Post-Graduated and Proud!

“Graduation is an exciting time. It marks both an ending and a beginning; it’s warm memories of the past and big dreams for the future.”

Knowledge is everything, and the more you learn, the more you have the power to defend and put your point across. Yesterday I got my results, and finally I am a postgraduate. Two years ago, I posted that I was a graduate, and now I am a level up. I also shared that I received my first-ever trophy for academics, and this all happened because I believed in myself.

These past two years, and even before that, a lot has happened in my life; the decisions about what to do next in life are so hard to make, especially when you are confused. However, after so many years just going with the flow, I finally did what I loved, and here I am, proud and happy. My post-graduation was definitely a big learning curve for me as I grew so much, starting to give presentations, doing research, writing pages, and just taking up new challenges which the younger me had never thought I would do.

My life has changed a lot, obviously. Apart from my growing age, I can’t believe I am the same person who used to be so scared of doing things; I am actually doing it. I am happy, and I am definitely content with my result. Definitely, I am feeling so grateful that I can reach such a step in my life and share it with the world. There are many things I want to do ahead, take on new challenges, and see myself grow more and more.

I know it’s frightening to move ahead after closing a chapter; however, I am so excited because I know where I am ahead, and I can’t wait to be there. So, of those who are about to close one of their many chapters or are about to begin a new chapter, all the best. You can do it, just believe in yourself, and you have a way through.

“Today is a milestone. It tells you how far you’ve come. Keep learning, keep accomplishing and keep venturing on through your journey.”

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Limit.

“What are you?”

“To define is to limit.” – Oscar Wilde

I love to read my old blog posts once in a while, and I came across my review for the Oh My Venus K-drama. And there is a quote in the drama that says, “If you’re hanging in there, you haven’t reached your limit.” And boom, I am here with my thoughts on it.

Let me keep it real with you all, I always underestimated myself, and people would come and say you could have done it, but you already decided you couldn’t. And now, at this stage where I am handling so much, I know I underestimated myself. We never truly know our potential until we give it all.

We have to test out limits, we have to take the risk and just do it. If it works, that’s amazing; if not, we are learning, and that’s what matters. Nobody really knows what they are made to do in this world; all of them have taken risks, tested their limits to reach where they are now.

If I want to create a life for myself, I need to break all the limits that I have created for myself in my mind. Nobody does that. I do it; I put limits in my mind about how I can’t do it. But how could I know that unless I have not even tried?

My goal is to take as many challenges as I can, irrespective of the result. I want to grow, and I want to learn, and that will happen when I push all of my limits and just do it. I never really knew that after giving my all, I might even conquer the world, and that’s what I want to do.

So in life, there will be moments where we just want to quit, and that’s okay and totally normal. Everyone deserves a break, but if you are hanging in there and you are okay, that means there is so much you have to do, there is so much waiting and calling your name.

You don’t have limits; if it’s all up to you, push yourself ahead. Do what scares you, because once an opportunity goes, it will never come back. So don’t create a limit in your mind beforehand until you don’t do it, you don’t try it, everything is limitless.

The sky is the limit.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Book Review: Look Closer by David Ellis

This book is truly the gift of my patience because it took the entire 50 per cent of the book to actually feel like I was enjoying it. I kept it going because every single review about this was 5 stars, so I knew I needed to keep going and guess what, it’s a 5-star read of mine, and I am feeling grateful that I didn’t DNF this book. The book follows the story of a wealthy couple, Simon and Vicky, who seem perfect from the outside, but they hide a lot of terrible secrets. Their secrets and the web of lies started to come out when a body was found near their place.

First, I have to start with the plot, which has me rooting for the villain throughout the end, and I was so happy with the ending. The game plan was spot on, as the main characters manipulated everyone in the book, as well as me. No way, I guessed the plot twist because it was not all at once, I was moving through it and got the realisation and the way my jaw dropped. I think this book has one of the best plotlines because everything was simply written, there was nothing out there, but slowly, slowly, we went through it. I guessed one plot twist; I understood it right away, so that was a win for me.

The story is narrated from three points of view, and at first, I was very much confused, but slowly, it made sense. I won’t say it’s a fast-paced thriller as the first 50 per cent book, nothing really happened, or as such we read it, later it made sense.

Then the characters were amazing, actually, all of them are grey, and in a thriller like this, they fit perfectly. Simon and Vicky were perfect partners now, in what you have to read that, as I am not going to give spoilers. Also, the book title is so perfect because we truly need to look closer to see what is going on. Vicky and Simon are some of the smartest characters because OMG, what I loved every second of them. At the end, I was truly happy to pick this one.

Please read it, it’s so good and fun. At first, it will be testing your patience, but in the end, it’s going to be worth it. I highly recommend this book.

