The Dining Debacle

One evening my mom and I had gone to a five-star restaurant to kickstart our weekend with a bang. We were visiting this restaurant for the very first time and had zeroed in on this place after hearing a lot of reviews raving about the food, its quality and the ambience of the dining area. We were excited to see how the evening would unfold and were eager to experience the flavour of various cuisines enriching our tastebuds.

This restaurant made a strong statement in the initial minutes itself as to why it was called a signature place. There was a decorative ambient light set up on each table whose colour could be customised based on the mood. This increased our expectation multifold. We looked at the offerings of the day in the menu, placed our order and were waiting with bated breaths to receive our food.

After a wait for 20-25 mins, the food- which btw, looked absolutely delicious- arrived. The aroma filled our nostrils, and we were ready to savour the food. My mom and I took a bite of one of the items and after tasting it, we immediately looked into each other's eyes. We realised, it was not our mouths that were watering craving for more, but our eyes that were watering due to the 'distasteful taste' and the exorbitant amount of money paid for it. We somehow finished half the portion of whatever we had ordered, paid the bill, and left home. 

This was the story of our Dining Debacle in full glory.

This incident reminded me of one of the most intricate and interesting debates in today's time-'Place value Vs Taste value'. I call this debate an intricate one as it helps us understand the complex and innate human emotions on the basis of the choices people make. The watershed moment in this debate is the choice of picking the restaurant to dine-in. Some of them put their social status first before their own taste buds, while some put taste first over the place they are dining in. This forms the baseline for the argument.

To understand this conundrum better, consider this. You prefer taste over the place. Would you like to eat in an unhygienic place even though you know that the food there tastes really good? This pushes you into a predicament, and you think of switching sides. But will this switch guarantee you the best output? We have this common misconception that greater the money involved, better would be the quality. Is this completely true? Not really.

Food costs are really high not only because of the quality, but the additional expenditure these restaurant giants incur in order to satisfy the needs of their high-level customers. This means, that the entire amount you are paying is not solely for the quality and safety of the food but is also for the logistics that the restaurant has to put in to maintain the place.

At this point you must be in two minds wondering if there is no end to this debate. The deeper we dig into each argument, the more convincing it starts to sound. What is the final verdict? Is there no way we all can arrive at a conclusive closure?

To offer a resolution for this debate, the first thing that all of us should be doing is to decide if we prefer food over taste or vice versa. This will help us make more efficient food choices and avoid mistakes as we would be visiting places that align with our interests. Maybe if the food served while you are a customer at a place is bad because the restaurant didn't have a good day, you still won't crib about the cost as you willingly signed up for it. 

Now comes the next thing- what if you willingly didn't sign up for visiting a place and just went by whatever you heard? If that is the case, the best approach would be TRUST your sources but VERIFY before going. In our case, we just saw Google reviews and decided that the restaurant would be the best for us. Had we spoken to any of our foodie family members/friends to see if the taste would cater to our food liking, we could've avoided the situation.

The more I ponder regarding the reason for dislike of food there, the more complicated the arguments get. Every idea sounds equally convincing and deciding what must've been the reason behind the Dining Debacle gets crazier. There is another theory as well in my mind while writing this: maybe I was so used to eating food at local street shops and small restaurants that I didn't even have the appetite for the food eaten by elites! (LOL)

I rest my case here by mentioning this: Place value vs Taste value is a never-ending debate, and each person has their own reasons for picking one side. Despite following all the steps, you might still end up in a Dining Debacle if the stars are not aligned properly. What is important here, is for you to identify what kind of a person you are, which would thereby enable you to make informed choices. 

Finally, remember, you eat to live and not live to eat, so don't let one bad experience completely tarnish your image about a certain place. Look for alternatives, keep exploring and whenever you experience a Dining Debacle, remember there is always a next food joint/eatery that you can explore to keep your taste buds high!

      - Anusha Sridhar

(P.S Have you experienced any Dinner Debacles in the recent times?)

The T20 delight

 The 17-year wait has finally come to an end. India brings the World Cup home with a stunning victory against South Africa. All the players in the squad performed their respective roles with finesse ensuring that the long-awaited dream becomes a reality. The match wasn't a one-sided one. There were so many game-changing moments and awesome cricket that we got to witness. The number of twists and turns in the game made all the Indian fans glued to their TV screens watching with bated breaths, fingers crossed, and eyes brimming with thin line of hope of crossing the final endeavor. Victory in yesterday's match was such a heart-warming moment as it allowed us fans to finally come out of the heartbreak of the World cup loss against Australia last November. 

