From Deepa's Desk

It has been a week since I uninstalled FB app from my mobile. I log in once or twice in a day through my laptop, either to post a blog or to refer to my reading and writing groups. I did post a snap two days ago to promote a new plot I have started on.  I could re-discover many of my hobbies that got left behind in the course of following reels. I reconnected with online crossword, an activity that I thoroughly enjoy. I started reading articles from Speaking Tree, a column of TOI that I used to eagerly look forward to every day. I have been trying to get started on newspaper reading but haven't had any success in getting a paper delivered to the area where I live. I hope to get it started soon.  I caught up with my habit of doing some warm-up exercises and Yoga. I read some good books. I even watched a TV series and loved it. I spent some time with the kid assisting him in his summer activities for the school. I also updated my cooking blog site after a long time. All in all, ...

Today was the second day of having uninstalled FB app from my mobile.  I did log into FB from my laptop to post a book review and then to check my writing group for updates. But that was it. Uninstalling FB has brought in several unpleasant realizations.  Firstly, the reels were taking up almost 80% of my day. 80%! I myself was amazed at everything I could do today which I would have postponed or procrastinated if the dreadful reels were there.  To start with, I could finish a story that I had begun ten days ago. Not just that, I could also edit and submit it to my writer's group. While I was writing only 500 words every day, today I could write three times more than that and brought the total word count of the story to 5k. I got so excited that I shared the word count of the story as my status in WA. (WA is allowed. It's not as addictive as reels!).  I could get some cleaning done. I also did some exercises. I got started on reading a new book and also started makin...

Today, on a whim, I decided to take a major step.  I uninstalled FB from my mobile. Now you may think there's nothing remarkable about this. May be. But it's a big deal for me. You see, I am a homemaker. Most of my entertainment and social life exists only because of my virtual avatar in FB. I am an introvert in the non-virtual world and an extrovert in the virtual world. FB became the place where the extrovert-me found people to hang out with, have conversations, share mutual interests and become a part of a tribe.  I lost myself in the virtual world. There was always something to post, something to be commented upon, some photos to be liked and loved and what not… And let us not get started on the story-sharing. Whatever I came across in the Social media and liked, I had to share that as a Story in my FB profile. Then I would check how many viewers the story has gathered. I would check how many comments my post has got. I never realized that everything had gradually be...

Can I really call it summer when monsoon is already making its presence felt?! One fine morning, I woke up to a dark sky overcast with clouds. Just like that, monsoon had arrived with a bang! Of all the seasons, rainy is my favorite. That, rain falls from the sky and brings fresh life to earth is nothing short of a miracle for me. I love petrichor and wish we had the ability to bottle it. This year's summer passed by in a brutal heatwave. So rains are all the more welcome. But I know that I will miss summer. I will miss the excited chirping of the birds during early summer mornings. I will miss the bright light of 5.30 am that can be found only during summer. There's a certain energy that summer brings with it. I usually feel like spending more time in some physical activity during Summers. I will certainly miss this energy, for very soon, cold and dark days will follow which will make me want to curl up on the sofa with a cup of coffee and a book in hand.  I will miss the summ...

At 6 in the morning we left for a walk. A cold and foggy weather greeted us. Frankly, we had not expected such cold weather in Coorg in the month of May. I, my cousin and my husband set off, rubbing our palms gleefully and basking in the chill of the morning. Narrow lanes define Coorg. Narrow lanes, beautiful and cozy cottage-style houses with mini-gardens in front of them, a dog in every house and steeply reclining roads that left is wondering how the natives walk or drive there. We could witness a magnificent sunrise on our walk. The sleepy town of Coorg was just waking up, with few natives out on a walk, some shops opening up to serve coffee and tea and vendors readying their wares for the day.  While returning my cousin had this brilliant idea of relying on GPS for a 'short-cut'. That short-cut cut short my breath as I climbed steep lanes, gasping and panting. It was an exhilarating walk of about an hour but every second was worth it.  After breakfast we left for Talakauve...

Today was a date with Nature. After a wonderful and fulfilling breakfast we left for Coorg.  Enroute Coorg, we visited a beautiful Tibetan settlement. Narrow and lovely roads with near and beautiful houses in either side, lots of greenery amidst fields with hills in the background and inside the settlement, a beautiful monastery called as the Namdroling Monastery which is also referred to as the Golden Temple - this place is a must-visit.  The monastery itself is a majestic wonder. Surrounded by nearly trimmed lawns and a manicured garden, this monastery houses beautiful idols of Lord Buddha and two other Boddhisatvas in golden hues. The place is beautifully decorated with Tibetan drawings.  Here's a humble request - When and if you visit this place, kindly maintain silence to feel the aura of the place. Inspite of several boards requesting for silence, people visiting the monastery today were at their loudest, thereby ruining the serene atmosphere of the monastery. This ...

We reached Mysuru at about 10 in the morning. The climate was a far cry from Hyderabad's. After spending about two weeks in 40+ degrees, Mysuru's 36 seemed so welcoming!  I usually try to describe a new city in a phrase or some word. The word that comes to my mind to describe Mysuru is 'gentle'. Another word is 'royal'. Everything about the city seems gentle. The people are polite and well-mannered. Mysuru still contains it regal charm of yore, with buildings resembling the majestic Mysore Palace in their construction and build.  It was 12 by the time we reached our hotel. After a leisurely bath and a scrumptious lunch, we set off for sightseeing. Having only half a day in hand, we couldn't explore the Mysore Palace but we did see it from outside. My son was fascinated with his first sight of a real palace! It stands majestic and tall, a testament to resilience.  The roads of Mysuru are a pleasure to drive on! Broad and even, they are every traveller's d...