Being Active

MU Extension

My dad showed me a tweet thread today where a cardiologist has discussed the increasing number of heart conditions that prop up even amongst those who are pretty young, and not too old. The thread talked of various possible factors, one of which was lack of an active life. We are all so busy today that we hardly have any time to move around. How ironic is that! While busy is supposed to be associated with a lot of activity, nowadays it's almost never a physical activity. We sit through the whole day, our eyes glued to the screen in front of us, most of the time in postures so horrid that the body screams for help through backaches at the end of the day.

Some of us do take the time out to make a slot for exercise- maybe running, walking, dancing, hitting the gym, cycling, or whatever. But, that is for a maximum of one hour. One hour of movement and calorie-burning does not compensate in any way for the rest 23 hours of sedentary lifestyle! My mom keeps saying that even if she doesn't exercise regularly, she is still highly active- and that is so true. She is not sitting all day long. I see her walking around in the house, and cooking (you essentially have to stand), and sitting down on the floor, and then up in chairs, and there is some movement every once in a while (unlike me). 

Have you probably wondered how your grandma would not exactly have done an hour of dedicated cardio, but could still be fit and fab at 70? I think that's because they didn't have a sedentary lifestyle. Moving around is important, but also becomes increasingly difficult nowadays. So, what we can do is:

1. Get up to go drink water regularly. (Now, don't skip drinking water just because you have to get up and go).

2. Walk a bit, stretch a bit before and after meals when you get up for them. Please don't have your meals brought to you where you have been sitting all day anyway!

3. Those of us who aren't even sitting, but are laid out all day lazing on the bed- maybe, get a chair and table? Lazing is okay for a day, or even a week, I'll say even a month! But, that may not be the best lifestyle to lead on a long term basis. It can also be a really bad posture. 

My dad was telling me how, in the set up of an office where work demands that you sit in front of your screen and get the job done, water breaks and loo breaks are probably a good time to move a bit, instead of being in the same chair for ten hours every day. We have our constraints in today's world. But, we can do what best can be done. I have seen some office spaces becoming more sensitive to these aspects, and have started allowing an open work space where employees can move around and shift spots as they work through the day. Though this is not very common yet, it is still a good initiative by some!

Even if we can't really move around much, we should at least be aware that we need to. It's not just about I-can't-do-a-desk-job feeling. It's about the actual movement that our body needs. And, I am not just talking about a workout activity at a scheduled time. What we need is to 'be active'. Being aware is a great first step that will help us find our way!

The image is a great pointer on the what makes the basics of being healthy- "lifestyle activities" are extremely important. This is actually a 36- by 24-inch poster by an extension of University of Missouri, designed to help children ages 6 to 11 understand. But I think, we all need it too!

Let's be aware, and be healthy!

Where Do You Stream Music?

I have been using YouTube Music recently, instead of Spotify, and that is so much better. If you have a free Spotify account, then you basically spend listening to two minutes of ads for every three or four songs that you listen, and that is terrible. The worst part is, it literally counts the number of songs before it throws up the ads again, so it's not like ads pop-up every few minutes you listen to those songs. So, even if you are just shifting through songs on a radio, the ads are bound to hit you up. I have been listening a lot on my laptop during this lockdown period, and YouTube Music has definitely been better. Though, there are ads here too, these ads are literally just 5 seconds. Also, you have the option to skip to another song without having to compulsorily go through the ad!

Free Spotify also does not have half the good songs that you want to listen to. This hurdle is mostly overruled in YouTube Music. It has pretty much had every song that I have looked up for, and so far so good! There seems to be a disadvantage on the phone that if you come out of the app, the YouTube music stops playing/gets paused. This is not so on my laptop that supports android apps! It keeps playing on as I do my other things, and that is really convenient for me!

Free Spotify does not allow you to download songs offline. But YouTube music allows a certain number of downloads for free. It just makes it easier if you want music on the plane or on a train, or generally while travelling because that is when network is an actual problem.

