Ukridge on #WodehouseSeries

By now, I have introduced you to Jeeves and Wooster, Mr. Mulliner, Lord Emsworth with the Empress of Blandings in the Blandings Castle, and the characters from the school stories of Wodehouse. Finally, we meet Ukridge.

Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge is a very special character from Wodehouse. Before we continue- Ukridge is pronouced this way: U like it rhymes with zoo and kridge like rhymes with fridge- Yoo-krij. He is one of the most handsomest characters of Wodehouse with exceptional good looks, and he stands out in the crowd with his yellow machintosh, grey pants, a towering height over six feet, and a clearly loud voice.  

But, what sort of a chap is he?

“Ukridge was the sort of man who asks you to dinner, borrows money from you to pay the bill, and winds up the evening by embroiling you in a fight with a cabman.” - Ukridge

Most of the stories of Ukridge are narrated by Ukridge's friend Corcoran, fondly called Corky. Ukridge is a striking young man often involved plots and schemes to get rich quick. The lengths that he would go to make some money are short of nothing but infinite, except of course to actually work and earn. The hilariously comedic short stories of Ukridge leave you in a fit of laughter as you watch his desperate, comic ways to cash in some capital!

Ukridge is actually Wodehouse's longest-running character although he was only featured in the novel Love Among the Chickens and in ten short-stories in the omnibus Ukridge. I think Ukridge is also one of the most entertaining character ever of Wodehouse, though he is not as famous as Jeeves or Mulliner. 

I love Ukridge for the interesting specimen that he is- a seemingly rude fellow to those who are not familiar with his weirdly informal air, a man whose persona is so gripping and charming that people give out credit- only to never get it back again, a man who is all about thinking on how to make money in all ways except the right ones! He is a riot of a character- who'll storm in to the pages and make you laugh, and leave you giggling at his get-quick-money schemes.

You love him, and you are exasperated by him. He seems too charming to ignore, and too difficult to understand. He is one beauty of a character that Wodehouse has ever created. 

The best part about the Ukridge stories is that they are short, and give you a full spectacle of a comic tale in less than half an hour. It's the kind of reading that you can do after a busy day, and get back your cheer again!

I say, why don't you try one story today? 

A Jump In Joy

A jump, maybe a skip, 

slowly set in the motion.

But careful, don't you trip,

we don't want any commotion.

A sway and some slide,

and a big, carefree whirl.

But, beware as you glide-

the floor's slippery where you twirl.

But, what brings you such joy?

End of chores for the day?

Or a feeling that we enjoy

on a day without dismay?

No matter what, hold on to that song, 

and the jump, and the whirl-

for it, some days, you'll long

then you'll have some saved, my girl!

Through that careful, clever way

there'll be enough bundles of joy,

to be dancing through dismay,

the troughs, and all who annoy!

Blandings Castle on #WodehouseSeries

After exploring Jeeves, Mr. Mulliner, and Wodehouse's school stories, we're in for some family drama this week as I introduce you to Lord Emsworth and the Empress of Blandings. Do you want your brain to spin in a web of far-fetched relations and a big, royal family? Go for any book in the Blandings Castle series. 

Lord Emsworth is the master of Blandings Castle, and his most treasured being on Earth is the Empress of Blandings- a huge Blackshire sow who is known for winning in most categories of the "Fat Pigs" competition in the local agricultural show. Second to the pig, what Lord Emsworth adores happens to be the Castle (his home), his garden, and his pumpkins. And, absorbed entirely by his love for the pig and his pumpkins, Lord Emsworth lives a laid back, relaxed life oblivious to the highly dramatic events that take place in the castle. 

Who creates the drama? Well, there is no dearth of that- with Lord Emsworth's ten sisters, a brother, a daughter, two sons, the infinite in-laws, their nieces and nephews- all of them waiting to stir trouble and politics in the Blandings Castle as they come and go to visit old Lord Emsworth. 

Apart from the pig, his pumpkins, and the trouble-brewing host of relatives, the Castle is also home for the innumerable staff and servants to live that royal life, some of whom we get to know over several books. Sebastian Beach is the able butler without whom the Castle activities wouldn't last a day. And, as if these people weren't dramatic enough in themselves, the Blandings Castle also regularly hosted several other Lords and Dukes of the other neighbourhoods!

From 1915 till his death in 1977- Wodehouse held on to this all-time-favourite series of Blandings Castle, with his last book, Sunset at Blandings, being incomplete. In that period, Blandings Castle had 11 novels and 9 short shorties written on it by this classic author. 