Many sentimental fans (like me) were really tensed about yesterday's match as we were getting flashbacks and drawing parallels with the ODI World Cup. The two scenarios were eerily similar- an undefeated streak in the league matches which led to a heartbreaking loss in the final game. Somewhere we were scared where history might repeat, but thanks to an overall team effort- IT DID NOT. 

The best part of T20 was the bromance of Rohit and Virat was on top throughout all the league games. The efforts of the bowlers too were top notch and that helped us defend low scores too. This T20 campaign was a collective effort which led to a well-deserved win. Watching the way Rohit collected the trophy and Rahul Dravid getting his due after so many years made everyone elated and emotional too.

This victory has given Hardik Pandya one of his biggest comebacks ever. From being trolled on getting appointed as the MI captain, to being booed by fans in his own home ground, to unwanted rumors- everything took a major toll on his mental health. Seeing him give a fitting comeback to all the haters in style and expressing his happy tears made everyone proud of him. Along with Hardik, even Virat Kohli was criticized a lot for his form in the league matches but he too answered in style with his bat on the D-day. 

What surprises me sometimes is the nature of Indian cricket fans. During IPL it is 'Rohit Vs Kohli' but when it comes to international matches as team India, it becomes 'Ro & Ko', 'RohiRat' and many other such names. How fast the night changes!

Maybe this proves that during IPL season we are all divided as teams, individual players and laurels, but when it comes to the national team, everyone becomes one and cheers the loudest.

Wishing hearty congratulations to team India and eagerly waiting to watch more such classy cricket! The fact that both the stalwarts of the game Rohit and Virat are retiring from the format definitely has left a void in our heart but as they say: 'endings are new beginnings', looking forward to a new era of cricket with the youngsters carrying forward the legacy of both these players. The shoes to fill in are big, but I am sure that with the quality of cricket, respect and dedication they put into the game, they will definitely be able to shine and take Indian cricket to greater heights.

Once again congratulations team India! We will continue to stand by your side as your loyal fans. 😊

                                                   - Anusha Sridhar

My first time

May 10th, 2024. 

The D-day.

The day when my biggest dream came true.

The day when I got my right to exercise my power of being a part of a democratic country.

The day when I got my "RIGHT TO VOTE."

I have been an ardent follower of Indian politics and throughout my 19 years of life, I've gotten to read and witness the different ideologies of political parties, the way matters of the country are looked at and the way things are rapidly changing due to surge of AI. (iykyk)

It has been quite an interesting phase for me as I've gotten to see both sides of the coin- how through the passage of time certain great leaders evolved and sustained due to wise decisions while a few completely withered away. The wide spectrum of people with diverse thoughts that we get to witness in Indian politics is truly fascinating!

They say democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The USP of a democratic nation lies in the fact that people are the choosers. The drawback? People are the choosers.

The citizens of the country have the right to either give power to someone or to completely strip them off it. With great power comes great responsibility and with a responsibility as big as that of electing someone who would be in power for 5 years, lots of caution needs to be exercised before casting a vote. There needs to be lots of thinking, analyzing and understanding as to what the best option for our country's progress would be. Is the same amount of effort being put in by each and every voter in this country? Sadly, the answer is no.

Despite having a country with the youth constituting the major population, it is disheartening to see such a small percentage of voter turnout during elections. It is even more disheartening to see all the educated people taking a backseat and not casting their vote. Since most of the times we have elections conducted during the weekends and with the election day being a holiday, people are prioritizing their personal work over any other activities, thus sabotaging the country's future. 

Every election is dependent on the people who show up. Every vote counts. Please vote for the person whom you think will bring a fresh approach to the table to tackle the current set of problems being faced. Please don't come under the influence of external factors and vote irrationally. Take your responsibility seriously and be the change you wish to see.

As a first-time voter, I will be casting my vote on the 13th of May and exercise my most important right and take part in this privilege of being a citizen of a democratic country. What about you?

JAI HIND!!

                        - Anusha Sridhar

Family time....Family star

On a bright and sunny Ugadi morning, my mom and I decided to spend the day together by watching a movie in a theatre. After a lot of deliberation and thought, we zeroed in on the movie 'The Family Star'. We stepped into the theatre with a lot of anticipation and excitement, but little did we expect the turn things would take. 

For the very first time we were in a theatre with less than 20 people. There weren't many hoots and claps like how it happens for a regular commercial film. There were minimal reactions to all the humor and elevations given to the main lead. Honestly, we had a satisfactory experience, and the songs too were ringing in our heads. Did everyone else have the same experience as us? Apparently, no.

