I Just Wanna Be A Girl!

My most recent read is a book called "Indian Genius: The Meteoric Rise of Americans in India" by Meenakshi Ahamed. This book was published by Harper Collins. I was instantly captivated by the introduction to this book.  As most of you know, I grew up in the US. I was pleased to see a lot of the differences I noticed between the Indian and American cultures and cities mentioned in the book. These are things I have seen for myself, which helped me visualize what the author was talking about.  The author picked 15 prominent Indian Americans to discuss in her book. She also included riveting exclusive interviews.  I enjoyed reading about each individual, but found the information overloading my brain. It felt like there was a lot in there that I couldn't remember. For example, where each individual was born and what their parents did for a living. I really liked reading, but this book had a lot of information. I persevered through the book and found certain parts that grabbed...

Everyone knows how much I love books. I wanted to go to the book fair as soon as it started, but I just got the opportunity to go a few days ago.  It was - to start out - huge. I accidentally looked at the wrong building at first and it was underwhelming. I wasn't sure how 900 stalls could fit in that small space. It was only when I walked in that I realized that that building was for handicrafts and things like that. The book stalls were in a whole other place. My friend and I sped through it and hightailed it to the books.  I had an amazing time browsing each stall. I think I covered at least half of the stalls there, which is saying a lot. I especially liked the offers on the second-hand book stalls. They were selling 3 books for 300 rupees, which was a steal. The only problem for me was the quality of the books. I am someone who has very high standards. I treat my books very well and it physically hurts when I see a book all dirty and crumpled. The most popular books were ...

This is my 200th blog post. I am delighted to have been writing for that long. Today, I wanted to talk about my blogging journey. When I started blogging, I didn't think I would get this far. I just started as a response to my professor's challenge. It soon became something more. It became a means of expression. It helped me let go of things that were bothering me.  Looking at the title of this blog... I started writing at a time when I felt disconnected from my feminity. I lacked female companionship and I found myself yearning for that. I may not have written much about girlhood, but the title of this blog is a reminder that every woman has the inherent right to feel feminine. She needs to know that it's okay to let herself feel small and petite and femme. She might have other interests and she might enjoy things that aren't traditionally feminine, but in the end, she always reconnects to her womanhood. This blog is a reminder of that idea.  Apart from that, it let me...

Can you hear the scream? No How could you when I supress it  Refusing to let myself feel emotions My soul screams  With the pain of holding it all in  Nowhere to turn  My mind does not quiet down  Emotions fighting to break free I keep them to myself Fear of judgement  Rejection and abandonment Keep them in  Keep them in so they will love you Keep your screams quiet  Even as your soul shatters 

I'm trapped No escape I need a miracle  Someone hear my pleas It's eternally midnight here Everywhere I look...  Darkness surrounds  I long for light It's a new moon day Not even the moon  Wants to bear witness To my despair The stars have hidden  Themselves from my view Is my despair that horrid I need a witness Someone to bear the brunt of my emotion Some other soul or being In this Eternal Midnight

On the 28th and 29th of December, Katha Publishers conducted a workshop in the MRF Innovation Park at MCC. As soon as I knew this workshop was coming up, I knew I wanted to go. My professor told me how prestigious this workshop was. I didn't totally believe him until I saw the crowds that arrived at MCC.  This workshop was intended for schoolchildren, but we MCCians had a special session since we were hosting it. I was also a volunteer for the workshop. My Saturday morning started pretty early. I rushed to campus by 7:30 and sprung into action. The day started out with decorating the venue. Soon after, parents and their children started arriving. There were people from out of state. They had come just for the workshop. I sprung into action with the rest of the team, guiding children and their parents around the building.  Once everyone was settled, it was time for our session. I loved the sessions. I compared my writing to what the mentor taught us and I was pleased to find th...

"Look where we are now. When we met, did you ever imagine we'd be in a place like this?" Afrid said, looking at Annalise.  All around them, battle raged. A bomb had just dropped in the middle of the city and people were trembling with fear, worried about the enemy's next move. The cries of the wounded echo in their ears, promising to haunt them forever.  "Blueberry cupcake!" The store owner announced, "it's ready. Come and get it!" Two little children immediately perked up at the mention of their favourite treat. Their heads turned in unison to face the shopkeeper  The children bolted up from their seats and started running to the counter. The little girl, Annalise, slipped on a patch of water that an irresponsible customer spilled. The little boy, Afrid, was raised to be a gentleman. He immediately stopped in his tracks to help the little girl to her feet. As soon as she was on her feet, Afrid darted off to the counter again. Little did he kno...