Well I'm not sure what it is and why I felt the need to plug in and write a few words.
The last few years have been very tumultus for me, and yes indeed, the world alike.
From where I am, I feel like I have seen the past, future, all collide.
I enjoyed it deeply as it was all incredibly transformative.
If I know more about myself, and humanity, as my own inner meditation progresses, what's there to not like?
This medium of blogging feels archaic now, but in the age of AI, I suppose one can keep their wits to themselves.
I enjoy typing, and perhaps it may emulate writing with a pencil, without an automatic suggestion, in the digital world.
I don't have much to add for now, but will end my note with an observation and a thought.
- Auto correct has already made millennials forget the correct spellings of many words.
- Will my way of writing seem to the future generation the way we think of the Shakespearean texts? (As the kids will probably be used to reading sentences that are AI generated)
The year is about to come to an end. It's the fifth of November. Presidential elections for the states in the west. Who is going to check the authenticity of news sources. Media now a social media. Polarisation of views. Who will celebrate the complexity? The need for self belief in creativity. For no one, but for the self. A lot of inner work as compared to fixing things outside. Focus. Focus. Align the different lenses. Bring it all into focus. And then point the laser. Let it stay, fixated on that towards which you point. Can you look at it? Straight ahead? Or within? The singularity.
In the summers I hope for it to be autumn soon. The leaf that has turned brown way after it could turn red. Redness is the heat I associate with summer. A fire that could only be quenched by the monsoons and the autumn. In autumn I crave for winters. White pearl like snow instead of the messy trail of leaves. My feet crunch with too much noise as I walk towards my school, reminding me that death too makes sound. The chill of the winters would give me a break in pursuing my studies, that go on and on, to never end. During winters, I miss the spring. The lack of colour on a white sheet of paper, inviting me to fill it up with something - anything, that isn’t empty. The ones who live in the mountains know that they are the ones that are plain. Ornamentation, and carnation, still, could only be achieved by the spring. Spring reminds me that summer is around the corner. But the thought is erased as the leftover winds from December give my skin the respite. With flowers whose name I couldn’t name, with colours I could only try to reproduce, I take a deep breathe and hold on to the smells, knowing that I would never bloom that exact way ever again. And then the heat rises. The sun during noons, close, and right above. The summer brings in its single truth. The harsh. The needed. The only one thing that I seem to forget about throughout the rest of the year, waiting, season upon season. Could I be more like the green leaves? They flourish even after the flowers have given way to fruits. They bask in the sun, not caring about the outcome. The rains come in swiftly, as if wiping down upon their surface, treating them for a job well done, a life well-lived. Then, they slowly turn red, orange, brown, before breaking away. I find them beneath my feet as I crunch them with my steps on my way to school, hoping for it to be winter soon.
You enter
the space tube, with nothing but your body that’s carrying a type machine. The
space tube is white, wide, spacious, filled with other humanoid creatures.
These other creatures, are all occupying random spaces, holding some artefacts,
surrounded by a few as well. They may or may not use these artefacts. There are
copious amounts of books all over this space tube. They are all systematically
numbered, organised, on the bases of their names, the authors, the themes. Each
and every humanoid here, is a pilot of this space tube. How far can this space
tube go?
If you
think about the surrounding noise, there’s none - only minor shuffling of books
and feet rattling against the chairs or table legs. A few creatures seem to be
wearing ear pods that probably help transport them to places beyond the scope
of this space tube. Do these places remind them of the places they come from?
Or does it ignite a hope in them, a confidence, to take them to where they much
rather be?
The space
tube is temperature controlled. The white lights on the ceiling ensure that
work doesn’t stop. The humanoids here mostly resort to mental exercise, this is
no space for the physical, unless one is working over reading or writing over
that field of the human sciences.
A
humanoid creature sitting right next to me wonders what I am writing about. I
type away on my type machine. This is not what I came here for - I came for
some reading, but this is what I am doing now nevertheless.
The
challenge for me today, is to concentrate on the now. The past, I cannot
change, the future, is yet to come. The now is all that I have, and all that I
can control. I should control my now, my destiny is in my hands, quite
literally. I will now proceed to my reading. My type machine has diverse
functions and it can also help me in that purpose.
I guess, when you really want something, and when you
literally give yourself up to the cause, there’s a huge scope of learning that
opens up automatically, and you do eventually, move towards that which you
expected.
It’s been a very long time since I jotted down something on
this blog. Oh my, let me begin by saying, that I have absolutely missed writing
on a keyboard. There is so much peace in writing down things in journals, but
oh, the joy of slamming down fingers on a keyboard that makes the click click
tik tak noise as I write away!
I’d still like to embrace the random, though, as I am
growing up, I feel this hidden need to start, what people call, ‘specializing.’
A good friend gave me an advice once – “Do whatever it is that you like,
eventually, you’ll really start understanding and start to automatically move
towards things that truly call out to you.” Great advice. In fact, another
fellow professional once mentioned, “Just, throw stones everywhere.” – And I’d like
to add to that statement – “And see which ripple gives you the most peace!” My
college professor stated, that “Seek anything that gives you a rush, or
increases your pulse rate.”
