Learning new things

A couple of weeks ago I decided to make a drastic change in my life, I decided to change my everyday life and even my future if you will.

I decided to learn to play the guitar.

This might sound a bit courageous to say that learning how to play the guitar will change my life and future, I am not aiming to become a rock star or anything like that, BUT I do believe that playing the guitar will change my life anyway. I will meet new people through wanting to learn more, I will be able to express myself in a new way and I will foremost gain new knowledge.

My first guitar lesson might not have gone surprisingly well, I am, not a talent, let´s put it that way, but I did have a lot of fun and quite sore fingers to be frank. My biggest concern after just one lesson was “How can it be so hard?!” I have quite a few friends who play either the guitar or some other instrument and they always seems so relaxed and comfortable whilst playing and all the sudden it was really difficult when I was supposed to do it! I guess it does take some practice… This will take time, time that I am more than happy to spend to enrich my life in the future.

Philoshophical Sara says Over&Out

Change of Eras - From Modernism to Postmodernism

Not too remote but four decades ago we had a singular outlook towards materialistic elements, human emotions, mental architecture, aesthetics and art forms. The two prime and most significant events in the 20th century were the two devastating World Wars that paved the way to many movements which later turned into theories and concepts. Whether it be the transition from the 1st wave to the 3rd wave of Feminism, from Deconstruction to Reconstruction, from Modernism to Postmodernism or from Classical to Fusion era, these two events were gateways of the alterations. Presently we are in the Postmodern era which can also be otherwise called as Fusion era. To a student of science, the term fusion is not alien and he will flash upon with the concepts of nuclear fusion to describe the term that is - The blending of two light nuclei to form a heavier nucleus. Sighting the aesthetical and philosophical meaning of the statement we can welcome it as the base avowal for today’s fusion world- Blending of two good things to bring out the best. Nothing but today’s Postmodern mind acts as alchemy to it. But what are the changes that this fusion and postmodernism has brought about? Referring to a study called as mapping postmodernism and synthesizing charts or lists in the works of Ihab Hassan, Donna Haraway, Frederic Jameson, David Harvey and Jean-Francois Lyotard some changeover from modernism and postmodernism can be presented as snapshots such as from Monopoly capital in modernism to Multinational Capital in postmodernism, Semi-autonomous culture to Commodified Culture in socioeconomics. Considering Poetics the changeovers are like from Emotions to Random Intensities, Character to Caricature, Plot to Labyrinth, Parody to Pastiche, Detective Model to Sci Fi Model, Individual Ideas to Free floating codes, Readerly attitude to Writerly attitude, Metaphor to Metanomy while considering Miscellaneous Figurations the evolution is from Biology to Immunology, TB to AIDS, Mind to Artificial Intelligence and Labour to Robotics. Coming into personalities just for a better knowing if we refer Carl Marx, Stravinsky, Freud as Modernists then Baudrillard, Cage, Lacan can be considered as Postmodernists in their places.

But with the advent of the 21st Century, Postmodernism seem to be placed as a theory towards completion of Modernism rather than a reaction against Modernism. This is evident from the blending of traditional and modern thoughts and ideas. In music the word Fusion leads others in terms of popularity which is nothing but a blending of classical and fast pace music. In poetics short simple poems are popular. The World needs new ideas and maximum output at a faster pace. The only reason is materialistically we need recognition and aesthetically we need peace. Though achieving neither of the above has been easier till date and perhaps this is the reason why the pace is going on increasing. At times devastating mistakes are also resulting due to the tremendous pace of working. The Global Economic depression bears testimony to this fact. Not only this according to the latest theory of Postmodernism that man is a slave of his/her own perspective and all are correct according to his/her own perception, unruly activities have increased enormously .The terrorism and terrorist activities and the political disorders prove this. Looking at the brighter side individual freedom has never been such before as in this era. There are too many opportunities in almost every field through which one can focus his/her talents. “Around The World in 80 Days” no longer seems to be a dream. Ideas no more go into waste; there are always some people to appreciate. The positives in this era are not meant to cover up the negatives and neither the negatives can but a competition always goes on.
The ending note as well as advice can be the words of Sophocles’s “If you don’t change yourself with the changing world, you will be thrown like an antique piece in the museum of History”.

Poetically speaking,

“Neither Shakespeare nor Newton
Falls heavy upon this era
Where emotions are trampled for honor-
Where recipient is more and less are the donors!!
Rays of hope knock every morning –
Yet falls out in a haste-
Where thinkers are called beggars,
And performers are treated as guests..
Where they are the fools who follow castes-
Where words come before trust!!
Where one may hail you as dust-
And the other as Prince!
The sound of Fusion rings-
In the cements and grasses-
Where Modernists fail to execute-
And Postmodernists Sing.”


