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12 Days Vietnam Itinerary – 2023
In 2023, I embarked on a 12-day solo trip to Vietnam. Here’s a breakdown of my itinerary and some of the highlights from my journey. Days 1-3: Hanoi I started my trip in Hanoi, where I spent three days exploring the city. I enjoyed trying out the local street food, especially bánh mì and phở.…
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The Grass is Always Greener on the Mediocre Side
I dream of being a mediocre man,Utterly average, an unexceptional specimen.No greatness to aspire to, no failure to fear,Just blissful, unburdened, blessed mediocrity. I’d scale no mountains, set no world on fire,But neither would I feel the weight of expectation.I could simply exist, unencumbered by ambition,Free to revel in the glory of my own ordinariness.…
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Home is no longer a place
Bombay dreams in sepia tones,Konkan whispers through cracked phones.Kadak chai, now a bittersweet sip,Pani puri’s ghost on a longing lip.Local’s rhythm, a distant lullaby,Once scorned, now draws a wistful sigh.Mumbai’s chaos, a siren’s song,Calling me where I don’t belong.Reality fades, leaving only the shine,Of a home that was never so divine.Distance softens the rough and…
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Delusion of Reprieve: Clinging to last hope
In psychiatry, the concept of the ‘delusion of reprieve’ describes how a condemned person might irrationally cling to the hope of a last-minute pardon. Viktor Frankl discusses this idea in Man’s Search for Meaning, extending its relevance far beyond its original context. When a relationship I valued ended abruptly, I found myself trapped in a…
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Longing for Open Spaces
Bir. Paragliders dotted the horizon, landing in the wide-open space next to my temporary home. We all gravitated there, day after day. Six evenings, I was pulled in too. Back in Bangalore, concrete and glass hem me in. No patch of earth to call our own, no place to just be. Rewind to…