It seems a lot of people didn't like the film because they felt it carried the same old trope of commercial films and had certain unnecessary sequences which didn't elevate the film but instead downplayed its content.  

This response from people caught me off guard. A star like Vijay Devarakonda struggling to pull the audience to theatres despite having a storyline that can easily connect to all the middle-class people? Of course, I agree there are exaggerations that could have been chopped down from the runtime to make it a crisper film but discarding the film on a whole due to certain preconceived notions and half-baked statements? That is a big no.

I was watching few videos on the internet where people were giving their reactions and reviews about the movie. Few of them sounded rational with their viewpoint, but a few of them went too personal- bringing in their own equation with the actor into the picture.

I feel a lot of times actors are judged as a whole on the basis of the kind of scripts they select and the way they are presented on screen. What we fail to realise is that the actor is just playing the character and the character is not the person himself. VD was someone who got type-casted into a certain set of roles after Arjun Reddy. The audience felt he always tried to carry himself as per his popular reel life character. 

If you don't like the movie in terms of a movie perspective, then you have the right to point out flaws. But when you look at a movie not in terms of its storyline and technical intricacies, but with a tainted perspective- bringing in personal lives and remarks made by the actor at some point into the equation, I don't think it is fair. A movie is not only the actor's hardwork, but there are a lot of people involved behind the scenes whose contributions don't come into light. Just because we have a bad precedent about the main lead doesn't mean we start scrutinizing everything in the movie and going into the theatre with a mindset to bash the film no matter what message or idea it conveys in the end.

I personally felt the movie had a great premise and accurately depicted the problems faced by an Indian middle-class family. Just like how no movie is perfect in totality, this one too has few flaws and logical discrepancies. But on the whole it gave us such a good vibe and hard-hitting facts to ponder upon. 

On the whole, I would just like to say one thing. If you want to have a hearty laugh in the theatre and understand the importance of having a good family, don't miss the film and watch it at the nearest theatres!

                    - Anusha Sridhar

The historic moment

The 'prana prathista' ceremony in Ayodhya left everyone speechless and filled with tears of joy. The smiling idol of Ram Lalla left wide smiles on our faces. The country was painted in saffron and Ram flags adorned the flagpoles everywhere. This historic day marked the end of Lord Ram's vanvaas- marking his return to his birthplace- Ayodhya.

I couldn't watch the consecration ceremony live, but when it was repeatedly aired on different news channels, I was awe-struck by the detailing that went into sculpting the idol- those big eyes, beautiful smile- the idol appeared so real to me that for a moment my eyes got moist. The nadaswaram playing 'Kurai ondrum illai' (meaning I have no grievances) during the aarti perfectly complemented my feelings. If watching this ceremony on the TV screen could cause such a powerful impact on me, just imagine the profound impact it would have had on people who witnessed the ceremony live in Ayodhya!

Through news channels, I also got to see how the attendees were gushing over witnessing the goosebumps-inducing ceremony live and were praising their fortunes for being invited. They spoke high about the swift and prompt management at Ayodhya as well. Another place to visit added to my bucket list! :)

To see the rich tapestry of Indian heritage being restored through the construction of the Ram temple makes my heart swell with pride. The Ramayan is one of my favourites that I always revisit- either by watching the serial or by reading the book. To imagine the sheer fact that viewing Lord Ram is not going to be restricted only to my imagination fills me with ecstasy.

22nd January 2024 officially begins the dawn of a new era. Let's all come together and celebrate every 22nd January from now on in a grand manner and make sure this day is forever etched in our memory.

Jai Shri Ram!!

                                                

                             - Anusha Sridhar

(Fun fact: The name of the person who sculpted the idol and gave life is Arun Yogiraj and the name of the person who was Ram in the first Ramayan serial made was Arun Govil! Notice the same name..)

Melancholic Musing

The recent events- the horrendous crimes that have taken place across the country have rattled me to the core. The condition of women and girls is becoming miserable day-by-day and despite that, there are people who still believe that everything happens only because the girl wished for it. Restrictions are imposed on her due to which whatever little freedom she gets is also taken away from her. This poem is just me expressing my angst on the injustice that is being meted to women and I post this with a hope that there will be a change in general mindset and biased opinions people have against women.

Everything I'd done
Every sacrifice I'd made
Every little step I'd taken
to mend our relationship
was always looked down in disdain.
Every moment I spent
always gave pain.
But despite all of that
I tried sticking together
tried to mend things
But you always spent time
only for your gain.

