Simplify your life: Reduce television

I have a number of books on my bookshelf at the moment - and among them I have this cute little one called "Simplify your life". It's full of nice little things one should do to slow down one's life and "enjoy the things that really matter".

As I ponder how I will manage to get 30 days off to go trekking in the Himalayas, I decide that better for the time being to stick to my yoga schedule and let things come as they are coming. And to read some tips from this book. I don't start in order though, so let me share with you what Elaine St James says about television.

Well, she says to switch off the television - but I cannot agree with that. What I do agree with is that you should minimalise your television watching. News is essential, and so is a good movie off and on. Like some movies I am dying to watch but keep missing - Like Che Guevera's The Motorcycle Diaries that keeps coming on television and for some dumb reason I keep missing.

If you're hooked on to some show - then do watch it. Television helps you unwind and forget your day. So does reading a book - but one hour of television watching won't kill you. I watch my favourites - Criminal Minds and Monk these days. Sometimes I watch Brothers and Sisters, though it gets slightly irritating.

The best shows are the ones on Travel and Living that take you places. I saw a great one on Venice once - it absolutely convinced me that it was the best place on Earth (and I've already visited Venice!!). I like documentaries on great painters, so apart from reading about art, I sit and watch it as well. BBC once did a series on Great Artists and I sat and watched every one of them.

A philosopher from the Brahmakumaris once told me that your mind absorbs images and thinks about them - so it's better not to expose it to horrid things like violence and hateful scenes. It's something to think about especially if what you're watching is disturbing you. I for example, avoid reading the local news about NCR - some of the things I read is really creepy. In fact, I even do this abroad - no point knowing who got shot/killed/mugged/etc. It'll just leave you scared and depressed.

Plus, with reduced television watching, think of all the time you'll have to read and spend with family/friends. Today par example, I spent the whole day cleaning (yippee!!). I rewarded myself at the end of the day with chocolates ... Hmmm.... loadsa chocolates.... I in fact didn't eat much for dinner....

You only live once right?

Origins

Did you know how the term "cafe mocha" originated?

Well, neither did I. (I figure you didn't know either).

When I started this blog I added a National Geographic gadget - which gives me a picture a day. I like photographs - I myself am a keen photographer/sketch artist/painter. I think that a picture can really tell a story.

Anyhow - coming back to mocha - there was a picture today which showed a fisherman on the beach in Mocha, Yemen. And it got me thinking - could this be the same mocha?

So I did a google and guess what? Mocha is a port city located on the Red Sea in Yemen. In the old days it was a major trading centre and was the origin of the mocha variety of arabica bean - which is the bean with a chocolatey taste.

Interesting oui? That's why you read my blog!! Anyhow - the next time you drink a cafe mocha at Cafe Coffee Day or Barista - think about Yemen and the Red Sea and just how far that coffee bean has come!!

There's something very interesting when one goes back to the roots of things. One of my batchmates is an avid fan of the History Channel and National Geographic. He was telling me about how many many many years ago there was actually only one man and one woman - and we all actually originated from them. Over time people migrated to different climatic conditions and then colour came into being.

I can't imagine how long this was, but I would think it would be good reading. If anyone knows about any book that discusses this, I would be glad to read it!!