"Sunshine, calling to all right-thinking men to come out and revel in its heartening warmth, poured in at the windows of the great library of Blandings Castle." - Summer Lightning

I have read Summer Lightning, Heavy Weather, Pigs Have Wings, Service With A Smile, and most of the short stories. I love Lord Emsworth, his dramatic family, and the treasured Empress of Blandings. Emsworth is the kind of old man who can charm you till no end with his stroll in the sunshine and his relaxed persona. If you need humour, or drama, or both- this series is your one-stop destination for all of it!

So, why don't you make some cool lemonade, settle down in a nice spot of warm sunshine, and pick Pigs Have Wings to a couple of hours of unputdownable entertainment?

10 Most Favourite Authors (All-Time)

Picking favourite books is very difficult. No reader must be subjected to it. The "favourites" list keeps growing as we read more and more. And, this is not just for books- but also for their authors! But, there are some all-time favourites that we all have. Especially, the ones we have read extensively because we just love the tales they spin out for us! So, here's a list of my top 10- in no particular ranking/order. 

1. J. R. R. Tolkien

2. Charles Dickens

3. Kalki

4. R. K. Narayan

5. P. G. Wodehouse

6. George Bernard Shaw

7. Neil Gaiman

8. Enid Blyton

9. Roald Dahl

10. Erle Stanley Gardner

It's not a fair list, and it doesn't have some of the authors whose books might make it to my top 10. But, these ten have given me a wonderful world of fiction that I have consistently loved and looked forward to! Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl are unbeatable when it comes to their way with children and adults, alike! Once you read Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan, Parthiban Kanavu, Sivagamiyin Sabadham- the historical saga leaves you yearning for more! 

Who are your favourite authors- the ones whose book you could give on any given day and trust completely to be entertained? Let me know in the comments!

Kidnap Poem by Nikki Giovanni

Authors, poets, artists- they have their own way of seeing the world. They can bring out the most mundane observations of daily chores to vibrant life, or can transport you to new, unknown worlds that bring you joy beyond measure- all through the sway of their words. They can get your feet back on the ground, or send you shooting into the stars. They can send you to the mountains or the sea, or sometimes both. They can make you laugh in delight, or weep in distress. They can make you fall utterly in love with the world they create for you. And, have you wondered how it would be when you get kidnapped by a poet? Read this beautiful 'Kidnap Poem' by Nikki Giovanni, to know how it is to be kidnapped by one!

ever been kidnapped

by a poet

if i were a poet

i’d kidnap you

put you in my phrases and meter

you to jones beach

or maybe coney island

or maybe just to my house

lyric you in lilacs

dash you in the rain

blend into the beach

to complement my see

play the lyre for you

ode you with my love song

anything to win you

wrap you in red Black green

show you off to mama

yeah if i were a poet 

i’d kidnap you

I loved this one since I read it a couple of days ago! Every story, every novel, every poem we read actually does send us to a whole new world, and that is the best part about reading books and poems! Hope you enjoyed it, too! Let me know in the comments!

School Stories on #WodehouseSeries

After taking a look at the series of Jeeves and Mr. Mulliner novels in the past week, we go to Wodehouse's school stories, now. For a long time, I went about reading book after book of Wodehouse's Jeeves, Blandings Castle, and Mr. Mulliner, but didn't even know the existence of his series of school stories until the grand old man I mentioned in the introductory post gave me a copy of A Prefect's Uncle. 

"Sit down, Lorimer," he said.

There are many ways of inviting a person to seat himself. The genial ‘take a pew’ of one’s equal inspires confidence. The raucous ‘sit down in front’ of the frenzied pit, when you stand up to get a better view of the stage, is not so pleasant. But worst of all is the icy ‘sit down’ of the annoyed headmaster. In his mouth the words take to themselves new and sinister meanings. They seem to accuse you of nameless crimes, and to warn you that anything you may say will be used against you as evidence. -  A Prefect's Uncle

Only introduction was needed, and within no time I was too tempted to have not completed A Prefect's Uncle, The Head of Kay's, The Golden Bat, The Pothunters, and The White Feather. These five books were set in four different schools- Beckford, Eckleton, Wrykin, and St. Austin's. And, these were the early books that Wodehouse wrote for school children before he moved on to Jeeves and other series of novels, and they were published later on from 1901-1905.

The school stories give you the perfect picture of an all-boys, English boarding school. If you have read other English novels for children, you might be able to draw a very similar parallel with books like Tom Brown's Schooldays, which has a similar setting around school boys. Also, cricket is a staple in these books. Some of the best bits in the novels involve scenes of the loyalty that the boys show to their House team, triggering fond memories of our own schooldays.

My favourite of the lot is A Prefect's Uncle, partially because I got introduced to it first! The story involves Gethryn, a Head-prefect in Leicester's House of Beckford, and the tale takes you through the lives of Gethryn and his fellow boys as they wade through school life, ragging, house-fights, misunderstandings- all culminating in a cricket matches that seem more like two houses in war!

