A day without whatsapp

I woke up late that morning. I had to attend lectures that day. I picked up my phone to text my friend to go college n not wait for me. But there was no Whatsapp! I shrieked n told my mother about it and she was confused too as Whatsapp had suddenly vanished from her phone too... It was weird! I called my friend up and eventually got really late and missed a important lecture.
At the end of the day I told my friend to send me pics of the notes through Whatsapp and found out it wasn't there! I had to write everything down!!
We then moved to the canteen. My mom had called up almost 15 times as I hadn't assured her that I reached college. Everyday I used to drop her a message of me being safe but there was like almost no contact today. I called her up.
It felt weird to call every single person throughout the day to talk. But in the end I realised I had missed this! After a long time I had talked not texted!
Our group met at the canteen n took lot of selfies! Yaar send it to me on Whatsapp I want to change my dp! And I realised there's no Whatsapp. We used the traditional bluetooth way! And while leaving we greeted each other by saying I'll text you later! I was quiet
I came home after a weirdly tiring day. And my friend called up n asked hey why are you offline? I said I had no Whatsapp! She said okay we are planning for a movie...confirm if u r coming too. I said okay!
After a really long time  I had sent a sms....it was different nostalgia!!
All through the day I realised how our lives have changed radically! How we have been totally consumed  by internet ad its means! This needs to change... We need to learn living!
And the next day my Whatsapp was back n I was back to square one too!

------ Laxmi Krishnan

BREATHLESS

There are some moments in life that set your heart racing no matter how much time has passed or how many new memories you have created! Yes... That's something you cherish forever... Which doesnt fade away with time...which makes you go breathless..

I still remember that day of September...I was insecure..feeling lost! And you texted. Hey! And I realised I have you no matter what happens! The conversation grew..infact flourished... And you popped the question... I was confused! I couldn't decide! N I took a decision to wait! And the days that followed..the so called chase! And you did everything possible with all good intentions! And then it was raining heavily that day...I was too bored to walk home from college & I called you up to pick me.. You said all the sweet things and that moment was perfect... Rain n slow music and everything! And you stopped the car! I was scared! Scared to hell! And u popped the question again! I saw it in your eyes! I saw your love! Your respect! And I said a yes! You kissed me on my forehead even when you could have done anything and everything! You were really happy as I was the only thing to do on your list! The very next day you got me a ring! You made me realize it was the best decision of my life.I was overwhelmed.... Amazed...emotional...breathless!
.... Today even 10 months later you kiss on my forehead when we meet...you say you love me and you mean it! You take care of me in best way possible! You still do your best to win my heart and it still has me BREATHLESS!!!

Hold her in your arms
Kiss her on her cheek
Hold her in your heart
Support her when she is weak

Hold her in her sorrow
Hold her in her might
Make her feel loved
Leave her BREATHLESS tonight!

------ Laxmi Krishnan

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

LOVE LOVE!

Inspiration...
What would it mean to you when you are totally tired in this really mean world
nothing to do..
nowhere to go...
and you see a youtube link
after watching a marathon of iisuperwomanii and AIB...
You click on it and think lets checkout...
And you find your ray of sunshine!
MOSTLY SANE!
A person who is mostly n totally insane (well sane :p) comes up on your screen
HI GUYS WHATS UP..THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WATCHING MOSTLY SANE. I AM PRAJAKTA
.....and thats the day I went head over heels in love with you!
Not with the way you look but with the way YOU are!
The way you inspire! The way you made me smile! I didn't know you! I haven't met you or seen you before! but we connected deep inside...Laughter is the best medicine they say! Well You should be called Dr.Prajakta koli then!

Video over Video we bonded
You made me smile
Call us internet friends maybe?
You made thursdays worth the while

Now why I love watching you're videos....
Do you know you are the most insane dose of sanity that we can have?
You taught me that its totally okay to not be perfect! Its mostly sane to be insane!
Remember the real talk tuesdays when you showed up in pyjamas shabby hair and geek glasses?!
You my lady ended up all the differences and distances in you and your fans!
And ever since I feel m having a convo with a girlfriend of mine who is looking really pretty today! (i mentally compliment you)
You taught me to chase my dreams without changing myself!
You taught me to be positive n spread love!
You gave me a reason to be totally happy every thursday!
You make me feel proud of working in a creative industry... <3

And no I wont mention the train video as I know Thats not the only benchmark... You will do cross that real soon!
And no I wont compare you to iisuperwomanii as for me you are prajakta... my prajakta.. My mostly sane wali prajakta!
Lots of love!
Love Love!
Congrats for 2k subscribers...Hope you reach 20k real soon!!!

