What's on my Mind

Category: Experience

  • How was my August (2026)

    How was my August (2026)


    I was on Summer Vacation

    Last month was weirdly the most depressing and most interesting period of my life. If I could describe the feeling, it almost felt like virtual reality. (Déjà vu).


    I was on Summer Vacation.


    Well to start with I was in India for a vacation with my toddler (who is now almost 3). Did I tell you I had a son? He’s a charming boy, a genius – who knows how to press all my buttons.

    I imagined taking him on vacation to India with my partner so he meets his grandparents. I hoped this would give me some time off. Some time to relax.
    But hell broke loose when we reached there.


    For starters, he needed the level of attention I could never manage even in the Netherlands. You see, I have a sitter in the Netherlands and he enjoys playing with her so much. I’ve outsourced care at home for my sanity. Set a system that works for him and me. Chose to not put him in daycare (Those institutions are meant to break the soul of kids in my opinion. I wish more parents read the work of Gabor Mate).


    Anyhow, on our vacation in India, my son wanted to play all day. I wanted to rest. All others in the house who could play with him were either working or in school. Within only two days of the vacation, I was missing our dear sitter and wished to go back to Netherlands and end that energy draining vacation.

    To top my frustration, my dad got hospitalised. He thought he was having a heart attack. Turns out he had low sugar. I spent all night chatgpting his symptoms. I realised I could have as well been a doctor. ( and a very good one). Anyhow he turned out all fine so that was a relief.

    On my vacation, I was excited about an office assignment that just fell on my plate. I finally felt it was my gateway to promotion. (If that was in the pipeline?!). I spent a night copiloting and chatgpting to excel the assignment. I ended up learning corporate politics and how power works. Realised I didn’t know much about the banking industry actually. (after 15 years of working). Anyhow, few hours spent in the night and I got excellent outcome ready for the assignment. I patted myself on my back that night and slept well.

    The next few days I spent pondering what was I actually doing and why was I working.. what if promotion never happens in my existing setup.. who could I replace in my organisation.. why was I paid so low? . (What is the purpose of this life? Purpose should actually not exist in NLP model. Gawd! I was enlightened and very creative the rest of the period.).

    Fast forward a week or so, vacation ended finally and I was back to the Netherlands and heaved a sigh of relief to be back to my normal routine. (At home and work)

    Office here I come

    After arriving back in the netherlands, work was on my mind.

    I had an excellent case ready for promotion (or replacing someone in another position) , just climb the ladder in any god damn case.

    But somehow things started turning awry. Like really really weird. I can’t even explain the next series of events I encountered. They haunted me for the rest of the month.

    My laptop felt like it was hacked (malfunctioning), I was working, networking, tried medication to sleep, felt like I was on the edge of burnout but was not, I became super creative and then found out I was put on bench at work.

    My manager thinks I am burned out. (Does she even know what burn out is? I have a goddamn website to explain it. Someone should make her read it).

    Outcome and Personal

    I am now on forced leave at work.

    I am actually liking the fact that I can write and can do things I always wanted to do. Planning to set up a company for my new brand OutoftheBurn.

    Personal life sucks. Separation has been on my mind. Has been on my mind for last seven years or so. (Right after my first burnout in 2018). With a kid involved now, this is super difficult. I am riding the waves, Solo!. (And venting on every forum I’ve ever known).

    <Dear GOD! I might as well start believing in you if this crazy phase of my personal life just got over. I know I deserve better.>

     

    August Book suggestions


    In August, I did read some books.
    For anyone in new role or job, I would highly recommend First 90 days by Michael D. Watkins. I’ve read it halfway and found it very interesting.


    For anyone exploring burnout, I would recommend the book Discover your mental strength from Michael Kortekaas. He has been training police forces in the Netherlands for almost all his career and teaches mental resilience for the profession that is most demanding.

    I’m not done reading both books but I will post a review as soon as I finish them.
    Below are also some books I would recommend if you are planning a career to become a CRO or CEO eventually. (These popped up from my research in August and I’ll pick them up on one of the days. )

    Thinking, Fast and Slow — Daniel Kahneman

    The Fifth Discipline — Peter M. Senge

    The Fearless Organization — Amy C. Edmondson

    Good Strategy/Bad Strategy — Richard Rumelt

    Leadership Pipeline — Ram Charan, Stephen Drotter & James Noel

    The Effective Executive — Peter F. Drucker

    Team of Teams — Stanley McChrystal

    Principles — Ray Dalio

    The Culture Code — Daniel Coyle

     

    What Else is on my mind?


