Protected by Copyscape DMCA Takedown Notice Violation Search

Friday, December 30, 2022

2022

In what has been an extremely difficult year for me, I've reached its end with a very important lesson: That not all acts of kindness may be reciprocated with kindness. Maybe, because compassion for approval or acknowledgement and wanting to be known as compassionate and generous isn't any more than a work of self-aggrandisement. 

As my world collapsed, I delved into books to retreat from hate and fear, I found wisdom in Hercule Poirot's deliberations and Fredrik Backman's humour. I picked up a new skill, GIS (Geographic Information Systems) that taught me that you can change the way you want to see the world and re-project what you want by changing the datum or the point of origin (0,0) in the coordinate system. And so here I am at the end of the year, with a new set of coordinates, a new course in life and career and maybe even identity (for what we call our identity is what others project on us). 

It wouldn't have been possible for me to get through the year without the support of those who stood by me in times of utter helplessness, some travelled continents after years to meet me, others dropped random forwards and jokes to bring a smile to my face, still others called to compliment me about the books, The Goa Saga, I had worked on for 5 years but did not have the chance to do a proper launch because of personal setbacks. (They'll have their time, I'm sure.) I am grateful to every one of you for being with me when I needed you the most. Thank you.

Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Book 57: Second Form at St. Clare's by Enid Blyton

Book 57: Second Form at St. Clare's
Author: Enid Blyton (England) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Genre: Children's Classics
Set in: England đŸ´ó §ó ˘ó Ľó Žó §ó ż

Page 31:
It was not pleasant to be thought a tiresome nuisance by girls and teachers alike.

Flag score: 🏴󠁣󠁮󠀵󠀴󠁿 🇿🇦 🇨🇳 🇸🇦 🇧🇴 🇲🇸 🇬🇷 🇹🇷 🇦🇺 🇸🇪 🇪🇸 🇬🇭 🇹🇬 🇧🇫 🇳🇪 🇱🇾 🇹🇳 🇩🇿 🇲🇱 🇲🇦 🇲🇷 🇬🇦 🇧🇩 🇨🇦 🇲🇲 🇹🇭 🇵🇭 🇲🇾 🇸🇬 🇰🇷 🇯🇵 🇹🇼 🇧🇦 🇮🇶 🇳🇿 🇼🇸 🇵🇰 🇳🇬 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇬🇧 🇲🇽 🇮🇳 🇩🇪 🇦🇹 🇮🇹 🇷🇺 🇳🇵 🇦🇷 🇵🇾 🇵🇪 🇸🇷 🇮🇪 🇨🇿 🇵🇱 🇫🇮 🇱🇻 🇱🇹 🇪🇪 🇫🇷 🇧🇷 🇰🇿 🇺🇸 🇵🇹 🇸🇷 🇳🇱 🇮🇱 🇮🇷 🇵🇸 🇪🇬 🇺🇾 🇨🇱 🇯🇴 🇸🇾 🇨🇾 🇨🇭 🇸🇩 🇪🇹 🇦🇪 🇧🇪 🇧🇧 🇬🇫 🇻🇪 🇹🇹 🇨🇼 🇨🇴 🇬🇾 

#readingchallenge #enidblyton #childrensbooks #stclares #flagscore #read100books #readtheworld

Friday, December 23, 2022

Reading Challenge 2022; Book 56: Superman Darkseid

Book 56: Superman Darkseid
Author: Mark Schultz (USA) 🇺🇸
Genre: Comic 
Set in: Space

Page 9:
Only Superman would choose to write in the dead language of Krypton.

Flag score: 🏴󠁣󠁮󠀵󠀴󠁿 🇿🇦 🇨🇳 🇸🇦 🇧🇴 🇲🇸 🇬🇷 🇹🇷 🇦🇺 🇸🇪 🇪🇸 🇬🇭 🇹🇬 🇧🇫 🇳🇪 🇱🇾 🇹🇳 🇩🇿 🇲🇱 🇲🇦 🇲🇷 🇬🇦 🇧🇩 🇨🇦 🇲🇲 🇹🇭 🇵🇭 🇲🇾 🇸🇬 🇰🇷 🇯🇵 🇹🇼 🇧🇦 🇮🇶 🇳🇿 🇼🇸 🇵🇰 🇳🇬 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇬🇧 🇲🇽 🇮🇳 🇩🇪 🇦🇹 🇮🇹 🇷🇺 🇳🇵 🇦🇷 🇵🇾 🇵🇪 🇸🇷 🇮🇪 🇨🇿 🇵🇱 🇫🇮 🇱🇻 🇱🇹 🇪🇪 🇫🇷 🇧🇷 🇰🇿 🇺🇸 🇵🇹 🇸🇷 🇳🇱 🇮🇱 🇮🇷 🇵🇸 🇪🇬 🇺🇾 🇨🇱 🇯🇴 🇸🇾 🇨🇾 🇨🇭 🇸🇩 🇪🇹 🇦🇪 🇧🇪 🇧🇧 🇬🇫 🇻🇪 🇹🇹 🇨🇼 🇨🇴 🇬🇾 

