Tag: Entertainment

Movie Review – Tribhanga

Plot Introduction:

The plot revolves around 3 generations of Women – Nayantara (a well-known writer ), her daughter Anuradha ( a ravishing, confident and courageous actress ) and her granddaughter Masha ( a kind-hearted young homemaker). All three of them are absolutely different from one another and the character of one had effects on the other. The plot unveils the effects and emotions of the three women at various parts of their lives.

Noteworthy Nayantara :

“Artists are simple people with complex minds”’

Artists, writers, actors are ingenious creatures who can take you to a new and unexplored world with their works. This is possible because of their imagination which requires a peaceful environment. But unfortunately, these 3 are the professions which are least valued by our society. People fail to understand that creative work evolved out of peace and time. Nayantara is passionate about writing and never fails to sacrifice the time she spends for it which was quite unacceptable those days. Hence she made a decision that could give her the freedom she always needed, unaware of the effects it would cause to her daughter. 

Anuradha and Attitude: 

“Don’t judge a book by its cover”

Anuradha is affected by the separation of her parents in her childhood days which eventually makes her lose confidence in marriage and relationships. Hence she chooses the wild path and lives as a daring woman. The common mistake done by most of us is to judge people based on their attitude, behaviour, reactions etc. Every person we meet in our daily life is having some or another problem and undergoing stress because of the same. Some may be good at expressing their feelings. Some struggle to express their inner self. They need their own time to recover which is neglected most of the time. 

Masha with mysteries:

“The bruises of child abuse may heal but the scars will last for a lifetime”

According to research, it has been proved that adults who have been victims of sexual abuse are more likely to be affected by mental health, guilt, depression. When a girl is sexually abused in her childhood days, it affects her internally leading to an unsuccessful marriage. Either she cannot be emotionally attached to her family due to guilt or she might be petrified so that she accepts abuse in every other form from her partner just to retain the marital status. This is more evident in India due to the standards set by society. Masha was portrayed as a living example of child abuse in this film. 

Her mother had a unique standard of living which affected Masha in various ways. One of the boyfriends of her mother abused her at childhood days which gave adverse effects on Masha. She was petrified to confess the truth to her mother. Hence she accepted every other terms and conditions proposed by her in laws.

Communication is the key:

The plot described in Tribhanga could be easily related to our lives.  Every child takes an oath inside to avoid the gap persisting between them and their parents and remain as a cool parent in the future. But somehow or other the gap seems to continue over generations. The only solution for the problem is effective communication from both sides. 

https://www.india.com/viral/child-abuse-in-india-5-shocking-facts-revealed-by-the-unicef-125712/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribhanga_(film)

Agriculture

When tillage begins, other arts follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of human civilization.”

— Daniel Webster

Introduction

It all started thousand of years ago , when the human civilization came into existence . Agriculture was a key to survival . People were farming for there domestic purpose , not for the others .

As the civilization started to grow accustomed of agriculture , they grew food in surplus that enabled people to live in cities. Plants were independently cultivated in at least 11 regions of the world.

The development of agriculture enabled the human population to grow many times larger than could be sustained by hunting and gathering.

It was the beginning of different civilization in different parts of the World. From those civilizations , one of them was our’s The Indus Valley Civilization . Vedic literature provides some of the earliest written record of agriculture in India. Rigveda hymns , describes plowing, fallowing, irrigation, fruit and vegetable cultivation.

Some of the ancient and historical evidence suggests rice and cotton were cultivated in the Indus Valley.

Agriculture : In India and World today .

India ranks second worldwide in farm outputs. As per 2018, agriculture employed Indian work force and contributed 17–18% to country’s GDP.

In 2016, agriculture and allied sectors like animal husbandry, forestry and fisheries accounted for 15.4% of the GDP (gross domestic product) with about 41.49% of the workforce in 2020.India ranks first in the world with highest net cropped area followed by US and China.The total agriculture commodities export was US $ 3.50 billion in March – June 2020.

Agriculture is the primary source of livelihood for about 58% of India’s population. Share of agriculture and allied sectors in gross value added (GVA) of India at current prices stood at 17.8 % in FY20.

During 2019-20 crop year, food grain production reached a record of 296.65 million tonnes. In 2020-21, Government of India is targeting food grain production of 298 million tonnes.

India is among the 15 leading exporters of agricultural products in the world. Agricultural export from India reached US$ 38.54 billion in FY19 and US$ 35.09 billion in FY20.

Agriculture is an important industry in the United States. The agriculture industry, which includes both crops and livestock, is responsible for producing most of the world’s foods and fabrics. Agriculture impacts so many things that it’s hard to imagine a world without this important industry.

Schemes and Initiatives

Due to the high requirement of agriculture . It is important for the government to take initiatives and provide better infrastructure to the farmers. However , the required level of investment for the development of marketing, storage and cold storage infrastructure is estimated to be huge.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), established in 1905, was responsible for the search leading to the “Indian Green Revolution” of the 1970s. The Union Minister of Agriculture is the president of the ICAR. The Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute develops new techniques for the design of agricultural experiments, analyses data in agriculture, and specialises in statistical techniques for animal and plant breeding.

Schemes by government for Indian agriculture :

  • Dairy Entrepreneurship Development Scheme.
  • Rainfed Area Development Programme (RADP)
  • Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
  • Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY)
  • National Agriculture Market (e-NAM)
  • Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan yojana.
  • Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)
  • Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme.
  • Pashu Kisan Credit Card Scheme.
  • PM-Kisan Scheme.

Conclusion

Agriculture sector is one of the prominent sector in India as well as all over the world . India is becoming self – sufficient in pulses and other crops .

Gone are the days , when India was unable to provide sufficient amount of food to the citizens . Gone are the days , when people used to think agriculture was not as important as other sectors . Gone are the days , when people used to think less of farmers . And gone are the days , when people were less educated about agriculture.

Farming is a profession of hope.

— Brett Brian

Link

Stress management

It may seem that there’s nothing you can do about your stress level. The bills aren’t going to stop coming, there will never be more hours in the day for all your errands, and your career or family responsibilities will always be demanding. But you have a lot more control than you might think. In fact, the simple realization that you’re in control of your life is the foundation of stress management.
Managing stress is all about taking charge: taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems. The ultimate goal is a balanced life, with time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun – plus the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet challenges head on.

