Editor’s Note:1

It’s been a while since I’ve last clicked the Publish button here. Sure, there were a few pieces that never saw the light of day since I was too lazy to edit them, a few that were abandoned after the title and subtitle, and a few that never made it past my phone’s notes.

Looking back, I assume I might have been too caught up in the vicious cycle of making things perfect, instead of just putting it out there. I mean, considering the metrics, why am I being so hard on myself? Maybe it’s due to the structure or template I’ve created over the months that made me procrastinate, I think.

Assuming this to be the case, I’m going to partially throw the structure out of the window. I’m going back to basics and am not going to be fixated on having certain sections just because I previously thought it would be a good idea. Begone, sunk cost fallacy!

With that out of the way, let’s look at what we have here.

Making significant changes is perhaps one of the riskiest bets one can take in life. And as the saying goes, if you never try, you never know. It sucks to be in a state where you feel like you don’t have any control over your life. You can neither move forward nor backward. I’ve been there and can speak from first-hand experience that it’s not a great situation to be in.

So, what do we do? What do we owe ourselves for a better future? Perhaps one thing that may come to mind is having good faith. While you might have lost faith in humanity (just like I did, that’s a story for another day), it’s important to have faith in yourself. As the great Taylor Swift once sang, you’re on your own, kid. You always have been.

While having faith is an aspect that drives discipline, which in turn drives actions, it doesn’t help if you don’t have one thing — a vision. When I was a student right out of college, one question that scared me was the generic Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years? While I made my way through those questions with diplomatic answers, deep down, the truth is, I didn’t know.

Some would argue that life is long and it’s okay not to have it all figured out right in your 20s. Honestly, I would disagree. The freedom to carve your path in a capitalistic society comes from a place of privilege and generational wealth. And that’s not something to be overlooked.

Of course, I don’t endorse hustling every single day to make a sophisticated living at the cost of one’s health. I don’t recommend partying like there’s no tomorrow either. As with most things in life, it’s imperative to find the right balance. What’s fascinating here is that the definition of the right balance is highly variable and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to life.

Having said that, it’s possible to create a vision for oneself to achieve goals. With a vision in mind, it would be easier to make sense of ideas and carefully craft plans that align with the vision. Now that there’s a plan, all that’s left to do is stick to it. And that’s what I’m going to do, hopefully.

Umm, I guess I rambled a bit here. The TL;DR is, to take risks, explore life, make memories, not let your dreams be dreams, have a vision, create a plan, and stick to the plan. To live a life worth living and to live to tell the tale!

Treat Corner🌟

In case you missed it, the title is an obvious nod to David Fincher’s upcoming movie The Killer. It’s not every day when you hear about a new Fincher movie, so it’s safe to say I’m hyped. Here’s to hoping they release it in Bangalore before inevitably putting it on Netflix. Fingers crossed.

Until next time,

Hearts if you liked it, subs if you loved it!

Love,
Subin

I’d like to preface this by saying that dogs are one of the most adorable creatures on this planet. They are (mostly) loyal, grateful, kind, and are capable of both protecc and attacc. Although I prefer cats to dogs, I don’t really hate dogs. In fact, I find them cute. So, why am I writing this, and why are you reading this? How did we get here?
Dear reader, welcome to my sob story on how dogs treat me like a foe when I’m out and about on a cycle.

Without beating around the bush, let’s face it: I’m scared of some dogs. Not because I see them as a threat, but because they’re mostly unpredictable. One minute you’ll find them wagging tails & playing fetch and the other, they’re furiously chasing a poor cat or two. And that’s where the problem lies.

No, I’m not here to advocate that dogs shouldn’t chase cats. It’s none of my business, albeit I deeply empathize with poor cats getting their afternoon nap disturbed because of a restless ferocious dog. I’m here to self-advocate.

See, I like going on cycle rides and I wholeheartedly enjoy them. After almost two years, I’ve come to realize that there are two distinct things that disrupt my rides — traffic and dogs. While I can’t do anything about the traffic (thanks, Bangalore), I can think of ways to avoid dogs that brutally chase me during rides. And I did.

For a neutral discussion, I’ve invited Mr. Doggie Kruger, who will represent the dog’s point of view today.

Subin: Hi Doggie Kruger, thanks for joining.

Doggie Kruger: Woof, thanks for having me.

