Manali Manan Desai's Blog, page 28

A Balm on the NRI Souls

Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.— Terry Pratchett

I’m an NRI residing in the Netherlands. The country is lovely and life here is quite peaceful. But that doesn’t make me miss my homeland any lesser. Though we’ve more or less adapted to the ways of life here, there’s a part of us that misses India every day.

During such moments, I go back to one of my best sources of mood upliftment; music. As someone has rightly said,

Whatever mood you are in, and however you might be feeling, there is a song for it out there.

I have my playlist for when I miss India. For NRIs across the world, here’s a list of songs that can be a balm on your nostalgic soul.

1. Mein Jahaan Rahu

Favorite lines:

Image created by the author on PowerPoint

Rough English translation:

Somewhere a stake of memories penetrates the heart

Somewhere every picture gets blurred

Someone lives happily in the new colors of the new world

Someone keeps saying “me, me” even after getting everything

Though it looks like the whole world moves with me

Somewhere the roots of yesterday penetrate the heart

Somewhere garlands get disarrayed when the thread breaks

Someone keeps a place in his heart for new things

Someone places candles of memories on his eyelashes

Though it looks like the whole world moves with me

Listen to the full song here .

2. Ghar Aaja Pardesi

Favorite lines:

Image created by the author on PowerPoint

Rough English Translation:

The illiterate dust of this village

Is not able to read your letter

When you’ll come and kiss this dust

The heart of the earth will rejoice

We know that you have your dreams

But we are your dear ones

What are the world’s customs like

Why are these crazy hearts compelled

What do we say and what do we listen to now,

These things must remain between us

This game of hide and seek is over

Tomorrow my palanquin will leave

Don’t let me palanquin become my pyre

Listen to the full song here .

3. Ye Jo Des Hai Tera

Favorite lines:

Image created by the author on PowerPoint

Rough English Translation:

It’s this very moment,
in which it is hidden,
a complete century,
an entire lifetime. Don’t you ask why there is
a two-way fork on the road, 
[this represents a dilemma]
you are the one who should suggest the path
you are the one who would tell…

Listen to the full song here .

4. Ghar

Favorite lines:

Image created by the author on PowerPoint

Rough English Translation:

Your name is written on me
for such a long time.
whatever is mine in me,
is all yours.

you are my desire,
and you are my right too.

I don’t know why are distances envious of me,
I have to embrace you,

but they are embracing me.
come and end this distance

that is there between you and me.

Listen to the full song here .

Hope you liked these recommendations.

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A Lovely Coastal Town Near Rotterdam ~ Hoek van Holland

Photo by the author | Me at Hoek van Holland

Last week, on a sunny evening, we thought of utilizing the opportunity to bask in the sun on a beachfront. An hour and a half away by a car drive, Hoek van Holland seemed to be the ideal day trip location.

This lovely coastal town is located in an area of Rotterdam known for its beautiful beach. The beach in itself is is 250-metres wide and 3.5 km long. The path leading to the beachfront reminded me a lot of Marine Drive and Nariman Point in Mumbai. The only difference being, this one is an active shipping port, with ships and boats either stationed on the water or passing by as you walk on the pathway.

Photo by the author | Me at Hoek van Holland

One can sit on the parapet for hours, gazing at the swans and ducks swimming by. Of course, if you’re an ardent fan of the shipping industry, the many ships and boats are an added bonus. The view is a perfect blend of natural and urban surroundings.

Photo by the author | Me at Hoek van Holland

About a 3-kilometer walk/cycle ride on this pathway leads one to the huge beachfront. This area is divided into 3 sections:

a. The ‘Large’ Beach

b. The ‘Hoekse’ Beach

c. The Northern Beach

Photo by the author | Me at Hoek van Holland

The entire area offers great views along with ample activities that you self engage in or pay for, including:

Bike ridesHikingWater surfing

There are many eateries around as well, that offer beach-facing views. If you feel like a day trip won’t suffice, there are hotels to put up as well. So, one can easily take a longer trip or holiday at this place.