Should Sex education be made compulsory?

SEX EDUCATION - TABOO OR A NECESSITY?
Waking up to a pleasant morning, coffee mug and the crisp morning newspaper awaited me! Glancing through the headlines, what caught my eye was a rape case. Well looking at the current situation, its common! What not common was a 13 year old had raped a 11 year girl. I mean why! Days before, I heard a boy force BDSM on his girlfriend after watching Fifty shades of grey! Why are people so interested in displaying their sexual orientation by forcing it on somebody else?!?
Sex education! Basically Sex! Seems to be a taboo in our Indian society! It is a thing that cannot be talked on or discussed about. Its a topic that has been hushed about since decades and centuries! Our country who beholds the title of composition of the bold Kamasutra, is in fact the country that talks least about sex!
Why is this so? Why are the teens not familiar of themselves? Why they can't share what they feel on the inside? Why can't parents try to befriend them enough to talk about it? Why do they have to take the shelter of porn which totally misinterprets the reality?
Firstly.... A child deserves to know! He deserves to know how be was born! He deserves to know what really happens? No! God doesn't drop babies on door steps! Nor are they born from seeds their mommy ate! They deserve to know their origin- origin of life!
But there is a age to everything! You can't expect a eight year old to process this! But a child, irrespective to gender, once hits puberty, deserves to know what role they are going to play in the life cycle. Its necessary for them to understand their sexuality,The changes happening to their body in and around. Make them feel proud of their body. Make them feel what importance their orientation has. Make them know what their body parts are. Let them know about relationships. And also difference between sexual relationship And then you will raise responsible kids, who know the reality! No shady unrealistic porn can overshadow their knowledge. Make them know the difference in pleasure and responsibility. Being blackout drunk is not a VIP ticket for an intercourse. Let them learn the reality. It may at times be awkward to answer their questions but they are supposed to be answered. Help them grow mature with time.
Porn is something that totally misleads them. It leads to certain false expectations which these teens tend to try out and the results are gruesome. Rather than porn, why not give them authentic education about it? Why not pick up a mission to guide them through? Why not teach them what they really are? Our educational system teaches them physical education and moral science.... Why can't sex education be a part of the total parcel? Won't it help making responsible citizens? Why not vanish the myths hindering them??
Its only you who can teach them to stop being a pervert but a gentleman, to stop being a object to be ogled at and be a admired lady! Its only you who can break the stereotypes and change their life! Get to it! Making them aware of their real self...you inflict positive thoughts into them. You clear their misconceptions and respect their intimacy. Teach them the difference in touch and grope, difference in admiration and lust. Save them from being exploited. Teach them to respect themselves and the others.
Knowledge is power. Power to our intellect, to our mentality, to our approach and ability. Having proper knowledge of ones sexuality is a asset to the individual as it would help them to carry their personality in a better way. Let them know that being a man doesn't entitle you to exploit the sexuality of a woman. And let your girl know that every admiration or touch is not a assault. Strive to create a knowledged generation.... Only then there won't be any more Nirbhayas and Arunas and finally our fight for rights will succeed!

-------- Laxmi Krishnan

Can Photography still be called unique?

PHOTOGRAPHY: STILL A TALENT?

                    Hey, how are you?        
                                                                                 Hey,Long Time. Im gud. wbu?
                    You free this Saturday?
                                                                                  Mostly yes, Why?
                     Actually I got a new DSLR.
                                                                                    Oh, congrats! Nikon?
                      Yeah so, Are you in for a shoot?
                                                                                     Um, Ill let you know!

