Cooking

 

7 Convincing Reasons to have Cooking as a Hobby…

This piece of writing is dedicated to those friends, who wish to add charm in their busy Life…

Generally, we all have to struggle for existence and growth that we hardly find time or taste for any hobby.  Work hard –  the only mantra – taught to us from childhood to school days to professional field. Boredom has taken over our mind without permission. Before it occupies our life, Lets’ break this monotony and find ways to Live this beautiful Life with full energy, enthusiasm, excitement and cheerfulness.

Lets’ develop a hobby (any hobby) to regain….Personally I have experienced Cooking as the best Hobby for the following reasons:-

1.      Explores Creativity: – One can be creative to any extent as per taste and available    cooking ingredients. Interesting thing is, You can freely play around with living stuff like fresh vegetables, grains fruits, dairy products etc. Cut, boil, mash or fry them……and still get applauded.

       We can give different treatment to the same ingredients every time to get a new dish.  Prepare Payasam or Biryani or Pulao or Dosa using Rice as main ingredient or make Chickpea in gravy or Chickpea sprouted salad – depending on mood on a specific day or an occasion.

2.      Wider Range: – Cooking has widest range to try with. From Snacks to Bread, Soups to Sweets, Breakfast to Dinner, Rice to Pasta, Indian to Chinese to Italian, to Mughlai. Culinary Art is a vast ocean to explore and experiment.  Its’ aura, fragrance and taste varies amazingly from regions-to-cultures-to-countries.

3.      Not an Expensive Hobby: – Cooking requires very less resources to experiment and to test the waters. We all have basic utensils and ingredients at home. It also does not require a specific qualification to try with…. rather, no qualification. Only passion for tasty food is enough.

Anyways, we require at least 3 meals per day; 90 per month; 1095 in a year. It’s wiser to learn cooking.

4.      Stress Buster: – Cooking is like a meditation. One loves to be engrossed with this and passion for cooking intensifies over the period. Try this when stress, frustration or boredom occupies you. Cooking is also a productive time pass. It gives our mind a break from routine work. It also adds ownership value to your life in terms of hygiene and timings of meals.

5.      Be Independent: – Knowing this art makes us less dependent on others. One can choose to cook whatever he/she likes to eat today. Of course, various cookery shows on TV and Youtube are helping us freely 24*7 in picking and preparing our menu. 

6.      Hobby as Profession: – This is most amazing hobby that can be taken as a profession at smallest or highest level. One can start it from home kitchen or cook at client side or if have enough funds, with a restaurant. You can start with 2-3 specialized dishes to begin with.

7.      Appreciation and Following: – You can make a lot of great friends and fans with cooking, in comparison to other hobbies. Good food is our basic need and we all crave for it and ready to spend a good money to satisfy our taste buds.

 

It brings a feeling of awesomeness, broadens smiles and my heart blossoms, when friends-n-relatives appreciate my dishes/cooking skills. A great sharing value. I have learnt few dishes over a period of time by watching related TV shows and YouTube channels.

My specialties : Pasta Salad, Veg Fried Rice, Cheese and Salad Sandwich, Chickpea, Chilly Mushroom, Corn-Veg-Olive Salad, Rice-Payasam, Shahi-Paneer and Indian Bread (Paranthas), Veg Chipped Rice, Mango Shake and so on….

Take help of Mr. Google to search for your favorite dishes and start with a small step. You will love, I promise.

source:  https://www.thetravellerscafe.in/7-convincing-reasons-to-have-cooking-as-a-hobby/

 

HOBBY

 

Why Hobbies Are Important?

Having a hobby that we enjoy brings us joy and enriches our lives. It gives us something fun to do during our leisure time and affords us the opportunity to learn new skills. We are very fortunate to have so many different options out there today. In fact, there are entire websites devoted to hobbies and interests.

