fledgling

Hi readers! I hope you like my articles and please feel free to suggest anything which you may have felt to be lacking, so throw in your suggestions and opinions so that I can know what you think about it. So yeah, it's that time of the year when your mind keeps racking for new resolutions to come up with and the hardest part, to keep up the promises. Let's look at this year's review -  Good things that happened this year -  I got invested as the Head girl (yeah!) I started my IIT coaching and progress has been great since then I worked on my fitness regime and stuck to it and eventually got fitter I got to meet my favorite RJ at an event and click a selfie with him I tried out things I'd never done earlier and stepped out of my comfort zone I've learnt to regulate my anger and irritability Home sweet home, at last! I think 2018 has been the year during which I learnt the most - academically as well as emotionally. I met new people, started my most...

Guess what? We were at the southernmost tip of India, the well-known Kanyakumari! Known for its beautiful coasts and historic places, this town kept us in high spirits.  We had our itinerary planned out for the day. The scenic views of the rocky Western ghats on a side and lush green paddy on another is something unmissable and the journo in me was already peeking out, urging me to journal my journey throughout in words as well as pictures to remember. Maybe that is the work of magic on us by nature, when our souls instinctively embrace nature away from the concrete jungle we trap ourselves in our stress-ridden lives. What wonders nature can bring onto man! There did our adventure start. We knew we had only twelve hours to crunch our trip into, so we had no time to waste. Our first stop was the much revered Bhagavathi Amman temple. History says Goddess Bhagavathi Amman after whom this town (Kanniyakumari)  is named of, wore a sparkly amber nose stud which the sailors of...

Pariyerum Perumal (2018) Cast : Kathir, Anandhi, Yogi Babu Director : G. Mari Selvaraj Genre :  Drama                                                                            Synopsis : A young man belonging to a minor community is strangled and stifled in the gory bloodshed of casteism. Rating : ★★★★★ "Etches in your heart...." Mari Selvaraj brings us the tale of the naive Pariyan or " Pariyerum Perumal BA.BL mela oru kodu ", an aspiring lawyer who is determined to make it it big like Dr.Ambedkar (you know what it means). His optimistic outlook is soon crushed in the harsh blow of reality and then it hits him that it is not him who is the problem but the community he comes from.  Kathir beautifully portrays Pariyan in his truest essence with intricate touches of nativ...

Seema Raja (2018) Genre : Drama/Romcom Cast : Sivakarthikeyan, Samantha Akkineni, Soori, Simran Director : Ponram Synopsis : Sivakarthikeyan stars as Seema Raja, a young prince of a small town who falls for a                  school teacher played by Samantha Akkineni. Rating : ★☆☆☆☆ "Drearily dull " Ponram dons the hat of a director yet again after his much-loved blockbusters Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam (2013) and   Rajini Murugan (2015). We enter the theater in high spirits as this film looked promising, after all. We were let down in the very first scene, when our minds started echoing an alert of a plotless commercial film . Ponram as well as Sivakarthikeyan hit rock bottom in our hearts, crushing our hopes. Ponram introduces unnecessary shallow characters for a film that goes about aimlessly. The kabaddi match sequence, poor screenplay, unwanted dialogues on controversies and whirlwind of flashbacks triviali...

Have you ever been able to resist the creamy, butter-like margarine spread on crunchy, piping hot toast?  Sounds appetizing, right? Well, I don't think you'd feel the same when you reach the end of this post. Know why? Ghee is an emotion for most Indians. Every Indian drools at the sight and aroma of a stream of molten, golden ghee gushing over a plate of lentil soup rice. It diffuses a heavenly fragrance which would be the reason behind grumbling tummies. Margarine, on the other hand, is simply a hydrogenated fat. White grease. I don't think it has as rich a heritage or as many fan followers as ghee does. Let me tell you why. Margarine is a substitute for butter made from vegetable plant oils. This American household necessity is known for its mild yet salty taste. Ghee exudes a rich taste when it melts in your mouth, but margarine just slips down your throat, leaving you with a slippery greasy palate and of course, unsatisfied. Though it is not so high in satu...

Wooh..first day over in Chandigarh! Time seems to fly by.... Yeah, we reach the next day. Guess what? We were going to Amritsar! A place famous for its stuffed kulcha, Sri Harmandir Sahib, etc. I knew the trip was a going to be a fruitful and memorable one especially for an aspiring journo (that is me!). Amritsar, derived from the words 'Amrit' which means nectar and 'Sarovar' which means river, thus naming this great city. My aunt, uncle, cousins, parents and I geared up for a road trip (you read that right, a road trip) that was estimated to last for 7 hours (even a passenger flight takes 5 hours to reach there)! Though the journey was quite tiring, it was an unforgettable experience! Firstly, our destination was Harmandir Sahib. Dear reader, would you believe me if I told you that it was made out of solid gold? You betcha! Harmandir Sahib, meaning 'the holy abode of god' was designed by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh guru. It is one of the...

