Open to New Themes

Hola, people! Just wanted y'all to know that I'd be happy to receive suggestions for a new theme for both this blog and this blog. No plans to change the themes right now, but still open to new and fresh ideas.

Learning Comes Unexpectedly

Love Happens makes me think of learning coming unexpectedly. I started thinking of this during the last post, but the idea was larger than what would qualify as random. For those of you who don't know, this movie (And no, I'm not advertising.) has some great lessons. The name had made me imagine it as a chick-flick. Maybe it is, but it's more of a learning experience—like a manual for a happier life. Of course there are tons of those, but the difference lies in how the same ideologies are presented. And my web of thoughts forces me to say that that's the precise reason I like "Shivani Didi's" presentation of ideas that aren't necessarily her own. (Another blog post due for weeks now.)
Gosh... I have too much of a hangover from a post that intentionally shows bad writing. Bear with me as I try to correct that. I'll cut through the irrelevant parts and skip to the original point:
We never know what could be a source of knowledge and wisdom for us. Train your brain and senses to always be open to fresh ideas, a new perspective, a wild breakthrough. Be willing to receive... to accept... But of course, all in a positive sense. Mental filters have to be the most active part of the brain—always.
And now I don't know where to go with writing about this idea, so I guess I'll just leave it here. The movie's asking for more attention now too. I'm glad.

P.S. Words learnt from the movie: quidnunc, poppysmic, sesquipedalianist. :)

Random Thoughts 1

- This is a blog post writing which I have no agenda—no idea what it's going to be about. I'm watching Love Happens simultaneously. It's a bad habit of mine: any movies I watch outside a cinema hall, never get singular attention. In fact mostly I have a plan of what I intend to do while I watch the movie. (During the last one I made a personal dictionary of roots, prefixes and suffixes.) Actually, is it a bad habit after all? I really don't know, and in fact prefer not to judge now.

- It just struck me that it doesn't not make sense to have a random post without planning. I've seen this on another blog actually—a "Random Thoughts" post. Guess I can give that a try too. Should work, considering I keep having weird thoughts that might appreciate a wider audience. By the way, how do I define a blog post that "works"? Hmm...

- Which reminds me that I have to cut down on the number of blogs I follow, because it's becoming an information overload. Blog post on that soon, when I'm about done, perhaps.

- This is a strange feeling... The only time I write like this is for my personal diary, and that too only sometimes, when I feel unable to do a writing exercise.

- I'm actually rolling my eyes at the screen right now.

- Very hard to fight the pressing urge to go back and edit what I've been typing. I won't; I won't; I WON'T. (Is that usage of the semicolon correct? Either way, is it the best way to punctuate that sentence?)

- Now that I've made it this embarrassing, perhaps I'll just throw this away and never publish it. But then again, I will. People have to stretch out and reach out of the comfortable cocoon of the familiar. It's a part of growing.

- Coffee and chocolate. Two great foods that are even better with a tinge of bitterness—only literally bitter, taste-wise. Dark chocolate; 70% is the industry standard? Low-sugar, high-caffeine coffee. Yum. :)

No, I Don't Miss Wi-fi

For almost two years now, I've been used to living near a laptop, connected to the internet till eternity, with at least a couple of browser windows and some apps dancing around my screen when I press Win + Tab. (Yes, I'm a Windows person. Sigh)

And now suddenly, sitting in a cutely gorgeous house in Chandigarh, having been here for a month and intending to bug Uncle and Auntie for another half (at most), I'm actually relieved that my life is so offline.

I use the internet a few days a week for a few minutes. Well, not really my kinda internet—just blogger, google reader (only to mark all items as read), gmail and a few seconds on facebook.* And you know what? I was seriously, honestly satisfied with that. Now it is purely by choice that I almost avoid going online. Some of you who know me well might be giggling right now, mostly in disbelief. The others would think this is natural, or crazy or anything in between. Whatever it is, I'm totally serious here. There's suddenly so much more time. I still cling to this laptop a lot, but end up doing lots of offline stuff, invariably very productive or happiness-generating activities. I've been reading and writing a lot more than usual lately, and catching up with some movies.

And yes, I am missing out on truckloads of things that I enjoy doing, but those can wait. It's good to be relatively disconnected at times. Wonder if I can ever survive without a cell phone. (Now you must be laughing your heads off. :P)

*Although on my weekends home, it's hard to not go back to the same old routine.

Popcorn Kernels

I like popcorn kernels. Most people think it's time to toss the popcorn bag when the fluffy bits are gone; I think that's when the fun part begins. I love the challenge of having to exercise your teeth hard to extract taste from those hard grains.

Everyday inspiration! :D