There's Something about Writing

I have been writing since a young age. A few years I spent in the newspaper and editing industry on day jobs. But all throughout, writing has never left me.

And the outcome is here in the form of a full-fledged novel titled Silk. There are also various other projects in different stages of completion. I have a lot of stories inside me, and the time is not not enough.

A day has only twenty-four hours, out of which eight hours are designated to sleep. Much goes into eating and cleaning and for the family too. How much time do I have, to write? Not much.

But there's something about writing that keeps me at it.

Media, Mass Media and such Means of Communication

The whole world seems to be in turmoil nowadays. Due to the extreme quickness of media, news travels in the blink of an eye and spreads throughout. What happens in one part of the world affects every other part. There seems to be no escape.

Especially economic news has a characteristic of moving the fastest. And its ability to affect countries and people is the most tremendous. Take the instance of different countries in their different stages of development. Whether a country is developed, or developing, is of the First World or the Third World, they all react in similar ways to news.

The effects of globalisation in economic policies and the spread of various media and the mass media is undeniable. There is an instant reaction to any news. Like the days of yore, when news used to travel through messenger birds, or drum beating, are like fairy tale. They no longer seem believable, that such means of communication even existed.

Is this a scary situation? Or is it good, that everyone gets to know everything? Should we remain unaware of some things for our own good? Is ignorance bliss? Faster media is a blessing and a curse. It provides news, but it also builds opinion. Which may or may not be for the good of every one.

Quietness on Thanksgiving Day

Last year I was in US during Thanksgiving, but the only things I remember about it was the turkey leftover I got to eat from a friend, and the Black Friday sale post Thanksgiving, when my Equal Half and I went shopping from one store to the other and we landed up spending much much more than we intended to.

This year has been so much different than what it was last year. Not only have I lived here more than a year by now, I've done enough shopping for the house and myself. Now I am in less need of more household appliances or new clothing for a new wardrobe.

So, this year my focus has shifted from the Black Friday deal flyers that came with the newspaper in the morning. In fact, too much shopping has started to get on my nerves, because I've done so much shopping all these months to arrange the house where I've started living newly.

Today was more about how to utilize the holiday. Should it be resting in bed and catching up with lost sleep, or watching a Netflix DVD, or cooking a Thanksgiving lunch. We'd cancelled a trip to Universal Studios with a family as we wanted to rest and catch up with personal things.

But, in the end, Thanksgiving is for food and we could not escape it. While we were out in the soft warm sun on State Street, we began looking for food for lunch. Only a few restaurants were open. Although I wanted something non-Indian, since we eat Indian food at home, we had to accept what was available. The Indian restaurant was full to capacity, as it wasn't closed like the others.

During daytime, when the restaurants here offer buffet, it is a hard time to choose something away from the buffet dishes laid out near the door. A buffet seems to good a deal, with all the array of food offered, compared to a la carte orders. Although we'd gone into the restaurant with a determination not to go for the buffet (so we would eat less and keep our weights under control), finally, after a prolonged perusal of the leather covered menu, we decided the easier way was to take the buffet and get over with the lunch time ordeal of making a choice from all those listed on the menu.

Hence for one more day, we overate. Buffets are designed for overeating, I have no doubt about it. and post-meal, it's time to regret what was eaten. Now I'm about to go to bed, my stomach still churning the luncheon meat and chicken, six hours after. But one thing was good about it. I got to eat someone else's food than eating mine from my kitchen, day after day. That gets somewhat boring. Another hand brings variety in taste. And variety is the spice of life, anyone would agree.