Swifties, Smilers, Directioners, Lovatics, Selenators and more.

Hello everyone! My apologies for the one week break from blogging, but I was on vacation with absolutely no contact with the outside world! But more on that later - I have a ton of ideas on what to post lined up for the coming weeks!

I don't know about all of you, but the first thing I do after spending a week-long holiday with no connection to the outside world (well, maybe a phone call or two :D) is to find out what I missed. And as I was catching up on the latest news (mostly the Billboard Music Awards 2013 :D), I came across a couple of posts on other blogs and websites about Taylor Swift. Now, one thing you should know, I like Taylor. I think she puts her heart and soul into her music and gives her fans what they expect from her. But I'm not going to fall for the delusion that everyone else likes her too. And I won't say everyone else has to like her either. Everybody has their own opinions on who they like and its completely fine.

So, as I was saying, less than half of the comments were supportive of Taylor and her achievements, and most were comments that were just hateful. What I don't get is if they don't like Taylor, why come, read about her achievements, and then write something hateful about her in the comments section? It doesn't make sense. Especially because they add that they think some other singer is better than her. And that she shouldn't have won those 8 awards she took home that day. This doesn't just apply to Taylor, you know. Apparently, Justin Bieber was booed when he received the Milestone Award at the Billboard Music Awards this year. Now that's just spoiling what should've been a special moment for that artist. Yes, he's an artist, just like the rest of 'em, and he must have done something outstanding to win that award - he earned it. All artists out there earn their awards and its not for us to judge whether they should have received it or not. 

This brings me to what this post is really about. I find fandoms that have named themselves after the singer -  Swifties for Taylor Swift, Directioners for One Direction, Selenators for Selena Gomez, Smilers for Miley Cyrus, Lovatics for Demi Lovato and so on. There are a whole lot more, I bet. That's all just fine. But the problem starts when these fandoms turn against each other. I've seen a whole lot of fights between Swifties and Directioners these days all over the web. It's like you can't watch a video or read a post without having a fight between two fandoms. I mean, when all those singers are friends why can't all their fans be? And even if they aren't friends, it shouldn't be a barrier separating two people from different 'warring' fandoms from being friends. That's just like a mass clique.

What do you think? And which fandom would you belong to if you had the chance? Vote in the new poll I've added by the end of next week!

As always, read, enjoy, and let me know your thoughts in the comments section below! Don't be shy! I'm always ready to hear what my readers think of this blog and improve it!

Catch you later!

Spencer :)

The World In A Page: Languages

Bonjour and Hello! Oh dear, I guess I let a little French slip out - it happens every now and then (especially since I took French in school) but what I wanted to say was -  it's never really occurred to me before that people out there speak in so many different ways. Now I'm not talking about the accents, nor am I talking about the articulation - but the different languages. I find languages quite interesting. All of them are so beautiful, don't you think? They all go...together, in a way. They can enchant you and enrapture you without you ever knowing what the meaning is.

You know, I really don't know why, but lately I've been having this urge to learn Spanish. So one bright morning, when I had nothing else to do, I surfed the net on basic Spanish. Then it struck me - why don't I compile a list of simple phrases in languages from around the world - and what else but post it on the blog? :) So the next time you visit France or Hawaii, (hopefully we all get to vacation there once :D) just brush up on your language skills over here! 

French

Hello: Salut! or Bonjour!

Goodbye: Au revoir!

Thank you: Merci!

You're welcome: De rien! or Je vous en prie.

Spanish

Hello: Hola!

Goodbye: Adios!

Thank you: Gracias!

You're welcome: De nada.

Chinese
Hello: Ni hao.
Goodbye: Zaijian.
Thank you: Xie xie
You're welcome: bú yòng xiè. (Literally: Don't need to thank me.)

Malay
Hello: Hello! or Selamat pagi (for Good morning.)
Goodbye: Selamat tinggal (if you are leaving.) Selamat jalan (if you are staying.)
Thank you: Terima kasih.
You're welcome: Sama-sama.

Hawaiian
Hello: Aloha.
Goodbye: Aloha. (This is why I find languages interesting.)
Thank you: Mahalo.
You're welcome: He mea iki. (There are many other ways - but I found this as the most common on the internet.)

