Category: Life

Sometimes we feel drained of energy. We do not want to talk to anyone, and we do not want to hear of anybody; we don’t desire to watch or read anything. The general feeling is that we have become a shell. No one is living inside. As if we had posted a sign: “Out on vacation.” Who cannot recall coming out of bed after an illness and feeling she had no strength to deal with anything? Please leave me alone. Usually, the lack of energy comes after dealing with complex issues or diseases. But recently, I feel that way at the close of every day. Not to mention how fast the days fly! Continue reading Why are we pressed for time and energy?

The epigraph at the beginning of my book, Literary Hypertext, is that of the Canadian researcher Marshall McLuhan, “We look at the present through the rear-view mirror. We march backward into the future.” McLuhan was referring to the quick technological developments, of which we are continually trying to catch up with. That is precisely how I’m feeling about life in general — the feeling that every progress that has been made suddenly goes backward. Continue reading How fear, racism and violence rule the world, again!

.The prevailing opinion is that the brain needs exercise as much as the body needs training. Though research is still debating games’ contribution to the brain’s health, the general public, especially the elderly, embraced memory games warmly as they help in forming new neuro-connections, and preserving older connections. The aged population contends with memory loss, dementia, and Alzheimer’s as it grows older and older. Thus, this population is ready to try anything in order to conserve their memory and boost it.

Continue reading Memory games for brain fitness and improvement

Vegetarian! Vegan! How we laughed at those people. Who does not know the saying, “You do not need a restaurant! You can eat in the garden!” A lifestyle that avoided meat brought a plethora of jokes at the time. Like, “Why do vegans give good head? Because they are used to eating nuts”. Thus, vegetarians and vegans had constantly to justify themselves. Yet, like any trend, their day has come! Science research and data, which was known in medicine for many years, managed to reach out to the simple man with the Internet’s help. There is no need for brokers, lobbyists, and other interest groups to filter the information and decide for us. We can read and see it for ourselves, and decide what lifestyle we prefer. Continue reading Vegetarianism, Vegan – recommended sites

Once upon a time, nutrition used to be just food – an energy provider for our body. Food was a non-issue. You ate what your parents cooked or what you could afford to purchase. Lately, nutrition and food have become one of the most exciting and controversial issues of our lifestyle. We have become curious about new dishes, old and unique ingredients, modern cooking options, and new chefs. Thus, the food that was a daily necessity became, with time, an issue by itself. From being almost transparent, it turned to be the most easily photographed and published object (Instagram, Darling?) Continue reading What kind of nutrition is the best for us?

What could be more exciting on these crazy days than our wardrobe, or more inclusive, fashion! After all, there is no other concern at hand; everything is already well! The world stopped in its tracks. More and more countries are closing their gates, and citizens lock themselves in their homes like dogs in their kernels. The whole world is undergoing an emergency regime following the outbreak of the incurable corona disease. Will it also change fashion as we have known it before? Continue reading What is more refreshing on chaotic times than our wardrobe?

From infancy, we are told that “Food is the fuel of the body.” We must have a healthy diet so that the body can turn it into energy. It was a thorough and straightforward explanation that was indisputable. The food was what our parents (mostly mothers, Darling) served us. If you didn’t want to eat what was on your plate, there came the immortal phrase: “If you don’t eat, I’ll send for a Policeman.” What exactly will the policeman do was left to the imagination, but it was clear that food was an important thing. There was also a straightforward demand for the quantity: “A good girl leaves an empty plate.” My kids solved all those problems by throwing down to the dog, who was sitting under the table, everything they didn’t want to eat or finish – but the plate was empty (as if I cared). That behavior paved the road to turning food into a significant issue in our lives. Continue reading What is the healthy nutrition that prefers fresh food?

The digital age carried on its wings the “wealth” of information. In the past, data was available only to professionals, and we, simpletons, would listen and abide by their instructions without objections or a second opinion. If the Doctor said that the child’s sores were mosquito bites, we would accept the verdict lovingly or sometimes, grudgingly. The skeptics will ask what could be done so that it would not be so itching. The hysterical ones would update the Doctor and tell him that there’s a child in the kindergarten who had these sores and is now hospitalized. The Doctor would patiently answer the questions, reassure the parents, and they will leave happy. As the Internet came to be, parents became Doctors. They visit the doctor to confirm their diagnosis and receive some treatment for it. Continue reading How did the “wealth” of information become a load?

October 2019 marks the 100^th Anniversary of Louisa May Alcott’s book publication “Little Women.” The “#me too” campaign, which set out a year ago and is yet very much alive today, raises many gender-related questions despite the counter-reactions from both males and women. The primary question is, are we still the same “little women” that the book refers to? Or maybe they were not so “little”?

Continue reading Are we all “little women?” Or were they not really little?

“There are things you only see in Vietnam,” told me our guide as he saw my eyes widen in surprise as we emerged from the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and I saw the museum shop. In place of the stylish shops that we are used to, we saw a large market stall caring the inscription “Museum shop.” The “shop” is an example of the uniqueness of Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh, Uncle Ho by the locals, is considered the father of the nation. His big dream was to attain independence. He succeeded in ousting the French and establishing the Democratic Republic in the northern region of the state. Though he was a modest man, the Mausoleum, about twenty feet high is huge and luxurious. He asked that his body will be burned and the ashes will be scattered upon three hills: in the north, in the center, and the south. And yet, in the mausoleum, the embalmed figure of Ho Chi Minh is displayed. There is no telling whether this is a wax figure, or the human being himself. At the exit of the site is the “museum shop,” a typical Vietnamese store!

Continue reading The things you only see in Vietnam and which are worth the visit