A to Z Challenge 2024 – Theme Reveal

Like the past years, I am excited for the April’s A to Z Challenge. This is my EIGHTH year of attempting this challenge and here is the timeline of themes:

2017: An idiom for an alphabet and 8 line poem to it.

2018: Emotions and expressions for life and 8 line poem to it.

2019: Words and phrases from foreign languages and 8 line poem to it.

2020: Metaphors from movies, idioms, celebrities, paintings, songs, etc and 8 line poem to it.

2021: Around the World and 8 line poem for it.

2022: Wordy Wonders and 8 line poem for it.

2023: A to Z legendary creatures from cultures and folklore and 8 line poem for it.

Here is the theme for 2024:

This year I am doing 26 moments. I am sure there are A to Z things that one has to stop for, wait, experience, appreciate and then feel it all. Give a thought. Give a space. Involve. I plan to bring such moments from diverse spaces, across and around – excited. And of course, there will be a eight line poem everyday as a closing thought.

I will also be doing one on Instagram with the theme ‘Scraps‘ (prakash.hegade) with short snippets.

Will you be doing the A to Z Challenge this year?

Hello February 2024

I had every plans to make this post on 31st of January but here I am on the ninth day. Lazy? maybe. Maybe not. But I want a to-do list for the rest of the month. I have been wondering for a theme to select and I am in bits and pieces. Apart from closing an academic semester, the month so far has been handling bits and pieces of work and a few health concerns.

Theme: Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys

Yes, I want to handle my won circus and my own monkeys. Here is a list.

1. Reading: Complete 4 novels, 10 research papers

2. Writing: 10 blog posts, 10 instagram poems, 1 novella completed and published

3. Workshops: host 2 short workshops

4. Research writing: Organization of thesis chapters and first version of all chapters (200 pages)

5. Academic Writing: 3 camera ready papers, 2 paper drafts, 1 book chapter, 1 business/marketing paper submission, 1 concept paper, 5 reviews

6. Personal: Travel (short trip), eat a lot, exercise less, finish 3 series and take care of health

7. Collaboration: reach out at least 6 people for collaboration work

December Desk

With around 10 days left for the year closure, the over-burdened me wants to use the remaining days to sum up what went right and what did not. I expect to write more posts in remaining days. My monthly theme did do wonders. Absolutely loved it and I would want to continue for my next year too. Maybe on a larger scale and themes. I am surprised on how every year is turning out to be the best year ever! I thought 2022 was splendid but 2023 has surpassed every standards. Best. Year. Ever.

Over time, I have become fearless, careless and less on everything that needs to be so. And because of this, there has been “more” on everything else that needs to be more. I have stopped worrying for useless things, oh, I guess I did that long ago but more things have now moved to the category of useless. I continue to smile and don’t give a rats ass. If there is anything that I would highlight and say, I have found places and people who celebrate love and have stayed and will stay there.

There is so much of everything around us that makes sense, once we starting seeing it. Living through tiredness and making best of every moment has been my 2023. I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by people I love and care. I would continue to love no matter what. There no better day than today and every today is today-beautiful.

My theme for December is definitely “Bold and Brave”. I have been meaning to take some decisions. Convey it to people. I want to express outright what is and what will be. I am sure this month is going to have all the mixed emotions. Amongst the piles and bundles of work I have, in the chaos, I will find peace.

More, soon.

P.S. My November write and right was pretty successful.

2023 November Much

I have been doing monthly resolutions all through this year of 2023 and being in the mid of November already, here is my theme for next fortnight:

“Write and Right”

November is for NaNoWriMo and this is my seventh year as ML for the ASIA :: India. I love being part of this community and helping others to achieve 50K word count while I do one for myself as well. This year I have been lagging (lagging by around 11k words from daily goal). I need to cover up in the next 15 days. I am sure I can and I will.

This year I have been writing about problems. It involves a lot of research and is kind of testing my patience. I need to do lots of reading to write. But hey, what’s satisfaction without all the efforts!? So, all through this month, I will write. Write for NaNoWriMo and as well for everything that needs writing.

October and Sky of 2023

I have been doing monthly resolutions this whole year and I am up for new experiences. This has been a year of travel. Now that my workload has caught me and schedule got insane, I guess I have got the perfect theme for this month.

