AND IT STARTS ....

Today was my first class. And my mobile got stolen. The sad part is th st I lost my pictures and videos. The most special video was the birthday notes I recorded for a friend for his birthday on my keyboard. I never saved it for myself on any of the drive. Nothing can be done now....

I received my materials, and assignments. Other than two guys who kept staring at me (God knows what they could see that others couldn't), all went well.

I got up early to study for my weekend classes. Saturday and Sunday would be really tough days as I have to leave home at 9 am and travel 28 kms from my home.

Phew!

The most difficult reality that dawns on me - I am suppose to think of 10 topics and draft my proposal before June 2016. It is tough as then I have to write 20, 000 words to finish the project report.

I just finished reading my project proposal guidelines to discuss the same with my counsellor. If is fun but tiring with other commitments.

God will take care of me. My mom always tell me ' you are good but you are better than thevbest under pressures ;

Mom - I miss you!

Happy Weekend!

A Device Driven Life!

A poem is written with different ideas. At times - it is inspired by our real life as well. When I went to Singapore last November - I saw everyone hooked to their gadgets. While standing in a queue, or in a metro - their lives were completely dominated by a gadget.

I walked out of virtual world last July - as I thought I have lot of academic and financial commitments to be attended. A poem that is liked and shared by many readers and friends through my official author page.

Here is the link for my readers -

http://www.thewritersdrawer.net/device-driven-life.html

Addiction of any kind is not worth whether an alcohol or a gadget. Sooner you quit, better it will be for you!

Forum For Breast Cancer!

This is International Women Month. Most of the times women do not want to talk about their organs openly. They hide and hesitate to go to doctors. Breast related problems are very common. I got fibrocystic breasts at the age of 29. Every year I got my scan done until last year when two lumps were detected. I was told to be careful. I moved to the homeopathy stream of medicine. It was a happy day - when my all scans came to be normal.

But life has its own twists and turns as recently I faced pains and got my checkup done. My left hand could not lift itself, and it was absolutely numb. I was diagnosed with 'fibroadenoma'. Yet to go through my high level tests and bioposies. It scares me at times. I see my best friend fighting breast cancer but I believe face whatever comes in life. Do not be an escapist. I convince myself - I am ready for the best, and the worst in life. I could not sleep for the last three days due to pain. It gets harder for me to swim as I am not able to lift my left arm due to numbness but I never stopped any activity. Live life Queen Size! I am experiencing pain but there is no medication until my scans are done. So why to give up before time - in life. You live only once.

There is a forum that I follow and participate. Of course, my name is changed in this forum as I do not want people to read me, openly. But this forum might be helpful to you as a woman. It might answer your queries. But a quick request - do not conclude anything by these discussions. They are just additional information to guide you, not to drive you!

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/136/topics/798424

Be Positive.
Love,
Archana

Coming Up Work ...

March was a lot more tougher month for me. I wanted to catch up with the lost time around wedding celebrations.

Yes, not to forget I just got my schedule for the classes that are starting this Friday. Well - so far it is good as it gives me a chance to travel to the other part of the city, and make new friends from the same background of interests. My classes will start at 11 am and will end at 6 pm. Three days per week until I get the schedule for April. I have not received my study material so Friday will be a really busy day - switching from a point to another. Love the cabbies!

But so far I have quick updates for the month of March - where my work is shortlisted, and where all my work is published so far.

You will read my work in the following journals -

1.) Acorn 

2.) Otolith

3.) Gnarled Oak

4.) Writer's Drawer

5.) Wild Plum

6.) Englyn

7.)Frozen Butterfly

8.) Bamboo Hut

9.) Failed Haiku

Presently - I am writing for few more journals. Let me keep my fingers crossed. But I am super excited for my classes as I posted on my FB. It is a good feeling to be a student again!

Thank you for reading me so far!

Love,

Archana

Message in my Inbox....

A woman is born with great strength to deal with the worst situations of life.

If I take a quick look and rewind few episodes of my life - I wonder how I have survived so many unwanted ups and downs of life.

Yesterday - a reader left me with a message that I want to paste and share with all of you. It just made me feel so happy about my contribution as a woman. Though the best message I saved and kept it in memory (will always keep it) was by my best friend, my chat friend. Though in all these 7 years he never wished me on this day. But once when he wished, I had saved that message. On that day, tears rolled down my cheeks but today I re-read it, and I felt as he was saying it in person. ...

Another message by a reader friend in my FB inbox made me feel so pleasant and happy....

"U r a woman of ths era who is an answer to this self obsessed Indian community of Men are greater n buulcrap. I feel so happy when I see your cherished face/paintings/Haiku/Swimming Lessons u r an inspiration"

Golden Triangle Haiku Contest 2016 Results...

If you are in Washington - then you might read my haiku that is a runners up among 125 Haiku on the roads around you. More than 900 haiku entries had come and been judged for this contest. I feel so blessed to be a runner up among selected 125 haiku. It means a lot to me!

Golden Triangle Haiku Contest 2016 results are announced. Congratulations to all the other winners, and runners up winners. Look for the roads and you will find all 125 haiku around including mine. Here is my haiku that is one of the runners up.

early spring
my daughter's snowman
disappears

To read all winning haiku, and the map of roads displaying these haiku at the link below.

http://goldentriangledc.com/2016-golden-haiku-winners/

Failed Haiku Issue 3 Publised Senryu!

Issue 3 of Failed Haiku is out. I am glad to see my two senryu published in this issue. I have collated and embedded my published work as an image for my readers.

You can check the link to read work by other poets as well.

http://www.haikuhut.com/FailedHaikuIssue3.pdf