Criticism

Criticism. I've been told about a million times that I can't take it! It is true or my mom and sister won't constantly tell me the same thing! It drives me completely mental! I hate being told my work isn't good enough or I have no sense of humour; that I can't laugh at myself... The list goes on and on! I know that I must learn how to take criticism because I want to be a journalist and a novelist and I'm going to face a ton of criticism before achieving any success. I have to learn how to take it in a positive way, to learn how to improve myself and be able to survive any hindrance and look at it as a stepping stone! But what to do? I have a terrible temper that I try so hard to control but to no avail! I know that it isn't an excuse and I should learn from my mistakes, its easier said than done! My mom hopes that I will one day grow out of it and this is just a side effect of me being a teenager. But I know that unless I work at it, I'm never going to change! I mean, who wants to deal with someone who loses her temper every two seconds? I'd honestly run in the opposite direction. No one will want to be friends with such a person. So, today I promise myself that I will become a better person. Cheesy, I know! But I'm me and I always will be!

Shakepeare!

You know who fascinates me? Shakespeare! I think he is the most brilliant man to have ever walked the earth! I know people think he is a complete pain in the butt, and is hard to understand, but actually his writing is very simple! By that I mean to say, what he conveys through his writing is pretty basic! Shakespeare didn't sugar-coat anything. He portrayed people the way they were! He was a man ahead of his times and wasn't afraid to show ugliness, hypocrisy and evil. Because people don't change. The circumstances do. We are currently covering Macbeth in school, and what Shakespeare tries to say through his characters is is so true. Sure, the language is complicated, but that's the way they spoke! Macbeth represents ambition, greed, envy, weakness. He tries to say that his wife coaxed him into murdering his king, but in the end it was his fault! If he truly didn't want to kill King Duncan to seize the throne, he wouldn't have gone ahead with it. Eventually it was his ambition that brought his downfall, not his wife. His wife is, if possible, even more ambitious than Macbeth. And obviously the stronger of the two. She advises him every step of the way and doesn't feel indecision for a second.
That's another thing I love about Shakespeare. He didn't make his women the cliches, the most of the other playwrights did. You know, the weak damsels-in-distress, always needing someone to take care of them. All of them were strong and had a voice and weren't afraid to express themselves. Thye weren't just ladies sitting pretty. They had backbones! Be it Rosalind in As You Like It, Lady Macbeth in 'Macbeth', Cleopatra in 'Antony and Cleopatra' and list goes on and on!
I could talk about Shakespeare all day long, but I'd probably bore you to death! So I'm signing off, till next time!

The Mark of Athena!

Hi there! I'm both ecstatic and on the verge of tears! I just read 'The Mark of Athena'. And it was AMAZING! The ending? Oh! Heartbreaking! And now I have to wait another year for the next book! I actually couldn't have read it unless I wasn't reading tumblr yesterday! Being the Curious Connie that I am, I couldn't resist reading spoilers, because the book doesn't come out in India for a month atleast!! That is another bone that I really need to pick! It isn't fair that it takes longer to come out in India, than anywhere else! Well, I needn't complain! While reading the spoilers, I spotted a link to the e-book! And it was free!!!!!!
I don't know if I was just waiting desperately for the book to come out, but I think it was one of his best! It was extremely well-written! And the ending? OH MY GOD! He left us at a cliffhanger, both literally and figuratively!! This book had a lot of characters from mythology! Hercules, Aphrodite/Venus, Bacchus, Arachne etc. etc. Frankly, I think I'm going to start all over again, just to savour it all over again! I'm doing my best to not to let out any spoilers! I totally recommend it for Greek and Roman mythology! And for Rick Riordan lovers!

Tumblers and Chocolates!

Hello there! I know I'm a terrible blogger, considering I haven't updated my blog in almost three weeks! But if I just write total crap, because I don't really feel like writing, that's even worse! What is writing, if not from the heart? Currently, I'm on a mission to become super-slim, as I'm told, by my sister, that I've begun to look like a tumbler! That is just terrible! I cannot become fat! So, I've stopped eating chocolates and ice-creams, and I'm participating in a dance in my school's annual day program, to knock off some weight! I've also decided to get into a regular exercise routine, to keep the weight permanently off!
The thing about going on a diet is that, unless you are 100% committed, the craving never stops! Actually, everything starts looking a thousand  times more delicious! Like today! We went grocery shopping, and every time I saw Nutella, or chocolate chip cookies, or Brittania chocolate cake! Oh and Dairy Milk Silk! The forbidden does have a certain allure, doesn't it?
I'm not saying I'm starving myself. I can't do that! I love food way too much! It's just that I've gotten into the habit of really hogging on food and need to start eating in moderation!
 I hope to be very slim by the time it's Diwali, because that's when my sister comes back, and I want to show her that I'm no longer fat! Sorry, random topic! The diet is the only thing new with me! What's new with you?

