Monday 21 May 2012

Which "Identity" are "You" Wearing Today?

We all have multiple identities. Sometimes, we feel that some identities are imposed on us.
But not a single identity can be discussed as an ideal identity for a man or woman. We cannot define the perfect ideal Indian. Nor can we choose an ideal human being. Cause the identity which every person has differs from another in a way that we cannot talk about.
John Donne said “No man is an island, not on his own always.” We live in a social context. And India is a country known to the world for its variety and diversity; but also for its tolerance of diversity. And diversity in India is not organized democratically but hierarchally.  Thus, there is no scope to form a new identity in such a culture. “Moral obligation”, an important part of Indian culture, forces us to carry on the identity which your ancestors have derived over the years without you thinking of your own choices. And this pressure is the main reason to why we have so many identities.
E. M. Foster once said, “If I have to choose between my country and my friend, I have the guts to choose my friend.” That is possible only when a man has his own identity, and he does not succumb to pressure, be it of a country or even of the whole world.
Imagine our identities hanging in your closet. You open your closet, pick up the most suitable identity for the occasion and don it. It is a way of trying to stand out in your best attire, but at the same time trying to fit in by wearing one which is quite similar to the people around you. So basically you try to pick up the best identity in that very situation. But there is no one identity to you, making your life a big confusion for yourselves. And the standardization of things like beauty, intelligence, which has no measure of its own, has made things much more difficult for all of us. That is the reason why we find many people today, including people who have lived half of their lives, in search of themselves, asking everyone they meet the same question, “Who am I? What is the purpose of my life?”
So the only way to bring stability in our identity is to recognize ourselves and bring it to light; not to keep it suppressed deep inside us. Awareness about our own identity is necessary. We don’t need to backward in time, but go ahead in space. So, finally all you have to do is to choose our own path and keep on walking it till you find your destiny, without caring about what others feel about the path. And as Zig Ziglar said, "What would you rather be in life, a meaningful specific or a wandering generality?"

Friday 18 May 2012

The People I met said so.... (Part 3)

Recently, I had the joy of interviewing another debut author, Ar.Aabhas K Maldahiyar, the author of ‘Restart… an architect’s journey to the parliament house’. It was an experience to cherish, the author expressing his views on the "system" and other issues faced by our country today.



Know more about him through the interview:



He is keen to study politics, all art forms, and literature, has enormous passion for architecture and is highly revolutionary by attitude. He wants to carry on as an Architect, but wishes to take up the pen with a desire to bring remedy for the wounded “system” surrounding us. Apart from writing and carrying Architectural research, he spends time painting portraits and reading books by Robin Sharma, while ‘The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch,’ is his all time favorite.
He is the new author on the block, Ar.Aabhas K Maldahiyar. His debut novel, ‘Restart… an architect’s journey to the parliament house’ was released on the 5th of this month.
Aabhas, in a candid talk with Vaishnavi Patil, tells us about his views on college, politics and the ‘”system”, his experiences, his favourite books and his love for painting and what he thinks about the literary scenario in the country!!!
Click here to read more.






-This article by me appeared in the debut writer sahitya column of isahitya media.








(To read the previous parts of this series, click here: Part 1 and Part 2 .)

Monday 7 May 2012

The people I met said so... (Part 2)

A few days back I got an oppurtunity to interview a debut author, 'Vinita Bali'. Her first novel “Life serves Love…the fullest form of living” was unvieled by Mr. Chetan Bhagat, an honour in itself.

Know more about her through the interview:


A bubbly, fun loving and somewhat having a soft-corner for romance, she is the new girl on the block. We present to you the debut author of the book “Life Serves Love”, Vinita Bali. She one of the youngest authors published in 2012 by Power publishers.She is brave on the outside and soft on the inside, she is just 21 but she has the courage to voice out her feelings and thoughts courageously. She is the future of new age Indian authors.
Vinita Bali, in a candid talk with Vaishnavi Patil, gives us an insight on her book, her opinions of the Indian literature in the 21st century and most importantly tells us about herself!!!
click here to read more.









-This article by me appeared in the debut writer sahitya column of isahitya media.




(To read the part 1 of this series, click here.)

Friday 4 May 2012

Hot Fun in the Summertime

Hello everyone.... Welcome to the Upper East side, my world. I am Serena and I live with my friends Kyra and Blair, in this world of glitz and glamour. And the one person who knows all about us is "Gossip Girl". She even got hold of our recent plan of going to the Caribbean for the summer. Her post on the (in)famous gossip girl site:

Hey, Gossip Girl here! Your one and only source to the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite.
Summer spells FUN and the Upper East Siders are never inside during the hot season. How would the temperatures get soaring if the hot ladies of the Upper East Side are not out in the sun, flaunting their designer bikinis and toned bodies???
And as you all are generous enough to keep me updated throughout the summer, here are the details of Kyra and her gang of girls planning for a ravishing summer treat at one of the exotic beaches in Caribbean.
Some excerpts:

K: Hey gals, why not go to Caribbean this summer? Mother is keen on arranging a full paid trip to Europe, but I wanna go to Virgin Gorda!!!
S: That’s a superb plan, K! After such a tiresome semester, I need some break from school and all the other rumors circulating in the town.
B: Virgin Gorda? Will there be a Givenchy’s store there? I need to do some serious shopping this summer!!!
S: Sure, B! But you will be on a holiday, and routine work is strictly a no-no on holidays!!
K: Oh B, don’t you want to bath in the sun, have mocktails and flirt with guys?
B: That I leave with S, K. When she’s around, nobody really even looks at me twice.
S: B, enough of this now. It’s a girls’ holiday, and I want to keep it that way.
B: But it will be really hot there and when I return back to the town I don’t to be a cooked lobster!!
K: Ohhhh B… how can you be so silly? Do you think I would let you burn in the sun? Recently, I came across Lakmé Sun Expert, a wonderful sunscreen lotion.
B: But does it really work? The last time I used a sunscreen, it made my skin look ten years older and the effect wore off like in ten minutes!
S: Don’t you believe K, B? She is the cosmetic expert among the three of us.
K: Thank you, S. And B, the Lakmé Sun Expert, a light feel formula, with SPF and PA+++, protects your skin from the sun’s UVA and UVB rays that cause tanning and help prevent deep-skin damage.
B: K, thank you so much for your suggestion. I am sure the Lakmé Sun Expert will make our summer more exciting and fun!!!
S: Oh yes, I am sure of that. K, and please do carry your guitar. We want to sing and dance and do all the things which we didn’t do last vacations.
K: And beach volleyball too.
S: Yes, that too. Anything for you K!!!
B: Gals, now stop planning! Time to go shopping for new bikinis and sunglasses.
S: Caribbean, here we come!!!

K: Holidays are meant for BFFs!!!

That’s what the Upper East Siders are going to do this summer. Don’t forget to take a leaf out of their books or rather their secretive tabs, and use Lakmé Sun Expert for a fun-filled summer!!!

xo xo Gossip Girl!!!





And now that the whole world knows where we would be during the summer, you are most welcome to join our little fun party!!!





- an entry for the "The Lakmé Diva Blogger Contest", http://www.facebook.com/ilovelakme.