Immortal

What if we were immortal?

Would we have been able to remember the details of our entire life? Would it still have been exciting? For how many days would we enjoy hobbies, jobs, relationships and learning new things? What if there was no end to it? Would life have been a dull experience then?

The stars, planets are the same for thousands of years just their names would keep changing.

Communication would still remain just the language that would change.

'Man from Earth' is the name of the movie. It revolves around 5-6 characters just sitting in a room and chatting. What a wonderful movie! Let me know if you like it.

Philosopher's stone

1. 
   I do not believe in 'love at first sight' or 'love at first meet'. For there to be love... there needs to be togetherness. There is a difference between attraction and love, attraction can lead to affinity, which people can mistake for love. In my opinion, if attraction and affinity are followed by togetherness and the attraction and affinity still stays unaffected... then that state is called love.

2. Can humans live with just a beautiful body or they crave the companionship of beautiful thoughts? I don't know about others but I easily get attracted to smiling faces with progressive thoughts, the good-natured people. With their intelligence, positivity, good nature and thinking they will make you grow as a person too. For me people with rotten attitudes and negative approaches are reproachful ... how-much-ever good looking they might be.

3. I have said this many times and I think that analogy fits in here perfectly...If you want to look good then buy gold but if you want to turn into gold... then look for the philosopher's stone.

9 books that stayed with me. 5

5. 5 point someone - Chetan Bhagat


Yes! A book by Chetan Bhagat is on my list! I am saying this guilt-free that I loved this book and that is why I kept reading all his next books - until 3 mistakes of my life - after that I gave up. But anyway, this book opened a new avenue of books for me - English books which were written by Indian writers. Then I read books by Jhumpa Lahiri, Arvind Aadiga, Amitav Ghosh, Abraham Verghese, Salman Rushdie, Sudha Murthy, Deepak Chopra, Anurag Mathur (I love his book The inscrutable Americans). I was blown away by the ‘Palace of illusion’ - the rendition of Mahabharata from a female perspective. ‘Palace of illusion’ emphasized the prominence of how every story is multidimensional and everyone’s point of view is equally valid and interesting, Palace of Illusion remains amongst the top five books that I have ever read.

Book Reviews. 2017. 7

Reviewing books that I read in 2017.

31. When Breath Becomes Air - Paul Kalanithi

What makes life worth living in the face of death? What do you do when the future, no longer a ladder toward your goals in life, flattens out into a perpetual present? What does it mean to have a child, to nurture a new life as another fades away? These are some of the questions Kalanithi wrestles with in this profoundly moving, exquisitely observed memoir. 4/5.

32. Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves - P.G. Wodehouse

Wondering what Wodehouse smoked before writing books. Pu la Deshpande once mentioned that pg is his guru, after reading this book I would say there is no doubt about it, outrageous, hilarious and the best book in Bertie Jeeves series.

33. The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad - Twinkle Khanna

This was an easy read, a movie is also made on this book. Liked it. 3.5/5

34. Indian Superfoods - Rujuta Diwekar

It is interesting that yoga became cool only when the West embraced it. This book made me realize that billions of Indians are doing the same about food...blindly following trends of the West. I am not saying that everything that comes out of the west is 'evil' (I mean, I'm writing and getting to read an audience because of the West). But sometimes, it is nice to question what we have been taught. In my family I have seen my grandparents, parents living a healthy life with trim figures, how did they manage to do that? they don't follow any trends, dietitians or nutritionists. We already know the science, it is passed on to us from so many generations. Indian food is a superfood, I have always been a believer of that. Loved Loved Loved this book. Highly recommended. 5/5

35. Kosla - Bhalachandra Nemade

(Marathi book) I have the same feeling as I had for Catcher in the Rye (Kosla is 'inspired' by it). WTF did I just read? Nemade has received a Padma Shri and is a well-renowned writer. You can give this book a try if you want, and let me know how it goes :). 2/5.

