Category: Social

Hues of Sunset

On By namitadashIn Nature, Poem, Social, Uncategorized, Writing1 Comment

As the sun descends beneath the horizon,

Its colors change from golden to crimson,

A mesmerizing sight that fills the skies,

And paints the world with vibrant dyes.

The hues of sunset are never the same,

Each one unique, with a different aim,

To capture our hearts, and make us feel,

The magic of life, in colors surreal.

Just like the sunset, life changes its hue,

From bright and sunny, to somber and blue,

It twists and turns, in an endless dance,

A journey of hope, of love, and chance.

At times it’s hard, and the sky turns gray,

But the sunset reminds us of another day,

A chance to start anew, with colors bright,

To leave behind the darkness, and embrace the light.

So let us embrace the changing colors of life,

And find the beauty in every strife,

For like the sunset, it’s a fleeting sight,

But one that fills our hearts with delight.

Ikigai: A refreshingly simple book

On By namitadashIn Books, Entertainment, Social3 Comments

I just finished reading the internationally acclaimed bestseller book “Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life”

A sense of purpose and meaning in life is referred to as ikigai, a term that originates from Japan. “A reason for being” or “a reason to get out of bed in the morning” are frequent translations. The idea of ikigai has been more well-known in recent years, especially in relation to health and wellness. Héctor Garca and Francesc Miralles’ book “Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Good Life” delves further into this idea and offers helpful guidance on how to locate your own ikigai.

The notion of ikigai and its cultural and historical relevance in Japan are introduced in the first chapter of the book. According to the writers, ikigai is essential to the traditional Japanese way of life and is associated with health and pleasure. The four pillars of ikigai are also discussed: what you enjoy, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can get compensated for.

Following that, the book offers helpful advice and exercises for locating your individual ikigai. You can learn more about your interests, skills, and values by using the questions and prompts in this document. The writers also offer advice on how to make tiny adjustments to your daily routine and develop goals in order to better align your life with your ikigai.

The book’s emphasis on the value of community and interpersonal relationships in discovering and pursuing your ikigai is among its most beneficial features. The writers discuss how traditional Japanese society places a high importance on communal solidarity and social cohesion. Also, they offer ideas on how to build meaningful connections with people who have similar beliefs and interests to you.

Throughout the book, the authors draw on the wisdom of traditional Japanese culture, as well as insights from modern psychology and neuroscience. They provide a fascinating and thought-provoking exploration of the concept of ikigai and its relevance to our modern lives.

To conclude, “Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life” is a highly recommended book for anyone interested in personal growth and well-being. Its insights and practical advice on finding purpose and meaning in life are both inspiring and actionable. Whether you are seeking to make small changes to your daily routine or to transform your entire life, this book provides valuable guidance and inspiration. So pick up a copy, find your own ikigai, and start living a long and happy life!

Boost your health with these snacks

On By namitadashIn Health, Nuitrition, Social, Uncategorized4 Comments

It goes without saying that your diet has a significant impact on your cardiovascular health. To start, if you want to maintain your heart healthy, you need to limit your consumption of meals like red meat, greasy fried foods, and high-sugar snacks. Fortunately, there are a tonne of delicious, heart-healthy substitutes that are also excellent for your general wellbeing. You don’t have to permanently stop eating snacks!

Here are some health options with their benefits.

1. Apple

Fiber is one of the best nutrients to consider when it comes to heart health, and fortunately, munching on a crisp apple is a great way to increase your intake of it. According to experts, apples are a fantastic source of fibre, which can lower cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease. However, this crisp fruit also has plenty of antioxidants, which can shield your body from cellular damage and lower your chance of developing certain ailments, such as cardiovascular disease. This fruit’s heart-healthy advantages don’t end there. Although we can’t confirm or reject it, eating an apple a day can undoubtedly improve your health!

