Life

Trust, Scars, and Stormy Places

January 27, 2025ByteSizehope, Life, Musings, scars, trust

I have seen flowers come in stormy places
And kind things done by men with ugly faces,
And the gold cup win by the worst horse at the races
So I trust, too. – John Masefield.

Life is messy, unpredictable, and occasionally brilliant. Stormy places can grow flowers. Horses you’d bet against can take home the gold. The world isn’t always what it seems, and that’s precisely why it’s worth sticking around.

How you see it, though, depends a lot on where you stand. The lenses you wear—shaped by your past, your scars, and your hopes—colour everything. Storms might look like chaos to one person and necessary rain to another. The trick isn’t to pretend you’re lens-free but to recognise the tint. To pause and ask, “Is this how things are, or just how I see them?”

And then, there’s trust. Not the kind you offer blindly, but the kind you live with—a quiet understanding that life, for all its storms, has a way of working things out. Trust is sitting with uncertainty, even when it’s uncomfortable. It’s knowing that flowers can grow through cracks and that a “no-hope” horse might just surprise you.

Hope isn’t naïve. It’s stubborn. It keeps you showing up, even when the odds don’t look great. It reminds you that the scars you carry aren’t just wounds—they’re proof you’ve lived through storms before.

That’s my note to myself. For today.

Stay alive to the oddities.

Be present to what’s in front of you, even if it doesn’t fit your map.

Trust that the story is unfolding as it should.

And keep an eye out for flowers. They show up in the strangest places.

Drum Beats

April 20, 2019ByteSizeblogger, Blogging, character, chithiraifestival, colour, Dance, destinations, devotion, dreams, festivalfashion, India, instapassport, instatravel, journeys, Joy, latergram, Life, Love, Madurai, Mind, opportunity, People, traveladdict, travelinsights, traveller, traveltheworld, wanderlust, wonder

If there’s one thing that refuses to sit still, it’s the drum. It calls, it commands, it moves. And when it does, so do you.

At the Chithirai Festival, the best drums don’t just set the rhythm—they set the spirit free. Feet tap, bodies sway, the energy sweeps through the crowd like a fever. You dance. You pause. You catch your breath. And then, you look around.

They’re still moving. The colours, the finery, the rhythm—it’s all alive, pulling you back in. You realise you’ve been out of action too long.

So, you move again.

Because that’s what the festival, and the drum, are here for.

That is the Chithirai Festival for you.

What Would It Take?

March 27, 2019Mumblr Bytesgrandmother, Life, memory, Nostalgia, wealth

The champion on stage glides through choreographed music and synchronous applause. Some programmed tears that pop up for the camera do not take away the effort, dedication, talent and sacrifice of the winner. Being cognizant of what would it take to become a champion makes him more of a champion.

At other times, proximity numbs us from examining other lives. An uncle who waded through water to study. A neighbour who flew fighter planes. A good writer who has kept stubborn company of writing whilst barely being able to pay his bills, ensconced in obscurity. The list is limitless and has a promiscous stride across all walks of life.

The spectacular ordinariness of everyday life can be cruel. What would it take to live an ordinary life that makes a difference to many, long after death. Stellar lives with patently ordinary hues.

For instance, what would it take to live like my great grandmother?

What would it have taken to have a large heart, a loud mouth and a stellar soul? The coop of grandkids and the farm of great grandkids will stand testimony to her dynamic presence and frame. Some have her nose. Others have her presence. But none have it all. Which makes me wonder what would it have taken to be her?

Imagine 1950’s and 60’s. Imagine being stopped at the gate of a large university in a big city, where you have travelled to. You are stopped at the gate, as you push for an admission for your grand daughter. Imagine, you push your way across, stride through the portals of the University and go argue with a much heralded professor. Imagine winning the argument. Now imagine doing it all as a rural illiterate lady. That was her. Now tell me, what would it take to be like her?

To see a family splinter yet not lose hope. To see her wealth being usurped yet believing in abundance. To live through hatred and division with love. To believe in the girl child. To walk tall. To love deep. To stay curious. Thats my memory of her. Enough for me to strive to learn what would it take to be like her.

I remember her free spirit and ready smile. Her worlds and her views. Her elegance and poise. But most of all, I remember her stories. Those were vivid stories and there would be no ‘moral of the story’ at the end of it all. ‘Go figure’ she used to say. Her presience always stood alongside her presence.

As I lit a lamp in her memory, I wondered if I should write about her. And then almost heard her sing Bharathiar‘s song to me.

அச்சமில்லை யச்சமில்லை அச்சமென்ப தில்லையே
உச்சிமீது வானிடிந்து வீழுகின்ற பொதினும்
அச்சமில்லை யச்சமில்லை அச்சமென்ப தில்லையே

(Roughly translated to: No fear. No fear. Even when the skies implode no fear no fear)

“It doesn’t matter what others think of you or your work. Do what is right. And do it well”, she said. Even as she sank. That was many years ago.

I wish I knew what would it take to be like her.

An earlier piece about her is here

Small Bags. Big Wishes

January 11, 2019ByteSizebelief, beliefs, blogger, Blogging, destinations, devotion, energy, God, Home, hope, indulge, instapassport, instatravel, journeys, latergram, Life, Love, momentsofmine, opportunity, People, pilgrim, Roadtrip, sea, skyline, traveladdict, travelinsights, traveller, traveltheworld, wanderlust, wonder

Small bags, bright with turmeric, jingling with bangles, dance in the morning breeze. Tied to a tree, they catch the first rays of the sun—fluttering, whispering, waiting.