Unfortunately, or fortunately, there is a certain knowledge
gap that I aim to fill in before I can spot what it is that I absolutely would
love to specialize in. The road towards it isn’t one that is already built. I
have a stone and chisel in my own hands, and I am trying to squint towards the
horizon, towards the top of mountains, as well as the depths of the oceans,
before carving my own way through it. I say through and not towards it because
the road could change at every possible moment and I’d like to keep myself open
to that possibility too.
The problem that I have personally faced – is that of
existentialism. I see the world as it is, in broad day light, or in absolute
darkness. There is no denying that the human race confuses itself with the rat
race, that there is always an underlying process of automation in the mechanics
of the world, in all possible domains. Be it education, or industrialization,
or the gradual growth in a country’s infrastructure.
A friend of mine is currently reading a book called, Ikigai.
The book begins by a Japanese proverb that says: “Only an active life will make
you want to live a 100 years.” The book also talks about how technology is
actually, responsible in adding more time to one’s life. Man is generally,
quite a lazy creature. I’d say, everything in the world is actually quite lazy.
If that is in response to a need of attaining equilibrium, I wouldn’t know; one
cannot deny the ever constant ebb and flow of chaos and order in the world. Is
it all in process of attaining immortality? I’m sure our race is collectively
building towards a highly connected space across this planet, just like a human
brain would strengthen its connections across its neurons with time. All, for
automation. All, for equilibrium. All, for immortality. The concept of the ouroboros comes into my mind...
If anyone is reading this right now, and feels that they
have an opinion regarding the above, please feel free to let me know, in the
comments, or personally. I would love to have more discussions over the same. I
am REALLY open to learning about anything that gives me direction at this point…
Till then, I guess, I’ve to start working over the SMART
goals thing in order to give my random goals some finite shape… And yes, I have
to certainly learn to prioritize as well as manage my time well.
The story begins three years ago. I had just graduated, and me and my parents had moved out to another city, away from Mumbai, the city where I grew up. This time had been quite hard on me, for I was being thrown into the unknown, and that fact didn't go down with me well. I plan everything. There was a lot happening that hadn't been planned. My calculations were wrong, and I faced a massive failure for the first time.
After a year, my work was going to take me another city altogether, I wanted to prepare myself so that I could take care of my own. But during this phase, neither my mind, nor my body, was allowing me to do the same. I was going through severe depression, used to be extremely moody, and my body too had began reacting in newer ways. I was suffering from random ailments, pains, from time to time. Life was either black, or white, and there wasn't much of grey. I felt too young to be complaining about health issues already, so I tried keeping them under wraps.
I wanted to start leading a good, balanced life, because I always suspected that the state of mind and health are deeply entwined. With my mind fixed, I could fix my health as well, and visa-versa.
Here's a snippet of my journey. I wonder if it would help anyone out there -
~
The journey:
Step 1.
Health.
I began by me trying to learn more about balanced diets, coupled with proper exercises. I tried this to keep a check on my weight to be honest. Thought I'd give the BBG a try. ;)
I believed the motivation could help me out. It did, to a small extent. I was getting out of my house for this reason at least. Could follow it for just a month though. Stopped the exercises later, but tried to continue with what I had learned about the diet. (The food triangle is real, my friends.)
My takeaway from this, was my knowledge about the type of foods, and exercises, that existed. I now know what my daily diet should comprise of.
My mind was still the same though. Things were still blurry. I didn't quite feel healed yet.
Step 2.
Psychology!
I have read up researches in psychology since forever, and this was the time I stared reading more and more online on the same. Too poor to afford going to a brain doc, I'm sure I wouldn't like them. I know I wouldn't trust them anyway.
The most interesting study I found was that of Eric Erikson.
This is truly helpful if you want to study your own behavior. The man divided life's timeline into the following 8 stages.
The key relationship has a big effect on the growth of an individual during that stage. Every stage either has a favorable or an unfavorable outcome, depending on the success or failure of the response chosen, or the guidance received, to deal with the various issues that life throws at the individual. One can literary associate strong memories of harsh learning to these stages to try and rewrite the story, in a way that would make us feel stronger than we were, as compared to dealing that situation in the past.
In this process of understanding, self reflection, and care, one can try to pursue the favorable outcome, that we were once, unable to achieve.
Step 3.
Philosophy/Religion.
I even tried my hand at the Gita, trying to understand if the ideal 'way of living' according to Hinduism could help me. I even read up on Buddhism. Ended up reading 4 books off this particular series, that I'm yet to complete! -
I didn't understand when and how the psychology got entangled with the philosophy, and religion, I honestly started missing science at a point and was far too deviated from psychology. *Richard Dawkins, idea of religion* Bummer. It was time to look for another medium.
My take away from here would be the power of ones subconscious - it isn't a joke.
Thoughts are the seeds that breed the actions we commit.
Step 4.
Chakras.
After I moved to the new city for work, the new environment had already had a positive effect in me. I felt more useful, firstly, and that picked me up immediately. The people I met made a lot of difference as well. Offices can be such a wonderful cultural hub. I met people with all parts of the country, strangers, in and out of office, in my new city, and I just absolutely adored the entire phase.
I was still suffering from body pains and had the frequent bout of tonsil attacks now and then though. Around this time, my study from Buddhism, turned into reminiscing Avatar, the last air bender, which eventually got me to rethink about the chakras. Open them up. Meditate. This helped me further.