2. Walnuts

When it comes to delicious and nutritious heart-healthy snacks, nuts are yet another wonderful choice. According to experts, omega-3 fatty acids, in particular those found in walnuts, “have been shown to lessen the incidence of heart disease.” These crispy sweets “are also a fantastic source of antioxidants and plant-based proteins,” just like apples. They can be consumed by the handful or added to a variety of recipes. For a bonus that is great for your heart, try adding walnuts to your porridge or incorporating them into banana bread.

3. Pumpkin Seeds

Thanks to all the amazing nutrients they contain, pumpkins are beneficial for your health in a variety of ways. It turns out that their seeds are also beneficial, particularly for your heart health. According to experts, “Pumpkins are a wonderful source of magnesium, which aids in relaxing blood vessels and lowering blood pressure.” These seeds provide significant amounts of iron and zinc in addition to magnesium, which the author claims is “important for keeping a healthy heart.” You may purchase pumpkin seeds at the supermarket, but it’s preferable to use the entire fruit by roasting the seeds with salt after cooking some pumpkin. Yummy!

4. Dark Chocolate

Fortunately, dark chocolate has more health advantages than just a tasty pleasure, especially when it comes to your heart. Experts say that flavonoids, which are abundant in dark chocolate, have been demonstrated to decrease blood pressure and enhance blood flow. A small amount of dark chocolate every now and then can assist improve your heart health and sate your sweet taste. Of course, you shouldn’t indulge excessively in chocolate. “For the maximum health benefits, buy dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa.” Please do note!

The best method to ensure that your heart is healthy in the long run is to follow a balanced diet, engage in regular exercise, and visit your doctor frequently to discuss any potential problems. However, it never hurts to enhance your snack game, and incorporating these choices into the mix is a terrific idea.

Pseudonyms

On By namitadashIn Books, Social, Uncategorized10 Comments

Did you know there is no Agatha Christie? Mary Westmacott is the real person.

Since ancient times, authors have concealed their true identities behind fictitious bylines by utilising pseudonyms. When their personal name would not have been regarded seriously at the time, some people want their work to be. For them, it is a matter of stigma. Others picked a nom de plume because they yearned to break out of the mould and adopt a new character because their writings were categorised or assigned to a particular genre.

Every tale relating to the decision and utilisation of a pen name is fascinating, even if there are numerous reasons why an author could adopt a name that is different from their own. Although the majority of these aliases are already well-known, there are still plenty that will surprise or interest you to learn.

Agatha Christie is well-known and adored for her unmistakable ability to craft intriguing mystery tales with a twist and a cast of well-known characters, including Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.

But Agatha Christie chose to work under a pen name while she was a well-known mystery writer for a very straightforward reason. She intended to produce books about other topics, but she was aware that her admirers would always want her to write mysteries. Since Christie only published six books under the name Mary Westmacott, she had the opportunity to delve deeply into the field of human psychology, which is something that conventional Christie fans might not have anticipated from her own-name stories.

The pseudonym itself was picked with care. Agatha’s middle name was Mary, and the Westmacott surname was a common one. Surprisingly, it took close to 20 years for admirers to realise that Mary Westmacott and Agatha Christie were related. We have a lot more regard for what a skilled writer she was now that we know that these vivid and intuitive novels were written by the same person who wrote the Poirot volumes.

Here’s a list of authors who wrote under alias. Let’s talk about the stories behind their pseudonyms. Feel free to add to the list –

  1. Robert Galbraith – J.K. Rowling
  2. Mrs. Silence Dogood – Benjamin Franklin
  3. James Tiptree, Jr. – Alice Bradley Sheldon
  4. Flora Fairfield – Louisa May Alcott

The greatest writing pseudonym of all time is William Shakespeare. Although it would take an entire blog to write just a intro about him.

Interesting stories behind some popular Idioms

On By namitadashIn Books, Uncategorized14 Comments

I must accept, I did not study as much in my school time as I do now when I sit with my kids. At that age, study was only about somehow mugging up syllabus and get good marks. The study pattern was also not that inclusive of going deep inot the subject. Coming straight to the point, I came across some idioms from my daughter’s textbook and it was then when I looked for how these idioms have centuries old tales to tell.

