Nostalgia

          A few days back I spent the day with my brothers. I had no idea how I was going to pass the time and it ended up being the most amazing day. The three of us played video games! Three mature people with such seriousness about studies and life became three kids playing their favorite childhood video games. Mario, Pocket Tanks, Tarzan, Duck Hunt. We were absolutely crazy about them back then. Mario was like our all time pal. At first, it sounded like a weird idea to me but once we started, it was unbelievably hilarious. We were playing, we remembered all those secret tricks, we chimed in to those tunes, we cheered each other when we completed levels. It was like re-living the childhood.

          Nostalgia is one of my havens. Cherishing the past and recollecting all the memories is some times really exhilarating and refreshing. Even at this moment, I'm half lost to the past and being nostalgic. I don't necessarily label things as good or bad but people believe in that. They think that it's bad to stay in the past and believe in focusing on the present. I have a different opinion. I'd love to be active right now but the quick getaways act like a boost for me which ultimately improves my current mood and I can then bring up all the energy in whatever I am currently doing. But yes, we all know that a coin has two sides. You can get sad too if you think about past sad things. But that's how life is. You can either be happy remembering the merry things or you can keep sulking. Ultimately, our choice is what really matters.

          I happen to be more in the past than the present. It is not something that I do on purpose but something that just happens when I am alone or bored. I love to remember all the little moments which bring a smile on my face almost instantaneously. That is what I believe is really precious, that automated smile. When I am nostalgic, it's another world. One second I am here and the next I am in 2004 or something. Pretty much like what happens to Henry in "The Time Traveler's Wife". (just not physically, but mentally)

Happy or sad, good or bad, these moments are the only time travel you can get. So I won't give up on that and neither should you.

Taylor Swift

          Today, 13th December'2014 is the 25th birthday of Taylor Swift. On this occasion, I'd like to dedicate this post for her latest album-1989; which I love by leaps and bounds.

          1989 is the fifth album of the singer & songwriter Taylor Swift. Not only is she an extremely talented musician but also a very humble human being. 1989 is her first attempt at pop genre and it couldn't have been any better. 1989 sold 1.2 million copies just in its first week which was a record after 2002. The achievements, awards and recognition she has received thus far for this album requires another 10 pages!

          In 1989, the 7-time Grammy winner, has portrayed her life in an amazing style. Apart from the break-up songs (which are the only thing everyone seems to notice), she has leveled up herself in this pop album. Song tracks like 'Welcome to New York', 'Blank Space' and 'Shake It Off' clearly bring about the changed person she is now. The kind of person who stands up for herself, who believes in feminism, who believes in investing in music and the perfect idol anyone could ask for.
          The first single-'Shake It Off' was a straight up answer to all the obvious rumors and haters. It tells us to live by our own terms, ignoring the hate, heartbreaks, falseness and everyone who tells us that we cannot do it. The 8th track-'Bad Blood' is the wildest song about a frenemy which brings out all the past rage. It signifies the hurt, pain and sadness that one goes through because of a fake friend. The 13th track-'Clean' is one of my favorites. It is a bit sad but the theme, rhythm and the amazing lyrics make it so much more. It is almost impossible to not love this one.
          As we are all aware that Taylor is a lyrical genius, here are some brilliant lines which I absolutely adore.
          

• You can want who you want.. Boys and boys and girls and girls. (Welcome to New York)

• When we go crashing down.. We come back every time. (Style)

• People like me want to believe you when you say you've changed. (All You Had To Do Was Stay.)

• Band-aids don't fix bullet holes. (Bad Blood)

• When you're young you just run.. But you come back to what you need. (This love)

• They are the hunters, we are the foxes.. And we run. (I Know Places)

• The water filled my lungs.. I screamed so loud but no one heard a thing. (Clean)

• And for once you let go of your fears and your ghosts. (You Are In Love)

• I could build a castle.. Out of all the bricks they threw at me. (New Romantics)

          Taylor Swift is an angel with the combination of cuteness, sass, vocals, beauty and a kind heart. She loves her fans the same way she loves her family and friends. People might talk about her boyfriends and that she only writes about her relationships. For such people, there exist many beautiful songs such as Ronan, Long Live, Fifteen, A Place In This World etc which you sadly missed. She donates a lot for charity. She has her own Music Education Center. You'd never see her indecent pictures because she is just not that kind of a celebrity. She sets a perfect example for her swifties. Her songs have helped so many girls worldwide and she just continues to slay as the years go by. I love her for always being there for me through her songs, for making me believe that it's okay to be different, for encouraging me to do what I love, for creating a love for music within me, for making me a fangirl and for just being herself. (I'd love it even more if she brings the 1989 World Tour to India)
Happy 25th Birthday, Taylor Swift!

After I Read...

          I have observed that readers may or may not be writers. However, almost all writers are readers. I may not go as far as saying that I am a writer but yes, I like to write. And thus, books are my true love and reading is my favorite thing in the whole world.

