Is Compromise the only Solution?

       It was a few weeks before my interview. I was just a little nervous, for the obvious reasons. Cousins, who visited home used to give me tips to boost my confidence. It was one such occasion when one of my cousin had visited. After speaking to me about my plans and he left to speak with others. I was on my way out, when I overheard their conversation. They were in the adjacent room and were obviously discussing about me. I would have let it pass and went on my way, when I heard the person he was talking to mention my blog. I paused, wondering what it might be they were saying and strained to hear clearly. What I heard next made me wish I hadn't stopped.

       That person was telling my cousin how I have my hands full with so many things and as if that wasn't enough I waste all my time in useless activities like blogging instead of devoting my time to studies. Two words stood out for me - 'Waste time' and 'Useless'. How can someone call it useless. Sure, it wasn't that bad, was it? It felt like someone had punched me hard. My limbs seemed to forget the fact that they were capable of walking and I stood rooted to the spot, fighting tears. After what felt like an eternity, I slowly made way to my room, wishing to stay alone for sometime. Once I was alone in my room, I let the cool composure crumble and let the feelings take over.

       I was a bundle of emotions; I could hardly think straight. I took deep breathes to calm myself and tried to analyse the situation. Once I was calm enough to think, I tried to see reason in the whole conversation. Sure, it was an important phase in my life and carelessness would affect my future. But I was careful. I hadn't avoided my studies and devoted all my time to blogging. In fact, I had written considerably less at that time. But why the accusation? Was academics everything? Was there no place for passion? Did dreams mean nothing?

       It felt like deja vu. Years ago, I was made to choose. Initially I had resisted and tried to keep living my dream but soon the younger me had felt defeated. I had given up everything; all the hobbies I dearly loved and devoted all my time to studies, trying to play the good girl role. Though I was fine over time, I had missed a certain joy in life. Now, after all these years, I had picked up writing and my life was slowly getting back on track again. I was doing something I loved, something that made me happy. But why were they making me choose again? Was compromise the only solution?

       The answer came quickly - 'No!' The thought of giving up itself caused so much pain. So, that was not an option to consider. I was old enough now to take my own decisions. I knew the difference between good and bad. I knew how much it would hurt if one lets go of their dreams. I had done it once and paid the price. I wouldn't do the same mistake again! There was no studies 'or' blogging. There was studies 'and' there was blogging. I wouldn't choose one. I wouldn't compromise for anything this time. I wouldn't let words like 'Time Waste' and 'Useless' affect me anymore. I would follow my heart and work towards realizing my dreams; of this, I was positive.

PS: This post is a part of #UseYourAnd activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette Venus.

Also linking this to the Write Tribe Pro Blogger Challenge.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

2014 at Glance - Bits and Bytes!

       

       It's the end of another year and I must say, this year has been a very good and productive one for me. As  it comes to end, here is a post dedicated to 2014. A recap of all the good and bad things.

       Coming to the good things,

• I finally gathered the courage to start my blog. After almost an year of thinking, I pushed aside the uncertainties and started to blog. And I am glad I did. It gives me so much happiness.
• I also set aside my fears and participated in more activities in college. It was a big step for me but I did it. I also won a few competitions and my confidence level has been boosted.
• Made many new friends, some online (Thanks to my blog) and some offline. Met one of the blogger friends (Prasanna Rao)
• Read nearly 35 books. Though it is less considering my craze for novels, it was a start. I had given reading a break due to busy schedule but picking up this old hobby was made me realize how much I missed it.
• Learnt many things - Quilling, painting, cooking. It is always good to learn new things.
• Had awesome time with friends as we went out partying or to watch movies.
• Attended the first interview of my life and got placed in TCS. Yay!!
• Got published in an anthlogy - GOOFY. You can buy it here.
• Bought around 50 novels this year! Yeah, I am building a library :P
• Traveled a lot with family. Oh, I love travelling.