Subin: So Mr. Kruger, why are your folks chasing me when I’m minding my own business and having a peaceful ride? I don’t even try to provoke.

Doggie Kruger: Mr. Subin, I’m sorry you had to experience this. The thing is, it is a bit complicated. As dogs, we haven’t quite evolved from the good old days where we are expected to chase a prey on command.

Subin: So you think I’m a prey?!?!

Doggie Kruger: Not really, I’m pretty sure you don’t pose a serious threat to us. It’s just that when you come cycling at 20km/hr, we often think the cycle is our prey.

Subin: Well, for the record, I could pose a serious threat, you know. Just saying. Do you think you can bite me and get away with it? I will ensure at least some of those tooth are broken if you dare to.

Doggie Kruger: Ugh fine, I acknowledge you could pose a serious threat. But that’s not the point. The thing is, we often misinterpret your cycle as an animal and our primal instinct to hunt the animal (cycle) down gets triggered.

Subin: Hold up, what? That’s fascinating, dumb, and interesting at the same time. So, what if I slow down, stop for a second, will you still chase me?

Doggie Kruger: Probably not. Most dogs tend to stop chasing once the realization kicks in that it is indeed a human and not another animal. However, your mileage may vary. If the dogs still chase you, you could try using your cycle as a fence of sorts and wait till the dog calms down.

Subin: Hmm, that seems viable. Not to blow my own trumpet, but I usually outpace dogs when a chasing situation occurs. I will try this approach when I’m in busy roads. Thanks, Kruger, for the insights. It was a pleasure chatting with you.

Doggie Kruger: The pleasure is mine, Subin. Stay safe out there. If nothing works out, you could try that old trick you used to scare dogs away when you were a kid.

Subin: Ssssh, how did you know that? I didn’t even tell it to many people.

Doggie Kruger: Haha, it’s a small world, Subin. Stories like this spread like wildfire.

Subin: Alrighty, I will be more careful next time xD. See you, Kruger. 👋🏽

Doggie Kruger: Woof woof! 🐕

Takeaways 🌟

Well, that was, ummm, interesting…. So dear reader, what do we learn here?

Here are my key takeaways:

• If it is an empty road, don’t bother about the dog. Pick up the pace and the dog will stop chasing after you cross its perceived territory.

• If it is a busy road, get down and use your cycle as a fence. To be clear, the cycle should be between you and the dogs. Needless to say, there’s a little risk involved here. It’s still better than increasing the pace and getting your head crushed by a huge lorry though.

• Try to distract the dog by throwing something you have (not something valuable, duh) in the opposite direction. You may manage to de-escalate the situation.

• Maybe give them biscuits when you are getting chased (I’m not responsible if they chase you for more biscuits :3)

Treat Corner 🍨

As a self-proclaimed cyclist, I love Strava for its detailed insights (most of them are locked behind a paywall though). However, I won’t forgive them for the lack of dark mode. It’s been years since Strava has been around, and no one cared to improve the aesthetics of the app?! Boooo…

Enter Any Distance, a new workout app that also doubles as a social network for athletes and anyone interested in fitness. I absolutely love the design and UX of the app. It’s just chef’s kiss!! 🥹 And did I tell you about the cool 3D graphs it can generate? If you follow me on Instagram, you have probably seen many of those by now.

Moreover, the app is one of the nominees of Apple’s Design Awards 2023, whose winners are about to be announced next week at WWDC. Rooting for them and curious to see how it goes! 🤞🏽

Any Distance is currently available on iPhones and Apple Watches. If you have one, I’d genuinely recommend checking it out!

Until next time,

Hearts if you liked it, subs if you loved it!

Stay safe,
Subin

We all crave gratification. Whether it stems from a desire or a goal, the feel-good hormones released after you feel a sense of fulfillment remains unmatched. While there are a lot of ways to get a dose of gratification, they can typically be classified into two groups — instant gratification and delayed gratification.

So, what if we attach personas to instant and delayed gratifications? How would that conversation look like? Well, I’m glad you asked.

With that said, here’s how I envision the conversation would go:

IG: Hi, I’m Instant Gratification! I give people what they deserve and treat them right!

DG: Hello there, IG! I’m Delayed Gratification! I give people what they deserve and treat them right if they’re disciplined enough to prove their dedication and commitment.