Check out this amazing little video that explains the chakras quite nicely.
Today, I tackle random ailments by acknowledging the chakras, the blocks, if any. If not for meditation, studying probable symptoms helps me understand my thoughts and inner reflections, so I can take a step back and try and analyse my response to the outer world.
Step 5.
Fix da Vakriti, Get to yo Prakriti! ~ A lesson in Ayurveda.
I swear this is the most amazing tool for life that I bumped into. Prakriti, is your true nature. Everyone has a true nature. How we actually behave, is our vakriti. Ones vakriti is highly influenced by the environment that a person is in. You are what you eat! Even your food can change your behavior from your ideal nature, or 'prakriti'.
A persons prakriti can be one, or a mixture, of the following three doshas:
The qualities associated to the doshas are directly related to ones behavior, and the body systems.
There are online modules today that help one figuring their doshas out, but I can only imagine how amazing the spa retreats with professional yoga masters could be. The can probably be more aware about this ancient technique, suggest the absolute correct diet, meditation techniques, and habits to improve a persons well-being.
Step 6.
What's next?
Yoga. The Martial arts. Chi? I could pursue anything. I am truly fascinated with the ways the ancients chose to have a control over their mind, body, and spirit. There's nothing more powerful really, than being in complete control ones body. If not control, at least in sync with ones inner tune.
The above ways did indeed help me on my journey. I'm still young - and glad, that I came across these teachings. I hope these steps might help you too, as a gateway to the many methods one can apply in their life to live better.
I wish my reader the best of luck, in finding his or her way of syncing to their inner workings!
The past few days have been such an exhilarating experience. It's funny how one can find adventure in places they'd least expect it. I sought for adventure in the wrong places. Literally. I thought I'd travel to a new place to experience new things, the new city, its roads, its culture, food. But adventure was never about just the superficial. It's always the emotional aspect that matters more. And I had almost forgotten about that. While I certainly have traveled to another place, I've found most of this, so called adventure, not in the new environment, but with people. New, as well as old! I've grown so much in this past year, in a direction I did not expect. But I look at myself now and feel that I've done a good enough job with the issues that were thrown at me. The present Sugandha, appreciates the older one, for doing whatever it is that she did, or didn't do. In a span of mere 6 months, I've experienced way too many new things. I feel extremely grateful for it all. Prior to this, all of it seemed possible in books, fairy tales, fiction, crime, drama, thriller, what have you. But now, it's all real. It's happening. And it's all bloody fascinating. I've met many new people, made innumerable friends, and I even found many who've left a life lasting impression on me. I could find people who share my love for science, food, philosophy, psychology, life itself, with ease, and I'm grateful for that as well. I just feel blessed at the moment. This adventure, that I talk of? I guess it's all related to growing up, or experiencing new people in this new phase, where the people around me are growing up themselves. Like I said, new, and old. It's all so lovely.
After a long journey through time, covering all her past works, we finally come to Marina's latest album (as of now), that goes by the name of Froot! This album starts off with a song that is one of my personal favorites, Happy. It is a song that gives everything that we've known about Marina, until now, a very beautiful closure. Like a fan rightly said in one of the comments in the next video, "She used to write sad songs with a happy melody, now she writes happy songs with a sad melody and it's still beautiful." - How perfectly put!
Happy, is about that feeling of complete satisfaction, where one feels like they finally belong somewhere. No words could ever do justice to how the song feels when you're actually feeling, happy. I think this was the time when Marina finally found someone, or something, she could be in love with completely, without any inhibitions.
The next song, which also happens to be the name of the album, Froot, is a very colorful piece. Now Marina has spoken about how this song isn't about sex, but the lyrics suggest otherwise. Either way, the song has some really amazing beats; And if it does compare sexy times with fruity metaphors, it ends up doing a great job at that. "I've been saving all my summers for you, like Froot." and "Baby I'm plump and ripe." Damn. Marina's extremely husky, seductive, and an elegant lady-like voice gives this song an extra oomph factor. Froot was the first song from the album to be released for the fans all over the world.
I'm a Ruin is another lovely song. I think many go through what Marina seems to go through in this song. The feeling of being someone who ends up ruining other people's lives, not on purpose though, of course. Don't we all justify of how we do so, and why, anyway? "Babe I'm going to ruin you, if you let me stay." "You still mean everything to me, but I wanna be free." I think this has a lot to do with how someone feels like being free from relationships, because of not wanting to be the one who ends up ruining the other person. "But I don't wanna say goodbye." Oh, life does get confusing.
My other very favorite song from the album, Blue, is a happy go lucky song. No, not like Happy, which was a very serious song, this one's more playful in nature. It's got some cute beats, and a lovely dance sequence by our Marina. Even though she talks about something that might be considered sad, it's a light-hearted number and she seems more optimistic here. Check out the video!