The best way to cultivate a new hobby is to try something new. The world is full of wonderful, exciting activities that we can explore and adopt as our own. Of course, all of us are unique and, therefore, our interests and hobbies vary. But once we find a hobby that we truly enjoy and are passionate about, we become hooked. It becomes part of our lives and captivates us in a very personal way.

There are many reasons why all of us should have at least one hobby, but here are the main advantages:

1.       It makes you more interesting. People who have hobbies have experiences and stories that they can share with others. They also have specialized knowledge that they can teach to anyone who also has an interest in the same topics as they do.

2.       It helps to relieve stress by keeping you engaged in something you enjoy. Hobbies give you a way to take your mind off the stresses of everyday life. They let you relax and seek pleasure in activities that aren’t associated with work, chores or other responsibilities.

3.       Hobbies help you become more patient. In order to develop a new hobby, you have to learn how to do something that is brand new to you. The odds are there will be a learning curve, and you will need to be patient in order to build your skills.

4.       Having a hobby can help your social life and create a bond with others. A hobby is something that you can frequently enjoy with other people. Whether you join a club, play in a league, or just gift others with the fruits of your labor, a hobby is a great way to meet and get closer to people who have the same interests as you do.

5.       It increases your confidence and self-esteem. The odds are that if you really enjoy an activity, you are usually pretty good at it. Any activity that you can excel in is an opportunity for you to build your confidence and develop pride in your accomplishments.

6.       Hobbies help reduce or eradicate boredom. They give you something to do when you find yourself with nothing to fill your time. They also give you an activity that you can look forward to and get excited about.

7.       It helps you develop new skills. A hobby that you really dedicate your time to will lead you to build new skills. As you spend more time at your hobby you will become better and better at it.

8.       It increases your knowledge. Along with building new skills, you will also gain new knowledge through the development of your hobby.

9.       It enriches your life and gives you a different perspective on things. No matter what type of hobby you choose, you will definitely be exposed to new ideas. Hobbies help you grow in various ways, including exposing you to new opinions and to new ways to look at life.

10.   It challenges you. When you pick a new hobby, you will be involved in activities that are novel and challenging. If you don’t find your hobby challenging, then you also won’t find it engaging, and it will be less enjoyable. That means you need to find a better hobby.

11.   It helps prevent bad habits and wasting time. There is an old saying that “idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” If you have good hobbies to fill up your free time, then you will be less likely to spend that time on wasteful or negative activities.

In case you are wondering what my hobbies are: Over the years, I have had numerous hobbies and interests, but I currently have 5 that I am passionate about. They have changed my life in a positive way and provided me with a lot of joy.

1. Reading

I love reading books, especially nonfiction ones. I currently read about 60 books per year on a wide array of topics. For example, I am currently reading a book called The Unconquered: In Search of the Amazon’s Last Uncontacted Tribes which focuses on a tribe of native Indians that lives in isolation in the Amazonian forest. The book is over 800 pages long and offers a fascinating glimpse into their lives and culture. It illustrates the importance of preserving our environment and ecology and is a wonderful read.

Every book I read (I try to be discriminate about what I read) teaches me something about the world at large and provides me with a new perspective on life. The books are a wonderful way to transport me to a different place and era without actually leaving home. Best of all, I joined my local public library and download ebooks for free!

2. Cooking

One of my favorite hobbies is cooking. On average, I cook about 5 days per week, often making extra that I can freeze for convenience. Cooking has taught me so much about patience and focus because those 2 are essential ingredients to make delicious food. The more I cook, the better I get at it. Of course, I have also cooked food that did not turn out so well, but I learned from my mistakes and improved each time. I cook food that is healthy that I enjoy eating. Best of all, it is generally cheaper and better tasting than eating out at most restaurants.

3. Watching documentaries

In general, I am not a big TV fan. However, I make an exception for good documentaries. Thanks to Netflix, Hulu, on-demand TV, and wonderful channels like Smithsonian and National Geographic, I have a wide array of exciting documentaries on my watch list that inspire, educate, and excite me. I probably watch about 45 documentaries per year and some of my favorites are Craigslist Joe, Happy, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Somm, and Man on Wire.