So, what do you think? I don't know any of these languages myself, by the way (except for French), and so I got all of this off the internet. All I did was compile. But I guess I learned something new along the way too! I'm going to have a blast trying to pronounce all these words! I hope you try to do that too - it's never too early or late to learn! And who knows, you might end up having a lot of fun!

So, as always, read, enjoy and don't forget to comment below! Let me know about anything you might have to share - I'm always ready to see what all of you think!

Catch you later!

Spencer :)

The Inconspicuous Problem Of Today: Memory

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't posted in so long but exams do take up a lot of one's time! Anyways, don't we all wish for an absolutely fantabulous memory at one point or the other? Don't we? Maybe if you forget that really really long answer you spent all night trying to learn - smack in the middle of an exam. Or if you forgot your keys at the office. Maybe you forget that that delicious cake you're baking needs sodium bicarbonate (in other words, baking soda) to rise and realize it only after you take a flat, mushy mess out of the oven.

It's in situations like these that we all wish for a better memory - and maybe you'll be a bit closer to that dream now. :) Oh, and just in case you're wondering, I got these tips from a memory-improving book I read a while ago by Nishant Kasibhatla.

• First of all, you have to stop telling yourself you have a bad memory. The more you say it, the more you believe it, and the more you believe it, the worse your memory gets. So, never ever say things like, "I have the world's worst memory ever!" or "I can never remember things!". Have someone near you remind you of this if you're used to making such remarks.

• Next, understand that your brain works better with pictures than with words. So if you've got to remember something like a speech for a seminar or lecture :) try to create pictures for certain keywords and use the pictures to create a kind of story that's similar to what your speech says.

• The next and last key to a really great memory for everyday things is to form associations in your head. Link what you need to remember to something you will mostly or surely do or see. That will trigger your memory and you'll remember whatever it was that you had to remember. For example, if you're like me, you'll forget where you left the keys to your house or you'll forget to return a book you borrowed from a friend. (That was a common and pretty embarrassing situation with me. :D) Okay now, when you put your keys by the printer, create an association in your head linking both of them and focus really hard. Maybe the printer is printing out dozens of keys and the room is filled with them. The next time you think of your keys, if you focused properly, you will be reminded of the printer printing keys, and you'll remember where you put them. In case of the book, I'm pretty sure we all wear shoes or footwear when we leave the house. So think of the book or magazine rolled up and stuck in the shoes, which are walking on their own. The next time you look at those shoes, you can't help but see them walking with the books rolled up in them. 

• This is one thing you have to do when you're improving your memory - try and think of absolutely outrageous situations and focus when registering them. Outrageous events tend to kind of stand out in your memory and you get reminded of them more easily since they don't happen day to day!

So, you don't have an excuse for forgetting your keys at the office anymore. Neither do you have one for a badly burnt batch of biscuits because you forgot they were in the oven. You cannot say that you have a bad memory anymore. It's just how much you exercise it.

As always, read, enjoy and please do comment!

Catch you later!

Spencer  :)

The Chocolatey Wonderfulness Of Chocolate

Hey there! This post is something special for all those creative chefs out there - it may be quite simple, maybe it's the first thing anyone makes if they're cooking for the first time - but hey, don't we all love to go back to the simple basics sometimes? I know I do. Anyways, I've had quite a craving for all things chocolate lately, and so I looked up recipes on the net for anything - anything - chocolate. Well, anything that doesn't include eggs, since I'm vegetarian, but apart from that, I don't mind what I find - as long as it is chocolate.

Where was I? Oh yes, I've had a craving, and I found this amazing recipe (its really quick and simple) at Joy Of Baking - for hot chocolate - which I'm yet to try making - but the pictures looked so good I knew I had to post it here. At once. Immediately. Without any delay. :) 

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups (480 ml) milk

3 ounces (90 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 ounce (30 grams) milk chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon granulated white sugar, or to taste (optional)

Method:
Place the milk, semisweet chocolate, milk chocolate, and sugar (if you're using it), in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk periodically until the mixture just reaches the boiling point. Remove from heat and if more foam is desired, use a wire whisk or hand held immersion blender to whip the hot chocolate.

Pour the hot chocolate into two cups and serve.

