September Roundup!

Hello Readers! I'm so happy with my first month of blogging post redefining goals!

15 Posts in 1 Month!

I think that's my personal best. I have posted a Daily Commute post on every Monday & a Diary Logs post on every Friday! And as for Mindscape Reviews, I haven't posted quite as much. But, it has been a bit difficult to get reading time to do book reviews. Whereas Omkar & I are still working through our TV reviews. So, since it’s a collaboration & even though we have similar thoughts, we get lazy. So, I'm a bit behind in Mindscape Reviews! But, all in all, it's going good & I'm happy with my progress!!

Here are some of my favourite posts in each series!

Flooding Through Life! This one's from Daily Commute.

Dude, Look What You Made Me Do. This one's from Diary Logs.

So Relatable. This is another one from Diary Logs.

Farewell is another favourite as is No Major Missing from this series!

Okay, I'm just saying that all the posts from Diary Logs are my favourites! So, just go & read them all! You won't regret it!

The One with F.R.I.E.N.D.S This one's from Mindscape Reviews.

And of course, the highlight post & another favourite was Behind the Scenes of Blog Redesign!

I hope you enjoy reading them, if you haven't already!!

As for October,

I'm planning to maintain a similar schedule in addition to a few TRAVEL POSTS which I hope you guys will enjoy!

All the love!

So Relatable. (Diary Logs #4)

Hello Readers! This is a post about when you read something or listen to something or watch something & find it way too relatable to your own story. So, in a way it's a post for you to relate about relating to things!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Diary,

The other day I watched 'Thirteen Reasons Why'. I watched all 13 episodes in one go. Not a brilliant move for such a sad show. Needless to say, I liked it. There are so many incidents in it that hit home. The way Justin uses Hannah & spreads rumours about her. The way you are best friends one day, but strangers the next, blaming them for your death. The way everybody gets bullied in high school. The way how you should've spoken up & about missed opportunities. You start to feel depressed & suicidal even when you're perfectly happy in your own life. And yet, your happy self starts to relate to the story & you go back to your past high school days to feel all the sadness.

Another day I read 'The Kite Runner' by Khaled Hosseini. And Oh my God! It touched my heart & soul! That book is about friendship, family & love. It also stresses on how differences in class & status can ruin friendships. This happens with so many people. Just because of family constraints, you have to stop being friends with someone who understands you on a whole different level. Friends are the family we choose, then why do we need approval of society in it? Leave us alone, because at the end of it, only we are going to be there for each other, after surviving through your rumours. I weep thinking about that one quote, "For you, a thousand times over."

The other day I listened to 'Doubt' by Mary J. Blige. If you haven't heard it yet, you MUST. Its lyrics are so powerful. I listen to it whenever I feel low & it always lifts my spirits. It's one of the favourites in my Brave Playlist. The chorus really gets to me every time! 

“I made it to the end,
I nearly paid the cost,
I lost a lot of friends,
I sacrificed a lot,
I'd do it all again,
'Cause I made it to the top,
I can't keep doubting myself anymore.”

So, be it books or television or music or any random thing in the universe, there is ALWAYS something that will make you relate to it. And maybe that is the only feeling we need sometimes. To not feel alone. Just knowing that some stranger somewhere is feeling the exact same thing that you are feeling makes you less lonely. And in that moment, from one stranger to another stranger, it'a a butterfly effect, maybe that's all you need. And for that moment, it is enough.

Behind the Scenes : Redesign!

Hello lovelies!! Here's the much awaited post about the story behind my blog redesign! On 2nd September this year, Mindscape in Words completed 3 years! This time, I decided to make a few changes in the blog. Before I proceed to the redesign aspect & telling you about the complete roller coaster of a ride, let me take a minute & tell you how grateful I am for YOU!! If it weren't for you all; readers, followers, fellow bloggers & well-wishers, then, I wouldn't have been where I am today. So, a big THANK YOU with a BIG SMILE!! Also, #BloggersSupportBloggers

So, I was held up with college, exams & life the past 2 years because of which I couldn't blog much. And, now I'm caught up in my job a lot of the time. So, there's never going to be time. I’ll just have to make some. Pulling all-nighters, cutting my sleep time & then drinking espressos all day long in office. So, that's what’s happening now that I have decided to not give up on blogging & keep up with it along with everything else that goes on in life. After all, what's the point of anything, if I stop writing?

So, all of it began with an end. The end of my Monday Moments series after publishing 100 POSTS! I knew I needed something new & so I started talking with Aishwarya Deshpande. Yes, we both share the same name & we're both very talented. Thank you very much, haha. It all began when she told me that she had some time to make a logo & remake the cover photo for Mindscape in Words. I was super excited & soon that one little task turned into a whole BIG PROJECT.

