TheCityLineSeries Ft. New York

Let’s play a game of Never-Have-I-Ever…..been to these cities 

Here’s the next place of the #TheCityLineSeries featuring my 2nd  favourite and 2nd most desperate-to-go place in the world, New York City!

I fell in love with New York firstly because of the movie Sex and the City! The way Carrie Bradshaw described it as the city of dreams, a way to find yourself. I found it to be a place full of hustle and bustle, the serenity of Central park, quaint little bakeries with the most amazing confections, sky scrapers, fancy brand’s hoardings, Times square, the delis! Though I am not a coffee person, I wanna hold a cup of coffee from a New York coffee shop and hustle down the busy streets wearing a fancy label’s trench coat! As Carrie rightly mentioned, women come to New York for two reasons, labels and love!

The next instance when I dreamt of going to New York City was after watching Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. I wanted to explore the city just like Kevin did! Hop, skip and jump down to Rockefeller center, see the wonderful lights of the city from the Empire State Building, swirl at Times Square and stay at the fancy Plaza Hotel!

The one which show which almost everyone wants to live through is F.R.I.E.N.D.S and that was pivotal in bolstering my desire for the City of dreams! I don’t think I’ll have to elaborate on this any further because Rachel has marketed Bloomingdale’s and Ralph Lauren enough. Monica has spoken all about the wonderful restaurants. Phoebe has told us it’s completely fine to run like you have nothing to lose in Central park and to love Pottery Barn! Ross has explained everything about The MET to Joey and that sure has made me want to visit it. Chandler has told us that it’s perfectly fine to “Mooo” in crowded places and not to forget gorging on the delicious cheesecake from Mama’s Little Bakery. Joey has told us nothing can beat watching a Knicks game from the front row and the PIZZA and sandwiches of New York!

Being the foodie that I’ve been, the movie Julie and Julia intensified my inclination and I have fancied eating from The Magnolia Bakery, (While I have eaten at the Bangalore branch, I want to try the real deal!) trying sundaes at Serendipity 3, baked pretzels from a street cart, bagels for breakfast, cronuts for a pre lunch snack, surfeit my cravings for cheese through a big slice of New York style pizza and finishing it by sipping on thick chocolate milkshake from a local deli, and not to forget I must buy a falafel from a guy that looks like Ross!

Cupcake from Magnolia Bakery

Moving on to fashion and style, I’ve never reallyaa identified myself as someone who is very stylish or even remotely good with dressing up. Hats off to all of you out there who have got it figured it out! But when I watched The Devil wears Prada, I found myself furiously nodding with Anne Hathaway’s character throughout the movie. The movie showed everything from florals to animal prints, groundbreaking trends to faux leather shoes, simplicity to subways and teaching us what cerulean is! P.S. I learnt what size 6, 14 and 10 meant only because of this movie.

There are many more movies, books and shows which have made me love this beautiful city. Movies like 27 Dresses, The Intern, Maid in Manhattan, English Vinglish, Little Manhattan, are so heartwarming. A recent read was the book Still Me by Jojo Moyes portrays New York in a refreshing manner. Shows like How I Met your mother, wizards of waverly place, Brooklyn nine nine, Gilmore girls, have shown us more and more of the city and it’s different sides. and someday I wish to experience this wonderful city in every way possible!

#TheCityLineSeries Ft. Paris

Let’s play a game of Never-Have-I-Ever…..been to these cities.

Here’s the first of the #TheCityLineSeries featuring my favourite and most desperate-to-go place in the world, PARIS.

I fell deeply in love with Paris only after I read “Da Vinci code” and recently after reading “The Little Paris Bookshop” which made me fall in love with France!One day I will roam the streets that Robert Langdon and Sophia hustled through. I will stare at the magnificent Louvre museum, strut around Champs-Élysées, order deux croissants et un macaron at a cafe, marvel at the Sacre Cœur, lose myself at the beauty of Siene, race upto the Arc de Triumph and finally fall in love with glistening Tour Eiffel.

