Things That Define Me

       The one thing I find toughest is to write the 'About Me' section. Let it be writing an introduction in a social media site, or setting up my profile in a new site, or introducing myself in a group or writing the 'About Me' section of my blog; I always find it hard. I would be happy to say 'Hi! I am Swathi Shenoy' and end it with that but I can hardly do that. Introductions are meant to let people know more about you and such introductions would have been easier if there were only few things that define me; few things to let people know who I really am. But that is surely not the case. Let me tell you why!

      I am a writer. I pour my heart out through writing. When I fail to express my feelings out loud, writing comes to my rescue. When there are things I cannot share with anyone, they take the form of stories. People read it as fiction but many of them are inspired by the things happening around me. When something good or bad happens, I have to write about it, else I cannot sleep peacefully! I am an introvert and writing is my Knight in Shining Armour!

       With writing comes, the interest in reading. And I am not immune to this. I am an avid reader. My day isn't complete if I don't read at least a few pages of a novel. Reading helps me live a different life in a different world altogether. How can I not love it? Here is a sneak peak of my library:

       I am a singer. It was my mom's dream to be a singer but she couldn't achieve it (Oh, she has a very sweet voice). So, I was sent to music classes since the age of six and I have always enjoyed it immensely. Music is the magic that can soothe your mind like nothing else can. I count it as a blessing to have been trained in this field.

       I love dancing too. Though I always wanted to join a dance classes, I never got a chance to. That didn't stop me from learning. I am a self trained dancer and a good one at that. I never missed an opportunity to step on the stage.

       I am an artist. I love sketching and painting. People who are regular to this blog know that. What started as just a small hobby to pass time, soon turned into a passion and before I knew, I was in love with it. Capturing the beauty of the world through my pencils or paint brush is something that I love a lot. Though I am a little slow at it, the satisfaction I get when the art work is complete, makes it worthwhile.

 

       It's not just the sketching and painting, I love crafts, stitching and Quilling too. I always keep looking for something new to make; painting on tiles, pots, glass, making something from ice cream sticks... anything. Whenever I see something interesting at my friends' or relatives' home, I bug them till they tell me how to do it.

 

       I am a cook too. I love experimenting new things. Internet is my teacher and I always keep trying new things. Oh, I promise you they are all edible. My friends and family love them, so I trust my experiments are good.

 

       I love sports too. I learnt Swimming, Volleyball, Chess and Karate when I was in school. I used to find it difficult to make time for everything but that never stopped me. They say 'When you want something, there will be no excuses. You will always make time for something you love' and I can't agree more to this. It has always been like that for me.

       Oh, I am a student too, currently pursuing Engineering in Computer Science but that's not all. I am an enthusiastic student in the journey of life, always eager to learn new things. My varying interests and the things I keep learning are a result of this enthusiasm.

       Does it end here? Not at all!! There are many more things that define me - I am a dreamer, a friend, a daughter, a sister, an enthusiastic traveler, a perfectionist and much more. But how can I explain all this when someone asks my introduction in brief? I fumble and stammer to get the right words. To say all these makes me feel like I am showing off. But trust me, that is not the case. It is who I am. Take out even a single thing out of the list and the introduction is incomplete. 

       I still remember an incident from my interview. The hardest thing for me was preparing my resume. I had tried to keep the 'interests' and 'achievements' column as short as possible. Still, during the H.R. round, I was asked "How is that you do all these? How will you manage your time?" I just smiled and said "It is because I love what I do" There, that is the answer. I love each and every thing of these activities and they as a whole, define who I am. But it is difficult to make everyone understand. 

       So, whenever someone asks about me, I just smile and say "A girl with lots of dreams" Now, doesn't that  sounds simple enough for the first time? So, ladies and gentlemen, that's Swathi Shenoy for you.

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 :)

100 Happy Days - Day 31 to Day 40

       Last week had been hectic but finally I am able to catch up with the #100HappyDays Challenge. I do notice that this challenge, though seems difficult, has helped me a lot amidst my busy schedule. Here is the list of things that made me happy in the past 10 days.

Day 31: Not having to set the alarm for the next day is one of the greatest pleasures of life. I was glad that I didn't have a 7:30 class next day.

Day 32: Had a lazy and fun filled afternoon with my best friend. Chatting with your best friend can lift your mood like anything.

