PEN PALS

Pen pals are people who write to each other via postal mails. 

I have got two pen pals and I love sending emails to them (not letters in traditional way, though I like the feel of paper and pen). Whenever I get a mail from them, I get excited. We talk about anything and everything on this earth - Which books we have read or are reading, which movies to watch, what we felt listening to that song or hearing that poetry. I don't have to think before writing anything to them. We agree or disagree to whatever the other person is saying. 

For those who know me, I cannot talk much on phone. I could talk on and on  if you are in front of me, otherwise I could write. 

I feel that conversations over phone, messenger, whatsapp, Instagram are limited to one liners and many a times too formal. More the mediums we have , lesser we are talking these days. And by talking I meant talking substance. 

Also I cannot talk in groups. And by group I meant more than two people. In groups I am mostly listening. 

Having pen pals is amazing. Get a pen pal, share your feelings, write. You could be your own pen pal also by writing diary entry. 

TEA CEREMONY

In my house, evening tea is a must. And it is not that a person makes tea and drinks on his own. Evening tea in my house is like a gathering, a party. When I start from my office for home, I message everyone that I am on the way. And my brother, his wife, my sisters, their husbands, my husband, my father- whoever is present, they have to be there for the evening tea. And if someone misses it (sleeping or busy in some unimportant work) or if someone is outside and is about to reach, it is expected that we will wake up that person or wait for that person. If that is not done, then there is a war like situation in home.

This is the sole reason that I always value my evening tea. More about tea, it is the conversations we have while having tea. The jokes thrown, the teasing and the talking. Evening tea is close to our hearts- heart of my entire family.

I recently read that Japan has special Tea Ceremony. This ceremony is way of worshipping the beautiful and the simple. In Japan, tea is more than just a hot drink. The tea ceremony represents purity, tranquillity, respect and harmony. 

I believe, happiness is in simplicity. Such simple thing like tea, gives so much happines. Our house enjoys this tea ceremony everyday. 

CONVERSATIONS!

READING AND WRITING


I was chatting with a friend last week and he told me that he has stopped reading books these days. The reason he told was, " All books talk about same thing, it feels that I already know what they are talking about. " At that moment I didn't know what to tell him. I  did not have the proper answer. 

Today I was reading this book, Like A Flowing River by Paulo Coelho, and bingo I found an answer. There was a story which talked about a solitary piece of coal which was pushed away from the flames of fire. Since there was not enough heat for the coal to continue burning, it began to cool. The story ended with these lines, ' However brightly a piece of coal may be burning, it will soon burn out if you remove it from the flames. However intelligent a man may be, he will soon lose his warmth.' 

My usual conversations these days involve talking about books, movies, writings and art. Well, it was same before also, it is just that such conversations have increased these days. My friend is a writer too and from reading our conversation shifted to writing. 

He: These days I am writing a lot. Let me share some with you.

He shared some really good lines, philosophical and deep. I told him to keep sharing whatever he writes.

He: I am writing since childhood, but never saved all that. Probably I was in my own world. Well, I still am. 

Me: That's what writers do initially. They themselves do not know what their art could do to people. 

He laughed. 

Me: Whenever  I read my old writings, I wonder in what state of mind I was at that time. Sometimes I wonder was that me who  has written all these lines. Have you ever experienced this?

He: O! Always. But no wonder, our old writings give special insight into ourselves.