Wo(a)ndering thoughts!!!

So, there I was, at a Thai joint with a bunch of people I know—let's call them The Acquaintance bunch . The mood was high, the chattiness was maximum, and the orders were... complex. The majority in the group(not me), of course, were getting the Vegan Fried Rice , because it's 2025 and we're trying to be good to the planet (and probably our colons). But everyone also needed a unique, bespoke spice level . We're talking a Scoville-scale rainbow of requests. We waited an appropriate( nice way to say we waited for a long time) amount of time, which is to say, long enough for the conversation to move from small talk about the weather to details of the future travel plans. This is an image of a feast my dear friend cooked for me when I visited her- Kindness to the core.  and many eternities later.. The  Nervous Waiter arrived, plates in hand, looking like a bomb disposal expert trying to decide which wire to cut. She held up two plates of identical-looking rice and meekly a...

It's that time of the year again , we celebrate women in so many different forms—the strong ones, the calm ones, the brave ones, the creative ones, the protective ones, and the fierce warriors. We celebrate all the qualities of a goddess, a Lakshmi. But honestly, growing up, this festival was mostly about treats and school holidays. I never really saw myself in any of those powerful figures. I was a shy kid, and I certainly didn't see anyone who was "vigorous" or "furious" being praised as a "good girl." PC: Google images It felt like women who showed anger or bravery were always told to just calm down, as long as it wasn't a family issue. If it were a family problem, they were told to be quiet to keep the family's business behind closed doors. And as for the creative women?! They became invisible; it is considered their creativity as part of the everyday household work, and they are never truly celebrated. The older I get, the more I see ...

Growing up, books and I had a purely transactional relationship. They were a means to an end—I'd read my textbooks and notes, and that was it. The idea of picking up a book for fun felt like extra homework, and who wants that? My aversion to reading was so strong that it took a desperate need to avoid eye contact with strangers on my daily commute to finally pick up a novel. My first real dive was Sidney Sheldon's Tell Me Your Dreams . It was an absolute game-changer, a gateway drug into the wonderful world of fiction. It completely hooked me, and suddenly, I was a full-fledged reader. Since then, I've dived into everything from gritty non-fiction for a dose of reality to fiction that's a one-way ticket to another universe. Nothing beats fiction for a good escape, where you can lose yourself completely. Some characters become part of your soul, making you laugh, cry, and inspire to see those places in real life, and some make you angry the way the characters are portray...

Welcome to the latest episode of "Things My Son Thinks I Broke," where the situations are tiny but the reactions are massive! My theory is that whenever A has a free day, he must create some miniature-sized drama to ruin the day, and I am, of course, the unsuspecting co-star. This particular Saturday was supposed to be a fun day—no sports for the first time in eight months, a beautiful sunny winter day, and a road trip with a packed lunch and snacks! What could possibly go wrong? PC:Google image Turns out, me trying to get ready is what goes wrong. I get ready and come out to see that G was giving A a serious dressing-down. This was my first sign of trouble since arguments are usually my territory. I quickly discovered the crime: apparently, the Eiffel Tower was broken. Not the real one, mind you, but a cardboard replica A had built five years ago. He was furious, and I, in a moment of maternal brilliance, decided to lie. "I didn't break it," I said, " alt...

You know, I thought by now, after years of paying the bills with my respectable career, I'd at least get some street cred from the resident tiny peasant. Especially since, you know, I work in IT . You'd think that would be enough to earn me the coveted "IT girl" badge of honor from my teen, but apparently, my offspring operates on a different planet. My daily struggle involves my son, Little A, relentlessly "BOYSPLAINNING" me on using computer. Yes, you read that right. He boyplains abbreviations (he literally said E-games is Electronic games) to me, a grown woman who has, in fact, used a computer before. He'll rattle off keyboard shortcuts like I've been living under a rock since dial-up was a thing. "Mom, you just hit Ctrl+Alt+Delete to, like, fix everything!"   Yesterday was a particular highlight. I was meticulously crafting some design on Canva, and Little A, lost his patience, was hovering. Apparently, my navigation speed wasn't u...