We spent about 3 hours here, idling away on the parapet, slow walking on the pathway and the beach. And later, indulging in some yummy food and drinks at one of the beach-facing eateries.

If in the Netherlands, do visit this place, especially if you’re a beach lover.

Here are some videos to give you a better idea of of the place and an overview of our experience.

A walk down the pathway leading to Hoek van Holland

Basking in the sunlight and the views at Hoek van Holland

Saying hello to the swans at Hoek van Holland

Pro-tip: Carry sunscreen lotion, because the sunlight can be harsh. There’s ample free parking space, so a road trip would be more convenient. The port is well connected with Rotterdam by train and ferry too though.

Photo by the author | A collage of our day out at Hoek van Holland

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Daily Reminders for Sharing Content on Social Media

Sharing your creativity and content on social media can be a daunting feat. Especially because people can be mean and hateful. Also because we tend to validate our work and worth based on the engagement we receive on the content we share on social media. It has given me sleepless nights and some down moments (and days) as well.

We tend to validate our work and worth based on the engagement we receive on the content we share on social media.“There is a valid reason social media is linked to depression and loneliness. We live in a time when many people spend countless hours a day online strolling through the timeline of others with envy, regret, and little appreciation for their own life.”― Germany Kent

I’m no expert on SMM or how to make the most of Instagram, Facebook any other online platform. However, these are some reminders that help me stay on track with my social media content. 

1. I am doing it for myself more than for anyone else

I have this need in me to share my content with the world because it gives me so much joy. It is also a great way to digitize my content for posterity. So I keep this is as my top priority, reminding myself that,

‘I’m doing it for ME’2. The likes and comments are huge motivations, but they don’t validate the quality of my content

Unfortunately, I fell and still fall into this loop on many occasions. It does feel good when someone resonates with or likes what I have to say. But this doesn’t happen all the time because of multiple reasons; like maybe people are hesitant to comment or maybe that particular post didn’t reach as many or the right people. So, I don’t let this affect the quality of my content by reminding myself of point number one.

Agreed, that it does feel good when someone resonates with or likes what you have to say but every post of yours won’t go viral.3. Only if I post content consistently will it reach the right audience and it will also help improve the quality of my content

I always follow the motto of ‘Consistency is key’. This holds true for any task, so why not for content? Hence, I continue to share my writing on a regular basis, forgetting about anything else but my own satisfaction. 

I do this because: 

a. I know the right audience will connect with it and they’ll help me reach a larger right audience. 

b. This will ultimately help me understand the content market better and I’ll be able to post better stuff over time.

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To sum up:

Do it for yourselfDon’t validate the quality of content based on the likes and commentsPost consistently to reach a wider audience and to improve the quality of your content“Remember, that username is a real person. Choose to spread the love online.”
― Amy Leigh Mercree

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Thank you for reading.

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You’ll Always Be My Favorite What If by T. Shree

Blurb (as on Amazon)

Amisha– “We started with a simple hello but ended with a complicated goodbye.”

I was in love with Avyansh, since the day that I could discern how it feels to be in love. I fell for him irrevocably much before meeting him. It was certain that we would be together one day. But destiny has a way of crushing us, by refusing what we deeply desire. So, despite all certainties and hopes we never crossed paths again after our first meeting.
I never got the opportunity to express my feelings & my love remained unrequited. Even after 15 long years he never left my mind and soul though I formally belonged to someone else now.

Avyansh- “ Meeting you was one of the best accidents of my life. I wish I could go back to that moment, just to experience it all over again.”

What skipped my heartbeat on our first meeting was a mole on the upper side of her right lip. She didn’t need any makeup to entice a man, her mole was more than enough to be someone’s death.
I broke her heart over a phone call but today when we met after 15 long years, I wanted to turn back the clock and fix what I’d broken. It was my weakness that I could not treasure her. I am tired of hiding the truth and carrying this guilt for so many years. I know I tore her world apart with just my words but over the years not even a single day has passed, when I haven’t thought about the hurt & pain I caused her.

