News / Author / Seema Goswami

Seema Goswami

Articles by Seema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: Love rules…

Watching television news, reading the daily headlines or just scrolling through social media, it is easy to believe that hate is the emotion that colours our world now

Hate may be what we encounter in the media, but in the world we live in we are surrounded by love wherever we go (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Published on Jan 06, 2023 10:43 PM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: The Harry and Meghan show

The key thing about understanding the dynamic between Harry and Meghan, still styled as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, despite flouncing out of the royal family many years ago, is that they are coming at the fame game from opposite ends of the spectrum

The Duke and Duchess of Netflix have no problem in invading their own privacy in spades—all the while complaining about the media intrusion into their lives (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Published on Dec 23, 2022 11:57 PM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: Remember when…

It is with a certain sense of incredulity that I have to report that I’ve reached the RW stage of my life, when the phrase ‘Remember When’ crops up so often in conversation that I have no option but to capitalise it

That’s the phrase that punctuates all my conversations these days. Visiting my sister involves a whole series of Remember Whens (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Published on Dec 09, 2022 11:57 PM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: Turn the pages

It has become a ritual of sorts

Wherever you are headed, remember to pack some books that are just right for that place. It will make your holiday better (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Published on Nov 25, 2022 09:55 PM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: Travels from my TV

Rarely have I waited so impatiently for a TV series to drop than I did for the second season of White Lotus (Disney Hotstar)

The Four Seasons San Domenico Palace in Taormina Sicily was where the action was in this this season of White Lotus (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Published on Nov 12, 2022 12:04 AM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: Winter is coming

Growing up in Calcutta, I was always overcome with excitement when the shiuli tree near my house started flowering

This is the season to air all your winter staples that have been skulking in the back of your wardrobe all year (APARNA rAM)

lifestyle

Updated on Oct 29, 2022 01:22 AM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: Taste of heaven

After nearly a decade, I completely missed all the festivities around Navratri/Pujo, having flown off abroad to celebrate my birthday

On Diwali, motichoor laddoos were on the menu, comprising tiny sugar bombs that would create an explosion of delight as you bit into them (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Published on Oct 15, 2022 12:43 AM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: God save The Queen

The story of the British royal family is a soap opera to beat all soap operas.

That’s the thing about the British royal family: They are people with real lives living. But they are also the best soap opera that has ever been put on for the delectation of the watching world. (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Published on Sep 30, 2022 11:47 PM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: Breaking bread

Dinner party etiquette can get tricky—especially in the post-Covid era. What are your thoughts when it comes to stepping out for such sit-down meals

Is it ever acceptable to leave a sit-down dinner before dessert has been served? The grounds may vary (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Published on Sep 17, 2022 02:16 AM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: Keep on walking

It’s something that our parents and grandparents knew intuitively

Involve minimal effort and very little (if any) expense. So, as a daily exercise, you could hardly do better (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Published on Sep 03, 2022 01:41 AM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: Match point

What does one say about a TV show about matchmaking in which the only couple who do get married don’t meet through the matchmaker? Well, I guess the only thing one can say is that the new season of Indian Matchmaking (on Netflix) doesn’t really make a great case for matchmakers

Sima Aunty—or Sima from Mumbai, as she persistently introduces herself— is a great character, full of vim and vigour and the occasional devastating put-down (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Updated on Aug 19, 2022 07:20 PM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: A room with a view

And why, sometimes, it’s impossible to tear yourself away. Have you experinced this while on a vacation?

At the Taj in Agra, the idea is that from the moment you opened your eyes to the time you go to bed, you could witness the majesty of the Taj from the privacy of your room (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Published on Aug 05, 2022 09:11 PM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: The tipping point

To tip or not to tip: that is the question. And often, there is no good answer. Where do you stand when it comes to service charge at restaurants?

If you’ve eaten a meal and enjoyed it, then you leave a little something to thank the service staff. But how much, and how? (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Updated on Jul 22, 2022 07:23 PM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: Raindrops keep falling

The monsoon is finally here—and I couldn’t be happier. What are some of the memories from this season that you cherish?

The sweet sound of the season’s first rain, heralding the start of the monsoon, is the best morning alarm (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Published on Jul 09, 2022 12:21 AM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: Hot favourites

Here’s a list of cracking good reads to get you through the summer. What are some of your favourites?

As a child, summer holidays meant spending long, uninterrupted days reading all your favourite authors (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Published on Jun 24, 2022 10:15 PM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: Family ties

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex rush back into the embrace of the royal family at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations

Harry and Meghan seem to have decided that love them or hate them, you just can’t leave your family (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Published on Jun 10, 2022 08:03 PM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: Feeling hot, hot, hot

And yet there is no getting out of the kitchen… but here are some things that you can try out that can help

Batch cooking will save you endless botheration in the kitchen. Make three times the quantity you need, and freeze the extra (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Published on May 28, 2022 02:04 AM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: The heat is on

But it’s for us to search for the pleasures of summer, and to make the season a joy rather than a pain

Even the summer, with its scorching temperatures and dry loo that saps us of all our energy, brings some joys with it (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Published on May 14, 2022 02:38 AM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: The long and winding road

This summer, rediscover the romance of the road trip. When was the last time you just decided to get in your car and leave for a quick break?

Itineraries may change and plans may go awry, but that flexibility is what makes road trips so great (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Published on Apr 29, 2022 08:27 PM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: Heels or flats

Dressing down—rather than up—is the new power move. When was the last time that you wore a pair of heels?

Wearing flats is a signal that you stand tall on your own professional achievements rather than a pair of stilettoes (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Published on Apr 15, 2022 10:05 PM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: Remains of the day

Coming back to the city of my birth is always a trip down memory lane. What are your thoughts when you revisit the place you grew up in?

