Oblivion

Bite-sized Review:   Yellowface, picked up on my brother's recommendation, initially lingered untouched on my table. The narrative follows Athena and June, writers tethered by an unusual connection. As June gains success riding on her "best" friend's demise, the book explores themes of ownership and plagiarism. Despite a slower pace after 200 pages, it remains a riveting tale that unexpectedly jolts, leaving you intrigued. A compelling and engaging read. Full Review: I picked up Yellowface on my brother's recommendations.  Purchasing it on instinct during a shopping excursion with my childhood friend, the book rested on my table for several days, patiently awaiting attention.  I somehow did not feel like picking it up. It has not been a great book year for me, and maybe I wasn't ready for another disappointment. But after about two weeks, I decided to finally open the book and start reading. A mere five pages in, it showed the hint of a promise and seemed rem

Social Media is eliminating the need for us to use words and form full sentences. We can just like an update or applaud an accomplishment without so much as uttering two words or worse thinking two words. Our reactions have become standard and templatized either in the form of emojis or a chatbot writing things for you and you just have to press send.  The Emoji-fication of our lives. Gone are the days when loved ones would write pages over pages to each other or coming back to reality, those irritating and long messages on WhatsApp. The weight of our expressions and responses is now carried by little yellow digital icons and a variety of ways to express them. They seem to be creeping into professional conversations as well.  Chatbots speaking to chatbots. In the realm of generative AI and omnipresent chatbots waiting eagerly to finish your sentences, much like a head-over-heels love couple during their honeymoon phase, we are soon going to forget how to write. I remember last year I w

Last week, I had a really lovely dream and woke up nostalgic and happy, with almost a smile. Context: I took a week-long break from work, so my mind was quite at ease and not worrying about meetings and deliverables.  Alright, so coming back to my dream. I am in my college room (the one I lived in during my 3rd year). I was maybe visiting campus or coming back after a break, but that wasn't very clear to me. Alright, so I am in my room, and it is very cluttered and full of things such as books, photographs, clothes, guitars, harmoniums, pens, notebooks with a clothing line going right through the middle of the room, and whatnot.  As I took a closer look at the things in the room and checked the cupboard, it started returning to me. These are things that I have lost or forgotten about, all sitting in that room for me to discover and explore. There is a pile of books, and atop is a Manchester United book that I had gifted my husband last year on his birthday while we were in Goa. And

  I have finally identified the reason why most mothers feel that their sons' wives have "taken away" their sons. It has nothing to do with the wife, and everything to do with the son himself. I have realized that men are unable to maintain a good level of communication or conversation with their mothers and fathers after they get married. Also, in our society, a daughter and a mother often share a close bond. I know I am generalizing, but this is based on my experiences and those around me. The influence of patriarchy within society often leads women in the immediate family to stick together. They become each other's confidants from an early age. They come to depend on each other for moral support against the omnipresent force of patriarchy. Mothers, daughters, and sisters share a close bond, one that might be akin to soldiers at war. Oooh, trauma bonding maybe? Just speculating. Anyway, now that we have established that the bond a mother and daughter share is spec