Have you ever questioned your own worth? Here's Blue Dino doing just that...

Transcription:

What's my worth? And who decides it? 

Does it depend on how pretty I am? Or how quickly my grey cells operate?  Does it spring from my confidence? Or the sense of style I project when I head out? Or does it come from all of it? and more? And even less. 

Maybe it does come from all of it, the more and the less. 

From me being intelligent in one space, and naive in another. From me being beautiful in some eyes, but forgettable in others.  From being capable, nurturing, and dependable when I step into a certain room, yet totally unreliable outside of it. 

Maybe it does come from everything about me, in measures unique only to me. 

But then, how can this one-off concoction, this novel blend, be accounted for? 

How can any of us be tagged a worth?

Maybe, just maybe, I decide my worth. and you choose yours. So no one else can do it for us. 

Our Website: https://likeridingafish.wixsite.com/my-site

Follow us on Instagram: @likeridingafish

Music Credits:

https://freemusicarchive.org

"Woke up this Morning (TP 53)” by Till Paradiso 

License: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode) 

This is all about Malayalam. The language of our ancestors, the language of our family, the language that's always been almost within reach. This is Red Dino's tale about her ever evolving relationship with her mother tongue. 

Transcription:

Enikku malayalam manssilavum, pakshe paryaam patilla. I can understand Malayalam but I can't speak it.

That's one phrase out of a limited few that me and my sister know how to say in our mother tongue. Otherwise, broken sentences and a few staple words help us survive our Kerala trips. But of course, with a high literacy rate, English often comes in handy in God's Own Country.

Having grown up in northern and western India and with parents, grandparents, and close relatives fluent in both Hindi and English, Malayalam wasn't a mandate in our household. Spoken by the adults and the elders for the most part, only understood by the offspring.

Nevertheless, the language was almost a part of our daily, especially with grandparents around. Local news, yes, but more so regional TV shows and movies would often play in the background. Unknowingly improving our comprehension skills.

And so over the years, Malayalam cinema became our gateway to the language. Although that relationship has had its ups and downs, often disrupted for years on end, we always find a way back to our roots. Mostly thanks to how magnetic we find its tonality.

You see as riveting and profound as Malayalam can be, it also holds the power to be equally funny and witty. We keep getting sucked into its magic. And so, 2024 has been a homecoming of sorts.

With Poacher, The Great Indian Kitchen, and now Aavesham, we are back to revelling in the language through its content. It's both a source of flashbacks and a step forward. Let's see where this journey takes us...

Our Website: https://likeridingafish.wixsite.com/my-site

Follow us on Instagram: @likeridingafish

Music Credits:

https://freemusicarchive.org

"Woke up this Morning (TP 53)” by Till Paradiso 

License: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode) 

Background sound from Pixabay 

What do you do when you can't shake off the weight of all the history surrounding you? Do you give in or tether yourself stronger to the present? Listen to know what Blue Dino did when she found herself walking along a similar path of polarity...

Transcription:

As I strolled on the cobblestones made in the past, taking in the sea breeze, arm lovingly entangled in my baby cousin's, the place drew me into itself.

The sense of freedom was strong; even as open, clear skies, and pillars of stones, and metal bars enveloped us all, I felt as though I could take off and fly. And be happy forever.

But that's the thing with bars of time; as much as you try to forget, you can't help but get trapped within the history that paints the place.

And so even as I giggled with my aunt, uncle, and sisters, and discovered the architecture of what was now called a 'museum', the truth rang loud in the echo of our every step:

This museum, until very recently, used to be a jail.

But how can one grapple with the notion of feeling free in a place that only recently served the very opposite purpose?

I didn't have an answer. So I shrugged off this reality to face another day.

Just like all of us do when we walk the many paths of polarity.

Tell me, which one did you walk today?

Our Website: https://likeridingafish.wixsite.com/my-site

Follow us on Instagram: @likeridingafish

Music Credits:

https://freemusicarchive.org

"Woke up this Morning (TP 53)” by Till Paradiso 

License: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode) 

Background sound from Pixabay 

Did we leave behind the game of peekaboo along with our childhood? Or is there a way to reclaim them both? Here's Red Dino finding a way...

Transcription:

Peekaboo. A game that's almost a rite of passage for every growing child. A game that has quite unwittingly scared and scarred a few, while arousing the best kind of curiosity and laughs in others. A game that's all about disappearing within sight. A game of man-made magic.

But as we grow older, we miss spotting daily peekaboo offerings made by our surroundings:

The moon behind a cloud. There and then not.

A dusty book on the back row of a semi-clean shelf. Hoping to grab your attention.

A building stretching itself tall to make its presence felt from behind a cluster of residential bungalows. All vying for the lake view.

And even the sun, peeking from behind a dense tree canopy, trying to light up your face.

As we forget to pay attention to the mischief, the playful, the marvellous wonders that the mundane has to offer, we forget to find respite in our own daily lives.

But of course, not all peekaboos are friendly. There's often the dark and the damned waiting around the corner. Always peeking, ready to jump out with a boo. But fuck that. Not for this postcard, not for today.

