2023-09-10 20:33
Every few years, I go through a decluttering exercise to identify creative inspirations and things that keep me sane. I’ve realized how often this means films, books, and songs for me… Read More
Blog Directory > Life Blogs > My Life Blogs > Someplace Else - Personal | Culture | Travel | Blo my-life Blog >
Someplace Else - Personal | Culture | Travel | Blo Blog
upasnakakroo.co
Personal | Culture | Travel | Blog By Upasna Kakroo
2023-09-06 21:17
In case readers of this blog was wondering where I’m at, I wanted to hide behind a couple of books doing rounds in my head for the last several months. Published by Peerbagh, these boo… Read More
2023-04-06 22:14
For the last two decades, this blog has been my home. So many changes – personal and professional, and this remains the common thread. I did a few things recently which also made up fo… Read More
2022-05-14 20:51
I’ve read a couple more books from Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, and also know that she’s a prolific writer in that there are so many more to read. Each time I read her books, it r… Read More
2022-05-01 02:44
Began this post in March, almost two months ago. And I’m continuing now because, life. In March I traveled to India for a month to be with my parents who continue to battle with their… Read More
2022-03-01 03:57
Invariably on Herath — the festival celebrating Shiva’s grand wedding with Parvati, like a miraculous white Christmas, Pandits expected snow. During the Afghan rule in Kashmir, J… Read More
2022-02-15 04:42
What we call the beginning is often the end
And to make and end is to make a beginning.
The end is where we start from…
Every phrase and every sentence is an end and a beginning&hell&helli…Read More
2022-01-18 15:31
The pandemic has taken all my leftover extraversion out of me. My husband would tell you, I am not an extrovert, to begin with. This is perhaps true – I am a very talkative introvert a… Read More
2022-01-12 03:34
I’ve started this year with three hours in the ER waiting for COVID results (negative eventually, so far) and the diagnosis of an ear infection for my toddler. And although it’s… Read More
2021-11-01 03:14
Six years ago when we moved to the United States, I was finding my way through this country as a new immigrant fresh off the plane from India via Germany. On some days when I really struggle… Read More
2021-05-06 03:22
On May 5, 1930, in Mallikangan, Fateh Kadal, Srinagar, Tarawati Bakshi (Razdan) gave birth to her only girl, Gowri Shouri. This little girl’s father, Dayaram Bakshi was posted in Gilgi… Read More
2021-05-05 02:31
There’s no silver lining to the pandemic. I am unable to find a great story to share at a time when I am struggling to process that one person is dying in India every 4 to 5 minutes. L… Read More
2021-03-27 02:22
From the beginning of March, my baby has gone back to daycare after a year. It’s so hard to write that actually – a whole year. I feel intense guilt and no matter how chirpy I so… Read More
2021-03-01 02:15
Alka Joshi is a debut novelist at 62. Women at any age are often made invisible, but brown women in their 60s are particularly not in the forefront of a literary revolution – although… Read More
2021-02-16 01:51
13/50: Everything That I Never Told You (Celeste Ng)
As a new parent struggling in the middle of a pandemic, this was a tough book to read. Apparently, Celeste Ng wrote it four times before… Read More
2021-01-25 02:54
This whole past year, at work, we’ve immersed ourselves in learning about race, diversity, equity, justice, and inclusion. For a while now, I’ve exclusively read books from peopl… Read More
2021-01-14 02:36
I’m exhausted by the memes of 2021 is the evil twin of 2020. The year began with no promise of finding a nanny for my child, the continuation of a two-full time jobs life. And politica… Read More
2021-01-03 19:33
Last year, I mainly heard audiobooks with a few paper books in between. Since it’s 2021 already, I thought of finishing up my 2020 list here on the blog. I’m feeling good about a… Read More
2021-01-03 03:28
I’ve written about rituals before. But I was reading the latest issue of Girls Night In when I chanced upon the book, Power of Ritual from Casper Kuile. I already have my January books… Read More
2020-12-20 21:50
Few things have gone as per plan this year. And yet, it feels like the foreshadowing of the future. Our vanity in thinking that we can control anything in the world or our lives seems to be… Read More
2020-12-07 04:01
