On the surface everything appeared nice and calm, while the storm brewing within only the head knew. Relentless intrigue or plain nervousness, none knew.
She was radiant with beauty, and that was the least interesting thing about her. Over fifty-hundred thoughts bashing the head, her one smile stole them all.
Which books did you love growing up? Which poems?
I grew up mainly reading comic books, the first being Batman, my all time favourite fictional character. Oh did you know he turned 75 today?
Do you remember your first original composition? What was it? How did you feel while writing it?
I can’t pin-point to what, just it was a drawing or painting since I did that a lot back in the day. However this is one piece which I’m very proud of, which I wrote when I was in school in 2004.
Did you secret your writing away or share it with family and friends?
I basically wrote for myself whenever I did. Still do. Alas not many are interested in it though. 😛
What sort of writing do you enjoy doing best? Fiction? Nonfiction? Creative Nonfiction? Poetry? Memoir? Other?
I enjoy creative writing. Mostly non-fiction for now. And whenever I have an epiphany (which I usually do) and aphorisms now and then.
What are your writerly aspirations? Do you write for yourself, or to become published?
For now just for myself, and have no desires to be published as an author as such. However I would love to travel around the world and document my travels/adventures someday, which is actually my long term aim. Now only the universe knows how I’m going to get there.
Why do you write?
Because I feel free.
What keeps you writing?
I just do, not much of an explanation I have I’m afraid.
Do you have a daily writing practice? Tell us about it.
For now I only follow The Daily Post and it’s writing prompts such as this one. While still have a long way to go, I’m happy to somehow keep myself alive everyday, and keep improving. 🙂
Oh, the joy of writing!
“Isn’t that rudimentary?” she asked.
“That’s what makes it most important.” he said, profoundly sweating since he got out. “I’ve learned that in many cases, only the small aspects really matter.”
“But how did it matter? You weren’t confident, and yet to set out regardless. In the end, you failed.”
“That I did.”
“So what difference did it make?”, as she tried to put her thoughts together on what preceded.
“A whole lot. But by then, he was long gone.”
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Short attempt at really short fiction, since I don’t usually write this. I’m more of a screenplay writer/director than the story writer, ie basically a constructor than a creator. While felt nice to try something different for a change, this did take me quite a while with at least a dozen different thoughts and interpretations behind this.
And yet, it doesn’t matter for her, as looks sadly at the hypocritical world she has to face…
Sometimes, an expression or a line says more than a 1000 words.
When I think of memories, there is nothing but a vague cloud in my mind. Yes, I chose to be freestyle as most of the time, but having to sit and type about the first (or most significant) memory which comes to my mind is probably a tough job for me. Unless when I have to focus for a task which is not much of an issue, but the question presented here itself has no objective answer or opinion which I can come up with.
I’m one of those persons who is comes under the category of not having much of a great childhood or an interesting times (well, not always 😉 ). Not complaining, far beyond that point, but it’s funny to think that most people I have a conversation with are usually of the though “I miss my childhood/school/college”, considering I’m still a youth in my early 20s.
That doesn’t mean I don’t cherish memories. But is it wrong to not think or miss any of them? I’m happy that some things happened, and not for several others, but there is hardly any which I feel of the sort that “I wish I could live that forever!”. Well yes there are a few, for example, the time I saw one of my most favourite bands around this time last year, Poets of the Fall which I detailed a in a post here. And I’m yet to see my most favourite band of all time, Linkin Park for whom I’m waiting for almost a decade now and even done various good things in my life thanks to them. Perhaps that will be another such moment, but in the end it will just be a memory which I perhaps won’t keep thinking of after a certain time, perhaps less than others.
No it’s not a “I don’t give a *insert appropriate swear word you like*” attitude, but more of a general apathy which is instilled in my self. Well perhaps I’m still waiting for that one big life changing moment which will be immortalized forever? Till then I shall continue to enjoy (or regret) things as they come and move on. And you can continue to enjoy the crap I post whatever I document here. 😀
This writing challenge reminds of an old pen and paper game which I used to play back in the day when I was a kid. It was simply called name, place, animal, thing (yeah I know, if you too noticed, the absence of the conjunction and always bothered me too, but maybe that was just me). As far as I know it was widely popular here played by many kids, the objective simply was at a given random letter each had to write down name of a person, a place, an animal and a thing beginning with that letter and as the game went on, the person scoring most points based on being the first, uniqueness of what he/she wrote, et cetera. Here I’m going to break the established order which I always do, and going to talk about a place which I already mentioned here before, a local cafe and juice bar – Fizzy.
I already wrote a small dedicated post about it here on Local Flavor, and going to add a bit more on it. As I’ve already mentioned, I’m coming here since the first day it opened all those years ago. I remember being in 6th grade then. I go there almost everyday when, and even today evening had my regular cold cappuccino. The place has a pretty neat open ambiance with a cross road in front of it and a (girls) school directly at the opposite. My school (which was a boys school) was also nearby, so you might get the picture where I’m getting at. 😉 And not to mention one of the biggest residential areas among others nearby. Suffice to say they are doing well. Popular hang out places for couples, friends and lonely buggers (like me). Heck there was a significant ‘No PDA‘ board too but I’m not going to go there. 😛
Coming to which, perhaps the most iconic thing served, from it’s various juices and sodas, frankies, grilled sandwiches, pastries and others, is my most favourite cold cappuccino. Have been drinking that for nearly a decade now! If you look at it, it’s nothing extraordinary, just a regular cold coffee with a touch of chocolate powder sprinkled. But after having been taking it for such a long time, don’t think even the very dam expensive ones like Starbucks or others can beat it to the top. Just another example of simplicity being #1. Well, just one thing, there was a time when it was mere ₹ 12 and including vanilla or chocolate ice-cream was ₹ 20-25. Today the coffee alone is just ₹ 25, add 20 more for any ice-cream. Ah I miss those days, casually having cold coffee with a favourite ball of ice-cream.
