9. Rekindle something you have neglected

Today, I have rekindled something I have neglected for a considerable amount of time:
make progress in reading the poetic epic: Paradise Lost.

First, let me explain why I neglected it for some time. The amount of work spent on my studies, projects, involvement in other people's lives and just overall everyday tasks have smothered the energy and commitment out of me to sit just quietly sit down and read a book. I know everyone says that "we youngsters should read more", but in-between all the things going on, I find it hard to find the time and place to get some reading done. BUT, I have succeeded in the task, and here is a brief documentation on my experience:

Now, Paradise Lost, a epic poem consisting of ten books, was written in 1667 by a lad named John Milton, while he was blind. His daughter had written down all the words he had spoken to her for the documentation of the poem. The poem consists of a rich vocabulary, knowledge of history and Biblical texts. The crux of the poem is mainly the subject of the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden, and the details surrounding that. Even though critics all agree that some parts of Milton's theology does not completely correspond with the Biblical text, he does however regiment an impressive narrative and series of dialogues in the progression of the poem. Its metaphors and similes include interesting historical events or places, even outside of the Bible. Some dialogues include man with God, Satan with Gabriel, Jesus Christ with Father God, and a third-person narrator, recording the events and sequences as they took place.

This was a very interesting book to go back to read, and was very fun to analyse in the footnotes and references. I would truly say that I have rekindled a passion for something that I have rubbed off for too long.

Thanks for reading!

8. Write down 100 questions that are very important.

Ok, so I have to write down 100 questions that are very important.

I will just throw it out there that these questions can vary in importance according to different people.
These are all questions that I want to know the answer to some day.

Let's begin:

