In Vacant or in Pensive Mood

Recently, I took a poll on Instagram (screenshot attached below) just to get some proof about something I already knew to be true. There are more "dog people" or dog lovers in the world than there are "cat people". Only two people responded to my poll saying that they loved both cats and dogs, one of them being me. Screenshot from my Instagram Poll The reason? Dogs are friendly, lively, over-the-top expressive and totally adorable -- none of which I'm denying and do fully agree with! But what I hate is the other side of the argument made by people who don't like cats. They say that cats are boring, distant, arrogant and always with their claws out to scratch. You know what, there's nothing wrong with the cats - it's you who are judgmental! Trust me, I've seen enough dogs and cats in my life to know this. It's true that cats don't fall in love with you the minute you meet them. Cats are cautious with people; they lik...

Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie searches for answers in places where the lines blur and the world is no longer just black and white. That's me and my selfie skills British or Pakistani? A Home Secretary who is a protector of his country or a destroyer of innocent lives? A girl who is a hijab-clad believer or a make-up clad seductress? A young man who is a devoted lover or a faithful son? A boy who is a ruthless terrorist or a scared soul looking to return home? These are only some of the questions that you will be asking as you read this book and try to understand the characters in Shamsie's story. Dig a little deeper, and you will find yourself pondering over the more important questions. What makes up the identity of a person? How important is the role of one's nationality and religion in making up a person's identity? Does society categorise you based on these factors? How far do these factors determine who a person is? Is it too much to deny y...