I used to use Saavn, and I genuinely think it was much better than the free Spotify, though less appealing in how it looked. I have also heard that Amazon Prime Music is good, but I have never really tried it. But I think I am starting to like YouTube Music, and might just forget about Spotify in a while. 

Which streaming platform do you use? Do you have better suggestions or a playlist for us? Share it in the comments below!

Why You Should Use A Earphones-Case

I bought a earphone case a year ago, and that's probably one of the best things I have ever bought. I have a cute case with Baymax eagerly calling out a hi to me, and I love it. Here's 3 reasons why you should really get a earphone case if you don't have one.

1. You stop losing your earphones. I say you stop, because I know that majority of us lose it. It just happens. Earphones have become such an integral part of us that we literally carry it around everywhere. So, it's just easier to keep it safe when you have a case.

2. No more tangles. I know some people pride themselves over their tangled earphones. It just comes out like: oh god, my earphone is always tangled up, you know! Total feign. But, those who want it to be straight and clean (and usable), then use a case. It actually works. And, earphones that are not tangled up all the time actually lasts much better. 

3. You can carry it easily. You want to keep them in your pockets, throw them into your bag, carry it in your hand- the case makes everything easier. It may look like a event in itself to take it out and put it back in the case, but that's really not how it feels once you get used to it. I am so used to putting my earphones back in it now, that it's almost impossible for me to keep my earphones without the case!

Finally a brownie point- the cases are really cute. I love mine! I have a case with a metallic top, so it kinda sticks to the magnetic part of my laptop, so even the case doesn't get lost!

My dad's first comment when he looked at my case was why I didn't get more of them for all of them in the house! It's cute, it's protects your earphones, and saves you a lot of money. 

If you don't use it, take it from me that you should definitely think about buying one the next time you spot it!

The Hidden Silly Side Of Higher Education

Title: Academia Obscura: The Hidden Silly Side Of Higher Education

Author: Glen Wright

I bought and read this book in 2018 as soon as it was published, but I never put up a post on it, thanks to my inactive stint during that time. 2018 was a year that saw just one post from me- on a library very dear to me that closed. So, I decided that not having read it now is no reason to introduce this crazy book to those who don't know about it. 

@AcademiaObscura is a popular twitter handle, but this book- Academia Obscura- is probably everything you want to drop your project hours to read instead. And, that's kind of how it was written too. When you pick to see who really the author is, you get the answer immediately.

"Glen Wright is an academic. Sort of. Actually, he started his PhD in 2012 and is yet to finish. In the meantime, he started Academia Obscura, a blog about the lighter side of academic life."

This man wrote a crazily relatable and funny book on academics, and you won't be able to thank him enough for it! Academia Obscura is an encyclopedic compilation on everything that you can ever find silly in academics- and there are tons and tons of it! Footnotes, peer-reviews, language of the writing, cliched phrases that we use to bridge the lack of content- it's all in there! Filled with extremely cute and heartwarming drawings, from Wright, who in his own words says:

"Occasionally there are figures that appear to have been drawn by people like me, whose artistic inclinations never surpassed shaky stickmen and who struggle to write their own name on the whiteboard."

If you think academics is all "stuffiness"and "elbow patches", then this is the right book to pick up to change your mind. It explores the love of an academic on his subject, and at the same time takes a dig on how the strict structural formalities can bend the patience and the capabilities of the best of academicians.

Everything in the book is simply put, but would tickle your bones with humour. Most of what you would read is something that you would be going through or would have gone through, or at least would know someone who has gone through a similar patch. That way, this book is incredibly relatable and real.

I love it. And, I can guarantee a hundred percent that you will, too!

Online Internships

Online internships are getting more frequent now, thanks to the pandemic. Here's a simple post on what we gain and what we lose from these internships.

Pros:

1. Flexible timing.

2. A more at-ease structure of the internship programme.

3. Way more work to do, and interesting topics to discover- because you save time usually swallowed up by commuting.

4. No dress code, you don't have to wear formals every day!

5. Better opportunities to talk to the directly to heads of the programme.

6. Saving a lot on stay, commuting, food, etc.

7. You get to learn a lot of digital tools, and also how to completely collaborate and finalize a project with a whole team- all sitting in the comfort of your home. 

