In A Recent Drama That I Watched, I Learned Something Beautiful --- You Must Share What You Are Passionate

But art has no name, Neither yours nor mine. It is divine energy Claiming the heart, body and mind. It is love itself, Talking through us, To us.

~ Anvi Doshi

~ Details from an old spread ~

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Sometimes I don’t feel like clicking the whole page. At such times, I really wanted to appreciate the individual stickers, prints, washi and sequins through my photos.

Manchurian Dosa | 11th May, Sunday

Went with the Nanus to eat Manchurian Dosa and Schezwan Cheese Frankie at Ghatkopar, on a whim. 👯‍♀️

The Manchurian was green oniony, hot, sour, and garlicky. The chutney was a refreshing contrast against the heat of the Manchurian. The dosa was beautifully soft and yum. 🤤

Unfortunately, it was too dark to take a photo of the Schezwan Cheese Frankie. But it ticked all the boxes --- flaky, crispy cover, potato filling that was heartily assembled with cheese and a generous addition of onions (my favorite part is their crunch), and the goodness of Indian Chinese's version of Schezwan sauce.🤤

~ Sometimes courage is listening to that quiet, inner voice rather than the hundred loud ones surrounding you. ~ 🌼

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©anvidoshi

If There Was Only One Thing I Could Write, I Would...

Hello,

I hope the weekend is being kind to you and I hope you're being kind to yourself. :)

I took a week off from writing (didn't realize it would be this tough, I guess I had proper withdrawal symptoms, lol). But it was necessary. Last week, I asked myself, "What do I really want to write about? If there's only one thing I can write about, what would it be?"

The answer was very clear: words that add to the world. Words that bring in love, light, healing and warmth.

After thinking on this a bit more, I've decided to follow my heart.

I would like to share daily, positive prose-poems on my blog going forward. As for dramas, rather than reviews, I want to share a list of learnings from each show that's inspired me.

Putting this out here because what you see here, in this space, will change drastically. Please feel free to unfollow if it doesn't vibe with you.

As always,

With love and in love,

Anvi :)

“Miracles don’t exist. It’s the little heroes inside us working together. The donations that quietly pile up. The small acts of kindness done by kind people. It’s just the result of all the good deeds you’ve done. You just think it’s a miracle.” ~ When the Camellia Blooms ~

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Credits: GIF 1 - Tumgir | GIF 2 - Giphy | GIF 3 & 4 - Soompi Forums | GIF 5 - KStar Live | GIF 6 - Bored Homebody, Wordpress 

~ Do you value the love you so willingly give? ~ . Our generation glorifies givers. Being a hardcore one myself, I think that while the act of giving is beautiful, it has to be valued. . Do I value my giving? Do I value the quality of love I am offering? Or do I pour it in people, places, things without being aware of its worth, its sanctity? . We will always meet people who aren't ready to receive what we have to give. At times like these, if we truly value our giving, we will learn to redirect that love to a vessel, a heart, that's more ready to hold it, cherish it and nourish it. . Giving is beautiful, giving is a gift. May we learn to deeply value it and tax it up a bit. 

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~ notes from everyday ~

“Y’all treat 30 like our lives will be over by then. 30 is extremely young. Some people just start new dreams in their 30s. Most are finally figuring out how to live fully in their 30s. Our 20s are not the peak. Not even close.” - Kaya Nova

With 'When The Camellia Blooms' I Learned The Beauty Of Owning Who I Am

Early on in my drama journey, curious about having 'When The Camellia Blooms' pop up on my Netflix feed, I tuned in. (Good job, Anvi.)

The Story:

The story revolves around a small Korean town, Ongsan and its residents. A fishing county, Ongasn's citizens are mostly fishermen who pride on their freshwater crabs.  In comes a single, young mother, Dongbaek with her 2-year-old son Pil-Goo. She decides to start a new chapter of her life and opens a small bar named 'Camellia'.

We then have Hwang Yong-Sik, a junior cop who's looking for his “Princess Diana”. With a heart of gold, he falls head over heels for our Dongbaek at first sight.

What follows is not just a love story between the two, but also a thriller mystery involving a serial killer who calls himself 'Joker'. We have Dongbaek's old lover, Kang Jong Ryul, return (who's now married with a child of his own), have her find comradery in the oldest badass of Ongsan, Mrs. Kwak and see her battle stigmas around single parenthood, objectification and bullying.

Not your typical male-female-lead Kdrama, this one is about: - the power of community, 🌼 - badassery (with some FANTASTIC female characters), 🌼 - real love standing the test of time, 🌼 - female companionship, 🌼 - healing 🌼 - and the pains of growing up in a society that prescribes 'two' parents as a requisite. 🌼

Each character has shades of grey versus your typical black and white. Each one, a poignant element, without which the story would have been lacking. The drama was a thorough delight to watch. And I am sure a lot of you who've watched this can nod your agreement when I say that it is legit a world in its own.

I don't know how to sum up a possible thesis of what moved me in the show, but here are my top 6 learnings from 'When The Camellia Blooms':

1. If you love someone, tell the whole damn world about it.

My favorite trait about Yong-Sik apart from his drop-dead gorgeous confidence, is the way he keeps choosing Dongbaek every.single.time. He taught me that love wasn't limited to a three-word confession. That was just the beginning of the beginning. Love meant showing up and choosing the person I loved, every single day.

2. Bravery often comes in surprise packages.

As we see Dongbaek own the person she is, an element we least expect to find is her bravery to stand up for herself and the ones she loves when the time arises. She taught me that often, we negate certain people as 'walkovers' and 'pitiable' only to see them outgrow their thick skin and show immense courage. At such times, one realizes the futility of boxing people up with permanent labels.

3. Wisdom and maturity have got nothing to do with age.

Bare with me as I prove my point by citing the stark contrast of EQ levels between Kang Jong Ryol, a father and his 8-year-old, Pil-Goo. While the former could pass for a bratty toddler, our Pil-Goo is too wise, profound and caring for a child his age. More often than not, he is the rock Dongbaek leans upon when she's too tired to fight the world alone.

4. Community is belongingness.

That's my favorite part about Ongsan. The town's committee is a motley of women who're there for each other through thick and thin. With stay-at-home trophy husbands, we see them battle their own regressive social stigmas and come to terms with inclusivity. It is here, in this communal space that DongBaek finally finds a home away from home.

5. We all just need someone who believes in us to start believing in ourselves once again.

Sometimes, without knowing, when we're lost, somebody's belief in us can help us find our way back home to ourselves. It's that person's belief that helps us reignite the belief we need in ourselves to grow and bloom. To rest my case, I give you Dongbaek's unconditional belief in Choi Hyang-mi.

6. Every person is a universe in their own might.

Each character's narrative in the drama made me realize how each of us are a whole, separate world on our own. Our ideas, our beliefs, our daily lives are individual universes colliding with one another for brief moments in eternity.

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Credits: Images 4 & 15: dramabeans | Image 5: kdramaclicks | Image 14: coffeecaramello.wordpress.com | Netflix | Doodle App

if tumblr was person I’d hug the shit out of them. ❤