By Sonnet Mondal

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

Since 1981, 25th November is identified as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by United Nations mainly in the remembrance of brutal assassination of three Mirabel sisters who fought against dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo (1930-1961).

Around the world violence against women has taken a devastating shape. According to the UN report, country specific data show more than 70% of women become victim of physical brutality. Other shapes of hostility against women are domestic violence, ostracism from their family, Femicide, trafficking, dowry death, honour killing, sexual abuse at schools or colleges or workplaces, rape either by husband or intimate partner or strangers and many more. Death rate as the outcome of various forms of violence is higher than death due to disability or diseases. This day is intended to spread awareness of women’s human right and eliminate the demoralizing practices; it is also to empower women and advocate their strength.

In India, a campaign for change in daughters' perspective 'Daughters against Dowry' will be launched on this occasion (25th November, 2009). A National seminar is to be conducted on "IMPLEMENTATION OF DOWRY PROHIBITION ACT" In Delhi more than 500 girls from various schools will assemble and highlight Dowry Prohibition Act.

......Mousumi

Nostalgia

Writing can be many things; nostalgia, therapy, expression of crazy thoughts of happiness or frustration. To me writing is all of those things.

Have you ever gone through old note books? Old texts written long ago? I did the other day, and I was overwhelmed by how those words written long ago brought all those feelings back again... The mind is funny in that way, how feelings can be brought back into daylight just by reading a couple of old poems, written not to be read but just for being written. It´s dangerous, because it get at least my head spinning in high speed, wondering “could I have acted differently?” “Could I have made a better choice”. And in the same time I absolutely love the fact that I have note books and note books laying around to remind me of periods of my life which are now lost, maybe not always lost, but buried if you will. The album "Tigermilk" by Belle&Sebastain makes me nostalgic.

Today´s blog is a tribute to old times and to nostalgia, many people fear to touch nostalgia because many times it hurts to bring back old memories to life. In my opinion it´s a wonderful thing to be nostalgic (once in a while, not always) because it reminds me of whom I am and who I have been. And thanks to writing those feelings down in the past I can now remember why I made certain choices and why I didn´t make others and I realize that I have always made the right choices. It´s easy to remember things in a different light than i actually was; better or worse. Therefore I am happy that I have written these feelings down because in that way I can skip the hurtful thoughts of “what if”, based on my old poems and texts I remember how things really were.

So today I want to pay attention and tribute writing as a reminder; write for the sake of get a chip of your shoulder but also to be able to one day look back and remember, do not put a gloomy face on and feel bad about old and lost relationships or situations. Be glad about the fact that you have done it. Never regret, learn from your mistakes and greet the times you have done wrong because you have gained a new experience! And don´t forget to keep writing about it. This is most likely the only way to keep an accurate memory.

Sara says Over&Out.

What is trust?

What do I need to trust somebody? Today I asked myself this question, for many different reasons, and quite naturally the next question was; what is trust?

For me to trust another person completely is not rare, I trust a lot of people, but I trust them in different ways. To show up at a friend’s house without make-up with a gloomy face and in a bad mood show that I trust that person. It might sound a bit vain and silly but it´s not like I am very narcissistic and think my looks are very important and therefore can´t show myself without make-up, it´s more about the person I am when wearing make-up; happy, funny, cheerful etc. Because that is what I would like “strangers” ( people I do not know very well) to think about me, which I think is fair, because why would I want to be a person who seems angry, annoyed and moody? I mean, I can be all of those negative things, at times, but those sides I do not want to share with the world at all times, just like I don´t want to share my inner and deepest thoughts and feelings with the rest of the world. So for me to for example go and see a friend with no make-up really mean “I trust you” because I am comfortable with showing both my good and bad sides to him/her. So like I said; I trust in different ways, for example: I have really nice friends who do not know my bad sides, although I trust them and I have friends who I will never share my problems, thoughts and doubts with, although we are really close friends.

Another type of trust is the kind of trust you show by being honest and not telling lies. I have friends which I love and think very highly of, some of them might not always pick up the phone or answer my texts, they might not always be reliable when it comes to planning things together; but they will on the other hand never lie to my face or let me down.

A trust which has been lost can be very hard to win back, and I quote Marianne: “I don´t believe in second chances, I believe in new opportunities” and I think that quote can be related to trust which have been lost; you will not be given a chance to get back that trust, you will have to create the opportunities to win it back again. You will have to fight yourself to show the person you have let down that you are to be trusted again. Am I right?

