Not just in blogs but anywhere, storytelling is an art. Not many people are good at it-particularly at short story telling.
I have read a lot of stories in blogs from a lot of aspiring authors. Number one thing that I miss is called the “content”. At one time I was reading a story after following a link, the author is probably trying to imply that he has great vocabulary. He pretty much used uncommon words wherever he could. Majority of the readers would need the help of a dictionary for every word that he used-thus feeling lost in finding the meaning of the words but not being able to see the whole story itself.
Another time, I found a very smooth kind of writing style. In fact, the words had such a nice zen like flow that I forgot I was reading a story, I thought it was poetry. When I reached the bottom, I found out actually there was no story line and in fact the author went off-topic.
When we write novels, I think details are important. But when we write “short stories”we should be able to give a high level perspective-the larger picture of the plot without driving readers away in opposite directions.
And please, no one reads long posts and posts which are too difficult to read. This is a fact. Keep it simple with an easy flow, while building up the content of your story gradually, so that it hooks the readers from the beginning till the end.
Happy Halloween guys! Who stays at home during a Halloween night? I do. I am not into Halloween. I am not into crowds. In fact, I have started tonight’s blog a bit early so that I can watch a classic movie like, “Forest Gump”. I know it sounds crazy! I am an introvert and as an excuse I can say I have work tomorrow, so I don’t wanna stay up late partying.
By the way, if you are like me as well and want to read a short story to kill a bit of time, then check this out: A Paranormal Halloween
Tonight’s topic is “Introversion”. What does being an introvert mean to you? Well, there are ten other definitions online and you probably have your own. But according to me, I enjoy spending some lone time with myself most of the time- that does not mean I am awkward or shy actually, or I lack communication skill. In fact I am quite honest and straightforward. Neither do I lack confidence. I just have an independent mind of my own. That’s it! But if you find my rare hidden buttons (my favorite topics) I can go on and on talking and giggling endlessly.
I have always avoided crowds since childhood. In school, all kids would scream and hustle down through the stairs. I would patiently wait until it gets quiet, then I would come down to go home.
According to the Myers & Briggs test, I am usually an INTJ. Pretty common personality type among engineers and scientists. I said “usually” because I took this test like 5 times. 3 times in recent past I got INTJ and couple of times recently got INFJ. Now when I looked at the spectrum of T-F, both time it showed 49% thinking and 51% feeling, which means I am still a borderline INFJ. Probably now-a-days, I am sub-consciously leaning more towards feeling, becoming more humanitarian!
It says that, INTJs are common among technical professionals but INFJs are rare individuals. Am I on my way to become a rare one? LOL. I do not know. People go through some period of transitions throughout their lives. I am probably no exception.
Anyway, I won’t make tonight’s post long. What type of personality are you? Does your personality type suit what you do? Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
Cal Poly Pomona is a school which I wanted to attend to get a “hands on” education in engineering. And long story short, I did. Now I am getting the benefit of my hard work, career wise.
This is me. I currently work as an Electronics Engineer for US NAVY-Space & Naval Warfare Command (SPAWAR SSC PAC).
When I moved to Cal Poly Pomona to study a few years ago, I spent about 4 months in the University Village. Then I moved to a place of my own, just within 2 miles of the campus.
Each and everyday that I had attended, I felt grateful for the opportunity that I got. This school is like a hidden gem in the desert. The Cal Poly Pomona Career fairs specially for engineering majors are great resources. I think the Career Office, MEP, SWE, IEEE along with many other student organizations do a great job providing opportunities for networking and employment. I learned it early to organize and promptly respond to school emails which lead me into projects outside classroom experience.
I probably will write more about my experience in future but here are some snaps that I had taken from the campus-
Cal Poly Pomona Zen Garden (was my favorite spot to relax on Campus)
Cal Poly Pomona Bronco Statue
Horses grazing at Cal Poly Pomona
Our iconic CLA building from far at Cal Poly Pomona. The sky is always clear and blue here…
University Plaza at CPP campus
Cal Poly Pomona Rose Garden (another of my favorite spot on campus)
Cal Poly Pomona Kellogg Farm, ready for Fall Pumpkin Patch Festival 2014. This time around the year the field turns orange with pumpkins.
I have many photographs taken on Campus. If you liked what you saw I will post more later.
First of all, TGIF folks! At my job every other Friday is off. Today is that Friday. Great work life balance,ha!? (Gloating with pride for many other reasons….)
Anyway, so if you have been reading some of my posts (there is another straightforward hint besides posts) you do know my real name. But why did I particularly pick this name for my gravatar-CoffeeAddict? I do love coffee, which is the most obvious reason. Even now as I am writing I am drinking coffee.
I could pick 10 other names like-
CatLady (I love fluffy cats),
BatLady(just rhyming),
Foodie (I LIVE for food),
GeekWoman(I am a science nerd, it is apparent from some of my posts),
WomanEngineer (My profession),
Artsy(once upon a time I was, still a little bit) etc.
