Reading the world.

The world is a book and those who don’t travel read just a page.

 Explaining why you are a victim of wanderlust is like trying to reason out why you love reading books. Both of these wonderful ways of “learning” something new. They help you discover the marvelous world that we live in. They tell you about all the different and diverse fellow human beings that reside in this world. They take you to infinite number of places and let you explore new horizons.  They bring out the writer , poet or musician in you. They inspire you. They leave you speechless.They make you thoughtful. They help you grow. 

I’m not a great artist or a cook but I can tell you with some decent  amount of confidence , that I’m a good traveler – because I love both art and food.  That’s the thing about traveling – You can be yourself. There’s no “right” way of doing it. There’s just a “happy” way of doing it. You could be the happy-go-lucky person who would wander from place to place without any fixed plan or the To-do-list person who wants things to go just as you planned. But either way , if you’ve enjoyed yourself , you’ve done it right. You get to know yourself better when you travel. You discover not only the wonderful places , but also your wonderful self. 

Why do we travel? Why do we go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving. There is a kind of magicness about going far away and then coming back all changed.Wherever you go , it becomes a part of you somehow. You’re never the same person after coming back from any place. You develop an attachment with the place and it’s culture. You change in a pleasant way.

Cities were always like people, showing their varying personalities to the traveler. Depending on the city and on the traveler, there might begin a mutual love, or dislike, friendship, or enmity. Where one city will rise a certain individual to glory, it will destroy another who is not suited to its personality. Only through travel can we know where we belong or not, where we are loved and where we are rejected.

Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world. You learn to accept the fact that the place that you live in is not actually the best. You happen to realise that there is a big beautiful world out there with wonderful people. You became a better person.

My dream is to explore the entire world.A stylish backpack with all essentials dumped into it. A camera. A notebook. A traveling paint set. A hat. Good shoes. All my comforrable shorts and T- shirts. A nice pleated red skirt for the occasional seaside hotel afternoon dance. And a few of my favourite party dresses. Now that would be my definition of “Perfect”. Ah!
What’s your travel style?

-Ayushi.

Liebster award!

Well , so I’ve been nominated for the Liebster award by Anastasia ( http:// http://arosusi1993.wordpress.com)
Thank you so much 🙂

In case you’re wondering what on earth the “Liebster award” is , I’ll give you a brief introduction –

Liebster Award, is an award that is given to starter bloggers in order to encourage them to continue writing. This is how it works:

1.You must answer 11 questions given to you by the person who nominated you
2. You must list 11 random/fun facts about yourself
3. You must pick 11 nominees with under 200 followers to answer your questions.
4. You cannot nominate the person who nominated you.
5. You must let the person you’ve nominated know that they’ve been nominated.

Sounds fun. Doesn’t it?

So , these were the questions that Anastasia asked me ~

1) What’s the most boring movie that you’ve watched? Why?

Oh well
I’ve watched a hundred boring movies , but the only one I can think of right now is “Breaking dawn (twilight saga) part 1”

2) What’s your favorite colour?

The colour of sunset. I find it magical. You know , I could just watch the sunset for every single day of my life without ever getting bored.
In the more “common” colours , I would prefer black.
Half of my wardrobe comprises of black.

3) What would your dream house be like?

A stylish and expensive house by the beach. With a lot of ARTWORK inside. xP

4) How tall are you?

I’m about 163 cm.

5) What time of the day do you usually blog?

The evenings. That’s actually the only time of the day when I’m free. But I’ll probably be at my best if I write in the mornings. Or midnight. That’s when the electrons in my brain are super active.

6) What’s your favorite hobby?

I have a lot of favorites .
Like reading , dancing , watching movies and playing tennis.
I’ve always wanted to learn how to play the guitar , but I’ve never been able to dedicate sufficient time towards the “interest”.

7) Do you think that there is extra terrestrial life?

Hell yeah! I strongly believe that somewhere in the universe , extra terrestrial life does exist. Because there is a lot of probability of the existence of a place that has the right conditions to sustain some form of life considering the fact that our solar system occupies just a very small space in the universe.
And I’d love to meet aliens.

8) Your favorite item?

Duh , my TV. It’s lovely. :’)
It makes me laugh. It makes me cry. It informs me about stuff. It helps me deal with boredom. It’s marvellous.

9) What phone do you use?

An android phone. (Samsung)

10) Do you have a favourite restaurant? What is it? Where is it?

