What next…

“I’m taking my blog to the next level with #MyFriendAlexa campaign by the team BlogChatter.”

Phew.. This is the last post for that campaign!

Despite being enormously happy about my Alexa ranking and the entire campaign, I’ll not be signing up for any more campaigns. It’s not just my cup of tea!

The campaign has made me realize the following:

1. I am terrible at taking up orders.
2. Writing for any defined reason, doesn’t bring out the best in me.
3. I couldn’t find joy in writing, when I write for any such reasons.
4. The joy of drop in rank is not greater than the joy of writing for writing my thoughts.

Also, I am sorry to be part of campaign and not able to follow the rules.

Sum of these had made me feel guilty overall and has much more adverse effect.

I started this blog to express myself. And the pride I had in my blog, till I started with such rigorous campaigns, has started declining.

I’m content with quality than quantity.

So, I’m going back to my hibernation and enjoy life in the present, as it is.

I won’t abandon my blog at any time, but also wouldn’t let me be constrained even by my very life.

I might throw in a pebble, when it so happens, but not otherwise.

And despite everything I said above, I liked to have found so many blogs through the campaign and am grateful for the likes and comments and shares.

And above all, there’s something coming up on October 5th.

Losing to win!

I signed up for Alexa campaign when that was supposed to be the only meal on my plate. But the hungry me, grabbed much of the delicacies from variety of cuisines and filled the platter so much.

Now, here I’m stuffing everything at the last minute, just because, I don’t want to waste any of it. But am I able to stuff up everything?

I think I do have some leftovers, which I’ve to dine and digest. The only relief is that, those items haven’t expired yet.

So right after finishing this, I’ll continue gobbling away, whining and also winning over another target.

Hope, you could enjoy your meal hot and fresh and enjoy everything without guilt, unlike me!

Anyway, I did take up my blog to the next level with the #MyFriendAlexa campaign by the team #BlogChatter.

My Alexa rank on 1st September, 2019 – 51,08,429 (Global)

My Alexa rank on 30th September, 2019 – 5,28,711 (Global) and 28,429 (India)

So that was indeed an awesome bite for me!

United in love!

Today, 30th September, is World Translation Day.

I believe that, this is one poetry which deserves to be appreciated for years to come by many. And this is a sample of the wealth of knowledge and humility of the poet, who had such a brilliant idea, but not the desire to publicise his name.

There are two major elements that comprises the crust of earth. Water and Land.

The element of water is widely considered the flowing element and represents change, travel, search for destiny etc.

Whereas the element of land represents the stability, patience, finality or even a finite object.

The element of water exists in many forms such as ocean, river, falls, stream, lake, rain and so on.

And the land exists as soil, mud, sand, stone, rock, mountain and so on. The larger it is, the flexibility is reduced, while smaller the particle, it’s unusable for modified purpose. They can be used as is or with minor changes.

Usage of water is as wide as it’s form. And each usage relies upon few or just one form. For e.g., ocean is good for transporting through ships but useless for drinking directly. Also, existence of each form is restricted by the area of it’s existence. A falls can’t exist in plain and not ocean on top of mountain.

Another interesting feature is most of the water forms exist above land, though source of water is below land, apart from rain.

It’s born out of land, nurtures land, floods land, and consumes two third of earth’s crust.

Seems neither exist without the other. And also one overpowers the other at each stage.

But do they ever be at par?

Yes, when the land is mud/red soil and water is rain. They both lose themselves and they adorn a new form, of mud, which is neither liquid not solid.

Thus, merged the heart of two, in love, inseparable and into one, by losing itself. And together they could be created into new formations, which isn’t possible to be attained by either water or soil independently.

This is the example given by an anonymous poet to describe love. And the richness of the thought paved way to name the poet after this example.

யாயும் ஞாயும் யாரா கியரோ,
எந்தையும் நுந்தையும் எம்முறைக் கேளிர்,
யானும் நீயும் எவ்வழி யறிதும்,
செம்புலப் பெயனீர் போல,
அன்புடை நெஞ்சம் தாங்கலந் தனவே.

-செம்புலப் பெயனீரார்.

