Ken Burns – I knew this name when I started making short movies in Apple iMovie on my iPhone. Ken Burns is an effect, where you can put life into still images by slowly zooming into them and panning. However I didn’t know it’s actually dedicated name to an actual person. Ken Burns, who is a renowned Filmmaker. He often used this effect to make still images of historical values, alive. His documentary movies even won Academy Award Nominations. Really fascinating guy.
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Recently when I was trying to get back into strength training mode, I wanted to start with Push-ups, but I got rusty due to not doing pushups from a very long time (almost more than a year). Hence when I wanted to get back to doing 10 to 20 pushups at a time, I downloaded this training app again on my phone, which helped me earlier in doing pushups regularly and reaching 20+ pushups goal in a single go.
This app basically relies on the proximity sensor of your phone and when you do a pushup you have to start the app and keep it under your face or nose and then do the pushup. When you come closer to the screen or even touch it both counts as a pushup. The exciting thing about it is that it has a challenge mode also where you can compete against hundreds of other real people doing the reps.
If I got you curious, you can download it here – Android | iOS.
My most popular Instagram post recently —
Photo No. 11.
Hall of Mirrors!
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Click the photo below to read the entire story.
What am I watching — This one is a keeper. Loved this interview of Karlie Kloss with Tim Ferriss. Karlie is amazing and not just with her beauty but with brains too. She runs a programme for 13-18-year-old girls who want to learn how to code. It’s called Kode with Klossy.
I was fascinated with the fact that being a supermodel and a super successful woman at the age of just 25 how amazing her thought process is. She jots down her thoughts on a notebook, churns them into ideas and then executes them one by one. That’s what a do-er do.
A great listen guys. Give it a go.
Quote I’m pondering on lately –
“If you change what you believe is possible, you change what becomes possible.”
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As I usually share these articles on whatsapp broadcast channel and also via email and social media. I think whatsapp currently have limited set of options in terms of engaging with you (my readers). So with that perspective, I want to get you onboarded on my new Telegram group which eventually be your one stop shop for all my articles, podcast episodes and much more.
If you don’t have Telegram app and don’t know about it, it is a messaging app like Whatsapp but much more secure as per my experience and also it has advance features like cloud based (you can access all your message accross all your devices), super secure encryption (they challenge you to break their security in a challenge), secret chats, better statistics of the messages and awesome stickers to chat with (I bet you’ll never reture to whatsapp once you started using telegram) is available on all major platforms like Android, iOS, Web, Windows, Mac etc.
You can download it on any of your device by going here.
My most popular Instagram post recently —
Photo No. 10 from #projectrajasthan
The Garden
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Click the photo below to read the entire story.
Mental Models: How to Train Your Brain to Think in New Ways – This article from James Clear is so though provoking. This small article took me almost two days to read and go through the concept. But it was more than worth it. Once you read this article, It will force you to think about the new mental models which you don’t see through right now. Eventually forcing you to change the way you think literally.
This type of though process can stimulate your brain to see the world with a new perspective and look at any problem from a brain area which was earlier untouched, hence you sometimes are able to visualize the solution which you could never see before. A must read.
What am I watching —
Land Of Maybe – I’ve loved this short film by The North Face. 3 famed mountain climbers go on the adventure of riding a highly technical climb of a straight mountain wall in The Land of Maybe (Faroe Islands). I was amazed to know how one man can own an entire mountain in this part of the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10uM6IU8S6U
Quote I’m pondering on lately – Today’s quote is from the James Clear’s article I mentioned above.
“The chief enemy of good decisions is a lack of sufficient perspectives on a problem.”
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TSF 3D Launcher for Android – This android launcher app is amazing, it can really blow your mind with the UI and user experience it provides. It’s been my daily driver on my android from some time now.
It provides an amazing navigation technique with which you can navigate the home screens with a single flick of a finger. The animation and the transition effects are smooth as butter.
This is purely for android and you can download it for free from play store here.
An Interesting Instagram account I’ve been pondering lately —
How a 26 years old reached his financial freedom so fast – Interesting article on real estate investing and how a 26-year-old made it to his financial freedom by investing in Real Estate with almost no money. It’s hard but not impossible.
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Coffee for Athletes by Unived – I’ve always loved coffee but due to the jitters, the normal coffee gives (the instant coffee or the normal roast coffee), I slowly started going away from coffee and became more of a tea lover. But when I learned about this coffee from Unived (a vegan Indian Brand), thought to give it a try. This particular coffee didn’t give me any jitters post having it. Neither I felt any sudden peaks and drops in the energy. It was more like slow energy increase and a very slow drop.
I’m still experimenting with it, as of now I’ve tried a south Indian style filter coffee with this technique. I also tried a power black coffee recipe which includes the coffee decoction created by the south Indian style filter coffee technique mentioned earlier but instead of sugar, I used organic jaggery and one teaspoon of raw coconut oil and I loved it more than the filter coffee.
26 Things About Life I Wish I Had Known When I Was 20 Years Old – Last year one of my articles was published in ‘Youth Ki Awaaz’ which was a proud moment for me. When I stumbled upon it again recently, It felt amazing to go through it once again and to think in retrospect how my life experiences have moulded me as who I am today. Resharing it in the hope that it inspires you in some ways.