I don’t actually have a favourite restaurant.
I love experimenting with food. A different cuisine every time.
Mexican is my favourite though.

11) What kind of a whether is perfect in your opinion?

I like summer. I like sun. I like California.
But the funny part is that I miss the snow every time I get too much of the sun.
I would like a place with pretty warn summers and extremely cold winters.

11 random facts about me –

1) I had an obsession with Justin Bieber. And I honestly don’t know how or why.

2) I daydream a lot. I could spend about 2 hours sitting idle and letting my mind wander.

3) I love drinking water. So much that people find it very bizarre at times.

4) I’m insanely attracted to beaches.

5) I’m picky when it comes to people.

6) I love shopping like crazy. Partly because I get over all my clothes after wearing them once.

7) I smile more than I should. I smile when I’m happy. I smile when I worried. I smile just before I’m about to cry. I can’t help but smile all the time.

8) I enjoy laughing at myself.

9) My hand and feet are cold most of the time.

10) I have naturally white nails. It’s always been mistaken for a french manicure.

11) I’m a passionate nature lover. 

My 11 nominees –

1) http://www.abovevanilla.wordpress.com

2) http://www.adverbsocial.wordpress.com

3) http://www.berlinstorm.wordpress.com

4) http://www.creatingchloe.wordpress.com

5) http://www.dinosaursdoexist.wordpress.com

6) http://www.ellokelsey.wordpress.com

7) http://www.fashionistaunderground.wordpress.com

8) http://www.thafreebird.wordpress.com

9)http://www.icookandcode.com

10) http://www.imperfectioniscool.wordpress.com

11) http://www.getareallife.wordpress.com

And here are the 11 questions for my nominees –

1) Describe yourself in 3 words.

2) What would you do if you were invisible for a day?

3) Who is your celebrity crush? Why?

4) What would you do if you won the lottery?

5) What are you afraid of?

6) If you could go on a dream holiday , where would it be?

7) Do you believe that ghost exist in the real world?

8) What do you want to change about yourself?

9) What is the biggest adventure that you’ve been on?

10) What super power do you dream of having?

11) Which is your favourite animal?

Yeah. That’s all.
Have fun!

Cheers ,
Ayushi 🙂

 

Which # ice-cream are you?

Personalities of people are like ice cream flavors – there are a million possibilities and even though different flavors suit different kinds of people , we all have at least one favourite flavor that we will love for eternity no matter what. Some come with a bonus of a cone ( their good looks) which does make them more attractive than their counterparts that come in cups. However , it’s the taste of the actual ice-cream that makes  the difference – what attracts people towards you. Some of them play it safe and simple like the vanilla ice-cream while some are bold enough to be a little adventurous like butterscotch ice cream.

Here are some of the ice cream flavours in my life –

#1 The fabulous chocolate sundae  

They’re my favorite kind of people. They are a blend of some of the most amazing flavours that one could have. They would be the  “funny” , “smart” and “fabulous” people. They are lovely and lively.They’re not necessarily sweet all the time , and are often hated by some people. But , they’re awesome.

#2 The unique blueberry  

Okay , they have an acquired taste. Not everyone likes these people. But , they’re pretty interesting once you make an attempt to get to know them. They celebrate their individuality. Some of us might find then strange , but they couldn’t care less about what other people think. They are the rebels. The misfits.  Yes ,they are sometimes very picky about things and not always open to new ideas.

 

#3 The rainbow ice-cream.

Well , you know what I’m talking about. Don’t you? The people who show a different  color every time. While some people might like people who act like a while new different person every time you meet them , they’re just not my kind of people.  Mostly because they’re usually very fake and superfatial.

#4 The classic vanilla ice cream.  

Admit it – all if us have had a lot of this flavour. It might not be our favourite. I might be slightly boring and plain. But it’s classic.  It’s simple. But it’s definitely not something that we would hate. We’re completely okay with these vanilla flavoured people. They’re some of the nicest people you would have in you’re circle. They would always be there when you want them too. They’re simple and lovely people. I really like people who come under this one.

#5 The adventurous butterscotch.  

Ah. This is one interesting and lively flavour. It’s fun. It’s different. And most of us like it. You know , I’m talking about the adventurous , brave and energetic people here. The ones who are ready to accept challenges.  The ones who are not afraid.