IG: Why are you hard on people? They deserve all the happiness in the world, don’t you think? 🥹

DG: Yes, I do, which is why I think it’s important for happiness to be sustainable, unlike your approach. Life is a marathon and not a sprint! How do you expect people to have sustained results?

IG: Well, I don’t. You see, you never know how long you’ll live. Might as well live every day like it’s the last one you live, right? Carpe diem, baby!

DG: IG, I’m not sure if I’m a huge fan of your attitude and lack of vision and planning for the future. While I do agree that living in the present is important, I think being careless about the future is a recipe for disaster.

IG: Guess that makes two of us. I’m not interested to continue this conversation. Off you go, resume watering your plants for “hobby” or going for a run for “good health”.

DG: Good luck, IG. I hope you find satisfaction doomscrolling through the night or eating junk food. I’m glad we had this conversation, it’s good to understand opposing views at times.

IG: yawns Yeah, right!

Moral? 🐣

So, what do we learn here?

As with most things in life, finding the right balance between IG and DG is key. And what is the right balance, you ask? Well, it depends. There are multiple variables involved and there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to choose one over the other.

Sure, choosing DG might pay off in the long run, but if it comes at the cost of missing out on all the fun that IG has to offer, is it worth it? That’s a decision one has to make.

Sidenote: While reading these conversations, how did you visualize DG and IG? Personally, I envisioned IG as a teenager and DG as someone in their late 30s. How about you? And which side are you on? Let me know in the comments!

Treat Corner 😋

This Gramophone Classics Spotify playlist has “POV: Your neighbor is playing Bollywood classics on a cloudy Friday eve” energy when you play it at 35% volume. Check it out!

⚠️ Succession Season 4 Episode 3 Spoilers Ahead!

You know a show is legendary when a legit media publication puts out an obituary for a fictional character. 🫡 More on that here.

Until next time! Hearts if you liked it, subs if you loved it!

Delayed regards,
Subin

One realization I had while authoring my birthday essay was to get out of home often. Travel the world, explore the unknowns, take risks, meet new people, and the like. While most of my birthdays are typically spent indoors, possibly a ~5km outdoor visit at best, I wanted to do something different this year — travel to a new place, preferably cold.

During my brief research, I stumbled upon Chitkul, a place touted to be the last village of India towards Tibet. I checked the weather there and it was -10 degrees Celsius. I was sold! I decided I’m visiting Chitkul this birthday, with or without company. As you might have guessed from the title, it ended up being a solo trip — one I won’t forget anytime this decade.

The Itinerary

Reaching Chitkul from Bangalore involves three major stops, at least on the route I chose:

• Bangalore

• Chandigarh

• Shimla

• Sangla

• Chitkul

Mode of Transport to Reach Chitkul

Here’s what the mode of transport looked like from the source to the destination:

• Bangalore - Chandigarh (flight)

• Chandigarh - Shimla (bus)

• Shimla - Sangla (bus)

• Sangla - Chitkul (bus)

Day 1: Shimla

The agenda for the first day was fairly straightforward. Catch the flight, board subsequent buses, and reach Chitkul by the end of the day. However, it didn’t quite play out that way in reality.

After a delicious Punjabi breakfast from Chandigarh, I was all set for my journey to Shimla. “Everything is going as per the plan, nice!” I thought. The lunch was fairly disappointing at Shimla and I was in for more disappointment. After stocking Shimla apples for the journey and the night, I faced a situation that I hadn’t anticipated — the frequency of buses.

As it turns out, the next bus to Sangla (the second last stop to Chitkul) is at 7:15 the next morning. I figured out three options:

• Take a cab from Shimla to Chitkul

• Take an alternate bus to reach the village close to Sangla & figure out a way to reach Chitkul

• Stay in Shimla for the night

While the first option seemed like a comfortable way to reach the destination, it was pretty expensive (~Rs. 10K). Sure, there was an alternate bus in the evening that goes close to Sangla. However, I got to know it’s close to impossible to find a taxi or accommodation in that village at that hour. After considering the uncertainty of option 2 and consulting with my genius gf, I decided to go with option 3.

Naturally, I booked an Oyo near me and was anticipating my Uber driver. A few minutes later, I got a call from the driver informing me that he wasn’t allowed to pick up passengers from the bus stand, thanks to local lobbying. That’s when I met H, a taxi driver in Shimla. I told him the drop location and I had to settle for a relatively higher “fixed” trip fare.

