Daily Prompt: In the Summertime

If it’s autumn or winter where you live, what are you most looking forward to doing next summer? If it’s spring or summer where you are, what has been the highlight of the season so far for you?

It is summer where I live, we are still waiting for real summer, it hasn’t shown up yet. One warm day is followed by       several cold wet days. Today it’s sunny, the wind is strong and cold, I’m not sure if we will have summer. Today is the 30th June, if I didn’t know the date and month, I’d think it is fall. I haven’t stopped raising the heat in my house.

I am really looking forward to summer, the difference is I may want it but summer may not oblige me.

Although I have only been negative so far, there is a very positive side to these cool temperatures we’re are having.It is the month of fasting, where we are not allowed to eat or drink for nineteen hours, the cool weather helps, we are not thirsty, at least I am not. It is a big plus for me. Today is the 13th day of Ramadan, I haven’t felt thirsty all these days, I do feel hungry for a few minutes then I’m okay.

I must say cool summer is very helpful for those who are fasting. I’m getting a lot of benefit because of it. I know I must not complain.

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365 Writing Prompts: The natural world

Describe your first memorable experience exploring and spending time in nature. Were you in awe? Or were you not impressed? Would you rather spend time in the forest or the city?

This is the image of Talkotora bagh in New Delhi. I saw this a long time ago,I have not forgotten how thrilled I was in a place where the grass is luscious green. Any where you turn around you see nature in its awesome form. Somewhere in my heart it feels as though I am yet to see a place as alluring as this park. May be there are many others in the world but I haven’t seen them.

Yes I love nature, it has so much to offer, the tall trees, the finely cut grass, the variety of flowers, the birds chirping, the colorful butterflies, and the people walking with their family, the picnic stands, the vendors trying to sell food,all this in a park.

I like the freedom nature offers.

A city to me cannot compare with nature. In the city, there are skyscrapers, the continuous movement of vehicles, people always in a hurry to get to their destination. You see worn out stern faces, it just does not seem right to be in a city with all its hustle and bustle makes life unbearable.

I think I’d love to spend time in a forest.

 

Wikipedia image of Talkotora bagh

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Daily Prompt: Practice Makes Perfect

Tell us about a talent you’d love to have — but don’t.

I’d love to be a reasonably good photographer, only thing that comes between me and acquiring that skill is patience. I have a camera but I do not practice at all. I need to motivate myself to start using my camera.

I sometimes wonder why when it comes to using my camera to practice taking pictures, I think of other things to do. I’d love to be one of those people who take excellent photographs.

I hope one of these days I’d use my camera, I’ll make an attempt to see how far I can go in  developing an entirely new skill.

Wikipedia image

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365 Writing Prompts: No longer a mere mortal

You’ve imbibed a special potion that makes you immortal .Now that you’ve got forever, what changes will you make in your life? How will you live differently, knowing you’ll always be around to be accountable for your actions?

It is a complicated question to answer how will I live my life after taking a potion which supposedly makes me immortal and I’ll live forever.

Living forever doesn’t really tempt me, the problem is all my fellow humans will be enjoying their after life and I alone will still be stuck on earth trying to do different things to survive. I think I’ll pass this opportunity to be immortal.

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Daily Prompt: Groupthink

Write a post that includes dialogue between two people– other than you. (for more of a challenge, try three or more people.)

Parker, Tom and Howard were busy talking. I stood in the background to find out why they looked so serious.This is what I heard.

Tom: Parker, did you see our boss this morning?

Parker : No what’s up?

Tom: I have some doozies to tell you about.

Parker : Really what can be so amazing?

Howard (joins in ) : I want to know too, it’s always fun to find out about our boss, especially, how does he spend all that money he’s making.

Tom: Howard, you are so nosey, do you always have  to butt in and say your piece, some people!

Tom : Well I was walking along the road, minding my own business, suddenly I heard a car whiz by me, it was our boss, I had a quick glance and saw a lady seated on the passenger’s side, she wasn’t the missus.

Howard :Who was it?

Tom : Will you stop asking questions,Howard?

Parker: Who was it Tom ? I’d like to know too!

Tom : I’ve heard it on the grapevine the boss and his missus are not getting along, so she’s out of town somewhere.

Parker and Howard: WOW, don’t they have children?

Tom : I’ve heard they have a son, he is sent to a boarding school.

Parker: Well, well this is some news.

Howard: Are they getting a divorce?

Tom and Parker: Howard do not jump to conclusions!

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wikipedia image

365 Writing Prompt: We can be taught

Tell us a moment or an incident that you treasure– not necessarily because it brought you happiness, but it taught you something about yourself.

Back when we lived in Rawalpindi, there was a woman who used to deliver milk for us, I loved seeing her and in my unusual Punjabi, I’d speak to her.

She never forgot to say, “Hi, bibi , how are you?

This would get me going and I’d start my conversation with her in Punjabi, I wasn’t as good as her, when we are little we do not think whether the words we choose are right or wrong we just speak, the fact that we have no inhibition, we easily learn new languages.

The milk woman would relate the story of her buffaloes, that she didn’t get as much milk as the day before. She wouldn’t make as much money.

I’d sit in the veranda and listen very intently. She liked this part of me, even though I was little I listened to her stories with interest.

One day she came as usual to deliver milk, I wasn’t very talkative, she was disappointed. She asked me questions why am I not my usual self, was I upset with her. I told her I wasn’t, after all these years I cannot recall why I was quiet.