What is my mother to yours?
How is my father related to yours? Although you and I knew not
each other in any way,
just as red earth and pouring rain:
the love-filled hearts merged.

(Kuruntokai – 40)

[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuṟuntokai]

A single line that has such a depth of meaning. This keeps amazing people for generations and still going to live for long.

I’m taking my blog to the next level with #MyFriendAlexa campaign by the team BlogChatter.

Poetry without words!

Nature’s poetry!

I’m taking my blog to the next level with #MyFriendAlexa campaign by the team BlogChatter.

Rambling on love

The magical feeling which is the topic of discussion for ages bygone and ages to come, never gets old. I was wondering why was that, just like every one musing about love.

I think, it’s because, that’s something special, obviously.

For those who aren’t made aware of the sweet nectar, in full, but just given a fleeting glimpse, that’s the ultimate target. To which all of their routes are diverted.

For those who are in the heavenly bliss, they are so full of the happiness and doesn’t have the slightest inclination to get out of it, to help others on their route, nor explain it in words. For that bliss is of such addictive nature without any reprieve. And also, for the very reason, it couldn’t be constrained to meagre words. That’s beyond any compare and can only be enjoyed by oneself.

If someone bothers to explain or guide through anyone else, either they haven’t experienced it in full and are showing off in vain, to make others believe the better of them. Or else, some twisted fate has pushed them out of the heaven, to only linger the joy and not continue to experience it.

And those are the ones who tell tales, throwing a glimpse of heaven to the newbies and those are the ones who extend the life of their lives through the memories of their tales.

And in every way, the love and love alone remains as the constant, which stands witness to the trials and triumphs of all!

After all the regression, I realise that I’m in that heaven and hence I couldn’t put myself to be constrained within few words. Hence, couldn’t write about lamenting nor anything else.

Thus, you are here, reading another post of mine, searching for something, which might not be present here. But if it did, do drop a word and let me know, whether you could make heads or tails of this post!

I’m taking my blog to the next level with #MyFriendAlexa campaign by the team #BlogChatter

Bridging the gap!

Fortunate are those who know to read, and even more are those who can, in more than one language.

My mother tongue is Tamil, but my mother’s language is English, even though she loves Tamil. So, I’m introduced to literature of English and Tamil at a very early stage.

As much as I love reading in both languages,I love to write in both as well. Since, most of my communication is required to be in English, writing in English has become more common than my mother tongue.

My blog wasn’t started on an impulse. I first decided on the tag line, “aZhagiya salanangal“, then on the name “Ripples”. Also the very first post I conceived for my blog was in Tamil, which can be read here and I eventually translated it into English, here.

The reason I shifted to English is for two reasons. First, my Tamil audience is so limited, that there is no point writing solely in English is understandable to them. Secondly, my respect for the language is the highest and I don’t use it in vain. So I started writing in Tamil, only after a long thought process and for the content very close to my heart.

I mean no disrespect for English, as that’s the first language I prefer to communicate with a stranger and that’s the language that has given my words a global audience!

To find a balance between my passion for writing in my mother tongue and for reaching global audience, I stepped into translation. And that opened a whole new horizon for me.

I started translating only on my blog and for my own work, but later extended it to translate movie lyrics, just so, those who weren’t able to understand Tamil could understand the beauty of the works in Tamil. That led me to working and becoming co owner of the site, lyricaldelights.com

This venture has led me to take my passion to next level, when I started translating the works is my favorite poet in Tamil, Bharathiyaar. The project is still a work in progress, but what’s done so far can be found here.

I’m not sure whether I would be this content if I was able to write in just one language. But being the bridge between the two has made me even more purposeful and content.

Today is World Literacy Day! And I dedicate this post to everyone who’s taking a step forward to make the world a little more wider with knowledge!

I’m taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s #MyFriendAlexa

Right now!

I’ve been pondering what to write for the first post of #MyFriendAlexa In other words, picking the right bait to keep my new visitors hooked up with my words and/or posts.