Day 33: It was Independence day, which gives every Indian a reason to be happy and celebrate. I loved watching parade on the Television. 

Day 34: Received signed copy of Private India for review from BlogAdda. Must say, it was a good read.

Day 35: It was the day of Janmashtami, which I and my brother love. Why? The picture below says it all! 

       8 kind of sweets were prepared and it was a treat for us.

Day 36: Bought this new Centuary matress which is so comfortable. I am totally loving it.

Day 37: I am totally hating 7th semester. I don't feel like attending most of the classes. 'Web lab' is the only thing that I am loving in this semester. The first lab session was good and I was happy to find something I love in the otherwise boring routine!

Day 38: Received the books I had ordered on Flipkart. I have been thinking of reading P.S. I Love You from so many days and finally getting a copy of it made me happy.

Day 39: After months of arguments and postponing, my friend finally took us to a hotel for her birthday treat. Had an awesome time there. Happiness is enjoying with friends.

Day 40: Some times the biggest happiness is bunking class. So when life gets hectic, ditch a class and enjoy the day. Just make sure it doesn't become a habit!

With that I finish writing about 40 days. Yay :) What made you happy today?

Until the next post,
Keep Smiling :)

Love,
Swathi :)       

100 Happy Days - Day 21 to Day 30

      I have been lagging behind again. Final year of engineering is keeping me busy. But I have been successful in finding small things which make me happy. These things help me keep going when I want to quit everything and go sleep! Here are the next 10 days of the #100DaysHappiness Challenge:

Day 21: I finally convinced dad to take me to the Book Fair in Bangalore and it was a treat! Surrounded by lakhs of books and book lovers, it was an awesome feeling. Finally bought these books for 1K. Fair enough right?

Day 22: Tired from too much travelling, I woke up to see this amazing news that my poem on Writer's Ezine has won the 'Exceptional Poem' for the month of July. They sent me a voucher of 500/- for the same.

Day 23: My phone used to hang a lot. So I decided to install the new updates and finally, its working better now. Most of my irritation was eased by this fact!

Day 24: Most of the classes this semester starts at 7:30, which requires me to get up by 6 am! I absolutely loath it! Thankfully, when lab batches were announced, I found that I don't have lab on Fridays which meant I didn't have classes till 10.45! Now that was a treat.

Day 25: It always feels great to receive an author signed copy. Received this book as a part of review program by BlogAdda.

Day 26: Recently I fell in love with this video 'Unbreakable' by Kim Hyun Joong and I can't get enough of it. Happiness is watching a video you love.

Day 27: Happiness is being a Back Bencher! I always was one but this semester, it has become tough to get that last bench as competition has significantly increased for it! I was happy to have been early enough to get it that day!

Day 28: Happiness is having a brother whom you love a lot! And when you have one such brother, Rakshabandhan means all the more special to you. I absolutely enjoyed this day.

Day 29: BlogAdda announced the winners for Mardaani activity and I was shocked and delighted when I saw that I am one of the runner ups of this amazing contest! I was on cloud nine!

Day 30: Happiness is shopping! Bought this new dressing table for my room. I was happy happy.

      There! I finished the list of next 10 days again i.e 3rd August to 12th August. Stay tuned for more.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

Re-Doing my Paradise - 2

       Isn't it amazing how things around us influence our mood? If there are things we love around us, our mood will be positively affected and our spirits will be uplifted. On the other hand, if the things are not according to our wish, then it is quite obvious that it results in a bad, grumpy mood which will remain with you whole day. Though we cannot change everything, at least we can re-do our home according to our tastes and make it look like we wish. This way, there will always be one place that you will love spending time at. 

       I already wrote a post saying how I would love to re-do my home in ethnic style. And of course I loved the idea. But in this changing world, nothing is constant. Change is a way of life. So there is one more style that I would love to adapt in re-doing my home - Contemporary. While I love ethnic style, contemporary has its own charm. 

       Here are the things that I would love to have in my home

1. Wonder Arts 3D Effect Wall Decal:

      I don't like things which are too much bright. I love simple things. Thus there is no doubt why I loved this particular product. Though it looks simple, it is quite appealing and adds a certain charm to the place. And if kept in right place, with right background, it gives the home a classy look.