Cons: You miss out on-

1. Experiencing a new city, new work culture.

2. Making incredible friends, and bonding over lunch break.

3. Chit-chatting with co-workers and associates above you (this can give a lot of insight into the firm, the business, the whole landscape of your profession, actually). Sometimes, a lot of the ideas can come up on a casual coffee break chit-chat.

4. Meeting the head people of the firm, and having an opportunity to discuss your own ideas with them. 

5. A lot of fun, and company lunches, and free ice-creams!

Both have their own charm. And, we'd probably never really pick to intern online unless something like a pandemic forces us to. So, it's good to experience when we have the chance to! I am on an internship online with a legal startup, and I am very excited about it! That is why I decided to pen my thoughts on the pros and cons, and I sure will let you know more on my experience when I finish my internship. Stay tuned!

Longfellow's September From The Poet's Calendar

Delyea Art from Pinterest

I had shared a poem by Wadsworth in June, July, and August, and most of them really enjoyed reading of this beautiful poem of the month. These poems are from The Poet's Calendar by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The Poet's Calendar is a compilation of Longfellow's set of twelve beautiful poems, each song describing and narrating the essence of each of the twelve months of the calendar year. So, here you have Longfellow's September:

I bear the Scales, where hang in equipoise   

The night and day; and when unto my lips 

I put my trumpet, with its stress and noise   

Fly the white clouds like tattered sails of ships; 

The tree-tops lash the air with sounding whips;   

Southward the clamorous sea-fowl wing their flight; 

The hedges are all red with haws and hips,   

The Hunter's Moon reigns empress of the night.

A windy, pleasant month is what is September- where daytime equals nighttime, bringing a balance on the months on either side of it, a counter to the extremes. And yet again, like every month, September drowns us in its undeniable charm! 

If you want to read all the set of twelve songs, you can read it here: https://bit.ly/2YrS66R

Have a happy September!

Better Safe Than Sorry

You already know all of it. Yet, this is again a reminder. Public transports and other places on the way to open up in a week, and it will not be surprising if there is going to be a spike in cases. But, a lot of that can be cut down by sticking to basics, and not thinking that if things are opening up then it's safe. So, here's a basic checklist.

1. Please always wear a mask when outside. I see some people pull their masks down while speaking, but you have to especially have your mask on while speaking. Even if you are not a person who does that, be alert around people who do that and maintain your safety.

2. Maintain distance, and avoid unnecessary physical contact. It's just not safe enough yet.

3. Carry a sanitizer, but wash your hands, legs, and face when you get home. If you go to a place that seems like a high-risk zone, take a nice, long shower.we

4. Avoid eating outside (if you can).

5. Try not to touch your face unless necessary. But, this is so hard- so just keep sanitizing your hand.

We can do tons of other things, like avoid going at all out as much as possible. There is no step that we don't know, actually. We just got to stick to it without being careless or lazy. No one can tell that it will ensure that we don't fall sick, but it's definitely going to save us from saying regretfully: 'I should have worn that damned mask'. 

So, as we prepare to open up, let's keep at our checklists with no compromises! Stay safe (as much as possible)!

'I Sit And Think' by Tolkien

There is no more need to establish what a huge, sincere fan of Tolkien I am. Tolkien has always been one of my most favourite authors since the time I picked up to read The Hobbit. A brilliant storyteller, Tolkien has a charm and style that is very unique to him. There's hardly a writer who can weave a fantasy the way he does. 

My top favourite poem of Tolkien has always been, and will always be, The Road Goes Ever On and On of which 'All that is gold does not glitter' is a part of! Here is the my second most favourite poem of this wonder author: 'I sit and think' - a poem where an old narrator contemplates on the past, present, and future, and sits and thinks. 

I sit beside the fire and think
of all that I have seen,
of meadow-flowers and butterflies
in summers that have been;

Of yellow leaves and gossamer
in autumns that there were,
with morning mist and silver sun
and wind upon my hair.

I sit beside the fire and think
of how the world will be
when winter comes without a spring
that I shall never see.