All these school stories are short novels that hover over or under a 150-page mark. These are an absolute pleasure to read, and would not take more than a couple of hours! Even if the setting is of an English boarding school for boys, I can guarantee that these books will kindle a warm fireplace of our memories that we can sit back, relax, and relish- with an involuntary laughter and a perpetual smile pinned to the face!

Meet Mr. Mulliner on #WodehouseSeries

Last Thursday, we met Jeeves and Bertie Wooster. And today, let me introduce you to another classic character of Wodehouse- Mr. Mulliner. This character is one of the most liveliest creations of Wodehouse, and one of my favourites.

Mr. Mulliner is an old man famous in Angler's Rest, a lively pub, who has a story or an anecdote for every situation you talk about (but the stories are almost never about himself). He is an irrepressible storyteller, who brings anyone to rapt attention as his anecdote unfolds, one after another, amusing everyone who listens, including us readers. A raconteur is what they call him, and that is where I first learnt that word. In the Mulliner series, Wodehouse unleashes a riot of forty short stories as the narration of Mr. Mulliner.

The Mulliner stories ran from 1901 to 1910, and for ten years Mr. Mulliner goes on to narrate absolutely amusing stories at Angler's Rest.  When a man announces that his dog won a prize at a cat show, Mr. Mulliner has a story about his nephew Lancelot to show how what is expected never happens. When an American claims that California is perfect, old Mulliner is quick to dole out an anecdote involving his uncle, William Mulliner, experiencing an earthquake and its effects in California. Visiting his nanny reminds him of a story on another nephew Frederick Mulliner. And, even a picture in the weekly paper does not escape from teasing a memory and anecdote of our dear Mulliner, to narrate an entertain an audience!

Most of these short stories feature in the three main books of the Mulliner Series: Meet Mr. Mulliner, Mulliner Speaking, and Mulliner Nights. I have read Meet Mr. Mulliner, and other short stories of Mulliner that featured in Weekend Wodehouse. If I could guarantee a book that could entertain with the most hilarious characters and stories, it'd be one from the Mulliner series! As you read more of those stories, you become comfortably familiar with the regular visitors of  Angler's Rest, with a unique identity- what they drink. If you want me to break it: Mulliner is Hot Scotch and Lemon! All the forty stories of Mulliner are collated in the omnibus titled The World of Mr. Mulliner. 

I think the best part of these stories is their narrative pattern- with an incident or a situation in the pub that triggers the irrepressible Mr. Mulliner to tell a story that it reminds of, and then the story unfolds! The Mulliner series is one of the short ones of Wodehouse, but undeniably fond to the readers. The improbable stories entertainingly narrated by the raconteur involving an unending list of uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, and other acquaintances are such a charm! 

Most people know and get introduced to Wodehouse through Jeeves. But, there is much more to Wodehouse than just Jeeves, and Mr. Mulliner tops this list. I'd say try one story, or one chapter in one of the Mulliner series- you'd be left wanting more before you finish reading it!

Cleaning Our Phones (Once In A While)

We download a host of apps constantly, and most of them use a host of permissions like camera, microphone, location, storage, etc. In the phone that I had earlier, I used to discover how I have apps that I almost never used. They were just sitting there, occupying the space and accessing all permissions, even when I had no use for them. Since that day, I have made it a point to check now and then what I really use, and try to keep just them on my phone! This brings more space, and also saves a lot of battery, apart from ensuring that your settings are safe. So, here's a checklist for you, too!

1. Check what apps you have, and filter out the ones that you need.

2. Go to your phone settings once in a while to just check and learn which apps have access to what permissions. If something looks unnecessary, you can turn it off or uninstall.

3.  I have found that a lot of apps that I used sometimes had a default setting for running in the background irrespective of whether I used it or not. So, you can change these settings and turn it off for apps that you don't require to keep running. This definitely saves on your battery, especially if your phone is a couple of years old.

4. I am a person who likes only the most necessary, basic notifications on my phone. So, most of the apps have the notifications turned off, so I can see them only when I go into the app. If you get distracted constantly by the notification of any particular app, maybe going through the list of apps in your settings can push you to turn it off!

5. Clean caches, unwanted/spam messages- not everyday, but at least once in a while, maybe?

6. Use google photos, and backup all your device photos. I have found some people having ten thousand or more all on just their phones. I think apart from taking up all that space, your phone crashing can leave you with losing all of it! Just turn on auto backup! Google photos app also has a cool "free up space" option that can delete the photos on your device after safely backing it up on cloud. 

How you have your phone is definitely your choice, but these can help you be better ready in case your phone crashes, or you have important data on your phone. So, this is more from the perspective of the safety of you and your data!