4. Exercising

Quite a few years ago, I decided to exercise regularly and it has been a wonderful hobby for me, although some may argue it is more of a necessity rather than a hobby, much like brushing your teeth. However, I really enjoy all sorts of exercise: going to the gym, lifting weights, running, walking, hiking, playing racquetball and soccer, etc. The longer I do it, the more I learn and enjoy it. I have also met a lot of wonderful people who share this passion.

5. Gardening

Edible gardens have become popular in the last couple of years. I started growing my first edible garden several years ago in order to complement my love for cooking. Not only does my garden provide me with herbs and vegetables that I can use in my favorite dishes, it also provides me with a healthy and totally organic food source. I love knowing exactly what has gone into growing the food that I am eating. Additionally, I have learned a lot about what plants grow best in my region, what the best seasons are to grow each of them, and also how much water and sun they need. My edible garden not only nourishes my body, but it teaches me a lot as well.

My hobbies are a very important part of my life. I find they enrich my days and give me a great escape from the regular stresses of life. If you haven’t already done so, I highly recommend that you start to explore and develop at least one hobby that you really enjoy. I guarantee you will be very glad you did.

source: https://www.skilledatlife.com/why-hobbies-are-important/

 

Digital Library

Digital Library: Objectives, Advantages, & Disadvantage

A digital library is a collection of documents and files in organized electronic form, available on the Internet. A user may be able to access magazine articles, books, papers, images, sound files, and videos in the digital library.  It can differ in size and scope and can be managed by individuals, organizations, or affiliated with an established physical library or with academic institutions.

A digital library also called as electronic library or digital repository. This digital library collection content may be stored locally, or accessed remotely via computer networks. 

Objectives of Digital Library 

1. A digital library provides facilities and services to support research, teaching, learning, and scholarly communication across disciplines. 
2. It helps to collect, organize and collate prints and digital information and disseminate at the point of care and for future use.
3. It gives absolute access to information.
4. It acts as a gateway to digital and electronic information.
5. It provides a global perspective and integrates material from many sources in one place. 

Advantages of Digital Library 

1. No Physical Boundary :

The user needs not to go to the library physically. People from all over the world can access the same information. 

2. 24/7 access

A major advantage of digital libraries is that people can gain access 24/7 to its information. 

3. Multiple Access

The same resource of digital libraries can be used simultaneously by a number of institutions and users. 

4. Information Retrieval

The user is able to use any search term to search the entire collection. It provides very user-friendly interfaces, giving clickable access to its resources.

5. Preservation and Conservation

For physical collections, digitization not a long term preservation solution, but succeeds in providing access copies for materials that would otherwise fall to modification from repeated use. 

6. Space

Traditional libraries are limited by storage space but digital libraries have the potential to store much more information. Digital information requires very little physical space to contain them. Also, media storage technologies are more affordable than ever before. 

7. Easily Accessible

Anyone can access the digital library from any place at any time. 

Digital Library Disadvantages

1. Copyright

One author can be freely transferred by others without his acknowledgment, here digitization violates the copyright law as the through content. 

2. Speed of Access

As many computers are connected to the internet its speed of access reasonably decreasing. 

3. Initial cost is High

The infrastructure cost of a digital library that is the cost of hardware, software, leasing communication circuits is commonly very high.

4. Bandwidth 

Digital libraries need high bandwidth for the transfer of multimedia resources. 

5. Environment 

It cannot reproduce the environment of a traditional library. Because many people find reading printed material to be easier than reading material on a computer screen. 

6. Preservation 

A digital library can rapidly become out-of-date and its data may become inaccessible due to technological developments. 

As the use of technology is increasing in the new generation, they can connect with history, tradition, nature, and many other things with the technology. 

source: https://www.hrishiblogbuddhi.com/digital-library-objectives-advantages-disadvantage/

 

Online Learning

 

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Online Learning

As with most teaching methods, online learning also has its own set of positives and negatives. Decoding and understanding these positives and negatives will help institutes in creating strategies for more efficient delivery of the lessons, ensuring an uninterrupted learning journey for the students.