1. Do all liquids contain water?
2. Why do dudes have nipples?
3. How many earths can fit into the sun?
4. If plants breathe and procreate, aren't they also regarded as animals?
5. How/ why do seasons exist?
6. Why do black holes exist?
7. Do dogs smile?
8. How do suns burn?
9. How are tears generated?
10. and why only when you cry or laugh?
11. In space, what is up and what is down (and vice versa)?
12. How/ why do we dream?
13. Why are days so short and nights so long in the North/ South Pole?
14. What happens in the cocoon when a butterfly is being made?
15. How does earth's gravity effect the moon?
16. What effect does the moon have on the tides on earth?
17. Why is it in our instinct to dance to rhythm or music?
18. Why do all healthy foods taste worse than the unhealthy ones?
19. Why is the grass green?
20. Is the grass really greener on the other side?
21. Is it better or worse to live now than in medieval times?
22. Why are Freddy Mercury's front teeth so large?
23. Why are some people's hair thicker than others?
24. Who invented musical notes?
25. Do crabs think fish can fly?
26. Why does a round pizza come in a square box?
27. Why are students often called "pupils"?
28. If nobody buys a ticket to see a film, do they still show it?
29. Why do people camp in the freezing cold?
30. What happened to chivalry?
31. Where has my mind gone?
32. Why are there unanswered questions?
33. Has anyone in history ever gotten impaled by a pole vaulting pole?
34. Has anyone in history ever gotten hit by a discus-throwing disc?
35. Why do people vote for candidates that are impostors?
36. Why do musical notes only go up to the alphabetical letter G?
37. Why do, if translated directly, Afrikaans call a camel a "camel-horse"?
38. Why, in their right minds, do people climb mountains?
39. Does blood flow in both muscles and arteries?
40. Isn't human life a little too fragile?
41. Why do we do what we do?
42. Why is the front of a ship called a "poop deck"?
43. Bread makes you fat?
44. Why can't dogs eat chocolate?
45. Why can't dogs eat peanuts?
46. Why is it that Sunday and Monday are so suspiciously close together?
47. Why do people buy 4x4's? Just...why.
48. Why isn't "sonder" considered an official word?
49. Why does mucus exist?
50. What is the fastest bps anyone has ever played on an instrument?
51. How wide is space?
52. What is so "plasma" about plasma televisions?
53. How many colours are there truly?
54. Why do cows re-chew?
55. How do you shrink corn?
56. Why does no one stop at stop signs?
57. Why are yawns contagious?
58. Why do we even yawn at all?
59. Why don't come cars, especially European ones, come with a thermometer? Especially if they are being sold internationally where climates are hotter?
60. Why do people skip traffic signs? (stop signs & red lights etc.)
61. How did Samson bind together the tails of the jackals?
62. How did he catch the jackals in the first place?
63. Why do people ignore to respond to messages, even though they've already read them?
64. Why do some animals eat bananas with the skin and eggs with the shell?
65. How old are you before it can be said you died of old age?
66. Why are nursery rhymes sometimes cruel and evil?
67. How did people tell time before the Gregorian calendar was instituted in 1582 or the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar?
68. Why do we say we’re head over heels when we’re happy? Isn’t that the way we normally are?
69. Why are most metal bands founded in the Northern Parts of Europe (like Finland and Norway)? It's the weather, isn't it?
70. Why, and how, are the nose, ears and mouth connected?
71. Why are awful movies/films/ television shows/music etc. so widely accepted and popular?
72. Why was Jeremy Clarkson fired for complaints about a piece of meat when he publicly insulted most of the world in the 13 years of run-time of Top Gear?
73. How the hell was Jack Torrence alive in 1924 in the film "The Shining" if he's a mortal human?
74. Why is a toilet called a "john"?
75. While we're at it, how do toilets work?
76. Why is Wednesday called "First Saturday"?
77. What on earth happened at the end of "Avengers: Infinity War"?
78. Why did athletes in Roman and Greek times compete naked?
79. Did Shakespeare really write his own poems?
80. Why didn't the captains on the Titanic listen to the boatmen's warnings of imminent impact with the iceberg?
81. How many miles to Babylon?
82. Why are there so many volcanoes around the South Pacific Ocean?
83. Who dictates street names?
84. What is the most played song on radio of all time?
85. Why are most comedians drawn to filthy jokes?
86. Why does time fly when you're having fun?
87. How many people have died playing video games?
88. How many people have lived on earth so far?
89. Who put the alphabet in math?
90. How many hours in total have been spent on playing World of Warcraft since it was launched in 2004?
91. What psychological effects does wall-colour have on the human brain in the work space?
92. What are voice vibrations called when someone sings?
93. What's the funniest joke ever told?
94. How many websites exist on the internet?
95. Why are most bosses tyrants?
96. How many films have ever been made?
97. Who caused the "Blackout" in the film "Blade Runner 2049"?
98. In the sci-fi game "SOMA", why do the  proxies want to kill the rest of the crew on Pathos 2 if the WAU's instructions is to preserve life?
99. Why do people risk their lives playing rugby?
100. Why?


The point I have gotten from this exercise was to read. Next time I will be:
rekindling something I have neglected by progressing in the poetic epic, "Paradise Lost".

Good night!

7. Spend an entire day without using the word "I" and care more about other people

So, today's topic followed spending the day without using the word "I".

If I think about it now, I did actually notice the times I chose not to say "I". It was pretty painful not caring for myself exclusively for once, but was a fun practice overall!

I started by helping my parents around the house with cleaning, making the food and hanging the clothes out in the wind to dry. Pretty casual stuff, but the day was just getting started.

I took a bunch of leftover food that we hadn't touched and gave it to some homeless people on the street. I like to keep things tidy between me and them, considering they do not have a steady income.

While talking to my friends, trying to execute proper sentences without using "I" is way more difficult than one could imagine, especially when giving your own opinion in the matter at hand. This exercised my patience a little bit, and I could use a bit more of that. It taught me how to more skillfully question people.


What I had learned, at the end of the day, was to listen more. We go through life so hastily, we don't stop to see the good things in life. This exercise taught me to take anxiety off of myself by forgetting about myself.


Like I said, this exercise taught me how to question people better.

