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My strands of American Childhood

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I was born and brought up in central Calcutta, schooled in central Calcutta, but then grew up to become the core Bengali who had an American childhood! W e Bengalis know the characteristics etched in someone from central Calcutta. Her strings are pulled from both ends. She owns the traits of the more settled in old North Calcutta while desirous for the contemporary South Kolkata (Eastern Kolkata wasn't so prominent then.) We still lived in our hundred-year-old rented homes with 20-inch deep walls and cut-glass floors. But, we went to the top schools in the city. We religiously fed the street dogs, cats, and cows but reluctantly swapped our indoor plants for lack of water. Though I have been a Central Calcuttan all my childhood, I was never pulled by either of these strings. I held on to an American fiber that tugged me on and off! My mom's best neighborhood pal was an American lady! Well, I know you could expect someone of British descent at that location and era

Live to Learn or Learn to Live…

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A place where they (the elderly) too can be as preoccupied as their children and grandchildren and a time where they too are alive and not merely living. “Y ou do not know what it is like to be lonely until you spend time alone wishing for companionship.” These words uttered by one of my most favourite changemakers, Ratan Tata , in the recent past finally stimulated me to serve up those thoughts that had been simmering in my mind for long. A stalwart supporter of meaningful societal change, Ratan Tata made this statement when his investment in ‘Good Fellows’, a one-of-a-kind start-up in India, was announced and made public a few weeks back. Ideated by the feisty 28-year-old, Shantanu Naidu, who apart from being Ratan Tata’s assistant also shares a beautiful bond with the 84-year-old tycoon, ‘Good Fellows’ is an aspiration towards a more compassionate living. It aims at forging intergenerational friendships between senior citizens who are lonely, and felicitous young graduates,

Book Review : A Piece of Peace

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A book by Sweta Srivastava Vikram ! The perfect parcel of potions that one can sip on one page at a time and let the magic gradually transpire. W e inherently try to retain our emotions and thoughts. In the process, all remain in a hoard within ourselves while we continue to pursue massing it. Eventually, this affair summons the need for mindfulness, self-connection, and revival. Click HERE to buy the book That is when "A Piece of Peace" on the bedside nook can serve as our rescue parcel! One can read a chapter from the book and instantly connect with her ingrained emotions. To be able to understand and be cognizant of them. Sweta Vikram's book is the perfect parcel of potions that one can sip on one page at a time and let the magic gradually transpire! Even so, you will be entirely surprised to find numerous familiar and relevant questions answered throughout the book. We had to mention below some of the questions she answe

How best to Retire for the Day?

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With a content heart and peaceful mind. E nding your day on a positive note is the secret to a happy and healthy life. When you end your day right, the next morning is automatically off to a good start. You may feel stressed and worn out at the end of your work shift, but you still have a couple of hours to turn things around. You may have encountered your fair share of challenges and grievances, but all is to be forgotten by sunset. The final target of the day should be to retire to bed with a content heart and peaceful mind. Here’s a list of things you can do to retire for the day in the best way possible 1. Take a Walk An evening walk serves as a light form of exercise and helps the muscles relax. You can walk alone and reminisce in special moments of the day or have someone accompany you to exchange thoughts; if you have a pet dog, let them tag along. Walk outdoors on a quiet street or at a park nearby to savor the freshness of green landscapes. 2. Wr

Beyond Yourself!

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So find out what drives you and maybe at a crossroad, you too could get lucky like Kamran and meet yourself!… But beware in this inward quest, you will incessantly face the fundamental fact: “ Why am I here? ” and the sway between delirium and deliverance. A t a time when each one of us is seeking for some sort of inspiration to be able to connect with her inner self, ‘Kamran on Bike’ surely drops the penny in the precise spot. Now who is Kamran? Last weekend, casually, my friend had chanced upon him through a Facebook page and, intrigued by his vision, wanted me to dwell upon it. Some minutes into the page and I knew that I was delving into a man who perhaps emphatically embodied the words of Louis XIV. “ There is little that can withstand a man who can conquer himself. ” And indeed here is a man who literally does everything on his bike, a borrowed one to start with. He travels, unbridled, conquering not only the terrain without but also the territory within, and every

Is it Good to Brood on Yesterday?

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As you constantly relive memories that fill you up with remorse or pain. What does it mean to Brood on Yesterday? It means that you keep thinking about a regretful past. In your mind, you repeatedly experience an event or situation that upset you, which can be injurious to your mental health. You might pity yourself for making poor choices or think about how you could have done things differently. Some people think that brooding is a form of self-reflection that helps acknowledge previous mistakes and learn from them. However, brooding is like worrying and grueling oneself over errors of the past; hence, it is not in any way useful or healthy. What happens when you Brood on Yesterday? There is nothing wrong with recalling an episode of the past for insight and finding a solution to a recurring problem. You understand that you didn’t do your best before and that there is always room for improvement. When you brood, you let a former incident overwhelm you by

Book Review : Explain Alzheimer's

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Yet another enlightening book by Dr. Laurie Zelinger ! L ittle do we comprehend Alzheimer's disease or its victims. It is still newly found for many with very complex, challenging, and changing behaviors. A comprehensive book that explains Alzheimer's The book "Please Explain 'Alzheimer's Disease' to Me" by Dr. Laurie Zelinger serves as a consolidated guide for every parent and caregiver. The illustrations in the book weave a beautiful story of Seth, a little boy, and his grandma. We, in turn, get a vivid picture of the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Later in the book, the readers also find answers to several questions they might have in mind about the illness. In 2020, 6 million adults in the United States alone were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, which is a large number by itself and that we further expect to increase. This book will help families proficiently manage - when they have to engage with kids a

Book Review : 101 Tips to Lighten your Burden

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Direct, Simple and Relatable I n a world where you find your existence beset with struggles and strife, 101 Tips To Lighten Your Burden by Jennifer Bonn is the perfect book to pick up. It not only offers a lighthearted and realistic approach to deal with the serious and unresolved issues of life but also offers a palpable means to cope with them. The book also delivers empowering messages to the reader and assures him of the fact that he is not alone in this battle. There are countless others who are confronting challenges every day and looking for ways to overcome them. Jennifer Bon’s book is the quintessential response to all of them. Click HERE to buy the book Apart from scoring high on relatability, an interesting aspect of the book is the strategic manner of developing the ideas in different precise paragraphs with very apt and relevant titles. In fact, such a methodical sequence is possible only by one who is a teacher and a writer at the sam