Reviewed: The Green Room | Thriller Movie Review | YouTube Free Content | April 2026

The Green Room often surfaces as a dark-themed horror movie across YouTube content creators, but please don't be misled - Green Room is not a horror movie by any standards, but it is indeed a thriller. It is a rather good pick if you want your movie content to be slightly raw without too many lead characters and an all-too-familiar storyline. The Green Room movie on YouTube is easy to find. A couple of searches and you will find the full movie on YouTube. Watch it without any preconceived notions about the starcast or raving reviews about action sequences. The movie has a bunch of wannabe punk rock performers who are always on the hunt for a gig that pays something.

Sadly, they run into a venue where the performance area is just a cover-up for something more sinister in the basement. Very quickly, a murder happens without the directors trying to explain how it happened. Members of the punk rock group in The Green Room get caught up in the commotion that follows since the venue is controlled by a small organized crime syndicate.

Reviewed The Ugly Stepsister 2025 Movie

The supposedly horror-obsessed content reviewers on YouTube and Instagram keep referring to The Ugly Stepsister as a horror movie you should not miss. Since my paid subscription for Mubi was not active for some time, I had to wait to catch this one. Finally, managed to watch The Ugly Stepsister online, and trust me, it is not even half as good as the social media buzz around it. For starters, the build-up is slow, especially when you start the movie with a "...this is going to be a good horror movie" mindset. There is nothing scary out here, at least for the first 1 hour. The story is nothing special, and towards the latter half, it starts integrating some aspects of the Cinderella story we all know. Yes, there is a bit of psychological darkness about the entire setup. The ugly one here has a serious body dysmorphia of the most extreme type and self-harm, along with gore and some blood-soaked moments, to complete her portrayal. The background music is intentionally switched off during the darker conversations about hatred, betrayal, and pure greed. The Ugly Stepsister does not try to scare you at any point. Why the social media movie buffs repeatedly called it one of the best horror flicks of 2025 will remain beyond me. For those waiting to watch the movie, put it on with the thought of watching a well-made European movie that has plenty of dark undertones and some really graphic scenes. Yes, the tapeworm scene from The Ugly Stepsister will get to you. Yes, the worm egg vomit in The Ugly Stepsister will make you cringe a bit. The self-removal of all five toes to fit into the shoe will make you think that more horrifying scenes are about to emerge in the last 30 minutes of The Ugly Stepsister 2025 movie, but you will feel disappointed. Like I said, The Ugly Stepsister does all things reasonably well, but it is not a cult classic or even a contemporary movie recommendation that should grab eyeballs. If you happen to miss it, you would not have missed something monumental. If you happen to watch The Ugly Stepsister this weekend, expect a slight dose of body horror and a weak storyline that confuses itself. The Ugly Stepsister is not a typical Watchlist movie. You should consider spending subscription money to buy into an OTT or rental platform to specifically watch this movie. Let it come to you. It would be better to wait for any of your usual subscriptions to stream this content. When watching the horror movie experts on YouTube or Instagram, don't wait and pause on social posts that portray The Ugly Stepsister as one of the finest in European horror movie-making history - there is nothing so special about it! However, if you like a slight touch of gothic and some body churning and mutilations as a part of movie content, The Ugly Stepsister can be a decent watch. Don't book a weekend around it. No need to score it out of 10 as a "horror flick". The only silver lining would be the indirect preaching about accepting your looks and not leaning entirely on physical beauty. 

JUMPSCARE? ZERO!
DARK THEME - Well Done.
ACTING/PERFORMANCE - Really Well Done.
STORYTELLING - Average.
HORROR MOVIE FAN QUOTIENT - Thumbs Down

How to place a PC mouse on the table so that it does not strain your wrist?

The placement and usage of your PC mouse can significantly influence your wrist health and overall comfort during work or gaming. Prolonged use without proper positioning can lead to discomfort, repetitive strain injuries (RSIs), and even chronic conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome. By understanding the science behind mouse ergonomics and adopting the correct placement strategies, you can protect your wrists and improve productivity.

The Science of Wrist Strain and Mouse Usage

Using a mouse repeatedly over long periods exerts pressure on the tendons, ligaments, and the median nerve inside the wrist. These structures pass through the narrow carpal tunnel, and improper mouse placement can compress this area, leading to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). A study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research confirmed that excessive wrist extension or flexion increases tension in the tendons, causing inflammation and discomfort (source).