In the next exercise, I will be writing down 100 questions that are very important.



Thanks for reading!

6. Read a biography of somebody you don't admire and show genuine interest

In my previous exercise, I learned to show interest in a specific topic.
I will be mixing that with my next endeavour- reading the biography of someone I do not admire and to be empathetic toward that person:
being the biologist, Charles Darwin.

Now, don't get me wrong. Just because I don't admire him doesn't mean I don't respect him or honour him, just to be clear. Prejudice doesn't play part here.

Now, Darwin was born Charles Robert Darwin on February 12^th, 1809 in Shrewsbury, England. He studied in the sciences, specifically as a naturalist and biologist, and is famously well- known for developing the theory of evolution, and is especially acknowledged in the scientific, biological and philosophical communities. Before publishing his book, On the Origin of Species, he voyaged across the globe in his studies on species, their progression and to further his research to formulate theories.

He specialised in the theory of natural selection, which stated that survival is deemed to the fittest of animals in the natural world, and that the weaker ones had died off. In his studies, he noticed similarities among species across the world, caused by adaptation and natural selection and based on these observations, developed his theories.  

Regarding his personal life, his father was a renowned botanist, but research suggests that he had personal struggles with his father in both his early and later life, which led him to rebel against his father's Creationist worldview, and follow the course of proving his father wrong. This includes when his father shrewdly sent his son to study to be a parson, which followed his father's disapproval of his passion in naturalistic studies. Later in life, near the end of his father's life, he had difficulties in his relationship with his father.

In his famous Voyage of the Beagle, the boat he used to sail across the globe, sailed around the coastlines of the southern parts of South America, included the most southern part of Africa, Cape Town, visited Mauritius and ended his journey on the southern coastlines of Australia, which is said to have consisted of his greatest discoveries in his theory for evolution. 

He died in his family home on April 19, 1882. His work is still cited today by many evolutionists and biologists as the foundation of the naturalistic mindset.

This was an interesting research trip. Darwin had lived a fascinating life in many different facets of study, and has done incredible research on various topics. I do admire him for his headstrong attitude and his attributes of loyalty to study.


 The lesson that I have learned is to care about people more.
The next stop will be: spend a day without using the word "I".


So goodnight, and good luck.




Some sources:

https://www.biography.com/people/charles-darwin-9266433
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Darwin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin

x

5. Try out a new hobby while sitting down

Today I will be trying out a new hobby while sitting down, as the task from
the previous entry that I extracted was to sit down, as I interviewed my father.

Now, we all know Google Maps was a massive invention in the modern age, and that
it helped us on many days as we got lost while searching for a particular place in
the city or elsewhere, but today I will be doing something a little bit different.
A couple of months ago, I stumbled upon Google Maps again just to explore different
parts of the world and to really get reconnected with where everything sits on the earth.
Some places I just wanted to know where it was, and even discovered some new places
I haven't heard of before.

Today, I will be researching some of the big landmarks in Italy, and will just be doing
some random exploration, since travel tickets are so expensive. And so our journey begins.

The first thing I discovered while zooming into Italy, was the main island of Venice. Now, what I saw was quite surprising: there were more than 22 Catholic churches on just the middle islands of Venice. This could be that Catholicism is the most famous religion in Italian borders. I shouldn't be shocked, but it is quite extraordinary.

The second place that I visited, was the Pantheon. In its time, the Pantheon was a temple built to house the free worship of all gods in Rome, and it is fronted with many pillars and consists of a dome with an open roof on the inside.

I also visited the Colosseum, which, in 72 AD, seated over 50 000 spectators, and was used to showcase brutal gladiator battles and chariot races.

Right next to the Colosseum, stands the Arch of Constantine, a marble layered arch which commemerates the victory of Constantine I at Milvian Bridge in 312. It consists of three arches, of which the middle one is the largest, and the entire arch stands 21 meters high.  Romans  just always had to build the most impressive things, didn't they?