The city line of Paris

Another instance which caught my attention to Paris was the show The New Adventures of Madeline! The movie “Madeline lost in Paris” placed a strong impression to get me hooked to this magic land! I can’t believe that I didn’t realise it was all about Paris back when I was a kid.

I began admiring the French language specifically when Madame Maxime saw the dragons in Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire and said “Aah! C’est la magnifique!” That’s when I decided I’m going to learn this language and I chose it as my second language in high school. Well, after that I lost touch and now I’m back again learning it on Duolingo.

When my friend went to Europe, I think I forced him (more like beat the crap out of him virtually) to go to Paris and NOT miss it at any cost. I was so eager to see the glimmering Tour Eiffel at night even if it was through my phone screen. But as luck would have it, I fell asleep and I missed the 18 video calls! Looks like I just have to wait to see it in person and this time along with a tiny companion. My friend did bring back a very valuable souvenir. The tiny book that you see on the right corner has hand drawn famous places in Paris right from where to live, what to see, what and where to eat and drink, where to shop! It’s like a one stop destination for everything related to Paris.

Though I missed the Eiffel tower, I managed to see pictures of the Louvre, some of the paintings, the oh so famous Monalisa thanks to him. Also in addition, I have seen Mostly Sane’s vlog on Paris atleast 245473 times and every time I see her face reacting to the beauty of this city, it makes me wonder how I would react. I think my imagination has overtaken reality when it comes to dreaming about this city.

When my time comes I will add my doodles and scribbles to the “Une histoire avec Paris” and fill it up! Until then, I’m going to look longingly at beautiful pictures of Paris.

Au revoir!

It’s a Rant.

Have you noticed, that every time you talk to someone about something negative you faced, the person who is listening to it would immediately respond by saying ” Oh! I definitely understand what you’re going through, I also had something similar. I went through……..digress into his/her experience.” Now as much as I know that this person who is listening to me is purely trying to show that he/she resonates with me and also to show that he/she has also dealt with something similar, I have begun to feel that it’s more on the lines of ” It’s not a big deal man, I went through it too.”

To be very honest, I’m glad you’re empathetic towards what I went through (since it’s a surprise how humans in general tend to be less empathetic, given that there are concepts where companies make a huge business deals out of, just because of a factor called “Human Empathy”. More widely known as Design Thinking/User Experience.) But on a much larger perspective, I have begun to realise that we as humans tend to become slightly happy when we know that another person is also undergoing something drastic/negative experiences, especially when we have gone through them ourselves.

And ever since I’ve been a part of the corporate world, (thanks to which my blog has officially been dead since more than a year. Nope. I’m not complaining, because my job helps me pay my internet bill and and the phone I’m typing this wonderful rant on.) it has struck me that majority of adults are sadistically ecstatic when another adult is going through a grim phase. Yes, they probably don’t show it outwardly, because nobody wants to be termed inhuman. Maybe it’s a sense of calmness that your body tends to generate knowing that you’re not the only one. This is probably the kind of satisfaction you feel when you’ve failed miserably in a test but it’s not just you, it’s also your friend! (Aah! The warmth that fills in your chest for a brief period.) At some point in our lives I’m sure we have felt this, maybe not in the exactness but definitely with some amount of similarity. Let’s take an example to make this clear. As an engineer, I have gone through the ever famous Viva sessions during my course. Now, to all of you who think this is just a question and answer session, let me stop you right there and break it down for you. Imagine you’re being asked questions when you’re carrying 5kg dumbbells on each hand while you’re walking on a bed of fire. (That’s probably the nicest way to put it across. ) Many a times, I have felt that the whole point of having a Viva during the practical exam has been blown far far away. It has ended up becoming a span of 15 min where the examiner can gloat that they know MORE than the student and the one I’m most concerned about is when it’s a personal vendetta because they faced a similar do or die situation when they themselves were students.

