–
–
I found this note on the street, something a certain Tom wrote to a certain Jim about what to see in NYC and how to go about it. Love it!
–
The Indian American Life
Kagemni Slayed Me With a Reed Pen: A Love Affair With Ancient Egyptian Scribes and Tombs
Falling Into A Saqqara Tomb Silly me, when I visited the Djoser Step Pyramid complex of the Saqqara necropolis (ancient Egyptian burial ground city), I was worried I would fall into a catacomb, one of those recesses between the ancient Egyptian tombs. Little...
Rama Nama Tarakam: The Two-Syllable Mantra That Carries Souls Across Samsara
Rama Nama Tarakam is a song that asks Lord Rama to help us cross the ocean of samsara. His name can act as the divine boat (taraka) to cross the ocean of worldly suffering, bringing peace, purity, strength, and spiritual awakening. Rama’s name is considered the...
Living in America’s Melting Pot While Confronting the Housing Crisis No One Talks About
It’s safe to say that even in America, as a true blooded Indian, I live in my own world of Indian food and Bollywood style parties. What little I understand about how everyone else lives is mostly through shows like Friends, Seinfeld, Sex and the City and movies like...
My Productivity Playlist: Opera, Hans Zimmer, and How I Get Work Done as a Right-Brained Adult
Music To My Ears I feel like every artist I meet has the same exact goal in life. Spend all the money they make on their art on other people's art and then die happy. I try to do a little bit of that myself to encourage other fellow right-brainers to keep...
One Road Trip, Many Spains: A Soulful Journey Through Art, Faith, Food, and Freedom
A Slow Drive Through Spain’s History and Heart I have a million essays planned about Spain. I’ve already written about some gorgeous places HERE. We went on a 16-day road trip through Spain, starting in Barcelona, traveling to the tip of Catalonia, looping...
Garudagamana Tava: The Divine Tongue-Twister That Turns Devotion Into Music Meditation
The first time I truly immersed myself into the song Garudagamana Tava was one evening when two 18 year old twins sang it in the most melodious way. They are my friends' children and I was attending a function at her home. Imagine my luck when my music teacher...
Shiva Manasa Pooja: Ultimate Guide to Inner Devotion and Spiritual Bliss
Shiva Manasa Pooja is composed by Adi Sankaracharya, my GOAT, and its one of my favorite go to bhajans that arrests my heart and stops time for me. The lyrics form a complete ritual performed entirely within our imagination, without needing any physical items,...
My Devotional Music Repertoire | Bhajans Collection Sung by Rachana
My Humble Tribute To The Carnatic Music Trio Hi everyone, welcome. I'm learning bhajan music as a way to deepen my meditation practice through the power of music. Please note that these compositions are not necessarily categorized as Carnatic music. However, I...
A Dream Mehendi in Sitges: An Indian Wedding Celebration Where Tradition Meets Mediterranean Magic
In Sitges, a coastal town in Spain's Andalusian region, we once attended a beautiful mehendi function. A mehendi event is a pre-wedding celebration where family and friends gather to decorate the bride’s hands and feet with henna. Henna (or natural tattoos) is...
When Parenting Influencers Go Too Far: The Shocking Truth About Child Exploitation
I remember that summer of 2023 like it was yesterday. I kept replaying this three-minute Ring camera video over and over that I had seen on news. It showed an emaciated, slow moving 12-year-old boy walking up to a neighbor's door around 10 am in the scorching Utah...
Wandering Through Spain: Siestas, Weddings, and Andalusian Wonders
Losing My Way In SpainHi, welcome. In these essays, I write about the fascinating landscapes of Spain, Spaniards and their siestas, and the fierce art of flamenco. Through road trips, weddings, whitewashed villages, and seaside camper days, this is my attempt to...
Iranian Female Protest Rap That Defies a Regime — Real Rebel Music That Hits Hard ✊
The below is a story about the taste of freedom, and about the strength of standing against intolerable darkness. It's difficult to forget what happened in Iran in 2022. 22 year old Mahsa Amini was visiting Tehran with her family when she was stopped by Iran’s...