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?