What I wore in Las Vegas:

Lucky Basta**s!

I do not envy anyone, not anymore, not after junior college. I am content with all I have or don't have. I am willing to work hard to accomplish what I want so there is no reason to envy.

But lately, I have started feeling envious of some writers who have the power to express freely.

I want to be a loose cannon when writing, I want to write whatever comes to my mind without thinking twice and I was going to when I started this blog because I never expected anyone would read it :-)

But slowly that changed and now hundreds (I was gonna say millions but that would be the height of exaggeration) following my blog and judging me on the basis of the mere two paragraphs that they read here ... in spite of not having met me in years ... or even worse, have never met me in life but somehow found my blog. Maybe they think I am this deep serious person or probably a vain person spending time on clothes.

This is where I wonder don't other writers/ bloggers ever have such problems? How do they manage to give explicit access to people who might be on their blogs just for gossip and not necessarily the content, or maybe judging them, falling in love or hate with them... and how do the bloggers provide opinions, information without worrying about who will be hurt in the process? How do they write without feeling scared of being misread/ misinterpreted/ misrepresented?

Those are the writers whom I envy.  Lucky Basta**s!

Age Gracefully

Life is like climbing a hill. At one point or the other, we reach the peak and from there onward we either continue walking straight on the plateau for a long time or else we are on your way down the hill.

Exercise every day, make an effort, put in some hard work today, eat simple food, give some priority to your health and then one will reach that plateau.

Age gracefully.

Lead by example

I seldom give any weight to someone's opinion unless I respect them in 'that' particular field. If I like your body - health - mental status then I will listen to your fitness-diet tips. There are people who are double my size  - who have given me diet/ weight suggestions/advice.

It doesn't matter if you hold a doctorate in nutrition/ health or diet. First, prove it to me that you have got it under control in your life and then you shall have my 100% attention :-)...

Don't get me wrong, I love to improve myself, I love pieces of advice but say if my mother gives me advice on weight and diet then I would happily take it because she has been in shape forever, her diet is perfect, ever since I remember I have seen her exercise every.single.day, and even after having 3 kids she has a flat belly - she holds the credibility to give a piece of advice...

Or I would happily take a piece of advice on behavior and worldly wisdom from my father, he is one of the best people I have known in my life. But if toxic, negative and just bad people start to find faults in anyone/anything, I can not help but wonder why don't they spend that time in introspection.

I think you get the gist...Lead by example...

The world is changed by our example, not by our opinion.

Book Reviews. 2017. 3

Reviewing books that I read in 2017:

11. Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty 

I did not like the book but absolutely loved the show on HBO, which would be an ideal example of how to adapt books for TV shows. 3/5.

12. My not so perfect life - Sophie Kinsella

I read all her books, does not mean I like all of them :-). 2/5.

13. Space Chronicles: Facing the ultimate frontier - Neil deGrasse Tyson

Tyson illuminates the past, present, and future of space exploration and brilliantly reminds us why NASA matters now as much as ever. I loved the book. 5/5.

14. My Man Jeeves - P.G. Wodehouse

My father has read all of Wodehouse books. And I want to. I am short of words to express what a legendary writer he is. Wodehouse is my favorite author when it comes to wordplay. His writing has a very natural flow, and even though the stories are set in the British context, you feel very close to his characters. The only other author who made me laugh so hard was P. L. Deshpande. Wodehouse's stories are charmingly simple and yet delightfully funny. 5/5.

15. All the missing girls - Megan Miranda

A very well rated book on Goodreads, but I failed to understand all that hoopla around it. 2/5.

Illusion of perfection

We are all gauging each other's actions as per what we think is the right way to exist. Woven with intricate relationships we all are simply walking on pins and needles.

I try to survive on my own terms and focus all my energies on myself. I do not want to be someone else's 'version of existence or expectation or perfection'. I will stay true to myself, being myself no matter what. There is no perfection and there is no illusion of perfection either.