 

Planning Out Content:

I told her about one of the series which I was sure about - Daily Commute. She thought it could be really interesting. Then, I talked to Omkar Vaidya about doing TV Show reviews & he came on-board immediately! Since I was already into book reviews, I was also excited about TV Show reviews. And soon, later on, Aishwarya was the one who came up with the title 'Mindscape Reviews'. And I was like, "YES! That's brilliant!!" So that was how the second series was born. And the third one, was pretty simple. I love creative writing about feelings & emotions. So, it was a no-brainer about the Diary Logs series. So, here we are, with 3 series, Daily Commute, Mindscape Reviews & Diary Logs.

Planning Out Photos:

Once the series were decided, we had to plan cover photos for each series. On a Friday morning, we decided to take photos for the Daily Commute series, before I left for office. And I cannot tell you how hilarious it was! We took shots on the railway station, in the train, bus station, in the metro, metro station! It was such a great time spent!

Here are some of my favourites from that photo shoot!

As for the Mindscape Reviews photo shoot, I did it by myself, with some help from dad & brother. I needed a lot of books to portray the book reviews. And I needed my laptop or TV to portray the TV Show reviews in it. So, somehow, I managed to setup everything! I cannot forget the endless video calls Aishwarya & I had till late night, because we needed everything done perfectly!

Here are the ones that didn't make the cover photo, but are still cute!

On 2nd September:

Finally, the day arrived. After many weeks of promotion & hyping up about a redesign & what not, I was ready to post! Except, nothing was ready! I was freaking out! Aishwarya was still finalising the logo. The cover was not AT ALL ready! The cover photos were ready, but they were without texts! Everything was such a disaster! I must say, I had totally lost it. Hour after hour, Aish sent me modified version of the logo. And we finally decided on this one. 'M' for Mindscape & 'W' for Words, kind of forming a reflection in water & some pebbles for a beach effect.

Another couple hours later, randomly she sent me this cover photo, which wasn't even our actual idea! But, it felt so amazing that I was just like, "Yes! This is the one!" We did not change the original turquoise & orange theme. But, in the cover, we added water & the board in the background. So, the entire look kind of felt like a beach & made me from a frowny person to a happy person. Because, well, BEACH!! And beach is blue & orange. So, it all perfectly added up & I was smiling ear to ear. In all this, I decided to add text to Mindscape Reviews whereas soon later Aish added text to Daily Commute & Diary Logs!

And, then, finally, after hours & weeks of working, the moment arrived. All changes were made. 3rd Blogiversary post was up. And it was successful! New journey had begun!

  

So, Aishwarya, thank you so much for helping me out with everything, tolerating my nonsense, understanding my mood swings, being an awesome friend & a perfect designer! As promised, you got your dinner, babe. A Lannister always pays his (her) debts! LOL. (I'm a Targaryen, though.)

I hope you guys enjoyed reading through the blog redesign story! Is it always like this? Share your experiences as well!

 You can know about why I started my blog & the meaning behind Mindscape in Words here.

And, you can check out my 3rd Anniversary post here!

That Awesome Auto Ride. (Daily Commute #4)

Hello Readers! I'm enjoying writing some of the random, funny & unexpected situations that happen on my daily commute to work. I observed that I covered my metro & train story, so I thought I'd share one of the short thoughts about an auto ride in Andheri.





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One day, I reached the metro station near my office. I was a bit late & I had to take an auto rickshaw from metro station to my office. After a lot of usual rejections & waiting, I got one. From the first look, I had an "Oh no!" in my mind. That was because an old man with a white beard, wrinkly face & white clothes was driving the rickshaw. I thought that he will drive slowly making me even late for work! But as I didn't have an option, I sat in. I was rummaging through something in my bag, and there he took off!! He was speeding, better than most other drivers half his age. He was driving the vehicle like he had years of experience in it. He was such an expert. There we went cutting through traffic with songs blasting from his phone.

Then, I observed the insides of the vehicle. They were neon yellow & green. In the front, he had a few logos in metal which were golden in colour. There was a king logo that I could recognise. There was also a little pouch to keep his phone. He also had charging points! I mean, how rarely do you find that in a rickshaw? There I was sitting in this old man's rickshaw thinking that this man is cooler than I am!

First impressions really aren't anything, are they? Perceptions, imaginations, thoughts, judgements.  We continue with all these things, knowing how little they matter & understanding the consequences, yet there we are not able to control our own mind while it controls us...

