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The thought of restful, happy holidays went wrong, running between monuments, pubs, avenues, stopped at none; each day it ripened and fell like a fruit.
I just returned from a long, well deserved vacation (as I think, the world could think otherwise, entirely their prerogative). The notion of vacation is linked to travel, sporty activities, intricate touristy plans and intensive body exercise. Mind you, there is almost nothing about rest.
During this interval in the long working year, which we fondly refer to as HOLIDAYS, I want to do things, which are not done throughout the year. There is no religious and Roman sense of suspending activities and just resting. It means to enjoy doing the things by the holidaymaker’s book: without any effort to make it easy. The relaxed trips do not exist in this jet age, whereby I swing from FB to Instagram at a faster speed than the blink of an eye. Then there is visa bureaucracy, queues, lack of hotel space, delays, devaluing currency, customs, what else? There is excitement, almost a frenzy to collect information and rush through this and that. So much more planning to do, I want an ideal itinerary.
There are sporty kind of holidays, is anyone up for fishing or simple camping? Never. The idea of getting to know the country at a relaxed pace is passé. Ordinary, outdoor activities may seem like contemplative state or yoga exercise. That’s not it. So I end up going places to cross bizarre bridges, climb hills, discover lagoons at dawn – intensive body work.
Then there is colorful dream of holiday goodies, which I sacrifice during the year: eating wildly extraordinary dishes, with no sense of time, health, money. This makes a great holiday experience in itself. Good holidays should not be subject to savings or restraint of will (all puns intended). They are about excesses. Get up late? If not, it will be too hot, but who cares? Go to the beach and hang out – i.e. only if you are really free, not because the morning and water are free.
The notion of being different, diverse is somehow more fun. Having fun, in itself is getting sidetracked. I did get madly sidetracked from my restful vacation by filling time with programs.
I tell myself, “Let it pass, this not so subtle after vacation thought”. There is something unforeseen about the feeling of floating in semi sleepy daze, feeling leafy, reflective, and carried away. It is a known lazy feeling thing.
If you ask me to tell you what happened after the holidays, I will say loyally, it was a great vacation, claiming – it was a busy vacation. The thought of restful, happy holidays went wrong, running between monuments, pubs, avenues, stopped at none; each day it ripened and fell like a fruit.
Did anything happen? No, not happening is the essence of happy holidays. And now, it’s hard working eleven months again to deserve harmless and delicious vacations. This time holidays will be with no agenda, but R & R – Rest and Relaxation as my parent’s vacation used to be when we were kids.
Image via Pixabay
Bindiya is a linguist and works for a diplomatic mission in New Delhi. She is a published author, reluctant poet, passionate bibliotherapist and a happiness harbinger. Her heart beats in her community-building volunteer organization - “ read more...
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UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
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