Identify the sources of stress in your life:
Stress management starts with identifying the sources of stress in your life. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. Your true sources of stress aren’t always obvious, and it’s all too easy to overlook your own stress-inducing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Sure, you may know that you’re constantly worried about work deadlines. But maybe it’s your procrastination, rather than the actual job demands, that leads to deadline stress. 
Think about the ways you currently manage and cope with stress in your life. Your stress journal can help you identify them. Are your coping strategies healthy or unhealthy, helpful or unproductive? Unfortunately, many people cope with stress in ways that compound the problem.
Unhealthy ways of coping with stress:
These coping strategies may temporarily reduce stress, but they cause more damage in the long  run:
• Smoking
• Drinking too much
• Overeating or undereating
• Zoning out for hours in front of the TV or computer
• Withdrawing from friends, family, and activities
• Using pills or drugs to relax
• Sleeping too much
• Procrastinating
• Filling up every minute of the day to avoid facing problems
• Taking out your stress on others (lashing out, angry outbursts, physical violence)

Learning healthier ways to manage stress:
If your methods of coping with stress aren’t contributing to your greater emotional and physical health, it’s time to find healthier ones. There are many healthy ways to manage and cope with stress, but they all require change. You can either change the situation or change your reaction. When deciding which option to choose, it’s helpful to think of the four As: avoid, alter, adapt, or accept.
Since everyone has a unique response to stress, there is no “one size fits all” solution to managing it. No single method works for everyone or in every situation, so experiment with different techniques and strategies. Focus on what makes you feel calm and in control.
Not all stress can be avoided, and it’s not healthy to avoid a situation that needs to be addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate.
●Learn how to say “no” – Know your limits and stick to them. Whether in your personal or professional life, refuse to accept added responsibilities when you’re close to reaching them. Taking on more than you can handle is a surefire recipe for stress.
●Avoid people who stress you out – If someone consistently causes stress in your life and you can’t turn the relationship around, limit the amount of time you spend with that person or end the relationship entirely.
●Take control of your environment – If the evening news makes you anxious, turn the TV off. If traffic’s got you tense, take a longer but less-traveled route. If going to the market is an unpleasant chore, do your grocery shopping online.
●Avoid hot-button topics – If you get upset over religion or politics, cross them off your conversation list. If you repeatedly argue about the same subject with the same people, stop bringing it up or excuse yourself when it’s the topic of discussion.
●Pare down your to-do list – Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. If you’ve got too much on your plate, distinguish between the “shoulds” and the “musts.” Drop tasks that aren’t truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely.
●Express your feelings instead of bottling them up. If something or someone is bothering you, communicate your concerns in an open and respectful way. If you don’t voice your feelings, resentment will build and the situation will likely remain the same.
●Be willing to compromise. When you ask someone to change their behavior, be willing to do the same. If you both are willing to bend at least a little, you’ll have a good chance of finding a happy middle ground.
●Be more assertive. Don’t take a backseat in your own life. Deal with problems head on, doing your best to anticipate and prevent them. If you’ve got an exam to study for and your chatty roommate just got home, say up front that you only have five minutes to talk.
●Manage your time better. Poor time management can cause a lot of stress. When you’re stretched too thin and running behind, it’s hard to stay calm and focused. But if you plan ahead and make sure you don’t overextend yourself, you can alter the amount of stress you’re under.
●Focus on the positive. When stress is getting you down, take a moment to reflect on all the things you appreciate in your life, including your own positive qualities and gifts. This simple strategy can help you keep things in perspective.
●Set aside relaxation time. Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule. Don’t allow other obligations to encroach. This is your time to take a break from all responsibilities and recharge your batteries.
●Connect with others. Spend time with positive people who enhance your life. A strong support system will buffer you from the negative effects of stress.
●Do something you enjoy every day. Make time for leisure activities that bring you joy, whether it be stargazing, playing the piano, or working on your bike.
●Keep your sense of humor. This includes the ability to laugh at yourself. The act of laughing helps your body fight stress in a number of ways.

Learn the relaxation response:
You can control your stress levels with relaxation techniques that evoke the body’s relaxation response, a state of restfulness that is the opposite of the stress response. Regularly practicing these techniques will build your physical and emotional resilience, heal your body, and boost your overall feelings of joy and equanimity.

Movie Review- The Perfect Date

Movie The perfect date

In olden days love was simple , yet turned out to be the most beautiful one. But as the technology developed and world became modernized day after the other , people expected same out of love. They wanted something unique and exquisite out of love. In this process they fail to understand the real version of their partners. They struggle to unleash the real version of their inner soul to their soulmates(find another word). Most people are attracted by the gifts and gestures by their partners with no clue how they feel about the same. This is the reason why we are getting a feeling that love is complicated.

Driven by Dreams:

The hero is a young high school lad who has 3 important dreams

  1. To get admission in Yale University
  2. To have the most popular girl in the city as his girlfriend
  3. To have his own luxury car
    He works after his school in a subway shop to save money for his education. Disheartened by the fact that he is not able to save enough money for his expenditure , he is desperate to find ways that will fetch him more money. Once he was offered money to take a girl called Celia to a date. That’s when an idea sparkled in his mind. With the help of his friend he built an app where girls can book him for a date with their expectations out of him so that he can match them on the date.

Realisation:

The idea worked out. Bookings started to pour down from all over the city and he was overwhelming with the success. He changed himself everyday according to the expectations of the girl he dates. He also starts to date the most popular girl in the city.But at one point of time he realises he has lost the ones who have loved him for who he was without any expectations. Things he did to bring back things normal and the ways he cherished what he had in his life unfolds thereafter.

Love is all about accepting the person for who they are at the moment . Anything that is force fed will not last longer. Also there is no time for that you must fall in love. You can take your own time to figure things out.

https://www.npr.org/2019/04/12/712246447/the-perfect-date-a-teen-romcom-by-any-other-name-is-reasonably-swee

PARASITE- Movie Review

If you are a ‘victim’ to Hallyu wave, you must be well aware of the pride Koreans (by Korea, I obviously mean South Korea!) take in glorifying their culture in big screen; which should be a lesson for other nations. However the living conditions portrayed in the web series are not all real. But Parasite is. Parasite is rather an extremely deep insight into the lives of lower strata of society.

