All That Jazz.
Reading, writing, cooking, living, and maybe some other random explorations.
A writer's mind generates ideas and observations in the most unexpected, sudden ways. Anne Lamott describes this mindset as "seeing everything as material"
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Fantasy tournament - July & August update
It's been a while since I've published an update on [my fantasy tournament](/posts/fantasy-tournament-w1). Finally, I am ready to give you some updates. I've read some great pieces of fantasy these past weeks. Next, I'll briefly review what I thought about each book and why I chose the winner for the next round.
Fantasy Tournament - Week 7 & 8
In the past two weeks, I read The Blade Itself and The Emperor's Soul till the 25% mark and chose some new samples for next week!
Fantasy Tournament - Week 5 & 6
After recovering from a minor "reading slump," I returned to reading and read four samples I had chosen last time.
Fantasy Tournament - Week 3 & 4
We're in week four! I read two books until I reached the 25% mark, chose a winner, and shortlisted four books to read their samples over the next week. Check out the previous weeks to catch up with the progress!
Fantasy Tournament - Week 2
Last week, I discussed my new initiative to read more books and find new favorites. This post is an update on the tournament status. I read four samples from the chosen books for round two and decided on the winners.
Let the games begin
I tried different ways to read more, such as joining online book clubs, practicing 'did-not-finish,' reading before bed, binge reading, etc. None of them worked that well for me. I was still left with slow reads that barely grabbed my interest.
Can you write a formulated short story?
Recently, I wanted to write a short story with a limited word budget set in a specific environment. I didn't know how many characters to consider, how many scenes to include, or, worst of all, how many plot points I needed to have a compelling story.
Spinach salad with chicken breast and croutons
A salad without some protein is a side dish, not a meal.
I think I enjoy Scrum too much, how can I adopt it to my own life?
This is the system that helps me turn “new year’s resolutions” or “activities on a whim” to long-term goals and viable results.
Why I Loved '1923' (Despite My Initial Skepticism)
The season finale left me reeling—impatient for more, a feeling I haven't had in ages. This cliffhanger ending, with characters scattered and facing new struggles right before the climax… _chef's kiss_. It got me thinking: why did I even like this show so much?
To write, to program
It doesn't make sense. It sounds foolish to think they're similar. You write beautifully crafted prose to steer emotions in human beings, and you call it literature. Then, you write carefully built code to serve users efficiently and reliably and call it a program. How can writing be compared to the rigid way of creating a black box to output some functionalities?
TIL: Navel-gazing, the term
The term was new to me. So I gave my undivided attention to hearing what Sanderson responded to it. It turns out this concept has been familiar to me all along. I simply didn’t know one’s gaze into their navels could be the term for it.
Pasta Salad with Lentils
I add the pasta to the boiling water per package instructions. Then, get to some chopping. I slice one onion and cut one rib of celery into cubes. I opened a can of lentils and rinsed it with water to wash off the excess starch.
Alfredo style pene with mushrooms
Pasta is the obvious go-to for a weeknight meal. Today, I will make a rich but relatively fast alfredo-style pene with mushrooms.