#readingchallenge #comics #markschultz #dc #gothamcomics #superman #darkseid

Tuesday, December 20, 2022

Reading Challenge 2022; Book 55: Marriage by Devdutt Pattanaik

Book 55: Marriage
Author: Devdutt Pattanaik (India) 🇮🇳
Genre: Non-fiction/India/Mythology
Set in: India đŸ‡ŽđŸ‡ł

Page 15:

The unruly behaviour of men in a baraat are said to be reminders of Shiva’s ganas, who are domesticated by the bride’s household. Shiva’s ‘baraat’ is a phrase to refer to a troop of unruly men.

Flag score: 🏴󠁣󠁮󠀵󠀴󠁿 🇿🇦 🇨🇳 🇸🇦 🇧🇴 🇲🇸 🇬🇷 🇹🇷 🇦🇺 🇸🇪 🇪🇸 🇬🇭 🇹🇬 🇧🇫 🇳🇪 🇱🇾 🇹🇳 🇩🇿 🇲🇱 🇲🇦 🇲🇷 🇬🇦 🇧🇩 🇨🇦 🇲🇲 🇹🇭 🇵🇭 🇲🇾 🇸🇬 🇰🇷 🇯🇵 🇹🇼 🇧🇦 🇮🇶 🇳🇿 🇼🇸 🇵🇰 🇳🇬 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇬🇧 🇲🇽 🇮🇳 🇩🇪 🇦🇹 🇮🇹 🇷🇺 🇳🇵 🇦🇷 🇵🇾 🇵🇪 🇸🇷 🇮🇪 🇨🇿 🇵🇱 🇫🇮 🇱🇻 🇱🇹 🇪🇪 🇫🇷 🇧🇷 🇰🇿 🇺🇸 🇵🇹 🇸🇷 🇳🇱 🇮🇱 🇮🇷 🇵🇸 🇪🇬 🇺🇾 🇨🇱 🇯🇴 🇸🇾 🇨🇾 🇨🇭 🇸🇩 🇪🇹 🇦🇪 🇧🇪 🇧🇧 🇬🇫 🇻🇪 🇹🇹 🇨🇼 🇨🇴 🇬🇾 

#readingchallenge #devduttpattanaik #marriage #books #booksonmarriage #hindu #hindumythology #mythology #india #indianweddings 

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Reading Challenge 2022; Book 54: Diana Her New Life by Andrew Morton

Book 54: Diana Her New Life
Author: Andrew Morton (England) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Genre: Biography
Set in: Great Britain 🇬🇧

Page 72:

For the Princess of Wales 'the royal business' had virtually destroyed her life, physically and emotionally.

Flag score: 🏴󠁣󠁮󠀵󠀴󠁿 🇿🇦 🇨🇳 🇸🇦 🇧🇴 🇲🇸 🇬🇷 🇹🇷 🇦🇺 🇸🇪 🇪🇸 🇬🇭 🇹🇬 🇧🇫 🇳🇪 🇱🇾 🇹🇳 🇩🇿 🇲🇱 🇲🇦 🇲🇷 🇬🇦 🇧🇩 🇨🇦 🇲🇲 🇹🇭 🇵🇭 🇲🇾 🇸🇬 🇰🇷 🇯🇵 🇹🇼 🇧🇦 🇮🇶 🇳🇿 🇼🇸 🇵🇰 🇳🇬 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇬🇧 🇲🇽 🇮🇳 🇩🇪 🇦🇹 🇮🇹 🇷🇺 🇳🇵 🇦🇷 🇵🇾 🇵🇪 🇸🇷 🇮🇪 🇨🇿 🇵🇱 🇫🇮 🇱🇻 🇱🇹 🇪🇪 🇫🇷 🇧🇷 🇰🇿 🇺🇸 🇵🇹 🇸🇷 🇳🇱 🇮🇱 🇮🇷 🇵🇸 🇪🇬 🇺🇾 🇨🇱 🇯🇴 🇸🇾 🇨🇾 🇨🇭 🇸🇩 🇪🇹 🇦🇪 🇧🇪 🇧🇧 🇬🇫 🇻🇪 🇹🇹 🇨🇼 🇨🇴 🇬🇾 

#readingchallenge #books #bookoholic #diana #princessdiana #britishroyals #britain #andrewmortan


Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Quicksand

If you're walking on #quicksand (seen here as the black clay) on this beach on the Gulf of Khambhat (Cambay), you better tread lightly and quickly. This spot near Jambusar is the nearest access to the Arabian Sea from Vadodara, at less than two hours by road. The nearby Kavi Kamboi temple sees a trickle of devotees during low tide. The Gulf teems with wild prawns this season. Scenic and dangerous, even adventurists keep at bay.