I have always been a people person. Or at least I think so. Have always prioritized the help one needed or meeting people a high priority than my personal or professional works. I have stopped reading a novel because a friend texted. Most of my works have been delayed because the time went by in helping or being with others. For the month that is remaining, I want to be MEAN. My theme for this month is ‘Being Mean‘. I want to do my works first and give them a high priority. This could be an experiment. I will revert back if it gets a disaster anytime between. But I believe its time to try being mean. I also know this is not actually a mean ‘mean’ or may be not even a mean.

Here is my list of works I want to get done being mean (with a super hectic professional schedule):

1. Host two workshops
2. Complete the research comprehensive document
3. Take a solo trip
4. Read three novels
5. Drastically reduce the screen time
6. Prepare for NaNoWriMo

I am already loving the vibes. 😛

September Wraps

After a long month of August, I had decided to take a quick break before I do my September goals. Here we are, 11 days passing by at a flash speed. Yesterday, I had two questions. Where did the 11 days ago? Also, as my son completed his 8, I had to ask again, how did the 8 years go!!??

My theme for this month is “Wrap It“. There are many things that I had started this year which all needs a wrap and I plan to use the remaining days to complete them. Here is a list:

ONE: Wrap up Research Papers (September has the deadline for all)
Submit 11 papers (6 were done last Sunday).

TWO: Wrap up reading two Novels
I am half way through both. I plan to complete both and finish at-least one more. (The Song of Ecstasy, The Vedas and Upanishads)

THREE: Wrap Up Comprehensive Document for PhD
I have around 50 more pages to go.

FOUR: Wrap up the Course Design
My course is completely revamped. New semester starts from Oct 3. Need to be ready with the new course content and design. Most of it is done. Need to give a final touch

FIVE: Wrap Up the Travel (that was planned)
I had made this travel plan with a friend. Our tickets are booked. Looking forward for those 5 days. I would love to be absconding from real world and be in my world of happiness.

SIX: Wrap up ebooks
I had started 2 ebooks and both are half way. This will be low priority work.

There are numerous other things that will be playing in the background. There are many birthdays of the people I love. There is my favourite festival. Well, September is going to be a complete package.

Love, August

Well, I was supposed to blog all through month and guess who did amazingly bad?

Here was my list:

1. Complete reading 4 novels – Almost in the verge of completing two

2. Write and publish 2 e-books – Could not

3. Read 2 new textbooks on research – Completed

4. Draft and work on 12 research papers – Work-in-progress

5. Design algorithms course using PBL – Worked on

6. Conduct 2 workshops – Conducted

7. Travel to 2 new places – With pleasure did

8. Watch 31 movies – Completed

9. Work on PhD research design and its components – Worked

10. List 100 modules of Knit – Could not

11. Make 20 blogposts – Made 2

12. Write 100 pages of thesis – Did write a 50

I am sure I will be back by or before September 10 with the goals for remaining days. For now, there is a lot to catch up on.

Layers of August 23

While I will be completing my three months internship today and heading back to hometown, from tomorrow, the first of August is a new start. New start in the same old place and back home. Trust me, so much can be done in three months and also, three months is not enough to do so many things. While a lot of commitments to meet people are still pending, I am left with no other options.

My theme for month of August is: (just being Italian) “Nuovi inizi”, meaning new starts. The idea is to see everything from a new lens. Pick every on-going aspect of life and give a new perception to it. Here are my goals as they align to the theme (will be):

1. Complete reading 4 novels

2. Write and publish 2 e-books

3. Read 2 new textbooks on research

4. Draft and work on 12 research papers

5. Design algorithms course using PBL

6. Conduct 2 workshops

7. Travel to 2 new places

8. Watch 31 movies

9. Work on PhD research design and its components

10. List 100 modules of Knit

11. Make 20 blogposts

12. Write 100 pages of thesis

Calling it Nine

Nine years is definitely something to be happy about. I promise, I will write more this August. See you all soon. Destined? that I logged in back on same day of anniversary?

A to Z 2023 – Reflections

What a month! Being the seventh year and with the theme legendary creatures from cultures and folklore and an eight line poem along, here I wrap my challenge successfully with a happy dance.

Every day was a learning exploring different country cultures and their legendary creatures. X was the toughest and had too many to pick from for the letter K. I cannot pick one favorite, for all those 26 were. Every day was a learning and I am happy that I did not miss a day!

My heart felt thanks to the blogging community for making this journey amazing. Special thanks to all those who read the posts and tagged along for the entire month. Hurray!