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AN EYE (LENS) FOR AN EYE!

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  Pinterest “ Time to go in for a cataract surgery!” The doctor’s cheery words sank in and there I was once again, following the self-same routine of eye drops at fixed times during the day. Around eight years back, I had got a cataract removed from my left eye in a tiny hospital in Chennai. Despite all my apprehensions, it had been an almost pleasurable experience with a kaleidoscope of colours and a sensation of water flowing into my eye. I came out of the surgery smiling for all I was worth. I hoped that my second surgery would be as easy and as pleasurable. Surprisingly, I was more tense this time, even though I did not anticipate any pain or discomfort. My husband and I made our way to the hospital in the morning. After my eye had been dilated, the pressure taken and the usual tests done, I was taken into the inner room where I had to don a pink hospital gown over my clothes. There was an older gentleman who was promptly given a blue gown. Colour-coded according to gender, n...
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QUEER CHRONICLES – STORIES OF PRIDE AND PREJUDICE BY DR. TANUSHREE GHOSH

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  This collection of short stories by Dr. Tanushree Ghosh begins and ends as an exercise in subtlety. The themes begin on a serene note and meander onto issues that are all relatable. India has gradually progressed beyond the taboos that were linked to homosexuality and diversity in the past, beyond the criminalisation of the same, though there is room for more scope. There are still myriad people who have not yet opened their minds to these ideas.  Misconceptions still prevail, and the author tries to hint at them through her narratives. Sensitive, caring men exist, and they need not be gay. Since when have qualities like kindness and tenderness been associated with being gay? Likewise, group sports like men's hockey have always been perceived as macho sports. Women hockey players also are aggressive, and it was a chance statement in the movie 'Chak De' that gave birth to the story titled ‘Hamaari Hockey Mein’. A main character opines, "Persecution is terrible. Th...
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POETRY – THE BEST WORDS IN THE BEST ORDER

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In 2021, I took part in the Blogchatter A2Z Challenge and later brought out an eBook titled ‘Poetry – The Best Words in the Best Order’.  BLURB: The magic of poetry can never be denied, be it in any country or any language. It is the music of the soul. Samuel Taylor Coleridge defined it thus: Poetry: The Best Words in the Best Order." What better title could there be for a volume that eulogizes poetry, and waxes eloquent about classic poems with a wealth of meaning within?  THE CONTENTS: Have you ever imagined delving into a treasure trove to pick out little gems glittering on the surface of your palm? That is how I felt when I began to sift through the classic poems over the ages. My favourites were all going into the mix. Unsplash Image  A.   ABOU BEN ADHEM BY LEIGH HUNT B.    BECAUSE I COULD NOT STOP FOR DEATH BY EMILY DICKENSON C.    CLOUDS AND WAVES BY RABINDRANATH TAGORE D.   DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT BY DYLAN THOMA...
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GLORIOUS AFRICAN WINTERS VERSUS AN INDIAN GRANDMUM!

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                                                                                                        Pinterest I have always loved winter - from a distance. Those snow-clad mountains with the sunshine reflecting off in tiny diamond surfaces, the thought of the wind rustling through bare branches (brrrrr!), the freezing water that gradually turns into cracking ice - such beautiful images, but cold as cold can be. I could easily lose myself in a blizzard - in my dreams. Or when I am sitting in a claustrophobic room, with exhausted fans pushing around hot air. Suffocating, sweaty and unbearable! If summer comes, can winter be far behind! Oh yes, especially in a state like Kerala where winter comes in movies, TV serials and in one's...
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ZAT’S ALL FOR NOW, FOLKS!

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  The time has come to bid farewell to the #BlogchatterA2ZChallenge2025. Twenty-five exciting days have gone by, with many of us bloggers trying to beat time by sticking to the alphabet in all kinds of zany ways. It was a period of intense activity for all, I am sure, trying to juggle work, play, recreation and a writing schedule which could not be ignored.                                                                                                TheWriteAtHome Blog The wonderful Blogchatter team had asked us all to create a list of topics well in advance so that we would not be left scratching our heads at the last moment. However, some folks rarely take good advice. So, there I was on April 1 st , having travelled all the way from Cochin ...
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