Pages: 261

Format: Kindle eBook/Paperback

Genre: Fiction/Romantic Drama

Price:

Kindle eBook: 149 INR/$2.99Paperback (to be launched soon)

My Ratings: 3.5/5

Avyansh Malhotra and Amisha Patel meet for an arranged marriage proposal and fell in love with each other instantly. Things were all set for their engagement and wedding but destiny had something else planned. Fast forward to 15 years later, and the two come together again under a professional setting. Will they be able to rekindle their love and will Amisha be able to forget Avyansh’s past mistakes?

Book cover taken from Amazon

What I liked about the book:
-> Every chapter begins with a little snippet or quote at the beginning. These are cute and make the reader curious about what will happen next.
-> The characters are lovable as well as relatable. They are someone you probably know and come across in your everyday life.
-> Amisha’s penchant for everything designer and trendy will be likeable for many female readers. It is easy to imagine her in all the brands mentioned because the detailing of it all is quite well done
-> This story isn’t only about romance but also sacrifices, Indian culture and traditions, professionalism, responsibility, friendship, family bonds. What I really liked was how despite being at low points in their personal lives, both Avyansh and Amisha are acing their professional lives.
-> Amisha’s life and feelings would be relatable to many Indian women who are pressurized into getting married by family and society and have to continue dragging the loveless marriage because ‘What will society say?’

What I did not like about the book:
-> The formatting of the book is a bit off-putting. Some quotes are underlined and highlighted, whereas dialogues between characters are not put under quotation marks. This can hamper the smooth reading, especially for seasoned readers.
-> The repetitive efforts to tell the readers about the ‘richness’ of the protagonists is a put-off. It could have been more showing instead of telling.