Why don't you pick up your phone and look through it? Weed out those unnecessary apps!

Writing Short Stories

Writing anything in a short, meaningful manner is difficult. Writing meaningful short stories is probably one of the most difficult things. And, I mean stories. Not any essay, not a personal experience, not a short scene that can create an impact even stand-alone. Nope. I'm talking especially about fiction.  I have immense respect and awe for short story writers. 

Mark Twain once said something that has rung truer than anything else, and in fact only a writer as great as him could have said that in the way he did.

“I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” - Mark Twain

To be able to write a meaningful short story takes immense effort. It requires the author to have so much clarity and conviction. It's like a hard, short punch that can send people flat on the ground- but that which takes immense amount of energy to be generated by the deliverer. It's a fitting challenge to incorporate all that you want, and yet keep it short. 

If you are writing a novel, then you need to just have a basic idea, and you can develop it in your own pace and fancy- through hundreds of pages. But, a short story needs the clarity of how it is going to end. That is the catch. Most of the time, starting is never an issue, and you will have a core idea. But, a story needs a suitable, believable, cogent ending, too. That is where short stories need a lot of creativity. Within those thousand words you write- you need to introduce your characters, develop them enough so your readers understand how they behave, place something they need and lack, give a plot that takes them through the journey of experiencing an emotion/situation, solve the story's plot-knot and wrap it up convincingly!

I always write short stories when I know how I'm gonna wrap it up. When I wrote Gripped In Doubt, I had the basic idea of a man seeing himself on TV as an accused and being confused. That's how it started. But, though the idea seemed interesting enough to tempt me attempt writing it, I was also unsure how I'd actually solve that case- which I eventually figured and wrote. But, it took a lot of thinking and imagination, and extrapolation in the natural flow of my thoughts. The first thing my dad told me when he read it was that all the while he read it, he was thinking about how I would eventually conclude all that build-up convincingly!

And, I have another short story coming, in which again I had to spend a fair deal of time to make it a neat flow. And hence, I wanted to put up this thought that has been stuck in my head before I put up the story tomorrow!

What do you think? Doesn't Twain's words ring too true!

My Man Jeeves on #WodehouseSeries

What better way to open the #WodehouseSeries than starting with ‘my man’ Jeeves! 

“Good Lord, Jeeves! Is there anything you don’t know?”

“I couldn’t say, sir.”

- The Inimitable Jeeves

Reginald Jeeves, but known for the most part as just Jeeves, is the perfection-personified valet of our favourite Bertram(Bertie) Wooster. Jeeves is probably the most famous character in all of Wodehouse’s creations. From Jeeves offering Bertie, an idle high-class Londoner, the perfect services of a valet to being Wooster’s all-purpose problem solver and undeclared guardian, the Jeeves series weaves a brilliant, classic relationship between these two. In the fondest terms that Jeeves, the perfect butler, would ever be seen to use, their relationship is “pleasant in every respect”.

Bertie Wooster and Jeeves go hand-in-hand in the series of Jeeves stories. It’s funny, it’s charming, and it becomes incredibly close to your heart. When the timid Wooster reluctantly gets engaged to woman after woman because he didn’t want to hurt their feelings, Jeeves always has a grand rescue plan. When Wooster is wallowing in doubt as to what advice he must give a friend, Jeeves always has an answer to sort it out. And, the whole charm of this series is that Wooster is blissfully unaware of Jeeves’ grand plan that saves him, until the end of the stories when he realizes that Jeeves had managed to maneuver him too, though it was only to safety!

So, does Bertie and Jeeves have a perfect relationship? Well, almost perfect. Jeeves was always first to record his disapproval for Bertie’s taste in purple socks and other such fashion choices, which he thought as abominable. But, Jeeves is as Bertie thinks of him: a sort of guide, philosopher, and friend.

           “It beats me sometimes why a man with his genius is satisfied to hang around pressing my clothes and what not.”

        -Carry on, Jeeves

Jeeves and Bertie were usually used as characters in short stories initially by Wodehouse from 1917 to 1930. The first two full length novels in the Jeeves series, which also happen to be in my favourites, are Thank you, Jeeves and Right ho, Jeeves- both in 1934. I absolutely loved Aunts Aren’t Gentlemen, which is the last novel that featured Jeeves. In this, the doctor advises Jeeves to lead a quiet, resting life for a while, so Jeeves and Wooster head to Maiden Eggesford, where Jeeves helps Bertie deal with the unexpected problem that comes in the form of Aunt Dahlia. Well, what we learn, and what Bertie observes:

“Whatever aunts are, aunts aren’t gentlemen.”

