Petals!

Coronavirus Lock down Weekend 1: Swami and I are on a dish washing, house cleaning spree! Believe it or not, I am not kidding because whenever I wash dishes, I am singing His songs and I know He is listening especially when I go 'out of tune'. The first thing people tend to notice in my kitchen is a photo of Swami enjoying Bhajans. What they don't know is that this is the picture that fills me with joy so that I start singing when I do my kitchen chores and cleaning.                               [Image: Radio Sai Facebook page] If anyone had told me that my life would change the way it has in the last ten days, I would have thought they are joking or playing a prank. My day begins and ends differently now. Never before has change swept over my life like this.  Since I am working from home, I found myself finishing home chores early morning itself. Cleaning the kitchen every morning itself is quite a task. While I do not lead the kind of privileged life that som

Ayyappanum Koshiyum movie review: After blockbuster hit 'Seniors', Malayalam film director Sachy is back in full throttle with Prithviraj-Biju Menon starrer 'Ayyappanum Koshiyum' , a thorough and gripping entertainer.  [Malayalam movie: Seniors by Sachy - Watch and get back in Campus!]                                     [Image: Prithviraj Sukumaran's Facebook page] With its gripping narrative, crisp dialogues, outstanding performances and haunting BGM that creates a real mood, the film 'Ayyappanum Koshiyum' left me completely spell-bound. Truth be told,  I watched it till about 2 AM on Amazon Prime video. Biju Menon and Prithviraj Sukumaran, are outstanding in every scene.  Every dialogue and scene between the two actors swings between light-hearted, humorous nuances that take down our society's mask and a blazing, raw intensity that makes you feel deeply for the two warring protagonists.  An unexpected flare up paves the way for a revenge sage

Coronavirus outbreak has taken over our lives! The month of March brings us an important message - March on, folks! Keep this mantra close to your heart! With the Coronavirus outbreak taking the spotlight everywhere, there is more fear in our hearts and interactions than ever before. Time to embrace hope!                                             (Source: Pixabay) We are so wired into the external world and its dynamics that we prefer to ignore and block our inner turbulence. Often we make it a habit to prioritize others first and place ourselves last.  Now the Coronavirus outbreak is teaching us to spend more time within ourselves, exploring the need to maintain social distance with others and work towards a cleaner, better, happier self and environment. Think about this deeply. Truth be told, I certainly did.  This is the time to confront who you are and work on what you believe without judgment.  The idea is to evolve, not run yourself down. Take this t

World Book Day 2020: Many are the pleasures of reading, which is why avid readers find comfort and refuge in books. On World Book Day, let's look at the most common 'excuse' for not reading enough. Many people say, "I have no time to read". The universal truth is that reading is a lifelong habit and passion that starts early. [Read: How reading books impacts your child]                                             [ Source: Engin Akyurt - Pexels ]   When nurtured by one's loved family members and then it becomes a lifelong passion that transports you to another realm and makes you often realize that you are not alone and isolated in a fast moving world.  World Book Day: How to buy story books for kids in English As a working mother, one of the first things I did was to introduce my child to the world of books right from the age of two years. Buying story books for kids in English became my most non-negotiable priority! The best children's boo