Sata Sri akala! Can you guess where I'm right now? Yes, you're right....this is the land of muscular Sardarjis  downing pitchers of milk and Malai lassi along with piping hot paranthas smeared with melting homemade butter. Ladies stroll around in colorful glimmering patiala suits on the roads, buzzing over the veggies. It was a tiring 6-hour journey from the heart of Delhi City to Chandigarh. To refresh ourselves, we stopped at Pahalwan Dhaba for a khatti roll and Sitara Dhaba for a lassi and buttery  parantha- The crispy outer crust and the moist warm potato-filling is the star of the limelight. Though it was finger-licking, the parantha was so heavy on me, especially since I was on a long taxi trip. For my lactose-intolerant buddies out there, you might just throw up on your way if you're not so used to animal fat. It's a major no-no if you're doing the same. The meal was followed by 4 hours of sightseeing in Punjab and Haryana and non-stop Punjabi ba...

East Side Sushi   (2014)        Cast: Diana Elizabeth Torres, Yutaka Takeuchi, Kaya Jade Aguirre, Rodrigo Duarte Clark Director: Anthony Lucero Synopsis: Juana, a Latina single mum strives hard to become a sushi chef and prove her potential against all odds, working in a Japanese restaurant while trying to make a living to support her daughter and father. Rating: ★★★★☆ East Side Sushi is the story on Juana, a single mum who struggles to make ends meet amidst the chaos of her momentary jobs where each job did not last for more than two weeks. The story kicks off with the daily routine of Juana and the challenges she faces. Rodrigo, whom she calls Apa, plays the role of a conservative dad who does not like to experiment and prefers to stick to the past. Here's a dad who wants his daughter to work in a traditional Latino taco restaurant while his daughter, intrigued by the Japanese cuisine, is willing to work in a Japanese sushi restaurant. . Thoug...

Hi guys! The person who embraced my successes and adversities, the one who always gave me a quick tickle and who made me realize the purpose of life is whom I want to share about today. Dear reader, if you are an elder brother/sister to a younger sister, you should consider reading this. Most elder siblings resent their younger sisters due to their drama-queen attitude. That does happen, a sister can be a brat sometimes. But, you know what? They can be heavenly blessings. They are cherubic sweet little angels, ready to bless your day and mine with a captivating smile (and no sister can be as sweet as mine, I bet!) who are ready to sacrifice anything for the defence of yours. Even if they have to take the second pick, they (almost) never protest. My sister is no less. She is classy, cool, carefree, hardworking, ideal and witty, the perfect figure of the today's independent modern woman's characteristics. She has an unbelievable ability - she can maintain size zero with...

Dear mates, we all know how hard and harsh the handloom weavers' years had been to them. Especially on the rise of polyester, satin, latex, fur, muslin, etc., we have forgotten the long-lost indigenous soft cotton our farmers grow. The cotton, which is when dyed using local organic colours, is separated into thin threads. These are then rolled into yarn and distributed among poverty-stricken handloom weavers of India. After months of hardwork, precision and artistic weaving, the once-plain threads are transformed into beautiful, gorgeous cotton sarees in various native prints such as kalamkari, worli, etc. That's where the weavers meet their true demons. People, especially the youth, are attracted to synthetic fibres which cause immense damage to one's health and the environment. This results in the decline of Indian handloom weavers and lets our culture die. Below is a heartfelt dedication to the weavers written by me- Cracked fingertips are what they are left with Y...

Subbu glanced at his watch. It was 9:45 p.m. Way past his dinnertime. He hated the very ticking of the expensive cuckoo clock he had bought recently out of pressure, not able to tolerate his wife pressing on him for it. Tick. Tick. Tick Subramaniyam, better known as Subbu, was a clerk hailing from Bandra. Last night after being hooked on a very interesting conversation on phone, his wife had been soaring in seventh heaven and was so excited that she didn't even notice or hear him narrating the story of his promotion that he got today. Subbu was puzzled. "Why is she acting so weird?, I wonder why..." he thought to himself. He tossed and turned on the bed. After a long turmoil, his mind drifted off into an uneasy slumber. However, the next morning she seemed to be really busy and preoccupied. Before he could blink, she tore through the house and dashed out. Subbu had never seen his wife go in top lightning speed, especially when the job involved going to the ...