Quotable quotes:
-> Destiny has a way of crushing us, by refusing what we deeply desire.
–> God has perfect timing, never early, never late. It takes a little patience and faith, but it’s worth the wait.
–> Time and words don’t fix everything.
-> Sometimes the best way to stay close to someone you love is being around and watching silently.
–> Being Indian, it’s a moral obligation to make your marriage work even if there is an emotional void and no love.
-> Why can’t men understand that a woman cannot enjoy intimate moments if she is emotionally starving?
–> Sometimes your heart needs more time to accept what your mind already knows.
-> Emotional numbness is not always about gloominess, sad dark rooms and crying endlessly. Sometimes it’s about going outside, work, chat and smile all day and then coming home to sit quietly doing little.
-> Conflict and active hostility are replaced by a frosty calm in a loveless marriage. Couples work as a functional team in front of their parents & relatives and maintain a home. In this entire process, they themselves are no longer a part of any emotional equation.
-> Appreciating someone as a friend and accepting them as your life partner are two different things.
-> Can we imagine a romantic scene without the perfect song playing in the background? A song is a quintessential ingredient to creating the sweeping ambiance that catapults an on-screen love story to the next level.
-> Isn’t it true? The reason why we can’t let go of someone is because deep inside, we still hope.
-> Love always remains buried in heart, sometimes as a beautiful memory and sometimes a beautiful ache, but it always remains.
-> Parents are truly altruistic in every manner. They love you unconditionally when you struggle to earn it from the rest of the world.
-> Sometimes you just gotta read and not reply- Never underestimate the power of an unanswered text.
-> You pick up negative habits very quickly.
-> Sometimes all that we need desperately is to tell someone what actually happened.
-> Relationships that never begin are the toughest to end.
-> We don’t get everything perfect in life. Everyone has their piece of pain to deal with.
-> Don’t expect perfection as there will be mistakes; there will be hurt. Know what to hold onto and what to let go of.
-> Everyone is not out to hurt you- don’t miss out on giving life a second chance because of your baseless insecurities.
-> You don’t owe any explanation to anyone.
-> Sometimes destiny makes two people fall apart just to make them realize how much they need to fall back together.
-> Sometimes life gives you an option to choose what you really wish It’s on you what you decide; turn the page, write another or simply close it.
-> Unfulfilled love does not die; it’s beaten down to a secret place where it hides, curled and wounded.
–> If your best friend leaves a chance to pull your leg, then you aren’t best friends. A good friend would offer you an umbrella in the rain; a best friend would steal yours and say, “Run Bitch, Run!”
-> Intelligence and a dirty mind are fantastic combinations.
-> The foundation of any marriage has to be love, not guilt.
-> Once you finally meet again, you realize how difficult and hard it was to stay apart.
-> “Anshu, you have a dirty one-track mind.’
‘Sweetheart…. it’s not called dirty mind, it’s sexy imagination.”
-> Abstaining from indulging in sex doesn’t make you any saint.
-> People sometimes fail to build trust, which is an essential part of any relationship. Without trust, a relationship cannot survive.  People don’t even realize what they are losing by doubting each other’s intentions.
-> If somebody loves you and cares for you, it’s your responsibility also to retain and secure that love with trust.
-> There is a difference between someone who wants you and someone who would do anything to keep you.
-> There are times in life when justifications, no matter how reasonable they may sound, don’t help.
-> Every storm passes over, you may not be okay today, but life begins on the other side of despair.
-> The distance between two people, is inconsequential when they genuinely love each other.
-> It hurts a lot when you realize you aren’t as important to someone as you thought you were.
-> Nothing can be worse than feeling unwanted by the person you want the most.
-> Love doesn’t have to be perfect; it just needs to be true. When two hearts are meant for each other, time and distance, don’t matter. Love finds its own way.
-> Family is everything, so much so that sometimes it can be difficult to put into words just how much your loved ones mean to you.
-> In the cookie of life, friends are the hazelnut chocolate chunks.
-> No matter what profession you’re in and where you live, a true Indian succumbs to age-old traditions on his/her wedding day.
-> Sometimes, one person’s praise becomes another person’s trouble.
-> Sometimes, it only takes one song to bring back a thousand memories. The people, the things, and the feelings that come to your mind when you hear that particular song create a special memory in your heart.
-> Photos are the only way we can freeze important moments of our lives, so why keep them hidden in a pen drive or a photo album.
-> The most beautiful things in life are not just things. They are people, places, memories, pictures, feelings, smiles, and laughter.

Buying details:

Amazon.comAmazon India

Author’s social media handles:

Instagram

Fun (and Frustrations) of Being Married to a Writer

Though it might be hard to believe and heartbreaking, the fact remains that,

I AM MARRIED.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Manali Desai (A Rustic Mind) (@arusticmind_)

Many of my friends, followers and readers, ask about my personal life, especially about my husband, Manan Desai. A lot of you them even ask me about him, wanting to know more about us. I write about him in my books and also do fun quizzes about us on my Instagram stories. My DMs are flooded with questions and requests about and around him.

So last Sunday, we finally gave in and listened to the universe. In one of the episodes hosted by Siddhant Agarwal (a book blogger and reviewer) on his Instagram handle, my husband (Manan) and I were in conversation with Siddhant for over half an hour.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Siddhant Agarwal (@sidreviews)

Siddhant wanted to go behind the scenes to understand how my better half perceives me while I write and what my pet peeves are. Most importantly though, he wanted to understand my never-ending WIP of making Manan read my books!

So, meet the man himself! Get to know how he (Manan) feels being married to a writer (me duh!) in this fun and light hearted session.

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Note: This blog is a part of Blogchatters #halfmarathon

Thank you for reading.

How to contact me:Connect with me on LinkedIn.Subscribe to my YouTube channel.Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Siddhant Agarwal’s Instagram handle: @sidreviews

Small Dialogues, Big Talks by Rosh Nayy

Blurb (Amazon)

Do you find it difficult to take out time for reading books in your rushed life?
Do you enjoy reading modern, contemporary, dramatic, thrilling or futuristic short stories with intrinsic insights?
Are you looking for an addictive read which you can finish in a single flight?

