The Wandering Thought.

Naphisaroi is a 9 year old martial artist training in the ancient martial art form - Kalaripayattu, one of the oldest and most scientific art forms that takes inspiration from the flow and biomechanics in nature. She has been training under the guidance of Ranjan Mullaratt Gurukkal in Bengaluru. (*A Master or Guru is addressed as "Gurukkal" in the traditional Kalari learning practice). Ranjan Gurukkal is the founder and leader of the Kalari Gurukulam, a Kalari training and research academy based in Bengaluru. With over 25 years of training students from different age groups, gender and walks of life - Ranjan Gurukkal strives to create a deep connection with this martial and performing art as a disciplined way of life amongst the youth. He leads national and state level Kalari sports contingents, conducts short workshops and long form training programs, organises performances at cultural events, and gives lectures / demonstrations to create awareness. He has had the priv...

Mei Ieit... Marwei iaphi ngi ieh, Shala ki kam ban leit ngi kyrkieh; Khana ia ngi phi iathuh ynda ngi wanphai, Tang bad ngi phi kwah ban ia shongkai. Jingieit naphi ka dap ka shlei, Kyntien ym don ban ong 'Khublei'; Dieng sympat ne kyntien mai ym judon, Tang 'tien sneng 'tien kraw ba ngin puson. Haba ia ngi ki kmie ki kpa ki shoh, Tang sha phi ngi phai ba phin khroh; Bad phi haba ngi don mynsiem ka shngain, Na bynta jongngi phi dwai ba ngin long kiba khlain. Phraphew snem tam ia ngi phi pynheh pynsan, Khlem ki daw ia ngi phi ieh kynsan; Ka 'Lei Ing 'Lei Jingieit ia ngi ka la ieh rangli, Naei shuh ngin shem Mei Ieit kum maphi? Wat la ka por ka iaid bad ngi tip phi la suk, Jingeh bad jingbynnud ia mynsiem kam pynsuk; Tang jingdwai jingphirat i'u Blei Nongbuh Nongthaw, Ba ka ing kan dap da jingsuk bad iaphi shirta ba ngin iai kynmaw bad iai ieit.

Lately, just lately, I was trying to see; The person I want to be. Traces of fine lines, I noticed that I've grown. Traces of gray hair, Will I ever appreciate them? Traces of fatigue, Proving I'm a multitasker. Traces of tanned skin, Reminding that I dislike summers. Traces of a smile, Knowing I've taken the extra mile! Lately, just lately!

The last two years have been very difficult; for me especially. But I want to share something that was taught to me rather that was taught to my fourth sibling but since we were inseparable, I took it as a teaching for me as well :D. The buzz words these days are self-love, compassion et al. I failed to realise what my mother had been teaching us this since we could understand. At a time while I was falling in love with Jon Bon Jovi, my older siblings who were in their tweens by then were going through phases and trying to move on to adulthood which I was oblivious, but I kept hearing my mother stressing on, “You must learn to love and respect yourself first, only then can you love and respect others” . I never paid much attention to that because I was in my own state of being lovestruck by a celebrity. :P My mother is always right, but we just didn’t listen. Now the entire world is talking about self- love , respect , and some are even promoting it for their own business. Su...

There has been plenty of occasions that I’ve spoken about my origin, my culture, my religion; basically, my roots. However, there is plenty more that I would love to share and is deeper than my passion of talking about Me 😊 Most of those who know me know that I am from Shillong and what the place has to offer ‘cause I talk too much about it but in reality, even I have never opened myself completely to why I am proud of who I am and what my roots and culture teaches me in each moment of my life. There are many parts to understand what I am or who I am. Since most of my friends have asked me to keep my writing short; I will break this into a series of short conversations. Don’t drop off yet. I bet you will find it interesting. 😊 So here goes a little bit of what I learned growing up with my beloved grandparents. Do note that these are my learnings and there would be others who would challenge me for this but I stand by me 😉 The Hearth I am a Khasi. The Khasis follow a matri...

A look at my work profile one might say, “it’s impressive”. But let me tell you it is not! It took 46 job applications on LinkedIN and few with references through people who I thought would help if I approached them. One of my closest friends has always told me to be independent when it comes to both personal and professional lives. I should have listened but like a sentimental fool that I am I still believe that those people are my friends and would help like I would help them if ever there was a need. I gave up searching for jobs and spent a quiet time for a while trying to be content with the sleep, cook, eat routine. My mobile phone would remain on silent mode except for when I’m awake. One evening I noticed a missed call from a long-time acquaintance and ex colleague. I’ve worked with her in two organisations and I least expected a call not only from her but from anyone I knew through my work circle. I decided not to return the call. After staring at my mobile for a while, I...