Those were some of the good things. The list goes on but right now, this is all I remember. Here are few of the lessons I learnt (bad things always teach a lesson)

• No matter how good you are, people always find faults. So it's better to ignore others and live life the way you want.
• Some friends, no matter how best you think they are, will leave you one day for their own selfish reasons. It's better not to dwell on such person's memory. After all, nothing is permanent.
• For some people, promise is just a fancy word and they use it lightly. It's better not to place faith on others blindly.
• When you are among a crowd of strangers and the fear of 'what they will think' is stopping you from doing something you really want (something crazy or something daring), it's always good to remember that they don't know you! They will forget you within few minutes but the memory you created by doing the thing you like; it will last with you forever.
• There comes a time in life, when even though you have so many people who care for you, you have to take your own path, lead your own journey to reach your goals.

That was most of it. I had fun, I made mistakes and I learnt from them. After all, nobody is perfect. I don't regret the choices I made. How can I? It made me to who I am today and I am happy with it. So that was a glimpse of 2014 in brief. Saying final goodbyes to 2014 with this blogpost (This happens to be the 150th post of the year!)  

       How was your year? Are you happy? Let me know. See you all next year ;)

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

The Power of Truth

       From childhood till now, I have always wanted to be an all rounder and in some ways, I am one. I love to sing, paint, dance, write, read novels; the list goes on. If asked to pick any one favorite hobby among these, I won't be able to. While my mom supports me in all these, there is one thing she never lets me compromise on - studies. She doesn't want me to lag behind in studies while concentrating on others. And that's exactly what I did once!

       During my second year PUC, I started taking studies lightly and having fun became top priority for me. I used to hang out with friends, go to movies, chat all the time and laze around. That naturally had an effect on my grades but as the test papers were never sent home, I was safe. When mom used to ask how the tests went, I used to say 'Good' and that was it. Though I felt guilty lying, I was sure I would make up for it by scoring well next time. But the next time never came. Finally it was the preparatory exam and I had messed up that one too. But this time the stakes were high.

       The college I studied in, had a rule. They used to send our marks to our parent's mobile. Mine was sent to my mom's cell and thankfully I had it when the message was sent. I had performed well in all subjects except Physics in which I had passed but with very less marks. I knew mom would be furious if she saw that. So I quickly deleted the message and pretended like nothing happened; or at least I tried to. But I failed.

       I have never lied to mom and so carrying the burden of this was very difficult. I tried to ease my guilt by saying 'It's not lying. It's just hiding the truth' but either ways, I was miserable. Next day when my friend's mom had come home, all I could think was 'What if she asks about marks in front of mom? Or worse, what if mom asks about how her daughter was doing and her mom ends up saying about the message!' Thankfully, that never happened. My friend's mom was in a hurry and she left soon. But I realized one thing - I cannot hide the truth anymore! 

       So gathering all my courage, I went where mom was sitting reading a magazine and confessed everything. I told her how I was scared that she would scold me and how that drove me to hide the truth. I also told how miserable I felt hiding the truth. When I was done, I suddenly felt better. The guilt that was nagging inside me was gone and I could breathe much easier. Mom, who had been silent throughout, was watching my face and I guess she understood how I felt. 'I hope you have learnt your lesson' was all she said at that time. I definitely had!

       She helped with my studies from then, till I could get back on track. She even spoke to my lecturer who made sure I paid attention. In the end, I passed the final exam with flying colors, which would have been impossible without her help. Of course, I had to listen to some lecture from mom but it was easier to listen to her admonishing me than to carry the guilt of lying to her.

       Yesterday, I saw this video on TV which reminded me of this above mentioned incident

        As shown in the video, it is definitely good to tell the truth and shred that guilt. It is totally worth it. I have experienced it. Have you?

PS: This post is written for Indiblogger Happy Hours and Kinley Water.

Until the next post,
Keep Smiling :)

Love,
Swathi :)

How to handle Stress?

       Stress has become a integral part of our life these days. People of every age group go through stress. Stress isn't a totally bad thing considering how some people can perform better under stress. But too much of anything is bad. Likewise too much of stress can lead to disaster. It fuels anger and in the heat of anger, we end up hurting our dear ones. Stress is the one to blame for this. 