 

Discover Everything You Need To Know (Good And Bad) About  Online Education

One of the most oft-used terms after the pandemic is the term “new normal.” The new normal in education is the increased use of online learning tools. The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered new ways of learning. All around the world, educational institutions are looking toward online learning platforms to continue with the process of educating students. The new normal now is a transformed concept of education with online learning at the core of this transformation. Today, digital learning has emerged as a necessary resource for students and schools all over the world. For many educational institutes, this is an entirely new way of education that they have had to adopt. Online learning is now applicable not just to learn academics but it also extends to learning extracurricular activities for students as well. In recent months, the demand for online learning has risen significantly, and it will continue doing so in the future.

As with most teaching methods, online learning also has its own set of positives and negatives. Decoding and understanding these positives and negatives will help institutes in creating strategies for more efficiently delivering the lessons, ensuring an uninterrupted learning journey for students.

What Are The Advantages Of Online Learning?

1. Efficiency

Online learning offers teachers an efficient way to deliver lessons to students. Online learning has a number of tools such as videos, PDFs, podcasts, and teachers can use all these tools as part of their lesson plans. By extending the lesson plan beyond traditional textbooks to include online resources, teachers are able to become more efficient educators.

2. Accessibility Of Time And Place

Another advantage of online education is that it allows students to attend classes from any location of their choice. It also allows schools to reach out to a more extensive network of students, instead of being restricted by geographical boundaries. Additionally, online lectures can be recorded, archived, and shared for future reference. This allows students to access the learning material at a time of their comfort.

This, online learning offers students the accessibility of time and place in education.

3. Affordability 

Another advantage of online learning is reduced financial costs. Online education is far more affordable as compared to physical learning. This is because online learning eliminates the cost points of student transportation, student meals, and most importantly, real estate. Additionally, all the course or study materials are available online, thus creating a paperless learning environment which is more affordable, while also being beneficial to the environment.

4. Improved Student Attendance  

Since online classes can be taken from home or location of choice, there are fewer chances of students missing out on lessons.

5. Suits A Variety Of Learning Styles 

Every student has a different learning journey and a different learning style. Some students are visual learners, while some students prefer to learn through audio. Similarly, some students thrive in the classroom, and other students are solo learners who get distracted by large groups.

The online learning system, with its range of options and resources, can be personalized in many ways. It is the best way to create a perfect learning environment suited to the needs of each student.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Online Learning?

1. Inability To Focus On Screens

For many students, one of the biggest challenges of online learning is the struggle with focusing on the screen for long periods of time. With online learning, there is also a greater chance for students to be easily distracted by social media or other sites. Therefore, it is imperative for the teachers to keep their online classes crisp, engaging, and interactive to help students stay focused on the lesson.

2. Technology Issues 

Another key challenge of online classes is internet connectivity. While internet penetration has grown in leaps and bounds over the past few years, in smaller cities and towns, a consistent connection with decent speed is a problem. Without a consistent internet connection for students or teachers, there can be a lack of continuity in learning for the child. This is detrimental to the education process.

3. Sense Of Isolation 

Students can learn a lot from being in the company of their peers. However, in an online class, there are minimal physical interactions between students and teachers. This often results in a sense of isolation for the students. In this situation, it is imperative that the school allow for other forms of communication between the students, peers, and teachers. This can include online messages, emails and video conferencing that will allow for face-to-face interaction and reduce the sense of isolation.

4. Teacher Training 

Online learning requires teachers to have a basic understanding of using digital forms of learning. However, this is not the case always. Very often, teachers have a very basic understanding of technology. Sometimes, they don’t even have the necessary resources and tools to conducts online classes.

To combat this, it is important for schools to invest in training teachers with the latest technology updates so that they can conduct their online classes seamlessly.