If your answer is yes, then this book is specially curated for you. This book is collection of 31 two to three pager short stories where each story will push the buttons of different emotions in your brain. It contains varied and diverse stories with characters of all age groups written in the form of dialogues. Each story is short yet detailed and interesting which will put the readers into retrospection. The readers will get the flavours of the teen drama, the adulthood difficulties, the old age challenges, lifestyle of the future world with robots and it will definitely put you to introspect about the reality of life and death.

This quick read is easy to understand and will leave you with a feel of warmth and comfort.

Genre: Fiction/Short stories

Pages: 98

Format: Kindle eBook/Paperback

Price:

Kindle eBook: 99 INR/$2.99Paperback (cheaper to buy in the US): 1737 INR/$5.94

My ratings: 3.7/5

A collection of 31 anecdotal fictional tales (2-3 page short stories), this book contains a wide array of flavors for all kinds of readers. What stands out as a common factor among them is that they bear resemblance to simplicity and pick instances from routine life.

Book cover taken from Amazon

What I liked about the book:
-> Each story deals with a different kind of relationship and emotion, right from friendship to parenting.
-> The stories are fun, emotional, thought-provoking, creative, futuristic, and something I believe that millennial readers would easily enjoy.
-> The narrative is refreshing as well as interesting. The end of each story would compel the reader to shed some thought on what just happened. It would be difficult to just move on to the next story as one would have to stay put to think and wonder about the cliffhanger kind of conclusions.

What I did not like about the book:
-> The dialogue tends to become a bit preachy in some instances.
-> Though the stories are interesting, I felt that they lacked depth.
-> There is a definite scope for improvement in the narration and language.

Quotable quotes:
-> ‘They don’t treat me the way I treat them’
‘That happens. Not everyone is the same.’
-> We can’t compare our sufferings because we are wired differently from each other.
-> It is better to trust machines these days than to trust humans.
-> If you guys want to get married, then nothing should matter. This world is a nasty place if you follow its rules all the time. But once you stop caring and start living for yourself, then it is a beautiful place.
-> Society has a fixed set of rules for every age. If youngsters won’t take a stand for themselves, then there is no hope in this world.
->You should never put your wishes in a cage for this horrible, judgmental society.
-> Animals are not that dangerous as they seem to be. They too are just confused around humans like we find ourselves confused around many humans too. It is us who try to spoil their space for our own discoveries. We go to them, they never come to us.
-> You should try to forget everything and live in the moment because not everything is your fault.
-> ‘What is love?’
‘Love is an intense feeling of deep affection for somebody. It is a pure act of giving to somebody else.’
-> Parental love is selfless. Generally, parents live through their children, making them choose what they would have chosen if they had a second chance in life.
->People who love each other sacrifice for each other.
-> Everything is in your head. If your head is sorted, then everything around you will be sorted.
->Once you have a deeper understanding of yourself, you will find peace. And bliss. And once you have attained this contentment, then very gradually, your mind will help you carve out a purpose for yourself.
–> We are all stupid at one or the other point in life.
-> Parents can’t and should not force their prejudices on children.
-> Do you have any idea how it feels when you can see all your life in front of your eyes as an observer and all you feel is a pity for the character that is you?
-> The per-capita income of individuals has definitely enhanced but what about our happiness? Don’t you think our forefathers enjoyed their life more than us when they were always surrounded by their loved and trusted ones, their work-life balance was much better than ours?
->The constant rush towards earning more money has filled our pockets with dimes but has eroded the taste of life from our hearts.
-> Life is not about reaching new heights individually. It is all about sharing the happiness of reaching peaks with someone. It doesn’t matter if you are crushed by the pressure of the modern world or you are running around killing deadly animals in the jungles. We are fine if we have someone beside us to share our happiness and our pain.
-> ‘What is the first step towards happiness?
‘It is not simple. It is the word called ‘detachment’.
->Money is not everything, knowledge is.
-> Pleasure is something which is very basic. It is the need for pleasure that has kept the human race alive.
-> Blame game for one’s life is a classic action that sadists perform.
-> Attachment is directly proportional to suffering.
-> Marriage is about supporting each other through thick and thin.
-> The subconscious tells a lot about a person because it does not allow a person to polish their words.
-> Stories always make us feel what it is like to be a hero but stories seldom tell us how to become one.
-> Bullying a teenager to get an adrenaline rush for a while is typical adult behavior.