The Pencil Thing: When Life Pulls You Back to the Basics!

I could have never imagined that sometime later in my adult life, I would have to make a comeback to writing with pencils. At school, progressing from pencils to pens was regarded as a significant shift. It is treated as one of the many signs that you have arrived at the doors of young adulthood. As we progress further, lives take a more professional form where pencils are regarded as childish and pens, sometimes the luxury variety, are looked upon as standard tools. However, sometimes Life can pan out in such a manner that whatever seems standard or natural needs to be re-evaluated.

I am now returning to the basics, i.e., writing with pencils, and this is why…this is not about the medically documented benefits of writing with a pencil but about the psychological, more humane side to the story. You must have read about my mom’s Parkinson’s on this blog. It is a cruel disease, and sometimes I wish I could lash out at the health research community as to why a vaccine or cure for it is still missing. One of the primary, most prominent diagnostic symptoms of Parkinson’s is Micrographia. Here, your handwriting becomes smaller and smaller, up to the point that it is almost unreadable. Signing cheques seems like a task. You cannot fill out a standard form since you write almost out of control, scribbling with such great speed that it looks as if the pen you are holding has a mind of its own. My mother had this too.

An Observation

As part of her therapy, the neurologist recommended going back to writing with pencils. According to him, the pencil tip provides more grip and is easier to control. For nearly a month, I did not heed this theory, fully assured that pencils are in no way superior to pens that I hoard by the hundreds. After a few weeks, I saw my mother practicing her signature with a pencil. Her handwriting, though not back to normal by any standards, had improved significantly.

I Make a U-turn

Over the next few days, I put using pencils to the test. I have this habit of scribbling ideas that I deem worthy of being blogged. This includes spontaneous ideas for this blog, too! The results have been shocking indeed. I write much better with pencils. The grip is easier, the alphabet is clearer to read, and it doesn’t look as if the words are fighting a battle against each other. Invariably, there were some real benefits to writing with a pencil, and even if you happen to be a working adult, there are small avenues hidden in our daily lives that allow holding one of the most basic and forgotten tools of learning and skill development.

Floating Nostalgia

To give company to my mother for her writing practice, I plan to stick to the pencil for some time. Pens, just like adulthood, which I chased with such fervor, can wait…sometimes, going back to the basics helps you realize that what you left behind wasn’t necessarily as humble as it looked. Living life in the present with an eye on the future is critical. But every now and then, a peek into the past can help you reconnect with your past, and sometimes this can be therapeutic. If you want to read about this, try to search the web for psychological or neurological advantages of using a pencil over a pen and not those related to merely better handwriting...

Revisiting this Post in 2024...

Like I keep saying, when you are around the 40-year mark, things often seem to go around in circles and come back to you in different ways. In this case, I am reconnecting with writing physically, with the right pencil grip and all, to help my daughter. Vrinda, a 4-year-old bundle of excessive energy packed into a small frame, is into coloring up anything & everything, and while helping her out, I am revisiting my love for the tangible paper and the textures that cannot be felt via digital tools. I also see my mother losing her grip entirely, thanks to the invasive form of Parkinson's that has ruined her life. At my end, I still get anxious on some days, and on those days, I find my signature on the cheque leaves a lot less convincing. However, every time I look at Vrinda, I know that a certain part of me, no matter how flawed, is falling in love with something so simple and eternally beautiful. On this note, I want to share another thing: this piece on Getpocket.com - "Writing Can Help Us Heal from Trauma" - is an absolute must-read for people who have never maintained a personal journal or a diary. This is the real stuff, and there is no layer of argument to it or any contradiction whatsoever. The truth is that when you write, organically or using the keypad, you connect and process things a lot better, including those that are bothering you. While this might not take away the anxiousness or sadness in you, it can make the day slightly easier to navigate.