5. Manage Screen Time

Many parents are concerned about the health hazards of having their children spend so many hours staring at a screen. This increase in screen time is one of the biggest concerns and disadvantages of online learning. Sometimes students also develop bad posture and other physical problems due to staying hunched in front of a screen.

A good solution to this would be to give the students plenty of breaks from the screen to refresh their mind and their body.

source: https://elearningindustry.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-online-learning

 

English Literature

 

English Literature Degree

The English language was first spoken in early medieval times and is now recognised as one of the most spoken languages on Earth.

Author: Uni Compare

Whether you’ve got an English literature degree or even an English Literature Foundation degree, your command of language, analytical skills, and ability to structure an argument are fantastic assets for a wide range of careers with English Literature degree. Here, we’re going to give you a whistle-stop tour of all manner of English degree jobs so that you never again need to wonder, ‘What can you do with an English degree?’

So you'll likely find yourself asking, what can I do with an English Literature degree? Well, check out the next section.

What can I do with an English Literature degree?

So what jobs can you get with an English Literature degree?

Many English Literature graduates become writers. It’s exciting to work in TV, radio, and theatre, but will require firmly wedging your foot in the door as early as possible; try looking for internships, work experience and open calls for script submissions. Additionally, writing books - fiction or non-fiction - isn’t known for being straightforward or lucrative, but some people do successfully beat a path this way after their English degree.

Journalism is a competitive field, and even more so with the decline of print media, but there are still lively and interesting roles to be had in magazine, web, newspaper, radio, and TV broadcast journalism. Those with an eye for detail might do well as a sub-editor.

Journalism an ideal career if you enjoy meeting new people and get a buzz out of working to deadlines. Similarly, writing copy for marketing, or creating web content for businesses offers daily variety and can provide the opportunity to work flexibly as a freelancer, or have security with one particular company.

Other English Literature degree jobs include entering politics (politicians have teams of people working on their scripts for speeches, who will likely have an English Literature and Politics degree), PR or marketing. Book lovers may look to enter publishing, typically as an editorial assistant or proofreader, which will be very helpful if you also have an English Literature degree online or a Masters degree English Literature online or any other kind of distance learning English Literature degree.

What can you do with an English Literature degree?

Of course, the archetypal career path after an English degree is to become an English teacher. A postgraduate teaching qualification takes just a year and equips you to work as a primary, secondary or further education teacher.

It’s a job for life, though the work life balance is notoriously challenging. If you want to use your English literature degree UK and communication skills, but without the intensity of a school setting, you could consider becoming a private tutor, while graduates with an English language degree might like to pursue a career as an EFL teacher. This can be done locally, or you can travel across the world with it.

David Duchovny, known for his role as Moulder in The X Files obtained a BA and MA in English Literature from Princeton University and Yale University respectively.

Your cultural knowledge could be a help in finding roles in libraries, theatres or museums, in lexicography, as an arts administrator, or in archiving. Some students choose to work towards a further qualification, studying for a master’s in a specialised field. If you get a PhD or DPhil, you could become an academic, carrying out research and lecturing at university in your specialist subject.

Finally, many English graduates take on a conversion course for law or a joint degree for a Law and English Literature degree. The skills developed on the English degree (such as selecting evidence, evaluating ideas, structuring an argument and analysing meaning) are an excellent fit for the legal field.

It is not only the official language of the UK but also USA, Australia, Canada and Ireland.

Studying a degree in English Literature involves a lot more than solely reading and writing, and English literature isn’t only studied by bookworms. English literature includes the study of plays, prose and poetry and spans continents and centuries and is an incredibly diverse subject. The study of English Literature coincides with Language, Social Sciences and History to construct a picture of how literature influences, and is influenced by changes in society.

What A Levels do I need?

English skills are important when applying for an English literature course, and most will require an A-level in the subjects either separately or in the combined A-level subject itself. Per usual accurate university English Literature degree requirements will vary depending on the institution, and degree course and students are advised to research their choices to ensure they understand what they need for admission.

