> be me, 28m wagie living in Delhi
> wake up at 8 AM for my IT coolie job
> look out window, can’t see anything except a Grey haze
> neighbhourhood looks like the inside of a tandoor that hasn't been cleaned since 1947
> chest feeling heavy, congestion built up in lungs
> must be the weather changing
> check phone
> open IQAir app (Western propaganda tool)
> screen is deep purple
> AQI 650: "Hazardous. Do not breathe. Just die."
> panic.jpg
> am I being gaslit by the atmosphere?
> turn on nationalist TV news channel
> see senior Minister
> looks calm, composed, probably breathing filtered Himalayan air in the studio
> “Global rankings are not official. WHO guidelines are just suggestions.”
> “India sets its own standards based on geography.”
> realization hits me
> foreign AQI is a colonial construct
> Westoid lungs are weak, cannot handle the texture of Desi air
> they need ‘clean air’ because they lack civilizational immunity
> delete IQAir immediately
> install ‘Sarkari Vayu Sewa’ app
> refresh location
> AQI is 45: “Satisfactory”
> it’s not PM2.5, it’s ‘Atmanirbhar Particles’
> it’s not smog, it’s ‘Viksit Vapor’
> go to balcony
> take a deep breath of sovereign, non-aligned air
> taste the sulphur
> cough up a black glob
> stare at it
> it looks vaguely like a map of Akhand Bharat
> tears stream down my face (mostly from the nitrogen dioxide, but also patriotism)
> Global Index: Rejected
> Lungs: Congested
> Nation: Protected
> mfw I successfully rejected Western imperialism by reducing my life expectancy by 10 years
This is what happens when the ones in power have no fear of losing elections. In fact, they'd gladly stop the concept of midday meals altogether if they could.
Suddenly, you're 27.
You make your coffee, rush to work, come home around 7, and you're too tired to do anything except eat, scroll on your phone, and pass out.
Then you wake up, and do it all again.
And when Friday comes, maybe you go out, or maybe you're just too tired. Then, out of nowhere, it hits you.
How did everything pass by so quickly?
You don't even feel 27.
You still feel like that 17 year old kid who thought they had all the time in the world.
But somehow, 10 years just disappeared. And you start missing the past. The feeling of being young, excited, and clueless.
But then you realize, one day, you'll miss this, too.
Being 25, being confused, being tired, but still trying.
So maybe the trick is to slow down a bit and actually live this chapter before it also becomes just another memory.
The point is no matter what age you are, you’ll miss these days. Life gets busy sometimes and it’s always a good time to stop and smell the roses.
Mamata Banerjee protesting against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as she demands that Mamata Banerjee must ask Mamata Banerjee to tender her resignation to Mamata Banerjee.
Announcement:
I can confirm there will be a tribute to Abhradeep Saha at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
He will be in the match programme, and there will be a tribute announcement at half-time.
Thank you to everybody that shared and supported to help make this happen 🙏
I just remembered this Japanese commercial for DBZ: Kakarot and how perfectly it reflects how much Toriyama's work really affected so many people's lives.
May he forever rest in peace.
Akria Toriyama is, full stop, one of the most influential men in the history of pop culture
Words cannot describe how impactful this man’s work is. But I wanna try, and I wanna make this thread in honor of him and to acknowledge what this man meant to so many (🧵)