Forget is more towards the serious side, once again. "I have lived my life in debt, yeah I've spent my days in deep regret." And she'd like to forget it all, forgive, and forget. In Gold, Marina reveals that she's been wrong about what she wanted all along. I think this song gives away this fact that yes, Marina has certainly changed from her first few song releases and earlier albums. She now believes that gold, or something precious, like fame, perhaps money, or love, is not what she thought it was, earlier. She believes there's much more to everything that she had been striving for. Gold, or those things that she wanted, can't be bought, nor can they be sold. Does this mean that she, heart of heart, isn't someone who is materialistic? Probably. That's what I think anyway (Ya, right. Who am I kidding. She's materialistic as fuck). The next song is very similar to what she could have shared in The Family Jewels. The song Can't Pin Me Down has similar colors to how she doesn't care about the world, as long as she is satisfied with what she's doing, something Marina always stood for. "I'm never gonna to give you anything you expect." I don't think anyone could ever pin her down.
I cannot completely describe my feelings on what I think about Solitaire. The lyrics are pretty self explanatory, and there is a metaphor here where Marina is comparing herself to a solitaire. Rare, who doesn't want to be compared with cheap shimmer and glitter.
"Hard like a rock, cold like stone,
White like a diamond, black like coal,
Cut like a jewel, yeah I repair,
Myself when you're not there."
The song speaks a lot of what goes in one's mind when they feel like wanting to be left alone. When the crave silence over the chaos that surrounds us. And it's not necessarily a bad thing. A lovely song by Marina, and another gem from this album, in my opinion.
Better Than That is a light song that basically deals with three people. Perhaps a love triangle? She compares an unwanted history that keeps re-surfing in her thoughts, to weed in a garden, in the song called, Weeds. You cut them at the root, she thinks, and that's what she tries to do with her history. At the same time, she can't do it with ease. She remembers everything about her past, as it isn't really easy to let go of times when you've felt good.
The last two songs in this album are quite philosophical. In Savages, Marina talks about how everything is all about the survival of the fittest. Where people are not afraid of war, or murder, metaphorically, only to survive. "It's a human trait, hidden deep inside of our DNA.", she says, "I'm not afraid of God, I am afraid of man.". The chorus goes something like this,
"Underneath it all, we're just savages,
Hidden behind shirts, ties and marriages,
Truth is in us all, cradle to the grave,
We're just animals still learning to behave."
It's the bridge that sums up what she's trying to suggest though,
"All the hate coming out from a generation,
Who got everything, and nothing guided by temptation,
Were we born to abuse, shoot a gun and run,
Or has something deep inside of us come undone?
Is it a human trait, or is it learned behavior?
Are you killing for yourself, or killing for your savior?"
Finally, in the last song, Immortal, Marina talks about being so, and how reserving a space in history, is such an important part of the human race. She says she's chasing after time, but everybody dies. Still, if everything does end, earth and the seas, there's one thing she believes that will survive. The memories she'd share with the ones she loves, and the memories they would have, of her. The song is extremely pessimistic, but she knows that love is a powerful thing, and the only thing that matters, in the end. The song, and hence the album, ends with her chanting, "So keep me alive." She could be saying this to anyone, her fans, her lovers, or to show everyone that the last plea uttered from anyone, is something that gives them the hope of still being alive, even after they are long gone.
Now that we have covered all her albums, we can see how Marina, as an artist, has grown over the years. The image of herself that she gave us in the three albums, speak volumes of what she might be going through with, in her life at that time. From someone wanting to make her name, to someone who just wanted to experiment and have fun, and finally, to someone who seems to be wanting to settle down, in search of answers to questions that demand stability, and a deeper meaning of what life is all about. I can only imagine what Marina will share with us in her future works.
Till then, here's the Holy Trinity.
~
This finishes my set of blog posts about my queen, Marina, from Marina and the Diamonds. I wonder if anyone is ever going to read them. If you have, thanks for sticking around!
Released 2-3 years after her previous album, Electra Heart seems like Marina's entry into the pop scene. By pop here, I mean popular, anything that's not indie. The songs are unique, brimming with ideas along the lines of girl power. The preppy tunes keep ringing in ones head for a long while, way after you've had an Electra Heart listening marathon (I can say that for myself, at least).
The album starts off with Bubblegum Bitch. The song introduces us to the life of Electra Heart. I presume it's a pseudo identity of one side of Marina. A side most teenage pop lovers would love to idolize. A woman who is strong willed, who's had it with bullshit, and who wouldn't be afraid to be bad. I think I do not agree to most of the songs here, and hopefully, all those teenage girls don't either. Marina herself has stated once, that she wasn't as attached to this album as her other works, as it wasn't very satisfying to her actual purpose, and was too pop for her liking. I agree. But I can't at the same time. Despite the bad-girl image Electra Heart has in store for us, I can't help but agree that this album, offers a sense of liberation, and realizations, that life is too short to feel sad about messed up things.
The Primadonna girl is nasty, narcissistic, and egoistic. But she doesn't care why people make a fuss out of it. She just wants to be adored! Lies is a song from the sadder lot of her songs. Somehow, I always find her sadder songs more realistic, than the ones in which she seems happy. The happiness, seems like a facade; she's always simply just waiting to be hurt again. I love Homewrecker, honestly? because it's got some great lyrics. "Boys and their toys, and their six inch rockets", WHAT? It's too funny and catchy not to sing out loud. "I don't belong to everyone." Sometimes I wonder if this all is just a reaction of what Marina had to go through during The Family Jewels.