    I’ve been thinking of three quotes lately. They have been a lot on my mind.

    One person can change the world, not by being powerful, but by making something different possible.
    — Author unknown


    A hallucination becomes dangerous not when we see what isn’t there, but when we stop questioning what we see.
    ~ Unknown Author


    What you seek is seeking you.
    ~Rumi


    Signing off. Until I see you next time. (Wake me up when September ends!)
    ~ Love Megha.

     

     

  • 0% Alcohol living

    0% Alcohol living

    In 2018, I was in Belgium. I remember going to the beer festival for the very first time. At the heart of the city center in Bruges was this small ground with hundreds of tents and locally brewed beers on sale. There were more than 200 variety to choose from. Sour beer, fresh hops, IPAs, Lager, Pilsner and what not. Me and my partner waited in a queue for more than an hour to purchase the tokens for the fest. I didn’t know how many tokens to buy until we were actually short of them. That’s how we knew – we had enough. We tasted a dozen that day.
    I was a social drinker back then and loved exploring. I wanted to even take up a brewing course.

    Following years were not the same.

    In 2020, I suffered an injury.
    My hip bone was damaged. I spent a month in extreme pain, thinking it was a sprain. Following up revealed that I might need a hip replacement. I was 31 back then and it scared the sh*t out of me.

    It didn’t come to that. (Fortunately!)

    An interim treatment worked. I spent six months on walker and it took a year of physiotherapy to resume my day to day activities. During that period, I was bound to stay away from alcohol. Alcohol free lifestyle happened to me.

    My first few months of zero alcohol living did not come easy. After a tiring work week, I felt the desire to have a drink. I craved social drinking on weekends. I couldn’t eat pizza without a beer. I missed wine while eating pasta or meat. All that was fun, was stripped away. My plight grew stronger when I met family and friends in social setting. Everyone drank. Everyone laughed. Everyone was light headed while I was wide awake and sharp, struggling to let go my consciousness.
    It was hard to remain comfortable in my own skin.

    So,I was pushed to find alternatives. To break free from the associations I created in my mind; dissociate socialising from alcohol. Cola became my companion soon. It was a great replacement for some time. (Of course after a while, you’ve got to leave it coz you get addicted to it.) I tried mocktails, juices, sparkling water, coffee, tea and everything that was categorised under non-alcoholic beverage section.

    After close to ten months of this new lifestyle, I discovered I was no longer craving for wine or beer with food. My craving to eat junk food also reduced. I could sit in a pub full of people drinking, and still enjoy a normal conversation. I lost more than eight kilos merely by cutting down alcohol. I felt this new energy inside me.

    Alcohol free living also did wonders to my emotional health. I realised when I didn’t drink after a stressful day, I was left open to introspect, to think what caused the stress in first place. Not numbing those thoughts was the best choice I made for myself.
    It pushed me to accept my reality, act on it and change my environment.
    I’ve found myself in a much happier place since then. So, I decided to sustain the lifestyle ever since.

    It has now been more than two years since I went on no alcohol regime. I’ve learned to be comfortable in my own skin while I consciously choose to stay alcohol free. It gives me a sense of control over my well being. I still love the smell of hop every time I sit in a pub. Guess that’s why they invented the 0% beer. (for people like me. 🙂 )

    © Copyright 2022. Megha Gupta. All rights reserved.

  • A different pace of life in the Netherlands

    It has been a week since I returned to the Netherlands, and honestly, I feel a bit weird getting back here. For starters, it’s a corona-free nation. (Or at least looks like it).As opposed to India, where paranoia from the deadly wave persists, Netherlands looks rash. When I came out of the airport with my mask on, I drew quite some attention from people around. None had their face covered. It was like they stopped manufacturing face masks in the Netherlands. I was disappointed, of course, because I brought like a thousand in my luggage, and now they’re just sitting in my cabinet, waiting for the next wave!