But knowing that I can switch my name at any moment, for now I had decided to keep a unisex name. I did not want to over-think it.There are a few things in life which are vital for me to sustain and coffee is one of them. I do write about STEM career and academic advice & tips somewhere else. But I use this blog just to breathe. Although occasionally here too, I share personal development tips. But they are different because they are derived from my own personal experience. Everyone needs a niche where they can just relax and write for themselves and not for others. Hence, the name of my blog is-My World. A place where I can write anything and everything as my mind pleases while taking a sip from my warm coffee.
EDIT: recently I started a YouTube Channel where I share motivational content:
If you are not familiar with the concept of Parallel Reality, read that post and also check Cynthia Sue Larson‘s page. The reason why I am sharing her link is that so far I have found her way of describing parallel reality somewhat convincing. I am not getting paid to endorse her or anything.
I was watching one of her interviews on YouTube one day where she talked about small anomalies in our daily lives which are probably the result of parallel shifting or reality jumping. For example, suppose you firmly believe you must have placed your matching socks at the same place. But you end up finding them in different places. Or you did not find your car keys where you usually keep them etc. You later think you might just have forgotten or were not paying enough attention. But you might have made reality jumps! Sounds fascinating. Isn’t it?
About a couple of months ago. One day I lost my locker key at work. We are not allowed to bring personal devices inside the lab. We have to put our phones outside in lockers. Each locker has a key to it. So we keep the key until we get out of the workspace and take our private belongings back from the locker. I am one of those people who have great memories and I usually do not forget any details. It is very unlikely of me to lose focus and forget what I was doing. Just like the other days, I had put the key in my pocket after putting my purse in the locker. Then when I came back I didn’t find my key in my pocket and just to be sure I went back to the bathroom, cafeteria, office desk, lab, etc. I thoroughly checked but nope, just didn’t find it. The manager opened the locker with his common key, so it was resolved. But I cannot forget, where did the key go? This is a small incident but it bothers me.
On September 7, I wished my co-worker a happy birthday and he said his birthday was a few weeks ago. But one day at lunch I remember he mentioned his birthday was on September 7.
Now probably I forget things way too often then I think. Probably we are not shifting between parallel realities. But what if we are actually? The reason why this concept bothers me is the word “parallel”. Way too many physicists are now claiming that parallel universes exist.
My point is that even if they do, they cannot collide because they are parallel to each other like layers unless there is some sort of wormhole.
So in order to physically move from one parallel universe to another, you must go through a wormhole. It also does make sense that our doppelgangers might be simultaneously existing in all these different universes and only our current state of awareness can move from one parallel universe to another without physically making that shift. But the question is how?
Cynthia Sue Larson claims that just by having an open mind and imagining a doorway to another parallel universe one can shift through time and space. If you need another new age life hack positivity trick, this might work for you. But there is a difference between imagining yourself to be the best of “you” from another parallel reality than jumping to a reality where everything has slightly changed including you.
Now I am watching this video which explains everything better:
Science has not proven this theory yet. What is your take on this topic? Have you ever experienced slight shifts in your realities?
Yesterday I posted about San Diego, CA- Ocean Beach. There are many beaches in San Diego. One needs to tour all of them in order to figure out the characteristics and vibe that each one of them poses. If Ocean Beach is touristy and hippy, then Mission Beach is more local. If La Jolla has this posh, uptown college vibe, then Coronado Beach has a private island atmosphere. I will write about Coronado Island another day.
But today I will write about Mission Beach and La Jolla Cove. I am a San Diego local now. So I hit the nearby destinations quite frequently and at my own pace. But at the same time, I want to see everything from a tourist’s perspective. Imagine those of us who are living in California close to the ocean and all these awesome destinations, paying the high cost of living and always thinking-“well, I am a local. I can visit this place another day.” But that other day does not come very often. I have changed that approach. I think life is too short and I don’t know how long we will live. So let’s enjoy it while this experience lasts.
Mission Beach –
Just like I said, Mission Beach has a very local atmosphere. So let’s look at some snaps I have taken at Mission Beach.
The La Jolla area has a lot of tourist attractions. There are some real hidden gems: from private beaches to awe-inspiring visuals, to seal beaches, downtown shopping/restaurants/hotels and many more. Quite frankly, I am still exploring this area. I go there quite often. If I have to compare La Jolla’s atmosphere to Ocean Beach and Mission and Pacific beach, I would say it is more sophisticated, yet has this young college vibe due to its proximity to UCSD.
Okay, so it has been a while since I moved to San Diego permanently from LA for my current job. I have been to San Diego a few times in the past. Now that I am a local, I still take the time to tour around this vibrant place like a tourist. I have also briefly lived and traveled to northern California. The first thing everyone asks me is how do I like it here so far, especially compared to L.A.? My answer is, I freaking love it here. There is no place like San Diego for me in the US, hands down. I still get to enjoy the crisp So. Cal weather, while it is not too extreme because of the proximity to the pacific ocean. The traffic is way better compared to LA and San Francisco. The whole environment is a lot more relaxed than L.A. And should I mention that the San Diegans are a lot more chill as people. It perhaps has to do with the nice view and environment.