# 6 The sweet strawberry. 

Some of us would totally love this kind. Yes , these people are extremely nice and sweet . But they are so darn sweet that you can’t help but wonder whether they want something from you for their benefit.  And trust me , most of the times they do have a well planned purpose behind this sweetness. Too much of anything isn’t good.  I find it extremely hard to trust such people.

 

 

So what kind of an ice cream are you?

 

 

 

Cheers,

Ayushi 🙂

 

A few of my favourite things …

“When I’m feeling sad , I simply remember my favourite things. And then I don’t feel so bad.”

#1 – The smell after it rains. It’s always amazing to go outside and take a walk after it rains. The nature looks and smells better than ever. ( Duh , it has just taken a shower)

 

#2 – Books you just can’t put down. Man, life is so much better when you fall asleep reading an amazing book and wake up wondering what would happen in the next chapter. It gives you something to look forward to every single day.

 

 

#3 – Songs that you can relate to. Sometimes , you’re just not able to express how you feel about something. Then on one fine day , you randomly happen to hear this song on the radio that expresses exactly how you felt once upon a time. Ah! You feel wonderful after that.

 

#4 – Chocolate cakes! Yummy! Whenever I have a crappy day , chocolate cakes are the BEST therapy ever.

#5 – Airports I love travelling! I love airports. The atmosphere – it’s wonderful – every one is in the “I’m looking forward to my destination” mood. Everyone has a story about where they’re going and why. And also , a lot of people are seen reading.

#6 – Taking photos in nature. Now this is one of my favourite pictures. I totally love the background. The nature – it’s amazingly beautiful.

#7 – Playing with animals!

Meet Felix ( the white tiger) , my buddy from South Africa and Willy (the horse) my friend from Chicago. I’ve had some of the best moments of my life with them. They’re adorable , aren’t they? 

 

#8 – A walk on the beach. Yeah! If you read my post about Why I love beaches , you probably have an idea about how crazy I am about beaches. Beaches are wonderful.

 

#9 – Baggy sweaters They’re super comfortable.  And super stylish. What else do you want?

 

#10 – Mr Timberlake. I’m the JT’s biggest fan. He’s just perfect. He looks perfect. His music. His movies. His everything. Ah. I love you , Justin. And with that we come to an end. Oh wait. Ice-cream is a part of the list too. Anyway, Cheers! Ayushi.

Try walking in our shoes …

Imagine having to eat the same thing everyday. Every meal. That too , something like plain bread and butter. No sauces. No flavors. No spices. Not even vegetables. And definitely no meat or fish. Sounds extraordinarily boring and insane , doesn’t it?

That’s exactly how I feel when I have to wear the same uniform to school over and over again. Bored. Disgusted. Annoyed.Restricted. And most importantly , indistinguishable.

“Variety is the spice of life”  Life needs variety. Life needs colors. Who enjoys a black and white movie? Who enjoys looking at themselves in the same two boring colors everyday? Who likes to look like everyone else? Who likes to be indistinguishable?

I’m against uniforms  not just  because of typical-sixteen-year-old excuses like “Boredom” or “No variety”. There’s more to it. I strongly believe  that schools are supposed to build and foundation that will prepare us for the challenges that we have to face in future. And one of the key aspects of one’s personality is “Individuality” . We all , have to be taught how to think for ourselves. How to be ourselves. How to celebrate our uniqueness, How to discover who we really are and thereby accept ourselves the way we are. And , in my opinion , uniforms kill “Individuality”. Uniforms , are an indirect way of telling us,  “You are no different , you HAVE to think and look like others.”

 

Furthermore , when you have to stay in school for 7 hours straight , you NEED something that you are comfortable in. Not ties that choke you , uncomfortable blazers and annoying belts.It’s impossible to make something that can suit each and every student. Then , why make them?Let us wear something in which we are comfortable.

I don’t see any prominent reason as to why we need uniforms.

Discipline? We’re students , not animals. The learning process should be made “fun” so that we look forward to it. It’s school. Not a jail.

Distraction? We would be more distracted when we’re uncomfortable with what we’re wearing.

Come on , we’re the ones who have to wear it everyday.  The teachers or the management of the school , or even our parents in that case ,  cannot just sit and give us expert advice until they walk in our shoes.(both literally and figuratively) I bet they would understand what that feels like if they have to eat plain bread with butter everyday.

How I wish my life was more “flavored” and “colorful”.