No Major Missing. (Diary Logs #3)

Hello Readers! Here goes the third post in the diary logs post! The second one is still my favourite! Again, let me tell you all, these posts are purely fictional. Read through this one & tell me how you feel!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Diary,
I saw a photo on Instagram the other day. Two girl best friends on a road trip captioned 'Day 42'. I stared into thin air after reading that. I thought about doing it. Then I realised there isn't a single person with whom I'd want to go travel the world. Not a one. And the worst thing is I don't feel anything about it. I don't have any friends & I don't miss the ones I had. I guess travelling round the world solo would be much more fun than doing it with someone, but how would I know, I never had a best friend...

I don't miss anything anymore. Everything has changed. I'm not the same, in the least.

I have the same circle of people I had before but something has changed. I don't feel connected with them and that's fine because I don't care. I won't miss them. I haven't met a few ex-colleagues with whom I've shared a lot of moments & that's fine too because it doesn't seem to bother me.

The days when I couldn't stay still 2 days are gone. I can stay still forever, like a walking corpse & it doesn't matter. I'm not missing out living because there's nothing to it. There's no major & no missing, because there's barely anything to live, really.

I wish I was capable of human emotions like everybody else, but I guess I know better. My heart doesn't go out to a crying baby. I don't cry when anyone dies. I don't feel happy when my Amazon order comes before the expected date. I don't cringe if someone is cutting a dead or live body in films or real life. I don't feel the danger while speeding my car. I don't invest my emotions in ice cream & romantic movies, because it just doesn't make any sense. Neither do I pray or hope for a miracle, because I've seen worse & know better than to expect the unexpected.

I won't feel much if I see someone jump off a building to commit suicide. I won't feel much if I see some victims being rescued. I won't feel much about anything because whatever that can happen, has happened with me, and I have lived through whatever worst imaginations you can think of. So yes, there's no major missing. There are no feelings left. I am barely left.

Am I sane? Yes.

Am I alive? Doubtful.

Does it matter?

Kidding Around. (Daily Commute #3)

Hello Readers! I hope you're enjoying the Daily Commute series as much as I am! Just like Monday Moments, it gives me something to look forward to on a Monday. If you have any funny or weird or awkward stories to share, feel free! This one's about a naughty kid I saw the other day in the metro!





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was another Friday evening. I wonder how my stories revolve around Fridays so much? Probably because I have to post on Monday? Perhaps! So, as usual, I was hustling my way on the metro. Usually, I don't like to stand in the doorway. I go all the way in. Unlike railways, it's really difficult to observe people in the metro. They are brightly lit. Population is less savage & more civilised. So, you can't just stare at people under the pretext of observation for a lit blog series!

Anyway, inside, there was a lady with a small child sitting. I stood in front of them as there wasn't any space elsewhere. The girl was around 5 or 6 years? I have no idea, I can never guess the age of children! She was fair & had the most beautiful curly hair tied into a ponytail. But, her hair around forehead was kind of loose & looked gloriously messy! She had large black eyes which hinted a sense of mischief, no doubt. She was wearing a two-piece pink top & pink leggings, which she totally rocked! Children these days have the most fashionable clothes! And, there I was wearing another All-Black outfit; black tee with black jeans! (I love it, though.)

Once the crowd in the metro cleared out, I got space to sit next to the little girl. But, what she saw was an open stage. She began to run up & down in the tiny space. There's this pole at multiple places to cling to for support. She clasped it for dear life & didn't let it go until the ride was over! She was swinging round & round it! Giving all of us tired folks, her best moves. She was one action-packed entertainer, I'd say! She even hit her head, but nothing bothered her. She enjoyed the attention. All eyes were on her! It was such a blast!

On days like these, I try not to think whether I was such a cool kid or shy even then. I try not to think whether she will be this happy when she grows up & this bold to live her life to the extent. I try not to think so much, because you never know. So, just for once, I enjoyed the little girl having fun, in that little moment. I made myself happy by watching her happy, on the commute, for a matter of few minutes and that's what it takes!

Dude, Look What You Made Me Do. (Diary Logs #2)

Hello Readers! Welcome to another page of the diary logs! Just to tell you all, these entries are entirely fictional & just something I came up with. There are many people struggling with a lot of things & reading something relatable always feels good & helps to make a connection. This one's about some hidden dilemmas each person faces in their love life, but probably doesn't quite perceive them in this way.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Diary,

Being human, we get dilemmas all the time. Sometimes it's as minuscule as pizza or pasta, beer or vodka, orchids or roses. But, the big life-changing decisions need so much of thinking, evaluation & analysis. Especially when it comes to love life, why does it have to be so complicated? Dating, relationships, commitments, and is there anything else I don't know about!? It's such a difficult world out there, whether you are single or committed. But, from whatever I’ve been reading in novels or watching in these many romcoms, I have come to some really abstract views about love. There's so much written about it, so many conflicting thoughts from equally important personalities that I'm quite in a pickle again. So, diary, help me, will you? Here goes, the maze in my head!

