Tag: India

Posted on

Tell me…

I never knew I would cry when I heard your name.

And now I’m running to your heart because I feel the pain.

We found the devil in our love, we found the way.

Why do I feel like you’re with me everywhere I lay?

Tell me where your heart is, tell me where you keep it, tell me where it stays.

Tell me where your heart is, tell me where you keep it, tell me where it stays.

It feels like a ghost is walking on my grave.

If only you knew how long I’d wait.

It makes me really angry when you can’t relate.

Makes me feel like you’re living and I’m awake.

So tell me where your heart is, tell me where you keep it, tell me where it stays.

Tell me where your heart is, tell me where you keep it, tell me where it stays.

Tell me where your heart is, tell me where you keep it, tell me where it stays.

Tell me where your heart is, tell me where you keep it, tell me where it stays.

Oh oh oh oh ehhh…

Woho yeah, oh oh oh oh hey ye ehhh…

When we’re not together, I’m so afraid.

When we’re not together, I’m so afraid.

So tell me where your heart is, tell me where you keep it, tell me where it stays.

Tell me where your heart is, tell me where you keep it, tell me where it stays.

Oooh, tell me where your heart is, tell me where you keep it, tell me where it stays.

Ohaa, tell me where your heart is, tell me where you keep it, tell me where it stays.

Ohho, tell me where your heart is, tell me where you keep it, tell me where it stays.

Ooho, tell me where your heart is, tell me where you keep it, tell me where it stays.

And this song is my new obsession—listening to this song back to back to back to back….and back. That’s what I have done most part of the day, today.

Thank you Virgin River Team for introducing the song, Where It Stays, is by Charlotte Mary O’Connor (the lyrics as above and the song in the YouTube hyperlink.) It is just beautiful. And perfect as the background soundtrack for the Season 2, Episode 2 Ending.

Virgin River TV Series on Netflix is based on the Virgin River novel series by Robyn Carr. I wish I could read the books someday but for now I am all glued to the series. So far two seasons of 10 episodes each, you can watch on Netflix. I like Martin Henderson (last seen him on Grey’s Anatomy). I now like Alexandra Breckenridge as well. Honestly, in Virgin River, I like all the characters, but love Jack & Mel and Hope & Doc. Each one of them, positive or negative, or somewhere-in-between, has done a great job. Beautiful location. Perfect cabin. So far I have seen the series almost thrice. I hope the next season is released soon enough. (Image Credit: Screenshots from Netflix Streaming in collage.)

Until next, well I am in woah yeah, oh oh oh oh hey ye ehhh mood! 🙂

– Ashu Bolar
ashubolar@gmail.com

Posted on

Hope Springs Eternal

In conversation with myself,
the mind mapping session, one day,
a question leading to another,
I asked myself:
Asma, what was in the jar,
the jar that Pandora carried?
Many things, not-so good things,
along with curiosity on her mind.
And what happened?
Well, curiosity killed the cat,
it did then, it still does now.
Now, as in?
Could there be a better example,
than the year we almost survived;
not all, but most?
Hmmm, isn’t curiosity a good thing?
Depends,
on the situation, on the surrounding.
So, what next, then and now?
Hope remained in the jar,
and in her mind,
contained before it could escape,
both then and now.
What’s the difference?
Then the jar was a mud pithos,
huge and heavy.
Now, the jar is a glass container,
small and secured.
If you were to be in the story,
what would you be?
Hope, I hope so.
And what does Hope say?
Same as did Alexander Pope,
“Hope springs eternal
in the human breast.”
We survived then,
we will survive now.
Will it be the same,
for those who survived?
It is never the same,
except for curiosity and hope.
Hope springs eternal.
Curiosity brings change.
And, Change is constant.
Meaning?
Adapt and survive, or
Resist and perish.
Use your free will,
But make a wise choice.
So, what does Asma wish?
A hopeful and healthful future.
Is that a possibility?
Well, Hope says yes,
And, so does Asma.

…Ashu Bolar
ashubolar@gmail.com

Posted on

Becoming, A Promised Land

Becoming, A Promised Land…hmmm sounds interesting, nonetheless these happen to be names of two different books.

Becoming by Michelle Obama (First Lady of the United States | January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017)
and
A Promised Land by Barack Obama (44th President of the United States | January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017)

I liked them as a couple. They are my definition of a Power Couple—one that does not outshine the other, but leverages and complements the other. So I purchased both the books, not just one.

