Sunday Poser # 109

Welcome back to another Sunday Poser

This week my question is;

Looking good; Is it vanity or a requirement?

Man or woman, I think most of us want to look our best, especially on special occasions. Some are more concerned with their looks and presentation than others.

For me personally, looking presentable increases my self-confidence. I am more comfortable in my skin and feel better. Spending time on my self-care, selecting proper clothes, and making an effort to improve my appearance has a mani-fold purpose in my mind;

1• It keeps my morale high. I’m more interested in life and people around me. An occasional compliment raises my spirits and I am more motivated.

2• Bothering about my own appearance can have a beneficial effect on both my physical and mental health. If I am motivated to reduce weight, I will improve my physical and mental health both. It may result in reducing weight related illnesses and give the boost that a person in good health gets.

3• Looking good also gives us joy and increases our vitality.

I should explain that by looking good I mean wearing appropriate clothes, grooming myself, and doing what will be beneficial for me. It doesn’t mean that I’m gearing up to participate in a beauty contest.

What are your thoughts on this topic; Do you make an endeavor to look presentable or are not interested in making the effort at all? Are appearances important to you or not at all?

Please share your thoughts in the comments section or you can write your own post and link it to this one so that I can find it.

As usual, thanks for visiting and reading.

#Keepitalive

#SundayPoser

Wonders of the wild

I’m always surrounded by a concrete jungle

Stepping out in the wild is indeed a treat

The beautiful wild vegetation and wildlife

Act as a boost to the morale and soothe the nerves

So once in a way I stop by the wayside and

Savor the natural beauty and relax

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Written for CCC # 212, hosted by Crispina Kemp

Also included Cyranny’s one minute fiction

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#CCC

#1MinFiction

How inflation is effecting my life?

For Friday Faithfuls I would like to know how inflation is affecting your life?

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Inflation is a worldwide woe these days. The rise in petroleum prices due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine was the cherry on top of the Covid pandemic-induced inflation.

Over here in Pakistan, prices have at least doubled if not tripled of essential items. Some things have disappeared from the market altogether. The main impact on the economy is the rise in petrol prices and electricity rates. Combined, these two factors are held responsible for the huge increase in prices of groceries, fruits, and vegetables!

Like everyone else in the world, except the ultra-rich, we are tightening the belts. Switching off extra lights, minimal usage of heating or cooling, and no unnecessary driving just for the fun of it, are some of the things I’m doing. I make sure that there is no wastage of food. But in that respect, we are lucky that many deserving people around us can be given this extra food.

I have stopped spending money on stuff like makeup because it’s one thing I’ve learned from the pandemic; I don’t need that many things and also the usage of cosmetics has dropped significantly since 2020!

There was a part of the question where Jim asked ;do we think that the prices will go down when the economy starts getting better; my answer is that this has never happened before so why would it happen now since the governments have so many excuses for this not happening.

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In response to Friday Faithfuls- Inflation, hosted by Jim

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#FridayFaithfuls

Tiny Manipulators

Little minds are fast learners

The art of manipulation is easily picked

Parents expect them to behave well

But they need bribes to comply

Children are quick to judge the situation

But a clever parent makes a speedy recovery

By whisking them away from temptation

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Tuesday Writing prompt: Use “manipulation”, “children”, and “recovery” in a poem.

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#TWP

Obeying orders

The image is from 8machine_ at unsplash.com.

For the visually challenged writer, the photo shows four giant stone sculptures of heads, perhaps religious in nature, with a man wearing a red outfit walking toward them.

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He was a tertiary commander. But the rank wasn’t important as long as he was recognized as the intrepid leader of the troops.

He got off the bus and crossed the sandy, arid area to enter the temple. The sight there struck him like a lightning bolt. The four giant heads were a part of their folklore and now seeing them in front of him had a big effect on him. He stood attention in front of them, paid his respects, and turned around.

Stories of ancestors were one thing and orders from his leaders were another. He stepped out of the temple and ordered the demolition squad to open the guns. Soon that legendary temple was reduced to rubble and with it the stories of a savior that would save them from this war of self destruction they had fallen into, were also obliterated.

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sandy | tertiary | intrepid | lightning | bus

Written in response to FFFC # 295, hosted by Fandango

Also included Greg’s 5 words weekly challenge

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FFFC

#gb5ww

#gmgblog

Twin, twine, tween

Twins

Bound with a twine

Emotions, instincts attuned

They even throw the same tantrums

As they reach that dramatic age

The tweens, where every action has an extraordinary reaction

Shaking the foundation of parenthood to the core

And left them wondering how to manage these twin storms

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Your prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “twin/tween.” Use, “twin” or “tween” any way you’d like. Bonus points if you use both. Enjoy!

Written for Linda’s SoCS- Twin/ Tween

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#SoCS

Quirky foods

“There is no sincerer love than the love of food.” — George Bernard Shaw.

This week the Wednesday challenge here on partner Susan and my site is QUIRKY FOODS.

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People from different parts of the world have different tastes and preferences.

Our culture and food are pretty similar to Indian cuisine and culture as we lived together for centuries. In our part of the world, people like spicy food, deep fried and calorie rich!

Okra ( Bhindi)is a very popular vegetable in summer. We fry cut okra and put it in a gravy made with fried onions, tomatoes and yogurt. It’s full of spices and very tasty. Similarly, bitter gourd ( karela) is also a summer vegetable, thought to be beneficial. It is very bitter on its own so we boil it or fry it first before we make a curry out of it.

Bhindi masala
Karela masala

Another unique dish is made with fried chickpeas flour dumplings, cooked in yogurt sauce. It’s called “karhi” and can be eaten with boiled rice or roti! We also fry our fish coated in chickpeas flour batter( baisin wali machli ), spicy and crispy. A usual accompaniment to this fish is hard-boiled eggs and green chilies fried in the same chickpea batter, all this is served with naan.

Baisin wali machli

These are some of our quirky dishes. 😋

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Written for; Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge – Quirky Foods, hosted by Sue W and GC

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#WeeeklyPrompts

Fame or anonymity?

This week Fandango asks;

If you could, would you want to be famous if it meant sacrificing your personal life and privacy? Why or why not?

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I think most sane people would answer no to this offer.

Why not?

First the pros;

Being famous means that everyone knows your name, well almost!

They may treat you like a celebrity and make concessions for you.

It will give your ego a boost to be recognized by people and them wanting to take selfies with you.

You’ll be invited to parties, galas, first-night events, etc

And perhaps with fame, you’ll also get money, as in rich and famous.

The cons;

Everyone will know who you are and your every movement, action and word will be judged by them.

Privacy will be a long-forgotten dream.

The number of people who like/loves you may be less than those who hate/dislike you.

You’ll be so busy that you wouldn’t have time for yourself, your family, or your friends. Fame means being everywhere, at the same time.

And when the fame starts to fade with time or changing circumstances, you will feel down and dejected.

Do who will choose fame over a fulfilling life where you can be yourself.

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In response to FPQ # 192, hosted by Fandango

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#FPQ