I have been writing for over 17 years, on this blog alone. There’s been ups and downs, lots of writing, and a sparse phase. But there’s never been a year since 2003, that I didn… Read More
2020-12-02 03:38
Fatima Bhutto is as old as me. And as a writer she is asking questions that matter. I don’t care if her book isn’t perfect yet. She makes me look deep within and examine my own s… Read More
2020-11-10 14:45
Truth be told, I finished this book a while ago but was officially walloped with a burn (a real one in the kitchen), and by the recent legal US elections. Now with the weekend behind us, the… Read More
2020-10-29 02:58
I recently saw the Late Night by Mindy Kaling and that opened up the door to her mini Amazon stories that I’ve been hearing through the last couple of weeks. Nothing like I imagined so… Read More
2020-10-13 14:56
Social climbers are not boils on the butt of our civilization. Well, I guess it depends on how the term really gets defined. But in a class and privilege based society (i.e. every place I kn… Read More
2020-10-05 01:33
Just like the one I read before, Uzma Jalaluddin’s book also starts with the immigrant monkey-circle around arranged marriage. But, the difference is, she does it in a charming, humor… Read More
2020-09-30 02:49
After reading a couple of serious books in the last few books including Arundhati Roy’s latest one, and Ibram Kendi, I was desperate to get a lighter break. I randomly chanced upon a q… Read More
2020-09-25 21:37
Thanks to everyone who recommended Arundhati Roy’s latest book to me. I have a zero-tolerance policy toward her non-fiction and political view-points. I don’t disagree with all o… Read More
2020-09-14 03:20
I began this week with a mad rush of amazing recommendations of authors new and old that I am eager to start reading. Allowing myself a constraint of the South Asian / Indian experience is t… Read More
2020-09-09 03:11
Slowly, but surely, the Saree project has found its 52 drapes (well within a year that I set myself as a deadline), and was even featured on my favorite Cup of Jo. It was an incredible momen… Read More
2020-09-09 03:11
Slowly, but surely, the Saree project has found its 52 drapes (well within a year that I set myself as a deadline), and was even featured on my favorite Cup of Jo. It was an incredible momen… Read More
2020-09-03 15:00
Shared learning and new experiences add up to give us a lot more creative power to express. COVID has stymied new physical experiences, and that’s an ambiguous loss for most of us. Wit… Read More
2020-08-24 03:37
Anyone who writes also ends up having a stack of drafts. As I have been reclaiming my blog, and feverishly noting down any inspiring thoughts, I found a draft from November 11, 2017. It was… Read More
2020-08-16 21:18
what does capitalization achieve? in the honor of mental-health and in remembrance of kate spade, i want to not use any capitals in this post, like the kate spade brand. five years ago, we m… Read More
2020-04-07 01:46
At the time I began the Saree project, I didn’t know the world was coming to a collective halt. There was no mass news alert in November that could have warned us all of a new calamity… Read More
2020-01-20 01:53
There’s many different ways of wearing this drape. But at the rate that Sarees can be draped like dresses and skirts, sometimes I feel I should never get any of those again. The Saree… Read More
2020-01-13 14:31
My very kind and thoughtful sister-in-law has fueled my already insatiable desire for Saree wearing. She recently gifted me a Khun Saree from Sayali Rajadhyaksha’s curated collection… Read More
2020-01-06 22:39
Baby was invited to his first playdate with the neighbor’s baby. I am not yet sure they did anything expect smile randomly and continue on with tummy time. But it was an opportunity fo… Read More
2020-01-03 18:47
I’ve been sticking to the promise of wearing Sarees. But I took a break in between- in getting all the images. Hopefully 2020 will keep up the inspiration without starts and stops on t… Read More
2019-11-18 02:10
This week’s inspiration comes from Goa. I need to go to Goa with Ipshita and Mark, to repeat our Bombay adventures. I don’t know where all these eleven years have gone. Maybe it… Read More
2019-11-11 03:37
This week’s inspiration came all the way from Kerala, which is interesting especially because the Michigan winters have started so soon, and with 75 degrees and sunny, Kerala appears s… Read More
2019-11-11 03:01
I began the project in October, and here’s a single page for tracking all the designs for the upcoming 52 weeks.
In the meantime, here’s week 2.