Mary had a Little lamb Who never knew any hate! Mary's poor little lamb, sadly Landed on my plate! Plates and forks clink and clatter as waiters, bustling around with activity, multitask and manage things while the families are chatting and relishing the biriyani while kids devour their plate of noodles. Yes, you guessed that right. It's Hotel Paradise Biriyani! Known for its creamy Irani chai, succulent mutton kebabs and fragrant Hyderabadi biriyani, it has two proud outlets in Chennai, Perungudi being one of them. A piece of Hyderabad in Chennai. The ambience also scores well, having a calm, relaxing feeling. The walls tell stories on the ancient history of this revolutionary dish. As we go upstairs, we reach the main hotel. After a long time of waiting, we receive our Chicken garlic kebab, one of their signature kebabs. It is a creamy, mild, not-so-spicy chicken kebab with a hint of garlic and hummus.Just melts in your mouth. Seriously delicious and ...

I bolted awake, completely drenched in shimmering droplets of sweat on my forehead. To this moment, I am not very sure what awakened me. As I wearily reached out to my glasses on the oak nightstand, my heart skipped a beat. To my disbelief, my hand passed through the bedside table as if it were made of nothing but gas. Moments later, I found out that it was not only the table that was no longer solid, but also my hand. Ten silent seconds passed. I was really panicking. I felt a warm, misty feeling go all through me, turning myself into a mere blurry haze. I was anxious and also equally puzzled. So I counted my footsteps and tried to make little to no noise. Little did I know that something unforgettable was in store for me. Let me explain. As I tip-toed towards the door , I heard a peculiar noise which went something like, "whoosh-tick-tick-poof"💨👻  With every step, the noise seemed to get closer.....things started to get creepy. It was pitch black outside. Though...

I'm going to share my experience with my neighbour Bob. Bob was a common family man like you and me. He had a supportive wife and two bundles of joy. He had a productive job with a very good pay and had outgoing colleagues. Everything was perfect,  just the way anyone would want it to be until that fateful day. Let me explain. It was that day when Bob found a peculiar- looking box with contents in it. It was black and rather shiny. Every time he looked at it, it seemed to pull him towards itself. He forced his eyes to look away from it, but his legs couldn't bear the weight. He thought for a while and opened it. It consisted of what looked like a mini toy umbrella, a phone, a syringe and a paper memo sheet. A message had been written on it intended to the receiver. It said,"Dial 91563 once you get this. This is only phase one." Bob was puzzled. Having curiosity controlling him, he picked up the box without attracting his colleagues' attention. He immediatel...

Hi guys! How many of us feel drowsy at the sight of a very historic 725-page novel [or more than that!] The habit of reading is contagious. Once you get the taste of it, it would be absolutely impossible to control! Okay, let me share my own experience. This journey started with a disinclined toddler (me) and an enthusiastic,supportive mother (my mom). I felt lazy to read a book. My mom tried to persuade me into doing so. At first, it felt like a punishment. My mom used to bribe me those days by rewarding a candy for every two hours of reading. I started with Bubbles and Pepper series at the age of four. So I first started with such books. Soon, I was addicted to it. I also realized my language skills had improved a lot and my vocabulary had widened. I found it much more easier to communicate with people and I was much more fluent than I was before. A scientific study also said that reading trains your brain. It strengthens the areas that are responsible for cognitive skills,...

Hey guys! Now this is a really thoughtful letter I wanna share with you. There are hardly 5 more days left for me to turn 11. Here is a list of the do's and don't's  I learnt in the ten years of my life- 1) Place your priorities above anything else (except yourself) Always try to shave off bits of time to spend on your passion, talent or developing your inner self.   That doesn't mean shoving off important work. One has to spend at least an hour or two on oneself. My leisure time consists of writing my online diary, sketching, writing poems, working on my singing skills, listening to TED talks,etc. Managing time ineffectively can bring horrible consequences including being grounded for months together. 2) Don't ever mess with your little' sis or bro   I'm serious about this. NEVER have strains in your current relationship with your younger sibling.     A younger sibling always come handy as an agent when you want to conceal your crime.   ...

  Aruvi (2017) Cast: Aditi Balan, Anjali Varadhan Director: Arun Prabhu Synopsis: Aditi stars as Aruvi, a bubbly, enthusiastic girl having a close family who grows to become a sunny, carefree daddy's girl until one fateful incident after which her family shoos her away. Aruvi   is a masterpiece of an out-of-the-box thinker. The social anguish of a rebellious young woman is rightly expressed here. Anjali Varadhan plays exceptionally well. It is a bundle of emotion and joy. One is taken on a roller coaster of life, undoubtedly a bumpy one. It is definitely not happy. It takes us through a journey of compassion, The name Aruvi fits the protagonist's personality and the film perfectly.  Aruvi is broken but firm, chaotic but calm, brave but fearful, an angel but a devil.  Aditi Balan is surely the best person to portray this role. Her display of emotions when her doting dad suddenly starts hating her to the core is very realistic....