    Walking around in the evening felt strange too. Pubs, Bars, and Cafes were open late. Both indoors and outdoors were jam-packed with people enjoying beer, chit-chatting.

    I kept thinking about my time in India. People walked on the pavement in their apartments. (with masks on). Kids stayed at home, attending online classes. We spent days inside, watching television and ordering food. It was like living in a constant state of fear and getting so accustomed to it that any normal would make you feel guilty.

    After close to two months of being there, I’m back in this free country. And must I say –
    It is damn hard to switch. No one seems to care about rules or Covid, and I’m having difficulties tuning in. The pace of living is getting to me.
    I am anxious ‘coz I am missing out on living.

    © Copyright 2021. Megha Gupta. All rights reserved.

  • ..

    It’s been over a month since I travelled from the Netherlands. So yes, I’m back here again.
    In India. (I mean). I had to travel this time to cope with the aftermath of the corona crisis.

    I don’t reckon many acquaintances who haven’t suffered the second wave.
    While I feel sorry for losing my relatives, I feel favoured to have a family (Alive!).
    They weren’t spared from this wave either. They crawled through the mess. (this time)
    Fear drives our routine now.
    Nobody steps out of the house. No stranger gets in.
    I’m not sure how long this would continue and when we’d recover from the paranoia.

    I wonder if this is our new normal, or are we just being unreasonable?
    P.S – It’s hard to forget what you can’t forget.

  • Disruptions Feb and March

    I finally pushed myself enough today to write this short update. Writing has been on hold as I travelled to India (again) to help a health situation back home.
    My mum had a knee replacement surgery. (planned and delayed multiple times due covid)

    Travelling to India was a cumbersome project in these new restrictions. I got tested for PCR in the Netherlands 72 hours before my flight. On my arrival in India, I was asked to take a mandatory PCR test at airport again. (not kidding, there was a queue for that! You should be worried that you are gonna be infected coz you weren’t before).
    Somehow, I reached safely and things have been fine since then. (including mum).

    I haven’t been reading a lot particularly. Furiously Happy is my bed time read. Review to follow next month.
    I haven’t been writing. [sad].
    Bought a subscription for Masterclass. Loved it but overpriced.

    This weekend, I’ll fly back to the Netherlands. [in peace]

    I was notified that my WordPress domain is about to expire.
    It got me thinking how expensive my hobby has become!
    [now you know why I felt pushed today]

  • Remembering January

    Last month, I embarked on my journey to fitness. After my sports injury in 2020, in which I hurt my left hip, I was confined to bed rest for five months. It was hard.
    It was frustrating. I struggled to walk straight for almost eight months. I lost a lot of muscle in my injured leg and also gained some extra pounds. I wasn’t fit and I was recovering (in spite). I realized, how amazingly resilient our body is, how it endures our extravagant lifestyle but continues to heal naturally, each day. If only, we weren’t exploiting it with our daily habits, we would all be athletes.

    So, as January commenced , I had three resolutions in my mind, to aid my fitness journey. All I wanted, was to be fit again.

    1. Quit Coffee.     I have to admit that I was once, a Coffee addict. I drank four cups each day. (mostly black). I couldn’t open my eyes in the morning without coffee. I almost always carried a cup of coffee while I travelled to work. Lunch too, was followed by an espresso shot. It felt like I woke up each day to drink coffee.

    Fortunately, that changed ever since the offices were shut close. At home, I didn’t have a decent coffee machine so I switched to tea most times. That simple change put a break to my coffee routine. After few weeks, I realized I had consistent energy levels throughout the day. I did not crave for caffeine after lunch. I felt more awake and energetic than before.

    In January, I did not have a single cup of coffee.

    2. Go Alcohol free. This resolution came in easier to realize than I imagined.
    I was hooked onto medications for so long during my recovery that I’ve gotten used to zero alcohol intake. After getting back on my feet, I didn’t resume social drinking. I replaced beer with sparkling water instead. With no alcohol intake, I’ve been drifting to better eating habits too.

    For example, when I’m in a restaurant, I eat less coz there is no wine to accompany.
    I do not order pizza as often as I did before, coz there is no beer to accompany.
    It may be hard for some to imagine a social set up without alcohol.
    But I’ve come to reckon that this merely is a mental block (a deep rooted association).