Rating: 5/5

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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live while you’re busy surviving

You’ve mastered survival mode. Now it’s time to live.

The most I tell myself daily is to live while surviving. I never knew it would be harder to survive than to live the life I grew up in. Every single day I wake up and get in my zone to work, and just like that, the day passes away, and at night I realise that I didn’t even get to live or breathe a sigh of relief, but the more I have gotten, the tension of the day. And I know it will not end while I will be waiting for it; it is up to me to come out of it and live because that’s how life works. I really want to make the best of my life, and I know a lot needs to be sacrificed to achieve it. But if it gets too much, I know I need to take a break for my mental health. We are creating the life we want to live; however, that doesn’t mean we will be surviving at every step. We need to understand and know how to balance between living and surviving. You know yourself the best, you know your mental health the best, and you know how much you are dealing with, so if it gets too much, please take a break and live life. Sometimes we need to do something that totally just brings us comfort and nothing more. Sometimes we need to leave everything and live in that moment of life to bring ourselves some peace and appreciate how much we are trying. Your mental health matters the most. In the process of surviving, spare some time in doing what you love, see it as you are recharging yourself, maybe by watching your favourite drama, cooking your favourite meal, or just taking a walk. We need to understand that the small moments bring so much peace when we just sit and reflect on how much we have done and come so far in life, and be proud of it. So remember when it gets too hard, please take a break because you are living a life, not just surviving it.

Life should be more than just surviving. Strive to live, laugh, make memories, love, cry, and learn.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Review: ‘The Heirs’ K-drama (2013)

“One who wants to wear the crown, bear its weight.”

“What type of crown were you trying to wear?

Was it wealth, fame, or love?” – The Heirs

The frustration I felt while watching this drama was so strong that I still remember it after such a long time. I feel like this drama was and is the real mirror to the aristocratic family. Also, this rich family has the most traumatised kids because of the household situation and social pressure. The K-drama that I am going to talk about is ‘The Heirs’, which is more than a decade old but doesn’t feel like it. The story is about rich kids and how, because of a problematic family, all of them suffer. It follows the story of Cha Eun-sang, a servant’s daughter who gets to study in the most prestigious school, where she hides her identity. Kim Tan is the illegitimate son of the rich family where Cha Eun-sang’s mother works as well as lives. They fall in love with each other but deal with a lot because of the difference in their backgrounds.

Now, if we watch this drama now, there would definitely be so many differences in opinions, but I am writing what I felt watching it at that time. If we start with the character of Kim Dan, he was definitely highly flawed, as he was not loved by his father and was not accepted. So, imagine being in love with someone who is emotionally unstable; it definitely makes life hard. He is such a sad character, and especially the dialogue and eyes that speak out his feelings.

Cha Eun-sang is also struggling because of expenses and her mother’s health, so I could say every character of this series is highly flawed. She is emotionally drained, and when she started going to the prestigious school, it made it even worse.

Choi Young-do and Rachel Yoo are my favourite characters from the series. Again, they were deeply flawed, but I see myself relate to them. Choi Young-do is one of the characters who started the second lead syndrome for me. Actually, I like Kim Woo-bin, so I might be biased. Jo Myung-soo, another very important character that actually helped in lowering the trauma of this series, I can’t believe he is the same Park Hyung-sik from The Happiness.

The plot line is very much tiring because of their class difference; they keep having low moments in their relationship. But in the end, I could see both were very much tired from all of that. It’s all about the parents’ fault, and the kids are suffering, which is very much a common thing in wealthy families.

I loved Cha Eun-sang, Choi Young-do and Jo Myung-soo’s friendship. How they both protected her when the lead couldn’t do it. The chemistry between the couple is okay, I would say. They were going through a lot with everyone on their shoulders, constantly watching, so I couldn’t really enjoy their scenes. It is more of a plot-driven story. The second couple, Lee Bo-na and Yoon Chan-young, are also really cute.

It’s a long drama and needs to be committed with a lot of patience. If you have that, then please go ahead, and if not, then you are honestly not missing much.

“If I have to kneel, I’ll kneel. But I can get up again. If I keep getting myself up, a day will come when I don’t have to kneel anymore.” – Kim Tan (The Heirs)

Total Episodes: 20

My Rating: 7/10

Genre: Teen, Romance, Drama

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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A life of your own.

Why regret something you once wanted?

