Author: An Extraordinary Woman
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2021: Embracing Gratitude and Personal Growth
In a year of despair, this optimistic soul clings to gratitude, celebrating health, accomplishments, and treasured moments while acknowledging others’ struggles. Can positivity truly thrive amid chaos?
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Prepping For Diwali? The Significance of Pre – Diwali Cleaning
The preparation for Diwali involves cleaning and decluttering, symbolizing renewal and spiritual purity. Breaking tasks into smaller areas and seeking help are recommended for an efficient process.
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Confronting Societal Hypocrisy: A Call for Tolerance
In an age of glaring hypocrisy, society seeks change while failing to embody the patience, tolerance, and compassion it preaches. Let’s embrace genuine kindness and understanding.
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Celebrating Sisterhood: A Sari Photo Shoot Story
In a vibrant winter photo-shoot for Tejaswini saris, I embraced community bonding, self-expression, and the beauty of tradition, celebrating our unique identities through exquisite garments.
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Coping with Emotional Weight: Practical Tips
Life’s heaviness can feel overwhelming, yet we can find relief through self-care practices like writing, crying, and gentle movement, among other personal coping strategies.
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Wrongdoer – Coping With Unrealistic Standards
The writer questions why they are always seen as the wrongdoer, admitting to overthinking and self-doubt. They find solace in letting go and forgiving.
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From Excitement to Assumptions: The Dance of Miscommunication
At a party, I joyfully danced, only to face assumptions about my personality. My exuberance was misconstrued as authority, highlighting the pitfalls of first impressions and subconscious biases.
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Embracing Diversity: Why Acceptance Matters
Individual differences are inherent, yet many struggle to accept them. Realizing this fosters understanding and change, as dissent drives progress in thought and behavior.
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Experiencing Winter: A Personal Reflection
Winter is my favourite season. The only wish of mine that remains unfulfilled is ‘if only it snows in NCR’! I can take the freezing chilly weather. Don’t get me wrong; I feel cold, but I love it. Much better than sweating in the horrid summer! So, yes, the cold never bothers me. On the…
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5 Things to Use Up Before Buying More
The post discusses the necessity of using up accumulated items, such as books and personal care products, before purchasing more, to reduce waste and clutter.
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🤫
Miss Marple would agree, there’s no perfect crime. From post-war Britain to modern India, criminals leave their mark. Kalyug! Technology complicates, but karma catches up!
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😸
An ordinary girl with an extraordinary life story to tell. Despite her ordinary appearance and nature, she has experienced some remarkable episodes.
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Ohh!
It’s okay to recycle – are you feeling patriotic? What does patriotism mean to you? Share your thoughts! #recycling #patriotism
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Can You Take A Joke?
So, you love a good joke, huh? But can you handle being the punchline? Don’t dish it out if you can’t take it! Lighten up and laugh!
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The Inspiring Tale of Tails
I interviewed Reeya Thakur of Happy Tails Foundation (HTF) in 2021 for my society magazine and also posted that on this blog in 2022 (which you can read here). Over the last two+ years, this animal lover & activist has continued to do phenomenal work and has made me aspire to be a better human…
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More than a 🎁 – Embracing Activity
Fitbit transformed this lazy person into a fitness-conscious individual. Now, they can’t part with it even though their beautiful watches lay forgotten in the cupboard!
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One That’s Built On Respect!
I envision my dream home as a cozy cottage in a town with a pleasant climate, featuring a garden, patio, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
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Thank god!
When receiving fantastic news, I head to my place of worship to express gratitude. I’ve learned to embrace destiny and the value of gratitude.
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My Bones Creak!
In my 20s, I could party till dawn, but now, I prefer to sleep at 10 PM. I still love dancing, though! Embracing the changes gracefully.
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Pan Pasand vs Swad: Exploring the Tasty World of Indian Candies
In this delightful post, the author reminisces about their favorite candies, Pan Pasand and Swad, celebrating their flavors and the sweet memories of childhood.