      Though we can't avoid stress completely, there are things we can do to minimize the effects of this stress. Here are a few things that I do when I am stressed:

• Listen to music. Music is a remedy for everything. It is a magic that works wonders. Listening to something soothing will always calm you down.
• Look outside and enjoy the beauty of nature. The greenery, the little bird on the window sill or the dew drops, all these little things can divert your mind.
• Close your eyes and take deep breathes. It is said that when we take deep breathes, more oxygen is supplied to brain and this can help us relax.
• Talk to your favorite person, maybe a friend or your parents or your partner. Talk to anyone whose company you love. Talking to them can make you forget your worries and lift your mood like anything.
• Do something you love. It maybe writing or painting or even dancing. These things can break your stress and make you happy.
• Take a break! Whatever is stressing you, take a break from it and enjoy life's pleasures. Maybe go for a movie or take a nap. You will feel refreshed and ready to face the challenge again by next day.
• And if you have the patience, go for Yoga. It really helps a lot in improving our lifestyle and reducing stress.

      These are the few things that I do to handle stress at times. What are your ways of handling stress?

PS: Linking this post to Write Tribe's Answer A Question - Rediscovering your Blogging Groove - Day 2

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

Dear Best Friend - 30 Letter Series #1

       It's been a long time since I wrote anything other than Book Reviews. Life has got too busy but today I have decided to take a day off from everything and write something. What prompted me was my friend Nibha's constant encouragement (read it as pestering and threatening too) to join in her 30 Letter series weekly prompt and after 2 weeks of constant pushing, here I am finally writing the first letter. I am a little late for this one, but who cares. 

       This is the first letter in the 30 Letter Series and this one is addressed to Best Friend. Let's get started with it.

Dear Best Friend,

       What shall I write to you? There are thousands of things I wish to share with you. And I know that by the time we finish talking about them, thousand more will pop up. It is a never ending list right?

       Our friendship is one of the best thing that has happened to me. It has stood all the tests of time. We have laughed and cried together. You have been with me when I celebrated my victory and you were with me even when I was lost. You have seen me at my worst and you were there for me whenever I needed you. Honestly I have no idea how I would have managed things without you. Lately life is getting busy and tension level has increased considerably. College, extra classes, Java classes and then preparing for campus; we are hardly finding time to breathe! But I am glad that you are with me. Because if not for your cheerful company, it would have been difficult to stay sane with so much going on.

       Things have changed. Recently we are fighting a lot over silly reasons. I wonder why this is happening! I don't even know whose fault it is. I prefer to blame it on tension. That is the evil working between our friendship, trying to split us apart. But I am glad we never gave in. Even after all those fights, we found reasons to hold on to our friendship and we will continue doing this forever right? Holding on I mean, not fighting!

       To be frank I enjoy all these things and want to cherish them while it lasts. In a year, our paths will change and we will be posted in different cities. Then I will miss all these fights (Yes! It's better than the silence), our hangouts, those birthday parties, never ending talks, gossips, tension before internals and celebrating once its over, pairing each other with random people just to irritate the other, catching up on the latest song, apps and movies, fighting over single chocolate and then ending up sharing it, canteen hungama, trying desperately to stay awake during boring lectures and smiling when the other fails to do so, our usual hangout place at bus shelter and much more!!! There are so many things that I will miss after this year and above all, I will miss you! But some things cannot be changed. It is time for us to accept the truth.

       But we can promise to be in touch right? It wont be like our regular meetings but surely we can make it up by chatting once in a while and meeting up when time permits. It's not like we will be strangers once we part ways. Because the best thing about friendship is no matter how long you don't talk to your friends, some day you can still talk like nothing ever happened. 

       Okay Okay. I know you will be frowning at me now for all this sentimental talk. But what to do? Mein hoon hi aisi ;) Who will know it better than you. I just pray to God that our friendship stays the same forever. Touch wood! Cheers to us.

With lots of Love,

Your Swatz :)

So that was the letter to Best Friend. Dedicating this to my group Minhoz. Each and every one of you are special for me, without whom my world wouldn't be complete. Love you my dear friends.