I don’t think so, we are ever told that we have to live for ourselves, that we have to create a life of our own, and we never understood the point of it until we grew up and realised that everyone in our lives is selfish, but they don’t want us to be selfish for ourselves. It hurts seeing that choosing what we really want from our own lives is unacceptable to others, and we become villains for it, for the life we want to live. It is so hard to make people understand that everyone has their own lives, just like them, you do have your own life, and you have the freedom to choose however you want to live and whatever you want to achieve, but why can’t people just accept this fact? My only goal in life is to do what I really love. Time is running and life is short, so trying to fit in someone else’s shoes is not at all my goal, and I ain’t got time for it. Just imagine a life of yours where you have the freedom to do whatever you want, how cool it sounds, right? So if it comes true, how fun it would be living it in real life. I know it’s hard to live the life that you have created in your mind, but nothing is impossible. Take that opportunity and do what you truly love, creating a life of your own. You can proudly say that you fought for it. I always keep remembering that I just have one life, and if I allow somebody else to rule it, then when am I going to live the life that is given to me? I think you need to become a villain to live the life you want. There will be moments where you have to leave behind something, but this is the cost of creating your own life that you truly deserve. Be strong for yourself, and I know nothing happens at first, but trust me, you have to become stronger, you have to think for yourself, you have to be selfish for yourself, and that’s how you are going to create a life of your own.

Your idea of me is not my responsibility to live up to.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Book Review: The September House by Carissa Orlando

The perfect book review for the perfect month with the perfect vibe. The September House by Carissa Orlando is my favourite horror thriller and mystery book, and you know why? Because it’s funny as hell, I was laughing rather than creeping out by the book. The book follows the story of Margaret and her husband Hal, who bought a Victorian mansion at a very low price. But then they started discovering haunted things in the house that only happen in September. Margaret is not ready to move as it’s her house; however, after four years, Hal can’t take it anymore and leaves. But he is not returning the calls of their daughter, Katherine, who is unaware of the house, and she has never visited the house. And now she is on the way to the house to find her father, and the worst part September has just begun. How Margaret hides about the house is fun to read.

Let’s start with the main character, Margaret. Only one thing to say about her, she is fantastic. It is so rare to like a character of a thriller book, and I was rooting for her till the end. The woman is so adamant that she won’t leave the house, no matter what. And a lot was happening to her physically as well as emotionally. Her talks are my favourite, she is so sarcastic and knows how to deal with things perfectly. Because of her, I loved the entire book and never got bored with it.

There are other characters as well, but they don’t play much. It’s actually just Margaret and her house, so here the house is another main character. I loved the house and the creepy things it does. I don’t think so, I have never read anything so unusual, but I loved every second of it. The house was definitely creepy, but I didn’t find it much; it depends on the reader. There were many fascinating things about the house. Firstly, it happens only in September, and what it brings is so much fun to read. The house characters were amazing, and the way they all came together in the end was mind-blowing to read.

Talking about the plot, it’s a mixture of horror, comedy and thriller. Nothing is foreshadowing but working together, there is not much thriller, but the plot twist I loved. The plot is engaging and so fast-paced that I couldn’t stop reading it. Actually, I just wanted to read what Margaret has to say.

The author’s writing is so simple, the way she has described the activity happening in the house and the dialogue of Margaret, I loved every second of it. Honestly, I thought the ending would be like that only; however, in the end, the plot twist, wow, it still amazes me when I think about it. I loved that the author decided to end like that rather than how it was going, and I thought it would end. The ending scenes were my favourite; it was like I was watching an action-packed movie, and it really felt like that.

I highly recommend it.

Rating: 4.5/5

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Review: ‘The Legend of the Blue Sea’ K-drama (2016)

“The easiest thing in the world is getting disappointed by another person. Even after liking someone after his/her outer appearance, one will quickly be disappointed. That’s how human beings are” – Heo joon Jae

I was in my prime era in 2016, when I watched every single masterpiece K-drama that is still talked about a decade later. I rewatched one of my most favourite K-dramas, “The Legend of the Blue Sea”, to just get the experience of 2016 and write a review for you guys. When I tell you watching this drama truly brought me back to 2016, and I loved every second of it, I wish I had a time machine so I could travel back in time and experience it all over again. The Legend of the Blue Sea is a fantasy drama between a mermaid and a human. A mermaid named Shim Chaeong has to leave her home and survive in the human world, where she knows nothing about humans. She meets a con artist named Heo Joon Jae and it’s group, and then the fun begins.

Let’s start with the mermaid itself. When I say she is one of the iconic characters, I mean it especially since it is played by the queen herself, Jun Ji-Hyun. I think she was born to play this role because she looked like a mermaid. She is so funny, and her expression was everything. She was like a child in the human world who learned everything about humans, and it was so fun to watch. I loved her expression, and when she didn’t know the human language, the way she always ended up doing something stupid made me laugh so hard.