This kind of grudge brings close to zero learning whatsoever because the only emotion I’ve had after the Viva session is “I hate this damn subject!” It has imbibed in me that every viva will be a bad experience. (I am sure a lot of you would agree.) along with my tears swelling up while worrying if I would actually pass the exam thanks to the 15 minutes of being judged and tortured. This is when the empathy factor plays a huge role, not just to others’ but to our own selves. To put it across plainly, we must learn to empathize with the good and bad within us. It has become so hard for us to agree that there is something that’s gone wrong and at the same time, there is also a side where we find it intimidating to express our happiness while another is in pain. It is completely fine to be in moody zone one day and a jumpy rabbit on an another. We’re human, not robots.

So if there is anyone here who is reading my rant even now, ( Thank you btw.) please try not to imprint the kind of experience you went through during a tough phase on another person. Instead, help them out in a way that would actually aid them in overcoming the difficulty.

Remember, just because you had a tough time, doesn’t mean the other one should too. Life isn’t a tit for tat kinda game where you get to roll the dice.

Undo button

Have you ever met someone and you wished you’d have known them years ago? The warm feeling when you connect with them in ways unimaginable to either of you, is probably inexplicable. In a world where it matters to be a part of the current “in thing”, both of you felt it was perfectly alright to do something that you liked regardless of what the world did to be a part of the never ending trend machine. Here’s an excerpt from something that I wrote a few weeks ago after reading yet another Nicholas Sparks book. (Nope, I didn’t cry this time. I had prepared myself well in advance.)

There I was one night, trying to figure out life, right from my career, to my family, to getting rid of those pimples on my face that have now found a permanent home and inadvertently you joined my thought trail after we spoke for 2 hours at what our moms would call ‘ungodly hours‘. Even though you told me I can talk to you about anything and everything, I wasn’t sure if I should put this on you right now when you’re dealing with things that are actually important in life, so I thought I’ll keep it with myself because it’s a soup that I cooked.

But here’s the catch, spending time with you makes me insanely happy, even if it’s for a few minutes so how do I shut my brain when you make it swirl with your genius questions? The least I can do is keep separate tracks, but do you have any idea how exhausting it is to have 700 tracks running in your head!?
Watching you throw that smile at me makes me go so weak in the knees. (Clichéd, right? I know, but this is me channeling my inner Nicholas Sparks so shut up and read.) You asked me why I don’t counter most of the things that you say or why I’m stumped around you, I think you know the reason better than I do but as usual you would love to hear it from me. I had promised myself that I won’t get into this again and I’m better off just sightseeing, but I realised that you don’t have control over these things.

Sometimes the things you tell me would probably be completely the opposite of what I feel about it, but the way you put your point across, I’ll probably throw my opinion into the dustbin and agree with you and that enthusiasm with which you tell me things, I get so mesmerized just seeing you go gaga about it. I thought it was harmless and I would eventually get over it but gaahhh why do I remember tiny details like how our little fingers interlocked for precisely three seconds on a random sunny afternoon when we were walking? Why did I get electric shocks in my tummy when you suddenly held my hand the other day and I ended up writing four pages (front and back) about these insignificant things that you probably don’t remember.

I know that we can’t be anything but friends and you look at me like I’m this little girl who is lost and you want me to find my way. (And I can’t believe I misread all that as a tiny possibility. Precisely why I call myself stupid.) Even though I said it so easily that I’ll be completely normal with you and nothing will change, it’s taking so much effort for me to let go of my feelings and at the same time I value what we have too much. And this is probably too trivial, but it’s difficult to choose between what you want to do and what you should do. Towards the end of this argument with myself, I decided to go with the latter just because that option gives me a lot more confidence that you’ll be with me and I won’t lose you.
And I know you’ve told me that you’ll never leave me, but I’m extremely scared, terrified in fact. I’ve been promised that before and in the end I had to fix that void all by myself. I hate myself for complicating things.

Now, how on earth do I get an undo button for these real-life like situations which are definitely only in my head?

Dear Seniors|| Open Letter

Dear Seniors,

It kinda feels weird to address you guys as seniors because I pretty much spent my entire pre final year with you guys and dreaded my final year for obvious reasons.

I have looked at y’all with awe every time one of you spoke about some intellectual topic, because it’s rare to find people who make conversations that stimulate your brain, and I secretly wonder if I’d ever get there and the very next second one of you would snap me out of my lost zone and bring me back to earth assuring that it’ll happen in due course.

