All Things Soothing

Soul-stirring music, a viral recipe, and a bedside book.

I started the आईना newsletter in early April for several reasons, but mostly to write about pleasant things like past travels, interesting books, and fun recipes — a brief escape from the reality of our times. Days after my first newsletter post, the second wave of COVID-19 hit hard, and every weekend since, I’ve struggled to write. 

In issue #1, I turned to my breath to stay calm and come to terms with the situation. In issue #2, I dived into my fears, hoping to derive strength and perspective from past experiences.

By week 3, I had no brain space or motivation to write. I was shaken by the death of a new mother who had contracted COVID during childbirth and didn’t make it. I didn’t know her personally, not even her name. I found out about her through an SOS on Twitter, and after spending all night trying to find an ICU bed for her, I passed out in the wee hours of the morning, only to wake up to the news of her death. Every loss feels so personal — the journalist who I only knew through a byline, the senior from college who lost her father while she was in jail on false charges, former colleagues, a neighbor.

The only silver lining is the coming together of people, friends and strangers alike, to find resources and help. But how are people in rural areas coping? Even the thought of this gives me jitters, while news reports confirm the dismal state of affairs in the hinterlands. Occasionally, there’s a ray of hope.

To detach from all things COVID for a bit, I picked up Jhumpa Lahiri’s new book, Whereabouts, which led me to write issue #3 of this newsletter, a week later. But yesterday, I was back to square one, wondering what to write.

Since the stagnation and emptiness that many of us feel is finally being acknowledged as ‘languishing,’ I thought it would be nice to share some soothing things that have given me fleeting moments of comfort and joy through different mediums: music, food, art, and literature.

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Ludovico Einaudi

First up is my favorite musician: Ludovico Einaudi. I don’t have much knowledge about western classical music (or any genre of music for that matter), but I have an ear for sound, and Einaudi’s music moves me.

One of my fondest memories from a ghastly 2020 (only matched by 2021) is the opportunity to listen to Ludovico Einaudi live in Singapore. It was unexpected, and I couldn’t believe my luck when I found out that he was performing at the Esplanade — Theatres on the Bay around the same time I was in Singapore on work. 

I remember being so excited and happy that my palms were sweating on my way to the concert hall. When he came on stage and played my favorite compositions, I truly believed that everything that led me to that moment had been worth it. Everything.

I can’t think of another artist who has had such a profound impact on me over the years, but more so this past year. My weekend walks in the park have been enriched by his soul-stirring music  — flying birds, flowing water, passing clouds, falling flowers — every scene in nature reminds me of his compositions, which play in my mind on loop (also evident from my early Instagram reels documenting these moments). 

Indoors, his music transports me to better days, making my heart burst with joy and hope, and at the same time, moving me to tears — oh, the sheer beauty of sound! 

I don’t know if his music will have the same impact on you, but I wanted to share for whatever it’s worth. Here’s a playlist (by no means an exhaustive one) and a video of him live in concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London:

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Feta Pasta

I might not come across as someone who is on top of the latest TikTok trends, more so when the app is banned in India, but there’s one trend I had to write about: Feta Pasta. 

I first heard of it from a friend and have made it a few times over the last few months. It tastes delicious, is super easy to make, and can be a fun activity to engage with children, flatmates, or solo.

While my Italian and German friends were horrified to see me mixing ‘Greek’ feta cheese with pasta in my Instagram posts, I soon found out that this “TikTok Pasta” is actually a Finnish dish, originally called UuniFetaPasta (who would have thought!).

There are tonnes of renditions online, but here’s the recipe I followed: 

Add half a cup of olive oil to an oven-safe glass dish. Place a block of feta cheese in the center and coat it with olive oil. Add a box of cherry tomatoes and coat them with the oil as well. Spread them out. Add lots of chili flakes, 8-10 chopped garlic cloves, freshly ground pepper, and a pinch of salt. Bake it in a preheated oven at 400 F for 30-40 minutes (or till the tomatoes burst). When you take it out, mix it using a spatula and add fresh basil leaves. Add cooked pasta of choice to the mix (I like to use farfalle) and toss it. You can add some water to loosen up the sauce if needed. Tada, it’s ready to eat! You can also use the mix minus the pasta to eat with bread.

Let me know if you try it! 

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The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse

What’s a discussion about all things soothing without the mention of a good book? My pick is The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy.

Art by Charlie Mackesy

It’s BEAUTIFUL and worth keeping at your bedside. Open any page, and it’s sure to touch your heart. So buy it, read it, and gift it (enough said?!).

Art by Charlie Mackesy

While it’s said that we’re all on the same boat in this COVID-storm, we know that’s not true. Some have it far worse than others for reasons beyond their control. Please support those in need in whatever way you can.

I have put together a list of ongoing fundraising campaigns. I have personally donated to a handful of them and encourage you to do the same. Donating small amounts regularly (like once a month) to different initiatives works well for me — maybe you could try it too? Those already doing their bit (and some more) — thank you. 🙏

Take care, and see you next weekend!