A Swirl of Spice

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Hi, I'm Ariel.

Welcome to my blog, which is a quick trip inside of my mind. I write about the books I love, the places I’ve been, the music I’ve found, and the thoughts I’ve had along the way. Hope you enjoy!

All in writing

Apr 24

Apr 24 A City('s) Love

Ariel

writing

“I have looked down across the city from high windows. It is then that the great buildings lose reality and take on their magical powers. They are immaterial; that is to say, one sees but the lighted windows.”

Oct 15

Oct 15 Finding Your Reflection: Social Media

Ariel

writing

Here are some of my favorite Instagram pages I've seen, inspired by the videos I've seen of Deepica Mutyala, a Youtube beauty guru who speaks Telugu. Soon after I started watching her videos, I found the company she started - and discovered the brown niche community of Instagram.

Sep 25

Sep 25 Finding Your Reflection: Popular Culture

Ariel

writing

I am a staunch supporter of the power of representation, and as a Indian growing up in America - like many other communities - I've felt woefully underrepresented. I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite South Asians who I've seen in the public eye. These are not all of the famous South Asians, by any means, but some of my personal favorites.

Sep 11

Sep 11 Finding Your Reflection: Brown Beauty

Ariel

writing

Part 1 of 3 part series: Finding Your Reflection, in which I list things I have learned over the years as a South Asian woman. In this post, I detail my favorite beauty products, and which brands tend to accommodate women of color.

Feb 5

Feb 5 Lord of the Rings and a Quiet Nostalgia

Ariel

writing

Sometimes I think there's magic in re-recognizing the familiar. It happens when when you pick up an old favorite book, or hear a melody on the radio - and it sings to your heart, a tune you have memorized inside and out, like when you realize that you still remember all the worlds to your old favorite song from a decade ago.

Jun 1

Jun 1 The "Un-American" American

Ariel

writing

“You kids have only ever thought of yourselves as American, but, unfortunately, you’ll always be brown," my aunt said, while both of my feet were propped up on her couch; we were discussing life in the aftermath of Trump’s election.