What am I watching —
Quit social media | Dr. Cal Newport – If you have been following me for some time, you may know I love the work of Dr. Cal Newport mainly Deep Work. In this video, Dr. Cal explains why quitting social media won’t make any negative change in your life but may help you lean towards a state of deep work. Where you can connect with yourself more and bring out the work of your life with more ease. Interesting arguments. A good listen.
Quote I’m pondering on lately –
“You are still young, free.. Do yourself a favor. Before it’s too late, without thinking too much about it first, pack a pillow and a blanket and see as much of the world as you can. You will not regret it. One day it will be too late.”
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Looking back (An annual review – 2017) – This is the time of the year again, a yearly life review of my last year. Last year I did it almost in the second quarter. This year I’m a bit early even though still late.
So here it is, as usual consisting of three questions – 1) What went well? 2) What didn’t go so well? 3) What am I working towards?
This is an intentional public post to keep myself accountable for the targets I set for the year 2018. If it inspires you, you can use this template and write your own life review. I’m sure it will impact your life in a positive way.
My most popular Instagram post recently —
Photo no. 8
. Amber Fort
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Click the photo below to read the entire story.
Why I decided to shave my head – Well, isn’t the title a little surprising? More so, if you are an Indian girl doing it without any religious intent or due to a disease.
This article from one of my recent acquaintances and who also happens to be a blogger/journalist – Priyamvada Mangal, was surprisingly liberating. She tells her story of how she broke the taboo not just for the sake of breaking it but to liberate herself and then went on this solo journey to McLeod Ganj. A Good Read.
What am I watching — (SPOILER ALERT)
The Big Sick – I saw this movie this weekend, which is based on a real-life romance of the Karachi born American comedian Kumail Nanjiani and (his now wife) Emily Gordon. Film’s romantic plot between a Muslim guy and a white American girl leads to Emily getting almost terminally I’ll but then coming back (ok that was the spoiler).
Here is the official Trailer for the movie. It’s available on Amazon Prime (just in case you have Prime membership).
Quote I’m pondering on lately –
“Do what you feel in your heart to be right – for you’ll be criticized anyway. You’ll be damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.”
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I was going through my photo archives recently and it inspired me to share my old Benares posts. So here are my Benares Posts which are like a visual diary of my solo to Benares (Varanasi) in 2016. Even though it was almost a 5 days trip and 2 days are missing from these posts (even though I intend to recall those memories and write down about those 2 days), but still, it has most of the essence of what I went through on this journey.
Here is one of the first-day photos from that trip, when I immediately got exposed to an overwhelming ‘Antim Sanskar’ (last rituals) going on the Benares Ghats that evening, there is more of it in the above posts if you want to get the flavour of Benares.
Photo – Himanshu Sachdeva
My most popular Instagram post recently —
Photo no. 7
. Albert Hall
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Click the photo below to read the entire story.
Jasoda – Honestly, I had no idea about this book and the author Kiran Nagarkar, until last Saturday, when I was in Kala Ghoda Art Festival’s (2018) Literature Event, which is usually held in David Sasson Library gardens every year.
I had put this event on my festival day calendar (yes, you have to make a calendar schedule for this festival, because there is a lot which goes on in this festival and frankly you have to choose your time wisely) which was the book reading by Author for his new book ‘Jasoda’. I hadn’t heard either about this book or about the author earlier. But turned out that this was one of the mesmerizing events of the day. The author turned out to be pretty good with humour and sarcasm. He read a few excerpts from his upcoming book including the starting scene, which is too terrifying to describe. But it goes something like this (P.S.: it’s my words with the understanding from the conversation and not the actual excerpt from the book) –
Jasoda (the protagonist) is lying under a tree. Her kid is alongside her. Her water had just broke and she is delivering her baby just by herself. She pushes through with so much pain and soon the head of the baby is out. Then she pushes again and baby’s torso and the down body area comes out but legs are still stuck inside the vagina. As soon as she knows that it’s a girl. She didn’t let her out completely and gets the baby’s head in her thighs and chokes her to death.
Well, if that’s less horrendous then you must read the book. Kiran told us in the conversation that this event is from real life and actually happened some decades ago. It was so casual to kill a baby girl in that era that after killing the baby, Jasoda just went on with her usual routine like nothing happened. Phew!! (Taking a deep breath…)
What am I watching —
How to Wake Up at 4am Everyday: 4 Practical, Non-Hacky Ways – If you are fighting the need to wake up early, this video has some practical tips to help wake up pretty early in the morning without getting too cranky. (and yes I mean like “4 or 5 AM in the morning” early.)
By waking up early you get 2 potential advantages –
You get 3-4 hours of ME time or the time you can just devote to yourself and your personal activities without actually having much of distractions, cause most of the world is still sleeping at that time.
Secondly out of this ME time you can actually devote some time to working out and that sets a great tone for the rest of the day.