View this post on Instag… Read More
2019-11-11 03:00
I don’t know what to do with all these Sarees that I have locked up in the basement here in Plymouth and at home, in India. In the spirit of minimalism, I needed to wear them, or… Read More
2019-11-04 03:28
I don’t know what to do with all these Sarees that I have locked up in the basement here in Plymouth and at home, in India. In the spirit of minimalism, I needed to wear them, or donat… Read More
2019-11-01 15:08
By the time I read this again, it’s possible that Twitter may die and all that may remain is my blog- as long as I’m paying BlueHost. For that reason alone, I wanted to save this… Read More
2019-09-18 17:21
Contrary to what this blog and my social media presence may lead one to believe, I’ve had an intensely private year. I didn’t know I was going to be writing our birth story this… Read More
2019-06-03 01:01
If you’re anything like me, you love Debbie Millman, not just for her voice- that feels like an audio hug, but the insights she’s able to draw out from her guests. More so, when… Read More
2018-12-31 15:53
This neglected blog has reached me several times over in 2018 begging for a line or two, mainly for my own therapy. I have had a year seeped in a cycle of consumption and contempl… Read More
2018-08-16 14:00
This is my favorite topic these days. The good news about being a well traveled person is that you’ve traveled far and wide. The bad news is the unless your friends travel in the same… Read More
2018-07-15 23:43
In my movie going years as a grown up, I remember Dev D as being the landmark change on a mass level. Before that there were several one off attempts in the mid 2000s that I saw in half empt… Read More
2018-05-30 14:00
Although, the memorial day weekend is the unofficial start of summer, we really are still in spring (even at 80 degrees). I’m still on track to do 50 books a year (tadaa!) and I am so… Read More
2018-04-29 14:00
For the last many years of adulting, I feel life’s driving me as it pleases. Like a dog forcing you into the forest in all its excitement, it’s made me question: are you wal… Read More
2018-04-18 01:58
Long work commutes mean that I’m often listening to a lot of radio and podcasts. I did a small list last year and have an update with my new favorites so far. Some of these podcasts ar… Read More
2018-03-22 18:37
I‘ve done well if I reach home within forty-five minutes. A long commute like this means that I have infinite time to kill on my long drive. Often, this means, I am listening to radio… Read More
2018-03-18 14:20
Grateful to have been interviewed by Andrea Catherine, the host of the Fearless Self-Love Podcast. You can listen to the episode on iTunes or the link below. I’ve copied the show… Read More
2018-03-12 01:39
It used to be a running joke many moons ago when I was a young employee right out of school that if you had a female boss, you were ruined. This was supposed to be especially true for women… Read More
2018-02-17 15:00
If you know me even a little bit, you’ll know that 2017 was an unusually hard year for me, in any way that you look at it. Therefore, even one small calendar that I made a couple weeks… Read More
2018-02-05 15:00
Iam so over-planned for the week, that I am eager for Sunday to come by to plan more. The magic of a Sunday evening plan is slowly unraveling itself as I start Feb with its lovely intention… Read More
2018-01-29 02:00
Although late, we’re still in January and my 2018 Intentional Living Calendar is now up and running. Let me know if you like it and feel free to order as many as you wish. I had a fun… Read More
2018-01-22 02:50
January is coming to an end already and I can’t understand where time is disappearing. For a long time, like I shared in my last post, I’ve been looking for an intentional living… Read More
2018-01-19 01:27
I‘m late to the party and also just late in general. It feels like each month, I need to set aside time for reflecting on my intentions and how far along I can go with them. Here&rsquo&hell…Read More
2017-12-22 07:51
It’s now been 5 years since I left Delhi for multiple cities and paths that were far from easy. I’ve not been in denial before, but this time the systemic and casual sexism is ma… Read More
2017-12-03 21:01
I‘m obsessively reading Godin’s magnum opus. It’s impossible to spend time on anything else when you’re reading an 800 page, over-sized page turner. It’s a… Read More
2017-10-29 14:00
It’s been ages since I wrote anything at all. Admittedly life and a full moon rising took over. I’m not watching any significant full moons, but that’s just code for shit h… Read More
2017-09-23 21:12
The consequences of moving around consistently can be telling. Like an overworked pasta machine tuned to number 6, they stretch most close friendships. No matter how much you may feel you tr… Read More
2017-09-17 02:26
CNN recently published its list of the least stressful cities in the world. None of those movements were without stress, but I have been privileged to live in a few on the list. Smart econom… Read More
2017-09-07 23:08
It’s 6 o’clock in the morning. Instead of a consistent, numbing headache that comes from mild 80 degree heat, I feel a crisp whiff of air. As sunlight falls on trees, the leaves… Read More
2017-08-21 00:41
If you’re following me on Instagram, then you probably know about my recent cactus and green fever. As a young kid, garden mud was my absolute favorite thing. Let me assert this upfron… Read More
2017-08-05 14:05
Recently a few people asked me recommendations for Podcasts. I have to admit, I am a new Podcast listener. From the time I began listening to Gimlet a few years ago, I got addicted. I almost… Read More
2017-08-01 03:00
When I first came to the US, my observations were reactionary. I compared everything to what I had left behind in Germany. I’ve had the opportunity and privilege to travel and live in… Read More
2017-07-25 22:12
At my first Creative mornings session in Detroit, the presenter Brandon Christopher said something that has stayed with me. Equality is not a tangible thing. If you think you’ve arrive… Read More
