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!