PS: Linking this post to Nibha's 30 Letter Series.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

Where to Find Happiness?

       Today during training, one of our trainers asked "Where do you find happiness?" The answers varied widely. Many in the class started giving material reasons that make them happy. Then the instructor said, there are so many reasons that make us happy, but though they influence us, happiness is an internal factor. Now that gave me a lot to think about.

      What makes us happy? Time with our friends? Lazy time? Promotions? The list may go on. But is it really these things that make us happy? If so, then what about the time when we don't get these things? Will we stop being happy? Time changes and so does our priorities. Something that we like today might not be that important tomorrow. Someone we love today might walk away tomorrow. So does that mean we stop leading our life? Or rather lead life without zeal?

       Life goes on. It doesn't wait for anyone or anything. So it is always up to us to decide how we want to lead it. We wish to be happy or brood over the unpleasant things; it's totally our choice.Time changes, people come and go; so does hardships. But one thing remains constant - us. And it is us, who can decide how we wish to be. Happiness indeed lies within. It is our sole decision. Nothing or no one can hurt us unless we give them the power to do so. Thus, instead of giving them power to make us sad, why not give ourselves a chance to be happy? Don't even give the key to your happiness to someone else. Don't fix a range for happiness. Let yourself free and enjoy little things. Be it watching sunset or dancing in the rain, every little thing matters. Stop complaining and be happy with whatever you have. Dream big but don't forget to appreciate what you have currently. Value that one person who matters the most - yourself! Give yourself a chance to be happy everyday; you deserve every bit of it. After all happiness is an internal factor and only you have the power to take it away from yourself; no one else can!

       So what is it that is stopping you from being happy?

PS: Linking this post to the Ultimate Blog Challenge July 2014 and NaBloPoMo.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

Techno Tribute!

Sitting at my desk,

I try to write my graduation speech.

Who should all I thank?

What in my life did they teach?

I would love to thank Google,

Who answered all my questions patiently!

Without whose help and guidance

I could never have passed definitely!

I would thank dear Wikipedia,

For sharing all those information!

Little changes were all I had to make,

And my assignments were near perfection!

Whats app, Facebook and Camera,

They helped us share homework!

Oh how can I forget the Xerox machine?

It helped to reduce the pile of work!

Online notes, PDFs and class groups,

They were all I needed!

Without which I don’t think

I could have ever succeeded!

I would like to offer my hearty thanks

To this wonderful technology!

I would never have graduated,

If not for its abundant help and generosity!

PS: Linking this post to the Ultimate Blog Challenge July 2014 and NaBloPoMo.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

Two Faced People - A Puente Poem

They smile at you with glee,

And all your worries flee!

Wiping away your tears, and

Lending you a comforting shoulder,

~They make you feel ill at ease~

But that’s not really the part of the deal,

They don’t care a bit how you feel!

All they need is the juicy gossip,

Which they will use for their own profit!

*************************

Had read about this poetry style last month at Poetry Jam but hadn't got time to experiment with it. Finally here is my try at Puente poem!

About Puente Poem:

A poetic form, the Puente (which means bridge in Spanish), uses a one line "bridge" to connect the first and last stanzas. Here's how it works:

- 3 stanzas

- Stanzas 1 and 3 contain different ideas, thoughts

- Stanzas 1 and 3 consist of the same number of lines (meter and/or rhyming up to poet)

- Stanza 2 connects meaning from first to last stanza

- Stanza 2 must be one line enclosed in tildes ( ~ )

- Stanza 2 is the last line of Stanza 1 and first line of Stanza 3

PS: Linking this post to the Ultimate Blog Challenge July 2014 and NaBloPoMo.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

Black - My Favorite!

       Black is the love of my life. I have always been drawn to this color which defines mystery and power! Whenever we go shopping, it is the black items that catch my eyes first. My list of favorites is so long that I couldn't finish writing about them in one post. So here is another, with the next five black things I wish to own!

1. A Book Shelf

       I love reading novels and it is not only reading that I love. I love to collect those novels and want to build my very own personal library someday. How awesome that would be! That would be a dream come true. For that I want book shelves and Black is the color.