Kolkata will forever be Cal, no matter what the official name of the city is (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Updated on Apr 03, 2022 01:31 AM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: Seeing red (not pink)

Here’s why International Women’s Day annoys me so much. It’s all about discounts at the neighbourhood spa to special deals, when it should actually be about equality

Instead of releasing cutesy pictures of women in the work place, offices should ensure that every woman on their rolls is paid the same amount of money as men (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Updated on Mar 20, 2022 09:17 AM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: The book’s the thing

Whether you love reading them tucked away in a corner with a physical copy or on a screen, books can get you through almost anything. Here are a few titles to take you through to summer

The high point of any trip to a city is a leisurely trawl through all the book stores

lifestyle

Published on Mar 06, 2022 12:44 AM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: Spring has sprung

But I can’t help bemoaning the passing of winter. Because there are some things that you can indulge in only when it’s cold and cosy

Winter evenings, to my mind, are best experienced with a mug of steaming hot chocolate in hand (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Published on Feb 20, 2022 12:09 AM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: Blossom and bloom

Flowers are not just for decoration—they can help you time travel as well, as the smells and sights take you on a journey

It’s strange how you associate flowers with certain stages of your life (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Updated on Feb 06, 2022 12:57 AM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: Count your blessings

Lockdown couldn’t have come at a better time—and we have technology, that makes life easier in multiple aspects, to thank for it

Eight weeks after its theatrical run, 83 would be released on a streaming service (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Updated on Jan 23, 2022 12:56 AM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: Happy New Year!

Here’s a list of my resolutions for the year 2022, some practical and others wishful. What made it to your list?

The lesson of the pandemic is that we should not put off anything that can be done today (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Published on Jan 08, 2022 10:58 PM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: The age of uncertainty

We just have to get used to Covid–and all of its endless variants—upending all our plans again and again

The thing about living in the time of Covid is that you never know what tomorrow will bring, except perhaps a new variant (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Published on Dec 26, 2021 01:52 AM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: There’s something in the air…

Smells can transport you out of this world—and into an entirely different one based on your memories and experiences

Smell is a funny thing. It’s both a window into your world; and an escape out of it (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Published on Dec 11, 2021 09:19 PM IST

BySeema Goswami

Spectator by Seema Goswami: Shop till you drop?

After months of online shopping, there is something invigorating about returning to brick-and-mortar stores

You can always return the outfits (you buy online) that don’t match your expectations when you finally try them on, but honestly, where is the fun in that? (Aparna Ram)

lifestyle

Published on Nov 27, 2021 07:45 PM IST

BySeema Goswami

Copy

Whatsapp Twitter Facebook Linkedin

Seema Goswami

Watching television news, reading the daily headlines or just scrolling through social media, it is easy to believe that hate is the emotion that colours our world now

The key thing about understanding the dynamic between Harry and Meghan, still styled as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, despite flouncing out of the royal family many years ago, is that they are coming at the fame game from opposite ends of the spectrum

It is with a certain sense of incredulity that I have to report that I’ve reached the RW stage of my life, when the phrase ‘Remember When’ crops up so often in conversation that I have no option but to capitalise it

It has become a ritual of sorts

Rarely have I waited so impatiently for a TV series to drop than I did for the second season of White Lotus (Disney Hotstar)

Growing up in Calcutta, I was always overcome with excitement when the shiuli tree near my house started flowering

After nearly a decade, I completely missed all the festivities around Navratri/Pujo, having flown off abroad to celebrate my birthday

The story of the British royal family is a soap opera to beat all soap operas.

Dinner party etiquette can get tricky—especially in the post-Covid era. What are your thoughts when it comes to stepping out for such sit-down meals

It’s something that our parents and grandparents knew intuitively

What does one say about a TV show about matchmaking in which the only couple who do get married don’t meet through the matchmaker? Well, I guess the only thing one can say is that the new season of Indian Matchmaking (on Netflix) doesn’t really make a great case for matchmakers

And why, sometimes, it’s impossible to tear yourself away. Have you experinced this while on a vacation?

To tip or not to tip: that is the question. And often, there is no good answer. Where do you stand when it comes to service charge at restaurants?

The monsoon is finally here—and I couldn’t be happier. What are some of the memories from this season that you cherish?

Here’s a list of cracking good reads to get you through the summer. What are some of your favourites?

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex rush back into the embrace of the royal family at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations

And yet there is no getting out of the kitchen… but here are some things that you can try out that can help

But it’s for us to search for the pleasures of summer, and to make the season a joy rather than a pain

This summer, rediscover the romance of the road trip. When was the last time you just decided to get in your car and leave for a quick break?

Dressing down—rather than up—is the new power move. When was the last time that you wore a pair of heels?

Coming back to the city of my birth is always a trip down memory lane. What are your thoughts when you revisit the place you grew up in?

Here’s why International Women’s Day annoys me so much. It’s all about discounts at the neighbourhood spa to special deals, when it should actually be about equality

Whether you love reading them tucked away in a corner with a physical copy or on a screen, books can get you through almost anything. Here are a few titles to take you through to summer

But I can’t help bemoaning the passing of winter. Because there are some things that you can indulge in only when it’s cold and cosy

Flowers are not just for decoration—they can help you time travel as well, as the smells and sights take you on a journey

Lockdown couldn’t have come at a better time—and we have technology, that makes life easier in multiple aspects, to thank for it

Here’s a list of my resolutions for the year 2022, some practical and others wishful. What made it to your list?

We just have to get used to Covid–and all of its endless variants—upending all our plans again and again

Smells can transport you out of this world—and into an entirely different one based on your memories and experiences

After months of online shopping, there is something invigorating about returning to brick-and-mortar stores

Join Hindustan Times

Create free account and unlock exciting features like