Tag: Coffee

Made In America by Bill Bryson-Book Review

 

Made In America by Bill Bryson.

Bill Bryson is an author, I discovered accidentally while reading “Neither here Nor there “a book on his travel journeys around Europe a couple of years ago. Then read “Down Under “- A book on Australia. Though he is better known for his book “A Walk in the woods” The author’s book that I haven’t read is about A Journey the authors goes through wanting to find peace and rediscover himself. By going on a trekking trail with his friend Stephan Katz.

And after nearly two years I read another book written by Bill Bryson

“Made In America” A book that fascinated me as soon as I had undertaken the journey of neither being here nor there. But, being a very heavy book with a lot to grasp it needed a lot of time. And what perfect time than now to have read this book.

“Made In America “who should read this book & why?

Made in America is about this whole new world discovered and how did it come to be called America. It’s for someone who likes to know about history, The past of America and the future of where it is going.

You need to read the book to know how English as a language was altered to have suited the American.

You need to read to understand again and again America is a land built with immigrates who have migrated from centuries ago and is the land of just a small population of natives.

How the modern-day luxuries- The Escalators, The Automobiles, The Restaurants, Ice cream, Chocolates, Whisky’s and Air conditioner’s had come to existence in this world.

Yes, It’s perfect to call them luxuries today with the pandemic making us aware of what privileged life we live as a human. And how well the Americans have marketed, Branded and Advertised things that were invented in The United States of America and Things that weren’t but made the people believe they were the ones who had thought about it.

The Made in America book takes you on a journey about Americans with a perceptive from an American’s Eye and questions you America you thought it was or it is.

Then One Day!

Yes! This time feels like that moment where you keep making a Bucket list – The To-Do one, Where you plan and keep planning what you will do one day – That one Day where you want to learn how to cook, one day you just don’t want to go to work and laze around at home in your pyjamas. That One Day where you want to learn a language, That One Day you want to Binge, Watch your favourite series and That one day you would like to read that fat book waiting on your shelf, waiting for you to start reading. That one day where you have experienced so much and it is so much you want to express and yes you have written those thoughts in your diary, Word processing application and on your notes.

But, You Tell yourself one day I would like to share my thoughts with everybody. Then that one day comes and you are exhausted doing everything in the routine you have been set in.

Then for a change, you start Listening. Oh! No not! Listening to your parents or sibling. But listening to Podcast. That one sense you have always tried to ignore for the longest time. 

And you realise Oh! just listening can be fun too.

LOCKDOWN. DOWN UNDER HOUSE ARREST!!

Lockdown has made me realise, how much I am used to being by myself. 

And how much, I enjoy it too. 

Spending time exercising, reading books and watching movies,

Without having to unnecessary stare at my phone, when you around people as the interaction is hardly there. 

I also observed, that how we humans have lost interacting with one another when we are face to face.  Your presence is on only felt when you upload a post on social media – you normally would respond or get a response to. 

But, when you haven’t uploaded anything or don’t have anything to post – there are hardly any conversations taking place.  

Would we be able to rediscover the art of having great conversations post this lockdown? Or will we fall, into our shells now that we have become comfortable with our own company? Or will we be longing to just get out and go back to what was normal before, how we were before lockdown and don’t want to change?  

Will the simple thing that we always took for granted become more meaningful than ever or will they mean something to us? 

 Making your breakfast, Enjoying the Sunrise & Sunsets. Enjoying a home-cooked meal. 

Would the present be our future- Working from our homes, Fewer colleagues in offices? Would retail stores turn into warehouses and just a couple of them would be open as retail stores? And shopping will only be done mostly online Would Salons, only be available through Appointments rather than unnecessary waiting for your turn? Would Schools & Colleges be only online..? Or Will doctors take appointments & meet patients online and only if critically serious (Emergency or have surgery the patient will be required to go to the hospital) Will we see print medium becoming obsolete and only digital magazines, E-Books and E-Newspaper available to read. (This would involve fewer people to print, Fewer people to distribute and reduction in maintenance. Books fewer copies could be printed, Newspaper just a few of them too and magazines can totally go digital.  

Though all these will affect real estate commercial spaces – But, We would require fewer people in offices and hence so many offices wouldn’t be required. That would automatically reduce your overhead expenses and the same could be used in satisfying your employees & profits too. 

But, Most importantly we would require our I.T infrastructure to improve with better internet connectivity around and stronger Mobile communication towers. 

These changes will also affect the automobiles sector – But will keep Air pollution & congestion to a bare minimum, Which has been now with cleaner air & Clearer skies. 

Restaurants & Cafes will be both delivery services & Walk in and going out will be an occasion and be social than ever before. 

Cinema chains could create an app – where they have movies screening with the timing and if there are fewer seats sold for a particular time, that can be replaced by another movie and about *100 tickets per screening should be allowed. So if you have four screens – 250 capacity. 100 people per screening for each film. 

Or they could start with a subscription-based model like the other streaming sites only for films & Movie Festivals. 

Though this will impact the revenues of the films in some ways, anyways filmmaker sells the movie rights to streaming sites & broadcasting channels to premier it. And this way they anyway make money. 

In the future anyways Small budget movies will be released on the OTT Platform and films with cinematic appeal with them will be released at cinema theatres. 

Though with these changes there will be a rise in a lot of unemployment. But we all do have skills that would give us the digital platform to grow and make money – We all would be our own channel of content and earn money too through Monetising your channel. 

These changes will create a new market for other Jobs that you never thought could exist. And at the same time will you be freer.

The Lockdown in some ways has questioned us – Are we humans really moving ahead or are we falling back behind and becoming like the Homo sapiens, we have originated from – Humans who would go hunting, Make food and sleep and repeat and did not have any leisure, luxuries that we humans consider to be “Normal” Like the Internet, Phone and the basics to live our life. Yes, we have come this far! But, how far have we come as individuals, and as people who did not always belong on earth? But, having been ruling ever since we realised we were the who can capitalise here on the earth, Where species moved freely. Who if you have noticed have taken over the streets and the nature once again presently.

Pages From My lockdown diaries!!

Why are artist important?

Artist are the only who you turn to when you need a change. 
When you are sad and low you would like forward to hear something that makes you happy. 
When you are looking for inspiration, You again turn towards music. 
When you are looking for a story or want to know somebody better you look towards reading books and try finding the missing pieces of your life or your story. 
You are looking and are trying to live the life of that character by becoming part of his world. 
When You are in the mood of a good laugh or suddenly burst out with tears after you watching a scene or the movie. 
When you are starting at the painting or drawing to express Wow! So beautiful. 
And now when the World has come to a standstill it’s these artists through their Music, Stories, Movies and Art are keeping us entertained and alive with hope that life would be back to normal. 
It’s the artist who we criticise, who we too have in our inner-self but don’t want to explore or are parents who don’t us to explore that side of ours. 
Now it’s high-Time we encourage more artist to be part of this world. Because it’s them who keep us entertained always. 
And with so many uncertainties in life. 
And not knowing what’s happen’s tomorrow 
Let’s all be bold and live our dreams.