Right with Ash - All you need to know!

WHO AM I?

I’m sure you’re here to see what Right with Ash is all about but before you do that, here’s a little about the ‘Ash’ in the title:

I’m Ashley, a 21-year-old Psychology major with an avid passion for the English language. I have always been the ‘Ross’ among my friends, obsessing over the ‘who’ and ‘whom’ (something I secretly take pride in). I began proofreading as an amateur when my father, during his term as the secretary, would ask me to proofread the church newsletters before they were sent to be published. As I grew older, I found myself enjoying the art of copy-editing and restructuring content, all the while yearning to lay my hands on more. A well-intended article becomes all the more beautiful when the style appears clear and concise for its readers and that is what I want to do for you!

Through this service, I assure that the process of editing will be easy and stress-free for you. However, as simple as the service may seem, my work will be thorough, meticulous and inspired by you.

And then there are those days!

There is a happy day!

To Whomsoever It May Concern

To whomsoever it may concern,

I am not going to do the mistake that few prominent celebrities did in July by addressing this to a particular person of authority. I am living a quite-so-peaceful life and I am not interested in making it not-so-peaceful. I’m satisfied seeing FIRs filed in movies, definitely not interested in getting one.

So dear ‘whomsoever’, I’m just going to call you Sirji. I’ve always wanted to address someone this way. You see, being born and brought up in a Malayali household and residing in Chennai, I’ve never been able to use my broken Hindi which I learnt from watching serials on Star Plus. And there I go rambling again. Sirji, this is the problem with all of my monologues: I start in India and I travel all the way to Uganda, traversing Africa and Columbia and Czechoslovakia.

Times New Roman, Size 12, Single-Spaced

The title for the post is blank now. I'm not sure what this post is about. Hopefully by the end of it, I will be able to find a title. So for those of you who have started reading this because of the attractive title (me being optimistic), do know that the title was the clincher to the post.

The Hours of Silence

As I write this article, my lips are zipped. Don’t get me wrong, it was a choice, not a compulsion.

I woke up this morning disorientated. The new academic year and new responsibilities had kept me on my toes all week and had wreaked havoc in my head; I was feeling insecure and a lot of self-doubt was flooding through the grey cells. I just wanted to sulk the entire day, which is quite the opposite of my annoyingly happy self. I was sure I could convince everyone that insomnia was the reason behind my grumpiness. The only obstacle I was sure to face was my best friend; she can smell my mood from a distance. I knew she would demand an explanation and I wouldn’t have one because I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was bothering me.

Lo and behold, to my rescue came my Professor! As a part of our class in Social Psychology, she challenged us to violate a social norm and observe peoples’ reactions to it. Many hilarious examples were discussed and she encouraged us to watch seemingly absurd social experiments online. I couldn’t believe my luck; karma works in a dizzyingly rapid rate now! I have a reason to remain quiet, no questions asked. And so began my 12 hours of silence, 9 am to 9 pm.

How Relevant Is Sustainable Development To Developing Countries?

The United Nations Head Ban Ki-moon was right when he said, “Sustainable development is the pathway to the future we want for all.” When we look around, we are likely to see various aspects that we can change to make a better world. But sometimes we lack the courage to take a step forward and to be the change we wish to see (quoted by MK Gandhi). Even our older generation is heard saying, “What a wonderful world it was back then! But look at the state that the world is in today. No wonder we are struck by all kinds of calamities.” It is indeed a known fact that if the world continues to persist in the present state, it won’t be long before we come face to face with destruction. Warnings are continuously being reiterated that the present type and levels of development are not sustainable. 

Dear Bapu...

Dear Bapu,

After a long time, it feels liberating to pen out my thoughts. Not that I’m not given the freedom of speech, Bapu- it’s just that the people for whom you won independence do not appreciate the openness with which women speak. But I’ve always thought that in our country, a woman is considered the ‘Ghar ki Lakshmi’. Is this the way to treat a goddess? But Bapu, you’ve inspired me to stand up for what I feel is right. So now I’m going to let it out.