Shoes: Converse, Shirt: J Crew Factory, Jeans: 7 for all mankind

Shopping Ban

I do not condemn shopping, it builds and nourishes the economy. But here is a thought, in the good old days, people got their clothes mended from tailors, shoes fixed from the cobbler, got small little parts of the blender and stuff from the dingy little stores located in some tiny alleys - this all paid the small local businesses. Now the mentality is we are looking for something to go wrong with our stuff so that we can buy new stuff and throw away the old stuff.

So I say - I do not condemn shopping but I condemn the stigma attached to repeating clothes, needing something new to wear to every party, having things in the closet with their price tag on and yet complaining about having nothing to wear, throwing away stuff without even trying to get it fixed first and just mindless shopping for self-gratification or shopping for the sake of having-everything-everyone-else has.

That is why I follow a shopping ban every other year or so. I have enough stuff to mix- match - use, I think most of us do. Imposing a ban gives a break to the mind and forces you to make most of your existing closet, try to make things work. While sometimes the temptations try and take over your sanity but staying strong gives you a greater sense of achievement later. Not to mention the money and time you save you can spend on hobbies, activities, travel or maybe go towards paying your loan.

If you are interested in pledging a shopping ban then -

Things that are banned:

• Clothes (all kinds!)

Shoes

Accessories/Jewelry

Bags/Purses/Clutches

Cosmetics

Electronics/Gadgets and anything that is unnecessary

Things that are allowed:

• Food
  


• Water
  


• Home Supplies
  


• Medicines
  


• Toiletries (shampoo, soap, etc.)
  

Jeans: American Eagle, Shoes: Tommy Hilfiger, Top: J Crew Factory, Sweater: Nordstrom Rack

Ban...

Every other year I impose a shopping ban on myself. So I do not shop for even a hairpin in that year (I am obviously not talking about the essentials - such as groceries). The max I have gone with the ban is 3 years straight. I must tell you it is quite challenging because there are temptations all around us. I get to try out many combinations in the ban periods and use everything that I have.

So why the ban? Because I cannot help but cringe over the materialistic world we have formed around us. We are all dwelling in excess. Believing in retail therapy more than believing in ourselves. Why do we feel we need to shop to feel happy? We buy things we don’t need, with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t like. I am just trying NOT to be that person.

I have always been a big believer in savings. If you give me money, chances are I will straight away put it into my savings, planning for real estate investments. I didn't buy anything in 2018, and 2019 is a ban year too. Anyone interested in trying out the ban?

Shoes: Nine West, Jeans: American Eagle, Top: Ann Taylor, Sweater: J Crew Factory

Book Reviews. 2017. 2

Reviewing books that I read in 2017.

6. Death by black hole - Neil deGrasse Tyson

This book is a collection of essays that Tyson wrote for Natural History magazine over a ten year period, on a variety of subjects related to science and scientific inquiry. Tyson's perspective and his voice always make his books stand out from the crowd. 4/5.

7. Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of cosmic evolution  - Neil deGrasse Tyson

This book covers an enormous period of time, fourteen billion years, and even provides some interesting thoughts concerning the future of our planet and galaxy. The theme of the book is clear, it deals with the origin of the universe, the various types of galaxies, the formation of the clusters, all the types of stars, the origin of the planets and life in general. It concerns itself with vague topics like dark matter and dark energy and black holes, all the mysteries of the universe. 5/5.

8. Astrophysics for People in a hurry - Neil deGrasse Tyson

. The book is for people in a hurry and I am not in a hurry
. Astrophysics is not Sophie Kinsella's book story that can be told in three lines (just being a hypocrite, I read all her books).
. People in a hurry should not make an attempt at astrophysics, to begin with ;-)
. The book left me wanting to know more, high time Tyson writes a book for people at leisure!

3/5.