When I scrolled through my Instagram feed, it’s filled with beautiful pictures of your amazing grad school lives in different countries or with your spouse, I realised that time has flown by too quickly.
It only seems like yesterday that you were teaching me complex electronic circuitry and instructing me on how to smash while playing badminton, and not to forget how to deal with specific teachers. It would be too little to say that you guys have played a huge role in my life. By the way, thank you for all those brilliant excuses that you gave to our teachers to sneak me out of class just so that I can hang out with you all in our very special and privileged “Playground”. I will never forget that mind-blowing cricket match we played in that room, during the fest. The way you guys coolly slid the stumps and bat behind the sliding door making it seem all natural, every time a teacher passed by the room, and all this without breaking a sweat is definitely talent!

From having conversations on placements, to gossiping about random people, to idolizing your love stories (and also wondering if I’d ever have one. To which your answer was “Stick to science”. Hmph, easy for you to say!), to drinking a never ending supply of Appy from the canteen and playing flip the bottle with all those empty ones just to relax our fried up brain, to discussing tiny details of various episodes of “Recess” and rekindling our nostalgia, to serious life discussions on the evergreen questions “Are we good enough for the big bad world outside? Do I have it in me to achieve everything I want? What if everything falls apart and none of plans ranging from plan A to Z work?” to which you have always reassured my confidence by believing in my potential more than I would. Thank you for being the caring adult (even before you actually became one) and treating me like the lil kiddo of your gang. Thank you for also being as annoying as you can be everytime you wanted me to treat you in canteen just because you felt like it! Also, your life lessons haven’t gone for waste and all your fantastic theories are being put to good use. 🙂

The day you guys bid goodbye, I knew that the places we spent time together wouldn’t be the same without your presence, but I’m so glad that I found some of the best people I could possibly meet! Also, Is it too late to say ” GET BACK TO BANGALORE RIGHT NOW!.”?

Thank you for inspiring me, and I think it’s safe to say that I fit in better with all you wonderful humans born between the years 93-95. Maybe in some parallel universe, I probably am in your batch! 😛

Love you guys a lot!

Yours,
Favourite Junior

P.S. Please don’t start arguing about the picture I’ve chosen for the post. I don’t have enough patience to make a collage of all the pictures of all my amazing seniors. 😀 I can’t wait to see your reaction after reading this letter!

The Year that was 2018

Yes, I’ve been an inconsistent blogger. I lost track after April and there was a period where I felt that no matter what I did it wasn’t showing results in any of the fields that I put my hands in. It took a long time to stand up again and get back into the game. I didn’t want to pull out the notes from my happy jar because I was scared there wouldn’t be a lot. There were 150+ happy moments from this year. (Many more that I didn’t have time to jot down.)

But here are 10 amazing things that happened to me in 2018.

1. I graduated from college!

2. I got my dream job.

3. I took my parents out on a classy lunch and showered them with gifts.

4. I went on a trip to Varkala with my college gang. (Yes, the Goa trip never happened. But Varkala was close enough.) oh yeah! I also went on a trek to MakaliDurga hills with these guys!

5. I got rid of toxic people from my life.

6. I FINALLY read Dan Brown and he blew my mind. Yes, I also re-read the entire Harry Potter series because that’s a must every year! I made BookWorm, Blossoms and Milano my second home. (Thanks to the happiness jar, I kept track of the number of times I went to these places 😂)

7. I sold 50 of the #12StepsToHappiness Calendar of 2019. (If you still haven’t ordered and you need more than 5, text me! [Smooth promotions, Ramya. Very smooth] )

8. I learnt to let go of people/things that aren’t meant to be in your life.

9. I explored so many different restaurants and different cuisines! I went to YouTube Fanfest, attended two live concerts (Agam and Thaikkudam Bridge), went to comic-con (for free!) and met Alicia Souza. Did loads of impulsive things which I don’t regret one bit. [New experiences FTW!]