For still there are so many things
that I have never seen:
in every wood in every spring
there is a different green.

I sit beside the fire and think
of people long ago,
and people who will see a world
that I shall never know.

But all the while I sit and think
of times there were before,
I listen for returning feet
and voices at the door.

Hope you enjoyed! If you're a fellow Tolkien fan, let me know your favourite poem in the comments!

Pen and Paper v. Online Tools

I wrote my first two full-length novels in my diary- with a pen on sheets of paper. And, as the years passed I completely shifted to writing online- in word/google docs/other writing tools. And, I have found that both of them have advantages and disadvantages. I decided to make a comparison table. 

	Pen and Paper	Writing On A Device
Ease of editing	You can edit. But it is definitely not the most convenient way to edit. You’ll have a lot of arrows and strikethroughs when you are drafting. You’ll have to rewrite them clearly again to make sense.	The best thing about online writing is the ease with which you can edit what you wrote. You can keep making changes and improvisations on your original text. You can add, delete, insert- all without any hassle whatsoever.
Distraction-free	Pen and paper wins hands down. You can turn off all distractions, sit with just a piece of paper, a pen, and give yourself to the story you see and feel.	There are many, many distractions. Even if you try to switch off your wifi and write on an offline platform, you just are a click away from turning it back on. So, unless you are super disciplined (which most of us are not), writing on a computer or laptop can definitely not be called distraction-free.
Completing A Story (Yeah, this is an actual criteria because one in a hundred story ideas actually reach the final form)	While you are writing on paper, you tend to be more involved in writing the story, rather than perfecting that one paragraph that you have managed to write. The story and your idea flows easier, and you keep writing. It is important to not keep editing while you write your first draft, and pen and paper actually helps with that.	This is the biggest drawback here. Since, editing is extremely easy and convenient, we tend to try and perfect/rewrite a single scene while there is a whole story left to be told. It takes much more to progress while writing online.
Environment friendly	Pen and paper is not really environment friendly anymore, looking at the rate at which we have managed to deplete resources.	This is the truest and most important advantage of this medium. We are saving hundreds of thousands of trees from being cut down for paper if we all shift to writing on a system.

There are also other miscellaneous advantages and disadvantages in both. But, if you notice- the biggest disadvantage of pen and paper is editing, and that itself actually helps in moving forward and separating the process of writing and editing, thus making it easier to complete what we write. However, the advantage of being able to save paper, and also make the editing process a thousand times easier are significant advantages.  

Although I might have preferred pen and paper earlier, I have used the online mode for quite a long bit now. And, having realized its disadvantages of getting me stuck on perfecting a couple of paragraphs when the whole story awaits telling, I have worked on my mind: consciously to push forward and keep editing only after completing the draft. This takes time, and I still don't follow it all the time, but the benefits we reap by saving paper, saving trees are so starkly important.

Which medium do you prefer writing in, and why? Share them in the comments below!

Taglines

Taglines. They bring a world of difference to whatever we go. In fact, I think sometimes the taglines talk more than the name or the title. 

Nike- Just Do It

Apple- Think Different

Coca-cola- Open Happiness

My most favourite library in Chennai that I grew up reading all the books I had read till my schooling was Eloor. The library branch in Chennai shut down, but they had a tagline that is still very close to my heart, and that which rang true with the very essence of that huge, wonderful library: For love of good books! Eloor did absolute justice to its tagline.

Taglines are not just for companies or brands. They can be for anything, including blogs and even blog posts. They all tell you something about the brand/blog/article/post/whatever that is you are viewing. A tagline is supposed to help anyone get to know very quickly, in a manner catchy, short, and sweet, what they should be expecting.

When I started this blog, I definitely wanted to have a tagline and I looked into defining what my blog was primarily going to be about. I write a lot of things, but what gives my blog its primary identity is the books I read and the reviews I write for them. I read regularly and I write a post on every book I read. My blog is just a huge repository of all that I have read since 2010! And, what does that give my readers? A reading list across varied age groups! Because I grew up with these books, the books are in the natural progression of an actual reader, and it feels like an index of books with a review by me on each book. 