Getting Sciency About it

Content based on the article titled:

Emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Expressive writing is a therapeutic technique that has been studied extensively, particularly by a researcher named James Pennebaker. The basic idea is that writing about your deepest thoughts and emotions can actually provide some amazing health benefits - both mental and physical. An article in the journal Advances in Psychiatric Treatment dives into Pennebaker's work on this subject. His research found that expressive writing, where people disclose traumatic or stressful experiences through their writing, can lead to significant improvements in overall well-being. The studies highlighted showed things like stronger immune system functioning, reduced stress levels, and even fewer doctor visits among those who practiced expressive writing. So how does simply writing provide these powerful benefits? Experts think it has to do with several factors - processing difficult experiences cognitively, releasing pent-up emotions, and becoming gradually exposed to upsetting memories in a safe environment. While the effects can vary from person to person, the research paints expressive writing as an accessible, low-cost therapeutic tool with great potential. The next time you're struggling with something emotional, you might want to try picking up a pen. Getting those bottled-up feelings out and onto the page could be more healing than you think!

Reviewed: Don't Knock Twice [2] on Amazon Prime

I never saw the first part of this movie, but still, I would say that Don't Knock Twice [2] on Amazon Prime is good enough for a one-time watch. Don't get your hopes up. The content is not refreshing. The performances are just decent. What plagues this movie is the storytelling. It is not as gripping as you would expect. When the Rotten Tomatoes community gave it a one-star rating, I felt a bit for the makers but you have got to realize that the entire story has been told before, via different movies in the horror genre. You can find similarly themed movies with rituals, demonic forces, and witchcraft in the mix. Don't Knock Twice uses all these elements and tries to tell the story with a mother-daughter relationship also thrown into the mix. What you get is somewhat interesting. 

Reviewing I am All Girls on Netflix India

I am All Girls is perhaps one of the most underrated movies on Netflix India. There is every reason the channel and more so, its marketing team should have promoted this title a bit more. Even the online ratings seem a bit poorly done, underestimating the subject tackled in the movie and the manner in which the story has been told. I am All Girls may or may not be for family viewing depending upon how your ecosystem handles movies that are a bit graphic about subjects as sensitive as child abuse, child pornography, child trafficking, and the system that feeds off young girls taken off the streets, taking a toll on their families, and ruining lives without any logic to it.

The Starling Movie Review [Netflix India OTT]

The Starling is a decent effort if you are not looking for Oscar-winning performances. Not that Kevin Kline and Melissa McCarthy don't do a great job, they have performed rather well but yes, there are places where the movie fails to live up to its expectations. The story of a couple who is dealing with the loss of their child is told rather well. While Melissa has taken the quiet, let us not talk about it sort of approach, her husband turns suicidal and has to be admitted to a facility for mental wellness. The movie shows the massive difference between the approach the couple undertakes to deal with their sense of loss.

Movie Review for The Old Ways on Netflix India OTT

Keep your expectations real - The Old Ways does not have a premium starcast or the directorial credentials that make it an obvious pick during your work-from-life. However, like many horror flicks and gore movie plots that performed rather well with their directors and lead performers later blossoming into bigger names in the industry, The Old Ways does many things right to impress. The best part is that it wastes no time in revealing the storyline without unnecessarily stretching it. The first shot happens to be in the room where the supposedly possessed lady has been chained. Yes, this movie too is about possessions and being taken over by ghosts when you venture into the badlands and lesser-visited areas. The story is not too dramatic but it is told at a good pace. There is no time to take a popcorn break as Cristina realizes that her body has been taken over, and then gets on a quest to get rid of the unwanted spirit, and later, become a witch doctor lady of sorts herself. The entire movie presents just about four or five faces. There is no melodrama or too many special effects. This is a good movie if you like a lightweight horror flick where the fear is in the victim's eyes rather than computer-generated graphics. Combine the basic plot with a bit of sorcery and tales that only some village folks would know about, and The Old Ways comes up with a decent concoction. Highly recommended if you don't like to watch something too scary before going to bed but still want to see something that spooks you a little. A good effort overall, and it also makes me wonder why Netflix India has not been promoting or recommending this movie in any way. Perhaps, their content spotting team needs to do a better job of looking at their own inventory of decent movies and recommending it when a browser chooses the genre-based filter.

