A sweet, contemporary love story that asks important questions
In the first few pages of “How We Met — A memoir of love and other misadventures”, author Huma Qureshi asks –
“What if my story, our story might count? What if it might mean something?”
Every memoir writer who is not a celebrity or a victim of overt oppression, violence, or trauma, probably expresses similar doubts. Ordinary life stories, even well-told ones, are not considered marketable or saleable by the publishing industry, because they are boring.
Every life is a story but does every story merit a book?
The short answer, although inadequate, is ‘it depends.”
Who wants to read a simple, true love story?
One simple tip that can keep you on track
I received an unusual planner for 2021. It was part of a gift box subscription from Books That Matter. Although it arrived a couple of months after my birthday, thanks in part to Covid-19-related shipping delays to my address in Singapore, it appeared in time for my annual rumination about the new year.
Although I am a compulsive list-maker, I am on the fence when it comes to new year resolutions. Writing down your thoughts is a good way to make them concrete, but making a checklist has pros and cons.
Over my lifetime, I have lived through years when…
TRAVEL WRITING PROMPT
Learn to unwind in your own backyard
In the early months of the pandemic, I consoled myself by saying that all the drastic changes demanded by the Covid-19 virus were short-term measures. The inconvenience was temporary; a test of resilience that was best borne with a smile. A later, the once-surreal situation that has now become an unpleasant but accepted reality for the foreseeable future, makes me grimace.
As an unabashed urbanite who thrives in crowded spaces and fast-moving environments, I doubt whether I can endure being cooped up on an island for much longer. Singapore is Covid-free but reluctant to risk outside threats, particularly in the…
It doesn’t take much for our interconnected world to come to a halt
The Ministry of Health notification that I was eligible to register for the Covid-19 vaccine pinged on my phone as I was reading the news story about the Ever Given, one of the world’s largest container ships, being stuck in the Suez Canal.
On the surface, it seemed as if there was no connection between the two distinct stories. Yet, for a fleeting moment, I felt a strange kinship with the massive ship.
Like those among us who have been barred from leaving our homes and/or countries, we were both stranded. At least for the time being.
A passport to new experiences
Travel.
How getting away from my family helped me unwind.
The plan was simple. To take a week off from work and two days off from home. A solo staycation in Singapore. Simply put, me time.
I wanted to accomplish three things:
- Be silent
- Read without interruption
- Write without a break
So I took my books, non-fiction and fiction, notebooks — ruled and plain, stationery — index cards and post-it notes, pens and pencils, not sure which ones I would be need. The room didn’t have wifi and I write on google docs, but I took my laptop, just in case.
As remote as it gets on a small island
The place was remote, the room cosy. I had…
Choosing between traveling outwards, inwards, or staying in place
The highlight of the spare room in our home is a map of the world. The rectangular 5" x 3" laminated sheet attached to the wall with heavy-duty double-sided tape is a standard representation-irregular land masses interrupting various shades of blue that cover two-thirds of the earth’s surface.
What makes this particular map special are the colorful stickers that dot various locations over its shiny surface. Little circles in four colors, one for each member of the family, mark the cities we have visited. …
Thanks for the shout out. I liked the Series feature but it seemed to not get the traction it deserved. Thanks for reminding me that once upon a time, I did try something new!!!
A simple recipe for finding sustenance in a busy city
In stillness, we find our peace ~ Katrina Kenison
In Singapore, we ushered in a rainy 2021 that washed away New Year celebrations, resolutions, and hopes for a Covid-free year. February floated in on a pleasant breeze bringing with it dry, cool days that lasted through the month. Happy to be blessed with a rare, calm breeze more common in other parts of the island, I stepped out for a walk more than once a day, soaking in the sunshine without its attendant humidity.
March has been scorching, with brilliant sunshine flooding my bedroom each morning, setting the tone for…
It is impossible to figure out what happens after you post
I am not a super-prolific content creator on Medium. Yet, when I realised I had posted 100 articles on Medium since I joined the platform in mid-2019, I was pleasantly surprised at my own output.
Of course, I wrote a post about it. Not surprisingly, it wasn’t distributed, because it is ostensibly about Medium!
But I did write write some thoughtful pieces that did get distributed. And a few excellent pieces that did not. I also found a new publication Authentic Solopreneurs which features authentic, uplifting and helpful insights launched by a fellow Singapore resident Bingz Huang. …
What do you do when the context of your life changes in an instant?
At the office of an acupuncturist for treatment for unbearable shoulder pain that neither drugs nor physical therapy could alleviate, Dani Shapiro, author of Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity and Love, is asked whether she knows the three great spiritual questions.
Who am I?
Why am I here?
How shall I live?
Shapiro knows the questions.
In the aftermath of shocking DNA test results, Shapiro attempts to answer them.
Reliving life through writing
Like all memoirs, Inheritance is an exploration of a life, not just the bare details but the underlying motivations and reasons that drive one particular life. Shapiro is no stranger…
Ranjani Rao
I write insightful personal stories about my scientist, immigrant, travel life. 4 books http://bit.ly/RanjaniRao. Share memoir journey -www.ranjanirao.com