Quote I’m pondering on lately – Today’s quote is taken from one of the Kiran Nagarkar books ‘Cuckold’.
“There is no truer meditation than music and no journey of discovery greater than that of looking within.”
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Through my cycling group, I recently came to know about a devastating plan of the govt in Navi Mumbai. They want to build a golf course where there is a huge wetland (Talawe Wetland in Seawoods area).
A wetland is a land area that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, such that it takes on the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem. It saves us in many capacities from the floods as well. As Mangrove trees play a major part in regulating the flooding.
In this particular wetland, many birds arrive through their yearly migrations. More than 80 types of birds have been seen in this wetland and around including Flamingoes, Kingfisher, Swift, Purple Sunbird, Jungle Crow, Bulbul, Coel and many more.
When I visited it recently while the Save Talawe Wetland movement, I myself saw this amazing trail which is right beside this wetland. I could see bio-diversified life and an amazing natural habitat for these birds.
Destroying the wetland to make a golf course seems like a very absurd idea when there is already a golf course in Kharghar which is less than 10kms away from this place and I think not many golfers are there to ask for two golf courses in a small area.
So we did protest by spreading awareness through running/cycling events and making a human chain. The main team who started this movement has started a Change.org petition for this movement and asking govt. to change there minds and also providing permanent protection to this area by marking it protected natural site.
Please support this movement and save our Talawe wetland. Follow the Facebook page for more updates.
Here is a video compilation of our 4th Feb wetland day event –
The Principles Of Life That Everyone Knows, But Only A Few Follow – A great read from Darius Foroux. If anytime in your life you have felt existential crisis. This post may be helpful and if you are going through that crisis right now, may help you in navigating through it as well.
So open your mind and read this post.
What am I watching —
The last days of Osama Bin Laden – I recently watched this documentary on National Geographic where acclaimed journalist Peter Bergen, who is one of a small handful people to have met Osama, heads to Pakistan for answers on the ground. This multifaceted investigation reconstructs The Last Days of Osama Bin Laden.
This US operation to get Osama alive or dead was called the Operation Neptune Spear and was executed by a special Ops team made up of US Navy SEALs.
Click the title link for official page of Nat Geo and here is the unofficial YouTube link to this documentary –
Quote I’m pondering on lately –
“You need life to save you from what you want sometimes to give you what you really need.”
— Tim Ferriss (10th Anniversary review of The Four Hour Work Week Book)
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This is a twitter client app. One of the best I’ve used till now. It’s not like your normal twitter client. It mainly focuses on decluttering your feed by showing almost 1 or 2 posts at once on the screen. Pictures are larger and fonts are totally customizable. Made me use Twitter more than before and in an amazingly productive way.
Lady Bird – I got to know about this movie when I was recently watching The Graham Norton show on Comedy Central (Don’t kill me I watch TV sometimes). Saoirse Ronan who is an Irish actress came as a guest on the show and I was surprised to see here wit. Quite a lot for a 23 years old girl.
But Damn! She is nominated for the Best Actress Oscars for this movie (Total 5 nomination including Best Actress and Best Picture). It’s the kind of a low budget which takes life on its own.
Plot of the movie (taken from Google) – An outspoken teen must navigate a loving but turbulent relationship with her strong-willed mother over the course of an eventful and poignant senior year of high school.
Looking forward to watch this one in the comings days. Here is the trailer to get your curious –
What am I listening to —
Winter Calm – Another amazing gem from Majestic Casual.
P.S.: It’s a 1-hour playlist. Amazing to write on to.
Quote I’m pondering on lately – A yoga quote for this week. Inspired by an Instagram post.
“Yoga is when every cell of the body sings the song of the soul.”
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Recently I went on a trail walk at a place which was a bird sanctuary. It was my first exposure to the amazing world of Birds. We had a great Zoology student accompanying us, who knew a lot about birds.
Learned a lot about many birds including Common Swift (which is pictured above), Purple Sunbird, Common Kingfisher, Jungle Crow and many more. Common Swift was one of them which caught my interest. When I got home I search it on the internet and found out that it spends almost all of its life flying. Physically it is shaped like a boomerang.
Except when nesting, swifts spend their lives in the air, living on the insects caught in flight; they drink, feed, and often mate and sleep on the wing. Some individuals go 10 months without landing. No other bird spends as much of its life in flight. Their maximum horizontal flying speed is 111.6 km/h. Over a lifetime they can cover millions of kilometres.
How crazy is that, they do everything in flight. I can just imagine! Mating while flying? That’s nuts.
Most popular Instagram post recently —
Mirrors
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3rd photograph reflects a mirror work inside a cavity of Hawamahal. This mirror amazingly reflects the colorful windows from the iconic front.
Master Delegation as an Artist – Great to see Sara Dietschy Interviewing Gary Vaynerchuk and talking about mastering delegation as an artist and a creative and much more. Loved this interview.
What am I listening —
Interstellar – I’ve been listening to this Ambient mix Lately and it’s awesome.
Pro-Tip – Put a good headphone and turn off the lights and press play.
Dive into a different world. Or rather should say different Star.
Quote I’m pondering on lately –
“Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life.”
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