Philosophical Sara says Over&Out

India celebrated Children's Day

“Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future” -John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Celebrating this day, we promote children’s emotional and social well being and right, inject high aspiration and astonishing determination to stand still in front of crumbling odds, promise a humanitarian assistance and renew commitment to provide safety, security and ample opportunities to grow removing the sickening poverty from root and make them free from most distressed situations. Different colourful and cultural programs are organized, patriotic songs are sung, various fancy and quiz programs are held on this special day. All are dedicated to celebrate their spirit, talent and make them realize that they are the future of the nation and concern of the country.

First children’s day was celebrated across the world in 1955 October. Though, universally it is celebrated on 20th November but different countries celebrate children’s day on various dates. In India, it is celebrated with great enthusiasm on 14th November, the birthday of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru who laid the foundation of modern India and emphasised on all-round development of children.

Yours

Mousumi......

Does Age Really Matter?

Being a writer I can’t be passive towards the mass debate that started last week on our social network.

Age can’t be a constraint for writing. Numerous examples can explicitly be given: John Keats who died at the age of 25, Anne Frank who died at the age of 15, John Kennedy, who was posthumously given Pulitzer award, died at the age of 31, Raymond Radiguet (a French novelist and poet) who died at the age of 20, Sylvia Plath (an American poet and novelist) who died at 30, Thomas Chatterton (poet of 18th ‘Gothic’ literary revival) who died at the age of 17, are among greatest poets and novelists till date.

So, I feel-

Literature is a field where criticism is a must. Criticism, which sheds light on the flaws with compassionate attitude towards the work, certainly helps establish credibility thus should surely be kept in consent for furthering persistent improvement. But ‘destructive criticism’ is, I would opine, combination of senseless words, enough for derailing authors’ right direction. One is liberated disagreeing authors’ point of view but with proper reasons and honest opinion, which is certainly essential for an individual’s betterment, otherwise damage can be done. Therefore, it is better to depreciate one’s hostile disagreement by throwing away those useless negative words.

.....Mousumi

Take care

Almost everyone have a friend who has not been feeling well, or might even be depressed, almost everyone have at times not been feeling very well, or even been depressed!

Some people feel an ease through talking to others, some people might close all difficult feelings inside...And for many of us writing is a way to express our feelings and a way to ventilate our thoughts to the world in a way that do not mean confrontation or needing to tell people "I´m not feeling very well". Friends is many times a savior when ones soul is not whole and what I would like to express in today´s Bombadil blog is; Take care of each other. If your friend is not well, ask them what you can do to help. Depression is at least in the western culture something you do not speak about, well I guess you do speak about it, but not enough. Youngsters feeling bad about themselves, given medication at young ages for their "problems" is not a topic which is talked about easily at the dinner table.

But what really bothers me is; They are given medicine to solve all their angst and bad feelings, but no one seem to ask "Howcome all these people, all these young people, our future, why are they feeling so low?" The problem is attacted when it´s in full bloom but no one seem to ask the question "How do we prevent this issue?". The solution is not medication to still your brain or sleeping pills to make you sleep your problems away, the solution is being open and accepting that the issue exists and trying to figure out where it all started... And meanwhile, we have to take care of each other.

Over&Out
Sara

The Mentors in Bombadil Publishing: a big part of us!

In the magnificent and marvellous world of book writing, the writers do the main work. Our young writers get inspiration and write onto the paper (or computer), giving the world a legacy for future generations. And the messages from youth to youth are in many ways a part of the new way to find a better world, an optimistic world there the young people are working together, transferring their ideas to each other by writing books with us at Bombadil Publishing.

At Bombadil Publishing we get our books out all over the world in a new and productive way since the young writers work together with our mentors throughout the entire process.

Our mentors are there all the time for the young writers, to help them to get a better vision, a better literary form, to get feedback, for inspiration. Our mentors are the final link helping to assure the quality is excellent in all ways, without in anyway losing the initial gist of the story and the soul of the author.

We at Bombadil Publishing have a lot of magnificent mentors in several countries around the world, in India, USA, Canada, England, Sweden, Spain, Chile, El Salvador and Peru, to mention just a few. Every mentor has our philosophy very clear, the Bombadil Publishing’s philosophy, which is to help the young people to give their messages of hope and faith of a better world to other young people around the world. Our mentors work together to help achieve this better world. YOUT2YOUTH

Bombadil Publishing is proud to introduce to the worlda new mentor, the magnificent Preyer Huaman Torres, living and working in Lima, Peru, Preyer is a young man, 30 years old who has been interesting in literature in his young years back in school, he is dentist and works actively to help the people in the Peruvian Amazon to get a better life. Welcome Preyer to the Bombadil family!

ALL OVER THE WORLD WITH BOMBADIL PUBLISHING

YOUT2YOUTH!

Melvin Gonzalez

Patience brings success

Success comes when we do our duty wholeheartedly without thinking a fraction about the result-that’s what I have learnt while reading Tagore’s biography. During first 51 years of his life the success he achieved was least. People of outside Kolkata (then Calcutta) hardly heard his name.