Parasite is a 2019 South Korean film in the genre- Black comedy. It was directed by Bong Joon Ho. The wealth disparity, social inequality of late capitalism in South Korea has been shown in the movie. The Kim family, residents of a semi-basement do odd jobs to earn their livelihood.  Kim Ki-woo, the son of the Kim family is hired as Da-hye’s (daughter of Park family) English tutor. This sets a series of comic events where the whole family plots to get recruited in the house.  Kim Ki-jung (Jessica), the daughter of the Kim family who is hired as Da-song’s art therapist. The father Kim Ki-taek is hired as Park Dong Ik’s chauffer and the mother, Chung-sook takes over as the Parks’ housekeeper after the Kims exploit the peach allergy of the long-time housekeeper, Moon-gwang, to convince Mrs Park that she has tuberculosis.

After the Park family leaves for camping trip, Kims are shown enjoying in the living room when Moon-gwang abruptly appears at the door, telling Chung-sook she has left something in the basement. There was a bunker in the basement which was unknown to the Park family and Moon-gwang’s husband had been hiding there; from loan sharks. Things take different turn from this part of story. The sudden arrival of Park family from trip creates commotion and fight between both the parties. Moon-gwang and her husband Geun-sae are tied in the bunker itself and Kims escape somehow, unnoticed by the owners. There is a flood in their street and the family goes to gymnasium to spend the night. The next day Parks decide on throwing birthday party. Meanwhile we discover Moon gwang is dead in the basement because of concussion by the previous night’s fight. Enraged by the wife’s death, Geun-sae escapes and attacks Kim ki-woo. Then goes out at the party spot and stabs Kim Ki-jung. Chung-sook stabs Geun-sae in return. The son of Park family suffers seizure witnessing the events and Mr. Park asks the chauffer Kim Ki-taek to tkae him to hospital. However after seeing how he felt disgusted of Geun-sae, Ki-taek stabs Mr. park and flees.

Weeks later after Kim ki-woo recovers from injuries and discovers his sister is dead and father is missing. He spies on the bunglow which a german family has bought now, in hope to find a clue for his father. Meanwhile the father was at the basement all these time and gives out message every night using Morse code in hope of his son finding him. Ki-woo finally sees this and decodes. The film ends with the son writing a letter to his father that he will earn money and buy that house someday and his father will then be free.

The title of the film comes from the scientific meaning of parasite. However ‘Parasite’ is not only meant for the poor ones but also the rich. They do not know the basic house chores and suck out of the poor for this. How interesting is the cinematography; the partition of rich and poor are shown with literal partitions using subtle division in lines, lighting and angles. Both the families of Kim and Moon-gwang were divided by the dire need of money but united by struggle; Geun-sae hurts all members of Kim taek but when Mr. Park disgusts over Geun-sae’s smell, Kim Taek fumes in anger and stabs Park. The wealth stone gifted by Ki-woo’s friend stands as a symbol of wealth; when he keeps it properly, the family continues to work smoothly as soon as he disregards the stone, they shatter and ultimately Ki-woo is wounded by the same stone on head. This warns that wealth can be the cause of success and fall down. This is evident of the capitalism prevailing in the country. In the end when Ki-woo resolves to earn money, it is out of question this will not come true because of major disparity in rich and poor.

These are some of the major observations. There is a lot more to be discussed. This is a highly recommended movie.

Is it your anxiety .

“Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer.”

—William S. Burroughs

Am I losing my mind or its just my mind playing tricks ?

In the world , where people are ready to fight against their competitor . What will happen when you loose ?

Or didn’t get what you desire the most ?

Would you accept the reality or choose to mourn for your loss.

Introduction

Do you ever feel anxious about going to the new place or meeting with new people ?

Do you ever feel the numbness in your body when you lost something or someone ?

Have you ever get overwhelmed by your fears ?

So what do you call it .

Is it an anxiety disorder?

Well hold your horses because it’s not . Like really we all feel anxious , hesitation , numbness , fear in our life . But if you think it’s an anxiety disorder . It’s a big NO .

If you want to know what is anxiety disorder and how to differentiate it from normal anxiety . You have to ask me .

SO . ASK . ME .

Well if you don’t ask me then also I will tell you .

When we feel something is crawling on our leg but didn’t find a thing . Instead of sleeping peacefully , we think of possible aspects that will make our night hell .

Well it happened with me and guess what , I always wake up middle of the night and try to find the invisible ghost ( is it only me who thinks about these weird things or it happened with you as well .)

Anxiety is when these types of situations happened only single time , maybe 2 or 3 times. But when these kind of situations happened every time whenever you sleep than maybe you have Anxiety Disorder.

What is Anxiety Disorder?

Let’s get to know about the Father before we get to know about the Son .

Anxiety is a feeling that comes and goes, but does not interfere with your everyday life.This type of anxiety is unpleasant, but it may motivate you to work harder and to do a better job.

But what about Anxiety Disorder . Well I am explaining just have some patience . You know patience is the virtue of life .

Yes , we were talking about the Son . I mean Anxiety Disorder . It is the feeling of fear may be with you all the time. It is intense and sometimes debilitating. These type of anxiety can cause more damage than you think about.

You will stop enjoy everything . In extreme cases you stop socialising with other and if it left untreated, it may be worse like you will kill yourself.

According to the APA ( American Psychiatric Association) , women are more likely than men to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

Types of Anxiety Disorder

  • Panic Disorder .
  • Phobia .
  • Social Anxiety Disorder.
  • Separation Anxiety Disorder.
  • PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.)
  • Illness Anxiety Disorder .

In present world , PTSD is most likely to be found in the women rather than men. It happens when a person goes through some traumatic experience.

Symptoms:

  • Increased heart rate.
  • Rapid breathing.
  • Restlessness.
  • Trouble concentrating.
  • Difficulty falling asleep.
  • Stop trusting.
  • Worried about small things .