H, however, turned out to be a good chap. He informed me how the Oyo I booked was in a remote place of Shimla surrounded by the woods and pitched a much better place, a resort. After a few moments of contemplation, I obliged in hopes of exploring the streets of Shimla (Spoiler Alert: That didn’t really happen, but more on that later).

I guess H is a little too extroverted for my taste. He just won’t stop talking. He gave me a history class on Shimla and not gonna lie, it was fairly informative. Almost 30 minutes later, H dropped me off at a highway. Reaching the resort involved climbing a lot of steps. I eventually made it to the top and checked in. The tired me took a nap seconds after seeing a warm blanket. However, later that day, I thought I might as well explore the streets of Shimla.

The resort manager told me there are two ways to get to the main road — going all the way down or climbing a little up. Naturally, being the lazy ass I am, I chose the latter. I started climbing and it was all good until I saw multiple monkeys approaching me. 🐒

While I don’t usually count monkeys in my “OMG! run” list, I didn’t want to risk getting scratched. So I decided to come back and climb down instead. Until….you guessed it…I saw more monkeys on the way down. I went to bed, ate a couple of Shimla apples (they taste so yum!), set the alarm, and called it a day.

Day 2: En Route Chitkul

I had an early start to the day, thanks to the infamous frequency of buses to Sangla. I got ready and was all set for the journey. I called H up and he came to drop me at the bus stand. Although I was initially skeptical that he might not make it, he did show up, albeit a little late.

Anyhow, he dropped me at the bus stand 10 minutes before the bus departure. On the way, he gave me tips on booking the right seat for the trip. I rushed to the booking counter to secure my seat and fortunately, I got a window seat. At least, that’s what I thought.

Entering the bus, I witnessed that my allocated seat is already taken by an uncle. When I asked him about it, he said he had been assigned the same seat from Delhi and he’d get down in ~25km. Fine, I thought. I looked at the three-seater in front of me and noticed two empty seats and a cute young woman.

“Is this seat taken?” I asked her. “Why are you asking me, ask the conductor,” she replied. How rude! Anyway, I decided to settle down there and eventually forgot about my actual seat, thanks to the scenic view I got from the front seat (To be clear, I’m speaking about the mountains and btw, my gf is not imaginary).

Hours went by and the multiple turns the bus took left me a little dizzy. Since I didn’t have neck pillows, I couldn’t even sleep with proper neck support. Out of desperation, I decided to ask the rude cute young woman if I could use her shoulder to sleep for a while.

For the sake of simplicity, let’s call her RCYW going forward. To avoid coming off as creepy/awkward, I first asked if she wanted to sleep on my shoulder. She said no. Then I proposed my actual request, wanting to sleep on her shoulder. She smiled and said no again. :( Emotional damage!

Takeaway: Buy neck pillows before the next trip or flight.

Not gonna lie, at this point, I was feeling a little awkward and sleepy at the same time. So I decided to distract my mind with the TV series I had thoughtfully downloaded offline before the trip — Shrinking.

A few episodes go by and I spotted an empty two-seater to my left. It also didn’t have sunrays that slightly affected the screen visibility and disrupted the viewing experience in the current seat. I moved to that seat and continued my journey, splitting time equally between enjoying the magnificent view outside and catching up on TV series.

Things took a turn when a mother of two requested the seat citing her kid is likely to vomit (She was right, the kid did vomit :3). I obliged and went back to my seat near RCYW. By this point, the view outside was getting so beautiful that I didn’t care about RCYW. I kept snacking apples and grapes I bought from Shimla and eventually reached Sangla.

After getting down, I noticed that RCYW’s mother (presumably) was there to receive her. I went to the ticket counter to enquire about the next bus to Chitkul and he told me something devastating — the last bus to Chitkul just left. Right when I was about to lose hope, he also mentioned that the bus stops in the market ahead for a while and I might be able to make it if I go fast.

Hearing this, I channeled my inner runner and ran at the best possible speed with ~10kg of luggage. I almost felt like Geet from Jab We Met, except that I managed to catch the bus (Yaaay!). RCYW and her mom saw me running too :3. While I felt accomplished to have managed to board the bus, that feeling faded after the bus didn’t start for another 10 minutes. I could’ve easily made it had I walked. But then, I didn’t know it would stop for 10 more minutes, so I don’t regret running. :)

My joy knew no bounds when I saw the Welcome to Chitkul board. Later that night, I reached Zostel Chitkul and got all settled in. Got to know about my roommate P who was thoughtful enough to buy whisky from Chandigarh and generous enough to share. We got a lil tipsy, talked for a while, and eventually went to bed.