    January was DRY (& social).

    3. Plan my meals ahead. This by far, has been my most important discovery. In January, I started using a meal planning app to plan my meals a day ahead. You must know that meal planning is not the same as dieting. It simply is, journaling your meal intake and nutrition. Using this has helped me largely rectify my eating patterns. I’ve noticed, I’ve been eating more home cooked food than before. Also, I do not have have to think what is in for dinner after a long tiring workday.
    In January alone. I’ve lost a few pounds just by sticking to a pre-planned meal.

    This is how it looks! (link here)


    Fitness apart, I’ve also been reading a lot. Last month I picked up the bestselling book by Mary L. Trump – Too much and never enough. Mary L. Trump is a niece of Donald Trump which is why this book was a surprise to me.


    The fact that she chose to write about her uncle in such debilitating details, ascertains trouble in Trump family. Mary uncovers in this book how her family & her grandfather (in particular) have shaped Donald’s personality. She reveals the past of her dysfunctional family & their business fortune, banishing any creditability that former US president may still have. It is an interesting read, that will take you closer to understanding the root of trump tweets (although he doesn’t tweet anymore 😉 ). I will write a full review of this book soon, in one of my upcoming posts.



    So, that is all I have for January. (& as it is probably evident, January was helluva satisfying.) Hopefully that is just the start and I will have more to share in coming months.

    Until then,
    Signing off from my monthly letter. 💙 Megha

    Remembering January – “The Only monthly letter that talks about my own living.”

    © Copyright 2020. Megha Gupta. All rights reserved.

  • Dreading the Dentist


    My first visit to dentist came in when I was eight year old. My fellas took me for a routine checkup that ended up revealing four cavities. I was disappointed & scared to an extent that I had nightmares for the next few weeks. Fortunately, my fellas had faith over my god sent teeth & serious doubts over that local dentist. They spared me the dental procedure and I was relieved.
    Two decades later, my teeth are still intact. (at least those four ).
    That first dental visit certainly didn’t make a good impression! 🙄

    Over the next few years, my biggest worry of visiting a dentist became the fear of uncovering new problems. This one time, I visited a dentist coz of pain in a wisdom tooth. I was worried about one wisdom tooth when I arrived at his office but by the time I left, I was worried about all four. Apparently, they were all doomed to fail. He suggested having them all removed. 😬
    Overwhelmed with his opinion, I couldn’t even deal with the problem at hand. I ended up postponing the procedure for a decade. Since then I’ve learned – worst are the dentists that amplify your problems.

    Postponing is not a solution. Last year, one of my wisdom tooth finally gave up. I couldn’t chew without pain, so I chewed from the other side. (For almost a month). The timing couldn’t have been more tragic. Fear of pandemic was lurking around. Most dental clinics were closed. As the pain worsened, my fellas dragged me to see a dentist next door. (Fortunately open!)

    So, Here I was, sitting in his clinic, leaned back on an operating chair, thinking about my past dental experiences. Dodging the ball away, was hardly a possibility this time. 😟

    And then, he removed my first wisdom tooth
    Sensing my fear, my dentist assured me of a painless procedure. That of course involved anesthesia and pain medications. It took him thirty minutes. I felt a prick in my mouth from the anesthesia shot. After that I felt NOTHING.
    Not even when he used his full body force against my jaw to remove my wisdom tooth. Not even when he cut my jawbone to loosen the grip of tooth.
    It was a painless procedure (as he claimed).

    Until next day..
    When I woke up, my face was like a pumpkin. My cheek was swollen to thrice its size. I was hooked onto painkillers, without which, the pain would have been unbearable. I spent the whole day inside my house, afraid to go outside with my swollen face. That lasted for a week. I didn’t go outdoors and ate baby soft food.
    I learned that then, most dentists are good salesmen. (And nothing ever is painless)

    It has been a while now since my last visit to dentist. The prophecy of my other three wisdom teeth still awaits. While the clock is ticking and I’m writing this piece, I wonder if I can ever stop dreading the dentists.

    If only, they were tooth fairy!

    #Dreadingthedentist #Toothfairy #Dentists

    © Copyright 2020. Megha Gupta. All rights reserved.