Remedies :

  • Getting enough sleep.
  • Meditating.
  • Staying active and exercising.
  • Eating a healthy diet.
  • Staying active and working out.
  • Avoiding alcohol.
  • Avoiding caffeine.
  • Quitting smoking cigarettes.

Conclusion :

Anxiety Disorder can be found in anyone from 5 year old boy to 80 year old woman or from 15 year old girl to 50 year old man. It may be cured , only if it treated properly . If not , it can cause some serious issue .

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

—Henry Stanley Haskins

Link

Capture Your Prey!

“Your intuition knows what to write, so get out of the way.”

– Ray Bradbury

Today’s article speaks about being a Tiger and Capturing your Prey. I’m sure you are left wondering as to how a tiger is related to writing. Let’s quickly delve into the topic to learn how!

Consider the entire concept of Writing as a Forest and the Tiger as a writer. A tiger succeeds in capturing his prey efficiently and is thus, proficient. Similar is the case with Writing. We have to Capture Creative Wordings in order to prove our efficiency. In short, the way you write is all that matters. Your Content is the prey! Capture it and be the king! Capturing the prey could also mean capturing the ‘X’ factor in the writing process!

However, some aspects are necessary to cover when aspiring to reach the ‘X’ factor. Let us view some of them!

Read More And More!

Consider reading books of famous authors who use native English vocabulary because they sometimes tend to make use of interesting phrases and go – to lines which you could use for your content.

Subscribe To YouTube Channels For English Learning!

YouTube, a widely used video platform comes with all the remedies, doesn’t it? All you’ve got to do is, type in the search bar “English learning for beginners” and vast options are available for you to scroll by!

Audio Books Are Bae!

A new concept is out in the market! You could purchase audio books and read them while listening. Sounds cray cray, doesn’t it? But that’s exactly what you can do if you aren’t much of a bookworm and would prefer listening rather than reading!

Try Conversing More In English!

Conversation is the key where vocabulary is the lock,

Go about framing interesting sentences as you talk!

Said by The Laconic Writer! 😉 This may be said by me, but isn’t it true? Go about framing interesting sentences which you picked up from the above mentioned sources. After all, when you learn something, you should implement it for further enhancement. That’s how conversation comes in handy! When you learn some advanced words, try using them in your day to day conversation so that you capture that particular phrase or word in your head for next use. However, make sure you don’t use heavy oxford dictionary words during regular conversations. After all, you don’t want your friends wondering the meaning of your emotions and expressions! 😉

Hold That Pen!

Another way is to hold the pen and write as much as you can think of and resolving to incorporate as many advanced words in your write up as possible! This helps develop your vocabulary.

Make A Note Of Certain Interesting Facts!

Try noting down certain mind boggling and humorous facts which you could use for your content. When you incorporate fun facts, your content becomes all the more engaging. Clutch an important topic and write an amazing fact on the basis of that!

Try Inventing Some Of Your Own Peculiar Phrases And Quotes!

That works! That really does work! Readers consider it interesting to read something new that you come up with. You could frame your own acronyms, come up with creative illustrations by dragging your mundane daily life elements or using natural aspects. For instance, helping caterpillars bloom into a butterfly meaning helping novices become experts 😉

These are some of the ways to effective English learning. All that matters is how well you Capture the Prey at the end while remembering that it comes from within and requires utmost imagination.

After you have gained expertise and strong hold on the reigns of vocabulary, remember to use your talent in copywriting. Don’t know what that is? Well, let me introduce you to it. Copywriting is content intending to make sales. It is solely used for marketing wherein you provide ample information regarding your services or products thereby compelling people to buy your facilities through the incorporation of various calls to action!

Call to action includes involvement of various links for customers to be redirected to the “buying” page. It also comprises of boosting content at the end that usually starts with a verb like, Try our products now and you won’t regret. You introduce discounts for your customers and create a sense of urgency by involving limited time periods for a specific offer or purchase of goods. You provide incentives to customers thereby getting them acquainted with the benefits of the product or service. You try creating convenient situations for them by providing money back guarantees. In short, customer satisfaction and well – being becomes your goal because marketing is all about understanding the pain points and desires of the mob.

Content is thus, the basis of digital marketing and to master copywriting, one needs to work on the creativity aspect of this interesting English language. Basic English vocabulary gives birth to intermediate expertise in it which in turn opens the doors to creativity and later helps you climb the advanced ladder of English language wherein you hop into copywriting.

A copy mustn’t ever include incorrect punctuations or grammar because that is enough to let your marketing efforts go down the drain!

Avoid redundancy or repetition of words. For instance, ‘We provide goods that are good enough for daily life.’ Sounds crazy doesn’t it?

Improper punctuation or overuse of it like, “We, provide, high quality, goods, and services.” Enough to infuriate the reader, isn’t it? That’s exactly why, it is advisable to work on enhancement of English before resolving to move towards copywriting.

Thus, now you know why improvement of vocabulary was stressed upon in the earlier part of this article.

What if you already are an ardent English fan and copywriting isn’t at all a monotonous or tedious task for you? Set up your own website and get marketing.

Thank You For Reading!

LEISURE HIDES THE SECRET OF PRODUCTIVITY

“Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

WHY NECESSARY?

Leisure means respite from work. It is essential for men tired with work. A little leisure refreshes the tired limbs and makes him fit for another period of work.

VARIOUS WAYS OF SPENDING SPARE TIME

  • Set of woman doing leisure activities relaxing at home, vacuuming the house, having coffee, exercising at a gym and gardening,

Modern life is full of cares and worries. We have to work very hard with little or no success. Some work in factories from morning till night, some work in offices for seven, eight or nine hours a day every person has to work hard to earn his or her living. But human body is not a machine. It cannot work continually for hours together it requires some rest. Even a machine is given rest. Otherwise, it breaks down. That is why leisure is so essential. Like machines, our health will break down completely if we have no regular leisure. It always helps us regain our lost energy and refreshes so that we may continue to do our work next day with more vigour both mental and physical.