10. This entire year was filled with loads of memories with my family and the most amazing friends that I have Niki, Bhav and Sravs with tonnes of sleepovers and fun never ending conversations and that made me feel so content. (P.S. you guys are practically family. Thanks for being there for me throughout! Also don’t fly too high. 😛 I’ll still torture you for the rest of my life.)

I don’t have a very elaborate list for 2019 but I have a feeling that it’s going to be better than 2018. Wish you all a happy new year in advance and also stay safe!

3 Steps to Having a Wonderful Present

Here I am blogging after a long gap. I was on an emotional roller coaster and I have come to the conclusion that I absolutely detest rollercoasters.(physical, mental any kind!) They’re scary, unpredictable and make you scream till your throat hurts. Perhaps everyone has gone through or is going through these daunting rides. These are my views on how to let go of the past and have a great present and a superb future. I am no psychiatrist so don’t take these pointers as a doctor’s prescription.

1. Lament your loss

Yes. Go ahead, scream, yell, scribble, and even cry. Let it all out and it’s definitely going to make you feel much lighter and probably a little bit more like a child. Bringing out the child in us makes us feel easy and human-like. Those were times when it didn’t matter if we wore a bright orange bow with a parrot green dress, or how messy our shoes were. It brings back the simplicity that we lived in before the societal stigma stepped into our then innocent lives. So, give them your full attention and once you think you have eased up, don’t sugar coat them because if you do they’ll be lingering around the corner waiting to jump back.

My biggest regret would be trusting everyone that smiled at me or was even remotely nice to me. It took me this long to be able to say it out loud. Not everyone that hangs out with you every day or watches you gleam with joy is your trusted partner. The ones I thought would probably be there for eternity, let go of me as easy as you would throw away a tissue paper. So I have come to terms with this fact and I am learning to be more conscious of the people I let into my life or rather invest in. (I have developed a serious amount of trust issues but I think I’ll learn how to get rid of them slowly too.) Similarly, declutter your life.

2. Pardon yourself

Now that you have cried about it and pushed it all out into the air, it’s time to forgive yourself. This is crucial to moving on from the past for it is probably the longest of the battles in the war that you’re fighting. It is a war between your inner critic(the perfectionist voice in your head that berates and condemns) and the kind and loving person you want to be.

Whenever the inner critic gears up for battle, here’s what the kind voice needs to say:

You did the best you could at the time. If you had known better, you would have done better. If you had been capable of doing better, you would have done better. You didn’t have all the knowledge, foresight, maturity and strength and emotional intelligence and self-awareness than that you have now. You did the best you could with what you had.

The kind side hasn’t won over me yet but eventually, I know it will because I believe that happiness always triumphs.

3. Focus on changing your future

Now that you’re almost there, the next step is to live each day as if it were your last. This sounds very philosophical and deep but it works wonders! What if you had a huge fight with your family and you walked out just before you left for work or school? And God forbid, but something unfortunate happens and it ended up being your last day? A deep sense of guilt keeps your family awake. But in contrast, what if the opposite took place? The happy memories flood in them. Imagine every day of your life was a happy memory, think about the string of exotic memories that you leave behind.

Now you’ll probably be thinking, yeah it all sounds like a profound Guruji talking about, ” Positivity, Clear your mind, yadda, yadda, blah, blah…” and none of this is ever applicable. (Hell, my inner critic is saying that to me right now as I’m writing.) But only if I make a conscious effort in the present will it make any difference in the future that I aspire to be in. The same applies to you as well!

I’m not really sure if this helped you, but let’s get on this bandwagon together and kick out the regrets of your past live a happy life?

Dear Best Friend||Open Letter

Dear Best Friend,

The moment someone says best friend, we immediately reminisce, someone, we’ve known all our lives and grown up together with but we haven’t. These letters usually begin with either an overflow of sentimental emotions or a series of insults. But I think we have enough number of posts on social media as proof for our love-hate relationship. We met in the most unexpected way but damn, PU would have been hell if I didn’t sit next to you on the bus ride back home. I’m not going to say we are more than friends, we are sisters and *insert emotional melodrama*. You are a part of me and so am I.