  • Better late than never- How was my December?

    Hola,
    This monthly letter comes out a bit later than usual.
    I’m happy though that it isn’t the end of January yet or I would have to skip December altogether! 😬 If I weren’t a potato glued to the couch ,watching television, I might have finished writing this piece a lot sooner. Holidays have made me lazy. (or is it winter?)
    Anyhow, New year ain’t about regrets. It is about new resolutions.
    So, I’ll conquer my drafts very soon.

    If you are wondering how was my December. Here’s a quick recap.

    Returning home

    December unfolded my plan to return to the Netherlands (after spending close to eight months in India). It really took me that long to recover from a sports injury! 😌
    After eight months, I was super excited to be back home.
    Netherlands felt like a new country all over again.

    However, within two days of my arrival to the Netherlands, a nation wide lock down was announced (owing to surging corona cases). All non essentials shops and restaurants were barred from operation. An advisory against foreign travel was issued. Borders were closed for tourism. My timing couldn’t have been more depressing.

    Celebrating Christmas

    I’ve not spent Christmas at home for last five years. It used to be a perfect time for vacation, explore new countries, celebrate, watch fireworks with herds of people on the street. Needless to say, that changed this year. We stayed back home for Christmas.

    That brought upon a new struggle.
    You see, we’ve never bought a “real” Christmas tree before.
    So, I was struggling with just the basics – Where do I find a tree? (in lock down). Should we buy a tree that is twice my size? Would we need a tree stand? How much is too much for decorations ? (pricewise) What do we do with that tree afterwards? Who is gonna carry it? Where are we gonna dispose it? On the streets?

    While I was spinning this bundle of worries, trees were running out of stock. Most Keerstwinkel( Christmas shops) were closed due lock down. A week before Christmas, the fear of missing out pushed me to order a large tree. It was home delivered, just on time (grateful, we didn’t have to carry it ourselves). We finally had our first real tree for Christmas. 🤩
    I was quick to order decorations too. To my surprise, they costed twice the price of tree. Christmas was a costly affair!

    Time to open Presents!

    On the day of Christmas, I became my own Santa.
    I gifted myself an iPhone 12. 😀 Quite an upgrade to my previous phone – Iphone 7, that was once washed with Laundry and had audio issues ever since. (Strangely, it survived a full wash cycle so I was stuck with it for two years.)
    I am delighted with my new iPhone now. It has perfect bright display. The camera makes you look better and I’m still marveling at its audio quality.

    I’ve finally finished this book

    Last month, I also finished the book that I’ve been reading for over a month – the biography of cancer – Emperor of all Maladies. I was always intrigued by Cancer, its silent and deadly nature. This book personifies cancer. It talks about history, the origin of cancer, how we came to understand its patterns, how we discovered chemotherapy and other remedies. Is that really a remedy? Can we cure Cancer? These were some interesting questions, the author tries to answer in this book. You don’t need to have an inclination towards biology to understand it. The author breaks down this information in layman style. chronologically, explaining the gravity of this disease. It was one voluminous read, but I’m glad I’ve finished it. Definitely recommend it. My Goodreads rating (4.5/5)

    Currently reading

    My current read is titled “The Gifts of Imperfection” by Brene Brown. I found this on my kindle suggestions and really liked its gist. It basically draws on things that get in the way of wholehearted living. The author has been a researcher of shame, fear and vulnerability for decades. She uses her research to illustrate how our shame (of imperfection) holds us back in life. How this affects love and belongingness.

    What I liked about her writing style is that she does not drag on with examples from her research but rather uses her personal stories & struggles to explain the fundamentals of her research. I’ll rate this book in my next monthly letter, when I’d be finished with it. (definitely)

    Discovering Dutch movies

    In the holiday week of Christmas, I ran a movie marathon (this time also including some Dutch titles). I was pleasantly surprised to discover my language skills. (I understood most of them without English subtitles) 🙃
    I loved weg van jouw (comedy). It was a story of young, ambitious women who was relocated for work to a rural hamlet instead of an exotic country. The rural hamlet is Zeeland. (the southern province of the Netherlands). Not sure if that’s how they think of Zeeland really?
    Alles voor elkaar was another movie about four girl pals turning 30 realizing they missed out a lot in life. So they decide to pursue their wildest dreams. It was light and fun.
    Huisvrouwen bestaan niet was also on my list. It literally translates to no such thing as house wife. It was a story of two sisters and mother trying to find balance between private and professional life. I really enjoyed watching it.