Just when a beautiful idea started forming in the back of my mind… (Translation – Am staring out the window and postponing every other task I’ve to complete and call it thinking for my next awesome post) the climate itself took pity on me, or rather protected you all from another post of my ramblings…

The melancholic climate turned into a feisty downpour! I’ve heard from many sources that rain is sort of a gloomy mood. But when I’m traveling in National Highway, with my dear one(s), listening to my favorite tunes, a downpour is more uplifting than anything for me!

The road looks blacker, the greens around are greener, the surrounding looks fresh and free of dirt.. The dirt is sort of permanent fixture on these roads, so even the familiar road looks fresh. And the look is enhanced by the filter created by the tiny droplets on the window pane…

Nature’s filter!

As I was thus enjoying the travel, with a big smile on my face, I saw few kids going back from school, with a heavy backpack and drenched completely.

I felt sorry for them, till I crossed them and saw the bright glee on their face. There was not even a tiny bit of worry nor any other thoughts troubling their happy minds. I felt like the girl looking at the sparrow and wishing warmth with clothes, when it was already warm with its own wings!

In those happy smiles, I realised that happiness is not a by product or result of something else. It is being happy for the mere sake of being happy!

The lingering clouds!

The rain has stopped now, the climate has changed, the tunes changed, but not my happiness… Like the leaves drizzling long after the rain stopped, my smile still lingers on, without any cause, yet spreading cheer!

Hmmm.. So what makes you smilewithout a care in the world?

Rate this:

A dear friend asked me to make a video about books. When I asked that the topic was too vague, I was given the liberty to take it up as I wish..

And here’s that video for you all to view and comment upon it and upon anything else you would like to say to me..

So what’s your relationship with books and what’s your current favorite read?

I

I am the centre of my universe,
I am a tiny speck in the universe…

I drown in guilt with deadlines,
I procrastinate like no other…

I live here in the present,
I lose myself in memories…

I believe life is beautiful,
I dread waking up in morning…

I wonder what next,
I wander into past…

I am just a caterpillar,
I am the exquisite butterfly…

I wake up earlier somedays,
I sleep in till noon at times…

I am so organised with few,
I am most chaotic at many…

I dish out counsel, as if I conquered life,
I break down and dread to pick up myself…

I laugh louder with not a care,
I cry harder when it’s needed too…

I am an introvert to speak to others,
I am an extrovert to explore places…

I chatter incessantly to few,
I measure my words as few…

I am an explosion that brightens the sky,
I bury my head like an ostrich in earth…

I am just like you,
I am as unique as you..

I am many parts of one,
I am more than sum of my parts!

I am an oxymoron!
I am an epitome!

Review of “A Case of Connections”

I received the book through “Blogchatter Book Review Program“

Book Name: A Case of Connections
Author Name: Sayan Battacharya
Publisher: White Falcon Publishing
Link to Buy: Amazon

About the Book:
The story of three individuals, spanning different eras, different geography, and different political and societal conditions, connected by some memories and a Brief-Case full of papers. In other words, individual stories of grandfather, uncle, and grandson.

This book is split into three parts.

Part 1 – Why and what are all the events that led the grandson to chase the story of his grandfather Satyen.

Part 2 – What happened to the grandfather, Satyen, that made him so far away from his family. This also covers a very vivid glimpse into the conditions existing during the period of second world war, in India as well as London, and also how it affects the family.

Part 3 – The story of uncle / son of Satyen, shows insights into the life of Satyen as a father. Also explains how the connections are packed together inside a case.

Thus, we get insights into the lifestyle of those three person’s period. Even if the story is said in three perspectives, it is actually the story of Satyen.

In part 1, as a grandfather and a relative living so far away, geographically, yet so close in the heart’s of his family. This is conveyed through Satyen’s brother’s grandson. And through his interactions with grand parents and other relative’s memory of him.

In the next part, Satyen, as an individual who has aspirations beyond the routine life, how he follows through them, the struggles and dilemma he faces before few decisions and how they impact his life and to what extent are delivered from his perspective.

In the final part, Satyen as a father is explained by his son. Also this part explains what made this story plausible.

Though this make it seem like a common story, the content makes the book special as it gives the reader an insight into history, without the monotonous nature of school books, but in the most effective way, by explaining with individual family’s impact from world politics.