Day 3: Chitkul and Chill ❄️

The third day of the trip turned out to be the most memorable one. I woke up early in the morning and had breakfast from what’s allegedly the last dhaba of India (Narrator voice: It wasn’t).

Over the course of the journey, I visited this dhaba multiple times, just for their amazinnggggg tea and the mountain view. They won’t tell me the recipe though :( (trust me, I tried :3).

A Cycle Ride to the Indo-Tibetan Checkpost

I then rented out a cycle from the folks over at Zostel Chitkul. The familiarity of a Rockrider mountain bike put a smile on my face. :) It was -10 degrees when I set foot on the MTB and started my journey to the Indo-Tibetan checkpost. Albeit short, the journey was rewarding and a visual pleasure. There were highs and lows, and I carefully navigated every corner as I admired the mountains around me.

Having reached the checkpost, I saw an armed security officer. A few friendly chats later, I was on my way back. Right when I was about to reach Zostel, I saw another route that led to the river. Naturally, I took that path too and reached the river bank. The climb back, however, was steeper than the mountain ride!

I went back to the room and prepared myself for the next activity — mountain hiking! I got to know from Zostel that there’s a national flag trek that lets you witness, well, the national flag. Intrigued by the idea, I decided to do it! I asked the natives for the best possible route after lunch and found the way.

Mountain Hiking 🧗‍♂️

After deciding to climb the mountains, I started the preparation phase to make sure I had everything to support me along the way. I charged the phones, power banks, earphones, filled hot water (more on this in the Appreciation section), took tissues, gloves, and bought energy drinks.

I took multiple breaks along the way and it felt like the mountain kept growing every time I reach a corner and think I’m almost there. Somewhere along the middle, it started snowing! I screamed in joy after experiencing the first snowfall in my life. ❄️

As I went higher, the snowfall’s intensity kept increasing and I eventually made it to the top. There it is, the national flag I was looking for. Well, almost. It was torn and 90% of it wasn’t there. I won’t comment on the possible causes for this, but it was a little sad to witness, even for someone who wouldn’t call himself patriotic.

Lost in thoughts and joy of witnessing the snow marvel, I forgot one thing — the route back. Yup, that happened. I looked back and all I saw was snow and mist. For a moment, I did panic, just a little bit. However, I was determined to find a way.

Going downhill through a random path involved hopping through multiple rocks, crossing various thorny plants (my poor butt :( ), and being extra sure I don’t slip and rest in pieces. Hours later, I managed to find the right path and make it downhill. Yaaay!

Came back home, took a warm shower, indulged in some well-earned rest, had dinner, and dozed off. The next morning, I got to know that the power went off due to the weather. It never came back, at least until I left.

Day 4: More Chitkul; Return Journey Starts

While it’s sorta cool that Chitkul is the last village of India towards Tibet, it also comes with caveats — connectivity. The buses are not as frequent as you would expect and at times, they may even get canceled due to extreme weather and snowfall. In fact, the bus that was scheduled before mine got canceled, while mine fortunately arrived.

The snow from last night started falling from the roof as the sun gradually showed up. I then played what I call snow cricket — wait for the snow to fall and hit it with the cleaning stick. It was fun! 🙈

Having decided the return journey, I was in the common room with limited battery left to scroll away. Thanks to that, I grabbed a book from the shelf, picked a blanket from the room, and started reading a book. Somewhere around the third chapter, I met E.

E seemed like a cool person and she was also solo-tripping. We played Uno for a bit (I won, btw) and headed out. She was planning to board the aforesaid canceled bus. That said, she didn’t wait for the bus I was waiting for and decided to start her journey in a tempo traveller. For what it’s worth, she saved three hours. 🫡

My bus eventually came and there, I met S. We bonded over our shared love for KitKat and kept each other company until her stop arrived.

I must say I got lucky on the return journey. I got to occupy a three-seater (body) and a two-seater (legs). While I had to eventually give up the two-seater, I had the three-seater to sleep until I reached Chandigarh. Although the journey was fairly comfy, there’s one part where my planning went wrong (other than the neck pillow) — keeping my feet warm.

