Categories
Poetry

Not so gingerly


This morning, as we began making tea, Atul placed a piece of ginger on the kitchen counter and made an interesting observation. “This looks like a rockstar!”

And why not?

The humble ginger has been rocking my life ever since I can remember.

When we were kids, every year, on Diwali (that’s Naraka Chadurdashi or choti Diwali for folks in the north), my mother would heat up sesame oil and crackle black pepper and chopped ginger. Once the oil cooled down a little, and while it was still warm, she would tell us to eat the spices and then apply the oil directly on our scalp.

Diwali signifies the onset of winter, and this little ritual was performed to avoid catching a cold in the changing season. It wasn’t the most pleasant thing to do, and we reluctantly gave in. Over time, though, we began appreciating it for its health benefits, and now, I willingly follow this practice.

Today, as the nip in the winter air pierces my skin, the comfort of ginger makes me feel warm. So I wrote a small ode to the versatile spice, that doesn’t discriminate.

The versatile ginger,
Some love to hate.
But that doesn’t affect her
She doesn’t discriminate.

She blends in well
In my tea as a spice.
And with garlic too,
She plays super nice.

She lifts me up
In bread and cookies
She’s the kick and tang
In my hot curries.

She’s the antidote
To my cold and sores
As well as a soothing balm
To my burning throat.

Ginger, there are some
Who can’t stand your sight,
But ginger, to me
You’re a rock star alright!

Here’s a picture of her, rocking her usual self.

View this post on Instagram

I'm a #rockstar #ginger

A post shared by Kasturika (@kasturika.r) on

With this week’s daily post challenge asking bloggers to experiment, we decided to play around with the picture. I wanted to add fancy stickers and hashtags, and I assumed Instagram would let me do that. So I signed up – today. Turns out, it’s Facebook app that really fulfilled the requirements. (Yes, I’m terribly ill informed about social media apps!)

Here’s what Atul dished up:

She’s so happy I made it past the half way mark!

Psst. Since I’m celebrating my first day on Instagram, can I request you all to follow me? 😉


This is post #16 in this year’s NaBloPoMo, or as Ra calls it Nano Poblano

NaBloPoMo = National Blog Posting Month = Thirty straight days of blogging

Categories
Musings

WPC: Connected


Earlier we used to write letters on paper. Today, we send instant messages.
Earlier long distance calls were few and far between. Today, it’s cheaper than ever to talk to loved ones.

Earlier media was owned by a few people. While mainstream media is still owned by a few people with vested interests, social sharing and blogging platforms are changing the way we communicate with the outside world.

Today, we no longer just listen, we engage – we connect.

So how do you connect with the outside world?
So how do you connect with the outside world?

To see how bloggers around the world connect with one another and with their environment, be sure to check out the Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenge – Connected.

Categories
Musings

The Big Blue


fb_drawingFor years I resisted every blow that the monster threw at me – luring me through its minions who had already strayed into its territory. But I was a minority. A proud minority – one who was applauded for resisting the urge.

But alas, my love for my blog made me miss a turn. I lost the battle against it. And I decided it was time to take the great plunge – the things love can make you do!

You are daring to imagine that you could have a different life. Oh, I know it doesn’t feel like that. You feel like a big fat failure now. But you’re not. You are marching into the unknown armed with… Nothing.**

With no knowledge about my new surroundings, I stumbled and fumbled, and somehow managed to create a small advertisement for my blog. And left – emotionally scarred, but still alive.

It was just under a month after I entered the big bad world of Facebook*. I kept wondering if it was the right thing to do. I bumped into the Daily Post, and she asked me “Should Your Blog Be on Facebook?

I am still contemplating if it was a wise decision – since my primary audience is through WordPress. I stared at the number zero for a few weeks, and as I write this, there are three ‘likes’ – all by WordPress Bloggers themselves. So all that that button does is reaffirm how many people actually read this stuff, and an unnecessary duplication of follows! The key to using the the fan page is to share it and spread the word among FaceBook users – and since I have better things to do than venturing into the blue abyss, I don’t think the FaceBook Page would make much difference to me.

But hey, its there on the sidebar, and I’m too lazy to do anything more! So if you like anything here, go ahead and share it. We’re all in this big bad world together after all – I think.

What do you think? Since I don’t promote the blog on FaceBook, is there really any point of having a page at all? Would you stick you neck out and share this with your friends?

* * *

* Don’t pretend you don’t know it – it is the blue lonely monster that feeds (pun very much intended) off your privacy.
** Birdie gives advice to Katheryn Kelly in ‘You’ve Got Mail
Featured Image Credit : Jurgen Appelo, CC-BY-2.0