So for this moment, I'll go back to that sunny, glorious day when I saw a peekaboo event of my own.

When behind stone walls, a green tree winked at me, half-hidden. Showing a glimpse, it's best, but not everything.

Our Website: https://likeridingafish.wixsite.com/my-site

Follow us on Instagram: @likeridingafish

Music Credits:

https://freemusicarchive.org

"Woke up this Morning (TP 53)” by Till Paradiso 

License: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode) 

Background sound from Pixabay 

Have you ever found yourself turning around, for what, you don't even know? It's like you are answering a silent call of what was left behind. Blue Dino recalls that day in Kyoto when she experienced something similar...

Transcription:

Some sights make you look back. 

Of course, the obvious ones that you just can't look away from. Like the sunset gone by, or a loved one saying goodbye. 

But also a few mundane ones. You know, like when you are walking along a path you have left footprints on many a time, and suddenly something pulls at your subconscious; making you turn without even knowing what you are turning around for. 

And then you see it. A trace of magic captured in the nothingness. You are glad to have looked back. It doesn't matter that the moment you resume your journey ahead, it will all be lost to you once again. Because at least for that second you saw it.

And sometimes, just sometimes, you think to capture that mundane. You turn around and before even realising, you take the shot.

And you find a way to hold on to that magic. 

So the red taxi stopping at the red light no more passes from your memory as uneventful. It stays as a reminder of an era in your life.

Some sights make you look back. And then you never have to wonder why.

Our Website: https://likeridingafish.wixsite.com/my-site

Follow us on Instagram: @likeridingafish

Music Credits:

https://freemusicarchive.org

"Woke up this Morning (TP 53)” by Till Paradiso 

License: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode) 

Background sound from Pixabay 

When you catch the travel bug, where do your feet, your wallet, and your dreams take you? This is Red Dino documenting her own wanderlust aspirations. Along with certain realisations that will guide her jaunts and escapades!

Transcription:

"Beach or mountain?"

How many times have you been asked this question? Either by a friend, a potential love match, or even a BuzzFeed quiz?

I thought my answer was always true and certain. That is until very very recently.

A string of trips planned and paid for by adult Red Dino brought with them an epiphany. The answer is neither. I'm a city girl through and through.

Don't get me wrong, a visit to a hill station is always welcome, with the condition that the temperature is comfortable enough for this Tropic of Cancer baby. And the occasional beach holiday is grand too provided there are certain amenities and medicines handy for my rash-prone skin. But nothing makes my heart soar as much as walking down busy streets, discovering cafes and restaurants full of people and good music, shops and quirky stores with a side of thrift, and even galleries and museums filled with creations old and new. And yes, even the brazen, boisterous, and bothersome city crowd and city noise are something I welcome with wide arms, an open heart, and an all too willing wallet.

You see I'm a woman of convenience and materials.

I know it sounds sad and unadventurous and even mediocre to some. But when it comes to the actual act of travelling, I prefer to stay within my lane instead of going out of my way.

So until affordable public transport, varied and pocket-friendly eating options, and non-activity-centric days among other things become a staple of the mountains and the beaches, I'm staying a city girl. Through and through.

Our Website: https://likeridingafish.wixsite.com/my-site

Follow us on Instagram: @likeridingafish

Music Credits:

https://freemusicarchive.org

"Woke up this Morning (TP 53)” by Till Paradiso 

License: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode) 

Background sound from Pixabay 

Ever loved someone you also hated? What about a place? For Blue Dino her relationship with Delhi has always been like that. But listen to why, despite all the reservations, she keeps finding herself back there time and again…

Transcription:

Delhi. Dilli.

Oh, what a love-hate relationship I share with you. On one hand, you gave me my lovely childhood and quite a few of my memorable teenage years. And on the other, most things I now hate about people, I first witnessed in your belly.

Perhaps that's why I never long to be one of your inhabitants, but also find myself time and again pulled in your direction.

You have become that necessary evil in my life.

Though, just when this toxic repulsion of mine hits its peak, you somehow show me a glimpse of that much talked about 'dil' in you. That beats loud and proud, thanks to the dilliwalas.

And this was one of those moments. Strolling along your winter streets, I chanced upon a dog all snuggled up on his own personal bed, one branded with several happy Pikachus.

And that right there sums it up. Nowhere else have I seen dogs so caringly warmed as in Delhi. Mattresses old and new, some from the rich, others fashioned by those less privileged; whatever it be, in winters, the Delhiites share their warmth.

So I keep coming back to you. Tossing all my hate aside. For the heart that often gets lost behind the pollution, though still thumps many a beat to warm your soul.

Our Website: https://likeridingafish.wixsite.com/my-site

Follow us on Instagram: @likeridingafish

Music Credits:

https://freemusicarchive.org

"Woke up this Morning (TP 53)” by Till Paradiso 

License: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode) 

Background sound from Pixabay 

Our faces describe us, define us. Or so we think. Red Dino wonders if there is more to be said about (and by) our backs or if it is all a front. 

