Things I Discovered This Week #44
Into the Vortex🌀, a fun new word game, a killer music video, a reality show i'm binging, iconic Urdu magazines, blue buttons at Juhu, Bananas, Beaches and Bases, & an Arabic word of the week!
✨Huge personal update: I’ve been working on a tabletop card game with my partner for over a year now, and it’s finally out, phew!
It’s called Into the Vortex. Set in the crumbling world of Zinan, you play as powerful witches called Alhamis, racing to cast magical Spells before a chaos Vortex consumes everything! Would love for you to check it out here:
https://thunderandlightning.xyz/into-the-vortex 🌀⚡
This game is more than just our labour of love. It’s a love letter to resistance, to community, to refusing go numb. To remember what it feels like to lose and still believe. To try again. To cast hope like a spell.
Do give it a shot and I hope it brings you joy and hope in these chaotic times. If you’re in Pune and would like to play the game, hit me up! Here’s the official teaser:
References - Love Connections and Wordle? You’ll love this word game too!
Ren Eryn Gill- One of the most compelling indie musicians out there right now. His music blurs the lines between music, theatre, and spoken word. But what makes Ren truly exciting is his storytelling—unfiltered, frenetic, and emotionally devastating. My favourites are Jenny’s Tale, Money Game, and of course, Hi Ren - the song that gave me goosebumps!
Andor S2 - Part of the Star Wars franchise and a prequel to Rogue One, this series follows thief-turned-rebel spy Cassian Andor, tracing his radicalization against the Galactic Empire and the early formation of the Rebel Alliance. This series really got me thinking about the cost of revolutions, and the people who choose them, knowing full well the consequences.
Vanderpump Villa - Follows Lisa’s crew at a French villa in S2 as they work together to serve celebrity guests and make sure everyone has a good time. Never thought a reality TV series could make me this anxious, but here I am, watching staff meltdowns and love affairs unfold at 2am (iykyk).
Shama amd Pakeeza Aanchal Magazines - Two of the most iconic and beloved Urdu magazines, especially cherished by women readers across South Asia. Launched in the mid-20th century, these publications quickly became household staples by seamlessly blending literature, fiction, poetry, and cultural commentary with social issues. Shama stood out for its vibrant film commentary and a devoted movie-loving audience. Here’s an interesting paper exploring that legacy.
Both magazines played a pivotal role in shaping Urdu literary culture & public sphere, carving out a vital space for women writers and voices. Don’t miss their stunning and timeless cover art below!
Blue Buttons - With the monsoon on its way, Juhu Beach is seeing a surge of vibrant Blue Buttons washed ashore. Though jellyfish-like in appearance, they’re actually not jellyfish! These marine creatures (Porpita porpita) are colonies of hydrozoan polyps called chondrophores. Carried in by seasonal winds, these harmless drifters are natural indicators of shifting weather. They don’t swim, they float, feeding on tiny crustaceans and getting eaten by sea slugs and snails. Nature is naturing, and it’s so fascinating!
Marine creature Porpita Porpita, popularly known as Blue Button! Cynthia Enloe’s Banana, Beaches and Bases - I recently rediscovered this book amid a flood of war cries sweeping the country (disturbing), and it brought me much-needed relief. A seminal work in international politics, its most powerful insight lies in exposing how women are systematically used to uphold militarism:
as wives and mothers, fueling the emotional engine of war,
as “camp followers,” providing unpaid or underpaid support,
as symbols of the nation needing “protection,”
and as sex workers servicing military bases, exploited economically.
War cloaks itself in the rhetoric of protecting women, even as it shatters their homes, autonomy, and safety.
Eating an artichoke - Did you know you don’t actually eat the whole leaf, just scrape off the soft part with your teeth? I had no idea, and it blew my mind! Artichokes are basically edible flower buds, layered like a puzzle you eat one piece at a time. Nature’s weirdest snack? Possibly. Most satisfying? Definitely.
Laurits Andersen Ring - One of the foremost Danish painters at the turn of the 20th century, L.A. Ring was a pioneer of both symbolism and social realism. In the decades following the Danish Golden Age, he emerged as a leading figure in the country’s artistic landscape.
At the Lunch Table and the Morning Newspaper (1898) by L A Ring Word of the week: Laraib (Arabic origin) means "without doubt" or "free from uncertainty." It can also be translated as "faultless," "pure," or "intact." In essence, it signifies unwavering faith, conviction, and steadfastness.
Laraib, she was certain this path was hers to take, no matter how uncertain the world seemed.