You know, I always thought "connecting with friends" meant, like, talking to them. But apparently, for Lil A and his crew, it means a virtual linguistic app  Duolingo . Last year, they started this whole "streaks and points" obsession, and I just figured, "Hey, whatever keeps them off my lawn, right?" Then came the fateful winter break, a mere month ago. Lil A, with the cunning of a seasoned cult leader, convinced me to join his Duolingo dominion. I, a skeptic of the highest order, figured I'd humor him. Just see what the fuss was about. Big mistake. Huge. I've been sucked into the green owl's vortex, people. Obsessed is an understatement. It's like finding long-lost relatives, but instead of awkward family dinners, it's me aggressively conjugating verbs in Spanish and attempting to decipher Korean honorifics. Spanish, in particular, has become my illicit lover. I was just doing it, lost in the rhythm of "hola" and "g...

 I have read somewhere that some people come in our lives for a reason, some come for a season, and a few stay for a lifetime. I feel everyone stays for a lifetime, one way or another. We may not be in touch or have lost contact, every little impact would last a lifetime. Don't you agree?  Few people made a huge mark in my life that I don't remember their face nor their name, but I remember what mark they left in my life - good or bad. This is my take on leaving footprints. I'm sure others have different views and opinions. Four decades of living in four different countries and three different continents, I met so many beautiful souls who humbled my life. I lost contact with most people - blame it on work or busy life. Everyone I met helped shape my life, it is like mini LEGO blocks. Every brick of my life has a name tag; in most cases, it is anonymous.  There are a few people I would never contact again; they were red flags, but they taught me huge life lessons. And I wa...

Kannama You are officially a teen in 13 days!! I don't know about any other thirteen-year-olds, but I believe you have been a teen for so long now that it feels like you are just natural at it, with your satire and sarcasm.  These days, you just ADORE one person in this world. If TA says a white crow exists, you blindly agree and become a witness to it by saying the white crow flew west. From the moment you wake up to the time you wind down for sleep, it’s delightful (NOT!) to see how you both chat away nonstop(just SPORTS!!).  Teens is when you explore your emotions while your hormones are playing up. I promise I will try my best to be patient with you. You start to navigate life through your peers and the world within the walls of the things that influence you from what you watch and sports icons you follow, make sure you listen to your inner voice and trust your instincts. All your jokes about my PMS and period pain are so on you. I hope you get some maturity on that part...

February is officially the snowed-under month for me, I guess it is the same for most parents who have children at school. PC : Google Images  Another academic year begins at the end of January, so all the after-school activities also kick-off. There is no doubt that children have to get back to routine and to set their sleeping clock back into a reasonable time.  As a parent, it is a Groundhog time of the year  - first I must remember to register for all those after-school activities and remember to pay for the classes. Some accept cash only which means I have to keep cash ready.  Another worst thing is to remember the class timings from last year. After almost 6 weeks of break, I don't know what time that class used to be - is it 5 or 5.30 or is it 7 or 7.15!!! Once I sort out all the registration and timings, the week begins like someone hit the fast-forward button and honestly, I like the 7 hrs of school time which keeps my day balanced. When the clock hit 5pm, a...

How did I end up in this situation, I wonder while I try and hide the evidence before I get caught. I quickly rush to my little one's room and find him watching Grizzly Bear and laughing. Watching him laugh makes my soul full, and suddenly, I remember why I came in to check on him. I tell him he can watch TV for another 30 minutes and walk out closing his room door behind me. I tell myself that 30 minutes is enough for me to clear the scene. I rush to the study to check on my dear hubby who is enjoying his favorite weekend dopamine-high work: checking financials and working on his spreadsheet. Usually,  I get upset that he gives so much attention to a spreadsheet than me. Today, I'm so glad he is distracted. I close his door and rush back to the crime scene. I shouldn't label my innocent mistake as something drastic as a crime scene. But the situation demands.  Now I have 20 minutes to clear the place and make it look like nothing happened. I get some garage bags start clea...

I once read, "Truth is whatever gives you peace of mind." Every story has two sides: one represents the truth, while the other reflects the untruth. Ultimately, it doesn't matter which side holds the truth; what matters is the perspective you choose to take. Your perception and understanding stem from that choice, and that becomes your truth from your point of view. I was reading the story of Ahalya from the great Hindu epic, the Ramayana. Ahalya is the wife of Sage Gauthama, and each version of the Ramayana presents a different account of her life. She is considered the most beautiful woman Lord Brahma ever created. One day, while Sage Gauthama goes out for his morning rituals, Indra, the king of the devas, is enticed by her beauty. He disguises himself as Gauthama and tricks Ahalya. When the sage returns and discovers what has happened, he becomes angry and curses Ahalya, turning her to stone. PC: Google Images There are different versions of the Ramayana regarding Ahal...