2. Black Diamond

       Diamonds are what most of the girl wishes for! It enhances the beauty. Even though there are thousands of white diamonds, it is the black diamond that catches the attention. So next on my wish list is a pretty Black Diamond Ring.

3. DSLR Camera

       No! Hold your thoughts! Don't form the opinion that I am one of those who love photography to the core, enough to make it a part time hobby and opening up photography pages and blogs! Though I am not obsessed about it, I pretty much love to capture images of moments and things that make me happy. I love going through those pictures when I am bored. What better than a DSLR camera which can capture pictures with superior quality, making them look dignified! 

4. Microphone

       Singing is something I love dearly. I was sent to vocal classes from the age of 5 I guess! First trained as a classical singer and then to sing to the tracks of Karaoke. Of course I love both classical and rock music. The feeling I get when I hold a Microphone in my hands while singing; well you can understand the ecstasy only if you are a singer yourself. So this one is a must on my wish list!

5. Guitar

       I have always wanted to learn guitar. But never got a chance to. My mom used to say I would need to buy Guitar if I join classes and buying a guitar was out of question! So my dream remained a dream. But someday I am going to learn Guitar and rock the stage.

       I so wish I could get them all someday and wish that someday will arrive soon!

PS: This contest is a part of What The Black activity at BlogAdda.com

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

Zest up Life!

       Life is a journey with so many ups and downs! These ups and downs are like the two faces of the coin. You cannot choose just one of them and ignore the other. It is common to rejoice during happy times and sulk during bad times. 

1. Friends

       I usually am a quiet person, always finding reasons to avoid any gatherings and social meetings but when it comes to partying with friends, I am suddenly the most active person on the earth! Friends are the best part of life and the time spent with them become sweet memories which we treasure for life time! I have some amazing friends who can make me laugh when I don't even feel like smiling and with friends, I always feel at ease, all worries forgotten!

2. Pictures
      Pictures are those things which will make me smile whenever I look at them. I have quite a few collection from my childhood till now and when I am bored, I sit and go through this collection. A picture depicting naughtiness, a picture showing innocence, a picture clicked when I was busy with one of my antics, school day pictures, pictures with friends on different occasions; they all have the power let me re-live those moments again and by the time I close the album, there will be a huge smile plastered on my face.

3. Writing

       Writing has always been the way to express my thoughts which I couldn't say aloud. Writing helps to clear my bad mood by venting out my feelings and then start afresh. There is also a joy in giving life to characters and seeing them grow, experience new things, exploring a new world and learn along with them. It feels awesome when you have a story in your mind that you can share with the world. 

4. Music

       No matter what the situation is, music is that one thing which can cheer me up instantly. Music has always been a constant companion since my childhood days! During leisure times, travelling hours, while reading, writing, crying, laughing, partying; every waking minute music has been there. It is an integral part of my life, never failing to zest up my mood and spirits!

5. Holidays

       When it comes to holiday, my enthusiasm is like that of a poor kid who is forced to attend school everyday by her parents and waits desperately to break away from the routine somehow! Remember the happiness we used to get when our class teacher used to announce holidays? Well I still get the same happiness on hearing this sweet word. Even if it is a half day leave or a week holiday, I enjoy them all. I eagerly look forward to them! And when I get a long one especially, the joy cannot be simply put in words! All I can do is pack my bag, and Plan a holiday!

       So these are the five things that Zest up my life greatly! What about you?

PS: This post is a part of the Zest Up Your Life activity in association with TATA Motors Zest and BlogAdda.com.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

Diagnosis of Study Holidays!

       These days, there is a serious epidemic affecting students from all over the country! From college students to graduation students to post graduation students, everyone is a poor victim of this heartless disease! The disease however is found to be periodic, making its appearance only during certain period. Experts are trying to find a antidote to this but not much success has been achieved. While they try to find a solution, here is a diagnosis that I made which would help us understand the problem more clearly.