2. The Yellow Door Round Oil Burner:

       Going with my theme, here is another prop that I would love to use. This oil burner has an elegant look to it. I loved the pattern it forms on the wall. It looks like a golden pot, which is radiating some divine light! Awesome, isn't it?

3. Little India Pure Brass Antique Design Real Telescope Gift -157

       

       I love the night sky. I love sitting by the window and watching the stars. I have always felt a pull towards the mysterious sky and the secrets that lay hidden there. I would love to unravel them with the help of this telescope. It's always been a dream to own a telescope and get lost in the secrets of a world that seems so far yet so inviting. Who knows, may be someday I will discover something great? This telescope will be my partner in the discovery.

       So these were my favorite things with which I want to decorate my home. What is your favorite?

PS: This post is a part of Makemyhome activity at BlogAdda.com.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

Re-doing my Paradise!

       Home is paradise on earth. It is that one place where we can be ourselves without having to worry about anything or anyone; not even worrying about how we look. Being a person who loves being at home rather than going out, I absolutely love decorating my little space according to my taste. It is such a bliss re-doing it, adding personal touch-ups. It lifts my mood like anything. 

       I would like to re-do my home with ethnic as the theme. Here are the three items that I would love to have:

1. Mobile Stand:

       I came across this classy looking Chitrahandicrafts Mobile Stand Design - 1 which immediately caught my attention. I don't have a mobile stand. I sleep keeping my cell below my pillow but recently I read an article about a cellphone kept under pillow having burnt up! It seriously scared me. So I would love to get this Mobile Stand so that I can keep my cell safely. The clock that is designed so brilliantly is a plus. The whole design is so awesome, that it adds a good finishing touch to my room and definitely will be the center of attraction and appreciation.

2. Wall Decor

      Next thing I would love to have is Aapno Rajasthan Ganapati Kalash and Diya Wood and Clay Wall Decor. I am a devotee of Ganapathi Bappa. I have a small idol of Ganesha that I carry with me most of the times. So I would love to have this lovely wall decor and hang it in the hall, where I can see it as soon as I enter the home. I am sure this idol will spread a positive vibe in the home. After all what is paradise without God?

3. Lantern:

       One more thing which I would love to add is this Aapno Rajasthan Lantern-048. The lantern is a beauty! It was love at first sight. I couldn't stop myself from looking at this lantern repeatedly. If this was my reaction, then I can only begin to imagine how wonderful the reactions of my guests will be when they see it at my home. It will be like adding a feather to the crown when they appreciate it. This lantern definitely is an eye catcher!

       With these three things, I am sure my mission of re-doing my home will be a grand success. Not only will it make me happy, it will also make me proud when people start appreciating my choices. Mission accomplished!

PS: This post is a part of Makemyhome activity at BlogAdda.com.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

If I Weren't Afraid!

       Today I came across a Blog Carnival on Write Tribe - Do Your Fears Hold You Back? It instantly piqued my interest. Each one of us have something or other that we fear. These fears rule us more than our strengths do! It's never easy to talk about our fears but here is a small attempt. What would I do if my fears weren't holding me back?

       The first thing I will do is pick up a microphone and sing my heart out. My mom always had this dream that I would be a singer someday. But I never really was able to fulfill her dream. Though people don't dislike my voice or throw eggs when I step on the stage (In fact I get compliments that I have a very melodious voice), I get nervous as soon as I face the crowd and blank out! It's very humiliating. I wish I could overcome that fear. If I do, the first thing I will do is go give an audition for some big singing competition and fulfill my mom's dream.

       This same fear of crowd holds me back from speaking up my mind. There will be so many things running inside my mind. But I can never speak them up. I hide behind my writing skills. What will others say? What if I am wrong? What if they laugh? Fears like this always hold me back. I wish I could put such fears behind me and move on with life. It will be awesome to feel confident and speak up my mind. Maybe gathering courage to answer questions or speak about an idea that I am too afraid to say otherwise. Maybe even say someone how much I love them or do something that my heart always wanted to! All these things are possible only if I can shed that fear of rejection and the fear of being mocked at!

       Wouldn't it be awesome if we can overcome our fears and lead a confident life? I am working hard on leaving behind these fears and start afresh. I know it is not easy but one step at a time and I believe that I will gradually reach my destination. What are your fears? Are you working on overcoming them?

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 :)

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.

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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!

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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 :)

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 :)