Personal

Passing A Levels with study, breaking rules and… an angel

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By Rohma Sadaqat

I like to indulge myself in a little activity when I am feeling low. All it requires is my laptop and a cup of green tea. Said items procured, I will then spend the next hour scrolling through all of the latest social media posts, videos and news articles that I can find on little acts of kindness. It’s easy to get lost in all the positivity that you find when going through compilations under the hashtag ‘faith in humanity restored’. Judging by the number of comments and views on each post, I am certain that I am not the only one who enjoys this little indulgence.

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Health & Fitness

Armed with dumbbells, I’m trying to get smart with fitness

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By Dhanusha Gokulan

After a two-year hiatus filled with prolonged episodes of procrastination, I finally jumped back on the ‘get fit’ wagon in the first week of February this year. A month into my new health routine, I’m glad to say I am growing stronger. I am beginning to enjoy my workouts — and my clothes fit better, too. Though I am a long way from hitting my fitness goals, I now have some hope. 

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Perspective

Who isn’t afraid of taking the last bow? I certainly am!

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By Suresh Pattali

Thekkemuri. The Malayalam word roughly translates to Southern Room. I had a problem with that pigeon hole in my ancestral home because it served as the sickroom. I called the frightening locale the ICU in the family. Our grandma died in there. The sick and the old occupied the wooden bed in Thekkemuri, with a brass bedpan always underneath. It smelled of death. Day or night, I dreaded stepping into the room and whenever I did, I was escorted by my sisters. They teased me for being such a wuss. Continue reading Who isn’t afraid of taking the last bow? I certainly am! →

Travel

A World Sleep Day guide to beating jet lag

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By David Light

Merry World Sleep Day (WSD), everyone! Have you woken up (late), run downstairs and opened your WSD presents already? I hope the kids’ letters reached Slumber Claus  in time and the Snooze-mas feast is ticking over nicely. What do you think would constitute a special meal for the occasion? A lot of milk and marshmallows, I suppose. Anyway, facetiousness aside, March 15 does indeed mark World Sleep Day: 24 hours dedicated to celebrate the enjoyment and importance of snuggling up and switching off. True, it may join the long list of ‘festivals’ we never knew existed and are most likely marketing ploys; those including Lumpy Rug Day (May 3), Cheese Pizza Day (September 5) and – a particular favourite – Dunce Day (November 8), though, at least this one does highlight an aspect of life essential for physiological development. So, we guess that’s a feather in its cap over its contemporaries.

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Personal

The barber who wanted to make me look like Shakespeare

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By Suresh Pattali

I literally launched myself onto the lofty chair, the only one vacant in the salon, and looked around to see who was going to serve me. I panned my eyeballs across the place. The ambiance was hair-raising. The six-chair shop with seamless black-and-white decor, including large elliptical mirrors with LED-illuminated frames, lent credence to the hues of business that happened inside: hair — black or gray.

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Perspective

Youngsters — and a taco — gave me something to chew on

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By Keith Pereña

“We’re not done yet; you have to put some garnish and sour cream to top it all off,” Emil, one of the students, was telling me as he coached me on how to make tacos. While putting the aforementioned garnish on, it began to dawn on me that something as simple as tacos takes a lot of effort to create.

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