Ovenstory Cheese Stuffed Garlic Bread Reviewed

Just a bit crispier and this would have been the clear winner! That is how close Ovenstory Cheese Stuffed Garlic Bread comes to taking the honors when it is compared to contemporary favorites in this niche, like Dominos. The latter impresses with a more buttery taste and an outer crust that is done a lot better. Ovenstory Cheese Stuffed Garlic Bread has less garlic and instead uses cheese to deliver more gooey goodness in each bite. However, it lags behind in the texture, inside and out. The outer surface is a bit undercooked. The lesser-baked approach just might not work with folks like me who like to bite into the bread rather than gently chewing the bread. Ovenstory Garlic Bread also does away with the tendency to overpower the bread with the garlic flavor, making it a better choice for folks who cannot handle the garlic-heavy flavor.

However, the biggest difference is the insides. Ovenstory Cheese Garlic Bread does not hold back when stuffing the insides with real, not flowy cheese. There is sufficient dairy flavor in every bite. If you press the bread a bit harder, some of the cheese might actually squeeze out - you cannot expect this in Domino's Garlic Bread which seems to use more butter, and even when you order the cheese-stuffed variety, it uses cheese as if the stuff is borrowed from the World Bank on the highest interest rates modern-day nations have seen. But you can expect this from Domino's - putting all the cheese in the TV ads and not actually putting it in what is served to us has been the standard approach for almost 4 years now. In comparison, Ovenstory Cheese Stuffed Garlic Bread generously layers it up with good-quality cheese that has an actual taste - again, unlike the neutral, bland cheese that Domino's seems to have sourced - I am thinking there must be an industry of seconds in cheese from which Domino's inventory management team regularly buys. One more piece of advice to the Ovenstory team - garlic bread is not supposed to be so soft inside. You have to find a way of making it stand up a bit more, and not being precariously close to getting spongy soft.

ALSO GATHERED A BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE GARLIC BREAD: [USING AI TOOLS LIKE CHATGPT]

The Mediterranean, known for its vibrant culinary traditions, has a long history of using garlic in various dishes. Bread, being a staple food in the region, provided an excellent canvas for experimenting with flavors. The addition of garlic to bread not only added a delightful aromatic element but also enhanced the overall taste. Garlic bread, in its simplest form, typically consists of sliced or crushed garlic combined with butter or olive oil, spread onto bread, and then toasted or baked until golden brown. This simple yet flavorful combination has become a favorite accompaniment to many meals, particularly Italian and Italian-American cuisine. While the exact moment of garlic bread's invention cannot be determined, it gained widespread popularity in the United States during the 1940s and 1950s. Italian-American immigrants brought their culinary traditions to America, including garlic bread. It quickly became a beloved side dish or appetizer served in Italian-American restaurants, pizzerias, and households across the country.

Over time, garlic bread has evolved to include variations such as the addition of cheese, herbs, or even toppings like tomatoes or bacon. These adaptations have further expanded the range of flavors and textures associated with garlic bread, making it even more appealing to different palates. Today, garlic bread is enjoyed worldwide and has become a staple in many cuisines. It can be found in pizzerias, restaurants, and even in frozen food sections of grocery stores, allowing people to enjoy its delightful taste and aroma in the comfort of their homes. In conclusion, while the exact origins of garlic bread remain somewhat elusive, it is safe to say that variations of bread seasoned with garlic have been enjoyed by various cultures throughout history. The modern concept of garlic bread gained popularity in the Mediterranean region and eventually spread to other parts of the world, becoming a beloved accompaniment to meals and a culinary delight appreciated by many.

7 Influences Clearly Visible in Bhoot Police | Still Does Not Impress

Winchester Brothers: Supernatural was a bit of a breakthrough after Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, in terms of being a TV series that was dedicated to monster hunting and extermination. Add some ghouls, fallen angels, zombies, and other out-of-this-world predators, and Supernatural addressed all of them with the duo of the Winchester brothers kicking some serious ass. Bhoot Police surely borrowed this idea, but the chemistry between Arjun Kapoor and Saif was just not the same. I cannot call this a lame attempt since it was done decently but it just did not make an impact. 

The Grudge: Hollywood remake of the Japanese horror icon laid new standards for presenting the creepy type of horror, moving away from the horror genre that was typically high on special effects. One thing that every first-time Grudge watcher would remember is the body-twisting and bone-cracking sounds. Bhoot Police borrowed the same, on two occasions, if I remember correctly. The impact again was missing. It was done a bit too quickly and without any creepiness being created.