I’m the fourth child in your house and you’re the second in mine. We could swap houses and live in harmony except for the language barrier. (Guess I’ll handle that better given that all I hear you say is Tujha Maila! Tujha Nyuntar!) From giving me death glares to even scarier dirty looks, we dealt through 6 years of each other and I’m sure we’ll end up torturing the world for 60 more. From arguing about ‘which Riverdale character do you resemble the most’, we found solace in Arrow, Flash, Sherlock, F.R.I.E.N.D.S and not to forget Castle! (We would make a good Caskett, by the way, 😛 I’ll probably be the Castle given how much I annoy you.) Remember how you, your brother and I were watching Castle at your place one afternoon and three of us screamed with joy when Beckett rammed the table against a criminal and we sacred the living daylights out of your mom? xD

I used to wonder what made us click, despite being two completely different souls, but now I think I know. The universe conspires to bring two souls together who are meant to be, and two forces who make the rest of the world jealous that we have each other. From the time we’ve met, I have known that I can truly be my unashamed self with you and you have been someone I can share every tiny unimportant rant. We’ve had precisely two sleepovers. (YEAH! JUST TWO!) This is precisely why I want to get a house and move in with you for eternity! We’ve walked miles together laughing like mad women and gotten glared at for being too LOUD, and it’s so much easier to show them the We-don’t-give-a-damn face when you are next to me. We were the ones who wore DC teeshirts to a Marvel movie because why not? We love both of them. We cried over our horrible college schedules and made time for each other even if it is for half an hour at Spicy or Le Casse Croute and I am glad we made it work.

It’s not like we have never had fights but you are someone I can’t stand being mad at because you are MINE and I always will have something important to tell you. I will be the Cristina to your Meredith and your future Derek will have to adjust with that fact. Yes, we will make new friends and maybe we have, but I can say with confidence that we are each other’s number one for eternity. I don’t have to tell you how much you mean to me because we can read each other’s minds, and I know you will stick around to see what life has in store for us. I see myself on your wedding day finally wearing a Nath, being your child’s partner in crime, and the both of us sitting in wheelchairs arguing about which actor is better and giggling about our inside jokes.

Thanks for being the one person whom I can call and cry because it’s been too long since we saw each other’s face. Thanks for agreeing to take selfies with me whenever I want to even though you hate them. We may not flip like other girls when they see each other, but one hug a year is all that we need to fix our troubles. (I know, we make fun of the other kind because lifting our eyebrow and saying ‘Sup?’ with a smile is always better than ‘OHHHH MYYYYY GOOODDD!’ in a shrill tone.)  Thanks for being my Horcrux, my Ron Weasley and the Thalia to my Annabeth. You definitely are the Misal to my Pav, the kanda to my poha, the only ray of hope in my dark times. ❤

Stop that challenge of yours and let’s go eat some of your mom’s awesome food and our DBC with chocolate ice cream. 🙂 Happy 22nd birthday my psycho! (Hope this makes up for not being there today.)

Lots of love,
Your twin.

P.S. I can finally ride a bike!!! No more waiting for metros and BMTCs. :’)
Also, we need to go on a trip to celebrate 6 years of knowing each other and not driving our families crazy.

10 Reasons to Love Bangalore

If you’ve ever stayed in Bangalore for longer than 2 days, you’ve definitely found tonnes of reasons to live here for your lifetime! After watching Bangalore Days I’m sure half the people dream of living here and they are NOT wrong! Here are 10 reasons why I love the city that I was born, raised and living in and definitely love.

1. The Weather!

   Yes, is there another city that can please you at any point in time? Need I remind we hardly have summer because it rains as and when you least expect it? And even if you hate the rains, the weather here is so pleasant that every day could be date night!
   

2. The Food

   Bangalore city has the most diverse food culture you can ever get your hands on. Yeah yeah, you are probably saying, “Oh! Mumbai and Delhi have better food.” But really? From Darshinis to classy sit-down restaurants to pubs to dessert bars to pocket-friendly places which look pricey and even everyone’s favorite street side chaat, there’s literally nothing that the city can’t offer in different styles of cuisines with authenticity.
   You aren’t a Bangalorean if you haven’t tried Death By chocolate from Corner house and the burgers from Truffles, Obbattu from Holige Mane, and not to forget THE BEST DOSAS IN THE WORLD.