The next song The Starring Role, is one of my favorite songs to feel depressed to. Even if I'm not sad for the same reasons as Marina seems to be in this song,"Sometimes I Ignore you, so I feel in control. Cuz really, I adore you, and I can't leave you alone." The reason why I like this song, is because it pushes me forth to stop feeling sad that I'm, well, sad. There's a certain satisfaction in realizing that you too can feel sad, and feeling that too, is a wonderful thing you could be grateful for. I love Marina's voice on this one. The next song, The State Of Dreaming, is too beautiful! PRETTY SURE the Diamonds will relate to this when they're sad. Here's the video -
Power & Control has some amazing beats, another lovely song from Electra Heart, and it talks about the dynamics of power, and control, in relationships. Which brings us to the next scandalous song, Sex yeah.
"Question what the TV tells you,
question what a pop start sells you,
question mom and question dad,
question good, and question bad."
I love these lines! The single hope from Marina where she's asking us to be careful of the things she does in her own life, as Electra Heart. She's talking about the society here; can someone tell me how in the world she manages to talk about serious things with so much fun? Maybe it's just her voice, and her choices of rhythm. A serious world that we live in, and a light-hearted way to handle things. Remind you of how most good people out there deal with things in the world?
Teen Idle won the hearts of many Marina listeners. It's preppy, fun, dark, and very girly. She wants your blood, guts and angel cake, for Christs sake! Every girl wants to be a Teen Idle. Or does not, really not, want to be one. Either way, every girl knows what a Teen Idle is, and has her own version of story around it. Listen to the song if you'd like to understand what many young girls go through.
One can find Marina in the Valley Of The Dolls, with countless others that she's speaks for, as a spokesperson, "Living with identities, that do not, belong to me. In my life, I've got this far, now I'm ready for my last hoorah. Dying like a shooting star, in the valley." This song talks about the cycle that these 'dolls' find themselves in. Of rising, and falling.
In Hypocrates, Marina stands her own guard against, a certain someone. Someone who's trying to tame her, or perhaps, guide her for what they feel is better for her own good. She doesn't agree though, or even if she does, is too mad to even consider what's good for her, in the light of her not being able to be in control of her own life. Electra Heart is hell bent on breaking hearts. In How To Be A Heartbreaker she gives us easy tips on how to do exactly that. Even though this song is far from what I think Marina is REALLY about, it's one of her popular songs, loved by many across the globe.
Radioactive is the song that casts Marina as a queen. She takes the charge of her situation, and perhaps of the people around her, and declares that fact to the world. The song tells us that she's disappointed in others. "Ready to be let down, now I'm heading for a meltdown."
The last song of the album, gives us the Marina we all knew all along. All along this pompous galore she had created around Electra Heart. "Now I see, I see it for the first time, there is no crime, in being kind." I think she tries to justify her actions with the help of this song. Of what made her make the wrong choices, what she's learned from them, how it has changed her, and how it she can still change for the better. I think she wrote the song addressing herself. "Baby you don't have to live your life in fear." No body wants to live in Fear and Loathing.
Even though the album is not something I would preach about (it's got way too many narcissistic elements for my liking), it deals with some extremely real situations many girls find themselves facing. Marina is extremely narcissistic though, and I can't hate her for that. She's honest, and true, and I love the way she's proud about being truthful, even if she lacks the subtlety of being more polite. This album resulted in a spike in Marina's popularity. I for one discovered her around this time too. One can certainly let go, and dance nights away, swinging to the beats of Electra Heart, knowing that what they feel, is felt by someone else out there too. As usual, Marina is a queen, and Electra Heart makes up for an extremely lovely album to listen to.
One can easily understand, or take a guess, at Marina's life at this point of stage. Her career in music started off with a lot of problems. We know about the real facts, where she did try out at various auditions, but failed, but we can take a good guess at how her personal life was at that time, with this album. Are You Satisfied? was probably something she asked herself, whilst dealing with her ordinary life. Shame, and pain, where from most people think, evolved Shampain, came around with taking major decisions that would give her life a newer direction; The one, closer to her dreams. I Am Not A Robot is one song that many relate to. No body likes to be too mechanical now, right? Most of the songs in this album deal with her, and her separation from people she once was with. The ones who probably questioned or ridiculed her for her seemingly impossible dreams, or the bold steps she probably took. Like in Girls, for example. Give the album a listen when you're especially mad at the world for trying to stop you from what you want to do.
She describes her dressing style as vintage, cartoon, and cheer-leading, and one can see a lot of that in her music as well. For the time's one would go cuckoo, you're on your own version of Mowgli's road. In this album, Obsessions is one song, that I couldn't understand. Honestly, it seems too plain, or if not, it probably talks about how Marina would want someone (a romantic interest perhaps?), to get his own sets of obsessions, so she, with her own set of dreams, can share them with him, with ease.
Hollywood as a song is an easy giveaway to what she was all about. I love this song, because of the happy melody and a lovely chorus. 'I'm obsessed, with the mess, that's America!' How true is this for so many? I love its video as well. Check it out!
We've all had moments of feeling like an outsider. The Outsider does justice to that feeling. It's from this song that things start getting a bit serious. Guilty justifies the reasons why she probably wrote Shampain. Of course, with the want to get fame, one might have had to taken some strange steps. I wonder what Marina is guilty about. Was it probably because she did something to annoy Hermit The Frog? I wonder if this person is the one she talks about in Obsessions. (Together, perhaps, they broke their glass balloon.)
