lights and shadows
creative routines, learnings from travel, stubborn hope, difficulties and joys of being human, privacy and security in India, and the ordinary genius
Dear Reader,
Thank you for joining me. I hope you have had a great start to the week.
I will keep it short and succinct this time and lead you to the newsletter points right away.
For this week’s letter,
Some of my writing,
quotes I love,
things to read,
things to watch,
and
travel tips.
Past Articles Relevant for the Week
Creative Routine and Rituals – How to Dream and Create Consistently
As I myself struggle with routines and rituals, sharing these methods for all those who want to create.
Anyone with original ideas — within or outside their work domain — is creative.
Read the guide now. Or Pocket it for later.
What Travel Has Taught Me – About the World and Myself
What I have learned while traveling the world in ten points.
Read the lessons now. Or Pocket for the weekend.
Quotes I Love
“A man who becomes conscious of the responsibility he bears toward a human being who affectionately waits for him, or to an unfinished work, will never be able to throw away his life. He knows the "why" for his existence, and will be able to bear almost any "how".”
― Victor Frankl
“There is so much stubborn hope in the human heart.”
— Albert Camus
“Somewhere between right and wrong there is a garden. I will meet you there.”
— Rumi
“The way we live our lives could be different, but all our lives are the same.”
Yours Truly
What I’ve Been Reading
I’ve been reading short stories, books, articles, and so much more. I can’t possibly list all what I have read in the past week so I’m putting down the things I found most relevant and worthwhile.
Beautiful reads from the week,
Books
The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, And My Fight Against the Islamic State by Nadia Murad — This is the memoir of a Yazidi girl who sees her family killed in front of her eyes, gets captured, is pushed into sex slavery, and then runs away from the Islamic State. Now Nadia is an activist and fights against the genocide of the Yazidi community and for other causes. Though the book tells a heart-wrenching story it also tells an inspiring one. Everyone should read The Last Girl to know what humans are capable of doing and how our actions in the face of calamity can still hold us together.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman — This week I had a hard-time putting down A Man Called Ove, a book upon the life of a man Ove who has an opinion on everything and who lives (strictly) by the simple rules of life. The book is hilarious, heartwarming, and mirrors the difficulties and joys of being a human every day. I highly recommend it.
Short Memoirs
A Balancing Act by Joy Riggs — A sweet, melancholic memoir of a daughter visiting her old parents and worrying about them while the parents insist upon their protective roles they have always held.
His (the father’s) self-deprecating humor makes me love him all the more, while also shaking my head at his stubbornness. He would be less wobbly if he would use a walker, or even a cane, to regain his strength and confidence. Unfortunately, the more my mom and I highly suggest such things, the more resistant he gets.
Unfolding by Dheepa R. Maturi — I loved reading Unfolding: a daughter’s tribute to her mother and her search for identity and culture in a foreign country she has made home. I think you might like it, too.
You think culture is just sarees and cumin and oil wicks? No, dear, culture is how you see, what you value, what you remember.
News
Why are people going missing in Himachal’s beautiful Parvati valley? — I traveled in Parvati Valley for more than a month four years ago. Then I didn’t know that both Indians and foreigners often go missing in the gorgeous Himalayan Valley. A mystery in which many times the missing person’s things have been found in the deep gorge.
Why Many Young Muslims Are Leaving India — A must-read on India’s prevailing situation.
“When you are suppressed because of your identity – and it is increasing day by day – it is very disheartening.”
As health goes digital in India, where does privacy stand? — This is an insightful piece by Scroll news media on the digitalisation of India’s Healthcare System. One that we should all read and that raises important questions such as,
What would it take for big institutions such as AIIMS and much smaller medical establishments across the country to have the incentives and systems to protect the privacy rights of their patients? What responsibility does the state bear when patient rights are compromised in the wake of its push for digitisation of health records sans effective safeguards?
What I’ve Been Watching/Listening
that’s worth mentioning
I have only read this week and not watched much.
And for all my Wanderlusters
Pictures from past years of travel.
one of the most beautiful staircases I have ever seen.
Sharavathi Valley, Karnataka. 2019
when there is art in the daily, life becomes a little more liveable.
another thali here in Sikkim with two vegetables and dal and three different kind of pickles you see in little closed jars. It is amazing to get this sumptuous meal that is not only nourishing but also tasty in simple cafes for INR 120 (1.5 USD). Perfect for budget travellers.
In an overhyped, tourist-filled floating market in Mekong Delta (Việt Nam) I search for something of the original. And I do find.
And i do find.
Solitary flowers on the sandy bank, stilt homes on the shore, old women rowing their boat for hours, and large boat selling fruits in wholesale.
found these goats perched high up on a pagoda on a mountain top on a rainy morning at six am. I am sure the mother and son spent the night at the pagoda. The mountain was steep and tall, but, of course, the mountain goats know the way up.
Ninh Binh, Việt Nam. September 2022
And that’s it for now.
Thank you for reading.
I hope you have a great week. Hope you can stay calm and strong inside :)
Let me know what you think about this newsletter. Just press reply.
Yours,
Priyanka
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