of Rekhta and Patari

i discovered these both sites last year and there is no turning back.

Rekhta is a website that has a wide collection of urdu poetry in urdu, hindi and english formats and it has become my go to site if i am looking for any ghazal or nazam on a short notice. i can't seem to get it out of my mind.

it is amazingly designed and has some awesome feature. like the one where u click on a word to look for its translation. :D

so if you love urdu poetry, do check out rekhta!

the second website that i discovered was Patari. Patari is an awesome collection of Pakistani music, it has everything from Pakistani pop, to folk to classical to regional. i dunno, i can't even describe what exactly it has. it has those wonderful categories and playlists. my favorite so far has been 'focus' and 'indie pop' Wow!!!!

every time i want to focus at work and shut down the noise, earphones in, 'focus' on and the world takes a back seat. it is my work and soothing instrumentals that make up 'focus'!!!!

the must recommended websites!!!

Sugandh

Demise of Shelfari

I started using shelfari in 2007, but i truly got addicted to it after it introduced 'books to read this year' feature, where i could just put in a number and just add the date i finished it on to add it towards the goal. amazing feature.

and it had a great contribution in making me a binge reader i am today. i discovered the group '50 books challenge' who were trying to defy steve jobs comment on people not finding time for reading books. [i am not sure about the quote] so i started with reading 15 books and then 20, 25 and finally 50. the year [2014] my goal was to read 50 books, i ended up reading 62 books and that was my biggest achievement of life!!! [like seriously, more than graduating from university, or getting my first job, or getting my dream job etc]

and now shelfari is being shut down by it's owner. though they are providing a substitute but i don't think that i would be able to build the relationship with the substitute the way i built it with shelfari. it was so nice, sleek and well techie. :)

Dear Shelfari you will be sourly missed!!!

Sugandh

if left on my own devices

so i am always told to do things [though i don't mostly do them] because if i am left to my own devices, i might not be what a normal person should be. that made me think what would i actually do if left to my own devices. . .

so here are the few things that i came up with.

1. eat breakfast for every meal. like seriously, corn flakes, pancakes, omelettes, french toast, anything that is conventionally a breakfast dish would be part of my meal.
   
2. stop seeing people. Everyone. Period.
   
3. Read. well i do that most of the time, but if i am left on my own, i'll keep reading until my eyes and brain and arms and neck refuse to cooperate with each other and myself.
   
4. Cross Stitch. and when i am tired of reading, cross stitch until there is no more aida, thread, or u know energy!
   
5. Knit. Ah! in the grand scheme of things who can forget knitting, when i am left on my own, i would never, ever turn the heater on. [i am too lazy] so the answer to my cold would be layers and layers of hand knitted sweaters, blankets and well whatever else i'd be able to knit.
   
6. stop talking. that sounds impossible given the fact that i talk all the time, but seriously i would like to go quiet and see how it effects the environment around me.
   
7. stay up all night. yeah seriously, what better way to stop seeing people, listen to music, read and eat in peace!

so basically, if left on my own devices i'll turn into a social recluse. a person who would shun all pretense of normalcy and functionality. so i'll take my dear friend's advice today to shut up and refrain from commenting all the time, because nobody is asking for it!

Sugandh