Buying details:

Amazon IndiaAmazon.com

Author’s social media links:

InstagramTwitterLinkedIn

Independence vs Freedom

Caged inside their homes,
People complained about doing house chores,
Finally,
They understood,
Equality is as important as freedom.
.
Caged inside their homes,
People complained about not having access to much,
Finally,
They understood
Freedom comes from learning to survive on basics and not from being independent enough to own luxuries.
.
Caged inside their homes,
People complained about losing their freedom to move about freely,
Finally,
They understood
What it meant to have it all and still have no power at all.

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Note: This blog is a part of Blogchatters #halfmarathon

Thank you for reading.

How to contact me:Connect with me on LinkedIn.Subscribe to my YouTube channel.Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Balance

Photo by Milada Vigerova on Unsplash

Lesser number of trees,

So what?

We have plants at home,

It’ll be fine

Not many animals around,

So what?

We have our pets

and our favorite ones safe in zoos

It’ll be fine

Flatlands and forests disappearing fast,

So what?

At least we have houses for everyone

And we’re safe in the walls of our homes

It’ll be fine

Food produce degrading in quality,

So what?

We have so much choice and variety

For all kinds of eatables

We’ll be fine

Climate and temperature erratic

So what?

We have ACs and heaters,

And even clothes that will protect us in all kinds of weather

We’ll be fine

Who says there’s an imbalance?

Because humans have learned to live in illusions

So, it’s alright

We’ll be fine, perhaps

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Note: This blog is a part of Blogchatters #halfmarathon

Thank you for reading.

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What’s Your Plan?

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

‘Hey, what’s up?’

‘Hello, how are you?’

Normal questions,

Polite and courteous. 

But then comes the more stressful,

Probably invasive one, 

‘What’s your plan?’

Then you’re in a spot,

Perhaps, your mind goes blank for a few seconds,

Your mind conjures up questions,

Should we make up a lie?

Do we know this person well enough to be honest?

Are they expecting a particular response?

In all likeliness, 

It might not even matter.

Because…

Do you even have a plan?

Because…

They don’t need to know.

Because…

Not everything needs to be planned, always. 

Because…

Not everyone deserves an answer, at least not an honest one. 

Because…

It’s your life and choice.

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Note: This blog is a part of Blogchatters #halfmarathon

Thank you for reading.

How to contact me:Connect with me on LinkedIn.Subscribe to my YouTube channel.Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Send me an email: arusticmind@gmail.com/manali1988

The Great Fall

Photo by Felipe Souza on Unsplash

Standing on the edge, 

It was a risk worth taking. 

Taking a deep breath, he thought to himself, 

‘ At least I won’t regret not trying it.’

Looking down at the depth of the fall, 

He reminded himself, 

‘I might hurt myself with the experience of it,

But maybe the scars will help convince people,

That I am indeed in pain, 

And finally, they will see the proof, 

That my emotional scars failed to show.’

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This poem is my attempt to try and make people understand that not all pain and scars are visible to the naked eye. It is my humble request to anyone and everyone reading this to empathize with those fellow humans, who are facing emotional pain. 

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Note: This blog is a part of Blogchatters #halfmarathon

Thank you for reading.

How to contact me:Connect with me on LinkedIn.Subscribe to my YouTube channel.Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Send me an email: arusticmind@gmail.com/manali1988