Travel: In Review 2025
2025 was not a good year for me. The year started off brightly but ended up on a disappointing note. Life took a very unexpected …
2025 Books: Year in Review
A roundup of the books that broadened my understanding and fueled my curiosity this year.
7 Things I Love about Canada
I moved to Canada seven years ago today, to the day. I wasn’t new to resetting my life and starting from scratch in a new city, but doing it in a new country was a first, and that too after leaving a stable job. India, the land where I spent 25+ years of my life, shaped so much of who I am, and the shift to Canada was significant. But seven years later, I look back with gratitude for how much this country has given me. So today, in this post I am celebrating the seven things I absolutely love about Canada.
Carmilla || A Book Post
Carmilla is a gothic vampire novella published in 1872. It is one of the most influential vampire horror stories ever published, predating Dracula by 25 years. In fact, Dracula incorporates many features which were inspired/influenced by Carmilla. The story, which is set in a remote part of Austria, is about a young woman who is pursued by a female vampire.
Celebrating a Milestone: 2025 Young Energy Professional of the Year (Canada Region)
Earlier this year, I was honored to be selected for the Association of Energy Engineers’ Young Energy Professional of the Year Canada Region Award. In September, I flew down to Atlanta, USA, to receive the award in person, which was a memorable experience.
Ink, Film, and Fright: Horror Recap 2024–2025
Horror, especially, gothic horror literature has captivated me since childhood, forming an essential part of my childhood memories. Its influence has seeped into many of my other passions, from reading and writing to the way I travel and explore the world. It’s been a while since I last shared my favorite books and movies, my previous posts date back to 2015 with an update on movies in 2021. This post is a recap of the movies/TV shows I have watched and books I have read over the past year or so.
The 13 Best Horror Stories of All time || A Book Post
This is a collection of classic horror fiction written by some of the greatest writers of horror including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, H. P. Lovecraft and Algernon Blackwood (who is my favorite). Spanning from 1872 to 1948 these stories represent the classic age of horror.
History of Islam in 21 Women || A 10 point book review
Muslim women have played an important part in Islam’s history throughout the ages, from seventh-century Mecca to 21st century United States of America. This book explores the life and achievements of 21 such extraordinary Muslim women from different parts of the world and eras. From Khadijah, the first believer to Maryam Mirzakhani, the celebrated mathematician (after whom the Maryam Mirzakhani Award in Mathematics is named) this book looks at some truly exceptional women.
Islamic Empires || A 10 point book review
Since the dawn of civilization Muslims have built some of the world’s greatest cities. As the author of this book, Justin Marozzi says “Civilization was by definition an urban phenomenon, and no one did cities quite like the Muslims.” This city building peaked during the Islamic Golden Age. In this book, the author explores the major Muslim cities starting from 7th century Mecca to the mind boggling rise of Dubai and Doha in the 21st century.
Guinness World Record Hike at Cypress Mountain, Vancouver, Canada
A few weeks ago, I helped set up a Guinness World Record, alongside 1,566 others! The record was for “The most people hiking simultaneously”. We broke the previous record of 815 hikers set in Kurdistan, Iraq. Given how outdoor-mad the people of Vancouver are, it felt right to see the record now belong here.