1. PBJs 2025

  If I Lost My Memory… I’ve always thought about what I would do if I lost my memory. It’s one of those rhetorical questions I ponder at random times, like in the shower or when I’m dissociating in math class. I think the first thing I would do after losing my memory (after figuring out my name and where I live) would be rewatching my favorite TV shows and rereading my favorite books.  I can imagine experiencing the show Game of Thrones again for the first time—no spoilers or expectations, just pure shock and betrayal every episode. I would be stunned about Ned Stark’s fate, side-eyeing Littlefinger from the start (or maybe not, since I technically wouldn’t remember how sketchy he is), and probably rooting for my favorite characters to make it out alive (spoiler alert: they don’t).  Then, there’s the books. I would love to reread the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series. If I forgot everything, I could relive Harry getting his Hogwarts letter or Percy discovering Cam...

  photo credit: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-causes-the-feeling-of-deja-vu/  Have you ever walked into a room, heard someone speak, or taken a step, and suddenly feel like you’ve already lived that exact moment before? That strange flicker of familiarity, like you’ve dreamt about that moment or seen into the future, where the past and the present blur together for just a second, is called deja vu.  According to this study , scientists believe that this phenomenon occurs as a result of a memory “misfire.” Your brain will accidentally classify a new experience as a memory, which makes it feel familiar even though you know it’s happening for the first time. The interesting thing about this is that researchers have actually discovered that it has something to do with short and long-term memories. Deja vu is like a glitch, when a moment bypasses your short-term memory and lands directly into the long-term memory zone. Other studies have suggested that i...

 Photo Credit:  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/65513369570680346/      A stage is a magical place to be as a performer. The lights, the audience, and the thrill are what I live for. But it all started a long time ago, when I was just a wee little lad. At the age of two, my parents put me in front of an audience of a hundred or so of my community members for a Diwali celebration event. I could not understand the song or the excitement of the people watching me. All I knew was that I wanted to smile, and I had to copy the movements of the Aunty standing in the audience. I probably did not even copy the movements right, but the limelight gave me all the satisfaction I needed. From then on, every year I continued to perform. Whether it was a group dance full of fun Bollywood steps, or a solo performance for a competition, the spotlight always felt the same. A wonderful warm feeling that lights a fire in your heart. The cheer of the audience that compels you to co...

                                                       Image source: https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4542 I am sure that most of you have probably wished for photographic memory at some point in life, myself included. Having the ability to recall anything and still remember everything down to the finest detail, all after a short period of time, just sounds like an incredible superhuman ability. This idea naturally made me wonder— does photographic memory actually exist or is it just a myth?  After doing some brief research, I discovered that the concept of photographic memory, the ones portrayed in movies or books, is not real. There has never been a verified case of someone who can recall information with complete accuracy, and frankly, I expected that to be the case. The human brain, while powerful in its own right, is ...

                                             Image Credits: https://images.app.goo.gl/kJqebUncHX6HTzmK8 Just recently I was cleaning through my closet and found my old childhood toys. The rush of memories that went through my head made me think about the times that I had cherished. Experiencing things like going to sleep in the car and waking up in my bed was probably the best time of my life. Going to school and coming back home to play outside with my friends is something that will never come back. Coming from school on the last day and eating those ice pops in the summer just rushes my brain with so many memories. Waking up to that one bird chirping again and again just makes me want to live my childhood life again. Not worrying about school and doing homework is a time that I will probably never get back again. These memories just remind me of the ti...

 Now, realistically, I was thinking of the title of "Once Upon A Time", but that just makes it a "make believe story"; now what if we changed that to something about real life? It all started when I was a 1st grader, and I was playing basketball in the park with my parents. I saw a family, who was walking their dog and playing fetch. The feeling of watching a beautiful golden doodle returning the ball back to their owner was the greatest thing to witness, except obviously Stephen Curry, the "goat" of basketball. From that day onwards, I knew I needed, or should I say, wanted a dog.  The convincing process was definitely not an easy one. I made numerous slideshows, presenting in front of my family during dinner time, on how a dog would help our lives. From walking everyday to making us more independent, I included it all in my slides. Now, I was near 7 years old, so when my parents said no, I did the usual 1st grader incident and started crying. Now, when ...

 Nostalgia in the Making Credit: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0914596/ Nostalgia is defined as the “sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past,” by the Oxford Dictionary. At our old age of 16 and 17, it is a feeling that many of us have as we slowly leave our childhood, and prepare for the future ahead of us. For some people, nostalgia can mean revisiting old memories through photographs or movies. For others it might be playing video games from elementary school, or rereading books that captivated us when we were young. For me, nothing brings more happy memories than rewatching old TV shows. Shows like H2O: Just Add Water, The Smurfs (not the movies), and My Little Pony , bring back strong memories of being a child. Of the carefree days, where SATs, finding derivatives, rhetorically analyzing passages, or taking AP practice tests, were far far away, and meant nothing at all.  Of days where my biggest concerns were what I was eating for dinner or remembering t...

  Ours Poetica I'm not the greatest at remembering,      But if I do recall correctly, There is a little wet paper tucked      In the corner of my closet. With little rips,    Scratches of ink, And the fading of his color. The paper has grown old;                                                                                           He can not see anymore,      Nor can he move. And so I remember when he spoke,                                                        ...

  Plushie-Packed Memories Memories aren’t always where we expect them to be, such as in photo albums. I have realized this as my collection of plushies has grown over the years. Each carries a unique memory. Unfortunately, I can only discuss some plushies in my blog today. If I tried to explain all of them, I would be way over the word limit, and we would be here forever.  I’ll start with my slightly-deformed stuffed camel named Aladdin. My parents bought him for me in Dubai International Airport when I was six years old. Apparently, I wouldn’t stop crying because I didn’t want to get on a plane again (I get airsick), so they found this camel in a random store and bought him for me. Having Aladdin with me made everything better, and I stopped crying. I don’t take Aladdin with me on flights anymore since I’m afraid of losing him, but it’s nice to know that he is rooting for me back home.  Moving on, there’s my Groot plushie, obviously named Groot. I bought Groot on a...