Inkblot

"Hey, suggest me a project idea to try my hands-on python" "I want a detailed recipe of Chocolate brownie without using eggs" "Correct the below SQL query, it's throwing me an error" "What can be the best place for recreation in December in India?" "Which color dresses suit fair complexion?" "Help me find compound interest, profit and loss for the below given problem" These are some questions that I frequently ask ChatGPT (Now it definitely knows my areas of improvement and my weak points). I started using this chat bot from January 2023. Then, when it answered and solved all my 'queries' and 'worries' I was super relieved and happy! At that moment I just thanked God for such innovative and advanced technologies and minded my own business. Curious cat inside me had curled up in a blanket.  And now in late 2024, when I read(and been reading) some standard literature on innovations and evolutions about comput...

I came across this fly near our back door. I feel it had been resting in the same place since the previous day, but due to the fact that they don’t usually open their wings during the daytime—a kind of camouflage ability—I hadn’t noticed its presence. But today, it seemed like it was a bit injured, so it was trying to fly, and that’s how it caught my attention! Poor creature! (My farmer friends would probably disagree if I call it “poor.”) I know exactly why it was near our back door: my mom always keeps some bananas out to feed the free-flying birds. And no wonder this moth visited, because fruits are its favorite. I instantly recognized it as the fruit-piercing moth. Guess those entomology lessons from past years hadn’t fully faded! Though I still had to ask Google for its universal scientific name. So, this is Eudocima phalonia , a fascinating insect with some unique and troublesome traits, especially for fruit growers. Unlike most moths that feed on nectar, these moths pierce throu...

Every morning, I wake up to the sound of my ringing alarm, but I'm more alarmed as each hour ticks by— not by the clock, but by the gaze I cast when I look at time passing. What’s my power button? My laptop has one, in the top right corner, knowing when to power on and when to rest— so sure of itself, while I search for mine. What’s my power button? The plant in my balcony grins, its hidden button pressed by sunlight and rain. With every drop and every ray, it dances in a quiet, green sway. What’s my power button? Is it the blare of an alarm? Or the taste of my favorite brownie? Perhaps it’s the kind words I hear about myself, lifting me like a secret switch, bringing me back to life. -Namrata

Dear someone who is reading this, I hope you are fine and doing well. I wish you are happy and living your life with gratitude! You know what? I recently read a book by Preeti Shenoy, 'Life is What You Make It'. Interestingly, this is the first volume of the two-part series, but I read it after the second volume, 'Wake Up, Life is Calling', which I finished back in May. (And here I am, writing to you now in October!) But honestly, I do not think the reading order matters much, as Preeti Shenoy has done a great job of narrating the story in both volumes. I prefer writing my reviews a few days after I finish a book or a movie. Why? Because I strongly believe the true essence of a work reveals itself only with time. A great writer leaves their readers with lingering thoughts, making them reflect on characters, metaphors, or the storytelling style even after they have turned the last page. Do you not think so too? That is why I am writing this to you today. This is how the ...

Look at the snake in the video! I bet you spotted the green vine snake easily, right? Well, lucky you—because it was practically invisible to me at first. These sneaky little guys have a superpower: camouflage. I was just minding my own business, strolling by, when I nearly jumped out of my skin. There it was, a slimy little ninja, moving so slowly I wasn’t even sure if I was hallucinating. Naturally, I sprinted to grab my phone (because if you don’t get a picture, did it even happen?) but life had other plans—my phone rang. After handling the call, I rushed back, half-expecting it to be gone. Nope, still there! But let me tell you, it took some serious squinting and detective-level eye training to spot it again. The snake just sat there, barely moving, almost mocking me like, “I dare you to find me.” Of course, I didn’t disturb it, but as you’ll see in the video, it eventually started moving, and that’s when things got interesting. So, like a good millennial, I immediately Googled eve...

  I had this delicious plate of food for lunch today. There’s organic brown rice with Brahmi tambuli, Surinam spinach and potato sambar, some fritters—we call them Chakkuli (which look like starry sticks) and Kodubale (rings)—along with some salt and pickle. When following traditional customs, we always place a little salt on the plate before serving the rest of the food. There’s even a specific spot for the salt on the banana leaf that we follow. (I’ll definitely show y’all this culture and tradition in future posts.) Do you know why we have salt on our plates, even if we don’t always consume it? Here’s what my ajji (grandmother) says: “If you deny salt, whatever you eat will be equivalent to poison.” What?! Seems extreme, right? But there’s a good religious reason behind this, and my ajji puts it simply. Salt is considered a purifying agent. It’s believed to ward off negative energies and bring blessings. Serving it first is seen as a way to sanctify the meal. This tradition defi...

Legs feel so heavy. Am I wearing a skirt? Or have they just left me naked after I was hit hard? Are my bones connected? I wish they were! I want my legs to walk on the beach, holding his hands. What if I don't keep my promise? Will he leave me behind? I want to know if my hair has grown— Maa will be happy to comb and braid it when she sees me. And where have my hands gone? I feel so numb. What do I do with my energy when I can't move? My body feels like a ship lost at sea, adrift on waters I cannot see. Though I cannot see anything, I can see everything. I see everything in green and blue, and sometimes in yellow and orange. So, are my eyes fine? I feel a small ache in my heart because I know he comes daily to see me. I remember his perfume so well. He keeps his hand here, but I wonder where my hands are. Papa stays here, being my protective angel, being my guardian. Maa comes every morning with freshly brewed coffee. My memories are so fresh, so is my mind. Time feels frozen; ...