Open a Jeeves book, and you are sure to see an orchestrated grandness by Jeeves to save our Bertie from the most trivial of trivial issues that he manages to entangle himself in. Fueled by the classic English sarcasm and impeccable humour, the Jeeves series entertains you with the stories of young Wooster who is led through life by his perfect valet, whose respectful replies sometimes hide the biggest sarcasm! 

Jeeves was a series that Wodehouse continued to write through 60 years! And as you read, you get bits and pieces of these characters revealed to you through the most hilarious stories. The first book that I ever read of Wodehouse was Thank you, Jeeves. And, since then there has been no stopping me from devouring Jeeves novels with the utmost expectations, and they never fail!

If you are someone who has never read Jeeves, then I think you should start with Carry on, Jeeves- a set of ten short stories involving this hit pair, and the first story of which actually gives an insight into how Bertie and Jeeves met! Let me know your favourite Jeeves novel in the comments if you’ve read before! And, if you haven’t, why don’t you pick up Carry on, Jeeves? 

Acceptance and Rejections

Acceptance and rejections: there is a fun observation in both. Before you start reading, this post is in no way cribbing about internships or the rejections. Acceptance and rejections are both welcome in the same tone. As I have already mentioned in one of my previous posts on CV, I genuinely believe that there is nothing to feel bad about if you don't land an internship, and there is nothing to feel too great about if you do get one. So, this one is just about the funny way some things tend to happen in life- like the length of acceptances and rejections.

The most common aspect of applying to internships is the number of rejections you get. Sometimes we realize how many places we have actually applied to only when the rejections welcome themselves to your inbox. Usually, every rejection pans out somewhat like this:

        Dear Sandhya Varadharajan,

        We have received your internship application, and our recruitment cell has gone through your resume. 

That's good. At least they have seen the application. The CV has been amped-up as much as humanly possible. So, all that's left to do was pray for some magic to happen that makes the recruiters believe that the CV is impressive, in whatever way possible. 

Thank you for showing interest in our firm.

Of course! Why not? 

Unfortunately-

Ah, that's the reply. Usually, after this word there is a whole paragraph of blah blah blah, but the crux of the email is "unfortunately". There are a hundred reasons why we might not get an internship. Sometimes, the firms are not recruiting, sometimes the slots are filled, sometimes they are just unable to offer us one. Most of the rejections also come with- we thought you are a very deserving candidate, and we would love to have you apply with us again. A positive reply would hardly ever praise you even if you were the most deserving candidate that they accepted.

My dad keeps saying, that only when the reply is a negative there needs a lot of explaining. When the application is accepted, all they need to tell you is accepted! This is so true, and I literally got a confirmation mail once, from a partner of a firm I applied to, that said:

Sure. Let's do it. 

Acceptance emails also just get down to brass tacks. It would be with something like: 

Dear Sandhya,
Please provide XXX details in furtherance of your internship with us.
Best regards.

Somehow, observing this in every single acceptance or rejection makes it so very funny. And, either way, this is the first thing that does come into the mind. After all, we are bound by a code of how things happen normally, I guess! Next time you get an acceptance/rejection- maybe take a good look at it, and break a laugh! Good luck!

Why It Is Important To Maintain An Editorial

In my earlier post on 10 Things You Can Blog About, I had mentioned how keeping an editorial list ready to publish on your blog can take your writing a long way, because then you'd have something to go up anyway, and you would be stressing about what to write for what would go up on another day. Primarily, this will make sure you aren't writing for the sake of just putting up something. 

Keeping a running editorial also ensured that I have a post for every single day, especially since I have been blogging for almost the last 9 months in a row. There are some days when I have other things to do, or some other work has to be given priority, and I might not have the time to work on a post as much as I'd like to. So, I always had a set of well-written posts that that could go up even on those days. But, did I warn you of a challenge that comes up with it?

Having a nice set of posts that are ready to go up each day also requires maintaining such a line of posts so that you don't have trouble for content later. Imagine you have 10 posts, and you have been posting one each day without writing anything new. You wouldn't even realize 10 days pass by, and will be caught in surprise on the 11th day. Sometimes, you make do with random thoughts in your head, written in a hurry. And, that is precisely what you want to avoid by maintaining the editorial. 

Take an example- like today. My mind was off on a couple of other things for the past week, until I come to realize that I have exhausted all the happy, leisurely posts that I had written. I hadn't read anything new either. So, I write a post on the thing that is on the top of my mind right now- why it is important to keep up an editorial. 

 The key to a good blog is writing regularly. For daily bloggers and writers, and generally all content creators, I think having a set of ready content all the time is very important. It ensures both consistency and quality with no compromises. It is a lesson well learnt, and I am looking forward to this weekend when I rebuild this precious life-saving stream of content that helps me on the days I am truly busy.