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What Is Love?
Love is happiness. Love is how your eyes light up when you see your loved one. Love is when your smile reaches your eyes. Love is the satisfaction of knowing you’re appreciated & cared for. Love is the joy of sitting next to each other & not feeling the pressure of holding a conversation. Love…
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I Need A Break!
Yeah, I don’t need a break right now, but I do need breaks from my family and the routine. Sometimes I just go out for a coffee or hang out with friends. Other times, I take a solo trip or explore locally. My me-time is precious and non-negotiable. How about you?
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📱!
The cellphone, introduced by Motorola, is the most important invention. Despite criticisms, it’s essential for our lives, connecting us and managing everything.
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Bliss Day!
My perfect day would start with no alarm, a morning walk, some yoga, healthy meals, reading, sightseeing, writing, playing with my dog, socializing, and ending with a peaceful sleep.
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The Ephemeral Nature of Life…
Death, especially due to COVID, has made me value the present moment and live life to the fullest, shedding regrets and embracing contentment.
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🎨
A lifelong struggle with art and craft – childhood attempts haunt me. Despite fleeting motivation, doubt always prevails. A to-do list item forever neglected.
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My 👟!
My favourite pair of 👞 is clearly the pairs of sneakers I’ve owned over a period of time. Three things make my 👟 my go-to shoe – Thank you dear 👟 for keeping me active & comfortable! 💕 Tell us about your favorite pair of shoes, and where they’ve taken you.
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Is ‘a story’ an acceptable answer?
The writer reflects on their late start in cooking, preferring storytelling over actual cooking. For them, “baking a cake” symbolizes living.
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My first 🖥
The author nostalgically recounts their experience with their first computer and internet: an assembled, bulky machine fraught with problems and a dial-up with unpredictable connectivity, which drastically differed from today’s advancements.
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🙅🏻♀️! Not happening!!
The author dislikes adventure sports, and prefers focusing on their own niche interests rather than attempting everything. They question the necessity of universal participation in all activities.
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I’m Not Much of A Complainer…
The post discusses the author’s disdain for extremely selfish individuals, specifically those who disregard others’ feelings for personal convenience, control friends, and disrupt peace.
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That’s a tough one!
In my new blog post, I reflect on my lack of involvement in sports during my childhood, expressing regret over not having remained more physically active for health reasons. Only passively interested in watching cricket and occasional football, I’ve recently developed an interest in the Olympics but prefer following events via social media due to…
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80:20
If I won the lottery, I would put 80% of the amount in my 🏦 savings deposit & use the remaining 20% to travel the world. Why Savings Deposit you ask? Why not stocks?? Well, I’m quite risk averse. The max I can venture is a Fixed Deposit (FD). FDs don’t have very high interest…
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TBR list
Is ‘all of them’ an acceptable answer? 👍🏼 I’m exaggerating. As much as I love 📚, I’ve realized I’m fond of only certain genres… Fiction tops my list! Within fiction, mystery/ thriller, historical fiction & mythology have turned out to be my favorites. I also like lighthearted books, the ones that are popularly (& sometimes…
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A foodie 👨👩👧👦
My favorite family traditions revolve around food. These are either going to our favored cafes/ restaurants or cooking new dishes for each other… Tasty food has always been a big priority when all of us are together! Recently, this has moved to tasty AND healthy food. Our family gatherings are infrequent but when they do…
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Sightseeing
OK, difficult to say if sightseeing is business or leisure for me, given that I’m a travel blogger. But I truly, madly, deeply love seeing sights… I’m one of those who doesn’t disregard anything till I’ve seen it with my own eyes! If I don’t get a chance to step out of my City, I…
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Oh that’s an easy one!
An attraction close to 🏡 that I still haven’t got around to visiting is the Okhla Bird Sanctuary. It’s home to a lot of migratory 🐦 & every winter, I tell myself, “I’ll go this year” but it just doesn’t happen. 🤦🏻♀️ Name an attraction or town close to home that you still haven’t got…
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Funlimited!
