The Delhi Choley Bhature Scene is Changing but not for the Good!

The bloggers are rampant and uncontrollable when creating videos about it, supported by the inexplicable appetite of social media content consumers, and it seems that no matter what season of the year it is, there is one equally popular food option during the breakfast, lunch, and dinner timings - Choley Bhature. While every hood in the city has its own favorite, Instagram and YouTube continue to preach the top 5, 7, or 10 places to reach the holy grail of Choley Bhature, and surprisingly, people in Delhi, people from Delhi, those who grew up within the city are as curious and sometimes naive, following every bit of social content to explore a new 'Choley Bhature' destination. While this transformation set in over the last 5 - 7 years, with the post-COVID [WFH] lifestyles also contributing to the cause, the overall Choley Bhature scene in Delhi has changed and not everything about it needs to be romanced with words and not every change should have been welcomed.

The Dream vs Reality of Family Summer Vacations: everything is not OK when holidaying with the family!

Every year as summer rolls around, images of the idyllic family vacation fill our minds. We envision laughing children playing on a beach, happy parents sipping drinks by the pool, and memorable moments being created. The reality, however, is often quite different - and much more stressful than anticipated. I recall my childhood days when family vacations were the norm, and I failed to remember even one trip that was filled with unpleasant memories. For some reason, and shockingly, I did not come across this somewhat taboo subject for most of my early years. However, some grey hair decades later, I realized that this is a genuine and global problem, and whether you are vacationing with your kids, grandparents, in-laws, or the extended family, family trips are often the source of anxiety. The following just might help though I am sure there is no simple cure for the issue...

What is self-compassion and it is important for you to accept your body?

Understanding Self-Compassion

Self-compassion is a critical psychological concept that entails treating oneself with the same kindness, concern, and support one would show to a good friend. Rooted in ancient Buddhist practices, self-compassion is fundamentally about recognizing our shared human experience, which includes suffering and imperfection. Dr. Kristin Neff, a pioneering researcher in this field, defines self-compassion through three main components: self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness.

Components of Self-Compassion

Self-Kindness: Instead of being harshly self-critical, self-kindness involves being gentle and understanding with oneself. It means recognizing that it's okay to make mistakes and that imperfection is a part of the human experience.

Eric on Netflix India is Daringly Different, Dark & Recreating Benchmarks

When Benedict Cumberbatch said that dressing up as a giant blue monster is "one of the most ludicrous things I've done" for the Netflix show, Eric, he must have forgotten to mention that he perhaps knew all along that this is one of the biggest performances that showcases his versatility as a performer.

[Image source:

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment]

You will surely relate with Eric if your childhood was in the shadows of the mayhem associated with dysfunctional marriages. If your parents quarreled a lot, and as a result, you still carry many emotional scars of growing up through the years with a type of fear that cannot be explained and that unsettling feeling continues to be there, deep in your heart, even if your parents have departed, you will instantly relate with the child who is perhaps, just running away from himself. It is that feeling does not go away - it lasts for a lifetime and Eric uses the darkness of this reality to beautifully conjure a scenario as a part of its storytelling. The depths of it include the corruption in NYPD, it highlights the corruption in our minds, and how choosing to be a different individual often causes our world to be shaken, stirred, and almost decimated.

The Pencil Thing: When Life Pulls You Back to the Basics!

I could have never imagined that sometime later in my adult life, I would have to make a comeback to writing with pencils. At school, progressing from pencils to pens was regarded as a significant shift. It is treated as one of the many signs that you have arrived at the doors of young adulthood. As we progress further, lives take a more professional form where pencils are regarded as kiddish and pens, sometimes the luxury variety, are looked upon as standard tools. However, sometimes Life can pan out in such a manner that whatever seems standard or natural needs to be re-evaluated.

I am now returning to the basics, i.e. writing with pencils, and this is why…this is not about the medically documented benefits of writing with a pencil but about the psychological, more humane side to the story.

