Are you into blogging? Here's a hilarious story of how I got started...it began with a job interview!

The first time I heard the word 'blogging' is when I went for a job interview. The lovely young lady who interviewed me asked, ''Are you into blogging?'' At the time, I didn't even know what blogging was. She left it at that and thankfully, didn't pursue it. I got the job, but more than the job itself, that lady's question ''Are you into blogging?'' changed my life. I became a blogger.

The first thing I did when I came back home was to google ''blogging''. I didn't have a smartphone then just in case you are wondering. A whole new world opened up before me. I had no clue then what I wanted to write or for whom - after all, no one in the world was connected to me through a blog. That seemed exciting enough to take the risk - the feeling that I could write, convey my feelings and my personal stories and send it out to the world and just wait to be discovered and read by people I had no idea about.

For a mother whose routine juggled between balancing work and home, the blogging space was a ''retreat''. When my son went off to play, I would think about what to write next as a blog post. It didn't matter to me that no one would read it. I wanted to send out my feelings and musings to the Universe, without worrying about who was reading. This blog is where I began to daydream, sometimes look back at my memories, the choices I now make and share the few things that mean a lot to me personally.

Now, this blog is more of a companion on my life's beautiful journey - which is why you also get to read happy posts like 'A Dad's Advice to the Daughter He loves' and sad posts too, like the recent one I wrote.

Nowadays, I can see so many smart and intelligent young bloggers who are very clear about what they want. They want to focus on niche areas like social media, technology, etc.

2017 has been a very busy year for me, with so many things happening that it has been challenging to write even one post per month. I still managed to share the most important personal update of the year with you all - in case you missed it, do read about my home shifting journey here and the bittersweet nostalgia it brought me.

Now it's your turn to tell me - are you into blogging and what do you enjoy blogging about?

Comments

The Ugly Truth about Caste in Kerala

Many years ago, when I wrote this post on Kerala's caste system, I had not considered that people would start sending in abusive comments about one caste over the other. It baffles me that this is how Indians, all of us, continue to judge each other on account of caste differences. [ READ: Guru Kripa: Powerful Lessons at the Lotus Feet ] My question is - why do you ABUSE any caste or community? I suggest that you read about the lives of great Masters and their stories - none of them judged anyone on the basis of caste. You can read the life stories of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagawadpada, Tulsidas, Jnaneshwar, Namadev, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, Shirdi Sai Baba, and many more Gurus in Sanathana Dharma. NONE of them endorse these caste hierarchies in Bhakti Marga. Assuming that Guru Sampradaya does not appeal to your sensibilities, do read this new book 'Ants among Elephants' written by Sujatha Gidla, who writes about herself as being born

How do you light Deepam at home?

How do you light deepam at home? As a child, I loved watching the ritual of my grandmother lighting the deepam or the traditional lamp at home in the evenings. A sense of serenity accompanied her frail figure as she would carefully straighten every wick, dip it into the tiny puddle of oil and light the lamp. As my grandmother would read out the scriptures and chant the prayers, the fragrance of incense sticks and flowers added depth to the experience. In many Hindu homes nowadays, the lighting of the lamp (or the nilavilakku, as Malayalis refer to the traditional lamp in their homes) is not a regular practice. A lot of people have many questions around how to light deepam at home and which oil to use and so on. An important point to keep in mind - Maintain physical cleanliness and hygiene while lighting the lamp. Wear clean clothes while lighting the lamp. Frequently Asked Questions About Lighting Deepam at Home Collating most queries related to how to light the deepam at home, I'v

Vidyarambham: How and why Malayalis celebrate writing the words ''Harisree Ganapathaye Namaha"

For Malayalis, Vidyarambham is an auspicious day on which the elders and children mark the day by writing the sacred words, "Harisree Ganapathayeh Namaha." The observance of this ritual may differ from region to region, community to community and family to family. Whatever I share here is based on how vidyarambham is celebrated in my home. [READ: What is Vidyarambham?] Vidyarambham: How Malayalis observe this sacred day In families where the children are gearing up to enter pre-school or play school and are not yet ready to join the formal schooling system, Vidyarambham marks an important occasion for an elder to introduce them to the world of "vidya" or "knowledge." The words ''Harisree Ganapathayeh Namaha" are written on the child's tongue by the grandparent, an elder or parent. [Image credit: Travel Manorama Online ] Vidyarambham: Why it matters An interesting aspect of Vidyarambha

7 Am Arivu (the Seventh Sense) - Why it is spiritually relevant

7 Am Arivu (the Seventh Sense) is a film that I was desperate to watch for two reasons. One, I am a Suriya fan and I had heard so much about his performance in this movie that I didn't want to settle for watching a CD of it and losing the actual cinematic experience. Second, I had read from various bloggers and their reviews that this film revolves around the story of Bodhidharman, a 16th century prince from Tamil Nadu who had mastered knowledge spanning multiple forms of art, and was sent to China to save the people from evil. Once he goes there, the transformation begins for himself and for the people there and he goes on to become Damo, the father of Shaolin and Kung Fu and hypnotism and such other mystical yet spiritually relevant forms of mind mastery. 7 Am Arivu Goes Over the Top with the Dravidian Rhetoric In 7 Am Arivu, there has been a lot of controversy created by the fact that nearly every character eulogizes about the importance of being Tamil and yes, the Dravidi

The Amazing Tale of Peddabottu: How she battled all odds, took leadership roles and defied conventional norms in a unique way

When we first come into the world, we mark our entry with a big cry. The wise ones say that we loathe to leave the safety of the mother's womb. As we grow up, we learn to seek happiness in the things we do. We find different ways to be happy. The wise ones says, ''Pain makes you strong.'' The truth about happiness is that it teaches us nothing, whereas pain nudges out of our complacent comfort zones. It teaches us to reflect, look within and find the answers from a zone that we are not usually familiar dealing with. [Subscribe to my weekly newsletter: https://svara.substack.com/] Pain and sorrow manifest in our lives differently and across different phases but how we react to it defines our the direction of our life. A newborn child undergoes pain when vaccinated but will a mother stop her child from being vaccinated simply because she doesn't want her child to undergo pain? [ Must Read: A Dad's Advice to the Daughter He loves ] So, there

Petals!

Search This Blog