Add a dollop of whipped cream to really indulge yourself. As an added bonus, dust some cocoa powder or shaved chocolate on top of the cream. :) Yum!

This is a picture of the hot chocolate by Stephanie Jaworski over at Joy Of Baking

.

Oh, and if any of you want to make the entire treat at home, here's the recipe for whipped cream - also from Joy Of Baking:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (120 ml) cold heavy whipping cream

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 tablespoon (15 grams) granulated white sugar

Grated chocolate or cocoa powder

Method:
In your mixing bowl, place the whipping cream, vanilla extract, and sugar and stir to combine. If you have time, cover and chill the bowl and wire whisk in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. When chilled, beat the mixture until stiff peaks form. The whipped cream will keep in the refrigerator for a day or two.

Try making some if the weather allows it wherever you live - and if you do, let us know how it was! Leave a comment, and if you find any improvements or variations, don't hesitate to share them! Oh, and one last, final thing, I got both recipes from a wonderful site, Joy Of Baking. I've already given a link above, but just in case -

Read more at :Joy Of Baking

Visit it if you can - it is a really good read, especially for those who keep whipping up delicacies! So, everyone, read, enjoy and don't forget to leave a comment!

Catch you later!

Spencer :)

Books : The Essence of .... Everything

Hey there! Today's post is going to be all about books. Books really catch my eye, and if you know what to expect from a book, they'll catch your eye too. 

I've five tips that I use when I pick out a book, either at my library or the newest bookstore in town :
 
1) Have a pre-set genre in mind before you go to pick out a book. Trust me, if you don't, you'll have to pick out one book from over a hundred - sometimes a thousand. (Which is sometimes really hard....really hard. Especially if you happen to be a bookworm like me.)

2) Look out for books that have titles which catch your eye or start you thinking - that's not to say you won't like books that haven't titles you immediately notice (Never judge a book by its cover!) - but you will probably like the book that seems to sit on a shelf and call out to you. :)

3) Then check the target age-group...you can read books that aren't targeted at your age group, but they're usually there for a reason. The author wrote the book keeping in mind the thought processes of her target age group. As a result, the book might not have a plot that appeals to you, or you wouldn't enjoy the reading the book as much as you would if you were as old as its target audience. Your thinking's different from a five year-old kid's, for example! :)

4) When you finally have a book in your hands, read the summary given either at the back of the book, or on the first page. This is the final thing that will tell you if the plot will interest you or not.

5) And whatever you do, never ever turn to the last page before you read the entire book.
Never. Ever. I know a whole lot of people who've done this and spoiled the thrill of reading the story since they already know what's going to happen at the end. As an added bonus, it spoils any twists that the author worked very hard to come up with.

Hope these help you in your quest for interesting books! Enjoy and comment!

                                                                                           Catch you later!

Spencer :)

The First Post!

Do you like reading? Love writing? Maybe you love to spend time in the kitchen whipping up something delicious!

Hello to everyone reading this! This is my first post on this blog, and over here I'll discuss everything from writing to recipes to music.

I read classic books most of the time - books written by O.Henry, or those by Robin Cook. And they have inspired me to write. I write both poetry and stories, but I write the former more frequently. To me, writing is a way of expressing myself, and using poetry one can simply state all complicated things.

Speaking of poetry, do you read poems? If you don't, you should try it! You are transported to another place for a fair amount of time, all while you sit in your cosy armchair by the side of a warm and inviting fire! Here's a poem I wrote myself, about writing:

 A Rosewood Desk


And there he sits at his rosewood desk,
With a quill dipped in a bottle of ink,
He's set his mind on quite a strenuous task,
For which he has to think and think.
In his mind, a spider spins a web,
Of paragraphs, lines and chapters still,
And finally he takes the first step,
And upon the parchment he places the quill.
Halfway through, and he shakes his head in despair,
The spider has stopped spinning her web,
Sadly, he rips out a precious page,
And starts writing all over again.
And there he sits at his rosewood desk,
With a quill speeding over the parchment,
A cool breeze blows, he sets the quill down,
Satisfied that a night's been well-spent.

By: Spencer                                     

Well, that's it for now!
Read, enjoy and comment about things you think should come on here!

Catch you later!

Spencer :)