Random hits on the keyboard

On 23 May, I ran another half-marathon, One Run.  Before the race, I carried some overconfidence. I have completed tougher races before; longer distances, harder elevations and more painful conditions. Somewhere in my mind, I see myself completing the distance without much difficulty. But running has a way of correcting assumptions and teaching life lessons. The morning was beautiful. Familiar runners gathered around the start line, all in the orange t-shirts. I felt the same enthusiasm and energy as in previous races. One thing I love about the running community is that it feels less like competition and more like a reunion. And then the race started, with the  Lakhe dance and Dhime drums. For the first few kilometres, my confidence remained intact. My pace felt controlled, and my breathing was normal. But somewhere halfway, my breathing started to go heavy. The Sun started to burn my confidence. Experience helped, but it did not ease much.  That realisation became ...

Recently, I came across a word, 'Janteloven', which has been adopted as an unwritten cultural law in Scandinavian society that discourages excessive self-importance. Originated from the book, "Fugitive Crosses His Tracks" by the writer Aksel Sandemose, where the writer introduced the Laws of Jante. I found it interesting. The rules are stipulated as follows You're not to think you are anything special You're not to think you are as good as we are You're not to think you are smarter than we are You're not to convince yourself that you are better than we are You're not to think you know more than we do You're not to think you are more important than we are You're not to think you are good at anything You're not to laugh at us You're not to think anyone cares about you You're not to think you can teach us anything It is said that the principles are largely ingrained in Scandinavian society, from the national policy to social intera...

Early in the morning in Summer, I get the morning Sunlight directly into my living room. Before it gets blocked by the neighbouring building, some rays hit the fish aquarium. The rays are refracted to the floor in a perfect rainbow. The beam of seven colours starts to move as the Sun slowly rises and ultimately vanishes. It is serene to watch the rainbow, reflection and fish. The morning is itself mesmerising, and the additions are the jewels on the crown.  It makes me feel lucky to observe all of these: the light, the serenity and the spectrum.  I took out my mobile and snapped some pics. The fish seem to enjoy the sunlight, though, deep inside, I am not very sure whether they feel confined. This is the last batch of fish that I am having in my home.

Yesterday evening, I took my daughter for a walk by the Bagmati riverside.  I was home from the office on time in the evening. I was on my way to a grocery store, and I saw my daughter busy on YouTube. I asked her if she wanted to take a walk along the riverside after shopping. She was not too excited but agreed.  We finished the mart visit on the scooter, then rode down to the riverside park. The sun was already over the Kalu Pandey hill. The red sky stretched across the sky in shades. The dawn was claiming its space. Roads were packed with cars and bikes. We took a slow walk along the Bagmati River. My daughter ran on the sidewalk. She was enjoying. A small playground was filled with the laughter and joy of kids all around, while parents were heard shouting to be careful. We took a walk around the park, and she shared her school day. She had recently been taught photography at school. She shared with me about the shutter button, zoom ring and handling of the camera. She aske...

I completed Nietzsche's 'Will to Power'. I found it difficult to read. I found it difficult to understand. Maybe it was too abstract or too disconnected from real life. He talks about religion and the church. There are a number of questions on why people follow god? why do people avoid struggle. Why do we let society define success for us? Can suffering actually make us stronger? The book is messy, intense, and has no flow. Some context and sentences make no sense to me. Still, many of the ideas inside are some of the most influential concepts in modern philosophy and psychology. The book made me think, how readers understand the book. At the centre of the book is one idea: Human beings are driven by a “will to power.”. That phrase sounds aggressive at first. It sounds like domination or control. But Nietzsche meant something deeper than political power. He believed people are driven by the urge to expand themselves. To grow and to have control over others. The idea of powe...