          In my opinion, books are the most precious and immortal literature a person can own. Books are an escape from reality. They are beautiful yet scary, slow-paced yet adventurous, devastating yet romantic little time travelling kits. They make us fall in love with fictional characters. They make us home-sick of the fictional abodes. They make us wonder about happily ever afters and prince charmings. And sometimes, they completely change our lives.

          I have read some books which have been very dear to me. 'The Diary Of A Young Girl-Anne Frank' touched me deeply. 'The Perks Of Being A Wallflower' by Stephen Chbosky connected me in all the humanly ways possible. 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak gave me an out-of-the-world experience and an insight about death. 'Looking For Alaska' by John Green had me wondered about an after-life and forgiveness. 'The Fault In Our Stars' by John Green made me believe in love. These books and I have our own little world and I rejoice in it and feel more alive than I feel around people.

Don't we all love Book Quotes?

          Reading is something that I will choose again and again. It may not be cool or popular to some people but I find it a self-evolving and soul-searching process for the peace of mind. I can count on books, no matter what other things are going on in my life and I know that they won't let me down. There is an unbreakable bond between books and readers.

          For all I know, reading is not just a hobby and books are not just bind pages.Our favorite books define us more than we think. They are like a well; the deeper we see, clearer will be our minds. Books help us in building our thoughts, making us intellectually older, forming our own perspective, developing imagination and making us a little more wiser than we were before we started them. Books will be our best friends who will gift us with great wonders. So, go and grab a book!

My Quotes.

“It’s not always easy to tell the difference between thinking and looking out of the window”

-Wallace Stevens.

                I read this brilliant quote the other day and I cannot agree more. There are so many instances wherein people have found me looking into distance and most of the times, I am just thinking. Here are some of my thoughts. These are the most random things (the result of looking out of the window) which I also find thought provoking. I like to call them “My Quotes”.

• People say that my problem is that I don't talk. I say that it's not a problem; it's a choice.

• The 'putting-yourself-in-other-people's-shoes' thing should have been real. Humans don't understand things unless they go through it themselves.

• Understanding and agreeing are two very different things.

• People need to change their first reaction from anger to understanding.

• At times, the obvious may not be the truth.

• When you are standing on that slim line between confidence and over-confidence, just 'Fly to the Ground'.

• Write; because no one has time to listen.

• It takes a mind to know yourself while a heart to know others.

Judg"mental"ism.

                “She’s such a happy and care-free person”. “He looks like a dropout”. “She has a big fat attitude”. “He seems rich”.

                We humans have a habit of assuming things. It’s so much sponged into us that we do it even unknowingly. The habit of judging others by their looks, behavior or personality, just by glancing at them, is very reprehensible. The funny thing is that we do this all the time but when someone else judges us by some miniscule things, then it sets our teeth on edge.

                A person deserves so much more than this. There can be a number of things hidden in them that we might not know if we don’t just assume. Nature, intelligence, maturity, insight and other vital aspects, which are actually necessary to understand a person, will only be mysteries. We may just miss out on someone because we judged them too fast.

                For example, there’s a girl; who is usually alone, either reading, thinking or listening to music. If she prefers the company of books and music to people, then it doesn't make her anti-social. It just defines her introverted nature. If people misunderstand it as being rude, then she would surely feel bad but she won’t do anything about it because that’s how she is. The point is people should talk to each other instead of being critical. If someone just asks her, then she can tell them that she likes to be that way, that is, quiet and alone. Only then they can know that she is not anti-social or rude. Being judgmental or assumptive is never the answer.

                Our own good or bad perspective judgments are alright as long as we don’t start thinking them out loud along with the crowd. Our negative judgments can also be out of some of our own insecurities which might regress us into getting a bad angle of others. Before forming a rigid opinion about someone, we should keep in mind that we don’t know their life story or what they are going through. We cannot just think about them on what we have seen, that is, the outer appearance. That is exactly like deciding to purchase a house without looking inside of it. A person with a whirlwind inside can fake a smile and joke around. A person with extreme happiness may not show it because it is his own little joy.

                We can always assume the body language but we can never get to know anyone without having an interaction. So, why waste that much time and energy thinking over what might not even be true? I would like to conclude with one of my favorite quotes by Eleanor Roosevelt:

‘Great minds discuss ideas.

Average minds discuss events.

Small minds discuss people.’

Happy birthday Suruchi!

          It’s my best friend’s birthday today and it could not have gone better. And I hope that she hopes the same. We had a girl’s day out. My friends, Suruchi, Priyanka and I, hit the roads to reach Powai. We spent the day driving, eating, laughing and enjoying the company of each other.
Since it was Suruchi's birthday I'd love to explain how much she means to me. I'm not exactly an outgoing and fun loving person. I can't just say about everything upfront. So here it goes, in writing.

