Write & Watch

Salesh Dipak Fernando

Tag: PROJECT 365 Page 1 of 2

THE SPARK

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On December 29, 2014

In REFLECTIONS

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I have been blogging for around 3 years now.  But for the first couple of years a question constantly plagued my mind. How do I find my audience? How do I make sure my writing reaches the right people?. Despite blogging on a fairly consistent basis the answer eluded me.

Then came the pearls of wisdom from my cousin. “Associate yourself with the right people. Open up. Be more accessible. It is not enough if you just keep writing. Find people who will be able to appreciate the effort that you put in. I agree you have your limitations but the writing community is built around wonderful souls who will be able to look beyond your weakness. They will accept you for what you are”.

Sakshi happened and then Project 365. A wonderful team of writers. I think more than helping me find my audience they have helped me re-define myself and given me a new identity. 

A big fat thank you to the entire team for the acceptance and the love. I always believe every end point leads to a new beginning. Even though the Project 365 comes to an end our bond still remains as strong as ever.

Best of luck to all my lovely team members for the journey ahead.

 This post was written for Project 365 program at We Post Daily.

 

 

 

 

 

 

250TH POST – 3 WONDERFUL YEARS AND COUNTING

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On December 23, 2014

In REFLECTIONS

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What a journey it has been! There was no sense of direction or purpose when I first started blogging. It was a random start, an escape route to get away from the chaos that surrounded my life.  

My life has always been surrounded by people who constantly remind me of my uniqueness. Perhaps it was time to make a start. My English was always top notch right from the time I used to steal full marks for a single page essay. But there was a minor glitch – My right hand doesn’t co-operate. All I had was a single finger on my left hand to type. It was gonna to be painful but I was ready to give it a shot.

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Blogging has in more ways than one helped me re-define myself. It has helped me be part of a dynamic team and given me access to wonderful souls who have stood by me through thick and thin. Three years ago I was an unknown. Now I have my own little space in this awesome world of writing.

The next time somebody laughs at your dreams. Just smile and work towards making the dream a reality.  Be happy that people ridicule you. It is a sign that you have grown beyond their rigid space. It’s time to soar and fly high.

A big fat thank you to all those who regularly sneak into my space to read my SCRIBBLINGS. I am nothing without your constant support. Together we can all make a difference.

Let the joy of Christmas fill your homes and bring you abundant happiness. Let the New Year heal the scars of the year gone by and bring in a new day. Wishing all my near and dear ones a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR.

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LET'S RE-INVENT AND REDISCOVER

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On December 13, 2014

In REFLECTIONS

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Is it irony or foolishness or both?  We polish off our greatest wealth and look for alternatives to save our planet. Somehow the whole thing reminds me of a leech. Suck out all the natural resource without realizing the consequences.  It’s about time we gave Mother Nature her due.

It’s time to re-invent and re-discover ourselves. Don’t get me wrong.  Development is a good thing for it leads to a better standard of living. What irks me is the fact that there is no giving back. Thus far it’s a one way travel with mother nature’s benevolence surrounding us at every point in our life in various forms and all we have to show for ourselves is our lasting greed for all that is material.

It’s time to celebrate nature before it fades into oblivion. Time for the three R principle Re-cycle, Re-plant and Re-live. It’s time to give back to nature what is rightfully hers.

his post was written for Project 365 program at We Post Daily.

 

 

 

 

FOOTPRINTS – THE MOVIE

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On August 28, 2014

In MOVIES

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This one was too juicy to pass. Having been a film buff since age 4 this was one post I very much looking forward to. What would happen Hollywood studios line up to make a movie based on my life. The very thought gives me shivers.

Let’s get to the casting. Who would be the perfect fit to play my role? Though my heart would root for Christian Bale or Leo Dicaprio the logical choice would be Tom Hanks – the unique walk, the specs, the transformation from an unknown to a bestselling author.

The leading lady – An interesting toss up between Jodie Foster or Sandra Bullock. I guess Jodie wins the vote for the vulnerability she brings into her roles.

Meryl Streep is the default choice to play Mom. The grit, the determination, those steely eyes and she’s a master of accents which is an added bonus. The great Clint Eastwood gets to play the hero’s dad the joy of seeing Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep together on screen again just pure bliss.

Oh wait Leonardo Di Caprio might sneak in as the handsome, dashing younger brother of the hero. The brother’s girlfriend – Jennifer Lawrence.

My wishlist is complete – As to the question why I chose Hollywood – My story is universal besides it’s good to give shape to your fantasies every once in a while.