And, that is why, I chose the tagline that tells you exactly what to expect. It is a blog on 'What to Read'. Taglines can be of various tones. It can talk about the spirit, the function, the motto- anything! But, a tagline helps immensely. For all the bloggers out there, do you have a tagline? If you do, share it in the comments with your blog links! And, if you don't, go with what you feel, and: get set thinking! 

Happy Saturday! 

The World As I See It

Title: The World As I See It

Author: Albert Einstein

Translated from German to English by: A. Harris

To most of us, we were taught who Einstein was since the time we were taught what science is. But, did we ever really know who Einstein is? We knew Einstein, the universally famous scientist, who was one of the most brilliant of men to have walked this Earth and who talked of things that were way beyond the comprehension of common men. Mark Twain once commented how as a reader and writer, he still could not completely comprehend a single line of Einstein's theories. 

But is that all who Einstein really was? Obviously not. And, his own book The World As I See It gives you a glimpse of another, less-spoken side of this man. We meet Einstein, the human and the thinker, through the miscellaneous collections of Einstein's thoughts on a wide array of things from education, war and peace to religion and life. He portrays what he believes as reason itself manifesting in nature, and emphasizes on the importance of experiencing it. And, he calls such an experience of humans as that which:

"... stands at the cradle of true art and true science."

The chapters and the thoughts are what you might call as haphazard, and yet by the time you wrap up this book you get a clear, appealing picture on this brilliant man's view on the world and it's philosophies. It is a small, quick read that should take more than a couple of hours. I obviously read the translated version by A. Harris, since I don't know German. The translation is top notch, and the book will have you so engrossed in the content that you won't even notice it's translated! 

"A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving." 

We take home many lessons- some that we already know in the corner of our mind, and some new. It is just as inspiring and admirable to see Einstein, the thinker, share his perspective. We all admire him, although I wonder if any of us really understand any of his works. So, why not grab this opportunity to understand at least the one book that he did write that works within our ranges of understanding! It's a great read!

The Process of Thinking

A lot of who I am today is because of my school, as I have previously told in several of my posts. There was a brilliant system in place that pushed us to think, be creative, and produce genuine work however shoddy or error-ridden it might be initially. We were allowed to try our hand, and add a dash of our own colours to everything we did or learnt. All forms of art, expression, academic interests were equally supported, and that made us all so confident to 'be ourselves'.

Giving importance and acknowledging the thought that a child has put behind the work he or she submits can change the whole way we are moulded to think. I am not restricting myself to creative arts, music, painting, dancing, and the likes. Not at all. I have seen teachers who have appreciated kids for approaching a math problem from a innovative or different angle even though the final answer on the paper might not have been the right one! Reprimanding for a wrong answer when the method was actually to be appreciated can make the child stop trying to think innovatively, and instead might push the child to just stick to the traditional methods to avoid the possibility of mistakes. 

This taught us that to think about the process, and be innovative in the process and how we approach a subject is more important than thinking just about the results. In fact, innovative results are a mere consequence of an innovative thought process. So, when they focused on the right thing, we learnt the right lessons.

I agree that at the end of the day we all want results. Nobody cares how you did something. What we want is results that work. But, we should reserve such an attitude to probably professional activities where results are of the highest importance to everybody involved, and there are goals to be met. However, with children and young creative artists- it is important to teach them the right lessons, nurture and help them grow as thinking individuals, and also for us to look at their work with the right lens.

So, as teachers, as parents, as sisters and brothers, as fellow human beings who see the work of each other and comment on it- we should first look into what work, what process, what thoughts go into something, and give it as much weight, if not more, as you give to the end result!

As the picture says: think, innovate, be yourself. I thank my school and my parents for teaching me that!

A True Artist (In My Imagination)

I am not great at sketching. Probably because I rarely draw, and I have very less patience. The enthusiasm with which I start sketching frizzles out in a while, and then I'm in a rush to just get done with it. Oops, sounds like just how it shouldn't be! But sketching is also a lot of fun. 