9. Belles on their toes - Frank B. Gilbreth Jr.

Cheaper by the dozen is one of my most favorite stories of all times so I had to read it's the second part and I was beyond disappointed. 1/5.

10. A little life - Naya Yanagihara

This is a very well rated and a famous book, unfortunately, I did not enjoy it at all, first of all, it is huge and second of all I had to drag myself every day to read it. 1/5.

Dress: don't remember, 15 years old, Shoes: DSW, Jacket: J Crew

Greed

Is greed just about money or materialistic things? or greed is also wanting more and more from life, going through the fear of missing out or wanting every.single.thing.and.experience.in.every.single.shape.and.size?

I feel greed can be for many things like knowledge, learning, helping, growth, progress, improvement, betterment. If the past generations were content with whatever they had then we wouldn't be living in a technologically advanced world today. If the whole world feels content with everything that they have then how will science advance, how will more discoveries and inventions happen, who will create empires and provide us with jobs? Also not feeling content with our health/ weight/ knowledge makes us live a better life. In my opinion greed (when it is not turning us into a demon) is essential for our and the world's growth and progress.

Thoughts?

Shoes: UGG, Jeans: American Eagle, Sweater: J crew Factory

Fashion 1 0 1 : Part 12

1. Look for better alternatives. I buy only a few items every year from decent brands, I know their fabric is good quality - and I prefer to buy at brands who have ethical rules and regulations - you can check it on their websites if they follow an ethical process. People who can - should look for alternatives - look for tailors in your area, or local boutiques who you know are doing ethical business.

Jeans: Abercrombie and Fitch, Top: Anthropologie, Shoes: Nine West, Sweater: J Crew Factory

Fashion 1 0 1 : Part 8

BT cotton is cotton in which a gene has been added from a bacteria to produce a toxin - this patent is owned by a big company (Monsanto) and a poor farmer has to go to the company to buy seeds, these seeds are extremely expensive. The pesticides that are used to produce the cotton for our clothes is spoiling the soil. Use of fertilizers pesticides increases toxicity in the region where cotton is grown, it causes cancer, birth defects and many such illnesses. There are also weaving mills, dyers (Chemicals are used to dye) and tanneries polluting earth and water and also making people working on them and living close to them sick because of the proximity of all the toxic materials. Clothes are not biodegradable that means if you throw them they will sit on the land for many years.

I express my grief over many things like (a) people don’t work out, eat junk, parents feed their kids restaurant food/ processed/unhealthy food every other day (b) animals are killed for food and for making leather for humans (c) many do not know even the basics of gender equality (d) clothing industry is treating the laborers/ environment poorly - people tell me not to think about it - enjoy your day, why do you have to think about all this they say.

But I believe we should care. Let’s not merely, just exist. Let’s live a conscious life. If we are talking about long term sustainability and well-being on this planet then the industry will have to change and also ‘we’ have to change.

to be continued...

Jeans: Abercrombie and Fitch, Top: Guess, Jacket: J crew, Shoes: Converse

Fashion 1 0 1 : Part 6

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part5

We can buy clothes so cheaply because they are made of very poor quality materials and because people who make these clothes do not earn a living wage. They work in factories that do not fulfill safety requirements. They work with highly toxic materials. They often work over a dozen hours a day, six days a week, with no provisions and no legal arrangements, in locked buildings they cannot leave even in face of danger. The risk with their health and with their lives just so that we can buy a cheap t-shirt. And then, tragedies occur, like the one in Rana Plaza where over one thousand people were killed in a clothing factory building collapse. When we buy cheap clothes, we are playing with people's lives and well-being and on the most basic level, on human dignity.

Their need to work, their need to earn money is being misused, they are being treated as slaves. They need to be treated with as much respect as any other working professional would  - be it the working hours/ safe working conditions/ health benefits/ sick leave.

To be continued...

