Spiderman - Brand New Day - Review

What I liked about Spiderman – Brand New Day

Theatres are active and the industry is minting money.

The memory element in the script.

The technology like inhibitors, home-made web-shooters was engaging.

The music was immersive and gave the much needed connect.

Mind-hopping scenes especially in the park was great. 

What I didn’t like about Spiderman – Brand New Day 

3D experience was pathetic. 

Too much cringe scenes 

Punisher was waster 

No emotional connect 

Spiderman is getting old and it shows. 

Hulk failed to impress 

Recreating the Hulk thrashing the Loki scene from The Avengers (2012) was a disaster 

Onam, Fashion and the Memory of Home

This year’s Onam collections show how fashion can become a powerful archive of memory. Moving beyond festive clothing, designers draw on childhood nostalgia, family traditions, Kerala’s landscapes, flowers, and everyday rituals to create garments that preserve cultural memory in wearable form.

Rouka’s Pulari reimagines Kerala’s landscapes while promoting sustainable and versatile fashion. Pranaah celebrates the flower sellers and artisans whose labour makes Onam possible, transforming floral markets into embroidered textiles. House of Urmi’s Orma revives memories of old-world Onam through hand-painted motifs of pookkalams, swings, birds, and village life. Yarn Culture’s Ivory Edit turns intimate memories—rain-filled courtyards, manjadi seeds, and freshly gathered flowers—into elegant contemporary designs.

From a memory studies perspective, these collections demonstrate that clothing is more than fabric; it is a carrier of personal and collective memory. Through colour, embroidery, motifs, and craftsmanship, fashion becomes a medium that preserves identity, evokes nostalgia, and connects the past with the present. In doing so, these designers transform Onam from a seasonal celebration into a living cultural memory woven into everyday life.

https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/fashion/kerala-designers-blend-tradition-with-sustainability-for-their-onam-collections-this-festive-season/article71310992.ece

Capturing home through painting and memory - Article Review

                           

Kashmiri artist Azim Hassan, now based in Foshan, China, uses his paintings to explore themes of home, memory, loss, identity, and the emotional impact of conflict in Kashmir. Living away from his homeland has deepened his perspective, allowing him to depict Kashmir’s changing landscapes, disappearing architectural traditions, and fading cultural memories with a sense of nostalgia.

His paintings often feature solitary figures, vast landscapes, and recurring blue tones, symbolizing spirituality, melancholy, silence, and reflection. Hassan draws inspiration from Kashmir’s natural beauty as well as its troubled history, portraying the tension between beauty and hardship. Works such as The Dubb and the Nab preserve vanishing cultural elements like traditional wooden balconies, while Boy by the Windowside and Beyond the Broken reflect the violence and curfews that marked Kashmir in 2016.

After studying at Jamia Millia Islamia and later receiving a scholarship to the China Academy of Art, Hassan built an international career, exhibiting in several countries while teaching International Baccalaureate (IB) art in China. His stable career has also enabled him to support educational initiatives in Kashmir.

Despite building a life in China, including marrying a Chinese woman, Hassan remains deeply connected to Kashmir. His art serves as a visual archive of a homeland undergoing rapid change, preserving its landscapes, traditions, and collective memories while expressing the enduring emotional legacy of conflict and displacement.

https://www.thehindu.com/society/azim-hassan-kashmiri-artist-paints-memory-loss-home-china/article71182012.ece

Anxiety Monster by Rhona McFerran - Summary

The poem describes anxiety as a scary monster.

The anxiety monster follows the speaker everywhere and causes fear.

Anxiety fills the speaker with worry and self-doubt.

It takes away the speaker’s happiness and peace.

The speaker learns that many people experience anxiety.

Anxiety troubles the speaker both day and night.

The speaker decides to fight against anxiety.

She becomes stronger by understanding her fears.

Although anxiety goes away for a while, it comes back again.

The poem teaches us to face anxiety with courage and never give up.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost - Summary

                                  

The speaker stops by a quiet, snow-covered wood on a winter evening.

He believes he knows the owner of the woods, who lives in a nearby village.

Since the owner is away, the speaker enjoys the peaceful beauty of the falling snow.

His horse finds it unusual to stop in such a lonely place without any farmhouse nearby.

The horse shakes its harness bells as if questioning the unexpected halt.

The only sounds are the gentle wind and the soft fall of snowflakes.

The woods appear beautiful, calm, dark, and mysterious.

The speaker is deeply attracted by the silence and serenity of nature.

However, he remembers the promises and responsibilities he must fulfill.

He leaves the woods and continues his journey, reminding himself that he still has a long way to go before he can rest.

Keigo Higashino: Crime Fiction Beyond the Mystery - Article Summary

The death of Keigo Higashino at 68 marks the loss of one of Japan’s greatest contemporary writers. Though celebrated as a master of detective fiction, Higashino used crime novels to explore human psychology, morality, family relationships, and Japanese society, making his work far more than traditional whodunits.

His novels focus less on who committed the crime and more on why it happened. Through a slow, thoughtful unraveling of motives, he reveals the emotional and moral complexities behind every mystery. Books like Newcomer, The Devotion of Suspect X, Journey Under the Midnight Sun, Malice, and The Final Curtain showcase his ability to blend suspense with profound insights into human nature.

Higashino’s characters are morally complex, often blurring the line between innocence and guilt. His stories also offer vivid portraits of contemporary Japan, capturing its traditions, social changes, and everyday life.

His posthumous novel, Eternal Memory, continues the Detective Galileo series and serves as a fitting tribute to a writer who elevated crime fiction into a powerful exploration of conscience, memory, and the human condition.

3.1 - The Things That Haven’t Been Done Before – Edgar Albert Guest - Summary

The poem encourages us to step out of our comfort zone

It inspires us to try new things and take risks in life.

We should have clear dreams and goals to achieve success.

The poet admires the courage of explorers like Christopher Columbus.

He urges us to become pioneers and trailblazers in our own lives.

We should think creatively and do things in unique ways.

Failure should not stop us from discovering new paths.

The poem motivates us to lead rather than simply follow others.

We should ignore negative opinions that discourage our ambitions.

Overall, the poem teaches that courage, innovation, and perseverance lead to a meaningful and successful life.

3.1 - Leisure by W.H Davies – Summary

Leisure by William Henry Davies highlights the importance of taking time to enjoy nature

The poet criticizes the fast-paced modern lifestyle that leaves people with no time to appreciate beauty.

He asks what kind of life it is if we are always too busy to “stand and stare.”

People fail to admire the beauty of green trees, fields, and peaceful surroundings.

They also miss watching squirrels and other animals in their natural habitat.

The poet describes the sparkling streams whose waters shine like stars in daylight.

Beauty is personified as a graceful young woman dancing and smiling.

However, people are too occupied with their daily routines to notice her charm.

Davies reminds readers that nature has the power to refresh the mind and bring happiness.

He concludes that a life without time to enjoy nature is truly a poor life.