I sketch once in a while, and it's usually simple things in my memory. For example, you can see my sketch that I've put up with this post. It was just one out of the experiences that I had in Mumbai last year- with a lot of ice golas and desserts in it! The drawing definitely (and obviously) looks unpolished because the artist is a highly unpolished one. But, the main point that I'm trying to make is: it is a lot of fun to just recreate your own sweet memory! 

Do you remember how in The Little Prince the pilot, in his childhood, attempts to draw and is discouraged by adults because they thought he wasn't really good enough at it? Remember: don't let them steal your magnificent career as a painter and an artist, at least in your imagination.

Sometimes, we do things just because they were momentarily fun to do, and not because we are passionate about it, or think that we have a career in it, or because we are good at it. Simply, we like it. If not all the time, we enjoy it at least that one day or one hour that we do it. And, we don't do it often, but that one-off time is still happy enough! One such things is sketching for me. I cannot call it a hobby, I cannot call it a talent, and yet I do it sometimes and it makes me happy!

I drew this on Adobe Sketch. Do you have that one-off activity that you really enjoy? How do you like my (undoubtedly brilliant) sketch? Let me know in the comments below! 

Correcting Grammar

People tend to make grammatical errors, structural errors while talking in English. I have seen people who don't correct at all whoever it is, and I have also seen people who immediately correct anybody at all who makes a mistake. I don't agree with both. 

Correcting a person immediately can have many drawbacks.

1. It cuts off their flow.

2. It can make them less confident about what and how they were going to say what they were saying.

3. It can be mean, sometimes (even if you don't do it with mean intentions).

4. It shows you have no idea why a person might not be great in that language.

On the other hand, if someone close to you is making an error constantly, there is no harm at all in openly talking to them and correcting them. In fact, they'll understand better and might not face such a situation again. At any point of time, the correction must be said in a manner that is educating for the other person, rather than making it sound like you are just out there to find faults. 

I have had friends who have been more than happy, and in fact have voluntarily asked me to review what they speak and correct errors if I find any. And, the same applies to writing. It is alright to move with the person and their way of expression, as long as you get what they are trying to say. Remember, you might just be worse in so many other languages. Languages are many, and everybody is not required to be an expert in the same language.

You should definitely take the opportunity to teach people, and help them become better and learn more. What matters is how you do it. Wait for them to finish what they are saying and reply to their questions or statement before you correct them. It is important to acknowledge the content first, before you jump into correcting their structure. Your correction has to encourage them, not demotivate. It has to make them more confident about what they learn, and not make them lose the little confidence they have. 

Most things in the world work that way, especially when you teach someone: it's not about what you teach, it's about how you do it. 

Delete This At Your Peril

Title: Delete This At Your Peril: The Bob Servant Emails

Author: Neil Forsyth

What do you do when your inbox is spammed with tens and hundreds of email every single day promising you gold, a million dollars, a grand house, a high paying job, or even your true love if you just bother to type in your phone number, address, bank details, and their passwords? I guess: block, mark as spam, try a better filter, and wrack your brains in frustration to separate these weeds. Well, Bob Servant, a 2-year-old window cleaner, and Dundee's former cheeseburger kingpin, decides that enough is enough, and that it is time for the sweetest revenge!

Delete At Your Peril is a funny, absolutely original, brilliant book by Neil Forsyth that captures an exchange of emails between the character of Bob Servant and his spammers, where the elderly man gives the spammers a taste of their own medicine- taking them on a promising ride and demanding hilarious deals in return ranging from legal asylum to emotional support, golden lions that speak and leopards that sing and wear clothes. It's hilarious to see our Bob come up with a new trick every time only to gleefully witness his spammers trying to fulfill all his wishes to get that one email from him with the bank details, or a cheque on their names!