Oh, September! I have loved you, Loved you for varied reasons, Loved you not only because- You are my birth month. Loved you for I had someone Someone who'd wish me Happy September! Happy September to us. We shared the same love for you. Suddenly, she was taken away! Away from me, And from her family. September, you’re my happiness You’re a disappointment, too. Should I still be in love with you? Will I always be reminded of the pain? The pain that won’t go away. The pain that is forever. Forever for there is no closure! Image Courtesy: https://unsplash.com/

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” Aesop This blog entry is my gratitude for all the superheroes out there. Yes, they exist! And no, they don’t wear capes. I am so thankful that I know some of them personally; the best part is they don’t shout out to the world or posts on social media to brag about the good deed they are doing. We need more of such individuals who go out of their comfort zones to help those that require aid. We all have our own share of problems but there are others who suffer a lot more as compared to us. It doesn't matter how we help them in our own way. The best feeling is to give with all your heart and don't expect anything in return. I also believe that kindness should be for all living beings. There are friends who care for animals that need help. There are others who volunteer even in the pandemic. Nothing stops them from taking care of those in need. Words are too small for the deeds that you do. Gratitude is all...

I had nothing against tattoos, but for me I always thought that even if I'm getting one; it must have a meaning. I never thought that I’d one day have them. I know that if I had to get something that would be permanent has to hold a lot of meaning so I wouldn’t ever want to remove. It would be such a hassle otherwise. I’ve had my first tattoo since 2014 and it is my eldest aunt’s name. “Donakor” it was rewritten through her handwriting that I showed it to one of the best artists I know.😊 The name means someone who is polite and has good conduct. I decided to dedicate my first tattoo to her because she meant (still mean) the world to me. She was my mother, my teacher and my best friend who always pulled me up when I would be at my worse. She passed away in 2012 after battling uterine cancer. She fought for three years and then finally succumbed to the disease. She was the most courageous person I have ever known. She faced each day with a smile. Ever since I could remem...

The past few days have been horrifying to say the least. I was focused on the negativity around so much that I lost sleep and unable to concentrate on anything. Last night while I was rewatching a family-based series, it suddenly dawned on me that even with what’s happening and if I don’t ever wake up, I will be happy with the fact knowing that I was loved. I was loved by my grandparents. Not that they were perfect, but to me they were the reason that I am and what I am not today. My heart was full, and tears came running down while reminiscing their love and how they would shield me whenever there were gun shots just outside the house. Along with shielding me, they always shared words of encouragement and not to give in to cowardly actions or hatred and to always be brave and face my obstacles head on. So, this morning, I woke up with my heart full and made a promise to love harder and be kind as kind could be. No matter who or what we are, it’s always good to know that we a...

"Sometimes the hardest part isn't letting go but rather learning to start over." -Nicole Sobon. I find it very hard to let go and sometimes grief takes over in waves and I find myself consumed by it. It is extremely difficult for me to not feel these waves, but for once I have decided to try some thing that would soothe me and remind myself of the reason why I need to let go. So earlier this year when I visited my mother I was happy that my daughter could learn the art of growing our own vegetables which I never focused as a child or as a young person. At five years old, I was too pampered and never did anything physical. (I regret that now :P) But on a hopeful note, my daughter got to experience the life that I never did. We helped my mother in caring for the plants and vegetables; and it was such a happy feeling when we could harvest what we had planted as soon as we reached there. Completely organic and I wish we could live like this without a care in th...

I grew up surrounded by my huge joint family. But there were three important leaders in my life that I looked up to. The Religious & Kind one : My eldest grandaunt was a very religious person but with a very broad thinking and a huge heart. She didn’t judge anyone, let her kids chose their own path and never interfered, gave all of her life to helping others till the day she passed away. The Hard Working & Kind one : My grandmother was insanely good at heart. She raised 11 children and supported them to achieve what they wanted in life. Like my grandaunt, she too never interfered with anyone’s life. All went on their own way but all she had was love for all her children and grandchildren. She even forgave a person responsible for her not being able to walk again. The Khatduh & the Strict one : My youngest grandaunt was the toughest one. She was a teacher, fought for the state- hood, helped my grandmother raised her children and she was the only one I was scared a...