I knew it.
I knew it from the very start
that you were just using me.
but this silly heart
Oh this silly heart
never wanted to accept.
It knew it was living in a delusion.
But it continued to beat
it continued to beat with a hope 
that one day things would be better
One day it'd be back to normal.
But little did it realise that
things were getting eerily abnormal.

Despite the discrepancies,
Despite the desperate doubts,
Despite the state of submission,
I was in that comfort zone.
The heart found its soulmate.
It was ready to give umpteen chances
despite whatever the state.

Every time I looked into the mirror
I wondered
Why were my eyes red
and face filled with patches of black-blue?
I realised
It was your long strong hands
and your hard white shoe.

I always climbed down the ladder of life.
Put you before my dreams.
tried my level best
to stop those screams.
I always tried to change myself
in the process even losing myself.
But it never mattered to me
as long as you were clutching my hands
by going down on one knee.

I trusted you more than my kith and kin-my own.
It never mattered to me that I was alone
despite whatever situation I was thrown.
I never felt any remorse for  turning my back.
'cause somewhere I felt you'd have my back.
But when you showed me your true self
why was I shattered instead of taken aback?

Everything was over.
Finally I could come out.
The relationship got over, but 
what is the use
what is the use when everything is over
while my eyes forever shut?

                                                                                 

                                                                -  Anusha Sridhar

Social media syndrome

After a lot of persuasion by my friends, I finally joined Instagram. I felt very happy that I was becoming a part of the crowd. I was excited that my blogs would reach a wider audience and I could connect to all my old friends with whom I had lost contact. 

It was a quite a memorable day. I got in touch with many people whom I knew- but never spoke to. I got a significant number of followers and started enjoying memes; I understood the craze for it. I got good story responses and I, at last, became a 'Gen-Z social media user.'

The first few days were fun. I learnt the nuances of the app. I also learnt how to put stories according to the situation (the right song, the right pictures and tagging people) It was great to stay in the limelight and I was basking in the glory of being an avid 'Insta user'(this is the Gen-Z way of using the word). 

A few weeks passed by. There was a significant jump in my followers list. I was delighted at the prospect of reaching new milestones in terms of the growth in number of followers.  I was very excited that I had my own personal platform where I could post snippets of my life and stay relevant with the latest trends. With India having the most Instagram users in the world, I was just a very small addition to the humongous 'Indian Instagram- Gen-Z users world'.

As I started to use it on a daily basis- sharing reels and posts with friends and getting timely updates of my favourite films and stars, I realised two things. One, the amount of time I was spending on the app was increasing rapidly and two, I was always looking for 'Instagrammable' pictures- any new place I visited had to first be registered in my mobile and only then in my mind. Not that taking pictures of new surroundings is bad, but it was a new trait I had seen in myself.

Using Instagram was a great way for me to take a break from my daily routine. It provided me the much-needed laughter and was a great stressbuster too. But there were a lot of inherent comparisons that sprung up in my mind while using the app and checking peoples' feed.  An inexplicable feeling- a feeling of discontent and social estrangement. I really had no idea as to why I was developing such negative connotations despite being an optimistic person. I started feeling dejected even at the slightest prospect of lack of fun. Life started looking sombre, very monotonous with no form of break.

These symptoms of social media syndrome worsened day by day and my discontent kept increasing. Seeing this, one day I courageously decided to take a break- to come out of insta for some time. This decision made a lot of difference. I had lots of time to invest in myself- to groom my skills. After a fortnight, I rejoined Instagram with my usage solely restricted to a particular time frame and the purpose just being to stay connected with people.

After this drastic change, I had a few questions. When people know that they are signing in to be a part of a community that excessively promotes toxic positivity, why do compare their lives with others? Why is there this irresistible urge to have one's own active social media footprint?

Being on social media or wanting people to know our presence is not a bad trait. But in this process of showing the world that we are always happy and have a comfortable life, we deliberately put up a show; wear a mask and are never true to ourselves. Highlighting all the good things that have happened is not a problem. The problem lies in not acknowledging that everyone has their own share of both good and bad days and that people just choose to put out only their good experiences. Our definition of a perfect and happy life needn't match with the societal standards and expectations.

It is a natural human tendency to draw out lines of comparison when you find someone making great stride in their respective fields. It's okay if you are disappointed at your personal growth looking at their progress. Learn to come out of it and make a positive change since brooding is going to take you nowhere. It might be difficult to digest certain things at the initial stages, but once you start looking at Instagram as a place for inspiration rather than that of depression and anxiety, it will make you a much better and happier person in life. 

                              - Anusha Sridhar