She sat beside me and told me she would bring me some milk the following day and will not charge any money for it, then she said, “Now smile bibi!”

It taught me that day a very important lesson, all those people who knew me loved my interaction with them  and my smile, that I should never disappoint them.

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Daily Prompt: Celebrate Good Times

You have some wonderful, improbable, hoped-for good news. How do you celebrate?

This morning my friend Millie, called me, she said, “guess what Ranu your short stories is ready for publication, the publishers are eager to have an interview with you.”

At first I thought Millie is joking, she does that every now and then to tease me. The phone rang again, I picked it up this time it was the publisher himself, “hello, can I speak to Ranu?”

I jumped I replied “speaking.”

“I am Stuart from Stuart publishing company, we have selected your short stories for publication,can you come and see us.”

See us? This is the best news I’ve heard in days. I got ready and went to the company situated on Fleet Street. After a few minor discussions, Mr. Stuart handed me the contract.

I came home, called Millie, she came in a jiffy after discussing various ways to celebrate this awesome news, we settled for a fabulous tea party with family and friends in my home.

Millie volunteered to bake the cake, Anna wanted to bring her mom’s best pizza, I offered to make samosas, and gulab jamans.

I also ordered hot chicken wings from Boston Pizza.

We decided to have the party on  Saturday, to enable everyone to join us at the party. The party was in the afternoon, the girls came with all sorts of food, there were donuts, cookies and mouth watering pastries. All this added to the food we made, looked delightful. Millie’s four tiered cake stole the show.

The party started in the afternoon, I  had to taste everyone’s food, everything was delicious. We made so much noise, it was one of those days when we were in a celebratory mood, no one cared about the noise, after all days like this only comes once in a blue moon.

After the party I looked at the tables there was so much food left, I quickly put them in packages and handed one to each  guest on their way out!

Image from wikipedia

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365 Writing Prompts: The artist’s eye

Is there a painting or sculpture you’re drawn to? What does it say to you? Describe the experience(or if art doesn’t speak to you , tell us why.)

Wikipedia image

I am looking at a painting of Norman Rockwell. Looks like the family is gathered for Thanks Giving dinner. The family is waiting patiently for the Turkey dinner.

Mama’s got the Turkey roasted and is about to place it on the dinner table.There are smiling faces, it is a joyous occasion.

While almost everyone is anxious to get started to eat dinner, there is one friendly fellow  inviting me to join them.I’m thinking is Mama a good cook?If she is I must have a bite with them. Then again do they have enough food for one extra plate?

Uncles, aunts and Grandma is visible too. What if they are not ready to welcome a complete stranger. Let me try and see if they would share the Turkey dinner with me.

Can you see me there, the little girl in the corner is smiling at me. Okay I’m in their midst, can you see me? Mama’s Turkey was worth waiting for. I’m so stuffed up,I won’t need to eat for a week, wait a minute did I say a week, no, no, a half a day.

Bye mama, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters and papa, thank you so much for inviting me, will see you next Thanks Giving dinner, yum yum!

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365 Writing Prompts: Planes, trains, and automobiles

You’re going on a cross-country trip, airplane, train, bus or car?( or something else entirely-bike? Hot-air balloon?)

I will write about our trip by car from Gander  to  Waterville Maine. We started from Gander in the morning on the trans-Canada highway. It took around ten hours to get to Port-Aux-Basques to catch the ferry. The ferry was due to arrive some time after 9 PM. We went to a local restaurant to have supper. After having our meal we drove to the dock to catch the ferry.

The ferry arrived on time, there was a set place for the cars to park inside the ferry. Since there were a lot of cars we had to wait our turn to get in. After parking the car we went to our cabin, it took about four and a half hours to reach North Sydney in Nova Scotia. It was very dark my husband followed the cars that were in the front.

When the sun rose we could see what was around us, we stopped at the McDonald’s restaurant to have breakfast. After eating we were on our way to Maine, we drove by some small communities until we reached St.Stephen, we spend the night there and early next morning we were on our way to Waterville Maine. When we reached the place after a few hours, we looked for the home of Mrs. Landlady(I’ve forgotten her name) . We did not have much trouble finding her home which my husband rented for two months, the landlady left the keys with her neighbor. My husband got the keys, we entered the house, it was small but a comfortable place.

We invited the landlady for dinner once, she loved our food and we loved her company.After two months we got our stuff packed and travelled back to “Our Home Sweet Home In Gander”!

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Daily Prompt: Take It From Me

What’s the best piece of advice  you’ve given someone that you failed to take yourself?

I met a cousin of our friend, she was married had two kids and was laid off from her job. Her husband was also laid off. I do not know how they were coping with this.

The cousin once called me and asked what can she do to get a job. When I asked about her qualification, she said she had a Mathematics degree. I told her she should get her teaching licence , that would help her get a job because there was a demand for Mathematics. Her friends discouraged her because they didn’t want her to be busy.They even told her she may not get admission.

She applied was able to complete her education degree and got a job. Now I hear she has moved to Dubai and is teaching there. I wrote to her but got no reply,this is  how valuable she is as a friend. I don’t mind at least I gave her advice and it worked for her.

Some humans are strange, for my part I did what I thought would help her, if she thinks somehow I will gain something from it, she does not know me.

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