   This slideshow requires JavaScript.

3. DOSA!

   Oh yeah! This had to be a separate deciding factor because there is literally no other city in our country that can make dosas like the ones we get in CTR, Vidhyarthi Bhavan, MTR and Taaza Thindi. Not that I’m saying dosas from the other Darshinis in Bangalore aren’t great but these places have stolen my heart every time someone says “Masala Dosa”. The dosas in Bangalore are always in the perfect shade of golden brown with the smell of ghee/butter tingling your nostrils and the insides with the generous smear of red chutney and aloo masala. Every time you tear a piece, dunk it in some chutney and the sambhar and put into your mouth, I can assure you that you are in heaven. (If anyone says sambhar from TamilNadu is better, suit yourself, I love the Karnataka style sambhar probably little more than I love my mom. 😛 )

   

   Masala Dosa at CTR, Malleswaram, Bangalore

   

   Masala Dosa at CTR, Malleswaram, Bangalore

4. The People

   Bangaloreans are by far the most friendly people I’ve seen. If you ever get lost and Google Maps isn’t really saving you, walk up to the nearest person you see and they will give directions and even sometimes may draw you a map! You don’t know the local language? You can make do with ANY language that you know because the people here are so welcoming that they will make you feel comfortable regardless of where you are from. Yes, we do urge you to learn Kannada and not say “Kannada gothilla” even after years of staying here but hey! what’s the harm in learning the language? There’s no crime in knowing too many languages.

5. Lung Spaces

   You might cringe and crib every time you think about passing by Silk Board junction or even Marathahalli bridge or just plain commuting in Bangalore, but this city has an abundance of parks and lakes to make you feel refreshed. Every area has at least one park and not to forget the gigantic ones; Lalbagh and Cubbon Park. From old uncles catching up with the daily gossip while sipping on filter coffee to athletic youngsters keeping tabs on their health to half sleepy dog walkers to even laughter clubs you are bound to notice different kinds of people in these spaces.

   This slideshow requires JavaScript.

6. Activity Center

   You may all know Bangalore is the party capital of India, but there’s a lot more the city offers apart from just night-clubs. From book clubs, pottery, open mics, poetry slams, Carnatic music concerts even Harry Potter Meet-ups,  this city has all kinds of activities for you to be a part of and rekindle those long lost hobbies. Not to forget the beautiful flea markets near the MG road metro station and also the most preferred city for Standup comedians. You know how to plan your weekend if a few drinks down isn’t your ideal way to spend it.

   This slideshow requires JavaScript.

7. Getaways

   You’re probably saying Lonavala and Ooty, Kodaikanal is enough for us, girl! But how long are you going to keep visiting those conventional hill stations? Plan a short trip on your long weekends to any of these places; Chikmagalur, Gokarna, Mangalore, Udupi, Hampi, Belur-Halebidu, Dandeli, Kudremukh, Coorg, Mysuru…. (Need I go on?)

   

   Chikmagalur

   

   Makalidurga

   

   Mrudeshwara

   

   Kukke

   

   St. Mary’s Island Udupi

8. The Fun-Young Crowd

   Take a walk down Brigade Road and Commercial Street not just for shopping but also for some bird watching, or take a walk up Malleswaram, Basavanagudi, and Jayanagar for some sanskaari bird watching along with a lot of food hogging. (If you know what I mean. 😉 )

9. Temple City

   Now that we covered the last point for youngsters, the slightly older ones need not fret. Bangalore has that many temples you could visit and actually finish your dinner just by eating the prasadam. (Psst! Bird watching is possible if you want a blend of both kinds 😛 )

   

10. Land of Opportunities

    How many of you know someone who has come from another city to Namma Ooru in search of a job or to study and has not left the city? (If I had access to your webcams and front cameras, I could probably see you all say Me! Me! Me!)

