#A-to-Z #Challenge #Reflections Post 2014

This year's challenge has been mixed feelings for me. As always, for the third time in a row, I have enjoyed having a daily post to write about, to think about, and to strive towards. However, I haven't been able to network the way I did the last couple of years. Partly, this has been due to my lack of planning and ending up with a theme that proved really difficult to write upon.
Also, April proved to be unusually busy! I hadn't expected it to be quite so intense, a lot of lovely travelling, a lot of holidays with the family, casting my first vote in the largest election in the world, among other things. So, all in all, I'm not too sure if I will come back to do this next year - but that's too far away to worry about!
I'm very proud of S, over at Failed Experiments & Experimental Failings, who finally managed to get her writing juices flowing at her third attempt at the challenge. What a lovely theme, and what enjoyable posts! Another big shout out to T, over at Scouring Monk, who I owe big time, for taking the time to read each one of my posts, and coming up with some hilarious ones of his own :)
I’d like to sincerely thank the organizers, hosts, co-hosts and helpers of the challenge. Good job!
That's all folks!

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This is the reflections post for the April A-to-Z Blogging Challenge 2014.
Previously, Archaism, British literature, Critical Analysis, Drama, Edinburgh, Faust, Gothic Fiction, Humour, Interpretation, Journalling, Keats, Language, Metaphysical Poetry, Narration, Ode, Papillion(ed), Quatrain, Romanticism, Shakespeare, Tone, University, Victorian Literature, Wilde's Wit, Xenophobia, Yeats, Zen

Late, very late to the party – My #AtoZChallenge Theme Reveal

I do have a very valid excuse for this one. If you know me, you know that I'm very organised. And since I do not 'do' many challenges and lists on the blogging world, I usually do not completely forget about the ones I take up. But last month, I started studying Literature, and the assignment submission deadline was March 31st. Because I'm such a good girl, I submitted them a week in advance! But sadly, that meant that I missed the theme reveal day for the #AtoZChallenge 2014... anyway, here we are now!

Since I've begun studying again, and this time something that I absolutely love; it is only fair that I write about it too! So my theme for this year is 'English Literature Year 1 - Tassels & Troubles'.
I hope you will pick it up from last year's fun. I have had such a great time with this Challenge in the past two years (2013 Scotland, 2012 Books) and I'm sure this year too will be very rewarding! Here's to a brilliant time, folks! Good Luck!

Reflecting on the A-to-Z Challenge

I have had a very productive April. I had a long Easter break from University and I spent it travelling, reading, and writing. Well done I say! This is the reason why my posts for this year's challenge were a lot better than last year's. My theme for this year was Scotland!
I gave you posts about travel, music, experiences, life, literature, science, language, history, architecture, food... I think I did well. Scotland has much to offer and being a teeny wee country, no one notices it. Scotland is Edinburgh and Glasgow, yes, but it is so so much more.
To all the 700 people who visited, Thank You. To those who left kind comments, you are appreciated more than you know. And those who are on my reading list now, we'll keep in touch, eh!

To those who survived the challenge, thanks for all the jazz people, you are awesome!

I will leave you with some fabulous resources for travelling to Scotland. If at any point, you decide to come, and need any info... drop me a line and I will be happy to help. I truly love this place. I hope I never have to leave!

VisitScotland
Historic Scotland
BBC Scotland
TravelScotland
Visit Highlands
Hostelling Scotland

and of course, there's Lonely Planet, TripAdvisor, Wikipedia, and Facebook!
Much love and the very best of wishes to you all.

May the wee folk sprinkle you with faery dust!

M... is for Mogwai (Music)!

Little known and little heard, Mogwai is the only band I knew about that was from Scotland. That was before I came here, but Mogwai has stuck with me for a long time now.
This is a tiny post because I'm on a trip using someone else's computer to type it. And also, friends and conversations are waiting. So, I'll leave you to listen to my favourite Mogwai track!



Enjoy!
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This post is part of the ongoing A-to-Z Challenge. Previously, Aye, Berwick, Cramond, Disability, Edinburgh, Forth Bridge, Glasgow, Hamish, Isle of Skye, John o' Groats, Kirk, Loch Lomond and Luss.

A-to-Z Challenge Reflections Post

I'm just going to tell you what really was, based on the questions that were considered worth reflecting on...
Working on the A-to-Z Challenge was wonderful. I took it for the first time, in fact, I just happened to chance upon it in December and I thought to myself, while signing up, 'Oh, so much fun, I'm totally going to have a ready alphabet by the time April comes!'
That did not happen. Not only did I not have a ready steady line of posts, I hadn't even thought of a theme. This blog was never meant for greatness. It is called 'Shreds & Shards', it contained deep and dark poetry of the personal kind, random ramblings of a college student. It began when blogging wasn't so much a fad. Even before this challenge began, I had some 10 odd followers, all fairly close friends or colleagues. And now I have over two scores! I feel loved and honoured, most importantly, read.
It was April 1st! And I thought, what the hell, let's do it. I thought I'd not have a theme and just wrote about 'Atticus'. But then, I logged in the next morning and saw the response... people liked it! So I thought I was going to be posting about fictional characters. I took out a pen and paper, jotted down the first set that popped into my head, from A to Z. That's it. I did think of Q, X, Y, and Z later on, but otherwise I knew at least what I was going to be writing about.
I began visiting other blogs, again, I was overwhelmed by the amount of dedication that people were putting into this challenge. Commenting was never an issue for me, if there was something I had to say, I'd say it, word verification or not!
I was having a ball! I was putting in 15 minutes into my posts, most of them were shoddy, and I was spending another 15 on commenting and replying. That's it. April was a busy month. V and K will vouch for it. Neither of them thought I was going to make it. I was busy at work, busy at home. On the personal front things were piling up one on top of another... it was crazy! Time management could've been an issue but for he fact that here was NO time at all, managed or unmanaged, days and nights were just seamlessly merging into one another. The only saving grace was that I was posting from the other side of the globe as compared to most others, so I had the advantage in terms of time zones! V and K were both amazing, helpful and motivating. They will never know just HOW grateful I am...
So many people in blogsphere said so many kind things, I'm going to feature them all here soon. I'm not doing it now because it isn't fair to hem for me to be jotting their names in a hurry,; I'll do it, and do it well. And next year, I'm probably going to stick to the same theme and have different characters, and my posts will be more prepared. I'm not such a shoddy writer, I am better, I will be better!
For the hosts, you guys were amazing, you were all over the place! It was hard work for me, I can't even imagine what it must've been like for you. Just one selfish thing, I so with this was happening in November and not April! Only because in November, it is 20 degrees here, while in April, it's 40! It's way too hot to be doing anything productive! But that's just me :P
If you read and liked, if you stopped by just today, if you've followed me, thank you. Your words are important, they make me want to be better. Good luck, stay happy, and keep the faith!

There will always be more to write...

Congratulations to all of you!
Udita
udita.banerjee@gmail.com