Coming to the person, here I would make it people, as I don’t know anyone singular in particular to write about, unless of course that person is me which I don’t want to bore you with. The place is all about people meeting and having a good time, so perhaps a nod to everyone I spent time there. Specially the staff there, who now in these few years adorn a red t-shirt show casing their employers. Or rather employer, since the place as far as I know started by one guy, who knows me very well now of course, and turned out to be a family friend of one of my old friends. From a small shop now a large happening cafe and 4 more branches in that area of the city, truly a success. Not only money wise but making memories for countless people as well, this is a place merged with my own history.
Interestingly what caught my attention first looking at the image the first time was the tram car, probably because it’s in the center. It’s quite fascinating how much stories one picture can say.
To the highlight is a cute couple embracing each other, probably seeing each other after a long time (even a day is considered a long time these days, just saying). And to the right, near the tram car is an old couple walking on the street, along with others. Probably tourists visiting Lisbon, Portugal or just random folks. Interesting to see two different ages of togetherness in one frame.
But here less than the people themselves, I’m more intrigued with that tram car. Those of us who are fortunate enough to have people in our lives (and find more) is something one would easily think about or appreciate (or not), what about that tram car? It serves hundreds of passengers everyday, yet it stands on its own, going where the path leads it. Are you alone yet not lonely?
I would like to visit Portugal someday, as traveling around the world is one of my big things in my bucket-list, or should I say, wanting for life itself. The artistic subtlety and style of the photograph is one of my favourite kinds, and the road going down with the stones decorating it on either sides looks beautiful. And while I enjoy solitude I wouldn’t mind a hug from a beautiful girl either 😛
Using Google Maps for the first time in a post thanks to this week’s writing challenge, while still trying to figure it out would like to talk about 3 places being a big part of my life and this being the area where I practically grew up so far.
A. St. Francis D’Assisi High School
My school where I studied for 12 years of my life right from the start to grade 10. Biggest perk being I lived just nearby my school and now college (below) I also wrote a post about my school in my last year which you can have a look at. Lot has changed since then.
B. Fizzy
There are many places where I hung out around where I stay and in the entire city, but this one stands out for me. Back in ’03 or ’04 (don’t exactly remember when) I was in 6th grade when this small cafe opened which now is a big joint there today. I was there when it first opened back then and still go regularly today, from a small shop to big happening cafe. Fizzy might be just a local thing here (there are 4 of them in the north part of the city) but they might also be another home to many like me.
C. SFIT/University of Mumbai
My university where I’m studying currently (highly debatable) 😛 Again biggest perk I live close by. Studying Computer Science & Engineering and doing some other stuff.
So basically I grew up in this ‘grid’ and waiting to get out and see the world (permanently, not the occasional basis) I’ll keep writing about more places of significance in time, and hopefully I’ll be able to write form all around the world one day.
So the Mayan apocalypse theory appears to be another (failed) joke, the conspiracy people were wrong about the world ending in 2012. Hooray! Time for them to go back to watching grassy knoll footage in slow motion. So much for all these years of ‘waiting’ for it and playing Assassin’s Creed since 2007. In a way, I actually was ‘looking forward’ to the apocalypse. But hey…
Thank you Desmond Miles….
BUT! They were only half wrong. There’s a gigantic meteor hurtling toward earth at an alarming rate, and a 97.3% probability that we’re all going the way of the dodos and dinosaurs within three months. Yes, that is true. Now we wait for what happens in March.
So now since a-freaking-meteor-is-being-hurled-at-earth-and-we are-going-to-turn-to-dust-anyways, I’ll list down some things which I would want to change with my life (at least for 3 months?) I find this concept of ‘new year resolutions’ really ridiculous, on which I already gave my opinion in my first introductory post of this blog, I would want to highlight 3 things I want to change about my life, which is not something I would resolve for the new year, but heck I always wanted to and doing it anyways.
1. Write More
Today marks the end of week 1 of 2013, and in my about 6 years of blogging this is the first time I managed to write on my blog everyday, and that to more than 1 post! Bravo to me! While not limited to my blogs, I hope to write more. I don’t intend to be an author or anything, I’m just quite intrigued with journalism and creative writing.
2. Read More
It has been quite a long time since I indulged myself in the pleasure of reading (that includes my college books, quite evidently) which I haven’t done in perhaps, years. I ought to read good books more.
3. Stop making excuses to myself.
While this is the most important among the three I feel, which I actually never gave a thought about. I seldom give excuses to others (most cases in which I’m least bothered so this isn’t even the case to begin with and I don’t commit if I can’t fulfill) I need to stop them with myself individually and start using my head more.
So in short, it is less of ‘new year’s resolutions’ and more of ‘life-long self-improvement’ (again, unless we aren’t blown to dust in 3 months; dam why am I so excited about it?) I wonder if I can complete even one or come closer in checking off one goal in my bucket list, I just think bit big you see.
The Nameless One 