Next stop was Milan Cathedral, which was quite a spectacle in the first person viewing mode, and just explains to me the true magnitude of the building. Seated in the city of Milan's city square, the Milan Cathedral is the second largest Catholic church in the world. It took a staggering 50 years to complete, and is also regarded as one of the most beautiful churches in the world.

This was quite an epic journey for me as a history junkie. So much time and energy was spent in creating all of these magnificent buildings, and what a stunning collection of landmarks they are. I sure would've liked to have lived in Italy at some point, but this is a fun little substitute, for now at least.


The lesson I've learned in this exercise was to show interest. In the next one, I will be showing interest by reading a biography of somebody I don't admire.

Until next time!



Some sources:
http://traveluto.com/famous-landmarks-in-italy/
http://google.com/maps
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_of_Constantine

4. Talk to a mentor or expert about a specific topic and learn something new

In this exercise, I talked to my father about his job, and learned some surprising new things about the aspects of his profession.

He is a front-end website design and development specialist for R&A Strategic Communications stationed in Johannesburg, South Africa. Their clients include mainly national mining companies inside of South Africa, and some international mining companies.
He designs websites using mainly the Adobe Creative Suite.

Firstly, he receives the brief form the client and does some research on the type of company and specialization it is, then he sits down and  researches their corporate identity branding, finding out if it's suitable. He then starts thinking of and conceptualizing visual ideas of how to design the website.
He plans the user experience navigational site map for the website. He then draws out schematics where all the elements will be. then creates the page layout in layers in Photoshop, for example the top banner with the menu system where the branding will be, main information etc. These banners can rotate.
The rest of the website layout, including news, info about the investors, download documents etc. are broken up into compartments that make up the website's layout. Different pages can be shown with more information. The homepage has to be dynamic, as it constantly changes with new imported information, news and the look of the banners. The updates are done with different people in the office. The page is then pdf'd and sent to the client for feedback and possible changes. He does the changes, and once the client is happy, it's approved and development starts.
The development process works as follows: he builds two different templates, one for the homepage and one for the content page. He does it with a basic html page linked to style sheets that determine the look of the pages. The content sections has to be taken note of, increasing the technicality of the endeavour. He converts the html page into CMS (Content Management System) templates. He mainly uses the software Joomla or Wordpress. He installs the Joomla system to a database, installs the templates and it then results with the look of the site.
It is eventually uploaded to a client server where the client can view it and finalize changes. Once approved, the website is uploaded to a public server, and the job's done.

I learned the many technicalities of my father's work, and learned most of the things he does in his time at work. Mission accomplished!

The next TO DO includes try out a new hobby, but I shall do it while sitting down, because I sat down to interview my father for the exercise above. It will be exceedingly relaxing, I imagine XD.

Thanks for reading! Cheers.

3. Take an Extended Walk in Your Neighborhood

Me and my mother took a walk in the neighborhood and talked on various subjects.

The point of this exercise was to listen. She has told me great things which I had not known before.

The first thing my mother taught me was that, in the Bible, the two greatly close friends David and Jonathan were actually family. David's wife Michal was the son of king Saul, and the brother of Jonathan. Therefore the two were actually brothers-in-law. This I did not know. My mother is very well-versed in Scripture, and I give her great credit for that. Many times have I read about the two friends, but never have I read that passage of scripture before.

We walked on, and we discovered a new street we hand't known was even in the neighborhood. Very interesting. The street lead to a cul-de-sac and a drive-in estate. Now I know.

A second significant point was given by my mother: the next Star Wars movie, a franchise of which I am deeply fond, will feature the famous composer John Williams for the last time before he retires of his duties of composing. I was in shock for a moment, and was in pure disbelief. A staggering 66-year long career in music is finally brought to a close. Incredible. He has brought me many moments of awe and memories to cherish.

I have learned an excellent few things during the process of listening to my mother. Therefore my next exercise will be combined with the act of learning.

Next exercise: Talk to a mentor or expert about a specific topic and learn something new