Flaws?

If I had to show you an A4 sheet of paper with a black dot on it, you'd notice the black dot first, yes? It's human nature. You're drawn to it. The whole sheet of paper is white, but you'll (or we'll) only see the black dot.

That's how we see people as well from time to time. We notice their "flaws" per say...or something that stands out (could be). Taking on this perspective, we could assume that flaws are not necessarily flaws. As one person may think talking too much is a nuisance, another may think, "wow...they can talk about anything to anyone", therefore admiring your socialising skills.

I may just be rambling on about some small topic that I introspect about now and then. But the point of this is, give people a chance. A first impression does not always count. People are flawed, we all are...but these flaws work in our favour as we would not be who we are if we didn't have these flaws. Yes? Yes.

The black dot on the A4 sheet of paper could be the starting point of a whole new pattern. Don't let it scare you. :)

Happy Friday!

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge: but why bro?

What is ALS? "Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and in the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death." For more information, click here.

Now that we know what ALS is, I shall rant about the viral challenge of pouring ice water over oneself.

I was against it at a certain point in time too. Exhibit A:

Shameless follow request here :D

Following the tweet, I observed and watched many challenges. There were a few that gave me quite the impression, such as Sonu Nigam, who actually took the effort to explain what ALS means in his own words. This got me thinking...there's so much hype about this challenge. When people do it, we don't know if they are donating money or not. But the famous folks surely must be.

According to the ALS website, the challenge has raised more than $41.8 million. So why are we complaining? The objective of the challenge has sort of been accomplished. There is enough money for research on the ALS to be carried out. So why the hate peeps?!

Sure, some people talk about how we're wasting water, and we should think about not doing so and just donate. But the fact that people have been pouring water over themselves (and going viral) is what made other people actually aware of the ALS. I wouldn't know what it is otherwise, frankly speaking.

I really don't know how to end this article...so...umm...yeah.

Oh yes! If you don't want to do the challenge, it's fine! Don't. I'm not gonna do it. But please, don't comment on others who are. You're doing your bit, and they're doing theirs. Not everything in the world is correct or moral. There are far worse things we can sit and complain about. But we choose not to. So let's choose the same with this and just umm...chill? (See what I did there? :D )

Don't hate. Appreciate. :-)

Peace!

Epiphany...

I have not blogged in a month. I am sorry (this is me apologising to the more responsible me).

Having said all that, the excuse is as it always has been, exams and travel! On the bright side, I am graduating in exactly two weeks! So...that break was really worth it (not).

Today's post is more of an...epiphany. Can you imagine what our lives would be like if we didn't meet certain people, or do certain things? I mean...where would we be? Would life be better? Or worse?

It's quite profound, I agree. But it's brain wrecking. The whole point is to imagine.

But all in all, many people in our lives impact the way we are. It's like a post in Humans of New York discussed, stating that the eyes do not see. They merely interpret. It's the brain that sees. What we see depends on our experiences, people we've met, our understandings and so on.

There's always a thin line between seeing, looking and perceiving.

And I always believe in perception.

Rhossili Bay!

Cliffs at Sea

I've been to Rhossili three times, and this was my fourth trip. I was excited, as usual. There's nothing more than travel that gives me an adrenaline rush. Tanushree and I headed to the bus station from Swansea University. We were meeting a few more friends there; that's what made the whole trip more exciting! The three different trips had been three different experiences, because of the people I went with.

Turns out, our friend, Ketan, was the only one there. His roommates were meant to join us. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, they couldn't make it. We didn't let that affect our excitement though. It was Ketan's first visit to Rhossili, and we were determined to make it lots of fun!

Walking around

We took the bus. It was more or less a 45 minutes journey. We did our own things - clicking pictures, listening to music, talking - and finally, we were there!

It's like the weather suddenly decided to match our moods, and it was sunny! Rhossili Bay is gorgeous when the sun shines all over the damp grass. The waves across the bay look dramatic, no matter what weather! But the colour of the water, that deep, oceanic...almost "can't-stop-staring"...blue, happens only when the sun is out; and this time, we were lucky.

Our lovely walking surface!

We walked on top of the cliffs, daring to approach the edges. We clicked many pictures, putting our photography skills to work. As we kept walking, we saw a young man, of our age. He had a backpack, a small snack and his Nikon D3100. He was seated on a bench, observing the people and scenery around him. We didn't notice how he looked as we were more engrossed in our experience. But I do remember Tanushree whispering, "He's like you! You came alone once, didn't you? So cool!" And I couldn't help but smile to myself, thinking that there are people out there, just like me.

We finally reached the left-end of the bay, where we could get a sort of clear view of Worm's Head. There were pebbles between the end of the bay and Worm's Head. It was 13:30hrs and the tide comes in at 17:00hrs. We were all seated, gazing out and taking in the beauty of the nature (and the warmth of the rare sunshine). Just when we were discussing whether or not we should cross to Worm's Head, the young man we had observed earlier stood behind us and smiled. He greeted us.

The four of us exchanged names and a few facts about each other. His name is Brian and he is a student from America.

Stopping to click photographs

Then the most amazing two and a half hours of my whole stay in Swansea, began. We crossed the stretch between the bay and Worm's Head. It was lots of walking, climbing, jumping and photography. Alongside all that, it was a lot of laughter, stories and talking mini-autobiographies of our lives.

We finally made it to Worm's Head, like it was a hike from one city to another. We were not tired. We still burst with excitement. And this journey just made our hearts pump with more adrenaline. After a few photographs at Worm's Head, we headed back to Rhossili Bay.

At Worm's Head

There, we enjoyed the most beautiful sunset, where Brian said something I'd never forget, "God is just showing off now!" Indeed he was...and why wouldn't he? The world is so beautiful.

The beautiful sunset

Needless to say, it was one of the most epic journeys of my life. I met a new person, discovered new things about people I knew, did what I enjoyed most - photography and adventure...and had a new experience. Like I said, Rhossili is a place where you are guaranteed to always have a different experience, no matter how many times you go.






Some helpful facts:

- If you're travelling from Swansea City Center to Rhossili, take the bus number 118.
- Buy a day ticket - it should cost you 4.70 Pounds, with return.
- Wear waterproof shoes as you'll have a lot of walking to do in a lot of wet land.
- Carry water and some snacks as the cafe closes pretty early (around 5pm , if I'm not mistaken).
- If you plan on crossing the stretch to Worm's Head, good footwear and a decent backpack is recommended.