Then we have our Heo Joon-jae, another iconic character played by dashing Lee Min-ho. He looks cold-hearted until he opens his mouth. I absolutely loved his character; he made me laugh more than the mermaid. His expression was top-notch. Especially dealing with a mermaid. The boy was actually suffering throughout the show first; he got stuck with the mermaid and her weird ways, and then he could hear her every thought after she fell in love with him, and he couldn’t sleep, which was hilarious to watch.

Their group, Park Moo and Tae-oh, are freaking hilarious. Nobody can say they are con artists because they are so stupid and funny. I loved every part of the drama, even the emotional part where he always falls in love with her and she almost gives up her life for him.

The chemistry of Lee Min-ho and Jung is iconic. They were truly made for these characters. They were everything but I loved their comedy part the most, even after falling in love, they would do stupid things. Their emotional part and their love were heartwarming to watch.

The plot is so good, in a way, that nothing is overpowering anything. The way she also gets tangled up in their group and becomes a con artist was so much fun to watch. Overall, the plot kept me engaged throughout the entire drama. There was romance, comedy, and an emotional aspect, and for a 2016 drama, it was iconic. The way they added so many mermaid elements was a treat to watch.

There are so many scenes from this drama which have now become memes, which is a treat to watch in today’s time. I loved their umbrella scene; no matter what, K-dramas will always be iconic for their umbrella scenes.

The cinematography is iconic. The blue elements of the water were really foreshadowing, which I absolutely loved.

Overall, I highly recommend this iconic drama.

“Even through the windy rainstorm, even though the sun may be burning down on me, though I am lonely and without anyone by my side and even if it’s somewhere I have never been before, I will endure it all and be sure to go to you. I love you.- Shim Chung

Total Episodes: 20

My Rating: 9/10

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Drama

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Mindset.

If you know you can do better, then do better.

It’s all the game of your mindset that leads you to win or lose…The moment I realised that I need to create a mindset for everything I do in my life is the moment everything changed in the way I look at things. It is not easy to always have a positive mindset towards things because it’s life, and it throws a lot at you. But what else can we do besides accepting it by creating a mindset? By that, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t let your emotions out, no, that’s not what I meant. What I am saying is that you need to create your mindset in a way that prepares you for the situations that will come your way. Mindset doesn’t always need to be positive, but also about how you let your emotions follow and then create your mindset to move ahead and make things right. The best advice I can give you is to do something when you want to, without worrying about the outcome. Instead, focus on creating a mindset that what you are doing is for your growth and to strengthen your mindset. When you deal with things with challenges in life, that’s how your mindset becomes strong, and you are ready for the future. Even if the result didn’t come the way you wanted, but you know in your mind that you gave your best, your mindset is ready for another challenge. It’s all about your mindset, how you handle things, how you look at things, and how you deal with them. And don’t worry about how you are going to learn how to make your mindset; it happens when you take risks, it happens when you blindly follow what you love, and the result helps you make your mindset grow. Take the risk, don’t worry about the result, because no matter what the result will be, one thing is for sure, that you are ready for the future because of your strong mindset.

A beautiful day starts with a beautiful mindset.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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It’s okay to slow down.

You will find your way, even when it feels like you won’t.

I have been telling myself lately that it’s okay to slow down, and the only thing that is keeping me sane. You know when you reach a level where you are doing so much but are unable to see the result, yes, that’s where I am. I want to fly so high, but whenever I feel like I am about to touch the sky, it moves far away, and I start feeling that maybe flying high is not written in my destiny. I have been in a phase which makes me so proud to see how far I have come, but also in a phase where I am unable to be proud of myself; it feels like there is always something that pulls me back. I’m experiencing a range of emotions, but at the same time, I feel nothing; this is my standard status for so many years. And I let my emotions flow within me. If I am not feeling well mentally, then I won’t force myself to do anything, and that’s how I feel better. I always remind myself that my health is more important than anything, and if it makes me slow down, then it’s totally okay. Actually, everybody says to work hard and do it, but when it starts affecting your health, then slow down and let your emotions flow. Slowing down doesn’t mean you are behind; no, it’s all about your pace. I always remind myself to focus on my own journey and not compare it to others. It’s okay to slow down and reflect on how far you have come; it’s okay to dwell on how things didn’t go perfectly, allow all your emotions to flow; it doesn’t make you feel insane, but it will allow your mental health to be sane. Everything you are doing is perfect, even when you feel like it’s not, but at least you are trying. Life is all about making you feel all the emotions and nothing at once, so slow down if things feel too heavy, take a rest, look in the mirror and smile for how much you have held up, and if you want to cry, cry, it doesn’t make you weak but proud that you are allowing yourself to be okay.

It’s okay to grow slowly.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write

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