Gender Equality. Or Should I Say Inequality?

Hello! I just finished my first semester exams! I hope I did well! Fingers crossed!
Anyway, these days I've been wondering what India means by gender equality! Men still walk around like they own the world and everything should happen according to their wishes! Their wives must work, must cook, must clean, must take care of the children, must do everything! Most of us see this everyday! And now, many women are earning more than their husbands! But still! Men feel like they are a superior species!
    If not for women, they wouldn't have even come into this world! Women do everything, and all we expect in return is a little gratitude and love and affection! I'm not saying that men don't do anything. There are some men who help out their mothers, sisters and wives and daughters. But they are very rare exceptions! Like my grandfather, for instance!
  Why are we the ones who always need to make the sacrifice? Why not them?! It isn't fair! Then again, life isn't fair! The world boasts of how men and women are at par with each other. But is it really true? A woman who fights for her rights is considered aggressive and unpleasant, and in some cases, it is true. But do people really expect us to let others walk all over us like we're doormats? We can't be at everyone's beck and call all the time! After all we are just human beings too! Well, we should now not take anything lying down! Who cares if we are called aggressive? The world isn't a kind one, and while we shouldn't be cruel, we should be able to survive and live on equal terms! I hope this wasn't preachy! My mother says I can be like that sometimes!
    

Rumours!

I've been told that my last few posts have been completely indifferent (any guesses on who?). Well, I have to admit that it is true! I really have nothing to write about! I might be suffering from a case of writer's block!
Anyway, today I am going to talk about rumours! Why is it that people believe lies so easily, but when it comes to the truth, they completely tune you out? Rumours that have no solid base, and are completely ridiculous spread like wildfire and before you know it, everyone is talking about it! And if you try to quell them, no one is willing to listen to you! Rumours can be both harmful and harmless! But nonetheless, they hurt those whom they are about! I guess spreading rumours is a form of bullying too! People are much quicker to believe the faults of a person without even knowing them! But when you highly praise someone, why is it that they take much more time to form their own opinion? Is it jealousy? Just like we have more words to describe unhappiness and discontent, we have very few words to express our happiness! Isn't that sad? No one likes being spoken about in a negative way, but one form of comfort is the saying, "what goes around, comes around".I honestly believe that people get what they deserve! If today I say something mean and untrue about one of my classmates or just someone I know, I can't expect that there won't be any consequences for me! Maybe not right away, but there are always consequences! Sorry I chose such a random topic! There is nothing really going on with me, and rumours are a common occurence in school life!

Family and Food! You Gotta Love them!

Hello! As you know my cousins are in town and yesterday, we went to Inorbit mall! So, i got picked up from school by my mom and my cousin Vineet! So, two of my friends, came along with me to say hello! And, he like an idiot, says, and I quote,"Yo wassup? I'm from America!" What kind of weirdo says that? It's so embarrassing! Couldn't he say just a normal hello? Well, that's that! Nothing can be done about it! Anyway, today my sister is coming back!!!!!!!! I'm meeting her after 2 whole months! Family. What would we do without them?
The added advantage of having aunts and uncles and cousins in town, is that the food you get is amazing! Now that Didi is coming, my grandmother is going to make all kinds of amazing food! My mouth begins to water just by thinking about it!!!!! Not that I haven't been getting good food, considering my aunt and cousins are in town! Like yesterday, my grandma made one of my favourite desserts-caramel pudding!!!! Oh, did I mention, my grandma is like, THE best cook in the world! She has the magic touch in her fingers! Mmmm.. her american chopsuey, her ginger chicken, her chocolate cake, her biryani, her cutlets..... The list is endless! I'm probably boring you by now! My mom says my last few posts were completely random! No substance at all! I actually agree with her! It's like I have writer's block!