In an attempt to get extra cozy, I removed my shoes and started sleeping with socks. Big mistake! My feet got really cold to the point where I was uncomfortable and couldn’t sleep. I even tried improvising with what I had to keep my feet warm: I put the tissues I had and inserted my feet in a cloth cover. It sorta helped, but I knew it wasn’t sufficient to make it through the night.

So where is my bag with extra socks, you ask? Well, I had kept it in the bus’ luggage section for effective use of space. I tolerated the cold until the next rest stop and rushed to pick up my extra pair of socks. Huge sigh of relief! My feet got warm and comfy in a few minutes and I went back to the seats for a nap.

Day 5: Exploring Chandigarh

By the dawn of Day 5, I arrived at Chandigarh — the last stop of the trip where I board the flight back home. Since I had sufficient-ish rest on the bus journey, I decided to charge my devices for a while from the accommodation and set out to explore Chandigarh.

At this point, exploring Chandigarh felt like a side quest to fill the time until my flight takes off. But, I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw when I got out there exploring Chandigarh.

The first stop was a lake called Sukhna. I was planning to go on a boat ride, but unfortunately, they didn’t allow single rides. :( I looked around and got to know there was a place called Rock Garden nearby. I also noted the timings of a double-decker touristy bus that shows the city around.

I decided to walk since the garden was a few meters away. Trusting Google Maps, I ended up at the back gate that was closed and not accessible to the public. That’s where I met R and S, two gentlemen from Malaysia. They were also misled by Google Maps and we ended up being buddies during our garden exploration.

I had low expectations for this garden, but I was happy to be proven wrong! There was a lot of stuff to see and most of them were made out of recycled materials. It was creative, thought-provoking, and profound in a way. I also loved being on a swing after what felt like forever!

After the garden exploration, I headed back to the lake to board the double-decker bus. It gave me a nice view of the popular places in Chandigarh and the ride was worth it, despite the blazing sun.

I then went back to the accommodation, packed my stuff, reached the airport, and flew to Bangalore. In typical Bangalore fashion, there was a cab shortage at the airport. But I eventually managed to find a ride home and slept like a baby (in the vicinity of a bunch of dead cockroaches (more on this in the Home Updates section). Fin! :)

Appreciation ✨

I’d like to express my gratitude to the wonderful people over at Zostel Chitkul. They answered all my queries and were very welcoming. I remember making relentless hot water requests even after the power went off (What do I know, I’m a hydrohomie :) ) and they politely obliged.

The hospitality was incredible and they even went the extra mile to come look for me at the bus stop thinking I forgot my jacket. Although it wasn’t mine, I really appreciate the gesture. 🥹

Let’s Talk Money 💸

One of the key aspects while planning a trip is having a budget. And I did have one for this trip. It was Rs.30K inclusive of flight tickets. Throughout the journey, I logged every expense on Splitwise, and here’s what the result looks like (Yup, I overspent by Rs. 2,073):

To put that in perspective, let’s do some math. Going by the fact that the trip lasted for a total of 5 days, let’s consider 120 to be the total number of trip hours. That would mean I spent 267.275 rupees per hour. Or 4.45 rupees per minute. Does that sound a little expensive? Maybe. Do I regret it? Absolutely not! A small price to pay for salvation.

Speaking of planning, I guess I’m getting better at planning stuff. Or as I like to call it, ✨SRAM✨ (Strategic Resource Allocation and Management). I used all the clothes I brought from here (including socks) and everything I brought along had a purpose at some point in the journey.

Is Chitkul the Only Last Village of India?

Of course not! Upon looking up on the internet, I found these other places:

• Mana, Uttarakhand (officially deemed the last Indian village, apparently)

• Turtuk, Ladakh

• Jaigaon, West Bengal

• Dawki, Meghalaya

• Moreh, Manipur

• Wagah, Punjab

• Dhanushkodi, Tamil Nadu

• Sunauli, Uttar Pradesh

Home Updates

Although my mission to clean my bathroom mirror turned out to be a colossal failure, my plan to get rid of cockroaches was a resounding success. Over 15 roaches lost their lives after I strategically planted cockroach chalk traces, cockroach killer dough (PSA: It looks like atta, but please don’t get carried away), and naphthalene balls all over the house.