Forsyth nails the tone and the flow of the emails. There is bound to be a grin plastered on your face when you read this book- right from the very first email! The spams are so relatable, and it wouldn't be surprising if we have seen many close to them. I love it when the hopeful exchange of the spammers meet Bob's final one:

From: Bob Servant
To: Jack Thompson
Jack,
I have some bad news, my friend. I have just been to the bank and the guy there said that I cannot send you any money as I do not have any in my account. In actual fact, it turns out that I owe them over eight grand. I'm really sorry, Jack, I hope I haven't wasted your time, but I'm afraid that the deal is off. Good luck my friend, and good luck with the animals.
Love,
Bob

The exchanges and Bob's way of taking the spammers on a hopeful trip of emails that promise payment are truly funny, and the revenge is so absolutely sweet. It is a very innovative book, and the approach to the narrative through emails, and the theme are so refreshingly fresh and original! Bob Servant takes the spammers head-on for all of us, and he will remain an unforgettable treasure when you finish reading!

I loved it, and so will you!

Brighten Your Post With The Right Pictures

Two things play a major role for someone to even start reading a post.

1. Title

2. Image

Pictures are important. Photos, images, illustrations, graphics- they all bring attention to a post. They spark the interest in the reader to go ahead and read the post. In fact, even before we look at the title, we look at the image associated with the post. Our eyes naturally fall first on the picture and then move up to see the title. That is why it is essential to have a catchy title, and also a catchy photograph. 

Photos can be funny, moving, informative, descriptive, beautiful, and much more- and each of these type of pictures have their own role and contribution. What type of picture you choose for your post will also influence the tone with which the reader will look at what you have written. For example, for a serious subject,  a funny cartoon might tone it down a bit. If that is the intention, then it is one of the greatest tools to put a subtler impression on your readers. But, if it is not the intention to make it more subtle, then a funny picture can actually derail the whole tone of your article/post. The other way round is also true. A very serious picture for a funny/humorous post can make the reader confused about whether the writing was actually meant to be funny. Long point short: pictures speak a lot more to our subconscious minds than we care to notice.

There are many resources today for finding pictures. One must always be careful of the credits that go to the picture. Also, not all pictures can be freely edited or modified. Some pictures are allowed for reuse while some others are not. Some are allowed for reuse with credits while some others can be reused freely without crediting or linking back to the artist. Some pictures are allowed to be modified while some are not. So, one has to check these things before using photos digitally. 

We all search on the web and just insert photos from there without thinking. A good way to filter pictures on Google according to your preferences is to use the "Tools" under Google Images where you can filter pictures according to the user rights enabled for them.

This is especially useful for all students who use images for projects, and also bloggers like me who constantly look for good pictures for articles and posts. I learnt of this pretty recently, and thought I should share it (just in case someone didn't know about it- like me)!

Pictures brighten up your post, and you should definitely use them to your advantage! But always give credit where you can (even if the image doesn't need credit)! Happy writing!

"Fifteen Men On The Dead Man's Chest"

Jim Hawkins is in the company of lunatic seamen, hungry for treasure, and Flint screams at them with a "Fetch me rum; Darby!", and the other sing their screams of:

Fifteen men on a dead man's chest

Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum

Drink and the devil had done for the rest

Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.

And, the ten year old me couldn't wait to scream along with the chorus of 'Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum'. Every time I picked the book, I was transported into the world of Hawkins, Flint, Trelawney, Billy Bones, Black Dog, Long John Silver and Ben Gunn. Till date, I remember the exact words with which Flint was tricked to death- an ingenious Ben Gunn mimicking Flint's “Darby M’Graw! Darby M’Graw! Fetch me rum; Darby!” 

After a long time, a conversation with a friend today reminded us of all the 'non-detailed prescribed readings' we had in school as part of the curriculum. We've had Treasure Island, Merchant of Venice and other plays of Shakespeare, books of Ruskin Bond, short stories of O. Henry and Oscar Wilde, The Story of My Life by Helen Keller, Silas Marner by Eliot- and I think Treasure Island was our favourite amongst these. 

The original title of the book was actually "The Sea Cook" - for Long John Silver, placing him as the main villain and central character of the book. But, later the name was changed to Treasure Island. It has to be said that out of all the villains I have met in the wide range of fiction that I have consumed, Long John Silver is definitely the most charming, witty villain ever. 