This post was written for Project 365 program at We Post Daily. A movie based on my life and it’s casting

 

 

SUCCESS ?

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On August 25, 2014

In REFLECTIONS

 

 

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When the prompt came up the one question that was constantly on my mind was how do I define success from a personal perspective. Has blogging made me redefine myself and has it fulfilled it’s purpose yet. The answer is a definite yes.

The thought of monetizing my work hasn’t crossed my mind neither do I get a thousand hits a day. I had to wait for three years to find who my audience. A reader put it this way Successful bloggers have a niche but you have everybody which is a blessing. There isn’t a single soul wouldn’t be touched by your words. God has given you the power to inspire lives don’t ever throw it away.”

I have never believed in numbers for more often than not they hide the real picture and give a false impression. For me the effort I put in day in and day out is all that matters and how it has helped me rediscover myself. If success is only about numbers then it’s a stern no from my side to me success is making a difference in the lives of your readers.

I may not be a famous celebrity who flaunts the numbers but I am an awesome person

 

THE OTHER SIDE

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On August 22, 2014

In REFLECTIONS

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There’s something which has been bothering my mind ever since GAZA happened.  Why do we remain mute spectators when atrocities like this happen? Gaza was not the first and trust me it won’t be the last. More often than not we talk about a burning issue for a few days and let it die a slow and painful death.

A few months back the Tamil Fishermen issue was all over the social media. I remember a colleague asking me why it was making headlines all of a sudden and to be frank I had no answers. As someone who had seen the issue from up-close the ignorance haunted me. Innocent women raped, many killed and still no amicable solution.

Is it too much asking people around us to empathize and make a difference? There’s no greater resource than humans and I still believe something could be done

What if we could all come together ignoring our cast, creed and national differences. It is only when there is harmony across the human race will the world be a better place to live in until then all the efforts for WORLD PEACE will remain just a myth.

PS: Our leaders don’t rule us there are just mere representatives.

This post was written for Project 365 program at We Post Daily. The prompt given to me was Viral – What will your post be if New York Times was to highlight your blog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROCRASTINATION

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On August 18, 2014

In REFLECTIONS

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This one had me giggling. The team actually wanted Mr Procrastinator to write about procrastination.  Let me begin with a tiny story to justify why I keep delaying things. I was born premature.  I was in such a hurry to see this world that I opened my eyes a little early.  Ten months in the holy place was too much for me. Seven months was more than enough.

I guess me breaking the rules this early made the almighty so angry that he decided to delay things for the rest of my life. I joined kindergarten when most kids would have finished their KG’s and joined first standard.  My friends warm up to me very late. You see I am not an instantly likeable personality so that friends’ part is granted. The worst – I still don’t even have a girl friend. Oh come on dear God this is not fair.

Fortunately I could see through God’s mischievous grin a little early so I decided if things are gonna to get delayed let me be the one to do it. So I come up with my own genius plan If your mind tells you to do something immediately put it off until you completely forget that it ever existed.  That’s how I became Mr Procrastinator.

The last thing I ever delayed – Oh that’s a toughie there are so many but I guess my autobiography would be the obvious choice. I have drafted only till Part 4.. The rest it’s all in the mind. No worries though for I will definitely hit the publish button before I get into short-term memory loss mode.

Why not procrastinate and schedule this post for the 19th.  Oh wait Sakshi might actually curse me and sugar coat it with her trademark flow of words.  Imagine Sid bombarding me with evil designs or bumping me off in one of his fictions.  Rekha’s dew drops might actually turn into tiny missiles and you can never trust the Iron man Jairam. He might just re-appear and force me into eternal exile.

Wait there’s my little team of guest authors too. They are actually a lot more dangerous than the team of avengers. Not sure what evil plan is running on their minds. I dare not risk it. Am I delaying the end? Oh no don’t bang your heads on the table.

THE END.

This post was written for Project 365 program at We Post Daily. The prompt given to me was procrastination – What was the last thing you delayed and why.

 

 

 

 

 

FREAKY FRIDAY

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On August 15, 2014

In MOVIES

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When I first saw the movie I was surprised to see how it mirrored my life.  Mom and me – Oh God we have never been on the same been on the same wavelength for decades maybe because of the fact that both of us are similar personalities.  Nope don’t get me wrong Mom’s just adorable but at times her firmness puts me off and that’s when the Tom and Jerry show begins at home.