• Opposites Attract:

This one has been along for such a long time; Opposites attract! But, is attraction enough? What about after that? Connection? Emotional bonding? Feelings? And that's just one aspect of it. You can go ahead with your casual one-night stands with this 'opposites attract' philosophy. But, I'm talking about love here. The main thing is, once the ‘attraction’ fades, you focus on the 'opposite' aspect of it which then makes you realise how you're not made for each other, because all you do is argue. So, what to do? Go with your gut, or stay single for the rest of your life? Then, he make mundane statements like, "You've changed so much." And you'd actually start to question your identity, along with your self-worth. And all this time, you won't realise that he has already just 'changed his mind' from a shy & short lady of the month to a tall & curly haired lady of the month to a crazy & loud lady of the month, probably questioning her about some other mundane questions?

• You're Not an Option:

You hear this one all the time too; how to not make anyone your priority when they treat you like an option. How I'm not a backup plan or anybody's second choice! When did we we lose value for each other? When did humanity became such an abysmal sea of tears that we judge our self-worth by being another's first or second choice? Screw them. And then, on the other hand, you watch a film & the girl says, "I'll wait for you, because you're worth waiting." So, is she supposed to wait for him until he sleeps with a couple of girls and then comes back to her because apparently, she's 'marriage material’? DUDE, It doesn't work that way, at least, it shouldn't.

• In the Moment:

This is the crappiest thing, I believe. Is there ever anything that's supposed to happen at the right time? You plan & plan & plan, but whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. You want your first kiss on the beach, under the moonlight, while you're filled with dreams of the future, but instead you get sunburn & drunk depression. Are you supposed to wait for the 'perfect moment' or just go with the flow? Because you might as well wait 84 years if you decided for the 'perfect moment' to arrive. Also, you might as well be framed stupid & taunted for life if you do something 'in the moment'.

How am I supposed to function in such a complicated world?

How am I supposed to understand people’s evil mind games hidden behind their fake smiles, when I don't even understand myself?

How am I supposed to identify the ‘pack of wolves’ who are all in sheep’s clothing?

How am I supposed to move on from one person to another in a matter of a few months when people can do that in a matter of minutes?

How am I supposed to 'let it go' when people have tied me with a rope that keeps me dragging toward the past & into the grave?

How am I supposed to survive in this world where I feel a diary to be more human than any real human being I have ever met?

Tell me, dear diary...

The One With F.R.I.E.N.D.S. (Mindscape Reviews #2)

Hello Readers! After about 2 weeks of announcing about TV Show Reviews, here goes the FIRST one! This one has been especially fun, because it was the first time I collaborated for writing! So, all the TV Show Review will be in collaboration with Omkar Vaidya!
So, after weighing a lots of pros & cons about which one to consider for the first review, we decided to take up the evergreen show F.R.I.E.N.D.S!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INTRODUCTION:

Be it a tiring day after work or just a lazy Sunday afternoon, my way to de-stress always comes with a few episodes of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Even if I want to watch something else, I watch one episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. at the beginning, then get on with it. It's like a compulsion. I have to watch at least one episode during the day. Oh my God, am I Monica? Well, I can go on & on about different sorts of patterns why we like what we like, but then you might feel I'm too Ross? What is up with me? Maybe I'm too into my own thoughts, or wait, it feels like I'm just talking to myself like Phoebe does!

How is it that even after the hit American sitcom has ended, a decade later, you still watch it every other day & find yourself relating to every character in some way or other? The brilliance & simplicity of this show has inflicted upon the lives of everyone who has watched it. No matter which country or ethnicity or religion you belong to, when it comes to F.R.I.E.N.D.S, there's unity! It's The One Where We're All F.R.I.E.N.D.S!! Because, when it hasn't been your day, your week, your month or even your year, F.R.I.E.N.D.S will be there for you!  

