Changing First Name or Surname Post Marriage: are we overthinking it?

I am not going to dig deep into the subject that is very obvious – women are expected to change their surname after tying the knot. Lately, women have been using their surnames, sandwiched between their first name and the groom’s family name. Recently, I came across another marital norm where the bride’s first name too is changed. Shocking for some, this is rather common in parts of western India and provinces of Sindh, Pakistan. For some women this can be demeaning, almost a threat to their identity. For others, it is just about following a culture that is deep-seated into a community.

Bit of Health and Aesthetic Beauty in Cranberry Tea

Green Tea by a brand called, TE-A-ME. The flavor was intriguing, named Cranberry, and it instantly reminded me of Cranberry flavored Bacardi Breezer

Quick Observations:

• This green tea is actually red, the shade almost identical to the cranberry and alcohol confectionary that is bottled in the Bacardi stuff. Visually, more appealing than any other herbal or green tea concoction available these days
• Tastes nice, without being overwhelming. Unlike some other green teas, it does not have that typical herbal or floral essence which I sometimes find obtrusive. The reddish hue is leaked immediately and its darker every time to dip the dipper
• The flavor is very balanced, does not coat your tongue in a way that anything you might eat along loses its actual taste

Portion of My Dreams Captured in Images Borrowed Online

I am sharing some images that connect with some of the purest thoughts I have had for a long time. There is something very unadulterated about these images. For me, it is also about a distant dream that I believe most men my age often have – a big wooden house, surrounded by plush greens, days spent under the sun, working hard, returning to a warm house and a nurturing wife with your son playing in the backyard with woolly, massively-built dogs. Yes, there are some well-documented truth about dreaming patterns but this is just one man's story so far and the patterns here are not that well-connected. Well not of all of is the usual visuals all men have – many ingredients of this list are exclusive to me. These images capture a small bit of this thought that is close to my heart. In some way, this is also about things I yearned to have been a part of my childhood. Try to zoom in on the expressions of the canines, sometimes extremely silent and stoic in these stills but there is something about their faces that says a lot…

[Bajiroo.com has all image credits and sole ownership rights]

Silence of Surroundings vs Silence of mates for a lifetime!

Companions for life, Contrasted Beautifully

Just Some Fleeting Thoughts about ‘Could Have Been Better’

I have been constantly cutting out the psychological flab that tends to weigh heavily in my mind. Just like unwanted adipose deposits, these feelings of regret and not getting the chance of redemption can kill your spirit, downright bury it so deep that you find the daily routine too hard. The progress has been good. I have let go, forgotten, forgiven, and embraced most things in my life.

However, every now and then, some momentary thoughts do surface when I hear about someone getting hitched. Yes, marriage-related discussions, no matter how short or long don't make me nostalgic. Instead, a feeling dwells that things could have been done a lot better. In the months following my tying-the-knot moment, I realized that my limited social interactions had taken another bite without my realization…a bite from my pie of happiness.

Have You Used Self-created Pinch Points to Handle Anxiety?

This discussion will not make sense to everyone, simply because only someone from GERD, like me, can understand how debilitating Anxiety can become...it can literally derail your life and single-handedly decide your overall health status. Over the years of dealing with Anxiety, I have come across many Anxiety-management tools, some free resources and others, obesely priced for no apparent reason. While meditation does work it is not meant for me. Why? My mind tends to wander and ruminate a bit too much. I came across one lifestyle article nearly 3 years back and put the tip to practice - using a pinch point every time you felt that a sudden bout of Anxiety was coming. Yes, you can feel it like a wave of coldness, a wiry thing that feels against your skin, traveling from your upper shoulder area to your head. The trick is simple. Grab hold of something that can pinch you for good. Something like a key does the trick for me.

That Thing You Do, 'You' Being Macaroni

My wife gives a new twist to nearly every type of food out there - yes, she can cook most things people find at snack stalls and famous eateries. However, it is her Macaroni that is perhaps the best example of personalizing the taste, giving some Indian tadka to it, blending it with her expertise and creating something that is outright exotic!

What makes it special? For starters, the sheer volume of thinly chopped veggies. I believe it is the lack of semi-fried vegetables that makes many food items fare averagely. My wife's version of Macaroni is overwhelmed with veggies, chopped to perfection, thin slices that crunch and texture-up the dish perfectly.

[Suggested Reading: Food, Detox and Sugarcane Juice]

Why is winter dressing about Greys, followed by fanaticism for Black and Deep Blues?

It is very wintery in Delhi and all around me, including my office, people finding their way on the road, and folks behind the steering wheel are dressed-up, creating layers to insulate them against the chill. However, my floating observation took me to a realization – there is an overkill of Grey colored clothing, even the accessories are overcooked in shades of blue and black. From what I can fathom, Winters can be somewhat depressing. Some folks suffer from winter-induced clinical depression too but overall, the season is about Christmas, New Year and plans & resolutions. The monotony of these shades is a big contrast to the feel-good vibes which comes with loving every sip of coffee, that feeling of warmth that coats your throat every time you pounce on dark chocolate. My winter wardrobe is as colorful it can get without getting weird.

2018 Diet Trend is about eating CEREAL for dinner?

There has been a lot of noise about what type of diet trends grabbed attention in 2017. Personally, I stay away from reading too much into this. Every year some fad surfaces and then for no reason, it suddenly disappears, leaving the followers in limbo. However, yesterday I came across one thing that sounded interesting, logical and doable. This is about eating cereal for dinner. It might be a pleasant coincidence but I have already been doing this for nearly 10 days, long before I read this trend on Yahoo Lifestyle.My reasons for following this regime are completely different. For me, recovering from the recent bout of Jaundice has taken precedence over taste or a detailed supper.

Are your dreams always wintery?

This is a bit strange and somewhat personal – I tend to dream very sporadically and within the realm of visuals that my mind sketches, there is always a preference for winters being the background. As long as I am dreaming about having turned into a father, raising a family, the retirement years or feeling good about my financial might, the landscape is always extreme winter. Really cannot understand the reason for this. There is nothing special I have achieved in this time of the year. In fact, the last two winters have been rather hard on me, financially, health-wise and from an emotional perspective. Even when the mind ruminates about how I can make my mother’s last year’s happier, the setting is always cold, with the temperatures dipping rather drastically. When dreaming about my imaginary baby son, whom I would love to call JUNIOR, the setting is same – the boy-toy is dressed in cute, costume-like woolens.

No Monkeying Around: Are you eating a banana or hot dog?

Call me crazy for observing and commenting about the smallest things that happen around me but the fact is that I just cannot help it. A few days back, I saw this guy perched on a small slab like thing along the road, eating a banana. There is nothing serious or wrong about consuming a fruit that is extremely high on carbs, potassium and sodium and is known to help people relax better and sleep. However, there was something odd about the way in which he was holding the banana, fully peeled, held horizontally, just like we eat hot dogs. I have seen many members of the ape family, particularly monkeys, eat their banana in a manner that is far more groomed, peeling away the fruit and eating it one or two bites at a time.