Transcription:

People are adept at hiding their emotions. Their faces less often poker, more likely a mask. But with all our gazes fixed on the eyes, the twitch of the brows, the movement of the lips, with our guard up against this keen and constant assessment, we all forget to look at, to train our backs.  

Have you ever thought: 

"Is my shoulder too stiff, can people tell I'm uncomfortable?" 

"Is my spine too straight, is my pride palpable?"

"Is my head lower than usual, does the curve of my neck scream my disappointment?" 

I haven't. I don't. Fixing my face seems enough most of the time. But we forget, we carry our lives on our backs. 

Time bends our spine; our age and baggage both weighing down our bodies. No wonder we lose a few inches if we're lucky enough to last that long. 

And yet, we hide behind niceties, polite expressions pasted on permanently, sham ingrained in our DNA. 

Despite all this effort, all the pain we take to hide our true selves, we forget there's more to an interaction than what's said, what's shown, what's heard. 

Backs turned, we feel safe, find respite, confident that our gazillion tricks have worked. While it's the same view that proves our undoing. 

At this juncture, there lay two roads ahead of us: 

Either, we train our backs as we have done our faces; ready to fake at a moment's notice. 

Or We train our minds and hearts to let go. We find our peace in telling our stories without filter, fear, or falsities. 

And until we reach a decision, all we can do is...smile and wave.

Our Website: https://likeridingafish.wixsite.com/my-site

Follow us on Instagram: @likeridingafish

Music Credits:

https://freemusicarchive.org

"Woke up this Morning (TP 53)” by Till Paradiso 

License: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode) 

Background sound from Pixabay 

A day planned for trekking transforms into even more of an adventure when fleeting feelings get involved. Blue Dino recalls a recent memory of chancing upon an unlikely companion amidst the greenery of Coorg and a hundred leeches...

Transcription:

A wagging tail. Check Soft, loving eyes. Check And a full set of floppy ears. Check and Check. 

Against the green tapestry of Coorg, a sweet creature greeted me, all smiles and happy hops. It was immediately clear, he was loved, but wanted more of it. And who was I to deny him of all my time and attention?

So as I trekked on narrow, mushy paths, this cheery companion accompanied me; all too familiar with the birds and the leaves and the leeches all around. But this company was only till a point. You see, the moment I felt the blood being sucked out of my thighs was also when I realised his hops and skips had changed directions. Now going away from me to safer grounds. I had been abandoned, just like that. 

An hour, three leech attacks, and a hundred shrieks later, I finally made my way back to where we had first met. 

Now greeting newly arriving trekkers, he all but ignored me. Did it hurt? Just as much as an ignored text. 

Very well then. The new visitors, all adorned in shorter shorts than mine, could have all his love for now. The leeches would get them later. 

Involuntarily shuddering, I walked back to the car, side-eyeing my old lover. 

Though there were new recipients of his love, the markers remained the same:

A wagging tail. Check Soft, loving eyes. Check And a full set of floppy ears. Check and Check. 

I wondered if I showed similar markers when looking at my fleeting loves...

Our Website: https://likeridingafish.wixsite.com/my-site

Follow us on Instagram: @likeridingafish

Music Credits:

https://freemusicarchive.org

"Woke up this Morning (TP 53)” by Till Paradiso 

License: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode) 

Background sound from Pixabay 

Some stories, some memories, some figures are too firmly cemented in one's childhood to ever leave the scope of legendary. Resigning herself to waves of nostalgia, Red Dino recollects moments from her past that made a shoe spotting in a strange city feel like home. 

Transcription:

Growing up, martial arts movies were a rage in my household, thanks to my father's love for them. And as often happens, me and my sister inherited that love. Even though today I might find it difficult to come up with the names of the films we binged back then, the name Jackie Chan still evokes a sense of warmth. Nostalgia, you see, has me in its clutches.

But while Chan lived in our hearts, respect was a word reserved for another martial artist. Bruce f*cking Lee.

I don't remember watching many of his movies, maybe one, and then with YouTube, a couple of scenes here and there that my father would share. And though Jackie Chan CDs were a constant in my childhood home, Bruce Lee stories often accompanied any venture into the world of deadly strikes and kicks. His philosophy, his craft, his excellence, the stories about his kindness and grace, even rumours about his death, they were a tiny but memorable part of my growing-up days. And man were they legendary.

So imagine my surprise and joy, when 20 years later I stumble across a pair of sneakers with his famous face, striking pose, and iconic quote. Sadly, the shoe was many a size too big and quite out of budget. But thankfully, my phone was within reach.

Today, my memories of the movies I watched, the tales of Lee my father recalled from magazines decades old, and my own sense of wonderment are vague and a little hazy. But what remains is a feeling; ripe with discovery, connection, and excitement. And though I have the power of the search engine at my fingertips, I retire my mind to the feeling for once. Facts can be for another time.

Being water isn't easy, but I'm trying.

Our Website: https://likeridingafish.wixsite.com/my-site

Follow us on Instagram: @likeridingafish

Music Credits:

https://freemusicarchive.org

"Woke up this Morning (TP 53)” by Till Paradiso 

License: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode) 

Background sound from Pixabay