Whether you are taking a trip here or a local, there are always some hidden gems even in the most visited destinations. So I will share my San Diego (as well as other places) tour experience in series. I love taking snaps and I always try to hit some nearby places to check out the food. So if you are like me, this post is for you.
When I first moved to San Diego permanently, the first local places that I checked out was the ocean beach area. It has this nice, touristy and hippy vibe. There are few tourist hostels and it is always hustling and bustling with foreigners and Americans traveling from other states.
When I was taking a walk to the beach, one day I noticed a sand merman made by an artist. The next day he made a mermaid for the merman (in a photo below you can see the artist working on them). I did not continue there for the rest of the week, so I don’t know if he added some babies for the couple, LOL.
Lonely merman
Merman got his mermaid, thanks to the artist
Some more pictures-
I went to the Ocean Beach Pier Cafe to try some seafood. This is a no-frills place. But the view and food are amazing. I usually share my travel and food pictures on my Instagram
Another place I did try to go is called Hodads. This place is really popular at Ocean Beach for its burgers. I went on Sunday and I found a long line waiting outside of that place.
There are many other food places including gourmet seafood to local Asian food. I have not tried them all yet.
Forgot the name of this place but it is in Ocean Beach, on the same left lane that Lighthouse Ice Cream shop is. This place has some really good Asian plate combos.
I’m writing another weird post before going to bed today. Two days ago, I was expressing my opinion about reincarnation. If you have not read it yet, then read it here: Reincarnation
Today I want to talk about the Law of attraction. No, I am not giving tips on how to attract people to make romantic relationships. I am going to emphasize how, with our positive thoughts, we attract more positivity in our lives and with negativity we do the complete opposites. Although, that goes for relationships as well.
One day I was going to my work, it was a perfect sunny morning in San Diego and the view was amazing. I was thinking about a personal problem that I was facing at that time. Then I realized, the state of well-being is generated through our mind. And if you are unhappy, it doesn’t matter whether the surrounding area is like a paradise, you still don’t enjoy it. It becomes really important at that point to shift all your energy to a positive state. Life is too short and everything is temporary. I asked myself, why am I not enjoying the morning with this great weather and ocean view on my way to work? I should be rather grateful that I am alive and well.
When I go through some stress nowadays, I tell myself that it is nothing and I have had tougher times in my life before. With patience comes ease. During my dark times, when I was not finding any hope and I was almost losing my confidence in me, there is one verse from Al-Quran that changed my whole outlook towards life. There is no bigger truth than this for me.
“…..And whosoever fears Allah(God) and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out of all hardships.
And he will provide him from sources unimaginable to him. And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him.” (65: 2-3)
At the core of my concept of the law of attraction is thanking God almighty and asking him for help to make positive changes in my life.
Yes, not a thought of the day. Every day I plan at work, when I get home I will finish a lot of housekeeping tasks. But when I finally get home, after taking a shower and having dinner, I lose all the energy. I just feel like curling up on the bed while reading something or writing something in my diary. Recently I have started blogging. But I leave story/article writing for the weekends. So I have decided to write “thought of the night” before going to bed (once in a while at least, if not regularly).
10/18/2016
9:02 PM
I do not believe in reincarnation. But in physics, according to the law of conservation of energy,
“Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; rather, it transforms from one form to another.”
We are all made out of energy. Our souls are energy. Perhaps when people die, people’s souls transform into different levels or types of energy. My mom says, “dreams don’t come true in one generation.” We have come this far in evolution through the sacrifices of our ancestors and some of us are probably finishing our previous generations’ unfinished business (or un-achieved dreams). This goes on and on from generation to generation. We pass our passion through our DNA to our off-springs as a form of some already-existing information imprinted into our consciousness (not only in our genes). It is also possible that each of our souls is a transformation of the collective consciousness of many souls, not just one soul.
Now, there are true stories of people who remembered their past lives incidents and have been able to prove their claims. I am not saying it cannot happen. God almighty can make anything happen and some people might have been given those rare chances. But if you believe in monotheistic religious concepts, I would like to ask the age-old common question: that if there is a day of judgment, heaven, and hell, then for which of our lives we will be punished or rewarded, if we had many lives? If we really had many births, why most of us cannot recall those past lives? What is the point of being born many times if you cannot remember what you did right or wrong the last time?
My opinion is, it is partly due to our DNA from our ancestors and partly having a developed soul from previously transformed soul(s), we feel like we are being reincarnated. But each of us is given only one life on earth and this is a test for us. Our spirits are part of God almighty who is the supreme source of energy, we came from him and eventually, we will all go back to him after death.
My World 