          Suruchi and I have been friends for almost five years now and it still feels like it was just yesterday when we talked to each other on our first day of junior college. Those were some of the best days we have had. So many unforgettable memories. Our music obsession. There are just too many singers and bands to start with, so the word "music"! Our crazy MAGS group. The time when we were shocked to be not seen in the defaulters list. That scrapbook. There are just so many Little Things that I keep losing count.
           I'm very glad that I have a friend like you. I know, it may not seem like it (given my zones and I-am-a-lonely-person-so-don't-talk-to-me phase) but I don't know how much alone I would have felt if you wouldn't have been there with me at several times. The time when we were mesmerized after watching our Augustus in the movie theater, the time when we watched the Red Tour, the time when we were thralled during watching the Concert Film, the times when we knew how to convince the other after a petty fight, the time we started understanding each other like we had some telepathy.
          Happy Birthday, Suruchi. My fangirl, partner-in-crime, philosopher and the best friend I could ever had asked for!

What Makes Us Who We Are?

               People realize the value of things only when they lose it. We humans have the habit of taking things for granted. We are selfish, most of the times. We don’t care about anyone but ourselves. Sometimes, we don’t even care about ourselves and end up hurt. In that hurtful and sad state of mind, the philosophers inside of us act like the geniuses even we didn't knew existed. We develop theories. We do a thorough thinking over the pros and cons; right from causes to conclusions. And in that condition, we also accept all of our stupid acts and also realize that we should not have done those things or acted in an erratic manner. We also make promises to our inner self of behaving ourselves and not acting insensibly. We assure ourselves that we will never land up in such a scenario again.

                Matter-of-factly, we do behave disciplined for quite an impressive period. Follow the Bible of thoughts that we created and promised to ourselves. But, as time gradually passes, we go back to our earlier lifestyle. It’s like Déjà Vu for some of us who have done this process over and over again. What’s amusing is that we just push our disciplined selves into the most inner part of our minds like where the light never reaches the corner of a cave. Even though our conscience knows this, we ignore it the best we can and behave as if everything is perfect.

                This moment, the fight between the right and wrong versions of our minds, is the deciding factor. Hence, in fact, such small things are usually the big things that make us who we are. The things that make us a better person and help us understand what kind of humans we want to become. Such inner conflicts and a rendezvous with our real minds teach us a lot about our own nature. So, find yourself and have some hearty chats with the real You.

Looking for Alaska. (Book Review #1)

          After reading John Green's two famous novels; 'Looking for Alaska' and 'The Fault in our Stars', there isn't a smallest bit of doubt that I have become his fan i.e. a Nerdfighter. John Green is rich in literature and the way he portrays every tiny detail is simply genius. He is a man of intellect. His writing is such that lives with you forever.

          To start with, John Green's characters in 'Looking for Alaska' are well-defined. The narrator, Miles Halter or Pudge is the kind of person who isn't exposed well enough to the real world. No doubt he is an introvert yet easy to get along. At the end of the book, he also struck me as a bit selfish. (The way 'to be continued' is mentioned innumerable times.) Alaska Young, on the other hand is quite an adventurous, care-free and also a scared girl. The mysterious girl is also a great prankster. Her commitment to books and to her boyfriend Jake is unmistakably. Then, Chip Martin or 'The Colonel' is also a care-free, spoilt brat. He strongly believes in loyalty towards friends. So, he is not a ratter! To be true, I don't think he believed in true love, given the scenario with Sara. These three persons are so well characterized for the well-written novel.

          The book is divided in two parts. 'Before' and 'After'. They both are so different from one another that it becomes really unpredictable; which is part of the fun. The former part is about the hostel life. Forming friends to ragging to groupism to cigarettes and drinking, there are all the typical cool elements with adventures and lots of humor. The pre-prank thing was the most funny and awesome part in the segment.

           As much as I enjoyed reading the 'Before', it was a totally heartbreaking 'After'! Everything was falling in place and all of a sudden Alaska was no more! (I guess John Green loves to do this!) There was a touch of mystery to it too. The question, 'How will we ever get out of the labyrinth?' was really something. We have to forgive. It was really thought provoking. The novel raises questions about an after-life, heaven and hell.The quote, 'People believe in an after-life because they cannot bear not to' struck me to be very true. I wonder often what becomes of us when we die. (Not really my best wonders.) But the idea of an afterlife is so convincing and kind of becomes an answer to everything. That is why we cannot bear it if it wasn't the actual answer! So what really does happen? We might never know as far as we are alive.

Popular & Plain

She's easy to get along.

While in the sea of people,
I'm just a thorn.

She's outgoing, cool & fun.
At home in the company of books,
I'm just fictionally alone.

She's an extrovert and appears on everyone's call.
Voracious reader and occasional writer,
I'm just an introverted know-it-all.

She's an enthusiast planner.
Quiet, aloof & self-engrossed,
I'm just a life learner.

At the end of the day,
it all comes to being happy.
Cool or boring, fun or lonely, it is only your say.