*****************************

Name: Study Holidays

Description: If there is a fever that can hit students in a magnitude greater than exams, then that must be the torture of Study holidays! Though it says study holidays, there is scope for everything except that; students can neither study nor can they enjoy these as holidays. When they try to study, the holiday mood and laziness takes over. And when we try to enjoy, guilt for wasting precious time, that takes out all the fun! In short, these days are nothing short of purgatory!

Age group of patients: 16 to 24 (or sometimes more)

Season: A month before Exams

Duration: A month or so, depending on the college and universities.

Primary Symptoms: Boredom, Insomnia, Tension, Mood Swings, Hike in creativity, etc

       The symptoms are rather found to be quite a long list! Some of the peculiar behaviors of the patients affected by this fever are as follows:

1. Everything except books become interesting. Even a dot on the wall or staring just at a blank wall that has been there since ages, suddenly seems like the most interesting thing on earth!
2. Textbooks look like their mortal enemies with whom they try to break up every single day, but fail miserably.
3. Interaction with patients affected by the same increase dramatically as they call each other everyday to find out what progress the other has made. ("How much did you finish?" being a commonly heard question) The telephone companies are found to make more profit during these days!
4. The patients make groups and try to fight the disease together by making plans for the coming days, like what to study, how much to study. But these remain just that, a plan!
5. Hunger suddenly increases dramatically during odd hours at the sight of text books and dies down at lunch and dinner hours!
6. Textbooks are always accompanied by their best friend - sleep! In the process of reading, textbooks end up being used as pillows.
7. There is a sudden interest in every activities whose mere existence was unaware before! This includes crafts, drawing, gardening, to mention a few!
8. There is a sudden interest in every Indian Saas-Bahu serial which were boring before! However, this interest is found to be temporary. Once the exam ends, the interest dies down automatically.
9. This one is especially seen in writers and/or Bloggers. Their head is brimming with ideas for different stories! But there is no time to write down. Why? Because they are too busy planning what to study!
10. The day starts with the thought "What to study?" which occupies the mind whole day, never posing an answer, and ends with regret for wasting one more day and promise to make it up the coming day! And this coming day never actually comes!
11. While some are found on Whats app and Facebook 24*7, some others are found performing dangerous stunts like deleting Facebook accounts and Whatsapp from their cell phones. However, after trying continuously, they give up on such stunts.

    

       Though the disease is not contagious, the symptoms like tension and anxiety is found to be affecting the people around the patients greatly, especially mothers!

Treatment: Though this disease is affecting students from decades, no effective treatment have been found for this yet. Some experts are of the opinion that Meditation and Pranayama helps. But these ideas are not tried. Reason? If all the time goes in thinking what to study, then from where will the poor students get time for these?

Thus the only technique that can cure this disease so far has been the completion of exams, which by the grace of universities, are dragged for months together.

The only people who are aloof from these days are the 'Toppers' Studies have told that the only reason for their developing resistance to this is their love of 'Text Books' which is beyond the comprehension of common people!

*****************************

If anyone of you reading this do know a solution, please feel free to share it. It can save many lives!

Sincerely,

One of the affected student :P

PS: Linking this post to the Ultimate Blog Challenge July 2014 and NaBloPoMo.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

Black is Beautiful!

       Black has always been my favorite color, ever since I remember. When girls my age fancied to be dressed in pretty pink clothes, I used to ask mom to buy me black outfits. Of course my mom and grand mother would frown at my selection and buy me the dresses of their choice, never asking my opinion. Oh I hated those pink dresses! And when it came to gadgets and electronics, it was always my dad's decision. He was all for Peace! So Pink and white became the enemies of my childhood days!

       But once I grew up and I had the power to decide, I shopped as much black dresses as I can. My wardrobe is filled with them. Well most of it, save for the ones my mom buys. But with the gadgets, I still had bad luck. While buying laptop, I had clearly said white. But when my brother went to get me one, Black laptops were out of stock and he ended up bringing white! Ugh! Even when buying cell phone, there wasn't black available in the model I had selected. The choice was to select between white and metallic blue! Of course I didn't buy white one again! But the irony is it still had white ear phones. Aargh! Not again!