You Never Really Here is Grim without a Reason and thankfully, it does not try to explain why

If there is Joaquin Phoenix in a movie, I have a reason to watch it - things are that simple for me when it comes to trusting the starcast to choose a movie to watch tonight. But You Never Really Here tests this theory, this faith that the movies Phoenix chooses are invariably high on substance. For starters, the guy hardly speaks throughout the movie. Not that the action sequences are too stretched. There is an intentional slowness to the story, but then again, there is no real story here. Joaquin is remorseful, guilty, passive-aggressive, violently aggressive, repentful, and a lot more, but the plot just does not allow him to really take up the screen space he warrants.

The Pandemic Fear was Inside our Home [when someone tests positive]

My father just got his first shot of the vaccine after waiting out his recovery from what has now become an integral part of our lives - the Coronavirus. While I was making a reminder of the date on which he would be getting his second shot, memories of the first couple of days when my father tested positive rushed in. This happened on April 17th, 2020 - last year. He had been feeling a bit heavy in the head for a few days, and like many folks, his mask-wearing etiquette was rather questionable. He has always been someone proud of his immunity, the fact that he played cricket from the school to club level despite all the hardships, and he would never take a sick leave from his workplace [CITIBANK - the CITI never sleeps]. He did not have the reserves of energy to collect the pathology report, and with my bits-and-piece knowledge about the healthcare genre, I was trusted to gather it and confirm that he wasn't infected - we were rather sure about it. My father, falling ill? A smart betting man would never invest in this preposterous theory!

Quick, Short Reviews: 4 Amazon Prime Movies Reviewed

It Follows: Watchable, Recommended, Borderline Creepy, Hooks You

Watch this without assuming there is any link between this movie and the IT – this is an entirely different type of animal, albeit very quiet, slow-paced, and tries to thrill you by being a bit creepy. While the first 20 minutes don’t do a lot to get you hooked into it, the last 20 minutes or so are the exact opposite of it. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a lot of graphical, flesh-tearing, and blood-spurting that is becoming regular across the horror genre in contemporary cinema. Yes, the following aspect in the title is self-explanatory, but you have to see it to realize that the storytelling is really good. There are no spectacular special effects either, just a slow-moving story that builds up rather well, leading up to the brilliant ending.

Dead Birds: Perhaps one of the worst on Amazon Prime India

Watch this when you don’t have anything planned for the next 2 hours, and it seems like you can digest, perhaps and literally, any type of cinema. Dead Birds is the type of B-grade horror flick that does not scare you, and it does not remain in your memory for more than a few days. It actually does not deserve to last for even 2 days. That is how average the entire effort is. The special effects, or the lack of them, only make it worse, while the scariness just does not develop. Trying the horror genre in the classical landscape does not work here. Try to avoid this at all costs. If you plan an act of sweet revenge on someone, then recommend it further. These types of movies make you wonder how some people even get the resources or the approvals to shoot anything and bring it to celluloid.

Dark was the Night: Too Typical, Very Stereotyped, Nothing Notable 

Sometimes I wonder how movies are rated these days. Take this title, for instance. It has an almost 6 rating on IMDB. The same, small-town landscape with simpletons and secrets is repeated. There is always a sheriff in such plots, and here, the sheriff is grieving for his lost son – again, not the newest idea across any genre. He further has split from his wife or distanced – rings any bells? There is the typical, inexplicable, creature-like thing that is frightening the townspeople – sounds familiar? That is what is principally wrong with this movie. It does not belong to the horror genre. It is not a thriller either. It is not a creature feature either. Then, what is it? It tries to be everything and turns out to be very, very average. Those who have been catching up with the indie sector of movie-making over the last decade will also tell you that the Windigo has become a bit too common, and Dark Was The Night borrows the concept and messes it up – not recommended to my friends.

What Lies Below: Tries Hard & Fails, Confuses Towards the End

This movie has been categorized as Horror-Thriller if you run a Google search for it. However, What Lies Below is not really scary. It is more inclined towards being a bit of sci-fi and puts up a different take on the alien story plots that we have become a bit too accustomed to. A single mom or a separated one, as I don’t recall having a fiancé who is just too perfect. Obviously, her daughter does not agree and has some serious doubts about this man, who seems hell-bent on breeding. Turns out this guy is not really human and is actually trying to rear a species on his own. The plot could have been very interesting if the direction had been better. Sadly, that is not the case. What Lies Below handles the story somewhat loosely. If you Google this movie title more, you will find many search results trying to explain the ending of What Lies Below. The problem is that in the last 5 minutes or so, the movie takes a leap. All of a sudden, the typical storytelling gets complex. The alienist type of guy who is running some sort of alien creature genetic experiments seems to have turned a human into a fully functional, underwater creature of some type – sounds confusing? Watch What Lies Below and let me know if you could understand the ending without a doubt.

