Found this poem in my notes. I had written this when I was in India. At the time my son would gladly go to anyone who was willing to hold him. Now he is a little wary of strangers and takes time to warm up. Do you feel a twinge, A flutter, Of jealousy As … Continue reading Amma
In My Kitchen
For the last six months I haven't cooked much. I had my hands full and I let my mother/husband handle the kitchen. I cooked our meals for the last couple of days. The last time I cooked before yesterday was six months ago, the day before I had a baby. I'd made tandoori chicken and … Continue reading In My Kitchen
Touchdown Homeland
I step out of the jet bridge into the airport. Others are still shuffling around, gathering their belongings from overhead compartments and from under their seats and making their way out of the aircraft. I walk slowly, looking for signage saying baggage claim. It’s easy to find. I pick up pace and walk in the … Continue reading Touchdown Homeland
Morning Rituals
Photo by Jonathan J. Castellon on Unsplash For the last six years, we’ve stuck to a morning ritual. We began our day by enjoying a mug of freshly brewed ginger masala tea. Every day we woke up around the same time and settled on our beloved couch with our cup of tea. We sat mostly in silence, eyes … Continue reading Morning Rituals
Nap Time
Photo by Aditya Romansa on Unsplash Today, I’ve decided to let my schedule go. And enjoy time with my baby. I am letting him nap on me while I type this. Listening to his soft breath. Feeling him move up and down like a wave on my chest as we breathe. Planting a gentle kiss on his forehead. … Continue reading Nap Time
On Blogging in 2019
Blogging is dead, they say. We prefer quick bites of information today. Tweets, Instagram pictures/captions, clickbait headlines, WhatsApp forwards, etc. We want to consume a lot of information in a short amount of time. Reading blogs does not fit into that kind of consumption. I have stopped reading blogs. And haven’t written here much either. … Continue reading On Blogging in 2019
Awe! – Movie Review
Awe! India, 2018. Telugu. I went into this movie without any prior knowledge. I remember seeing the movie poster somewhere on my social media. But it hadn’t caught my attention then. On Friday night, the TV remote was under my control, a rare event in our house (No violence was involved in obtaining the … Continue reading Awe! – Movie Review
Insomnia – Journal (2019)
Photo by Mike Petrucci on Unsplash Mike Petrucci 19-Feb-2019 I couldn’t sleep. I checked the time. 3:37 AM. I had been awake for a while already. I used the bathroom, hoping that a full bladder was the cause for my sleeplessness. Back in bed, I closed my eyes. Turned. First this way, then that. Nothing … Continue reading Insomnia – Journal (2019)
Sunrise – Journal Entry (2015)
A few weeks back while looking for an empty notebook, I found my journal from 2015. I was skimming through it, curious to read what I wrote then. I came across this entry that was written on 21st March 2015. We were on a vacation in a beach town that was a few hours away … Continue reading Sunrise – Journal Entry (2015)
How to read a poem
You can't just read a poem once quickly, and expect to love it. Not like that. You have to give it space and time. Because timing matters in loving a poem. And so, you need to try, Read it again, multiple times, until the time is right and the poem speaks to you. You have … Continue reading How to read a poem
Photographs – How many is too many?
You see a tree that has bloomed and looks beautiful. Plenty of picture ideas hit you right then. You start capturing photographs with the phone that’s always in your hand. Pictures of the tree; in original, sepia, monochrome. Pictures of you standing - by the tree, in front of the tree. Solo shots, couple shots, … Continue reading Photographs – How many is too many?
Sightseeing
You take me to the place And declare, "We are here". "This, here, is the monument We came to see". "Capture this I shall stand by it And then you Shall do the same And then we shall leave There are other places to see". A check mark We Strike it off a list We … Continue reading Sightseeing
Newsletter
Dear lovely readers, I have some exciting news. I started a newsletter a couple of weeks back. Every week I send out an email about books, movies, TV shows, recipes and other little things. Two postcards are out already! Only some postcards will be available at the archive. Subscribe so you don't miss out on … Continue reading Newsletter
Tollywood – A Love Affair
Telugu movies seem to follow a common theme. The cast lists the usual suspects. In the lead, we have Allu Arjun, Prabhas, Mahesh Babu or the like. Brahmanandam for comic relief. The rest of the cast contains a subset of what seems to be a Tollywood supporting cast package. The supporting cast is recycled among … Continue reading Tollywood – A Love Affair
A Childhood in Malabar by Kamala Das – Book Review
I didn’t know much about Kamala Das when I started reading this book. I don’t remember how it ended up on my list. I might have read a poem of hers somewhere. I decided not to look her up until after I’m done reading the book. I wanted to form an unbiased opinion of her … Continue reading A Childhood in Malabar by Kamala Das – Book Review