Being Active

MU Extension

My dad showed me a tweet thread today where a cardiologist has discussed the increasing number of heart conditions that prop up even amongst those who are pretty young, and not too old. The thread talked of various possible factors, one of which was lack of an active life. We are all so busy today that we hardly have any time to move around. How ironic is that! While busy is supposed to be associated with a lot of activity, nowadays it's almost never a physical activity. We sit through the whole day, our eyes glued to the screen in front of us, most of the time in postures so horrid that the body screams for help through backaches at the end of the day.

Some of us do take the time out to make a slot for exercise- maybe running, walking, dancing, hitting the gym, cycling, or whatever. But, that is for a maximum of one hour. One hour of movement and calorie-burning does not compensate in any way for the rest 23 hours of sedentary lifestyle! My mom keeps saying that even if she doesn't exercise regularly, she is still highly active- and that is so true. She is not sitting all day long. I see her walking around in the house, and cooking (you essentially have to stand), and sitting down on the floor, and then up in chairs, and there is some movement every once in a while (unlike me). 

Have you probably wondered how your grandma would not exactly have done an hour of dedicated cardio, but could still be fit and fab at 70? I think that's because they didn't have a sedentary lifestyle. Moving around is important, but also becomes increasingly difficult nowadays. So, what we can do is:

1. Get up to go drink water regularly. (Now, don't skip drinking water just because you have to get up and go).

2. Walk a bit, stretch a bit before and after meals when you get up for them. Please don't have your meals brought to you where you have been sitting all day anyway!

3. Those of us who aren't even sitting, but are laid out all day lazing on the bed- maybe, get a chair and table? Lazing is okay for a day, or even a week, I'll say even a month! But, that may not be the best lifestyle to lead on a long term basis. It can also be a really bad posture. 

My dad was telling me how, in the set up of an office where work demands that you sit in front of your screen and get the job done, water breaks and loo breaks are probably a good time to move a bit, instead of being in the same chair for ten hours every day. We have our constraints in today's world. But, we can do what best can be done. I have seen some office spaces becoming more sensitive to these aspects, and have started allowing an open work space where employees can move around and shift spots as they work through the day. Though this is not very common yet, it is still a good initiative by some!

Even if we can't really move around much, we should at least be aware that we need to. It's not just about I-can't-do-a-desk-job feeling. It's about the actual movement that our body needs. And, I am not just talking about a workout activity at a scheduled time. What we need is to 'be active'. Being aware is a great first step that will help us find our way!

The image is a great pointer on the what makes the basics of being healthy- "lifestyle activities" are extremely important. This is actually a 36- by 24-inch poster by an extension of University of Missouri, designed to help children ages 6 to 11 understand. But I think, we all need it too!

Let's be aware, and be healthy!

Where Do You Stream Music?

I have been using YouTube Music recently, instead of Spotify, and that is so much better. If you have a free Spotify account, then you basically spend listening to two minutes of ads for every three or four songs that you listen, and that is terrible. The worst part is, it literally counts the number of songs before it throws up the ads again, so it's not like ads pop-up every few minutes you listen to those songs. So, even if you are just shifting through songs on a radio, the ads are bound to hit you up. I have been listening a lot on my laptop during this lockdown period, and YouTube Music has definitely been better. Though, there are ads here too, these ads are literally just 5 seconds. Also, you have the option to skip to another song without having to compulsorily go through the ad!

Free Spotify also does not have half the good songs that you want to listen to. This hurdle is mostly overruled in YouTube Music. It has pretty much had every song that I have looked up for, and so far so good! There seems to be a disadvantage on the phone that if you come out of the app, the YouTube music stops playing/gets paused. This is not so on my laptop that supports android apps! It keeps playing on as I do my other things, and that is really convenient for me!

Free Spotify does not allow you to download songs offline. But YouTube music allows a certain number of downloads for free. It just makes it easier if you want music on the plane or on a train, or generally while travelling because that is when network is an actual problem.

I used to use Saavn, and I genuinely think it was much better than the free Spotify, though less appealing in how it looked. I have also heard that Amazon Prime Music is good, but I have never really tried it. But I think I am starting to like YouTube Music, and might just forget about Spotify in a while. 

Which streaming platform do you use? Do you have better suggestions or a playlist for us? Share it in the comments below!

Why You Should Use A Earphones-Case

I bought a earphone case a year ago, and that's probably one of the best things I have ever bought. I have a cute case with Baymax eagerly calling out a hi to me, and I love it. Here's 3 reasons why you should really get a earphone case if you don't have one.

1. You stop losing your earphones. I say you stop, because I know that majority of us lose it. It just happens. Earphones have become such an integral part of us that we literally carry it around everywhere. So, it's just easier to keep it safe when you have a case.