Kingdom - reigns over most Zombie genre content on Netlfix [and OTTs all around]

This might be blogging about something which already out there but I still could not help myself. This is primarily because Kingdom has been able to do what most other Zombie genre content, in the form of movies, OTT streams, or TV series, has not been able to do in almost a decade - this series blends unexpected characterization of the protagonists, challenges this entire genre with a solid storyline, and does not depend solely on the gore and horror of flesh-eating extras to engage your attention. 

Kingdom on Netflix rides on what is perhaps its strongest appeal, i.e. a plot where the presence of Zombies seems like the perfect sprinkling on something that is already rather delicious if you happen to consume a lot of Netflix content.  For work-from-home professionals like me who have been waiting for something that can be watched in the regular mode with the audio controls turned on, and in the near-mute mode when the baby is asleep in your bed, Kingdom has proven to be the best pick. If you have been a hater for Zombie-focused visual content in general, despite the awesomeness of Will Smith in I am Legend, you really need to give Kingdom one real chance. You have to watch at least three episodes, without a break, to provide the series a genuine chance to keep you hooked.

Why should you watch Kingdom?

• It keeps up the interest levels even if you have not been loving the typical Zombie content
• It does not pile on season after season on you - there have been just two until today
• The performances are not full-blown, ensuring a bit of subtlety for more realism
• The flesh-eating graphical content is not at the core of this Netflix series; it falls secondary to an interesting story that has an insatiable hunger for power, betrayal, and pure hatred
• It tells you exactly why South Korean and Korean content, in general, is being loved by TV audiences these days
• Netflix brings it to you without any waiting, straight up, before the episodes get lost in the murky underworld of online leaks and pirated efforts
• It does not take long to get somewhat addicted - I have recommended watching 3 episodes without a break above, and I vouch for it
• For all those still asking whether Kingdom on Netflix is worth watching to the extent of getting their account renewed, the answer is Yes
• Folks still wondering if Kingdom is very violent, please understand I am not the best person to answer this as I saw the Human Centipede without taking a break or questioning the creation of content that is largely being called disturbing 
• If you are in the somewhat limited fraternity of Korean actor-loving folks in India, this series is being talked about to bring back some of the industry's best performers. Whom all? I don't know their names, but you can catch this bit here: Link to Explore

QUICK BYTES

Thrillist.com said that this show could be a good replacement for those who are still missing Game of Thrones - I totally agree. This is binge-worthy OTT content.

Vulture.com takes a more educated view when reviewing Netflix's Kingdom, saying this OTT show borders on mimicking the horror that is going on in our lives these days, drawing a parallel with the Coronavirus taking over our lives. More importantly, their review concludes that more serious than the Zombie virus or the pandemic is the plague of greed and jealousy among humans, and yes, Kingdom uses these feelings to make it stand apart as not just another Zombie-themed series.

Decider.com recommends you to give Kingdom a chance as the storytelling breaks the stereotypical things associated with the Zombie genre, and I couldn't agree more - Kingdom does everything you expect from a Zombie-heavy series and still manages to come out slightly different...a lot more interesting.

Things I can say with surety about these 'Perpetual Borrowers'....winners and sinners at the same time.

Ready to adapt: this couple didn't seek the most comfortable environment for raising a family. They were ready to use whatever little space was available. And this plot of nesting land, too did came with plenty of distractions and lots of intrusions. However, their family has settled in rather well. They ensured picking a spot that provided comprehensive coverage against the sun and rain. What seems like a combination of living room and bedroom, their one-room accommodation comes sans any pretensions. They think that the iron pipe in the background is their idea of home decor, and the ugly remains of a shoddy cement job, once done, represent the landscaping. Overall, if this were a home-to-rent deal, nobody would have bought it. But like true borrowers, this couple overlooked all the possibly not-so-great things and chose to set up their nesting headquarters amid the ugliness.

Why corona hit restaurants businesses should and can pick-up...it is about mutual gains.