I call it “The Great Roach Massacre 2023”. RIP roaches, I’m not proud of the outcome, but it had to be done. Won’t miss you though. 🫡

Sidenote

After coming back, I’ve been catching up and easing into daily life. Doing chores, meeting important people, appreciating Bengaluru flowers 🌸, catching up with shows, etc. And that reminds me, why is Succession unavailable to stream, ugh? I had to put my pirate hat on to keep up. Now that we’re on the subject, here’s the theme song (yes, I won’t stop talking about this glorious masterpiece) for your listening pleasure:

If you ask me, they should’ve launched HBOMax in India alongside Justice League Snyder Cut back in March 2021. It would’ve been the perfect timing for a big movie release, a new home for HBO content, and whatnot. But no, HBO decided to stick to Hotstar for its catalog.

Thanks to infamous streaming wars and licensing deals, we don’t know where the new home for HBO content will be. Under Amazon Prime Video as a channel? Likely. We’ll have to wait and watch how things unfold after March 31.

Treat Dhaba 🍜

I think I’ve finally made peace with the whole self-care vs self-obsession thing after watching this Instagram Reel (or it’s confirmation bias, you never know). But yeah, I have stopped overthinking this part, at least for now. Yaaay!

As I mentioned above, I’d recommend watching Shrinking on Apple TV+. It has Marshall from HIMYM and it’s a good watch! The only sad part is that it just has a single season as of this writing.

Until next time! Hearts if you liked it, subs if you loved it!

Stay mobile,
Subin

Content Warning: This post contains implied references to mental illnesses and a (an ongoing?) quarter-life crisis. Reader discretion is advised.

I’ve always found birthdays to be a strange time of the year. It’s an annual reminder that you’re growing old, losing your youth ever-so-slightly, and the “roaring 20s” are passing by. This year, I turn 25, and that’s a scary number.

Statistically speaking, I’ve already lived 35% of my life, assuming an average life expectancy of 70 years. Touching upon the reality, though, I’d bet somewhere around 50 to 60 to be a realistic figure. For the sake of simplicity, let’s assume 50 as the life expectancy. That means I’ve already lived half my life. And we’re talking about the best-ish case here.

That realization is liberating, in a way. It leaves with me a desire to do something worthwhile. Explore the world, make memories, learn new things, travel around, and the like.

Having said that, here are a few things I learned the hard way over the past year:

Nothing lasts forever

Yes, and that includes both good and bad times. The highs don’t stay high for long and the lows don’t always remain low. Realizing this is comforting and makes it easier to adapt to the ebbs and flows of life.

To quote the legend Avicii:

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not urging you to act irrationally and live like there’s no tomorrow. On the contrary, what I’m proposing is to make peace with the instabilities of life alongside a pinch of optimistic nihilism. Or as my mom always says, “Expect the unexpected”.

Never delegate critical decision-making

From the moment of waking up to getting back to bed, everyone makes multiple micro decisions in a day. However, there are times when you have to make crucial decisions that will set the stage for 1 year, 5 years, or even decades of your life.

Whether you make a decision by using one of the decision-making razors or pick one at random, the important thing is that you should make the decision. Sure, you could rely on others for opinions to make an informed decision. But you should treat it as what it is — an opinion. Nothing more, nothing less.

Here’s the thing. Everyone is different. Opinions are highly subjective and evolve based on an individual’s worldview. Considering everyone’s opinions while taking a personal decision is inevitably going to result in cognitive overload and leave you more confused.

While it’s a luxury to have a support system you can fall back on, letting others take crucial decisions for you can lead to resentment, especially when things go wrong. Needless to say, all decisions come with consequences and you should face them. Might as well face the consequences of the decisions you made, right?

Bucketlist for 2023

Here’s a list of things I hope to do this year in no particular order. It’d be fun to come back and visit this list next year (if I’m alive, of course). Here it goes:

• Learn car driving and get a driver’s license

• Visit at least one country outside India (Tibet? Italy? Japan? France?)

• Stay disciplined towards the goals I set (sounds a bit generic, but a general goal)

• Regain physical fitness and reach normal BMI

• Eat healthily and reduce junk food

• Learn to cook more food items (diversification, baby!)