Oh no! Is a happier piece in this journey of wanting what one dreams of. It's a straight forward song with lyrics that lack subtlety, but therein lies its charm. 'If you are not very careful, your possessions will possess you! TV taught me how to feel, now real life has no appeal!'
I think in Seventeen, Marina talks about the same boy she had hinted about, in the earlier songs of this album. Perhaps about a boy, who couldn't stand her gutsy self? They probably got together when she turned 17. 'The rise of the king, and the fall of a queen.' I like how she uses 'the' and 'a' here. Something tells me, that Marina's want to become a pop idol, and being more independent, was the reason of all the tension between them. Finally, we come to the last song, Numb. This song does complete justice to the entire album, and was a perfect choice to conclude it with. It's as if the whole album was written for her fans, so they'd know her better, except this one. This song feels like that of her own, where she talks about the cost of fame, losing ones friends, and family. (The deluxe version of the album gave us another add on song, Rootless; It talks about what it implies, about one having no roots, and the sadness that comes along with it.)
'Lower I get, the higher I climb. And I will wonder why I got dark, only to shine, looking for the golden light. Oh, it's a reasonable sacrifice.'
As an artist grows, in age, or popularity, their music grows with them. Their music reflects the changes, addressing different issues one would face at different times in their lives. I like how Adele has named her albums. 19, 21, and 25. Her age when she released them. Today, I'm going to *cracks knuckles* start writing about Marina Diamandis, from the Marina and the Diamonds fame. Especially her growth as an artist, taking a look at her music, with the help of the three albums she has officially released up till now. What I'll share, are strictly my points of view. But first, a little more about her!
I know it sounds weird, but I was introduced to Marina on Instagram. I happened to read a few of her lyrics, first, and then decided to check out her music. I never expected half of what I ended up hearing. I read up later that she considered herself to be an indie pop artist. Fair enough. I personally, absolutely, adore her. If you're someone who loves pop, but also like things to be indie; you will love her music.
What I loved about her music, was how her songs were based on extremely realistic topics. Her metaphors are simple, but she uses them to talk about complex emotions. Of course, they deal with what she might have gone through, as an artist; But if you sit back, and give her songs a good listen, you may just be able to relate to them. With that, comes the very popular feeling of realizing that you aren't alone, and there are so many others out there, just like you. Marina used 'Diamonds' to define the band members she'd sing with, initially. With the rise of her fame, her fans began to call themselves her diamonds. I guess Marina is OK with that. Her fan base is largely comprised by youngsters, 15 - 25 old of age. I see Marina, and I'm sure her fans will agree, as a complete trash, who knows whatever she's all about, and in her this realization, she is projected as someone who keeps things brutally, but elegantly, real.
Marina is a completely self made artist. She wrote her songs from scratch, and gave it music, all on her own. She used Apple's Garageband to start this journey, using la la la la loops, everybody. But I can't complain. She had a natural flair at writing some neat lyrics. She got off with a rough start but her music was finally discovered, due to which she was able to sign a record deal. She made sure to make music with people who would respect her choices as an artist. All her songs aren't made in the generic pop song making way. She tries to write her songs like poetry, her lyrics coated with strong messages, that many, especially girls, will relate too!
In the next few posts, I will write about what I've felt about the three albums she has released till now. I'll share more about what I think was probably happening in her life when she wrote the songs. I've done this in my mind, a countless amount of times. It shall be fun trying to write them down! Let's begin.
Here I am, in this circus, still jumbling goals, trying to keep my life balanced, as the blog secretly creeps up to it's second leap year. It's been almost 4 years since I began jotting, uh, I mean, rambling on this blog, and it has certainly been a great journey.
Some days, I decide to go back to the past, read my old blog posts, so that I can indulge in the guilty pleasures of reminiscing. On other days, I manage to click on the post button, and ramble a bit more, setting my imagination free. This blog has almost been like an online diary for me, except for the fact that I haven't been brave enough to involve myself more, with sharing my personal stories.
Despite having a plethora of ideas to type down blog posts on, I've been lazy. If I'm not too harsh on myself, I can say that it's purely because of the final year college pressure. No. The fourth year of an engineering college is not difficult when it comes to academics, in fact, I've totally managed to perform better than my initial years as a college student. It's the other dreaded thing; The one that deals with me growing up and taking care of my responsibilities.
I, as a person, write because it helps me analyse myself better.
I have my personal diaries, filled with a lot of to do lists, and goals, but I feel my blog severely lacks those things that I feel I'm all about. Given. I'd write a poetry or two, in the rush of momentary inspiration. Given that I allow myself to type away whatever I feel about a current situation. I've hardly written anything about what I truly like. With that, I mean, my tangible hobbies, passions, and dreams. Metaphors have bought this blog far, and the occasional heartfelt poem will still carve its way through. but, I have decided, that this year, I shall talk more about what exactly it is, that I've been up to. I do like writing crisp and short articles on certain topics. I might write on a few that I believe might help others too. They will all be closely related to the whats, wheres, and whys, of my favorite things. Animals, music, computers, people, it can be anything.
