This picture describes my favorite morning ritual.
The first thing I do when the morning’s paper arrives is jump to the Sudoku page and mull over it with a cup of steaming, masala chai. The perfect way to beat the gloom of the Pune monsoon where the skies are overcast enough to make it feel like evening throughout the day. It’s almost as good a way to kick start your brain as the morning coffee or tea.
I remember when Sudoku puzzles had become all the rage in India back in the early years of the millennium. Even back then, the first thing I’d do in the mornings was steal the paper so none of my roommates could get to it before me, and solve all the quizzes.
It wasn’t like I wanted to compete. Still isn’t. I have no intention of ever competing with anyone but my own self. But I’m just so obsessed with solving these number puzzles that I scavenge for old newspapers too where I might have missed a puzzle! I even have a Sudoku app on my phone and that’s what you’ll catch me doing when I’m bored, or waiting.
Now the paper I subscribe to prints two puzzles, and after I’ve solved one, I promptly jump to the other one, putting a neat little check mark next to the solved ones, and heaven help those who cross me when I haven’t been able to solve it! How childish is that? š
And the funniest thing is – I suck at math. I suck to the extent that adding up single digits sometimes becomes a mental marathon. But I’m good at sudoku. Go figure!
The Pradita Chronicles 
Hi Pradita,
Long time…Hope you are doing good !!
Me too, am a big sudoku fan, but at a more relaxed time. Early mornings rituals right now begin with the kitchen routine of packing lunch boxes for the kiddos š
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Haha. I bet a few years from now when my kiddo grows up I’ll be in the same boat as you. For now i enjoy my routine. Lets see how long I can carry on with this š
How have you been?
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I never had (nor do I have even now) patience to solve puzzles. In fact, I hate puzzles! š Life is a big puzzle! I’m happiest with morning workouts, in any form. It is something that I have been regular with…. for years. My mind doesn’t need workout only the body! šš
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Halt to know that you’re a big workout-aholic š used to be one till u recently when the rains ruined my hopes of going out for my daily walks and cycling. So I do Sudoku, aaram se, then I’m ready for life. š
P. S. Sorry about the late reply. I’ve been avoiding WP for sometime
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Don’t worry rainy season will be over soon. Cycling? Great. How many km’s ?
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Thank you. I keep waiting for a clear day but Pune weather is so notorious for changing faster than you can say fast. As for Kms š i think i barely do 4 but the road at our place goes uphill and downhill at steep inclines. Mounting those. is intself a great workout. Do you cycle too? I highly recommend it if you don’t.
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Not bad for fitness. I used to. I bought one a couple of years ago but gave up some time mid way because of insane traffic. It’s quite risky to drive on regular roads.
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Yeah, regular roads are not meant for biking unless you go out at ungodly hours. But my place is sort of tucked away from the bustle of the main road, so it’s an absolute pleasure riding a bike.
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You’re lucky. I stay in heart of the city, so no respite.
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Oh! š¦
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I really like sudoku as well. But I only do it occasionally. I find it very difficult to complete the ones classed ‘easy’, but generally get to finish them. It’s the ones classed ‘hard’ that are completely hopeless!
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Practice, girl, all that it requires is practice. And then there’s the hints, IF you’re lucky š
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Hints?
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Hints as in, if you’re playing through an app, they generally allow 3-4 hints in the game. If you’re solvinig a puzzle in a newspaper, they generally publish the solved puzzle on another page or the next day. So if you’re really stuck, you could use these.
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Oh, I get it now. Thanks for the tip.
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Welcome
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Pradita, I suck at maths and the thought of jumbled numbers early in the morning makes me feel nauseous or dizzy or both. But the masala chai sounds fabulous and I like the look of that cup in the picture. Plus, your posts make me laugh. Thanks. š
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So sory for the late reply. I began typing my reply to you sherlock after I like it and the life happened š
Masala chai is indeed yummy. I could give you the recipe, should you want to try it. š
What’s your morning routine like?
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Sleepy š
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Sorry about the typos. I hate typing on phones coz the buttons are so tiny now you never know where sausage fingers are landing š
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I know the feeling.
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šš
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Sudoku was huge with my friends in Pune stealing my newspaper, TOI in those days at savera to play Sudoku. Morning ritual for me is reading in the company of chai and coffee. Love reading about your morning ritual, Pradita!
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Your life is so like mine, right down to stolen newspapers šššš that’s a nice, calming routine you have there. Enjoy!
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the hard one are really hard nut to crack….we invented zero….unfortunately they don’t use that….and for math haters, who run away seeing mathematical problems….this puzzle game is all about numbers….and there is no math involved in it….people can even choose alphabets from a to i….if they love English more….isn’t it?
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Sorry about the late reply. I’ve been irregular with WP.
You’re right, sudokus can even be played with alphabets or for that matter, figures if you remember the sequence because it requires logic to arrange them in the required order. Which is why I love the fact that there’s something with numbers that I can do š and yes, I break my head over the hard ones, eventually leaning on hints to solve them.
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I am too irregularly regular….but still try to ping my friends….whenever I get the pinging kick….
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Haha. Glad to have gotten a ping. How have you been?
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Hmmmm….fine…tumse to pinga lena hi tha….ye pingeshwar ki purani aadat hai….isn’t it?
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LOL! Uska pata nahin but it was nice of you to ping š
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