The lucid writing style makes it an easy read. Though it took me some time to grasp what the terms of relationship meant, (I presumed many) the content makes it easier to understand the relationship. Kindly note that this is a personal issue as I’m not familiar with the author’s native language.

Overall the book is a good read, and a great find for those who like to learn history.

Rating – 4/5

Yelp

I love watching movies but not so much of the genre similar to Jurassic Park. It might be due to my reaction watching it the first time.

In Jurassic Park, there is a scene towards the end, where the kids are chased by dinosaurs and the kids get into a lift. Just when it’s to take off, a dino almost catches a kid. The kid has to pull in the leg to be saved.

I let out a loud yelp and pulled in my leg. And people next to me started consoling me rather than watching it, for I was that scared.. 🙈

X ing a paragrab

The short story X ing a paragrab is written by Edgar Allan Poe.

It is one story that had me laughing so hard.

Written during the olden days, when the press used to manually set the entire article, letter by letter. And the rivalry between two presses and their challenging each other on drafting an article, with using of one particular character in almost all the words. So what happens when the entire block of that particular character is stolen and how the habit of using the character x as an alternate for the missing character is used.

I believe this was the starting point for all those challenges for using or not using any of the characters in blog posts.

Writing…

In my childhood days, I don’t like to write much.. Which my mother has reminded me so often enough, until very recently..

The reason I don’t like to write, is not because I don’t like to write, but I don’t like to repeat..

Allow me to explain..

In those days, the school work mainly consisted of repeating parts of what’s available in the text book. And the exams asked to vomit the mugged up parts of the text book. So I didn’t write those essay type questions, which was to be answered to score marks above the required pass mark. But I did attended the questions which required answer in just few words or lines. And also attended all the mathematical problems and would score above 90%

It took them a long time to understand that I hated repeating while I never stepped back when it came to any activity that required original content.

So the girl who hated writing becamea pseudo writer and blogger! 😜

Visual appeal..

Though I have never displayed my photo on my blog, please do believe me when I say that, I do have a very photogenic face and I do have some great pictures taken.

There is one special photograph of me taken at the age of about two / three. It is not so uncommon in that age to braid the hair, adorn it with flowers and take a picture of that long hair along with the front view, right before tonsuring (head shaving) for the first time.

I was all dressed up pretty and was having a beautifully designed braid. It was time to take the customary photo consisting of both the front and back view. Please bear in mind that taking photograph is such a rarity and reserved only for very special occasions. So there were only very few pictures taken at that age.

Back to the photo.. It was easy to take the picture of the front view, though they hadn’t taken it first. When they asked me to turn back and show the braid for clicking the picture, as my parents say, I was not turning back. When they insisted, I had argued that how will the photo has my face, if you take it when I am facing the other way?

Seems quite logical, when you can’t make the kid-me understand that both front and rear view will be merged into a single picture and it just shows the doll-me front and back.

Thus the resultant photo was an expression less back form, along with the sullen face next to it!

Of course, it does bring a good laugh around whenever we see the picture now, even though I’m sullen faced and cute just as tiny toddlers could be!

UFO

I’ve an undying love for electronics. It all started with a video game named UFO.

I was about seven years, when I went for a walk with my father, spotted an interesting-looking-odd-shaped-violet-colored object across the counter of a shop.

As I asked my dad about it, we stepped in and enquired about it, the details of which are insignificant background noise, while I was engrossed in admiring the object’s odd shape and the tiny little buttons on it.

All I remember was that, it was not something meant for me, as we were not buying it right then. I was disappointed only little bit, as it looked like something too costly and also I was not so sure that it was meant for someone as young as me.

We returned home, and dad called me back for another walk immediately. Still I didn’t understand the meaning, until we reached the same shop.

Yes, I was gifted that video game and that was my first video game! It was a very simple game, where you ought to catch / shoot the falling objects. Not all, just the wrong objects flying disturbing the UFO.

I still have that game with me, it may even work, if I fit in a proper battery. It’s like those Andy’s toys in the toy story movie. Always having a special place in the heart of it’s owner.. 🙂

Quit, should I?

When life gets tough, it is easy to consider quitting. And there are so many motivators to push me ahead. I’ve also written few posts on those.

