visit, meeting and greeting my family, friends, relatives and neighbors brought wonderful experiences and amazing memories. From playing with my little nephew to endless talks with his mother, from meeting relatives to making plans with cousins and friends, from capturing photographs as long-lasting memories to sharing experiences of the overseas life, every single moment with near and dear ones was valuable in its own way.

     Showering endless love and warmth, the essence of these meetings and greetings shall definitely stay with me forever.

4.       Flavor of nostalgia

    Revisiting the old lanes, roads, buildings and neighborhood brought back beautiful memories from the past. Thinking about the good, old times, while observing, analyzing, comparing and wondering about the similarities and differences then and now was nothing less than a fun game. Nostalgia and power of memories brought back the joy of past, while fueling the journey for the future.

     Be it the lane leading to my building or range of shops around, be it new redeveloped construction over old ones or the highways and usual traffic, be it local railway station or spread of markets and vendors, every factor forced me to dip into the sea of nostalgia. Probably one of the most engaging highlights of the trip, this flavor of nostalgia enhanced the overall feel.

   Though these four highlights have spoken a lot, occupying the entire space of the blog; several other tiny, little aspects have added their own colors, too. While it is impossible to enlist every single experience of this 30-days adventure, the highlights have certainly summarized it all.

   Hope you enjoyed the striking features of these highlights, as much as I enjoyed framing each one of them! 

     Till we meet again for the last episode in this series, happy reading!