Fashion 1 0 1 : Part 5

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Careless production and endless consumption-

I did a part-time fashion designing course from Pune, India. I used to sew my own salwar kameezes for a few years. Sewing is a time-consuming task, it is physically challenging too - it would give me a lot of back and neck ache, so how much ever I enjoyed sewing I decided to call it quits (and now instead I break my back on a software job).

However, I must admit that sewing is one hobby that makes me happiest. One sewing project takes hours and now I pick only one or two sewing projects every year. Good quality fabrics I buy for my projects start from 6$ per yard and you need say 3 yards for an adult skirt  (more if you add lining). On top of that other materials are needed like thread, elastic, zipper and whatnot.

Anyhow, so up till now you must have understood from this post (and earlier parts) that

• We buy too much


• Sewing projects are time-consuming


• Sewing causes a lot of physical discomfort and


• Sewing is an expensive affair if we want quality material

Doesn’t it make you think how are the shops filled to the brim with dirt-cheap clothes? How are some brands selling skirts for less than $5???

Remember that everything that we wear is touched by human hands … not robots. How is it possible that we are paying dirt cheap price when someone is working hard to make them? How much are the sewers paid?

To be continued...

Shirt: J Crew Factory, Shoes: Converse, Jeans: American Eagle

Fashion 1 0 1: Part 4

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Why do we buy so much?

Because we associate happiness with owning more. They call it ‘the retail therapy’. However therapy is something that fixes us for life, therapy is treatment - therapy cannot be something that gives momentary pleasure, so chocolates or retail cannot be termed as therapy. If retail is a therapy then it is so only for the shop owners, not for you and I. If you think following the latest trends is making you look trendy or how many clothes you buy is showcasing you as rich then no - you are getting poorer and the only person getting richer is the owner of brands.

I have said this before on this blog - I am just reiterating myself - contrary to popular belief food, watching TV and shopping cannot be hobbies. Owning more stuff and materialistic attitude is not going to make us happy. The way to solve the problems in our life does not go through consumption.

Initially, I thought it is quite ironical to start a personal style blog because I don't buy much, in fact, I hate to shop, but then I thought maybe there are people like me who hate to shop, hate to have too much stuff and yet want to get ideas on how to reuse the same items in their closet in many ways. I might have a personal style blog but I am averse to mindless consumption and materialistic attitude.

My greatest joys in life haven't been through clothes, shoes or cars... but through experiences... through traveling... through learning new things - from musical instruments to languages... through reading books by the great minds... by being in the company of the ones I love and through creation... from painting or be it even creating and writing on this blog.

*** I highly recommend you read a book called The Happiness Project.

To be continued...

Jeans: 7 for all mankind, Sweater: J crew factory, Top: Calvin Klein, Shoes: DSW

Also worn here - http://lifestyleandallthatjazz.com/body/

(opens in a new tab)

Fashion 1 0 1: Part 3

Part 1 Part 2

There are many people who have a budget set (say 100$ per week) to buy clothes/ shoes/ purses/ accessories. Do you know the average number of clothes bought every year by Americans? It is 65+ per year - not per family but per person (I think the East is catching up too).

The point I am trying to make is - we buy too much.

To be continued...

Jeans: Abercrombie and Fitch, Shoes: Dr. Scholls, Shirt: JCrew Factory, Jacket: J crew

Fashion 1 0 1: Part 2

Part 1.

The maximum number of clothing items that I ever bought in one single year was 10  (clothing items include work clothes/ nightdress/ socks/ undergarments/ scarves/ gym clothes etc). And there have been years that I didn’t buy a single clothing item, the max I have gone without shopping is 3 years - from 2012 to 2015. 2019/2020/2021 are going to be my shopping ban years too. I can create loads of combinations with the quality products that I already have and it gives me a feeling that I am wearing something new every day. The clothing items that you see on this blog are accrued over a period of 15+ years.

And why am I telling you this? I am coming to that.

To be continued...






Tights: Target, Shoes: Steve Madden, Skirt: J Crew, Top: Loft, Sweater: J crew factory