'Criti....que not Criti....cize'

Rains? Oh, adrak wali chai (ginger tea) and pakode (fritters) to the rescue! As much as pop culture has glorified that feeling, has anyone felt gloomy with the continuous downpour -- the relentless rainfall, which often takes away homes and roads with it? The gloom descended this morning, thanks to a sunny sky. I felt these smileys today. 🌞☀️ Closer home, what the rains did till yesterday was to not allow clothes to dry, to linger as a smell that refused to budge despite pouring floor cleaning soapy liquid and a copious amount of the liquid that claims to kill 99.9% of germs including the one that is responsible for the Covid- 19 pandemic. While I think of splashing that liquid all over the world via a helicopter, my nose rang an alarm in my brain. Yet again. Ah! That semi-dry, modern version of poncha (wiping stick) was the culprit. While the dream of a fragrant home (with flowers blooming all over for dramatic effect) remained a dream, I had to then fish out agarbathis (incense s...

That's the thing about books. To each his own. Recommendations and reviews work only to a point. I, for one, love to randomly pick up books and read. Here are a few of my favourite underrated books which I feel one must pick up at least once in life: 1. The Small Island by Andrea Levy  Not the usual black vs white terror story but a beautiful, subtle, bittersweet tale of a journey through ups and downs of life. It made me wonder why I got that book for Rs 50 at a Books by Kilo exhibition. She is definitely a magician when it comes to words. For those who prefer short stories more, you may start with Six Stories and an Essay by the same author.   2. Purple Hibiscus  by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, popular for We Should All Be Feminists   Simply for the detailing and the brusque nature of her storytelling. Can't imagine anyone else writing about water scarcity like she did in the book (that's definitely not what the tale is about though). But such is her writing...

The clouds seem to have drifted away to let the sun a little sneak peak into our lives today. Phew! 4 days later. Thank you, Kerala for the weather. Oops. I take back my words for here comes the lashing rains, yet again.  Twice or thrice I checked if my vision was playing tricks upon me in these past few days. Then I realised, it had to do with the tricks of the clouds. I switched on the lights and lo and behold! It was bright all over again. While the rains lash down, I am transported to last night when the soil lay drenched and I sat like a panda under a huge blanket while Malik beckoned. My husband couldn't wait to click on the play button. After a long time, I was excited to see a movie trailer and ever since I did, I eagerly waited for Malik .  And it started. Nimisha & Fahadh -- my heart did a double somersault. Then came the ones who have been part of some remarkable  Malayalam movies since few years now -- Vinay Fortt, Dileesh Pothan, Dinesh Prabhakar, Parvat...

Zikora by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie My rating: 4 of 5 stars Name of the book: Zikora (a short story) Name of the author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Publisher: Amazon Original Stories, Seattle @amazon Cover design: Kimberly Glyder Number of pages: 34 Probably one of the most hard-hitting stories I read this year, this is another gem from Chimamanda. A short read from Amazon Original Stories, this wouldn't take more than an hour's time to complete. However, be rest assured that its impact will stay for a long time to come. The connection between a mother and her child is such that the world may sometimes find it unable to understand. Sometimes, even the mother and child may find it difficult to understand. But the battles that they overcome often have a tale of their own. Here's one such story. The name Zikora is apparently of Nigerian origin meaning "show the world that my God is good." The photo clicked by yours truly with the cover page of the book beside the flo...