Anish Nadh’s Blog

 I reached Kerala yesterday and it’s damn hot here. I think the heat and fresh air and fish are a good change for me. I’m also planning to help out with some gardening here get my body moving. Everyone noticed I lost weight and I have become a bit more fit. That makes me happy.

 I saw 5 movies on my way to Kerala. I didn’t know how time went so soon. Maybe the fastest way to your destiny is watching good movies where you don’t keep track of time and time passes. Why do we like stories? Why not just food and other things? Why stories? 

 I know I have changed, but more changes need to happen. I can see my body adapting through this change. I must start reading more, take notes, organize my time to squeeze in more time. Learn, teach what I learn. Getting the routines going like a ritual. Here comes another change! 

 I’ve been working the ground into small pits to plant Ginger and turmeric. I’m told that these plants do not need much sunlight and are pretty much resistant to all the pests! Also digging the ground gets me to sweat and drink more water! Here’s to Ginger and Turmeric. 

 Thanks to the roadwork going around we have all been inhaling dust. I’m afraid my lungs are filled with the dust on the air. Each breath I take I feel it in my chest. I plan to stay away from home for a couple of weeks and then come back and hope for roads here. 

I almost forgot to pray yesterday. Maybe because I’m feeling better. I didn’t have any pain. We tend to forget when we are comfortable and call for help only in need. Perhaps, God wants a break too from all of the mortals asking for a lot of things. I went on my knees and prayed before I hit the bed. 

It’s so hard to drive in the city. The traffic is quite stressful and overwhelming. I took the car to Mantri mall today. Bought a guitar stand and a bag for keyboard with my nephew Sebin. I think I drove well. I should improve my gear changing abilities. 

Can’t sleep  Not by choice,  A mosquito woke me up.  It buzzed around my right ear, Then settled on my left.  And again panned to my right.  My hands found the electric bat. It was all over with a zap I was proud,  I did it with the lights off, lying down.  Alas, Im awake again,  Not by choice, This time,  It’s the dogs outside. 

I noticed the ant colony growing in my garden and had to use the Hit spray on them. It was getting out of hand, we would lose all the fruits as the ant aphid combo was attacking the leaves and stem around the flowers. So I hit them with Hit. But my problems are far from gone. There’s just too many of them. 

 My backyard is shaping up real nice. Spending a few minutes digging around the trees are showing results. What’s saddening is the ants bringing in the aphids. They work symbiotically, in the end the plant is destroyed. I really don’t feel like using pesticides!  Anyway, it’s a privilege to work in the backyard!

I bought 3 bottles from decathlon and the challenge is to finish these before the day ends. Makes me pee a lot but gotta get used to it. My plants need water. So do I! Drink water. Hydrate. 

The surgery was successful, and we took her right on time according to doctors. She will have to be on soft foods for a couple of days and then it’s alright. The worrisome part is them  getting infected at the hospital with corona. Fingers crossed. 

Yesterday, my niece was complaining of stomach pain and I saw how she went from a very active kid to being reduced to curling up on bed. Usually she accompanies me to the backyard where we do some gardening, we thought she may be getting one of those asthma attacks. She had to be taken to the hospital as the abdominal pain got worse.  She was diagnosed with appendicitis, she will have a surgery today. Just praying for complete healing. 

There’s a lot more to learn and understand about music. I’m beginning to enjoy the headache that comes with it. It’s quite uncomfortable not knowing what you are playing especially  reading music which has crazy subdivisions of time. You need to be one with the music and be in the mental space of meditation to do this effectively. I’ve been enjoying this. I saved classical music for prison (meant as a joke, boy you should see people when I tell them this). No better prison to start this journey than the “lockdown”. I’ll find time. I just know it. 

Andy and I came in contact with someone with omicron on Saturday. Thank you Andy for calling me out of my safe space. I don’t have any symptoms yet, but taking precautions. Drinking water, eating well and saying prayers, coz we all want to live. Remember having a little fear will protect you. But just a little bit not too much fear. 

 The inflation rates are going up. I see things around me getting costly. Having a savings account is not helping anyone anymore. To build wealth, one needs to invest. Invest in knowledge, up skill. Invest in real estate. Spend money wisely and plan your expenses. Buy only when you need something so bad that your life won’t move without it. Don’t buy stuff to impress anyone. Learn to live with little. You don’t really need so much. 

Yesterday’s fasting was quite good. I didn’t feel too tired. I drank lots of water and kept my mind occupied with my music lessons. At around 4:00 pm the hunger hit me, and I went for an apple. That kept me going till 8:00 pm. I did not feel weak. I felt great. I need to drink a lot of water. 