    Apart from these, I watched dozen other trending series on Netflix. (& classics of 90’s). Explains the break in my blogging schedule.
    It’s either Netflix or blogging, I suppose.
    I wonder how we can do both?!🙄

    © Copyright 2020. Megha Gupta. All rights reserved.



  • How was my first experience in Business Class

    How it happened

    Flying business class has been on my wish list since quite some time.
    Every time we flew international, the long wait hours, airport queues, packed and uncomfortable seating with accompanying jet lag harrowed our travel experience. 😠
    I fantasized about business class every time we flew but succumbed to the rationality offered by Economy. 🙄

    That changed this year when a sports injury left me in recovery for months.


    I had a stiff leg. 🦵
    I couldn’t imagine squeezing it in jampacked seats (unable to stretch my leg for hours).
    It was a need to fly business class. A need that justified the humungous costs! (One at a price of three)
    My partner gave in too, to accompany me. 😬

    So here we were, buying business class tickets for the first time. 😛

    P.S – Remind me to cut our expenses the next six months.

    The travel day

    Our travel date arrived soon and I found myself packing in the whole universe. (Our baggage allowance was doubled) 😛

    Once we reached airport, we were offered free lounge access pass after checking in.

    We had four hours at our hands to kill before our flight to the Netherlands.

    What a wait!

    When we arrived at the lounge, I was captivated by its view.
    It seemed a large relaxation zone that had a central restaurant with comfortable sofa seating around it.
    I remember hip hopping multiple couches before landing on the perfect cushion. 😎

    Food and drinks were free, the spread slightly reduced due Covid 19 😏.

    Nevertheless, we had a fantastic time trying out every item they had on their menu , gulping down free beer and waking up with hot espresso.

    Four hours flew by in the blink of an eye!

    I’m so Excited!

    As the announcements for our flight began, we gathered near the gate to join the business class queue. (the shortest queue, I’ve ever seen).
    Within few minutes, we boarded the aircraft.

    One glimpse at our seats revealed why we had to pay the price for three. (they were spaced out to occupy three of the economy).


    I could stretch my legs to full length without even touching the seat ahead of me. They had controls installed to makeshift a bed out of that seat.
    We even had our own cabin space. (our personal cabin storage).
    I squeezed in a giant hand bag and my jackets with ease.

    I was excited. We were about to fly business class, first time.

    Bring it on!

    The Experience started as soon as we onboarded the flight. They served a welcome drink just before the take off. We were given travel kits that had a cozy pair of socks and other handy stuff for the flight duration.

    After take off, things kept coming in. 😎
    Three course meal menus were designed by Michelin star Chefs that promised a restaurant class service. I was delighted to see some real cutlery.
    My appetite was a surprise (even for me) as I readily stuffed in another meal just an hour after my previous one.

    My partner didn’t forget to order cocktails and soon we were both were engrossed in eating and drinking. (again)

    Wake me up when December ends

    After the food mania, it was time to go to bed. (since we had one!).
    So, here I was, stretching full size, sleeping with a blanket and pillow (like a baby).

    My partner (who rarely sleeps on flights), tuned in to the large TV screen hooked in front of him. A nice collection of movies and music kept him engaged for some hours until he fell asleep (just like me!)

    It was the best ever sleep I had on a flight & I wasn’t planning to wake up soon. 😴I even turned away a Michelin star breakfast in my sleep.

    Just few minutes before landing, I woke up.
    My partner was up much before that of course. He relished the breakfast I missed.

    The flight attendant handed us the good bye gifts as we were about to land. (Delft blue miniature houses filled with Gin) ❤️

    Spoiled Forever!

    At Amsterdam airport, we were the first one’s to leave our flight.
    We had our own (business class) immigration queue so we quickly left the crowd behind. Never before was this process so smooth.
    Our luggage arrived quickly too (another accompanying benefit). 😎


    I sat on the bench with my eyes fixed, wondering if I could ever travel in economy again. Was I a spoiled brat?! How could I convince my rational self to buy economy tickets, the next time?