PHOTOS BY KARI MASON

This was today in Google News' morning edition of the headlines - New York, which is quickly becoming the epicenter for the Corona tragedy, has had to shut down nearly all of its restaurant businesses, but what is more surprising is that this is happening across the U.S., and job loss emanating from this trend is massive. Closer to home, somewhat similar things are happening. While ordering in the food remains an option, it seems that more and more permanent closures are underway. While a temporary halt in the daily trading does not mean the end of the lifecycle for a business, just like the automobile sector, permanent closures mean permanent job losses - this is what is worrying me. These are jobs that can be saved. This is at least what I think, for overseas and for the shrinking food business marketplace in India. Just think of this - with the pandemic scare, all food biz are required to follow a lot more hygiene and safety norms. In many places, there are licensing and food inspection regulations. 

However, this is not the standard practice across the food serving industry, at least not in India, where the best pub might have a couple of cockroaches waiting to surprise you under the table. This is perhaps a good time as any to make this benchmark common; whether you are a five-star hotel or a roadside Dhaba, you will need to comply with more-than-average food hygiene standards. Obviously, the business owners are not going to be very upbeat about this, but then, the option is still a lot better than closing shutters. Further, more regulations can be put into place for food ordering, packaging, and delivery, at least until this phase blows over.

This means that each restaurant out there will need to upgrade to better food packaging standards and create cleaner cooking ecosystems that are doable with so many advances in food packaging/serving/preservation mediums. Yes, the conventional dining-out experiences are dead for some time, but if people really want to do it, and if they work with the local governments, there might still be a way to deliver a fine evening wining & dining experience at the doorstep - this might create more employment rather than firing the restaurant staff. If you compare this with the current trend of a restaurant business saying that we are closing out forever, this is worth a try at least - let us not kill the jobs that can be saved!

Hygiene-up in times of Corona for the Fiddler

A quick adjustment of my spectacles, moving away from the growing flock of my forehead, and the customary knuckle rub along the outer tip of the nose - this is pretty much a part of my personal conduct at the office, home, job interview, or when having a good time, outdoors. By and large, I am a fiddler of the physical type. Until now, it was dropping these habits because they made me look a bit anxious, which I naturally happen to be without a good reason, and tends to undercut the impression. Now, living with Corona has given a new twist to these things. Now, dropping these mannerisms is about survival habits. Now, with a 2.5-month-old infant to care for at home, I have to cut out the habitual fiddling. I had never mindfully absorbed these traits.

How Corona is bringing back the balcony culture in my city..kind of!

It has been more than a week in the lock-down mode and yes, the viral scare has been increasing. Most folks like me have realized that being asked not to move around is very different from an extended leave from the workplace. Working from home too has its privileges but when there is so much pessimism around you, the anxiety starts flowing and it can take a toll on how well you perform, especially when you need to concentrate hard on endless emails and files-to-edit from home. However, there has been one, somewhat positive effect of the self-inflicted restrictions and those imposed by the system.

Catching-up with Malgudi…a place that existed on TV, where my childhood still stays

We have been Amazon Prime members for some time, but the emphasis has always been on catching up with the most trending short series and highly debated characters. Last night, we revisited Malgudi Days. We watched around three episodes, and I realized what had changed all this while, while I was away from such moments—the Simplicity of Life. This was during the last part of the 80s, and I was nowhere close to having found myself. Well, I am still struggling on that part, but this was a phase when food of any type was exciting, finding Mom at home was a blessed day, getting Pop to buy us ice cream was God-sent wishes come true, and in essence, Life was simple. What went wrong between the Malgudi Days era and the rise of Thanos?

I got detached. I lost the bond with the simplest pleasures in Life. I allowed opinions and must-do perceptions to take over. The things I assumed were meant to be there became dearer, and my thought process got more branded. The Malgudi days [of my life] were about loving sleeping on the cold concrete floor at my naani’s home, they were about romancing the samosa, and allowing nothing to build up in the mind. Now, there are days when I feel my heart will explode simply because there are so many beautiful things undone, unvisited, unattempted, and perhaps unattainable. The tragedy is that even as I was watching this, we exchanged notes on which brand of mustard sauce was better with dip snacks, planning another visit to the sacred mall. Now, Swami/my Malgudi self would have never planned so much…