    Nammooru is the best, no matter what! 🙂

How To Enjoy Your Own Company?

How many times have you hesitated to go out by yourself and have a cup of coffee or a stroll around a park? How many of us have had the notion that ‘You’re a loner if you eat alone in a restaurant or watch a movie all by yourself.’? Believe me, I was one of them. I found it absurd to walk into a cafe or restaurant and sit there by myself and eat or sip on a cup of hot chocolate. I always needed someone to tag along while going to a restaurant. Now before you conclude that I’m a needy person, I’m independent in all perspectives but when it comes to enjoying my own company. My mindset changed once I stepped into college. I was able to accept the fact that it is possible to do all these things and a lot more by yourself. I realized that it is only a misconception that we “need” someone by our side to do a particular task and our own company isn’t enough. I’m not preaching that you have to antisocial or an introvert, all I’m trying to say is that you can be

1. Accept that you are good enough for yourself.
   You must agree that you are a treasure and you don’t need another person to validate the same. It may be easy to find someone to spend time with, but when you have high standards for the people you allow into your life, you’re telling yourself that you’re better off by yourself than with someone who isn’t a great fit for you. Remind yourself that it is a choice and you made the decision for yourself.
2. Learn to talk to yourself.

   You’re probably thinking “Whaaaaaat is wrong with her?! Is she going cuckoo?” But nope, I’m not. It is okay to talk to yourself. Each of us has an inner voice that talks to us at all times, and getting to know that person and how to talk to them is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. When you fill your time with other people, it is obvious that you will ignore this voice, but when you’re alone, it’s your only company. This voice rubs off on you. The way that you talk to yourself when no one else is around will shape who you are in this world. Learn to be kind to yourself. Fall in love with yourself. Given that you are hearing your inner calling, there is always our evil twin residing in us, providing you all those negative voices. Just like you’d distance yourself from negative friends who bring you down, it’s just as important to distance yourself from a negative inner voice. This might be hard to do by yourself, but as Dumbledore said, “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

3. Find your “thing”.
   Now that you have found your inner calling, this will be relatively easier. “Your thing” can be as simple as taking a stroll around your colony, or petting animals, going to workshops, or even relishing lip-smacking food. Go ahead and pursue it by yourself! Sometimes, you end up meeting people who are either excelling at what you love or even amateurs. You end up getting inspired and also help another soul to aspire. You may find people who share the same interests but it’s all the more exciting when you do it by yourself.
4. Observe, Read, Write, Express.
   While you are doing your thing, look around for a while, observe the people around you who are up to their own tasks. Trust me, you’ll end up seeing loads of specimens this world has to offer. Each person has their own aura when they are doing a task, observe them and make a mental note. Even better, write about it so that you can go back to it one day and replay. (At the same time, don’t creep that person out.) A lot of people don’t like reading, writing or both, but I feel it is one thing every individual has to try at least once in their lifetime. Go to a bookstore or library and sit there to read a book. I have bought books on suggestions by another fellow reader and they have always given me a better perspective of their personality. Buy yourself a cute little book and jot down your thoughts or if you aren’t comfortable writing, type it on your notepad. In this way, you learn to express your feelings in a better way. Even if you are not a person of words draw them, doodle them. Basically, do something that will remind you later of what a fun time it was to do something all by yourself!
5. Give it a shot!
   Now stop thinking and go try it out! You will begin to accept who you are and also learn to respect yourself. I tried it, and I honestly loved it. Here’s a gist of what I did. It was November 30th, 2017, when I first tried it. I walked to Cold Stone Creamery and they were giving out free icecreams to people with nose piercings. Got me a cup of it, and savored every bite. I walked to the metro station and landed in what I call heaven; Blossoms. I spent the best three hours there reading Archies and smelling old books and carefully picking the ones that I wanted to add to my collection. I walked out and got myself a lemon soda, sipped on it on my way back. Walked back home with my heart content from the reading and good (free) food. I came back home and made myself a paneer roll. I thought it would be preposterous to do any of this by myself but I loved every bit of that day.