By definition, an idiom is a statement that cannot be comprehended literally; instead, you must understand its meaning, which rarely, if ever, seems to have any logical relationship to the exact words employed. After all, how precisely does “raining cats and dogs” logically translate to “it’s raining pretty hard”? There isn’t.

There is no clear written history benhind this one but I did find some interesting backstories to few idioms. Feel free to comment if you have something to add to these or to the ‘raining cats & dogs’

1. Take a Rain Check

Believe it or not, the phrase has its roots in athletics, notably baseball in the 1870s. Back then, the relevant teams would reissue tickets for the postponed game if a baseball game was rained out. Rain checks are the names given to these tickets. By the 1890s, the expression had started to be used less literally, leading to the eventual outcome that we today use take a rain check in a variety of scenarios that have absolutely nothing to do with baseball.

2. Pardon My French

Another extremely popular phrase that really doesn’t make any sense objectively is “pardon my French.” This expression is typically used in conjunction with a “Oh, pardon my French” comment after someone curses. Naturally, whatever was just said was probably not said in French; it was probably just spoken in plain old English. Why then should one be sorry for their French? Because the original speaker of the statement was actually speaking French at the time. It seems that throughout the 1800s, it was normal for educated people to smuggle in a few French phrases. However, those with less education would have only been able to speak English, thus they would not have understood a word that was being spoken. The expression became more common as a result. Nobody appears to know exactly how we transitioned from saying “Pardon my French” when speaking in true French to saying it when swearing.

3. Saved by the Bell

In contrast to the previous idioms, there are a few distinct theories as to how this one came into use. The phrase “saved by the bell” is said to have its origins in the 18th century. There was a lot of worry about the prospect that someone would be mistaken for dead and end up being buried alive at this time. As a result, a mechanism was created to address this issue (which, by all accounts, may have had some basis in reality). With this method, a string was tied to the finger of the supposed victim and the other end was attached to a bell placed outside the coffin. Then a guard was posted nearby. The concept was that, should it turn out that the deceased was not quite as dead as everyone thought, they could still be able to move, which would sound the bell and warn the guard. Even while this is an intriguing story, there is a notable absence of supporting evidence.

4. Bury the Hatchet

Bury the hatchet is a traditional Native American practise. The chiefs of two rival tribes would actually bury two battle axes as part of a peace ceremony. Since all of the testimonies we have are from colonists, it is possible that this custom is even older than the earliest documents, which date back to the late 1600s. The oldest Iroquois mythology, which describes how the Five Nations united and marked the new peace by burying their weapons under a tree, is the closest thing we have to a Native American narrative. They picked a tree, though, that grew above an underground river, and as a result, the weapons were washed away. However, it is unclear how old this tale is. In any case, the phrase, which was initially only employed in relation to this ritual, gradually spread to other contexts.

5. God Bless You

Similar to the expression “saved by the bell,” there are several alternative origin stories for the expression “bless you.” According to one version of the legend, sneezing somehow exposed you to attacks from bad spirits. Therefore, you were essentially attempting to shield the individual who sneezed by blessing them. According to a different legend, the ban was instituted by Pope Gregory I amid a bubonic plague outbreak, which sneezing was one of the symptoms of. The pope rather understandably felt that, given the mortality rates associated with the bubonic plague, any chance for extra divine help was not to be passed over, and therefore encouraged the practice of blessing people when they sneezed. Yet another story contends that the custom evolved in response to a pervasive belief that the heart briefly stops when you sneeze. According to this story, the reason you bless someone is either to congratulate them on surviving the sneeze or to enable their survival in the first place. So which story is true? Uh. Well. We…don’t actually know.

Bonus :

A Shot of Whiskey – A drink of whiskey and a.45 calibre cartridge for a six-gun cost 12 cents each in the old west. Cowhands would frequently give the bartender a cartridge in exchange for a drink if they were short on cash. A “shot” of whiskey was later coined for this.