ITS USE AND MISUSE

So, leisure we all must have. But it does not mean complete cessation of work. Our limbs may stop working; but our mind is never idle. Once the tension of physical labour is gone mind has time to relax and engage itself in finding enjoyment in some entertainment or recreations. Leisure does not mean idleness. It can be utilised by engaging oneself in recreations. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. So, work must be followed by recreations that brace up the mind and spirit.

CONCLUSION

Leisure varies from one person to another. Some utilise it in light reading, while other in their particular hobbies, like playing at cards, or at instruments there are some who go to the stress or cinemas for entertainments, while there are others who take evening walks. There are some who simply sit tight and enjoy the pleasure of doing nothing Whatever may be the mode of enjoying leisure, we must have it. Otherwise our life would become dull. We will lose interest in life. Life has to be lived and lived fully and joyfully.

A Survey Of Pens Across The Globe!

“A Pen Is The Tongue Of The Mind.”

  • Horace

Today’s article is a work of fiction as it conducts a survey with all the ‘Pens’ across the globe. As you very well know, Pens are associated deeply with the writing process because they pose as a medium to disseminate our thoughts onto that sheet of paper before us. Yes, I totally agree that one has to whack their brains for this as well, but pens make your thinking process worth it!

I conducted a survey with all the Pens across the globe and received certain responses regarding the writing process.

The questions were, “What are your thoughts regarding the Writing Process?” and a Yes or No question being “Do you think Writing is Boring?”

The Responses Were As Follows:

A Pen From The United States Of America, Indiana

“I find the writing process fun and love it when people begin working on it while using me as a medium. I am glad that I have some worth and value in this world. But the sad part is that pens are only looked upon when it comes to writing, while other times, we lose our worth.”

Yes Or No Question:

No, writing is not a boring task. Instead it is an interesting job that helps awaken your imagination.

A Pen From The United Kingdom, Wales

“Writing is a subjective process and totally depends on the perspective of the person involved. If the person admires the process and remains keen in imagining and coming up with creativity then it is fun, otherwise it isn’t. I, as a pen can only wait for the right person to initiate writing, who wholeheartedly surrenders himself to the process without any sort of disturbance.”

Yes Or No Question:

As I just said, this is a subjective process, so it could be either Yes or No, depending upon the person involved.

A Pen From Berlin, Brandenburg

“Writing is an art that can’t be learned. It is a god gifted talent that not every person possesses. It is because creativity is something that needs to be within. The urge to think and come up with something unique needs to sprout from within. These things can’t actually be learned. We pens, do not form the intellect of the writer, but prove to be important when it comes to initiate the process. For me, every writer is important because they make us productive and increase our worth.”

Yes Or No Question:

Yes, writing is a boring task for a person who isn’t interested but is just into it, for the sake of livelihood. This art requires love because when you love writing, not only that particular write up but also the pen loves you back! 😉

A Pen From France, Brittany

“I, as a Pen can only say that write ups require sheer practice, dedication, love, patience, devotion and focus. The writer needs to be acquainted with holding me 24/7 in order to enrich the process. We pens need to be held frequently because it is easy to receive thoughts on the upper floor of the human body, but to jotting those umpteen thoughts down is a complex task. A writer can’t possibly occupy an entire day for writing. Thus, practice with us (pens) is important, very important!

Yes Or No Question:

Writing is boring for a person who finds it a pesky job to maintain the word count. Thus, practice is essential. After all, Practice Makes Perfect, doesn’t it?

A Pen From Saudi Arabia, Mecca

“Write when a stable mind is ensured. Writing isn’t all about jotting down anything one pleases. It is also about writing the sensible thing with utmost creativity. However, it depends on the genre whether you are expected to use creativity or reality more.”

Yes Or No Question:

No, writing is not a boring task because it comes with convenient branches comprising of various genres. One has complete freedom to choose any genre to work on. Also, you are free to choose your own set of topics. What more does one need?

Interesting responses aren’t they? These are some of the pens that responded while others just voted with a Yes or No.

These are the Pens from countries that actually responded. As visible, the responses are mostly No, stating that writing is not a boring task. We thank all the Pens who participated in the survey and helped it become a success! So, what are you waiting for? Writing isn’t a boring task after all. Begin writing now!

Happy Writing!

Thank You For Reading!

INTO THE WORLD OF WEBTOONS

Everybody has heard of K-Pop, many people know K-Dramas. After all, the Hallyu wave from Korea has been stunning the world for a long time now. With the addition of K-Dramas of various genres to Netflix and the exponential rise in fame of bands like BTS and Blackpink, Korean culture is taking over hearts in almost every part of the world. There is another part of Korean entertainment that is also making waves. Though not as prevalent yet, as Kdramas or Kpop, this part is also creating waves in its own way. What I am talking about are Webtoons.

Webtoon is an app that is part of the online portal developed in Korea called Naver. It was initially launched in Korea but soon after its rising popularity, it was launched globally in languages that included Chinese, Japanese, English, French, Indonesian, Spanish, Thai and German.

Webtoon is home to hundreds and thousands of comics across almost 20 different genres ranging from romance, to slice-of-life, to action and horror. Webtoon brought attention to the Korean equivalent of ‘Manga’, called ‘Manhwa’. The translations of these ‘Manhwa’ comics were released through the Webtoon app and has now gained a lot of popularity.

People still prefer reading Manga as books and their digitized copies are also in the form of ‘pages’. But, ‘webtoons’, as the comics on the app are called, are different. They are made solely for the mobile phones. They have a continuous style of page distribution, where one episode is generally one long page that you can scroll through easily on a phone. To be honest, the best experience of reading a webtoon is on the phone. Reading it on a desktop just does not have the same feel. This is bringing a lot of change in the way artists are planning out storyboards and layouts too.

That is another thing about webtoon. They have something called ‘Canvas’. This is a space where any artist can upload their comics for people from around the world to read. Through competitions and contests, many of these comics are recognized and taken up by the Webtoon corporation and made into an ‘Original’ on the app. When released as ‘Originals’, the artist is hired under the corporation and is financed by the corporation. The comic is serialized with proper release schedules and a more wider audience range. In this way, Webtoon is a great platform for aspiring comic book artists to get their works recognized and applauded.