Something brilliant that happened to me last year, was how clicking random links online, led to me discovering the amazing platform of IndiBlogger. It's a place were countless bloggers, from all over the world, India, especially, come together, in order to share their own blogs, thoughts, and ideas, with each other. If you're reading this, and would like to know more about how IB can change your journey of blogging, do post a comment below! I've made a few friends already, both offline, and online, all thanks to IB. I was never too vocal about my blog, before IndiBlogger, but now, I am nothing short of proud, that I was able to hold on to this tiny little blog that I created back in 2012.
Something that's totally going to give me an initial push to writing more posts and discovering myself online, is IB's new challenge, the IndiMarathon. Tata Motors has given the IB bloggers a wonderful opportunity, to blog about anything under the sun, equivalent to an online marathon. Starting from today, till mid February, I shall be posting a few articles, in correspondence to this interesting challenge. I'm quite excited to write more about certain things that I absolutely love! *Casually mumbles the lines of the song, "My favorite things!"*
Change is constant. Change is beautiful. With the advent of this new year, I hope to bring in all that I've learned, in newer ways, online. I believe if I involve myself more, online, in ways that are more communicative in nature, I will be able to give more to the community, and also learn more about so many things! I'm such a slow poke, I should've done this long back. Better late than never!
Every person that lives here, even for a while, takes with him abundant memories. Memories that never really die, that resurface every moment they want to feel closer to their dreams. The ones who stay here, know the ordeal. It isn't easy being part of this city. Many try to create their own names, either in their own bubbles, or in the whole world. Some succeed, some don't. There are many things that people call this city: The city of dreams, the city that never sleeps, Mumbai, Bombay; they're all correct.
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Mumbai is infectious.
Once you start living in Mumbai, working in Mumbai,
I don't think you can live anywhere else.
- Yash Chopra
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Mumbai is alive. Every hour, every second. You might speak about ones 'life in Mumbai', but the 'life of Mumbai' is another thing altogether. This city is fast. It doesn't wait for anybody. Time is the greatest illusion here; you wouldn't know how it passes by. But people will not complain. Be as it may, the rush that the city offers, makes people want more. And why not? The city accepts everyone with open arms. As long as you do your part, the city will give you back everything it has to offer, and more. This city breathes. Yes, Mumbai is alive.
As part of the Zonal War conducted by Tata Motors (http://madeofgreat.tatamotors.com/) and IndiBlogger, I'm writing about the city I've spent all my life in. Mumbai; with respect to three key features that give the city its heartbeat; Drive, Design, and Connect.
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Drive:
There are many roads in the city. The physical ones, and also the ones for your dreams. The need to do something is what drives people here. The daily chores might be mundane for a few, while a few might be doing what they love. Many might be struggling, while many live their life to the fullest. Be it rich or poor, any gender, any age, lives are aligned along the very same principles of hope, learning, accepting, and what drives them. From the time the sun rises, till the time it rises again, people keep running. Even resting here seems like something that prepares them for the future. Children grow in an open minded environment, which gives them wings, gives them many opportunities, making it easier for them to fly. The ones who aren't afraid to explore, and travel, are the ones that benefit most from this city's hustle bustle. For the city that never sleeps, one can always keep walking on the roads to his destination.
Design:
Lying on the western coast of the state of Maharashtra, urbanization in Mumbai can be seen in different ways. More than 50 percent of people who live here, live in slums. One can often find buildings, some very tall skyscrapers, right next to these slums, as they define the Mumbai skyline. The rich and the poor coexist. The city is designed in such a way, that every person is able to share something with the other, ensuring a balance of give and take. If you stand on the beach, look towards the horizon, the vastness of the sea will remind you about how insignificant, yet significant you are. The spaces where forests and greenery still thrives, will remind you how nature too coexists with the brick and stone in the city. Shops upon shops, work places, the nightlife, they all give to the city, it's different organs. This city is multifaceted, with every side, sharing a million stories.
Connect:
The very principle of growth forces one to connect. Mumbai, the financial hub of the country, has many businesses that thrive on its grounds. From simple products like the toys you'd buy off the road side, to complex ones like online services, it becomes important for the people to communicate easily, and fast. A single person here might know someone who works in the government, have a friend who works in the media, while mentoring a student, as he learns a different skill that would help himself get ahead in life, etc. You will know so many people, that a good friendship might always be around the corner. There's this strange Mumbaikar spirit that brings its people close every time there is a festival, and also during times of crises. Connections not only make ones dreams achievable, but also give the dreams that people have, meaning. There would be days when one would meet people out of the blue, and also days when one would feel utterly lost midst the crowd. In Mumbai, you're free to make your own connections. It's okay to not make them too, and you won't be judged because of that.
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So there you have it. Mumbai, with the hopes and desires of thousands of people that drive them towards their dreams; It's design, making sure that its urban ecology is in balance; And the deep connections that run across its existence like veins in the human body.
The holiday season is here! Do you know what that means? Apart from meeting up with friends, family, it's the time we get to partake into lots of food, get those sugar rushes, and satisfy our taste-buds! Sugar Free has given us bloggers on IndiBlogger, a Dessert challenge, where we all get to share the recipes of our favorite deserts with the world. The dessert which I shall be sharing today is a very tasty one, especially loved by kids. We use dark chocolate, because unlike normal chocolate, it offers many health benefits and doesn't account for much sugar either! Lets get started.