I believe there would be more than five things I do for fun but the top five have to be the following – The first one deserves an explanation. I like observing human behavior… Initially, it came naturally to me thanks to my being an introvert! But now, I do it consciously. Observing human antics…
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❤️
If I could make Fluffy understand one thing, it would be that I love her a lot & would be lost without her. This may not be 100% apparent to Fluffu as I’m quite a strict dogma & am always trying to discipline her… But she’s my 🌞… literally! She gives me life. She makes…
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Darrrling!
Well, isn’t that the literal translation of my first name – Priya? As much as I would love to be everyone’s darling, I’m not. & I’ve no qualms about that… I’m 🙁, 👎🏼 & maybe even hated! Because I’m opinionated & principled. & that’s OK with me… Another name for Priya would be ‘beloved’! I’ve…
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Dream Job
My dream job is to make things ✅️ for good people. I’m 😫 of seeing good people hurt… because, somehow, it’s the nasty ones that seem to get the upper hand. What’s your dream job?
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I Got Lucky!
I often get complimented on being able to overcome my inertia & moving away to a different plane from the corporate one. And, each time, my response to this has been twofold – And so, I really appreciate that I got lucky regarding this. I’m aware of my privilege and grateful for it. I’ve seen…
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Seven Seven-minute Self-Care Practices
One of my learnings from the last five+ years has been to slow down & care for myself. When I worked in the corporate sector, in a fulltime job, I doubt I consciously took days or hours or even minutes to take care of myself. Now, even though my life is less hectic, I still…
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Just One Word For My 36th Year
Appreciation I celebrated my birthday on Sunday. As I reflected over the last year, the only thought that churned in my head was appreciation! My 36th year had its ups & downs and I’m not taking away the anger/ grief I felt. But one of my coping mechanisms is to look at the bright side.…
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Pranic Healing
On World Mental Health Day, I revisit the time I had a chance to interview a Pranic Healer, Dr. Smitha Rao. Pranic Healing was a term I had heard before but did not know anything about it. I produce an excerpt from the interview below; hope it throws more light on this concept. Me –…
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The Caste Rot in India – A Rant
Brahmins consider themselves as the highest. Upper castes consider themselves higher than Shudras (OBCs). Shudras consider themselves higher than Dalits. Dalits consider themselves higher than tribals. Dalits & tribals don’t consider themselves Hindus. Aarrgh! The caste rot in India is deep. People are ready to butcher each other on these lines. Politicians misuse this ‘difference’…
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Fluffy, Thank You for Choosing Us!
Dogs bring about positivity in our lives. I’ve known that since I was a child. I grew up in a household where I pretty much always had dogs around me. Higher studies & then living alone put a pause to that but my fondness for dogs never diminished. Bringing home a dog was always on…
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Baking A Cake = Living Life
The smell of a freshly-baked cake has brought a smile to my face for as long as I can remember. I started trying my hand at baking in my childhood itself but I didn’t crack the art & science till COVID made me stay home. Earlier, I would dump all the ingredients together & mix…
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A Dalgona by Any Other Name…
In 2020, one of the little joys people were deriving were by making Dalgona Coffee at home. It was summer & cold coffee forms a part of our diet during the hot months. Becoming aware of Dalgona made us give it a shot (or multiple shots rather!). That set off a few comments too. I…
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Appearances Are Deceptive! Or Delicious!!
Disclaimer – I recognise I was hugely privileged to be able to plate my food when there were people out there who were struggling to make ends meet during the first lockdown. As then, so now, my heart goes out to them. I did whatever I could to support them. I remember from my lockdown…
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Artsy Fartsy Smartsy
“Ugh! Prema is soo annoying!”, Patala almost shouted. Niket looked askance from his mobile phone at her & mumbled, “Why? What happened now?” “Dude, she goes on & on about ‘architectural beauty’ on her social media. Like she finds architectural beauty even in a WC!” “Ha ha! So, what do you find annoying – Prema…