Each knot holds a wish. Each thread, a quiet prayer. A mother’s hope, a daughter’s dream, a whispered plea for health, love, or a future yet unseen.

In rural Tamil Nadu, faith isn’t just spoken—it is tied, woven, and left to sway with the wind. And as the sun rises, the colours shimmer, as if the universe itself is listening.

(at Thiruchendur, India)

Idli Vada

December 14, 2018ByteSizeauthenticity, beliefs, bengaluru, blogger, Blogging, celebration, coffee, destinations, energy, entrepreneur, eyes, Food, hope, idli, instapassport, instatravel, journeys, Life, Love, memory, People, roadside, traveladdict, travelinsights, traveller, traveltheworld, vada, wanderlust, wonder

The simplest foods change the mood inside the mind. Bring alive memories. And sometimes make you long to come back for good. The food pipe is the best route on the map of life! ..

Oh. What I not do for Idli vada?

(at Bangalore, India)

Mumbai’s Rain: A City of Anticipation and MagicFocus

June 3, 2018ByteSizeblogger, Blogging, businesstravel, conversations, flow, Ideas, imagination, instapassport, instatravel, journeys, lessons, Life, Love, marinedrive, master, Mind, Monsoon, Mumbai, Musings, passion, rains, traveladdict, travelblogger, traveltheworld, wanderlust, wisdom

There’s something about Mumbai when it rains. The city slows, just a little. The streets glisten. The sea looks alive. But there’s also something about Mumbai when it waits for rain. The air is thick with hope. The sky teases with grey clouds. People glance up, waiting.

Anticipation fills the city.

And when the first drop falls, it feels like Mumbai breathes again.

The wait makes the rain sweeter.

That’s Mumbai—a city of moments.There is something to Mumbai when it rains. There is something to Mumbai when it expects the rain!

Coffee and Conversations: Wisdom in Every Sip

May 27, 2018ByteSizeblogger, Blogging, Children, coffee, culture, dad, filtercoffeee, India, instapassport, instatravel, kaapi, kids, lessons, Life, Love, Metaphor, Mumbai, ordinary, Parenting, Play, purpose, Reflection, startup, Stories, traveladdict, travelblogger, traveller, traveltheworld, wanderlust

My dad always said, “Coffee drinkers are better thinkers.” He was a wise man. I’ve never had a reason to doubt him.

These days, “Coffee?” is the answer to everything.

Questions, answers, problems—it doesn’t matter. Coffee solves it all. Especially in Mumbai. The city hums with its energy, fuelled by endless cups.

Maybe it’s the caffeine. Or maybe coffee is just a great excuse to pause, talk, and think.

Either way, I’m not arguing. Coffee?

Stories a Brass Kettle

April 21, 2018ByteSizeblogger, Blogging, businesstravel, Chennai, coffee, family, filter, History, Ideas, imagination, instapassport, instatravel, journeys, kettle, lessons, Life, Love, Metaphor, Mind, passion, People, simple, traveladdict, travelblogger, traveltheworld, wanderlust

Objects have character. Don’t they? This brass kettle from another era sat quietly, serving filter coffee and cardamom tea for generations. Imagine what it has seen!

Families growing, stories flowing, and lives unfolding—all while it stayed still.

Sometimes, I wish it could talk, spilling tales of the people and the times. But its dents and marks do the talking. They hint at the lives it touched.

So, I let my imagination take over and weave my own stories.

After all, isn’t that what character is—a silent storyteller of time?

The Weight We Carry: Mind Over Matter

April 15, 2018ByteSizebaggage, blogger, Blogging, businesstravel, Ideas, imagination, instapassport, instatravel, journeys, kolkata, latergram, lessons, Life, Love, market, Metaphor, Mind, mindgames, passion, pulley, simple, traveladdict, travelblogger, traveltheworld, wanderlust, weight

It’s not always about the weight. It’s about how we carry it. A heavy object isn’t just physics. The mind plays its part, adding or easing the load. What’s weighing you down today? A worry, a regret, or just a bad day?

Sometimes, the trick isn’t to put it down but to carry it differently. Shift your perspective. Find a new balance. After all, the mind can make even the heaviest burden feel lighter—or unbearable. So, how will you carry your weight today? Lighten up.

You might just surprise yourself.

The Ocean’s Eternal Charm

April 9, 2018ByteSizeblogger, Blogging, businesstravel, earth, eyes, Ideas, instapassport, instatravel, island, journeys, kotakinabalu, lessons, Life, Love, Malaysia, Metaphor, Mind, Nature, ordinary, passion, sabah, simple, traveladdict, travelblogger, traveller, traveltheworld, wanderlust, yacht

There’s something magical about the ocean. She kisses the shore endlessly, even when sent away. Her waves are calm one moment, terrifying the next. Yet, she never fails to soothe a restless soul.

Add to this the South China Sea at sunset—hues so breathtaking they need no filter. The sky and sea meet in a silent embrace, as if sharing secrets. It’s a moment that captures the ocean’s timeless charm: her power, her grace, and her quiet promise to amaze, always. Sometimes, all it takes is a glance at her to find peace.

(at Kota Kinabalu)