During the lockdown, I came across the app and now I am fully hooked. There is so much variety both in terms of art styles and in terms of stories. So, I have decided to compile a list of my favourite webtoons for those who want to start reading and for those who already know and are looking for something new to read. So here goes!

1. WINDBREAKER

Windbreaker.
(img source:https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/nAHfAX6QMG7ht_6nAITp8VP3ATnOECEH5DIdEDf3wNAhLtAiMv6CFtGitzBYcRF3Orm0=h500)
  • Status: Ongoing
  • Genre: Sports
  • No. of Eps: 339 (so far)

This webtoon is one of my all time favorites. It is a sports webtoon about extreme and street cycling. Reading this webtoon made me, a couch potato at the best of times, to also want to ride a bicycle. It follows a group of high school kids who start a cycling crew to enter a street cycling competition. It is about how they grow together both as riders and human beings in general.

The art is amazing, the story is amazing and every week I am waiting excitedly for a new episode to release. It is a really nice webtoon to start off your foray into this world, especially for those who love cycling and even for those who don’t. It is a very underrated webtoon that I hope gets a lot more love.

2. SPIRIT FINGERS

spirit fingers
(img source:https://myseouldream.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/009-e1438849493245.jpg0
  • Status: completed
  • Genre: drama
  • No. of eps: 167

For anyone looking for a light hearted webtoon to start their day, this is the perfect one. It is the story about a girl who has lived all her life as an awkward teenager and lacking self-confidence. But then, she encounters a group of the ‘hippest, strangest, coolest (yet most welcoming)’ people ever in the form of an art club called ‘Spirit Fingers’. Then begins her journey of self discovery self love.

A webtoon filled with lovable characters, dumb incidents and just hilarious in many senses, it is one that also gives out the message that everyone is unique and a ‘COLOR’ of their own. It is just about taking our the time to find yourself and your group. It is a small webtoon compared to the others on the list with just 166 episodes but a fun read nevertheless. The art took me some getting used to. But it grows on you and by the end of it you are in love with not only ALL the characters but also with how they are drawn.

3.LOST IN TRANSLATION

lost in translation
(img source:https://i.quotev.com/ihmkhfxjzola.jpg)
  • Status: ongoing
  • Genre: drama
  • No. of eps: 71 (so far)

This is one of the webtoons I started reading as soon as it released, so I have been part of the whole journey so far. It is a webtoon that brings the two worlds of webtoons and the Kpop industry together. The webtoon is about an Idol group member whose stage name is ‘Wyld’. As ‘Wyld’ of group ‘Mayhem’ he is embroiled in scandals and has a persona of a player but in reality “Jaehwon’ is just a huge cinnamon roll who was forced to put on the persona by the company he works under. It is a new webtoon with not even a hundred episodes yet but I already love it. The art is distinctive and the story is really good so far. I cant wait to see how much better it is going to get.

Another thing about the band, Mayhem. It actually exists! It is a 2d band that has a huge fan following, basically readers of the series. If you go to YouTube and search for Mayhem, you can even listen to an original song along with a music video that was released by the band. Twitter pages for all band members is also there all having a huge amount of fan following. This is another thing about the webtoon that is keeping me hooked.

So there you have it. A small list of my favorite webtoons that I hope everyone will enjoy as much as me. There are so many more good ones that I haven’t included in the list. Many that can be found the minute you open the app. And new ones are getting added almost everyday. It is a new world in itself. One I have enjoyed stepping into and being a part of. I hope this helps you also in your foray into the world of webtoons.

Taylor Swift: The new Pop poetess of the 21st century

Taylor Swift, the pop phenomenon, took the world by surprise when she dropped her albums Folklore and Evermore during the grim days of humanity. The albums were released during 2020 without much commercialization. From being a teenage icon to a pop star, the ‘cardigan’ song writer recently revealed her poetic side by the release of her two acclaimed albums.

Taylor Swift and her wise strategy

Unlike other prominent artists who spend huge sums for advertising their albums, Taylor Swift did not follow it this time. Instead, she surprised her fandom by announcing on all her social media handles that her 8th studio album Folklore would be released midnight.

While people had little to no time digesting the fact, it did not prevent them from buying the album, thus making it the best sold album of 2020. Now, without pressing foot on the brakes, by using the same strategy, she announced the release of her 9th studio album Evermore, naming it the sister album of Folklore.

The very short span between the release of the two albums (5 months) not only made fans happy, but boosted the sales of both of the albums. While folklore turned out to be the best sold album of 2020, Evermore, following it took the 2nd place. She once again proved that she herself is her sole competitor.

Follow the link to know the other time she proved the world that she was her competition:

https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9428290/taylor-swift-folklore-billboard-200-number-1

Folklore-Evermore album cover
Folklore(on the left) and Evermore album covers

Hands down, the best lyricist

It is safe to say that we all had ‘Darling I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream‘ as our Instagram bio during the 1989 era. Taylor swift is not known just for her dreamy vocals, but also for her irresistible lyrical talent. She can write ‘Shake it off, I shake it off’ and she can write ‘But I’m a fire and I’ll keep your brittle heart warm , if your cascade ocean wave blues come’.

If you do not believe my words, take a peek at the second verse of her song ‘This is me trying’ from folklore:

They told me all of my cages were mental
So I got wasted like all my potential
And my words shoot to kill when I’m mad
I have a lot of regrets about that
I was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere
Fell behind all my classmates and I ended up here
Pourin’ out my heart to a stranger
But I didn’t pour the whiskey

She explains her fallout so gracefully and honestly, I didn’t know until now that it can be written so!

The mental calm her albums gave during this pandemic

This pandemic broke down even the toughest of people. Being bound within four walls, not able to interact with your loved ones and more importantly, not able to even visit our sick friends and family took a devastating toll on the mental health of people regardless of the age factor. For students, the burden of online classes. For homemakers, the everlasting kitchen duty. For employees, the fear of being laid off.

To lament about these effects, I’d have to write a book! Us people, we create safe havens personal to us. Be it listening to your favorite music, reading your favorite book or even having a sound sleep, we try our best to cope up with a gloomy situation. For many people including myself, music has been the last resort. So Taylor did save my 2020!