One such motivator was part of my curriculum in school. Which stayed longer than most other lessons.

It was about Jesse Owens. And his greatest Olympic prize. He won four gold medals in that Olympics and set an amazing record, when none expected him to succeed in anything at all. Even if he is the most eligible candidate to winall those laurels. Though he overcame many hurdles to participate in finals, the most difficult hurdle was when he was almost not making through the trials.

That’s when Luz Long, his fellow competitor offers him an advice, which costs him his own victory in Olympics.

When Owens was trying to give his best, even at trials, and was instead making a foul, he was consulted to not give his best, but just get through the trials. So he might get into the finals and show his worth, where it matters the most. Thus, he sets back a little to achieve even more in the finals and go on to win the coveted gold medal in Olympics.

The lesson, that stayed with me is not just about losing a little to gain more. But to earn a friend, who would push me ahead, even when it might cost them their victory. Who would stand by me at all times, who knows what I’m capable of better than me, who knows when I’m stuck in an imaginary pit and who knows how to redeem me from myself, so that I would achieve what I’m capable of..

That might seem like an unachievable dream. But the lucky me found not just one but more than one such dear true friend! Yes, they still exist and they still stay along as my friend in my happiness and sadness, and all ups and downs.

And whenever I’m on the verge of quitting, one of them comes around to push me ahead. And thus I keep on going forward as well as achieving more and more.

For those who wonder, whether I return the favour, I do so, as said, by my friends.. 🙂

Play – Do you play now?

While I was a kid there were many friends to play with and a huge open area to play as we wish.

We used to play many games. The evenings started with games involving lots of running and moving around. With that we would be drenched in sweat and while we are near exhaustion, we will shift to games played by sitting around.

So whatever our energy level, we played and played, till we were dragged to our homes by our parents.

And the level of animosity between neighbours was far less. We could knock any door of the neighborhood for a glass of water and they would also care for all of us.

There were few houses who let us play full time in their home. There was an aunty, who always has some craft or something to keep us engaged during the sunny hours. She also lovingly made popcorn and sometimes noodles for all of us.

There was an uncle who was living in a sparsely furnished portion. And he had set no limits for playing anywhere in the house and he would also join us playing hide and seek. He always entertained with some interesting conversation where he taught us something new in a playful way.

Life is beautiful when people interact with people, face to face, rather than when everyone finds their temporary deluded moment of happiness, within a small pixelated window!

Do we need BookReviews?

Today I am deviating from my theme – nostalgia, apologies, if you were expecting it!

A recent conversation with a friend lead to the topic, why book reviews are important and here is my personal, non-researched view on that question.

I’ve been reading books for years and still haven’t bothered with reviews until the past few years.

It was when I started picking books myself rather than read what’s recommended by dear and near. When I started exploring the plethora of categories and titles, I was literally confused on what would suit me and what wouldn’t.

So, I started searching for the title in Wikipedia, to get a gist of what is awaiting in the content. But that wasn’t a helping, when I started picking up books that aren’t very famous. And thus I stumbled upon Goodreads.

Until, I was part of publishing a book, I didn’t realise the impact of reviews completely.

Now my perspective of reviews are much different than what I started with..

I feel the reviews are important because of these points.

• It conveys the emotion of reader.
• Helps a new reader to pick a book more often than a book without reviews.
• Constructive criticism helps the author improve their writing.
• And honest positive review is to the author, what the sound of first clap to a live performer is.

There are few downfalls as well to book reviews.

• Reviews by amateur/immature readers, doesn’t give an objective review.
• Also, when the reader is not familiar even with popular books of the same genre, they couldn’t identify the inspiration/theft of ideas from other sources. (And it’s really disheartening to read huge praises being misdirected)
• Paid reviews – it’s true that it’s very very hard to get genuine reviews for new books by persons, yet to become famous. But considering an author famous, only based on paid reviews is totally unfair.

So I do believe that avid readers must come forward to write honest reviews and create a trusted platform for new authors and help the growth of genuine creativity.

And Blogchatter’s platform to bring them together is a right move in that direction. The details of the program are here.