April Notes 2025 - April Adventures & Side Quests
From Bali’s backroads to Tamil haikus, April was a ride of firsts, folklore, and finding meaning in memories.
I meant to write this sooner, sometime in May but May swept me off my feet. Travel, work, and life took over, and writing naturally took a backseat. But here we are.
Back to the Future
Talking to my fellows (Young India Fellowship) is one of the best feelings. Especially with whom I can talk about the most random absurd things without hesitation or fear of judgment.
How so nice that both of us felt the same thing in the same way! It was a warm feeling in one of those coldest nights at Ashoka. It’s hard to explain that kind of connection—can only be felt.
One poem that stayed with me this month is The True Atheist by Sandip Khare (translated from Marathi). Shared by Akshay, it’s a quirky beautiful conversation between an atheist and a god. Loved it, here is where you can find it.
(Thanks, Akshay <3)
Noticing Through Tamil Haikus
Recently got hooked on Tamil haikus.
Only now am I beginning to appreciate how poets capture fleeting, everyday moments and turn them into something magical. It hit me poetry is just the art of noticing. And for the first time, I feel like I’m learning to see that in poetry.
Also stumbled upon a video of Prof. Parveen Sultana reciting some gems — soothing, grounding, and absolutely worth a listen. You can watch it here!
If any of you who don’t understand Tamil, hit me up, I’m happy to spend time translating this poetry in English for you.
Showing Up
As I grow older (getting spiritual, guys :P), I’ve noticed a shift in how I show up for things I once dismissed because of my beliefs. This April, I went with my family to witness Panguni Uthiram, a festival that celebrates Lord Murugan’s union with Deivanai. For someone who’s been a staunch atheist most of his life, this was surprising even to me. But I’ve come to realise that showing up for the people you love sometimes means parking your beliefs at the door. If it brings them joy, why not?
The festival made me notice the powerful presence of symbols—colours, logos, shapes woven into everything we do. They unify us in ways we don’t always realise. Who decided these symbols? How did they take shape? And who first gave them meaning? It’s invisible, yet deeply influential.
This trip also stirred some childhood memories. A few of my earliest habits trace back to this festival like receiving a piggy bank from grandma every year and saving up all the spare change. Or getting a slingshot from Thatha and spending summer afternoons knocking down mangoes. Funny how rituals and nostalgia come full circle, no matter how far you stray.
From Cutouts to Feeds
On the way back from Panguni Uthiram, something caught my eye South’s unmistakable poster and cutout culture. Huge faces, bold colours, loud declarations of love and loyalty. For years, I cringed at the sheer drama of it all.
But then it hit me. We’ve just moved it to a new kind of real estate: our digital feeds. Stories, statuses of birthday countdowns, marriage posts. The sentiment hasn’t changed; just the medium has.
Some of my friends take it to another level with hilarious, over-the-top edits. I’ve come to admire the creativity behind it. Maybe it's not so different after all.
Adventure of a Lifetime
Post return from this festival, started the preparation for the most awaited trip of this year so far. My friends & I decided to go to Bali for one of the boy’s bachelor’s trip and that was probably one of the best locations we could have come up with. I had my suspicions about Bali because of all that internet (read Instagram) showed was honeymooning couples, the infamous Bali swings and the mythical looking arches. I in fact messaged one of my friends about this.
I don’t really know where to begin about this trip, all I would say is that it was one of the most incredible places for adventure junkies and I can’t explain how glad I’m to be able to make it. I will write separately about Bali because I don’t think I can do justice for all my experience in this post.
I couldn’t believe how far we all have come and managed to be the support system. The picture below was taken way back in 2011 when I was in my 9th grade and was taken at the house of my friend whose bachelor party we were celebrating in Bali.
Pulled off a trip with 13 people and came back in one piece (mostly) and that itself feels like a solid win.
What struck me during this trip, especially while traveling through what are called "lower middle-income countries," is how well many of them function with far fewer resources than we do back home. Infrastructure, waste management, even people’s general behaviour there’s a surprising amount of order. It hit me hardest on the roads. Narrow, wide, congested, or empty people don’t honk unnecessarily. They overtake only when needed. There’s patience. There’s courtesy. If someone messes up, they get called out with a vroom. What’s even more refreshing? They acknowledge it, nod, apologise, and move on. Imagine that.
Oddly enough, the chaos in places like Canggu comes from the foreigners, mostly white folks who probably follow all the rules back in Europe but drive like headless chickens here. Why does that happen? Do people turn reckless when they feel detached from consequences? When they know they don’t belong and therefore don’t care? With Indians, I get it. We’re raised to survive the road, not drive on it. But watching the contrast both positive and negative was fascinating.
If anyone’s read up on this kind of behavioural shift, send stuff my way. I’m curious.
First Adventures & Side Quests
Another most fascinating things about Bali is that it’s a Hindu-majority state but with some striking differences. During a few chats with locals, I found out that Murugan/Karthikeyan/Skanda isn’t even part of their pantheon. That sent me into a rabbit hole I’ve danced around since 2023.
Growing up with grandparents who were ardent Murugan devotees, I always assumed he was central to Hinduism. But maybe he wasn’t. Maybe he was a local Tamil deity later woven into the larger Hindu narrative. This opens up bigger questions: What is god? Who decides which deities are “mainstream”? Why are some beliefs labeled “subcultures” even when followed by millions?
So, I’ve unofficially kicked off a long-term side quest to understand the origin of this particular belief system, how identities form, and who really controls cultural narratives. Will report back when I have answers or better questions.
Now for the highs: April was the month of firsts. First t-shirt design, first logo design, first scuba dive, first off-road ride, first time in Indonesia, first bite of Balinese cuisine… and drumroll my first job offer as a designer. Got the message on Discord on April 30. Felt surreal.
And as we landed back in India, a giant billboard screamed, “Look at you hustling and not living!” The old me might’ve felt attacked. The new me just smiled, couldn’t relate no more! Yes!!!
If you’ve read till here and sitting on the fence about a trip: just do it. Rally your friends, make the WhatsApp group, put that g-sheet, book the tickets. The ROI on memories, laughter, chaos, and stories is off the charts. We managed two international trips with 10+ people in two years, so it’s doable. Worth every bit of the effort.
That’s it for April. See you in May — chaos pending.
The rays through the clouds in the last picture remind me of Kadaisi Vivasayi's magical climax!!