I am not into reading memoirs or autobiographies. I am more of a fiction reader; non-fiction that I generally read revolves around Medicine or Management. However, I thought maybe I should read some memoirs, and if I have to read some, then may as well start with something that is recent and the best. Hence, the purchase.  

The reviews on both the books are great. This time I bought the book from Flipkart.com. Reason: I got an excellent deal. On Amazon.in, the Mobile App Version, prices somehow peaked (or you can say the discount reduced drastically) after I added the books to my cart. Both the books, hardcover copies, were delivered within a week after placing the order.

Now, in my opinion, every book is an expense until you read it. Once you have read and gained knowledge, it becomes an investment. So yes, it will take me some time as there are many pages to be read. At first glance, besides the cover page, I loved the photograph pages. The pictures are printed on thicker gsm photo/art paper; it gives the feeling of a photo album. Nice!

The Jimmy Kimmel Live talk on ‘A Promised Land’ was interesting.
The link is as below.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUed6Ug4Cgo

And until next, stay safe and take care!

– Ashu Bolar
ashubolar@gmail.com

Posted on

Netflix: The Haunting of Bly Manor

The cast

The plot

The script

The setting

The house

The twists

The silence

The sound

The direction

The creativity

The acting

The dialogues

The lyrics…

‘Perfectly splendid!’

Image Credit: Screenshots; Netflix

The repetition of symbols like the dolls, doll house, crack in the wall, reflection in the mirror, moonflower, water, lake, cup of tea, bottle of wine, jewelry, jewelry box, spectacles, footsteps, lighter, daylight, lighting of the candles, marriage, union, night, darkness, gravestones, birth, death; the use of verses and the words like superstition, imagination, catch, key, lady, au pair, perfect, splendid, honest, puppet, strings, cross, bonfire, coal, life, organic, o willow waly, weep, lover, return, sleep-wake-walk, you-me-us; and the sense of memory trap or drifting or slipping or the knock on the door are intelligent motifs in the narration that justify the present and past occurrences supporting the overarching theme of ‘Haunting’ caused by the ghosts within and outside a person, despite the presence of love, somehow overpowered by individual obsessions or weaknesses, over the years and centuries on ‘Bly Manor’.

I did not understand a few things though:

A. The lady from the lake, who practically checked in and out as she wished, never attacked the Wingrave couple when they lived in the lady’s favourite suite, why?

B. The housekeeper acting human, how?

C. The chest was shifted from the original location, but the kid hid behind it during the game, how?

D. The storyteller knew all details about the Lloyd family and incidences that followed their departure, how?

E. Adults forgetting significant events and people from their childhood, is that possible?

Besides these unanswered questions, the nine-episode series, ‘The Haunting at Bly Manor’ on Netflix, was a good watch—’Honestly!’

Please feel free to answer the questions in the comment section. It may help solve the puzzles in my mind. For those interested, the link to the trailer is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tykS7QfTWMQ

And now, I plan to watch the first entry, which I had missed earlier, under The Haunting series: The Haunting of Hill House.

Until next, take care, wear a mask, wash hands and stay safe.

…Ashu Bolar
ashubolar@gmail.com

Posted on

Jack of all, Master of all

Well, I meant trades. And it is none other than Jack Reacher, who is back once again!
The Sentinel it is, written by Lee Child and Andrew Child.

Recent purchase on Amazon.in. The 25th book in the Jack Reacher series. Released on the 27th October ’20. Delivered within three days (Mumbai-India). And for those interested the link is…

Link: https://www.amazon.in/Sentinel-Jack-Reacher-25/dp/1787633624/ref=asc_df_1787633624/?tag=googleshopdes-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=397079698226&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11889779982419857576&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9062208&hvtargid=pla-919989686591&psc=1&ext_vrnc=hi

I still got to read it. The plot appears to be interesting. I am all set to start another journey with the fearless, coffeeholic, intelligent sentinel, Reacher!

Until next, take care, stay safe.

…Ashu Bolar
ashubolar@gmail.com

Posted on

An Intriguing Session

Being a learner for life, there is a long way for me to learn many things, from the past, the present, and the future. I have been blessed to get a chance to acquire knowledge from the most reputed institutions, Indian as well as International. During my 30 years of gaining knowledge, starting at the age of three, from various academic settings, I have come across many teachers, professors, principals, deans, classmates, batchmates, seniors, juniors, alumni, coordinators, and the list goes on. And from each one of them, I have always learnt something, consciously and subconsciously, knowingly and unknowingly, many good experiences and a few not that great ones, yet learning nonetheless.

