Our Little Utopia is Gathering Dust! And it's all beacuse....

 

 

 

It’s not that we have nothing to write about but we seem to have stumbled upon a great wall…a wall which is popularly known as the ‘writer’s block’ in the literary world.
Hence, it seems fitting to explore some reasons as to why it happens and how to beat it. 

The biggest reason for writer’s block is the desire to produce a piece of work which is perfect. This leads to procrastination till we find a better topic, a better time and a more conducive environment for writing. Often times the right moment never comes! Or perhaps when it does, we fail to notice.

Sometimes, we are afraid to put down our thoughts on paper because we fear that no one else would find it worthwhile or entertaining. We spend time looking for ways to make our work look more appealing to others and end up losing focus on writing!

So how can we beat this? 

One way is through freewriting.  Just take a piece of paper, time yourself for 10-15 minutes and write down words and phrases related and around that topic. The key is to write continuously.

Another good strategy is to carry a mini-note pad, or use your phone and scribble down ideas that cross your mind, during a short holiday, while taking a coffee break, travelling between home and work or even if you are taking a stroll down the memory lane!

So quite simply, the trick is to stop being so self conscious and stop seeking inspiration and perfectionism. Once you get over that half the battle is won and it is just a matter of letting your creativity flow in...

All things Hair

As of late I am thinking of growing out my natuarally wavy hair and to get rid of the rebonded hair, mainly because 6 years of reboning has left me with a head full of dry and damaged hair. So, I am researching on how to nurse my hair back into health and also on how to manage my wavy hair, which I haven't done for the past 6 years. 

The internet can be full of expert and not so expert advise, however these are some of the tips that I liked :) 

1. Always, always, always use a conditioner when you wash your hair. 

2. Do not rub a towel to dry the hair. Simply wrap  a towel and let it absorb excess water. 

3. Blow drying correctly actually works. Use a round bruch to blow dry your hair and it will actually be managable. 

4. It's always good to use a leave in conditioner as it makes your hair more manageable and less frizzy. 

5. Use oil before a hair was and do a deep conditioning oil treatment at least once every fortnight. 

6. Get a good hait cut - it works! 

Wiki how of course has some great tips: http://www.wikihow.com/Care-for-Your-Curly-Hair
 
And I stumbled upon this blog which had the best advise yet - Don't judge the beauty of your curls by other curly head. - http://currentlylostintranslation.blogspot.com/2011/04/curly-girl-method-introduction.html

My new passion, bursting with freshness, color and flavor!

Since recently, I have taken a huge amount of interest in culinary arts. I have discovered that it can bring a serene satisfaction which is combined with a feeling of accomplishment that you can experience upon preparation of a mouthwatering dish. Cooking seems to appeal to all our senses. Let it be the lingering aroma of the rich ingredients, the crunchily delicious taste of freshly cooked meals or the impressive look of a scrumptiously colorful salad, we can be sure that cooking can prove to be a delightful experience.

My passion for cooking is still in its infancy and this means there is a whole lot of things to yet to be explored and learned. I relish the prospect of discovering unique cuisines of diverse cultures, the origin of popular dishes and gaining knowledge on the abundance of wonderful ingredients.

I will share on this blog little things of interest that I may come across as I continue my quest to culinary expertise. I may not be able to try out most authentic recipes that are available out there due to the difficulty in finding the key ingredients but nevertheless I will be getting a rich and rewarding insight of Classic British dishes, world famous Italian cuisines, opulent French dishes and so much more.   

Meanwhile here are some of my sugary creations and savory delights which I prepared in the recent months and am immensely proud of!

 

 

So we have a date for the Spa and that deserves a drumroll !

This month we will be embarking on our long awaited and earnestly anticipated spa experience… The date is set, the venue has been selected and we are ready to go. Finally! So can I have a drumroll please??

As I write this, I am forced to stifle a grin when I think of our tireless pursuit to make this happen-Oh what drama! We toiled for months on brainstorming ideas for a get-together and after contemplating an array of options ultimately settled down for the spa treatment. The planning was pretty complicating and was fraught with disagreements as we are all a busy lot and not to mention opinionated. With the time it took and the number of all the cancellations and postponing, you’d think we were planning some pretty extreme bungee jumping trip and not a quick visit to a spa for a totally relaxing and soothing couple of hours. Having said that, conscientious planning kind of builds up the anticipation and hence I am cool with it.

So the date is set close to mid-April and we are looking forward to a most deserving indulgence. We have been exerting ourselves to deliver results as always and a quiet break is definitely in order. Astoundingly, the times have been relatively peaceful in heaven during the past few weeks. But of course when I say heaven is peaceful, you really need to take it with a pinch of salt. There are still occasional, yet overwhelmingly stupid occurrences that rudely drag us out of our pleasant reveries. However, needless to say, we remain largely unaffected thanks to our bubbles.