Who doesn't love a cool pirate story filled with adventure, fights, treasure, an island that looks like a "fat dragon standing up", the sea, some rum, a lot of apple barrels, and an escape plan! Stevenson takes you through a ride that is an unforgettable experience, and would still keep you excited about it, a decade after reading it! Hispaniola and its crew will leave you with a treasure hoard of memories. 

If you haven' t read it, please do! You are guaranteed an adventure you'll love every second. 

My First 300 Book Reviews: Links for 176-200

176. The Bookshop

177. The Devil's Advocate

178. Atomic Habits

179. Born to Run

180. Sophie's World

181. Catch 22

182. The Godfather

183. Don Quixote

184. The Day of the Jackal

185. The Count of Monte Cristo

186. Tom Brown's Schooldays

187. Hard Times

188. The Power Of Starting Something Stupid

189. Me Talk Pretty One Day

190. Tuesdays with Morrie

191. Of Mice and Men

192. Veerappan: Chasing The Brigand

193. Next

194. Daddy-Long-Legs

195. The Chemistry Book

196. Black Beauty 

197. The Call of the Wild

198. Lord of the Flies

199. Brave New World

200. The India They Saw

Haircut Episodes with Mr. Bean

What comes to my mind when I first think about a haircut, especially cutting my own hair? Mr. Bean. Mr. Bean has done it all. And, the confidence I have on myself is the confidence I have on Mr. Bean. Well today, I tried to cut bangs by myself (and it turned out fine), but all I could think of was the two crazy Bean episodes- one from the animated series, and the other where Rowan Atkinson performs.

Have you seen that episode in the animated series of Mr. Bean where he decides to cut his own hair? Well, that was the first thing that came to my mind when I thought about trying to chop my hair. And, that's not exactly a great first thought! The episode is titled The Haircut. Well, you don't know whether this one encourages or discourages you to get an eccentric cut. Because, one it shows how wrong it can go, and two it shows that people actually love wrong styles which seem to be done on purpose!

Do you remember the other episode in the Mr. Bean played by Rowan Atkinson, where he tries to cut other people's hair. In that episode, he cuts the hair of a small boy by tracing the perimeter of an inverted bowl that he places on the boy's head, and chops off the entire pony tail of a man who just wants his split ends trimmed. The episode is called Haircut Bean. 

Mr. Bean is the best. This is one show we can never get tired of watching and re-watching. I spent 20 minutes watching those episodes today, and what a laugh! Also, what a scare! Anyway, I successfully trimmed by split ends and also cut my bangs, without Bean-level-experiences. 

Miss watching Bean? Has it been years? I have given the links to both the episodes! Have a fun Thursday!

The India They Saw

Title: The India They Saw

Author: Sandhya Jain and Meenakshy Jain

The India They Saw is a series of 4 volumes of books by Meenakshy Jain and Sandhya Jain. Volume I talks of the ancient India as seen through the eyes of travellers and foreign visitors to the land, describing everything from the landscape to the kingdoms to the richness in education and culture, including the social practices of the time- all set within the time period between 5th Century BC to the 7th Century AD. Volume II covers the events between 8th-15th centuries, still covering the ancient Indian descriptions and accounts of the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and the Chinese. Volume III starts with the coming of Vasco da Gama, and covers the European accounts of India in the 16th and 17th centuries. The final and fourth volume covers the accounts of English travellers and missionaries in the 18th and 19th centuries. 

I just started this book today, and it is very interesting. The compilations made are very beautiful, truly bringing to you in a chronological order the India they saw. While reading, one can spot the similar accounts, owing to different travellers and writers observing the same kind of practices in the same time period across many parts of the country! The travellers are also unanimous in one more thing- their sheer awe on the high cultural and spiritual progress that they saw in India, unlike any other place. 

The India They Saw presents the historical Indian view from a beautiful angle, and it is so well arranged through the four volumes, covering in total from the 5th century BC to the 18th century. Some of these travellers and their accounts take you back to what you read in your Social Sciences during middle school- a fun way to learn history.

I feel this is another book which can be read in small doses and interesting snippets, from which you can learn a lot over a period of time! Do check it out!