Anuish

Film review  Spoiler alert ! "We are all part of the same rainbow." - Suzy Kassem 🌈 Love, Simon is a 2018 American rom-com/drama film directed by Greg Berlanti. It is based on the novel 'Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda' by Becky Albertalli.  Simon Spier is a teenager. He has three best friends - Nick, Leah and Abby. Simon is discreet about his sexuality and is scared to come out to the world as gay.  In a school full of bullies, a student uses the pseudonym 'Blue' to reveal his sexuality on the school gossip site - "Sometimes I feel like I'm stuck on a Ferris wheel. One minute I'm on top of the world, the next I'm at rock bottom. Over and over, all day long. Because a lot about life is great. But nobody knows I'm gay." An astonished Simon strikes up a conversation with Blue online. They soon fall in love with each other.  Martin, another student, discovers the chats and proceeds to blackmail Simon, threatening to expose the convers...

  March 2020. "God, I need a break from all this." My phone pings. 'Tomorrow is a holiday due to the rising spread of the corona virus.' "Wow, that was fast", I thought. What did I know?  Grade twelve had only just begun and the pressure of boards already had me in its web. The first week itself was exhausting. By the second week, I was done. I was longing for the summer holidays and wished they came sooner. I wanted a break, but not one that long!  When the lockdown was declared, I was really happy. I loved being home with my family. My mother, brother and I tried out a lot of new recipes, like everyone did in the beginning of the lockdown. Remember dalgona coffee? We tried making it but it was a failure. I was having a great time in the beginning binge watching web shows and reading new books. But how long did I really expect to continue like that? I had this idea that staying at home, without needing to go anywhere, would be absolutely amazing. Soon enoug...

Anime review Spoiler alert ! "Taking on a challenge and creating something is painful. But it's fulfilling."  Your Lie In April (Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso) is a Japanese romantic drama manga series that was written and illustrated by Naoshi Arawaka, and has been adapted into an anime television series.  "Music was everything to me, and I just abandoned it. I don't deserve to be a performer. I put everything I had into performing because I wanted my mother to get well, and what do I have to show for it? I'm at the bottom of a dark sea and I'm going to be all alone. I can't hear my notes. I can't hear the sound of the piano. I'm scared." Kousei Arima is a 14-year-old boy famous for his skills as a pianist. He is well-known for winning several music competitions. However, he stops playing when his mother, Saki dies. He loses the ability to hear the sound of his piano while playing at a competition which completely breaks him down.  It has been...

December is my favorite month and Christmas, my favorite holiday season. Ever since I was a kid, December has been my favorite. December is like the cherry on top - it's the final month of the year and the perfect time to splurge and relax. By the end of December, everyone is in a set mood to welcome a new year.  December begins with putting up a star that will shine brightly for the next 25 days. The church offers us prayers for Advent. Each day's prayer involves a small spiritual offering to give to Jesus.  Christmas comes with happiness - cribs, cakes, cards, crackers, carols. The presence of winter's coolness adds an extra layer of joy to the Christmas season.  There was a Christmas I recall where the carol came late. I was insistent on not sleeping until I had seen Santa. However, the stubbornness of my 6-year-old self didn't last long. I soon fell asleep and the next day, I was mad at everyone for not waking me up. The highlight of Christmas Eve is decorating the ...

  "To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other and to feel. That is the purpose of life" - The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty   The Walter Mitty syndrome is a term used to describe a daydreaming or escapist behavior where a person may indulge in elaborate fantasies, often to escape the monotony or dissatisfaction of their daily life. Do not mistake the term for a clinical or medical diagnosis. It is not a disorder either. It is only a colloquial term. It comes from James Thurber's short story 'The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty' in which the main character Walter Mitty frequently daydreams about being in adventurous, heroic situations.     I have not read the book. I came across the movie first. Watching The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty was a treat for the eyes. It is a well-crafted movie that subtly conveys multiple messages. The scene where Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) skateboards down a hill in Iceland lives...

Vazhakulam is my hometown. It is a small city located in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, India. Vazhakulam is known as the pineapple city. It is a center for both pineapple production and business. Writing about Vazhakulam didn't seem like a good idea to me at first. But then I thought, why not? Several weeks ago, I had to stay at a distant place. It was all fun in the beginning. But I started feeling homesick. A place that looked very charming to me initially, had now begun to look unpleasant. I couldn't stay there any longer. The shops, the streets, the people - everything felt overwhelming. I knew I had to get back home at once.  I was in the bus on my way back home, looking out the window. As I took in the sights of the different places passing by my eye, I thought to myself, Vazhakulam is the best! It's not that any of those places were worse. They were even more beautiful and well-organized than Vazhakulam. The thought came out of sheer love, love for my hometown. T...

  A few months ago, my friend and I happened to go to the airport to drop another friend who was leaving the country for her higher studies. It had been so long since I'd gone to an airport. There is something about airports that catches your guts, something that makes you feel both happy and sad at the same time. While we were outside the departures area waiting for our friend to wave her last bye, I looked at the arrivals area right below. I smiled seeing the happy faces of the people meeting their loved ones after so long. I felt happy all of a sudden. I was so caught up in feeling sad about my friend leaving that I completely overlooked the good parts such as the fact that she'll be back in a few years and that she'll have a wonderful time there. That's the same with life. With all the negativity on top, we often fail to look at the positives and smile. We don't realize just how important looking at the other side can be.  The light emanating from the airport ma...