Full Body Review for Hell House - Original, First Part Full Movie [as seen on YouTube]

There are a lot of real-life documentary-type movies out there and usually, I don't recommend watching them since the constant movement of the camera tends to irritate me a lot. However, Hell House does the same thing differently and a lot better. For the uninitiated, this is your typical low-budget movie done in a handheld, camera-shot manner and still, it manages to impress. Just for records - I have not researched if Hell House [first of the three so far] is of the pseudo-genre of documentary that was used by the makers of The Poughkeepsie Tapes - I think believing that something like this happens for real, and can happen again, just adds more creepiness to the entire thing.

Doing 'The Poughkeepsie Tapes' but only a bit better!

The beginning of the movie is marked by the medical teams and investigators repeatedly mentioning YouTube videos and finding some lost footage - this sets the tone in a way. You realize that the movie is going to present itself in a non-Cinemascope manner and still, Hell House manages to hold your attention. It does so by not using too much music. It does it better by straight away jumping into the subject - the incident per se, without a big lead-up, which can be boring and predictable. I still rate The Poughkeepsie Tapes among the top contenders in this niche of horror moviemaking but Hell House [the original] has come close, dangerously close. It has a slower pace than the latter, and it does not try to interpret a reason or the doer. This one scene in The Poughkeepsie Tapes still remains in my mind where the cops uncover a truckload of VHS tapes that were used to record the torture and instantly it dawns on the viewer that this is not just about a serial killer, The Poughkeepsie Tapes is about someone who tortures and kills as regularly as we have supper. Now, to give some perspective, Hell House has more of these spooky scenes. The simple, close-up of the basement that comes up in the first few minutes of the movie is creepy - mind you, this is before the menacing footage even starts playing!

Men: Ever Read About Tampons?

This really isn't much of a discussion. It is a spontaneous thought/thing that I thought just might prove helpful to my species, i.e. the lesser-informed men. My default browser is set to Firefox and every time I open it, the organic feed provides me some interesting articles. These are content pieces without the usual spicy, Instagram-trending refuse that is fed to our smartphones every day. These are slightly better, more likely to be researched type of content pieces that pour in via the Pocket application that Firefox offers. Today, the same thing happened, and among the first set of recommendations was this article: The quest for a better tampon comes as women’s sports surge and it just got me thinking - do most men even know what the difference is between sanitary pads/sanitary napkins and a Tampon? Do guys have a basic understanding of how these menstrual products actually work and at the same time, function differently? 

This is a summary if you are curious about what the editorial above is about: [remember this is the article that got me thinking and is not about the Tampon vs Sanitary Pad idea that it induced]

The Myth of Couples Growing to Resemble Each Other

Unveiling the Truth Behind Aging and Visual Similarity in Aging Couples...

The notion that couples begin to resemble each other as they age is a widely held belief, often spoken of in both jest and earnestness. This phenomenon, known colloquially as "couple convergence" or the "mirror image theory," suggests that over the years, the physical features of romantic partners gradually align. This article explores the science behind this intriguing idea, seeking to unravel the truth behind whether couples actually start looking like each other as they age. However, before we dwell on this topic, I just wanted to touch upon the fact that there is a bit of sadness and some inherent clauses that come with this topic. I see my parents age every week, and at no point, do they bear the same expressions or any level of physical similarity. The reason? My mom has been put down with Parkinson's for nearly a decade and the progressively degenerative nature of the condition continues to destroy her persona bit-by-bit. And this is what I am trying to highlight as I continue to come across so many scenarios where one partner is essentially the caretaker to his/her bedridden spouse and once the steroids, the medications, and years of chronic care start taking a cumulative effect. the entire notion of aging together takes a backseat.

Which is the best workout when you are feeling sad?

Feeling down or stressed? You might have Googled for a quick fix and the search results may have indicated exercising since physical activity is supposed to juice up the good hormone secretions. However, everybody is not up for it and more importantly, it is hard to get into the workout mindset when you are already feeling the blues. While lifestyle experts say that you don't have to feel helpless about it - exercise is a great way to help boost your mental health, we'll discuss the best workouts when you're feeling low and share some ideas about what type of physical activity can have positive effects on your mental health. Yes, there is no doubt that when done correctly, exercise releases endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects. It can also help reduce stress and anxiety.

Messing with Kettlebells!

 

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