2. No more tangles. I know some people pride themselves over their tangled earphones. It just comes out like: oh god, my earphone is always tangled up, you know! Total feign. But, those who want it to be straight and clean (and usable), then use a case. It actually works. And, earphones that are not tangled up all the time actually lasts much better. 

3. You can carry it easily. You want to keep them in your pockets, throw them into your bag, carry it in your hand- the case makes everything easier. It may look like a event in itself to take it out and put it back in the case, but that's really not how it feels once you get used to it. I am so used to putting my earphones back in it now, that it's almost impossible for me to keep my earphones without the case!

Finally a brownie point- the cases are really cute. I love mine! I have a case with a metallic top, so it kinda sticks to the magnetic part of my laptop, so even the case doesn't get lost!

My dad's first comment when he looked at my case was why I didn't get more of them for all of them in the house! It's cute, it's protects your earphones, and saves you a lot of money. 

If you don't use it, take it from me that you should definitely think about buying one the next time you spot it!

Online Internships

Online internships are getting more frequent now, thanks to the pandemic. Here's a simple post on what we gain and what we lose from these internships.

Pros:

1. Flexible timing.

2. A more at-ease structure of the internship programme.

3. Way more work to do, and interesting topics to discover- because you save time usually swallowed up by commuting.

4. No dress code, you don't have to wear formals every day!

5. Better opportunities to talk to the directly to heads of the programme.

6. Saving a lot on stay, commuting, food, etc.

7. You get to learn a lot of digital tools, and also how to completely collaborate and finalize a project with a whole team- all sitting in the comfort of your home. 

Cons: You miss out on-

1. Experiencing a new city, new work culture.

2. Making incredible friends, and bonding over lunch break.

3. Chit-chatting with co-workers and associates above you (this can give a lot of insight into the firm, the business, the whole landscape of your profession, actually). Sometimes, a lot of the ideas can come up on a casual coffee break chit-chat.

4. Meeting the head people of the firm, and having an opportunity to discuss your own ideas with them. 

5. A lot of fun, and company lunches, and free ice-creams!

Both have their own charm. And, we'd probably never really pick to intern online unless something like a pandemic forces us to. So, it's good to experience when we have the chance to! I am on an internship online with a legal startup, and I am very excited about it! That is why I decided to pen my thoughts on the pros and cons, and I sure will let you know more on my experience when I finish my internship. Stay tuned!

Better Safe Than Sorry

You already know all of it. Yet, this is again a reminder. Public transports and other places on the way to open up in a week, and it will not be surprising if there is going to be a spike in cases. But, a lot of that can be cut down by sticking to basics, and not thinking that if things are opening up then it's safe. So, here's a basic checklist.

1. Please always wear a mask when outside. I see some people pull their masks down while speaking, but you have to especially have your mask on while speaking. Even if you are not a person who does that, be alert around people who do that and maintain your safety.

2. Maintain distance, and avoid unnecessary physical contact. It's just not safe enough yet.

3. Carry a sanitizer, but wash your hands, legs, and face when you get home. If you go to a place that seems like a high-risk zone, take a nice, long shower.we

4. Avoid eating outside (if you can).

5. Try not to touch your face unless necessary. But, this is so hard- so just keep sanitizing your hand.

We can do tons of other things, like avoid going at all out as much as possible. There is no step that we don't know, actually. We just got to stick to it without being careless or lazy. No one can tell that it will ensure that we don't fall sick, but it's definitely going to save us from saying regretfully: 'I should have worn that damned mask'. 

So, as we prepare to open up, let's keep at our checklists with no compromises! Stay safe (as much as possible)!

Pen and Paper v. Online Tools

I wrote my first two full-length novels in my diary- with a pen on sheets of paper. And, as the years passed I completely shifted to writing online- in word/google docs/other writing tools. And, I have found that both of them have advantages and disadvantages. I decided to make a comparison table. 

	Pen and Paper	Writing On A Device
Ease of editing	You can edit. But it is definitely not the most convenient way to edit. You’ll have a lot of arrows and strikethroughs when you are drafting. You’ll have to rewrite them clearly again to make sense.	The best thing about online writing is the ease with which you can edit what you wrote. You can keep making changes and improvisations on your original text. You can add, delete, insert- all without any hassle whatsoever.
Distraction-free	Pen and paper wins hands down. You can turn off all distractions, sit with just a piece of paper, a pen, and give yourself to the story you see and feel.	There are many, many distractions. Even if you try to switch off your wifi and write on an offline platform, you just are a click away from turning it back on. So, unless you are super disciplined (which most of us are not), writing on a computer or laptop can definitely not be called distraction-free.
Completing A Story (Yeah, this is an actual criteria because one in a hundred story ideas actually reach the final form)	While you are writing on paper, you tend to be more involved in writing the story, rather than perfecting that one paragraph that you have managed to write. The story and your idea flows easier, and you keep writing. It is important to not keep editing while you write your first draft, and pen and paper actually helps with that.	This is the biggest drawback here. Since, editing is extremely easy and convenient, we tend to try and perfect/rewrite a single scene while there is a whole story left to be told. It takes much more to progress while writing online.
Environment friendly	Pen and paper is not really environment friendly anymore, looking at the rate at which we have managed to deplete resources.	This is the truest and most important advantage of this medium. We are saving hundreds of thousands of trees from being cut down for paper if we all shift to writing on a system.