I was discussing this with Omkar & it was he who thought about this. No matter how different Ross, Monica, Chandler, Rachel, Phoebe & Joey are from each other, we find some part of them in ourselves. We've always related to them in some way. Sure, one character may have a larger influence than the other. But, just because you're too much of control freak like Monica doesn't mean you can't also be a little bit weird like Phoebe lip syncing to songs on your morning jog! So, here you go, we cannot talk ENOUGH about F.R.I.E.N.D.S, but we tried to put it all in a nutshell…

OVERVIEW:

Well, F.R.I.E.N.D.S (1994-2004) has been one of the most watched & everyone's favourite TV show according to IMDB. Okay, I made that up, but it has to be true! If you haven't watched it, what are you doing with your life!? The show's 10 seasons are comprised with a roller coaster ride of all the emotions you could possibly feel, wherein humour tops the list & leaves your stomach aching. No matter how many times you have watched it, you'll laugh at all the same jokes time & again. This show made 6 people from almost-nobodys to somebody the entire world loved. How amazing is that? I know them better than some of my actual friends. I'd say that one of my friends is a 'transponstor' because I don't really know what she does, but whatever, IT’S NOT EVEN A WORD!

Those who must have watched it when it originally aired, must have had so much fun, but I have no idea what kept you going with so many cliff hangers! I literally watched the entire show in one or two weeks, I think. And ever since then, I must have easily watched it 6 or more times & I never get bored of it. I need it every day, like a dose of medicine to stay sane.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT:

There are 6 main characters as you must know. Female leads are Monica Geller, Rachel Green & Phoebe Buffay. Male leads are Chandler Bing, Ross Geller & Joey Tribbiani. In my opinion, throughout the 10 seasons, I have seen Rachel grow more than anyone else. There has also been significant character development with Chandler as well. However, Phoebe & Joey somehow remain their same innocent & weird selves. Ross & Monica change a bit, but not significantly. Given everything, we love them, anyway!

OMKAR'S FAVOURITES:

As far as Friends goes, I think my favourite EPISODE starring my favourite GUEST ACTOR will be 'The One with the Rumor' (S08 E09) with Brad Pitt! Where shall I begin explaining? From that one sexy stare to his personality to how amazing Brad & Jen look together (on & off screen) to that best chemistry between Ross & in fact Will? to the 'I hate Rachel Green Club'. And how can we miss out the way Phoebe was openly crushing on him, I mean, who wouldn't? The entire energy of that episode was on a whole different level! Probably because of the best couple in Hollywood or probably just because it's F.R.I.E.N.D.S

Moving on to my favourite supporting character, it'd be Mike Hannigan (Paul Rudd), for sure! Other than him, one character who moved along the story line from 'awww' to 'LOL' was Gunther (Central Perk?)

Some DISLIKED characters would be Eric, who played Ursula's fiance (Sean Penn); just wasn't likable.

AISHWARYA'S FAVOURITES:

Well, there are 10 seasons & so many episodes, so to pick any one favourite is next to impossible, so I have a LOT of favourites, but I have cherry-picked a few for you all! My absolute favourite EPISODE would be 'The One Where Everybody Finds Out'. (S05 E14) It is just hilarious & I can't buy enough merchandise that says, "They don't know that we know they know we know!"

Going ahead, my favourite GUEST STAR would be Adam Goldberg who plays the character Eddie in the episodes 'The One Where Eddie Moves In' (S02 E17) & 'The One Where Eddie Won't Go' (S02 E19). So, you see what I did there? Under the pretext of favourite guest star, I gave you another favourite episodes.

Well, as far as weddings go, Phoebe & Mike's wedding is my favourite! It's in the street & it's Phoebe! Everyone's outfits are on point, unlike earlier weddings! I just love it!

MINDSCAPE FAVOURITES:

When we were discussing about favourites, we couldn't decide on a favourite character, but when we talked about favourite episodes, this one was on both of our lists as I'm sure will be on yours! It's none other than 'The One with the Embryos'. (S04 E12) If you're a true fan, you won't only know the answers to all the questions, but the questions along with the categories as well! The craziness of the series is best depicted in this episode! I mean, switching apartment? Having your brother's babies? WOAH!! That’s the stuff.

CONCLUSION:

All these characters & the story line in the show is very different from us & yet we find ourselves in them. Usually when you watch some show, you get attached to one character a lot. But, in this case, we can relate to all the 6 characters, and “OH MY GOD”, sometimes, I can even relate to Janice! (please, tell me you do too?) So, anyway, in our own way, we carry all of their personalities with.

We are a bit obsessive, thanks to Monica..

We are a bit sarcastic-funny, thanks to Chandler..

We are openly geeky, thanks to Ross..

We are in touch with the kid in us, thanks to Joey,

We are following our dreams, thanks to Rachel,

And we are all wonderfully weird, thanks to Phoebe..!!

Is it perfect? Maybe Not! 
Do we care? Absolutely Not! 

So grab some popcorn & remember the motto: Binge!

Tell us your favourite thing about friends & lets discuss!!