Winter Reminiscences- To My Fellow Bloggers

Kehno ko, I started blogging in 2009, but the true charms of what has now been endearingly christened as the 'blogosphere' were opened up and understood by me only in the course of this year.Of the 80 odd posts which make Nascent Emissions what it is, roughly 70% have been written this year. As a writer, also as a blogger- since blogging is now emerging as a technically distinct form of writing- I feel I have evolved tremendously in the past one year. Also, I have gone through hundreds of blogs, read more than a few hundred posts, and have felt enriched, amazed and simply blissful while journeying through this supposed endless Universe. I have felt glad to connect with some bloggers at a personal level and have felt gladder to come across bloggers who bear no semblance to any element of mine. Mothers posting pictures of their growing up kids, apprentice cooks sharing their newly experimented with recipes, love lorn hearts ruminating about the priceless moments life gives them, photographers freezing time to display on their blogs, artists sharing the best of their crafts with a world wide audience, nascent poets posting the out pourings of their quill, enthusiastic explorers giving a virtual foray into places yet unheard of, politically charged minds corroborating, arguing, analyzing and educating the uninitiated, inveterate readers promptly posting reviews for the world's perusal- all these are but only some shades which the blogosphere encapsulates effortlessly in its domain. While 'blogger' is still standard and familiar and best for me, services like wordpress and tumblr are the new fads to build a personalized online identity, whether as a writer, a poet, a photographer, or an artist.

I am still this extremely humble species lost amid the world of some seasoned and gifted bloggers. To understand how this world functions, I obviously began by browsing through examples, trying to gain knowledge, and find inspiration. Even before I conceived Nascent Emissions, I already had a list of favorites, a list of veterans I knew I would eagerly follow. When I finally logged into connect with fellow writers in this amazing world, I found awesome support pouring in for me, from people known and unknown. It felt great. The wannabe writer in me, who always felt depressingly suppressed now had a vent, a quite beautiful one at that.

So this post, being drafted just under 24 hours away from a new year dawning on us, is dedicated to the influences, inspirations and the encouragements I met with in the magnificent blogging Universe.

My Favorite Posts from 2011
I read a lot in this year. A hell lot. I was free, unimaginably free for a good 3-4 months in this year, and in that time, I only read. A lot many posts touched me, most of them I have forgotten about. My favorites are the ones which stayed with me, quote obviously.
To Wife- This is the product of the richest imagination I know, so quite effortlessly, it becomes my most read and most favorite post from this year. "But one couldn't call me ambitious, for my dreams are lazy dreams. Instead of ambitious, call me hopeful. And instead of dreamer, dreamy."- I have quoted this line I do not know how many times and at how many places, with due credits of course to the author, Anup Bishnoi. Him, I admire. And even this capacity to admire him makes me feel lucky.
The Shit Called Love-  I am cheesy, romantic and a believer. A little fictional narration in this post satiated all those three elements of my being. Written by Rahul Biswas, a blogger with tremendous potential, I love this post for the simplicity of its thought embedded in a very crafty narrative. This, could be the perfect potion for those who because of some unfortunate frictions have forgotten to believe in the 'shit called love'.
Taare Zameen Par - This post has a personal significance for me. Written by Achint Mathur, one of the most self assured person I know, it is a minimalist peek into the lives of three persons I know. This has been written to express, not to impress- and it did make me understand why Achint likes to call himself a thoughtful observer. It is because he is one.
Life And Death- Perhaps the simplest creation of the most incredible artist I know. Incredible and admirable, because I know her art flows in her veins. Besides the beauty in the painting, what I relish is the beauty in thought of this soon-to-be-very-famous,innocent looking, demure little girls called Priyanka Tampi.
Loving...The Artistic Way- This one is my favorite from my own blog, from amongst everything I wrote this year. So nothing to describe about it. It is just the sweetest thought I played with and felt I had satisfactorily put it into words too.

