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Sandhya Acharya

My first Marathon – A tale of trots

The day before the race was about lists. Gu gels and salt packed in individual pouches, sugar tablets loaded, cap picked out, T-shirt selected. I went over my list of gear over and over again. I cut my toenails, readied my garbage bag, drained my legs. I felt prepared and pumped. I visualized myself at the finish line in glory, celebrating. I went to bed early. But, I could not sleep. I tossed and turned. Obsessing over details, I suddenly wanted to wear my blue long sleeve shirt. I woke up an hour into my… Read More »My first Marathon – A tale of trots

Michael Kors, Jhola and I

  A story of temptation, falling and then redemption. (Appeared in India Currents August 2016 Issue) This is a story of temptation, of failing and finally redemption. Last holiday season, I fell prey to a craven desire. It was as if I didn’t recognize myself. I was being irrational and impulsive. No amount of reasoning assuaged my restlessness. So I gave in. I needed to tell my husband, but at that moment I could not stop. I got ready in a hurry, threw away my cotton bag and rushed to the car with just a… Read More »Michael Kors, Jhola and I

The treasure in my bag

  This morning as I was walking back from dropping my kids to daycare/school, I clutched at my bag. I could feel my wallet inside – it carried a few spare notes and some cards that were easily replaceable. But the treasure was not in the wallet. It was in a little ziploc next to it. Neatly packed in it were six little pebbles, a lavender flower, a small twig, a round sweetgum fruit and some dried wild berries. Every morning I now walk my kids to school and this ziploc is the repository of… Read More »The treasure in my bag

Guns and Grass

300 million firearms. What happens when guns become as rampant as grass? A story from the Mahabharata reminds me of the madness that sometimes surrounds us. My article in IndiaCurrents….read on https://www.indiacurrents.com/articles/2016/05/14/guns-and-grass#.VzpZrsyEPbY.facebook

Naming rights – KQED

Perspectives Naming Rights Sandhya Acharya Feb 10, 2016 06:43 AM By Sandhya AcharyaFEBRUARY 10, 2016 SHARE It was evaluation day at preschool. I shifted uncomfortably in the little toddler seat feeling like Goliath at Lilliput’s table. My 3.5-year old’s sincere teacher spread out a sheaf of papers of work and grades. “This is your son writing his name,” she announced. She showed me incoherent scribbling. Interesting shapes, but no semblance of an alphabet. I grimaced at the 9-lettered challenge facing my son. S I D D H A R T H. It is a beautiful name… Read More »Naming rights – KQED

When Dad Friends you

Published on KQED (NPR) Perspectives on Apr 19, 2016 https://www.kqed.org/perspectives/201601134325/when-dad-friends-you Pe I woke up one morning to the petulant ping of a Facebook notification. It was a friend request, from my father. I ignored it, shuddering to think what it would mean to have my father as a friend. I would have to stay away from controversial posts, reveal judicious little about my everyday doings, filter my comments. The idea that my father would have a keyhole to peer into my life, was unnerving. Over the next few days, I got other disconcerting notifications. My… Read More »When Dad Friends you

Big Red Firetruck! …first book published

  I just published my first book on Amazon KDP. It is a children’s illustrated e-book titled “Big Red Firetruck” available on Amazon.com. I have worked with Rashmi Menon my friend and very talented illustrator on this. It’s been a fun-filled adventure for us. I hope you all enjoy the story as much as we did. It is free for those who have Kindle Unlimited. This is an important beginning and your reviews on Amazon will be greatly appreciated. Have fun, share and review, please! Big Red Firetruck!

Big Red Firetruck!

I just published my first book on Amazon KDP. It is a children’s illustrated e-book titled “Big Red Firetruck” available on Amazon.com. I have worked with Rashmi Menon my friend and very talented illustrator on this. It’s been a fun-filled adventure for us. I hope you all enjoy the story as much as we did. It is free for those who have Kindle Unlimited. This is an important beginning and your reviews on Amazon will be greatly appreciated. Have fun, share and review, please!HERE is the link

The story of Valentines Day

It is that time of the year again. It is Valentine’s Day. Husbands and wives, boyfriends, and girlfriends will go into a frenzy trying to check all the boxes – chocolates, flowers, dinner, dazzle. But what is the story of Valentine’s day? History is a bit unclear on it. According to some reports, there was a certain Saint Valentine who clandestinely got together couples and was persecuted for Christian beliefs. Other theories purport that it was originally a pagan festivity of fertility superseded by Christian tradition. Nobody knows for sure. But that’s not the story.… Read More »The story of Valentines Day

Super Bowl and me

It’s Super Bowl weekend. 114 million people will be watching. $300 million will be spent on Ads. 4 million Pizza will be sold. 8 million pounds of guacamole will be consumed. I remember the first time I was introduced to this game. It seemed like a magical shared experience that I felt obligated to be a part of. I gathered my contribution to the chips and dips and made my way to a friends house. It started out ok with a spread of the choicest snacks. I sat with the rest of my friends ready… Read More »Super Bowl and me

A fairytale

Once upon a time – a time far away, we wrote letters to communicate. We learnt where to add the name and address of the sender and sendee, we wrote a subject line, we added a greeting. We wrote about the grievance, the report, the plea and we sealed it with another heartfelt greeting and good-bye message. We pasted a stamp and waited for replies. In between we did other things – like Life. Then the internet came by. It unfurled its wide arms inviting us into a sea of possibilities. Space and time ceased… Read More »A fairytale

Guns and grass

There is an interesting story in the Mahabharata not as often retold. It is the story of how the illustrious, valiant clan of the Yadavas to which Krishna belonged, destroyed themselves. Fearing bad omens surfacing in his land, Krishna and the Yadavas go on a pilgrimage to Prabas – a holy town near the ocean. A fight breaks out between factions that cannot agree assumedly on what had transpired in the great war of Mahabharata. Words lead to blows. In a fit of anger, Krishna reaches out to a blade of Eraku grass that miraculously… Read More »Guns and grass

The gift of Rituals

When I was younger, religion seemed something lofty to attain, pious, precious. Rituals, on the other hand, seemed superfluous and trivial. Today, religion is at best an ambiguous presence I am happy to leave alone. It is the rituals today that endear me, enchant me. It is the rituals that I am convinced hold the key to creating a sense of family, culture and memories for my children. We all know how precious rituals are. They are everywhere. It is the favorite coffee shop you go to after your morning run, the trip to grandmas… Read More »The gift of Rituals

About a Shoe

A shoe is a strange thing to write about, but stranger things have been written about. I once wrote a poem about a lonely sock. That one was a tad sad. This one though, has a happy ending. I lost a shoe. It belonged to my one year old. It was new. I just got it 2 days back. It was a dark navy blue that matched with most outfits. The front had a little orangeish pink tongue painted on it. One of the two straps had tiny mischievous eyes on it. It gave the… Read More »About a Shoe