       How can one not love black? After all it is beautiful, sexy and mysterious! The mystery has never ceased to attract me. But of course there are some 'Black' things which I wish I don't get; like black eye or black money! Apart from a few like this, everything else is perfect. Here are some Black things I which I wish I could have.

1. Sony Xperia Z2:

       I want to get rid of my old phone for this new super hot Sony Xperia Z2 with 20.7 MP camera, super awesome recording features and what not! It was love at first sight. And my present phone is getting older too! It gets stuck all the time and restarts when I am doing something important (like reading ebooks) This is so not done. So the first thing I want is a new phone and when I am getting one, then why not the best? Lets go for Xperia Z2 only! (With black earphones please!)

2. Kindle Ereader:

       Though there is a phone that does everything, how good it will be to have a kindle? I can download books on the go and read comfortably without having to strain my eyes much. Also I don't have to carry loads of books with me if I am going on a long vacation. All I need to do is carry this cool device where all my books will be saved. Pretty cool right?

3. Lamborghini Aventador:

        Now who doesn't love this car? I definitely am head over heals for it and how I wish I could own one! It is a dream of mine to buy this shiny black beast someday and I do hope that 'someday' will soon arrive. For now, I will just have to gaze at the pic and fulfill my wish.

Isn't she a beauty?

4. Black Gown:

       Now that I have made a list of all cool things, shouldn't I look beautiful too? So that when I step out of this car, with a cool phone, I should look like the proud owner of them right? So that is why, next on my list is a black gown; the kind which princess and barbie wear in movies!  I always wanted to have one such gown since childhood but yes, a black one. Not the pink and white gowns the barbie wears! 

5. Black Stilettos:

       Now, to go with my black gown, I need an equally stylish pair of Black Stiletto. They complete the look. How terrible it would look if I wore sneakers with this gown? Eww!! I guess I will be punished for breaking the fashion code! And I definitely don't want that to happen. So I better make a wish for the Black Stilettos.

       Don't look at me like that. I have no practice in walking in these but I am definitely learning when I get one. 

      There! These are the five things in Black which I desire with all my heart! Oh there is something else. Can I possibly ask for a guy in black? Like Damon Salvatore or something? Well, I guess that is out of bounds! So this is it for now.

PS: This contest is a part of What The Black activity at BlogAdda.com

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

It is a Century!

       139 days back I had took a bold step and started my blog. I say bold because being a shy girl all my life, sharing my thoughts with the world was something that I didn't think would be easy. I had been juggling about the whole blogging idea from almost two years but that little nagging doubt in my head was stopping me from turning it into reality. Finally after a little push from my friends and the positive response I got after writing for a creative story writing competition in college, I jumped in to Blogosphere and after that there was no turning back.

       Participating in challenges like A - Z challenge, UBC April 2014 and UBC July 2014, different contests hosted by BlogAdda and also in fiction Prompts, my blog grew steadily and so did my confidence with each post. I made many friends. I read many posts. I smiled and I cried. When I wanted to share something, I created new characters and gave them my voice. It always felt good. Also the blog brought out the poet in me, which I didn't know existed. I found out about the hidden passion in me for writing, which before this, was just confined to my diary entries. It felt good to break free from the boundary and enter into a new world. 

       And I am glad I did! Who would have thought I would write my 100th post this soon? I definitely hadn't! I am totally excited as I write this post.

       During this journey, I have been published in two online magazines (Check my poem on Writer's Ezine here), have written for two anthologies and also have joined for a writing Internship program by Tell-a-Tale this month which I am definitely enjoying. You can read my internship posts here. To sum it up all in one sentence, it feels awesome to be following my heart after all these years. 

       Thank you everyone who helped me achieve this feat, supporting me with encouraging comments and also gently correcting me when I was wrong. Keep visiting and keep showering my blog with love. After all, this wouldn't have been possible without your support. It's definitely time for celebrations!

       I can go on talking about how happy I am today but for today, let me stop here. Have a great day folks.

PS: Linking this post to the Ultimate Blog Challenge July 2014 and NaBloPoMo.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)