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Bitter-sweet chocolate chip cookies!
Time required: 0.5 to 1 hour. Ingredients needed: 1. 0.5 cup melted butter 2. 0.25 cup Sugar Free Natura 3. 1 Egg 4. 0.5 tsp vanilla essence 5. 0.5 tsp salt 6. 0.5 tsp baking soda 7. 1.5 cups all-purpose Flour 8. 2 cups dark chocolate chips Steps: 1. Preheat the oven to 175º C or 350º F. 2. Mix melted butter, Sugar Free Natura, in a bowl. 3. Whisk in the Egg until it's combined. 4. Now add in the vanilla essence, baking soda, and salt. 5. Add dark chocolate chips to this mixture. 6. Mix well until the cookie dough is ready. 7. Scoop out from this dough and make tiny balls. (Depending on what sized cookies you'd want.) 8. Place them on a baking sheet, making sure to keep some distance between them as they will expand to become cookies. 9. Bake them for 10 minutes until golden brown. Cool for a few minutes before serving. (The cookies are fragile when they are warm, and become more solid as they cool.)
Enjoy your very own yummy, bitter-sweet chocolate chip cookies!
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If you'd like to share your own recipe with the world too, do check this link out!
I'm in space. Free floating. Your thoughts like stars are aligned in front of my eye sight. From where I am. My horizon. The end stretches into infinity, deeper, and deeper still. The sky isn't blue. I see no limit. But I'm at peace. This place, where I am. I'm my best self. And I am calm. This is home. You make me feel this good. I'm water. I'm surrounded by water. I move with precision. I melt with ease. I mix with patience, with only the perfect ingredients. I'm steam. I'm ice. I'll burn your chills. I'll chill your burns. I feel strong. This place, where I am. I'm my best self. And I am calm. This is home. You make me feel this good. I'm trying. I try, not because I have to. But because I must. Because I know this is right. This is my passion. I was born to be this. And I will make it right. I could run and run, run for miles and be dissolved. But I can't be someone lesser than me. I need to be here. This place. I'm fighting for it. I'm trying. This is my best self. I am calm. Why wouldn't I be? This is home. You make me feel this good. You look wonderful tonight. I see you through and through. Match your hands with my palm. Let our fingers align. I know your secrets. You wished you knew mine. I have none. I promise. This place. Where I'm at. I'm my best self. And I'm calm. This is home. You make me feel this good. I never knew I could be this selfish. But being selfish feels good. You permit me to. Pull me by my soul, and hold on to my skin. My flesh shall react. The organs will move. Blood and bones. They move in symphony. My breath is the question to all your answers. I'll speak answers to all your questions. This place, where I'm at. I'm my best self. And I'm calm. This is home. You make me feel this good.
I have never really blamed people around me much in my life, but in the recent months, I have. I could easily find negatives in someones behavior, and the positives were difficult to find. I think I had lost myself somewhere, when I started believing that.
I've been an anti social bee since a couple of months, ever since my birthday, I suppose, when almost no one showed up. But it was all in my head. I pushed important people away on my birthday itself, I shouldn't blame anyone for anything. Things were worse after my dog died, I had started blaming everyone close to me, and soon, myself. Quite depressing if this goes on for months.
Half the year is over, and I've finally started meeting up with my close friends, in a balanced manner, not wanting to run away. I've realized how they've been there for me, how I've been there for them, how people do go out of they way to help the ones they care about, and I see this in love, family, friends, everywhere.
I had cocooned myself up in layers of doubts and depression, but now, the shell is slowly peeling off. It is not because of those who are helping me, but because of me, who's finally agreeing to accept help.
If you really listen closely, to what others have to say, you'd realize that there's just more to learn from everything. There are so many perspectives to everything! It's quite beautiful.
I've remembered a few things that I had almost forgotten about. The fact that me, as a person, was always emphathetic, and never judgmental. Empathy is difficult, but I need to hold onto it as a gift, no matter how hard it gets. It's difficult when you're brushed up with so many emotions of others, when you absorb it all in, to understand them better, but I think I can do a better job by meditating and trying to remain unattached.
You know, how people say that we're the best when we are kids, and adulthood spoils us up, and we waste our lives away only to realize our mistakes when we are old? I don't want to go through that path. I'd like to always remember the fact that our life is a gift, and there's just so much more to discover!
I know of many adults who think they know the world. But no one does. Not me as a kid. Not as an adult. Not when I'm old. There's just so much to learn. I'm never forcing my views on anyone. Certain realizations have dawned upon me, and I've finally understood myself better, and I do believe that's the first step to understanding the world.
I've been told that I'm too confused to do me any good. But I know, that I do too, have things I'm confident about. If I need to be confident as an adult, I'll be confident in my belief that no one knows everything (all hail Socrates). That learning is the much needed curve, in life. I'll be confident enough to know, that good and bad, both do exist, it's about time, perspectives, a million life stories that go behind what makes a person; and all of this, is no small thing.
In a chaotic mess, we each pull others down, or push them forward, unbalanced; this happens, and I guess, it is needed for change. Let's not forget who we are, let's not stop dreaming, the best, the better, is always, yet to come, and I believe it now, because I think I am a better person than I was yesterday.
