Quotidian Tales

The room is the space where you can be yourself and do that which you want to…...to prioritise yourself and nurture the most infallible bond of your life... I t has been a while since I was talking, even to myself. The pandemic, I suppose, had jeopardised not only our bodies but also our minds. The forceful finite, almost abruptly, took away from us the boundless permutations of the infinite. And I, a little human like the multitude around, cowered in fear of the devastating design that was unfolding before my eyes. Quite recently, however, a semblance of the quotidian life has been emerging. While I still feel like “the (foolish) martlet” that builds its nest “on the outward wall” (Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare), I’m ready to embrace the uncertainty and venture ‘out’ even if it means to be on “the road of casualty.” Though it is the outside, which at the moment, is the most inviting, it is the need of an ‘inside,’ “a room of one’s own” that I became most acutely

The Super-Fun Educational Podcast For Elementary School Kids D oes it seem like your kids are glued to screens all day, round the clock? And being mindful about it makes you miserable. The perfect getaway for you and your kid is - Who Smarted? From the Emmy-nominated producers of Brain Games and Brainchild comes Who Smarted . It's the podcast that uses humour, storytelling, and interactive games to help answer cool questions and teaches kids amazing fun facts almost about any topic. It delivers the infallible means to engage your child. And now, how does all of this work? Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday a joyful and funfilled episode of Who Smarted airs on. It teaches more than just fun and facts, but also critical thinking skills. Each bite-sized episode is only 12 minutes long, perfect for kid-sized attention spans. But just enough time for them to learn and give Mom & Dad a little break. Even a piece of better news for Mom and Dad! It's

A perpetually hard thing to resist I have stayed alone in an apartment for five months. I interacted with people only over the phone or when I was outside for work or shopping. Nothing seemed unbearable, though my close ones advised me to be more social. I slept and woke up on time. I cooked and ate diligently to keep myself healthy. I took showers every day. I watched television, read books, pampered myself once in a while, and sincerely claimed that I was staying alone in an apartment. Now, years later, with age and comprehension, I renewed my understanding of my state back through those days. I discover that I was reasonably involved with society! A conclusion that formulated when I envisioned a speculative plot, where I carefully and deliberately eliminate all associations around me. In this plot, I am without society, and the picture looks entirely different. Much of me has changed. Now, I only eat when I am hungry. Pampering or grooming takes a backseat as

...their faceless identities empowering the subtle more than the substantial… Their tours were not actual but virtual! I t's been a ‘trying’ time for most of us. I mean in both parts of speech. Exhausting and experimental. I was losing a semblance to my preferred self and succumbing mostly to domestic drudgery and at times to depression and distance. Then one evening, almost a month ago while I was talking to my brother (referred to as Big B going forward), he introduced me to a WhatsApp group. Initially, I was not really keen on joining it as it sounded like something unusual and not-really-heard-of-before. After all, a Taurean to the core, I am stubbornly resistant to change and take a while to accept the unconventional. ‘National Park Challenge,’ the name by which the group goes, is an international group consisting of members with shared interests, to say the least. My first thought...it's just a group of fitness aficionados. Then working around it, I tried to f

Make this a Christmas that you can happily recollect years later. The fancies may fade away as the little one grows up, but the love will remain. S omeone knows I am indeed special because his present for me is always exactly the one that I want! The whole year round, I am so worried about the little troubles I make - scared that I will no longer be on his nice list. As winter settles in, I try to be the good girl. I pray for Santa to overlook my little mistakes and like every year be more indulgent with me. Then one fine day before Christmas, I finally talk to Santa. All my worries fly away, and he magically ushers in the holiday spirit. I tell him about my family, my friends, about Christmas and the North Pole and also my present. I know Santa watches over me the whole year round and although I’m naughty at times, he believes in me and makes sure never to disappoint me during Christmas. I blindly rest my faith on him. Over and over again, following it through every year! S

Tell us the titles and topics that you want to see as future posts in Quotidian Tales. Speculations that we can discuss. Please add them to the comment section. I t's unbelievable how time flies. You never know, and soon you become a year old or more effectively as for the group of Quotidian Tales, a year wiser! It has been a wondrous one year for us! We couldn't thank our enthusiastic readers and their friends and families enough. Barely could we reach out to each one of you who read Quotidian Tales and enjoyed it. So here we take the opportunity to thank you for showing so much love and support throughout the year. Each day, you motivated us to keep writing, which made this first year so much more manageable. We enjoyed and loved your comments and likes that spurred us to keep marching ahead. It was the beginning of 2019 when we procured thoughts of expressing ourselves. Soon our excitement started piling up in google docs. We at least had one new document each

…a virus...challenged our potential…(and) intimidated our very existence as ‘social beings’...(but) “Maybe everyone can live beyond what they are capable of…” I t’s been a year. Though the first 7-8 months of blogging were difficult, defining, and yet gratifying, very much like nurturing your own child, the last four months have suffered distraction and distance. In fact, even right now I feel like the way Malala Yousafzai (well-known author of the book ‘I am Malala’ ) felt on her twelfth birthday, which she spent in Haripur. She was upset and certainly missed a cake, a couple of companions and a celebration. Yet she made a wish and so did I. Strange and at times, surreal is how I can describe my past few months. Most of you might prefer to concede to having a similar experience. While we were busy enacting our so-called remarkable roles in the absurd theatre of life, a virus ( coronavirus ) invaded our domain. It not only challenged our potential but exposed our p

Fountain pens are traditional, durable, enjoyable and stimulating - An incredible writing instrument that engages you in a therapeutic hobby. R amanuj listened to the morning news. He was ready to head out to work with his cup of fresh coffee and a slice of cake. On his way out, he grabbed his keys and hurriedly picked up his precious possession. Surprisingly, it was one from his prized collection of fountain pens. Being an analyst by profession and having twin teens around kept him busy all day. It was amazing how he would manage time out of it to refill his fountain pen and consciously sit down with his special notebook to ink his daily gratification in distinctive cursive fonts. He named it his ‘inking indolence.’ He never had to practice it. It was his passion. Miraculously, he knew how to set aside his worries and unwind himself in a calm space with his fountain pen and notebook. Entirely focused on his handwriting and his pen and lost amidst a comfortable space, f