• Invest in experiences, set long-term investing goals

• Put efforts to maintain relationships and communicate better

• Dopamine detox — Reduce screen time

• Read at least 20 minutes every day

• Maintain journal better and be careful oversharing here (hehe)

• Learn swimming

• Become a Morse code expert

• Attend John Mayer’s concert

• Attend Taylor Swift’s concert

• Attend Anuv Jain’s concert

• Attend Jacob Collier’s concert

Appreciation 👏

Practice gratitude, amirite!

Last but not least, I wanna thank me. I wanna thank me for believing in me. I wanna thank me for being brave enough to get out of a toxic situation that was draining me. I wanna thank me for not being afraid to put myself out there back in the world.

If everything goes well, I’d be sleeping close to the mountains when this post goes live. I wanna thank me for planning the logistics of this trip on short notice (maybe I should be a product/project manager?!?). I wanna thank the antidepressants and mood stabilizers for keeping me happy even when the times are tough, essentially making it an accurate portrayal of the This is Fine meme.

Yeah, I’m starting to sound like a self-obsessed person, something I had anticipated when I went bullish on self-care on the pretense of it not being selfish. But hey, better to be self-obsessed than take a backseat to your own life and be a slave to the unpleasant consequences, right?

While we’re on the subject, I’d like to take a moment to appreciate Zippyshare for its contributions to society. For the uninitiated, Zippyshare is a free file hosting platform and it is shutting down later this month. It’s been an honor, thank you for your service! 🫡

Treat corner 🍦

If you’re someone who’s feeling suicidal or going through a major mental illness, first, get help from a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist. Once that’s done, I’d highly recommend watching this standup comedy show called Look at You on Netflix. It’s oddly comforting to know there are other people who’ve had the misfortune to navigate this dark path.

In case you’re looking for less cynical takes on what it means to be a 25-year-old, check these out: What advice would you give your 25-year-old self? We asked, you answered (Vox) | What being 25 means today — and how to make the most of it (Vox) [FWIW, both articles are 7 years old].

Until next time! Hearts if you liked it, subs if you loved it!

One year wiser,

Subin

“I’m on vacation till date x. Please expect a delay in responses.”

That’s the message I saw from a former colleague when he finally decided to take some time off to enjoy the world. Or as kids these days say, to touch grass. However, this message prompt made me think of the sense of urgency the corporate world has forced upon us. Every task is said to be done ASAP and surprisingly has more or less the same priorities.

To be honest, I’m no saint either. The ignorant me had something along the same lines as the OOO message until recently. In fact, I took the deadlines too seriously and that did take a serious toll on me. (Is oversharing a thing on Substack? Asking for a friend)

So, how has the perspective shifted, you ask? Well, it started after I read the OOO message of one of my French colleagues, which was something along the lines of:

Bonjour! <insert French OOO message here> Hi, I’m on vacation till date x. I will respond to you when I’m back on date y.

See the difference there? There’s no element of urgency in the message above. At the risk of sounding like I’m stereotyping, I think French people and European culture generally have their priorities sorted. Don’t get me wrong, even they’re chasing deadlines like the rest of us to please the corporate overlords. However, as the popular saying goes, the devil is in the details.

They tend to fit everything within the workday and take the rest of the day to truly unwind. A stark difference from what I’ve observed from many 9-5ers who don’t hesitate to respond to a quick call from a workaholic colleague at 7 in the evening.

At this point, you’re probably thinking that I am fantasizing about a good work-life balance. To which, I’d say you’re not wrong. I like the idea of logging off from work at the scheduled time and doing things that truly make me feel alive. Taking a walk at the park, talking to loved ones, going on a cycle ride, reading (read: trying to read) a book, you get the gist.

Perhaps you have a good manager or are working in a firm that genuinely grasps the meaning of the word urgency. In that case, I’m happy for you, I truly am. But for everyone else, now would be a great time to re-evaluate your priorities and reset expectations. Or you do you. Idk.

And no, please don’t expect a delay in responses from me. Wish I could go the extra mile and write “I will respond when I have the headspace to process your message.” But alas, gotta pay the bills!

To the two people who made it to the end, I appreciate you <3 Surprise surprise, there’s a treat! — A peek at my current musical obsession and guilty pleasure: Obsession | Guilty Pleasure (It’s not a rickroll, pinky promise).

I’m planning to make this an outlet for random thoughts that don’t necessarily fit into my journal. You could expect the next post somewhere between two weeks and two years. Until then…

Toodaloo (yes, I’ve been watching a lot of Loe Whaley videos, she’s my spirit animal),
Subin

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