Particularly, her song ‘Epiphany’ from Folklore details the calamitous experience faced by our frontline medical workers. It says that medics were taught to save lives, not hear the wailing of daughters and sons. Hearing the song made me want to question the mere existence of God if all this suffering is to be endured by people. Words have power. And Taylor meticulously used them to heal people.

Something med school did not cover
Someone’s daughter, someone’s mother
Holds your hand through plastic now
“Doc, I think she’s crashing out”
And some things you just can’t speak about

-Epiphany, album Folklore

So here’s to the queen who consumed our nights through her music. Someone who stripped every shred of the veil concealing the soul, making even the unbreakable ones, vulnerable. Achingly beautiful are the only words that remind me of the albums Folklore and Evermore.

Grateful to you Taylor, for, without you we wouldn’t have been able to believe that light exists at the end of the tunnel.

 

Top 5 Most Popular Anime

Have you ever heard of some addictive popular Japanese series which are having millions of fans all around the world? Or any animated series with beautiful animation and an amazing storyline?

Popular anime

Yes I am talking about  anime. The anime industry of Japan is currently consisting over 450 production companies and is booming all over the world.

Here are Top 5  Most Popular Anime of all times. This list of most popular anime is calculated on basis of popularity, no. of searches and community discussions.

5. One Punch Man

As the name suggests, it’s story revolves around an ordinary looking but extremely powerful hero who can kill anyone with one punch only, and because of this overwhelming strength he is bored and is seeking any worthy opponent.

Enjoy this popular superhero franchise which has action, adventure and at the same time humour with it and get included in its huge fan base.

4. Naruto Franchise

One of the biggest and most popular anime series of all times which has a beautiful storyline, amazing characters and wonderful music. This anime is having a huge fan base not only in Japan or Asia but also in the other parts of world.

The story revolves around a mischievous young brat whose dream is to become a great ninja and to be the leader of his village so that he could be recognised by people. Watch the journey of growing up of a kid into a man.

3. FullMetal Alchemist

This anime has action, great storyline, good music, nice animation and is nothing less than a masterpiece.

It revolves around the story of two young brothers who make an attempt to bring their mother back to life. But the fundamental law of alchemy says that “In order to get something, alchemist must sacrifice something of same value” . What would have happened next?

The popularity and quality of this anime could be understood by the fact that it is still widely regarded as the best anime of all time and is still being loved by thousands of people.

2. Attack On Titan

An incredibly popular anime which is believed to get more popular as the fans are waiting for the upcoming season. This series is filled with action, thrill, and lots and lots of twists and turns. The epic story of humans fighting against Titans for survival will excite you and at the same time will break your heart and fill your eyes with tears. It is so beautifully written that one can not stop liking it.

This anime has gained a tremendous popularity and a huge fan base in last two years and is supposed to get more.

1. Death Note

One of the best and most popular anime of all times! This one is truly a masterpiece.

Ever heard of a notebook in which if you wrote name of anyone while thinking about him, he/she will die? It sounds interesting huh? But what if this is found by a young student named Light Yagami who is a genius and at the same time a psychopath?

The rivalry between him and the another protagonist L who is also a genius and a young detective will make you stick to this anime. Despite being aired several years ago, this anime’s popularity is still growing.

Overall anime are a great choice to watch to kill your boredom or to entertain yourself. They can be very interesting and there is also alot of variety present in anime. All of them have amazing themes, stories and intersting characters. One should definitely watch them and if they are the popular ones then they are definitely a MUST WATCH!!!

MOVIE REVIEW “The color purple”

 

“The color purple” is a breath-taking historical drama starring Whoopi Goldberg as Celie the main protagonist directed by Steven Spielberg. This movie claimed many prestigious awards like Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, Blue Ribbon Award for Best Foreign Film, etc. The world premiere occurred on December 18, 1985.

The plot is based on the Pulitzer prize-winning 1982 novel “The color purple” by Alice Walker. I always enjoyed the script, the idea of how a woman who is timid, terrified is converted to a strong independent personality at the end of the movie.

Celie is a woman cruelly treated by the world, a shy, frightened little girl whose life consists mostly of eluding the men who want to rape and beat her. As a young teenager, she is raped by the man she takes to be her father, and both of her babies a son and a daughter are taken away from her. Then after this Celie is married off to Albert by her stepfather, Albert- a brutal farmer, who beat her, uses her as a servant and use her as an object to satisfy his lust and also convinces her she is ugly.

 

There are many emotional scenes in this movie but for me, the scene that pulled my heartstrings is where Celie is separated from her sister Nettie-the one person who loves Celie, who understands Celie. Nettie is one of the beautiful things Celie has in her life. When her father tries to assault her, she flees to Celie for safety now then Albert tries to assault her but when she fights him off, he throws her from his house. This scene is so much emotional, powerful and real. Hats off to the actors Deserta Jackson and Akosua Busia who played young Celie and Nettie, they both are so good in the movie.

 

The climax in the movie comes when two powerful, strong independent women came to Celie’s life. One is Sofia who is married to Harpo (son of Albert from his first wife) and the other women is Shug Avery the one person Albert cherishes in his life. Shug a jazz singer who remains Albert’s one and only true love. Shug could see the beauty beneath Celie’s fear, she became the transformative power in Celie’s life.

One of the most joyous experiences I have in the movie is the scene where Shug tells Celie “Oh miss Celie why you always cover up your smile, show me that pretty smile” and for the first time Celie laughed her heart out and this scene is the favorite and most joyous scene of mine.

 

This movie has many scenes where feminist criticism is shown I.e. the inequality between the sexes, the injustice of domestic and sexual abuse, and women’s struggle for recognition as individuals who deserve fair and equal treatment. Some of the scenes are: –

  • Violence by males upon females is a common occurrence even in relationships that are quite loving, like that between Harpo and his wife Sofia. He beats her because a woman is supposed to mind a man. Beating a wife is regarded as an acceptable way to assert male authority.
  • Women are not allowed to laugh at a man like in the scene where Celie passed comments on Albert and every woman present there starts laughing at Albert, Harpo says “Shut up! It’s bad luck for a woman to laugh at the man.”