On his second visit to England in 1912, he started translating some of his poetry work, Gitanjali, in English. His son was accompanied by him. Unfortunately, he left his father’s briefcase, which contained a notebook of hand written translation, in the London subway. But an honest person returned it to him on the very next day. When they were published in 1912, by the initiative of W.B Yeats, the whole world embraced him. For the first time world enjoyed the mystical and sentimental beauty of Indian culture. Within a year he got Nobel Prize. He was the first non-westerner who was so much adorned and honored. He never anticipated his work would be so adorable and far reaching.

Today we know Rabindranath Tagore as the most successful icon but anyone of us hardly realizes his years of struggle behind it; after spending 51 years of life in anonymity, he got world recognition. “Success comes to those who least care for it”

Yours,

Mousumi

First snow

Snow, snow . . .

Well luckily yesterday was not my day for blogging. It was that kind of day that had the feeling that your "head was gone" or more correct it felt as the mind was gone. But it is like that sometimes and not much to do about it! Like the qoute I got from a friend:

"That day is still to come . . . . "

And today the first snow for the season, fall down from the sky! Yeak, well as you all know I want summer :-). Sure a sunny day with white snow, then the nature can be wounderful and just amazing. The winter scene can be stunning on those days :-).

But for now it just look like this (look the picture) more or less, not so much snow at all. Maybe that also can illustrate how the head/mind feels, a bit "snowy" :-).

So now my "head" has no moore to say.

by by
Mari

Learning Time Management From These Bombadilians

For the last couple of days, Mousumi and I have been interviewing our young authors from different parts of the world. These authors, against the popular perception about youth, have mastered the skill of time management. They are not just authors; they lead multiple roles. Shabana Rashid Diya, a twenty year old journalism student from Dhaka, Bangladesh is not just academically excellent but also a budding photo journalist whose photographs have been appreciated in various international exhibitions. She is also a contributing member of 'The Rising Star' the most circulated English daily in Bangladesh. And the list doesn't end here: She writes monologues, plays a critique of music and the everyday issues, voices the needs of those around her, leads social activist groups and teaches young children to dream. When asked how she manages to do all these things and still manages to continue her studies. In the answer she told me that she had been practicing time management for past ten years. Diya is now working on her second book - With A Price Tag - that rediscovers the rejuvenation of a lost identity in a young girl at modern society during troubled times.

Meet our another author Dipanway Maitra, a 19 year old poet, essayist,from Kolkata. He dropped Engineering just to follow his dream: World's Literature. He is an epic poet, essayist, elocutionist, thinker, painter. And what else? He is a professional Kick Boxer. He has already played for national team and aspires to be a world known player. His soft voice contradicts to what he is and does. At present, he is working on epic poetry and has completed the manuscript. But there is no stop: the next project is already taking shape in his mind.
These youngsters are highly passionate about what they do and they know how to do it.
They respect time and utilize every single moment.
"Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much can be done if we are always doing."
Thomas Jefferson

Sincerely yours,
Alex

It´s getting dark now.

Sweden is truly a beautiful country with great nature and magnificent scenery; we have got considerable lakes and majestic forests, open fields and maybe not the highest of mountains but still a few hills to “climb”.

As a Swede I am proud of the variety my country has to offer and the fact that the very soul of Sweden can be found where ever you decide to go in our tall country which form Sweden; in the south you´ll find it like a whirlwind across open fields, in the midlands it is sneaking around in the deep woods and drizzle in little brooks, in the north you´ll explore the absolute face of nature with the northern lights.

There are though a few disappointing details about Sweden too... For example it can get very dark up here, and it does get really dark. Right now, 5 pm Swedish time (1+ GMT) it´s already pitch dark, about a month ago the sun was still up at this time, but during autumn the amount of sun hours decries very rapidly, unfortunately. In the very north of Sweden during winter the sun will barely go up in the middle of the day before it decides to “call it a day” and go down again. Although during summer there are several days when the sun won´t go down at all. And this is what I can´t stand about my so beautiful country; darkness. What´s the point with a astonishing nature if no one can see it anyway? The dark time of the year stretches from the end of September to sometime in March, normally and I´m now referring to the part of Sweden where I live, which is the sort of southern west coast, around Gothenburg. In other places in Sweden it will be different. The lack of sun can make you depressed since you do not get as much C-vitamin from the sun as needed and just the darkness itself can bring your mood down, surprised? Although the autumn/winter sometimes shows a nice side to it too, with snow and ice, and it redecorate our woods to dramatic white landscapes and fields turn into to snow white canvas, truly stunning. But that is if it´s bright enough to see it of course. =D

Over&Out
Sara