There are also other miscellaneous advantages and disadvantages in both. But, if you notice- the biggest disadvantage of pen and paper is editing, and that itself actually helps in moving forward and separating the process of writing and editing, thus making it easier to complete what we write. However, the advantage of being able to save paper, and also make the editing process a thousand times easier are significant advantages.  

Although I might have preferred pen and paper earlier, I have used the online mode for quite a long bit now. And, having realized its disadvantages of getting me stuck on perfecting a couple of paragraphs when the whole story awaits telling, I have worked on my mind: consciously to push forward and keep editing only after completing the draft. This takes time, and I still don't follow it all the time, but the benefits we reap by saving paper, saving trees are so starkly important.

Which medium do you prefer writing in, and why? Share them in the comments below!

Taglines

Taglines. They bring a world of difference to whatever we go. In fact, I think sometimes the taglines talk more than the name or the title. 

Nike- Just Do It

Apple- Think Different

Coca-cola- Open Happiness

My most favourite library in Chennai that I grew up reading all the books I had read till my schooling was Eloor. The library branch in Chennai shut down, but they had a tagline that is still very close to my heart, and that which rang true with the very essence of that huge, wonderful library: For love of good books! Eloor did absolute justice to its tagline.

Taglines are not just for companies or brands. They can be for anything, including blogs and even blog posts. They all tell you something about the brand/blog/article/post/whatever that is you are viewing. A tagline is supposed to help anyone get to know very quickly, in a manner catchy, short, and sweet, what they should be expecting.

When I started this blog, I definitely wanted to have a tagline and I looked into defining what my blog was primarily going to be about. I write a lot of things, but what gives my blog its primary identity is the books I read and the reviews I write for them. I read regularly and I write a post on every book I read. My blog is just a huge repository of all that I have read since 2010! And, what does that give my readers? A reading list across varied age groups! Because I grew up with these books, the books are in the natural progression of an actual reader, and it feels like an index of books with a review by me on each book. 

And, that is why, I chose the tagline that tells you exactly what to expect. It is a blog on 'What to Read'. Taglines can be of various tones. It can talk about the spirit, the function, the motto- anything! But, a tagline helps immensely. For all the bloggers out there, do you have a tagline? If you do, share it in the comments with your blog links! And, if you don't, go with what you feel, and: get set thinking! 

Happy Saturday! 

The Process of Thinking

A lot of who I am today is because of my school, as I have previously told in several of my posts. There was a brilliant system in place that pushed us to think, be creative, and produce genuine work however shoddy or error-ridden it might be initially. We were allowed to try our hand, and add a dash of our own colours to everything we did or learnt. All forms of art, expression, academic interests were equally supported, and that made us all so confident to 'be ourselves'.

Giving importance and acknowledging the thought that a child has put behind the work he or she submits can change the whole way we are moulded to think. I am not restricting myself to creative arts, music, painting, dancing, and the likes. Not at all. I have seen teachers who have appreciated kids for approaching a math problem from a innovative or different angle even though the final answer on the paper might not have been the right one! Reprimanding for a wrong answer when the method was actually to be appreciated can make the child stop trying to think innovatively, and instead might push the child to just stick to the traditional methods to avoid the possibility of mistakes. 

This taught us that to think about the process, and be innovative in the process and how we approach a subject is more important than thinking just about the results. In fact, innovative results are a mere consequence of an innovative thought process. So, when they focused on the right thing, we learnt the right lessons.

I agree that at the end of the day we all want results. Nobody cares how you did something. What we want is results that work. But, we should reserve such an attitude to probably professional activities where results are of the highest importance to everybody involved, and there are goals to be met. However, with children and young creative artists- it is important to teach them the right lessons, nurture and help them grow as thinking individuals, and also for us to look at their work with the right lens.

So, as teachers, as parents, as sisters and brothers, as fellow human beings who see the work of each other and comment on it- we should first look into what work, what process, what thoughts go into something, and give it as much weight, if not more, as you give to the end result!

As the picture says: think, innovate, be yourself. I thank my school and my parents for teaching me that!