2017-07-21 22:00
Home alone with the husband frolicking in China meant that I’ve had some me-time to catch up on some lovely media. Some of this is older programming that I only got to now, so use the… Read More
2017-07-16 11:35
No matter which continent you are in, as a woman, things are decidedly different. A small peak in the lives of talented women brings it all to the fore. Men are held accountable to different… Read More
2017-06-30 14:00
A month or so before I got married, I began a 30 day journaling project. As with most writing, it allowed me to breathe out the stress. Expressing my defiance of preset notion… Read More
2017-06-30 14:00
Bicycle Thief
The post Current Love: Aziz Ansari’s Master of None appeared first on Someplace Else Read More
2017-06-18 13:51
I‘ve been asked feminism many times before. And I feel the need to talk about it. It’s taken me a long time to use the label and call myself a feminist. The label itself com… Read More
2017-06-15 14:00
I have such hopes for my summer reading. And after a sluggish start earlier this year, I am thrilled to announce, I feel back on track. Largely reading graphic books for my soul, I’m b… Read More
2017-06-10 14:00
I‘m reading Julia Cameron’s magnum opus where she’s talked about a couple of tools on how to share your creativity. It re-addresses a very old argument: are artis… Read More
2017-06-06 14:00
Sometimes I find myself snooping through other people’s online profiles that scare me. It’s hard to keep away comparisons. It may sound petty- I don’t care about how other… Read More
2017-06-02 01:04
Many adults on my social media timelines seem horrified that the United States today pulled out of the Paris agreement on climate change. China and United States report the hi… Read More
2017-05-27 14:00
The first time I went to Sitges, I ate an unseasonal chicken-mango salad, in spring. I met a Mexican girl who shared the meal with me because we were the only two non-Catalan speakers i… Read More
2017-05-24 14:00
Life sometimes meets us in a full circle. I remember going to Stockholm many years ago and calling up the hotel, late into the night, asking them where the water bottles were at. They quietl… Read More
2017-05-21 20:00
When I started traveling outside of India for the first time, I was amazed that how similar cities looked. The same brands were spread out in each city and people wore the same clothes… Read More
2017-05-17 14:00
I read this Leslie Price piece today. And thought about the movements I’ve made in search of homes, schools and work. Now it’s just nice to recollect where I’ve b… Read More
2017-05-13 04:46
At my fitness center, the instructor recently showed us the Elephant step. It’s supposed to mimic the movements of cute little baby elephants running from pillar to post trying to… Read More
2017-05-01 01:42
We had friends over last night and began talking about our adult to-do lists, from laundry to groceries to mowing the lawn. It didn’t take much to conclude that this is what adult… Read More
2017-04-23 23:36
Most recently my mother introduced me to the phenomena of damn care. We all agree that she should have learned this 30 years ago. Damn care as self-care is neither novel, nor a new… Read More
2017-04-18 02:04
My dream is to walk around the world. A smallish backpack, all essentials neatly in place. A camera. A notebook. A traveling paint set. A hat. Good shoes. A nice pleated (green?) skirt for… Read More
2017-04-15 02:54
The Italian feminist grassroots movement, Se Non Ora Quando makes a powerful personal statement. If not now, when? What’s your threshold to make a difference, take a stand and change?… Read More
2017-04-08 14:00
In a train journey many moons ago from Ahmedabad to Delhi, we had a very uniquely superficial conversation. We talked about creating joy. My colleagues who were traveling with me were o… Read More
2017-03-18 20:36
Generally, I’ve liked Gimlet shows. If you go through my list of favorites something related to these podcasts always finds space. Recently, as my driving has improved, I’ve… Read More
2017-03-12 14:06
I work with a black diary and several other open diaries. In my effort to declutter my life, I have been trying to finish one before I start another. I’m also struggling to keep on goi… Read More
2017-03-06 01:18
I have been documenting the books I read since last year, and look forward to these small notes. It’s a good year end look back on ideas that influence me. I feel empowered when I am d… Read More
2017-02-26 06:50
Thirty-five year old British-Iranian Yasmin Green, a mother of a two year old Zeba, works at Google’s think-tank Jigsaw. She’s the head of research trying to solve issues like in… Read More
2017-02-12 23:26
I‘m a lover of language. There have been many that seem to have come and gone through my life, but there’s only one that I carry an intuitive connection with. I don’t reall… Read More
2017-02-04 01:00
Our fight for optimism is the very thing that makes us human, especially in the current times. “How do you feel today?” can go down differently depending on how many si… Read More
2017-01-26 01:56
My memory of how I made friends with Aaliya at four fails me. All I remember is this feeling that I liked her as my friend. We never really got a proper goodbye. That feeling… Read More
2017-01-19 03:10
It’s naturally very seasonal to talk about the upcoming women’s march in Washington and all the good noise around it. The greatest thing about America is that it forces you to ta… Read More
2017-01-08 00:44
Winters are harsh in this country. I don’t know if I can find magic in the winter. I try. Listening to her snow stories, I wished I was born in Gilgit like my grandmother. I was s… Read More
2017-01-01 01:45
As a kid I enjoyed playing with pillows to create my own house. My favorite memories of a space I yearned for was my cousin’s small nook in a large family house. Growing up in a p… Read More
Subscribe to Someplace Else - Personal | Culture | Travel | Blo
Get updates delivered right to your inbox!