Twenty- five Seven

A hesitant participant #The A to Z Challenge

March 20, 2017

Why I am reluctant to participate in the #A to Z Challenge

Is it age or sheer exhaustion? Is it the stress of keeping to deadlines ? Or is it that the past two years’ of participation hasn’t resulted in any tangible changes. After all my bounce rate is still same. My traffic has increased only marginally and that too in a spiked graph. My following has also barely increased. So I wonder why I’m doing it at all.

[Tweet “Last year I had diligently commented on may posts but very few had the courtesy to even acknowledge my comments let alone reciprocate the gesture.”]

Besides I haven’t even thought of a theme that would take me through all the letters of the alphabet.

But I seem to be a glutton for punishment. Because this morning, in fact just now I’ve had a change of heart.

Inspiration strikes in the strangest places

I read a few theme reveals this morning, Payal’s, Esha’s and of course Shalinis’s. I know my other blogger friends are going to participate like Tina and Roshan. And I thought : Ok. I’ll cheer them on from the outside.

[Tweet “After all if everybody is busy driving the Mercedes, who is going to see them drive away?”]

Then this morning, as I opened up my cupboard to answer that eternal question of what I should wear today, I found the answer hanging right in front of me .

In case, you haven’t guessed .

Here it is

The Textile Traditions of India.

Indeed India is famous for its textile traditions . With almost every woman draping herself in 6 yards of fabric and the men wearing equally voluminous garbs, we need a lot of cloth to keep ourselves covered.

Not only do we need lots of yardage but different materials and textures. We have silks , cotton and jute. Then we have gossamer thin weaves and complicated jaquards.

Our fabrics are printed, dyed and embellished with intricate designs taking up thousands of man hours and executed with precision and skill .

So I expect to take you on this colourful journey all through the month of April in the #A to Z Challenge.

I hope some of my enthusiasm rubs off on you , dear reader , as I unravel the mystique of the Indian Textile tradition yard by colourful yard .

Looking forward to seeing you there!
Cleaning Up ! #Swachhbharatabhiyaan comes home #MondayMusings

March 20, 2017

Cleaning up

[Tweet “It’s amazing how a small space can be a big mess.”]

This is evidence that I can get order into my life – even in a small space like the deep freezer!

When I returned home last December after a three month stay in New Jersey, I was aghast to find the house completely run down and dusty. I had imagined that without me and the extra work, the househelp would have enough time on their hands to clean up. They did have more time but used it to watch television instead.

It was time to bring home the Clean India Campaign ( #swachhBharatAbhigyan) .

Since my cleaning lady Divya and her Magic Wand are completely ineffective and my own reach limited to just a few inches away from my nose, it made sense to employ a strong young man.

Sadly strong young men are no longer available and willing to do housework . After several attempts I finally got Mr.G who is so earnest that he even vacuums between my toes ( not really) . But I am not complaining because finally my house is gleaming and spotlessly clean.

An internal audit

Apart from getting things in order, cleaning cupboards brings some peace and calm. Unknowingly, we collect stuff that we don’t need and especially for someone like me, most times I used to just keep things out of the way.

“I’ll organise it later,” I used to say to myself and shut the door on what was becoming an unwieldy mess. And with the increasing untidiness, I could feel a sense of inadequacy and loss of control build up.

I realised that from time to time, I need to stand back and take stock of the situation. Almost like an internal audit. Strange as it may sound, the mere physical act of cleaning up is therapeutic . It is a de-stresser of the best kind!

[Tweet “Cleaning up, clears out cobwebs in the head . It helps get your mind in order not to mention your home and life.”]

This year my Spring Cleaning is done ahead of the spring!

And Yes! #SwachhBharatAbhigyan has finally come home to roost.

Do you find cleaning up restful?

I am linking up with #MondayMusings hosted by Corinne of EverydayGyaan. Do drop by to see what other Write Tribers have to share this Monday.
Why my blog is Mumbai On a High #FridayReflections

March 18, 2017

The reason behind my blog and its name.

There is a reason for everything.

Bailee Madison

Like most bloggers, I am often asked the reason behind my blog and its name. In fact, last year, I wrote a blog post on how my blog got its name . That blog post got quite a few laughs from my readers and I was glad.

[Tweet “Because the ultimate aim of my blog is to present a point of view that will make the reader laugh.”]

There are too many things in our lives to make us sad. And far too often, we focus on the bad. To my mind, life is too short to spend grumbling.

[Tweet “We should find time to laugh every now and then.”]

So, I thought “Mumbai on a High ” is a very punny name. I know the pun is supposed to be the poorest form of humour but honestly, when you live on the 23rd floor of a building which is on a hill, aren’t you high enough?

I’ve been in Mumbai for the past 36 years. Even before that, I spent most of my life in Mumbai and I think that this is the city or place that defines me. So even though this blog is not entirely devoted to Mumbai, it is definitely a view point of a Mumbaikar who lives quite high up.

There were several options open to me such as CurryMeMumbai which was how my blog was once called. But this gives an impression that the blog was all about food. I have various other interests so I thought I should call it Mumbai Daily. This too was nixed as it would mean a daily post. Also it sounds strangely like a newspaper. So I chose Mumbai On a High.

The view from the top

Undoubtedly a bird’s eye view gives one a different perspective of things. Seen from above, one not only gets the whole picture, but in a way a highly sanitized picture where the grime and dirt are invisible. Equally, on a hazy day, the view is fuzzy and unclear. And when everything is seen at half the size it really is, things can seem disproportionate. With all these drawbacks, why do I insist on this name, you may ask.

Well, because on a clear day when you can really see forever, the view is simply stunning.

There are mornings when I stop in the middle of whatever mundane task I’m doing just to soak in the beauty of a golden sun bathed city waiting to slowly get up.

The glorious sun which as it sets, fills the Western sky with myriad colours , a sight hard to match anywhere in the world. The whole expanse of sea and sky, the buildings clamouring to be seen each day, the peaceful calm of the lighthouse I can spy in the distance and the screeching parrots that fly past me each morning serve to remind me that indeed, I have a unique view.

Don’t you agree with me then, that my blog is aptly named?

This is my response to the prompt put out on this week’s #FridayReflections