One of the electives, Managing Self and Career, that I had opted for during the PGPMX program at IIMI, has been an essential component in molding me in many ways, post the course. I am glad I opted for this elective.

The first assignment for the participating candidates was to write obituaries for ourselves and submit it before the first session. Now, that was a shocker. An obituary would be a few words, but to write it for self took me almost two days—a day of denial followed by the second day of thinking and drafting. It made me realize that when we are alive, we generally don’t think of the ‘what-ifs’ that may have turned our life stories into a very different one and casually ignore the ‘what-ifs’ in the lives of the people around us after our deaths. In fact we don’t or rather avoid thinking of death despite us being nothing but mortal human beings.

The program was extremely interesting supported with enlightening case studies and published articles by experts in the field. However, another class activity that stayed with me was SWOT Analysis—not of a company but of one-self. I know SWOT, I apply it to various projects and assignments. But until 2017, I had never applied it to myself. And there it was, Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats charted for myself, right on a page glaring at me. It was like a revelation—what I am versus what I would be or could be.

Managing Self and Career was just an elective, but I think it had a major impact on me than the rest of the sessions. No, I am not all learnt yet, nor will I ever be. But yes, I am a work-in-progress, and today I am a better version than what I was yesterday. This is due to the conscious efforts applied on a daily basis to realize and recognize the strength that could be a weakness with over confidence and the weakness that could be strength with a slight boost in confidence. Well, maybe someday I will master the art of balancing the S and W and match it with the O and T to create an aura of positivity around me that inspires everyone who crosses my path in the journey called life.  

Thinking, Learning, Dreaming, Growing, and Repeat!

…Ashu Bolar

Posted on

Lemon and Life

When life gives you lemons…

You are supposed to make lemonade. Now that’s a supposition.

Unfortunately everyone gets these lemons, asked or unasked for. It’s like they are in great demand in the Nature, I mean the metaphorical one.

Well, I too got, and keep getting. In my case it seems like there is a constant steady supply of lemons. I guess before I was created, Nature probably had an X-amount of lemons allocated, rather reserved, specifically for me. Well, that I guess can’t be undone. Too late. So all I got is to be creative in handling, or say, managing these lemon shots.

Ok then, what do I do when one is thrown/shot at me? They are generally not gracefully handed over. They just hit you. Bang and there you go.

Well, no point throwing back. It can hit someone else and that someone else’s response is not in my control. The person may choose to remain silent, or may opt to throw back the same lemon or orange or watermelon, no clue. The impact is directly proportional to the distance and the angle and the size of whatever the person selects to throw. I think that is not a pleasant scenario.

Next, I can choose to ignore, and then what? The lemon decays, from sour to bitter to forget-it situation. Again, not a pretty scenario. Sour is still better than bitter or the decayed version.

What more, make lemonade? Yeah, an interesting option—from plain sour to sour-n-sweet or sour-salt-n-sweet. The control of taste is up to you. And the control comes with learning. You may not get the right taste at the first time. You get to right my making a few mistakes (or may be many) and then never repeating those again. Combined with a lot patience and practice. Later, once you have mastered the skill, you can make the drink more interesting by adding other ingredients to suit your taste, mood or that of the people served (can be target audience if it is work related.)

Pie or Tart are some other options. But as of now, I am not into cooking (that much). Hence, lemonade and its variants suit me just fine.

As a kid I loved playing lemon and spoon. Interesting race it was. I use to win a lot then. Balance, vision and approach play a significant role if you want to win that race. Lemon can fall, spoon can slip, you may fall and get hurt, teeth may hurt (even break), tongue may feel odd, mouth may go numb and so on and so forth. Then I did not realize its significance in my future. I think Nature was training me in some sort. It was like, “Listen kid, you and lemon go a long way, so…get set go!” And I still play lemon and spoon mentally before deciding on finally making the lemonade. It helps in creative thinking or design thinking on why and how and what and where and who and when. I can now manage lemon and spoon and lemonade, all simultaneously.

Over the years, I have made Lemon my best friend. Good source of Vitamin C, enhances immunity and adds taste to my life!

So yeah, that’s the story of Me and Lemon.
Now, Me and Melon…I got to explore that section…someday in future I may write on Melon and Life!
No. Not played Melon and Spoon and I don’t plan to either.

Till then, take care. Enjoy lemonade. And Stay Safe.

BTW: In the image, it’s Lemon Tang. I told you. Design thinking!

LemonAndLife_AshuBlogs_Panoramaa

…Ashu Bolar
ashubolar@gmail.com