 

The most powerful and turning point of the movie is when Shug finds out about Nettie’s letter, Celie discovered that her children and her sister is alive whom she thought had died.

Now, Celie becomes so powerful that she questioned Albert about the letters and finally takes a stand for herself and told Albert that she is leaving him and going with Shug. They both have a war of words in which again Albert tries to convince Celie he says “You’re black, you’re poor, you’re ugly, you’re a woman! You’re nothing!” to which Celie replied “Until you do right by me everything you even think about gonna fail! I’m poor, black, I may even be ugly. But dear god, I’m here.”  This is the favorite dialog of mine in the movie. This particular dialog shows how a shy, frightened woman is transformed into a strong personality and speaks for her own rights.

 

Hats off to the director and cast especially Whoopi Goldberg who played Celie. When a movie character is really working, we become that character. That’s what the movies offer: Escapism into lives other than our own. For a time during watching “The color purple” my mind, my soul connects with the character Celie as I empathize with her struggle and her victory at the end.

This movie justifies its main central idea I.e. self-discovery, womanhood- how a woman’s mutual sympathy and support can act as a defense against the oppression of men.

 

 

Really loved the movie!! Hope you all will enjoy the movie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MARADONA: THE ARGENTINE BORN NEAPOLITAN

The world was in absolute shock and the Neapolitans couldn’t believe their senses when the world’s most expensive player moved to one of the world’s poorest cities and led the team which have never won a Serie A title to two Scudetti and a UEFA cup. The signing of Maradona itself was a huge reason for the people of Naples to celebrate but when he won them the titles they could’ve never imagined of, that’s the moment when the Argentine boy Diego Maradona became Santo Diego for them. With the streets of Naples painted in blue with flags and ribbons and chants hailing Diego pulsating everywhere, it took months for Neapolitans to fall back to their senses and accept that they have become the champions of Italy. And for one last time, Neapolitans were out on 25th November 2020, wearing the blue colour, carrying Diego’s photos and chanting his name through the streets of Naples, as their Saint, the greatest of all-time bid adieu to the mortal world.

Debates on Maradona’s might as a player and a person shall go on forever but for the city of Naples and its people, Maradona is so much more than just the greatest football player of all time. He will remain a godly figure, a ray of hope, an emotion that led them through their darkest times. He had the courage, conscience, and resilience to take football beyond the pitch and elevate it to a political act embarking millions of hearts with a sense of hope and feeling of redemption. 

From the slums of Buenos Aires to attaining the stature of a demigod for millions of Argentines and Neapolitans, Maradona was all a footballer could ever imagine of becoming. He has etched his name in golden scripts in the history of world football and the people of Naples, Argentina and football lovers across the globe through his charisma, leadership qualities and love for the game. Maradona might be flawed as a person but as a player, no one can ever reach the greatness he has achieved with a ball at his feet. He had qualities which no other footballing personalities can never boast about. He wasn’t a player but a politician who rebelled against the atrocities against the people. Football was just a medium for him. Diego’s might is beyond football and the politics of nations. Wherever he’s played, no one could ever own the player in Maradona. He was never a player for a particular club or country but the people, he represented them as one among them. That is the sole reason why the people of Napoli still celebrates Diego, decades after his departure, not as a person or a player but as Santo Diego, the Saint send by God to save them from all the atrocities. For Neapolitans, Maradona stays eternal, he’s the patron saint of Naples and champion of the people. And they celebrate him now and forever by singing,

‘OH, MAMMA, MAMMA, MAMMA, DO YOU KNOW WHY MY HEART BEATS?

‘I’VE SEEN MARADONA, I’VE SEEN MARADONA, AND MAMMA, I’M IN LOVE.’

FEARLESS BLASTERS WINS FIRST OF THE SEASON

After a continuous winless run of six games, Blasters tasted victory in their seventh game of the season against Hyderabad FC. In the fierce fight between two strong Indian contingents, Blasters came on top after the action-packed 90 minutes.

Kerala Blasters, one of the most followed football clubs in Asia were yet to taste their first victory in the 7th edition of Hero Indian Super League after completing six games. Today’s win was very important for the players and the coach as questions were raised from corners regarding the recruitment policy of Blasters management and the inability of Kibu Vicuna, the head coach of Kerala Blasters in finding out a perfect starting line up out of the squad.

Blasters started with five changes from their match against East Bengal FC as the Malayalee boys Sahal Abdul Samad and Abdul Hakku had their first start of the season along with Sandeep Singh, Jeakson Singh and the Australian Jordan Murray. The foreign centre back pair of Bakary Kone and Costa Nhamoinesu were dropped along with the English striker Gary Hooper and the Indians Seityasen Singh and Rohith Kumar to give way for some fresh legs.

Kerala started with not so lousy momentum and Kibu’s bold move was rewarded well when the local boy Abdul Hakku netted their first goal of the game in the 29th minute from Facundo Pereyra’s well-directed corner. The Argentine’s corner kick found the unmarked Kerala lad inside the box who brought joy to the Blaster’s camp with a stunning bullet header. On the other side, Hyderabad FC’s attempts to level the score went in vain as their strikers couldn’t find the back of the net with a disciplined Blasters defence at the back and vigilant Albino Gomez on the goal. 

It was 1-0 in favour of Blasters at half time and they started the second half with more intensity expecting high pressing from Hyderabad, and this move turned well as Hyderabad was forced back to their defensive duties with Murray and Rahul testing the opponent goalkeeper in regular intervals. The 34-year-old Hyderabad Goalkeeper Subrata Paul was kept on his toes all along the second half by Rahul and Murray. Hyderabad’s poor finishing and final third progression cost them the game as Jordan Murray netted the final nail on their coffin at the 88th minute to win the game for the Blasters 2-0. Sahal, Jeakson and Facundo were booked by the referee in their battle for the ball as the Blasters played and won as a team. This win should serve as a launchpad for the Blasters for the coming games. No one deserved this win more than the Blaster’s coach Kibu Vicuna who brushed aside his personal loss, stuck with the team and made personnel and philosophical changes to win with a clean sheet.