How I wish I wake up one day , to realize that I’m free to wear anything I want.

How I wish that school uniforms will be banned one day.

 

Why I Love Beaches.

“Every time I stand before a beautiful beach , it’s waves seem to whisper to me : If you chose the simple things and find joy in nature’s simple treasures , life and living need not be so hard “

I’ve always been attracted to beaches in a way I cannot explain.  It’s ironical – how happy the simplest things like feeling  sand in between your toes or watching a sunset can make you. Just sitting on the shore with the ocean lapping my feet every now and then makes me feel like I’m in paradise. A long walk by the beach is one of the best things ever. You walk , admiring the beauty of nature and thinking about how good life is. You breathe in the scent of salt. You love how the sand fills the tiny gaps between your toes. You hear the pleasant sound of the waves crashing against the shoreline. You let your hair go free and flow with the breeze. You can’t help but realise why you’re here on this beautiful planet. And sunsets are one of the best features of nature. Sunsets at the beach. That colour. It’s wonderful. The way the water reflects that colour and the way the sun seems to make it’s way into the water is one marvellous sight. Sunset is a good way to appreciate all the amazing things the sun gave us. No candle or artifitial source of light can replace the sun’s power , range and beauty.

I love the serene brutality of the the ocean. I admire the electric power that I feel with each breath of wet , briny air. There’s something magical about the sea.

The beautiful and mysterious ocean has a playful site too. And that’s exactly why I love surfing.  You’re taking on nature with a stick saying “I’m gong to ride you.” And a lot of times , nature says “No you’re not!”  and crashes you to to the bottom.

Lucky are those who live by the sea. I hope that someday , somewhere and somehow I will too.

-Ayushi.

An open letter to Pitbull

Dear Pitbull ,

I’m not a very ardent football fan or anything , but I do strongly feel that a song that’s supposed to be promoting one of the most popular games in the world should be more than a chaotic song filled with meaningless lyrics and clumsy background music. You can do better. Come on , I thought you were crazy about travelling the world and talking about different places?

“Waka waka” was such a trend. Everyone knew about the song. And this year’s “We are one (Ole Ola)” wasn’t even close. Even the plain “To Brazil” by Vengaboys was somewhere catchy and likable.
This was disappointing. Very disappointing. I was expecting something better from someone who likes to be called “Mr Worldwide” .

You know , I can relate to your passion for travelling he world. I love visiting different places and learning about different cultures. I admired the song “International love” . I really liked the idea behind the song. You have your own and rather different style of doing things – which was probably one of the reasons you got famous , but that doesn’t mean you start thinking that we’ll like anything and everything you make just because it’s a “Pitbull” song. Most of us hated the world cup song. And I don’t think Jenifer Lopez was to blame. She barely sang.

Another thing that bothered me was your style of dressing at the opening ceremony. It clearly stated ” The world cup? What’s the big deal? ” Maybe I’m wrong. But I felt that you din’t really take things seriously this time. You did not give your best.

 

Also , I’d like to give you some suggestion : Please start making songs with meaningful lyrics. And is it necessary to call out your name in the beginning of every song? We know it’s you.

Sincerely,

Ayushi

#First post.

Is it just me , or does everyone consider “starting” a piece of writing to be one of the most difficult things in the world? I mean , once you start , you just go with the flow . But the difficult part is – the beginning , the planning – deciding how much to write and about WHAT. What happens to me most of the times is – A million ideas coming at the same time – because of which I end up getting confused about which idea to consider.
Forgive me , I’m not much of a writer.
However , I do wish to become a good one. And that’s one of the main reasons as to why I created this blog – So that I could write on a regular basis and receive advice on how and where I should improve.
Also , I constantly feel the strong need to express my thoughts and feelings. Writing them down makes me happy.

In the future posts , I’ll be writing about the most random things that you could possibly imagine. From school to global issues – I love writing about anything and everything. That’s exactly why I chose making a blog over keeping a personal journal.

But again there are some things that I love more than the others . Like #travelling , #shopping , #movies and #music I could go on and on if you ask me about any of these. So it’s very likely that you get a lot of the above four in the following posts.

Okay then. Now you know why I’m here and what I’ll be writing. Who am I ? You’ll come to know. Soon.

P.S – Do follow the blog if you liked my not-so-great first post AND feel free to give me writing advice. I need it.

Cheers!

Ayushi