Some universities will ask for at least 360 UCAS tariff points, and a minimum C grade in relevant subjects, while others may ask for AAB and a B grade.

What are my study options?

There are many subjects that students can study alongside English Literature, from Theatre, Modern Foreign Languages, English Literature and Film studies degree, English Literature and Creative Writing degree, and Screenwriting, as well as choosing to study the two subjects together, or separately as a single degree. Studying a joint honours degree offers candidates the opportunity to gain a broad set of skills and is perfect for those who are torn between two subjects and will also slightly lessen the workload for your English Literature degree reading list.

English related degrees tend to last three years unless students decide to enrol onto a year studying abroad which usually takes place during the second and third years increasing the degree length to four years in total.

What should I expect from studying English Language?

Most universities offer limited modules during the first year and in some cases throughout the second year for individuals to cover core topics, and after this will then allow students flexibility in module options to let them obtain a specialised and personal degree.

The majority of degree courses have core modules that students need to complete, these set the path for students and give them the insight knowledge that they must utilise when continuing with their degree. Core modules allow students to learn the ‘basics’ in certain areas and to ease the path of progression throughout the degree years.

How will I be assessed?

Regarding assessment, individuals should expect it to be mostly written coursework with essays, analysis and in some cases, presentations, projects as well as a final year dissertation.

Many English Literature graduates become writers.

What skills will I learn from studying English Literature?

Candidates learn professional skills of self-management and research as well as functional skills of close reading of texts, communicating ideas and forming a literary argument. University offers students a great experience to grow as individuals as well as gain confidence which can prove invaluable in interview situations.

Students who attend university will gain skills that they can use later in life, such as time-management and organisation, as well as social skills through presentations and group work.

Why study English Literature?

Studying English related degrees are for those who love language, how it is formed and received in all aspects and those who spend most of their time reading the next chapter will enjoy this course.

English Language will give candidates a thorough understanding of how we communicate with each other and the tools needed to entertain, persuade and inform others about the use of words. Students with excellent English skills or who have studied social sciences or humanities subjects at A-Level or BTEC classification level will feel more comfortable with this degree.

English literature will give students the chance to develop their writing and communication skills and is concerned with more than just the bestsellers in the bookshops or the Harry Potter that you have on your shelf at home. This degree combines literary knowledge with unique skills of cultural and historical understanding as well as close analysis.

What happens after I graduate?

Although English degrees do not offer students with particular careers with an English Literature degree path or job when they graduate, the broad nature of the courses will allow students to consider a number of sectors to enter.

Individuals can choose to go into research, teaching, law, or to study a postgraduate course.

Will it help me get a job?

The skills gained through this type, of course, are still valuable to employers, especially the ability to conduct close analysis and impressive grammar and English skills.

What types of jobs can I get from studying English Literature?

Students may work in HR, admin, PR and marketing, as well as choosing to become an academic or to re-train in law or to become a teacher.

Specific jobs with English Literature degree include; journalist, librarian, author, lexicographer, advertising, editorial assistant or to teach English at a school in the UK or another country.

Your cultural knowledge could be a help in finding roles in libraries, theatres or museums, in lexicography, as an arts administrator, or in archiving.

What can I study after English Literature?

There is an exciting range of research degrees and Master’s programmes available at postgraduate level for graduates who wish to continue with their studies, including MA in English Literature, Creative Writing, American Literature, Ancient Literature, English Language and Literature degree, Linguistics, Black Literature, English Language Teaching, Children’s Literature and much more.

Famous English Literature studies alumni

Stephen King, the notorious author who wrote The Shining and Carrie studied BA English at the University of Maine, USA and Sigourney Weaver, an actor who is best known for the Alien films studied BA English at Stanford University, USA.

Also, David Duchovny, known for his role as Moulder in The X Files obtained a BA and MA in English Literature from Princeton University and Yale University respectively.

source: https://universitycompare.com/guides/subject/english-literature-degree/