Yet there are times that even the most light-hearted, positive and high-spirited ones like us need to unwind in order to preserve our sanity. So Spa Ceylon, here we come..!

 

Dicover Middle-Earth in picturesque Matamata...

Do you know where Bilbo Baggins and Wizard Gandalf are living? 

Peter Jackson's film trilogy Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit based on JRR Tolkein's much loved novels have captured the hearts of many millions around the world and no doubt will be cherished for years to come. The movies were filmed in various beautiful locations in New Zealand but a farmland in Matamata is where most of the movie magic was created. It is called the Alexander Farm and is approximately a two-hour drive from Auckland. 
So if you find hobbit holes fascinating and want to experience middle-earth and visit the ancient towns, this is the place to be...

One Way Ticket to Mars?

Have you heard of Mars One?    Science Fiction turning into reality?  J

A couple of days ago I stumbled upon a video clip about this incredulous project  and thought it is definitely worth sharing as It really caught my interest.

May be you have already heard about it but if you haven't, this is an enormously ambitious project that large suppliers from around the world  are involved in currently and the ultimate objective is human settlement on planet Mars.  Mars one will establish human settlement on planet Mars in 2023!

2013

This is a crucial year for this project as this year the first group of astronauts will be selected for this mission. Anybody who believe they are resilient and adaptable can apply as those are the primary qualification needed and you basically need to be a creative and resourceful person.

The astronauts will be trained through a simulation process of the settlement in Mars in a replica based on Earth.   In 2016 a supply mission carrying food and other essential items such as medicine, materials for construction and cultivation etc will  land on Mars.

2016-2022

Moving forward from 2016, they will be focusing on finding an ideal location and will begin the preparation work for human settlement.  Exploration vehicles and rovers will be sent to carry out the construction work. 

Here's how the 'houses'  or the human habitat on Mars is expected to look like:

 

 2023

The first group of astronauts will set foot on Mars.   Apparently, every part of this program will be broadcasted to Earth 24/7/365.

Interesting Facts:

-          It will take 7 months for the journey from Earth to Mars

-          The astronauts will be stuck in a small transit vehicle carrying them to Mars

-          They will be required to do 3 hours of exercises per day!

-          Only canned food will be available for them

-          They will not be showering using water but instead use towelettes!

-          On Mars, they will be actually cultivating vegetable, grains etc

And here is the best out of the lot: 

This is  a one way ticket to Mars, so you cannot ever come back to Earth! 

Who wants to go?   I don’t mind  J

The truth behind the hackneyed phrase- 'The grass is always greener on the other side'

Do excuse me as I venture into exploring a topic that is uncharacteristically serious for our little utopia.

As of lately, I have had the privilege  of having  plenty of free time in hand and I put that into good use, or so I like to think.  I allocated that time to indulge in quiet retrospection about our life here in 'Heaven'.

It occurred to me, albeit unsurprisingly, that we are caught up in a grind of nagging, complaining and stressing and all to no avail. Life in 'Heaven'  is challenging to say the least. It is so easy to get carried away in a whirlwind of negative emotions and spend a big chunk of  our time sulking.  Of course, there is pressure everywhere and a myriad of other things that we seem to hate with a passion!  So quite predictably, we are in a continuous quest of backlash and criticism. Even our break times fail to spark some cheer- now that is not what we used to be!  

So, I had a flash of inspiration :-)  and thought we must slow down a bit… we must  stop and smell the roses….

Surely everything in 'Heaven' is not dark and gloomy? If that was the case then we would not have made it thus far.  One cannot deny that even the most glittering careers and even the  best of workplaces, have their inherent drawbacks. 

Ok, now don’t get me wrong here,  I am not an advocate of 'Heaven' and this is not political propaganda!  The sole purpose of this micro blog is to promote a surge of positivity, so that we can get back to our cheerful lives in our own bubble, oblivious to the surroundings  but yet an integral part of it.  We are bubbly creatures after all!   We have met some great people here,  such as people with a great sense of humor and witty personalities . We’ve explored a colorful range of stuff together. The famous buffets, the obsession with Spas and Salons, Movie dates, blogging and Galadari Coffee breaks cannot be underestimated!  So I think we should stop sobbing, blubbing and complaining and start rejoicing in the good that is around us. 

It will be a matter of time before we all find new 'Heavens' and move out.  Until such times, lets start believing that the grass is actually greenest on this side! 

So here’s to more cheerful and happier times and fingers crossed that I will be able to practice what I preach!;-)