the epic solo rajasthan road trip: because travel heals pain

Posted on November 30, 2021 by Rama Arya

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[Updated on 30 November 2021]

My mother passed away on 19 July this year from old age. She was 84. It is now almost four months since she’s been gone, yet the pain is still raw. She went too fast. I knew she was going to go to the other side one day. One day. Just that one day was some distant occurrence which I naively believed was not going to happen in my lifetime. We all believe our parents will live forever.

If you are a follower of my blog, you would have noticed the change in the title. I have added ‘Toshi’ as my middle name. Toshi was my mother’s maiden pet name. By adding it to my online spaces it keeps her alive for me.

We were chalk and cheese. Fought and hugged. She was the most loving human being I had ever come across. And through all of life’s trials and tribulations, she was my constant best friend.

More than anyone else, she also knew my need to travel. To wander. To explore. She understood travel was my one source of inspiration, as well as escape. A source of pragmatic knowledge and elusive wisdom.

It is no surprise then that as I struggled, and still struggle, to cope with my loss, my sister, as if in serendipity, suggested I turn to travel. Continue reading →

to blog or not to blog?

Posted on June 30, 2017 by Rama Arya

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When people tell me they want to become a blogger my first response is “how committed are you?” Blogging is not a one-night-stand. How one wishes it was! It is a commitment you make to blog a post, an intelligible post that adds value to your readers’ lives, week in and week out. There is no finish line. To worsen it, you are only as successful a blogger as your last post, where the last post is a recent post.

Think your tryst with blogging can stand the test of time? If yes, hey, congratulations. It is one of the most satisfying forms of self-expression replete with engagement and making the world a better place. It allows you to grow as a person and continuously learn and share. If not, steer clear. For it can also be gruelling and mechanical, requiring oodles of self-discipline. Make your choice. And then stick to it coz there is no fence to sit on here. ❤

What do you feel about blogging and commitment? Would love to hear them.

[Note: This post was published earlier in the week in my communication blog on tumblr]

about me: in a bit more detail

Posted on January 7, 2017 by Rama Arya

Compliments of the New Year! 🙂

It is already the 7th of January, and it seems just yesterday that I was contemplating the closure of yet another year and what all it had meant for me even as it paved the way for a sequel. There was a sense of déjà vu in the air.

Except for one thing—a chunk of my holidays was taken up in finalizing my personal site. Tweaking it and polishing it to ensure it was perfect, for me at least. You could call the site my fancy online business card, for a better word. But why a personal site, you may ask? Is a blog not enough? Continue reading →

global travel shot: my best friend sends her season’s greetings

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Rama Arya

Did you have a good year? Was it placid and calm or one roller coaster ride? No matter which, it helps to have a friend to talk to. One you can unburden yourself to, without the “I told you so” or a bunch of preaching.

The lady above has been my closest friend since I moved to Mumbai. I have gone to her with tears rolling down my eyes, bursting at the seams with anger, and starry eyed, in love with every colour and nuance of life. I have had conversations with her where I have poured my heart out or just sat in stony silence, confused to the core with life’s mysterious incongruous ways. And at the end, before I left, I’ve looked at her face, and whispered “Thank you.” Thank you for listening and giving me whatever she felt was best for me.

To a non-believer she is merely a wooden statue of Mother Mary in The Basilica of Our Lady of The Mount, brought all the way from Portugal to Bombay in the 16th Century. To a believer she has miraculous healing powers. Continue reading →

when a blog comes of age

Posted on August 7, 2016 by Rama Arya

Those of you following my blog from before the 24th of July, 2016 may have noticed its new URL. It was changed from returnoftheprodigal.wordpress.com to ramaarya.wordpress.com on the 25th. Why? Because the blog had grown beyond being about just one chapter of my life. 🙂 Continue reading →

why communication training for communicators?

Posted on March 20, 2016 by Rama Arya

[My below post, posted under “personal musings” in this blog, first appeared as an Opinion Piece in Reputation Today, India’s first magazine for Public Relations and Communication professionals, on 20 February, 2016. The original article can be read here]

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Why Communication Training for Communicators?
So we can practice what we preach.

Oh, those endless press releases, speaking to journalists, coordinating events, generating online and print content, making sure the buzz is alive and kicking. As a communicator, much of our day is taken up communicating on behalf of our client or the company we work for.

The ultimate goal is that it is in the news for all the right reasons—seen, heard, respected and trusted. This is what ensures that positive appraisal come year-end, our aspired raise and reasons galore to preen.

Alas, life ain’t that simple. How often despite all our [best] endeavours, things go wrong, falling off the mark. That misunderstanding over a mail, the wasted hours barking up the wrong tree or should I say media house, or using tools and story hooks which our target audience just don’t connect with.

Every day, not in this case a good way, teaches us a lesson or two in communication. Why? Because we don’t practice, what we preach. Continue reading →

so tell me, savita nair, what is ‘your real story’

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Rama Arya

The written word can be a tantalizing, sacred concoction—a well-crafted, authentic collection of characters that throws insights into our world and sounds like music to our hearts. If one but knows, how to.

I chanced upon Savita Nair’s writings whilst surfing. It was just another day. I read one poem, and then another from her book 45ml. And I was hooked. I felt she was writing about me, unbarred, and bare. Somewhere along the way, we became fb friends. When I heard her second book Tell Me Your Real Story was just off the press I ran for the launch as expected. I was curious to know what made her tick. What made her read into everyone’s dark ugly closets and know exactly what we were all about. Was she some kind of psychic able to see through us plebs, stripping us of our masks!?

It was a lovely event. Some poetry reading, wine, a couple of celebrities to do the honours, and a vibrant Q&A. But no one asked her what was her real story. Why is the obvious so elusive at times.

So tell me, Savita Nair, what is your real story. The answers met me over a coffee one evening, earlier this week in Mahim. Continue reading →