Im planning to fast today until. 8:00 pm. No food, only water and fruit if needed absolutely. Im doing this for my body, a long rest for my digestive system.  Ps: this did not publish again. Written on 14 jan. 

Teaching helps to reenforce a learning material. One of my psychology professors made us take the class quite often. We had to research (google lol) and present it in class and people would ask questions and open conversation. One had to be truly prepared to tackle this situation. So teaching someone helped learn the subject effectively.  I had a problem reading music and memorizing the note positions, I blamed my dyslexic brain and did not do anything about it. I had to face this problem of mine. I started teaching kids as small as 6 years old to read. And within a year I was very fluent at it. I still struggle at reading difficult passages, so guess what I’m teaching difficult passages now to them.  Teach to learn better. 

 My grandfather was a gardener at the botany department in Kerala university. So, this rubbed off on to my mom who plants all sorts of flowering plants, vegetables and fruits. I love fruit bearing trees and plants. The past two weeks I had been active physically at the backyard, trying to get rid of ants some light tilling and watering the plants regularly. Happy. 

My grandpa, appachan as I fondly called him was a man of routine. I saw him wake up early in the morning and go to the field to do some small work, after breakfast, he planted bananas, pepper, ginger, turmeric under the coconut trees. He also kept cows and took them out to graze. He would come back at around noon and switch on the radio or watch some tv.  He spent most of his time reading the Bible. He was one person I could go to for protection from the older cousins, who chased me around. We lose people, we always do. I write this with a heavy heart. 

Your thoughts have the power to become actions. That’s how prayer works, I think. How you think and believe becomes you. Instead of remembering the past and the problems, you should think of the brighter future. Don’t look back. Today is a brand new day, I’m a new creation, 

 Having a little fear in you is going to protect you. The aim is to have a little fear. We are all vulnerable, now to the new virus variant. Having this fear is allowing us to take precautions and stay and move with caution, protect our loved ones. Hold on to the fear and be courageous to face that! 

 Are you not happy with your health, relationships, job, family or anything else? It’s time to act. Anticipate that change and act before it’s too late.  Change is inevitable, friends are going to get busy and may not want to hang out or you may not be priority,  and when you see these  signs, anticipate that change and act accordingly! 

 It surprises me how we always try to fix others instead of fixing ourselves. We have all the time and energy to help someone else yet we neglect our own tasks and routines. Maybe it gives us authority over society when we fix others outside our home while our homes sink. So start with yourself. Be responsible for yourself before you go out fixing others. 

 I met Ralston when I was playing with the band Ginny and the bottle. He is a fun guy to hang out with, he would talk about the most random topics and couldn’t hold conversations. What I learnt from him was about his passion for fitness. He wouldn’t miss anything in the world for his time at the gym. If he had problems, depression, he never stayed in. He went out and worked out. At that time I would stay in on bed feeling depressed and binge watch shows on Netflix. Seeing Ralston do this made me pick myself up.  Ralston also watched his diet always. He would only eat according to his caloric deficit or gains diet, depending on the plan he was on at that time. He sacrificed, most times gave up on snacking and sacrificed and said “no” tasty treats. He also quit the band later ti follow his passion, fitness and found  Ral fitness which is growing into a great company. These are just a few things I learnt from Ralston. He is such an inspiration. 

 When you have a problem, have the desire to find a solution, a solution will appear. Bitching about the problem and throwing a fuss will keep you in the problem. Just having the desire to the solve the problem will manifest a solution. 

The day I started doing push ups I found it really difficult. I was already having a tough time we body aches! I was desperate to get out of this feeling and I happened to watch a video of David Goggins. This made me realise the different excuses I made to stay comfortable which lead to problems with health. I’m at a much better place and what he said in the video sticks. If it kills me, so be it! 

 Sometimes a friend will promise a certain thing, simple as being in a place at a particular time. There may be reasons for them to not be there on time. But if it is a habitual late comer, you have to let them go and do their thing and you do your thing. Eventually the friendship will fade, and you will take a path of self dependence.  Valuable lesson learnt, be independent and stop counting on no shows. 

 Writers block? There’s a cure, just don’t care. I did not write these with the intention that anyone would read. So, I’m gonna keep it going! Yes! 

 We wish others what we want for ourselves. I have seen health and strength wished this new year by many. Pay attention to what you are wished this new year and you’ll know what the well wisher really lacks in their life, for you to make a difference to them. Be their strength be of any assistance. Be there for a happy 2022.