Since the movie has already been made two times once with Jodie Foster and the remake with Lindsay Lohan let me keep it short and to the point. The first thing Mom does when she wakes up is PRAYER that’s easy, and then comes the dreadful part – the kitchen.  I don’t even know how to make a cup of coffee.  Cooking has never been my forte. The only thing I am good at is eating. For once Mom gets to doze off till 10 AM. Let her take rest for a day. Maybe I will manage the food part by ordering something from the hotel.

Mom’s so organized and tidy so I guess she will be ready even before the office cab arrives for pick up. The fun begins. You can’t mess with Mom can you?   Knowing Mom she will have fun dealing with corporate world.  For once the pressure will be on the other side while I gleefully visualize all this at home.

The milkman, the maid and the various bills Oh God how does she deal with all this. I thought I was the one handling pressure at work. This is even worse and trust me two hands aren’t enough. Mom you are a superwoman and a rockstar.

Poor Kid he goes through so much at work and doesn’t utter a word at home. I should loosen my grip a little. She runs back home and we both hug each other with tears in our eyes.

Every once in a while it’s important to walk in the other person’s shoes just to understand what he or she is going through. I call it a mind switch. Open your mind to the other person’s thought process it might just strengthen existing bonds and mend broken ones

 This post was written for Project 365 program at We Post Daily. The prompt given to me was FREAKY FRIDAY – What happens when you switch bodies with someone you love/ hate.

 

 

 

 

WHERE AM I?

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On August 5, 2014

In REFLECTIONS

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She was one of a kind.. I still remember those times when my gaze never left her. At times she reminded me of my mother. They were so many similarities. Oh wait am I wandering off the topic here. Does it seem like I am talking about the damsel in distress. Nope that’s how the seeds were sown through my then class teacher – VIMALA MISS.

She had the kind of aura that I have rarely seen in any of my mentors. Maybe it was childhood fascination or was it the joy of experiencing love and care beyond my family for the first time. But she left such an impression that I decided then and there that I would become a teacher someday. Students would all sit with their eyes fixed on me like we did in her class or so I thought until..

Oh yeah the flirting with ambitions doesn’t end there. The second part of story begins here when I suddenly developed an obsession towards my religion. It was me and the BIBLE all the time.  The Bible used to be my secret companion while my teacher was taking class. I was reading on the sly while chemistry was being taught in class. I will become a priest. Sadly even that obsession deserted me.

  I entered my teens. I guess you know what the hormones do. My world turned topsy turvy like it does for most of us. It’s the age when you drool over every girl in the campus. A priest seemed like a very bad idea. B.COM, MBA loads of money and my very own happily ever after and then it happened…

Dad passed away and my near perfect world came crashing. The funeral – A huge crowd – people whose lives Dad had touched.  There were praises galore.  Was it because Dad was a Finance Controller?  Nope it was because he was a warm hearted person who reached out to people in need despite the vast gulf in social status. My eyes opened and I saw something which gave me a sense of peace.

As we grow older our ambitions evolve but more often than not it’s how we evolve as a person that defines the very purpose of our existence. I am where I want to be despite my muddled choices. My profession fills my stomach while my passion (writing) fills my soul.

This post was written for Project 365 program at We Post Daily. The prompt given to me was Ballerina, Fireman, Austronaut, Movie Star – Evolution of my ambitions since age 10

 

 

 

 

 

A TALE OF TWO IDENTITIES

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On June 7, 2014

In REFLECTIONS

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What would happen if Clark Kent reveals his true identity to the entire world. It would be utter chaos right. Superman would lose his uniqueness. The mask of a reporter serves him well. It gives him the much-needed space to perform his duties with ease.

My avatar as a writer has a similar parallel. To me it’s not a question of data protection it’s a question of protecting my dual identities so that both my worlds don’t collide. In an ideal scenario my professional and personal world should co-exist but sadly that isn’t the case.

In my professional world I am the nerd. Someone whom people would rarely notice the specs, the walk much like the girl who carries the files in the movie “WHAT WOMEN WANT” but nobody can question my commitment towards my work.

The fun begins when my finger gets itchy. I suit up and transform into a different personality. It helps me explore darker themes without having to mask the fire which rages within. I reveal what I want my audience to see nothing more, nothing less. There’s a thin line between baring it all and utter stupidity fortunately I know my boundaries.

A revelation is like peeling an onion. You have to peel it layer by layer in the right way so that it suits your meal. Do it the wrong way and you might just end up hurting your fingers or eyes.

This post was written for Project 365 program at We Post Daily. 

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