    If only, we could all afford the luxury that we’ve gotten used to!
    Wouldn’t the world be a much better place then?

    © Copyright 2020. Megha Gupta. All rights reserved.

  • A lot on my mind – November 2020

    The Unexplained blogging Break

    Ok, I’m back now, almost after two months.

    A series of unplanned events occupied me for a while and writing became a mental block. I reckon drafting at least three posts during this time, unable to publish any. 😳

    So, when the thought of writing a monthly letter crossed my mind, I couldn’t stop thinking. It almost seems natural to explain the unexplained blogging break and whatever the heck has been ongoing.
    In a way, it sums up what’s really on my mind! (also my blog title)

    Unboxing the events of past few weeks

    To begin with, I lost my wisdom. Tooth, I mean!
    It took a dentist thirty minutes to pull off that deep rooted wisdom.
    I was hooked onto anesthesia of course so I didn’t realize a thing. It all showed up the next day when my cheek was swollen to the size of pumpkin. I couldn’t leave my home for one whole week. 😡

    In parallel, we had a family situation. My dad was sick. It seemed like a flu and we presumed it was Covid. We thought it would go away but then it didn’t.
    In fact, it turned out to be an entirely other thing. A typical tropical disease – Dengue
    If you don’t know what that is, Google it.
    When it causes your white blood cells to drop dangerously low, you need to be monitored, to be hospitalized temporarily.

    Finding a bed in a hospital is a task on its own. They don’t admit you without a Covid negative report. Moreover, they are strained on capacity these days.
    It felt like you are more likely to die of a curable disease than of Covid 19.


    P.S – Fortunately, it all ended well for us, in this case.
    This happened in India. I’ve spent quite some time here, this year. (hail remote work!)

    Travel in times of Covid

    After burying the troubles of past weeks, I took some time off to recharge my batteries.
    We planned a three days trip to the sunny beaches of Goa (on the western coast of India). 😀

    Travelling was a strange experience.
    To start with airports were sanitized continually. Masks were mandatory and alternate seating was marked for social distancing. It seemed quite hygienic, safe.
    At the flying terminal, we were even handed plastic shields, to wear on flight. (that was a bit too much, I think. Suffocating passengers to death!).

    It was lovely to see Goa opening up to tourists, the day we reached. The beaches were open, the shacks were open and clubs were open too (with some restrictions). The rare advantage we had during this visit was that people were still skeptical of travelling.
    That meant less tourists and cleaner beaches. I’ve never witnessed the sea so blue and its bed so clear before. We saw endless stretches of deep blue water. It felt like we’ve reached the end of earth. Serene and peaceful.

    P.S – Lucky to be back home and not sick. We must have had the antibodies already to survive the swimming pool at our resort, I think. 😛

    What am I currently reading?

    Luckily, I’ve picked up on my reading schedule already. I recently bought the kindle edition of “The Emperor of All maladies” – by Siddhartha Mukherjee. This is a book about Cancer. (actually the biography of Cancer). I’ve read the other book “The Gene” from this author, last year, which was also interesting. A bit too lengthy to finish though.

    The Emperor of All Maladies, on other hand, is simply fascinating. It walks you through the history (in a gripping way) of when and how we discovered the disease, its various manifestations and the scientific progression to find a cure. (if that is even possible!)
    You may think that a book on disease is mundane & depressing but this one turns it around – by actually personifying the Disease . (so much so that you almost feel at war with it).

    I’m waiting to finish this one soon so I can post a review. (a detailed version perhaps!).

    Anything on Netflix?

    I’m rarely hooked onto shows these days. (or TV for that matter). I find it very hard to fit that in my routine.
    But I was pleasantly surprised when that changed as I watched Queen’s Gambit.
    Loved the story and its direction (story of a chess child prodigy).
    Did you watch it too?

    November Quote

    Well, someone quoted this to me in a conversation last week and I recognized it from the song by Kelly Clarkson .

    “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger”

    I did not know of it’s true origin then.


    It actually comes from an aphorism of the 19th century German philosopher – Friedrich Nietzsche.

    Wondering if they’ll make songs out of Aristotle’s work too . 🙄 Music has changed.

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