Some occurrences in life will carve a huge hole in our lives. I realised that these last few months have been hard, and the coming ones will be harder, but I am sharing here a story of how I cope with my fears, regrets, success and most importantly nurturing my wounded soul. So, before I go on, I would like to express my gratitude to all those who have helped me in my difficult time and continue to be my constant support. I can never thank you enough 😊 Though this year has been more than terrible so far, I would like to share with you something that always calm me and help me deal with difficult situations. Growing up it was my constant friend as I was always alone not because I was ignored but because I loved to spend time by myself and I continue to do so till now. This constant friend started as a radio, graduated to music channels on television, moved to CDs and now the internet. I have always loved music though I am tone deaf and I don’t play any musical instrument; I love mu...

Well, for the longest time on many of my social media posts I've used the #self-care; but what do I actually mean by it? I always thought it is meant to be for me and me alone. Care for myself, be a bit selfish, fuck the world, I am the only one that matters etc. What a moron! I said to myself last night when I was rethinking of what I want to get out of this life. I sounded like a vain person for I didn't live up to the notion of Self-Care post my thoughts of what it really should be about. So, if you like it go on and read but; this is my renewed perspective of Self-Care: Yes, it is imperative that we take care of ourselves. Being healthy, looking good, feeling good and also, we need to remember that mental health is as important as physical health. I was telling myself I feel good that I can finally let go of relationships that aren't meaningful to me or that hurt me. This is also part of my Self-Care theory initially. When Covid-19 took over the world by st...

The girl who had spunk! The first time I held you, I was 3 years old; That very moment I knew. Everything that’s mine was yours, Envied by most; You grew up to be the most beautiful girl, Possessed courage like no one else. Lived on your own terms, Younger though you were; You taught me to never back down. Had my back when no one did, Nothing compared to you. We grew apart, you pulled me back, Showed me that blood will always be thicker, Rest well my sister. Your courage will always be my strength; You are one precious girl!

For you, Young one! The bright eyes and tiny hands, The day you came into my life; I’ve never felt more alive! Loving another without bounds, Living and caring only for you; To die for the only one I birthed.

The last two posts addressed issues I’ve faced in the past. In this post, I’d like to talk about a very recent issue that is a concern for me and I know that it is something that affects many women. There were three things that I usually am afraid of. I mean shit scared and I will run for my life if I have to. Lightning , Earthquake and a turbulence while on air traveling. Why am I telling you this? Or why do I want to write about this? It’s because of late there is another thing I am afraid of and going to be till the day that I die. I lost an aunt and two uncles to cancer. The most recent one was in 2019. They all suffered three different kinds of cancer. But what has this got to do with me being so afraid? In 2016, my mum was diagnosed with cervical cancer. We were lucky that it was local and thanks to one of my aunts and my eldest sister who forced mum to undergo a check-up which she had brushed off before they got involved. The same year had brought us so much joy as mum’...

I’ve been so worked up in writing this next entry for the blog that I just restarted. I can’t figure out how to start introducing the topic that I want to highlight. Having watched so many teenage school movies which covers bullying as a topic, I had so much hope that this next topic of mine which is also very common these days would be a cakewalk for me to talk about. But, no! I’ve been struggling at how I want it written. So here goes my best shot. Whenever I look back at how I have grown and the people around me; the issue of obesity was never present. We were way healthier and stronger as compared to now. But sometimes, we dream of being someone else. Someone more good looking, someone successful at a young age, someone who dared to dream. I pictured myself as Winnie from The Wonder Years. (If you don’t know who that is, Google The Wonder Years) Yes! That’s literally my teenage dream. Hilarious, no? I tried convincing myself that I can make someone out of myself but my teenage ...

A lot has happened since I started this blog. I don’t need to keep harping about what’s happening around each one of us right now. But you know what, all these made me think of how we let this world become like this. I looked back and found a few things that I should have recognised but I hope what I am going to tell you, will change how we perceive things for our children. From my childhood till now, there were a lot of happy things that I loved but I am uncertain about a few others. I think there would be many like me who went through the same situations but haven’t been vocal about the experiences. Many would like to not believe that such incidents can happen in the place we are from. The calm, serene, hospitable nature of the people are always the characteristics we’re being defined by. What I went through, I believe are incidents that would have made a much bigger deal right now but not in the world I grew up in. I come from a place that I will forever be in love with; Shi...