                                                     This conversation with a classmate of mine left me dumbstruck. The guy who used to barely scrape through classes and completed his SSC in three attempts, Who handles his dads (who is a builder) office.just got a nikon and was plunging in the heavily lit field of photography! The guy whose profile picture till yesterday was a so rugged pose with kilos of gold was now changed to a selfie with his new gear. And a new life event Working at &*^%#$ photography
It intrigued me. It struck a note, deep inside. Flashbacks of all those exotic places rushed through my mind, With the moist memories of my first camera- A Kodak. All those carefully clicked pictures as not to waste the reel, and then my tenth birthday, when dad got me a coolpix I flaunted it almost everywhere! From the sun in the sky to the caterpillar below the shade of the tulsi plant I captured everyone in it!  And then reality reached me!
I still remember that day. Mom dressed me up and tied my hair in a fancy way and let me use her lipstick she told me we were going to the photo studio to get a family picture clicked! And I also remember when they used to switch on all those lightsI used to feel like a celebrity! No pout but a million dollar smile! And now I just go to the studio to get a passport size photo clicked for my academic needs.
  The DSLR or digital single-lens reflex camera (which many people dont know) was a pricey and unaffordable affair at that time! I had requested our photowale chacha to teach me how to handle and use it! He had promised to help me fulfill my passion! And then I grew up! Promises faded! And my passion toogot stabbed to death!
As DSLRs became cheap and affordableThe real talent became long lost! The art of clicking perfect pictures got patchworked on by silly filters and overlays. Every other person got pricey camera gear and what followed were photography pages. It suffocated me, my passion! I started feeling sad for our photo wale chacha and such other people who have photography as their profession and their families live on that.and also for the people who had a genuine hobbywhich became brutally massacred by some homo sapiens with a pro in their hand! Basically, this talent lost its charm!
                                                  Still, There are some survivors who are exceptionally talented in their own ways where nobody can reach! But They are a chosen few! Proper Photo studios seem on a decline and have picked up tastes of personalized gift store. Digitization is something that changed photography radically! Its not important to just have a proper gear... Its really important to have a proper approach. Having a camera is not a big deal but learning the camera is! The talent is still alive. Its thriving. Its growing. Striking roots in almost every field. Its making things presentable. Its helping people save their memories. Its making people presentable. Over time... It has changed the form!
Now,photoshoots by the newbies are just source of profile pictures for2-3 months and lots of instagram posts! And some real photography lovers seem stunned to see how they exploit their cameras to produce simply nothing! And some people like mehave their memories and coolpix shut in a box in the corner of the room where no one will ever find it!

------ Laxmi Krishnan

Selfies

                              “Selfies are not pokemon,
                                                               You do not have to catch em all!”
                                                                                                        -Humble the poet.

Basically this topic doesn’t need an introduction. It’s a worldwide rage. From the young to old, almost everyone is consummated. Yes, I’m talking about -THE SELFIE. To be precise, I don’t even need to define it! On my recent tour to my native place which lies in a distant part of Tamilnadu, I came across how digitization has reached almost everywhere! And then I came across some kids, probably teens, who were taking a selfie from the back camera of their Nokia series, which was not a smartphone.
                                          Selfie is gripping people all over the country and abroad. People are going gaga over them and this rage doesn’t seem to be going down anytime soon! There are now even many types of selfies that people click. At first selfie used to work as a mirror to look at and have a check. But now, Thanks to snapchat, People have started selfieing almost every other thing!
Work! SELFIE! Traffic! SELFIE! Donuts! SELFIE! Best friend! SELFIE! Soulmate! SELFIE! Marine drive! SELFIE! Marriage! SELFIE! Pimple! SELFIE! ---- I mean just STOP!!!
                         Do you realize what has this selfie done to you? Can’t you see how self centered you have become? Through all your selfie phase, do you realize when was the last time you and your best friend had a proper conversation?? From when did you start needing your phone battery full and net packs on to connect with your love? Why has Wi-Fi replaced your telepathy? A selfie a day keeps insecurities away! I mean how? How can a depressed person be cured by clicking a selfie?? Then what are the therapies for! Infact....selfie itself is said to be a psychological disorder! Not a normal one but extending to high level narcissism!
                                        In this era of smartphones, are people smart enough to put them to utilization? People buy their mobile not by checking other features but size and front camera! I mean seriously? You don’t care about software, You don’t care about specifications. Is clicking a selfie more important than any other feature? The smartphones have brought people at a single message distance…But has alienated them from the people around them. When was the last time your group had a real talk and made plans to visit some places sitting face to face rather than clicking pictures?
                                       I’m not against pictures. Infact they are best ways to save and cherish your moments. But much more important than that is to LIVE THE MOMENT! Create memories. Reminding them will make you smile. The funny conversation will make you smile. Your selfies won’t! Go out. Play football in the rain. Get along with your friends. Have a hot tea n some bhajiyyas. Catch up where you left. Live the rain. Capture it’s essence in your heart than capturing it in your phone. Put the phone down when around her. Hold hands. Let her know she looks beautiful today. Make her laugh. See her beaming. Admire the real her rather than her pictures and selfies. She’s much more beautiful on the inside!
                                          Do everything that makes you happy! And when your heart is full, pull out your phone and click one or two pictures! After all, some moments need to be in your heart as well as your album! Just don’t let it over rule you! Happy clicking and happy living!!

----- Laxmi Krishnan