My Favorite Blogs from 2011
This was simple. These blogs I visit everyday. Almost.
Grass On Fire- If there is one person I want to write like, its Anup Bishnoi. You will find exquisite stuff on his blog. Exquisite? Aah! I do not even have words to describe what reading his blog feels like. For me, he is the master. His posts, you would want to read again and again. Richest imagination, grandest language.
Twishmay Shankar (My Life, The Universe and Everything)- He, Twishmay, writes about everything I can never even begin to understand. Surprisingly, his quills not only makes me understand, but fascinates me with the kind of concepts he introduces in his writings. It is the thinker, and the very well read thinker in him that I admire so much. Knowing not just what he writes, but also how he writes has been a treat. And even though he comes across as this exceptionally high-bred intellectual, he is perfectly humble to feedback and criticism. He is smart, and that shows effortlessly in his writings.
Yarn Of ~Words- The perfect virtual hangout for romantics like me. This blog has been nurtured like her offspring by the sweetly awesome author-cum-poet, Aakriti Malik. She attaches herself to her writings, and that is how I like to write. So, in matters of writing (and a few more things), she is like an elder soul sister.The best thing about her blog- no matter how soon is your next visit, you will always find some new and interesting post waiting to be read by you. This blog is her mirror, and it does a beautiful job of reflecting the wonderful person she is.
Aesthetic Blasphemy- I don't know why exactly I like this blog, but I know for sure I do. I do not even know the real name of the blogger behind all the creativity which is splashed across his blog, but he is one hell of a writer, who writes about such diverse things that I would never be able to put his writings into any single category. Creative, and endearing.
An Indian Muslim- I do not, again, know the name of the author. What caught my fancy first was the exquisite collection of quotable Urdu couplets and updates of various Mushairas which the author promptly posted on his blog, and later, I surfed more to discover interesting trivia from the hypocritically secular India's social and cultural and political life. This Indian Muslim is a reporter, observer and a poetry lover- he subsumes in himself all ingredients which make his blog very addictive. I only wish it were updated a bit more frequently.

I Thank
The following bloggers, I thank for liking my blog enough to include in their reading list. I kind of like checking my traffic updates, and I get a good number of readers from all of you. For giving me a little mention in what is supposed to be your exclusive space, thanks a ton!
Aakriti Malik, she pours her heart out at Yarn Of ~Words
Aavika Dhanda, she romances with words at Nirvana
Achint Mathur, he shares opinions at Aman Ki Aasha
Archika Poria, she spreads laughter at The25thHour
Dipesh Mittal, he expresses his thoughts at Tears and Cheers
Rohan Manchanda, he litters his intelligent scribbles at Scribarohan
Saurabh Gupta, he displays his fine penmanship at Almost There...
Shikha Singh, she articulates her beliefs at The Silver Lining

Again, I Thank
The following people, for keeping abreast with my writing, and giving me consistent, constructive and encouraging feedback. If you guys did not drop in your comments, I would not have even known whom am I writing for :)
Apoorv Aggarwal, Sushruti Tripathi, Gopan K, Aakriti Malik, Gautam Kapil, Saurabh Gupta, Jyoti, Rahul Biswas, Kunal, Dipesh Mittal, Achint Mathur, Shakuntala Ma'am, Ebha Ma'am, Pallak Jagga, Mayank Saroha, Tapan Kulshreshtha, Manan Kulshreshtha, Varghese, Cheistha Kochhar, Kanika Chaturvedi, Sanchari Banerjee, Twishmay Shankar, Vrinda Aggarwal, Bhargav, Panvi Poddar, Akshat Mittal, Aavika Dhanda, Ashutosh, Namit Joshi, Nikita Sailesh and all the others whose name I am forgetting to mention here.
My most valuable comments this year came from three people. Giving them a special mention, definitely banta hai!
Ahmed Faiyaz- the author whose book I reviewed left a sweet feedback on the same post. Happiness!
Beni- A girl whose wit dazzles me. Her appreciation simply means a lot!
Anup Bishnoi- A writer I wished I could write like. One comment by him, and I know I jumped in ecstasy.

Heartfelt thanks to all of you, yet again. Hope that in the coming year, you all grow as writers, and as persons too. Stay connected! Keep reading, and keep writing

New Year Wishes with a pretty smile and some chosen flowers. Hope you all like!