Tag: A to Z challenge

A blog post each day, with the topic being something that starts with that particular letter of the alphabet. I completed this challenge for the month of April, 2016.

A-Z Challenge – K

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K stands for “Konmari”

Lately I’ve been reading “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” by Marie Kondo which is about decluttering your house and improving your life. The term “Konmari” comes from her first and last names and it’s kind of a Japanese way to make nicknames. For instance, Takuya Kimura from SMAP is known as “Kimutaku”, and pitcher Kenta Maeda is “Maeken”.

But nickname aside, this book is the latest in a string of books about decluttering and minimalism that I have read. I first became interested in decluttering about 15 years ago when I read “Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui” by Karen Kingston. It was life-changing. I started throwing away so many things that I had kept that I did not need anymore. It felt great! I think I was reading the book late at night and got so motivated that at 2AM I found myself in my closet piling up old clothes to take to Goodwill!

The Konmari method is a little different, but the general idea is the same… only keep what gives you joy in your life, and discard the rest. And for the things you do keep, make sure they have a place to go. When your home is in order, you will be able to focus on the things in life that make you happy. Of course, the book is a lot more detailed about the techniques that she teaches to her clients. I am only about halfway through the book, and already it’s highly motivating and inspirational.

If you don’t know about decluttering, this is a good place to start!

A-Z Challenge – J

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J stands for “Jyama” (じゃま)

I was thinking of a word that starts with J that we say often in my family and the Japanese word “Jyama” (sounds like Jah-mah) came into my mind. And it would usually be followed by an exclamation point because it’s usually said to someone when they are in the way. If you say it to someone with a bit of feeling behind it, it can mean, “Get out of my way!”

I normally hear “Jyama!” from my wife when I am bothering her in the kitchen, trying to steal food that she is making, or if I am getting something out of the fridge while she needs to get in there too. 😜

Anyways, that’s a quick Japanese lesson for today. My Japanese comprehension is not so great, but I do know when my wife wants me to get the heck out of her way!

A-Z Challenge – I

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I stands for “Ice”

Here’s a non-interesting fact about me: I rarely put ice in my water. My body tends to get cold very easily and drinking cold water makes it unbearable. I cannot sit still when I am cold like that, so whenever I have water, I skip the ice. In fact, I prefer drinking water that is room temperature, which I feel just goes down easier and hydrates me more quickly. I am not sure there are health benefits to drinking warmer water, but some of the theories are interesting! And I think, in a small way, reducing the demand on ice saves on energy and resources.

The only time I will drink ice-water is if it is served to me at a restaurant or if I need to cool down on a hot summer day, but other than that, room-temperature is best!

A-Z Challenge – H

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H is for “Humanism”

What is Humanism?

An outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems.

and

Humanism is a democratic and ethical life stance, which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. It stands for the building of a more humane society through an ethic based on human and other natural values in the spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities. It is not theistic, and it does not accept supernatural views of reality.

This is pretty much where I am, and where I have always been. I think it’s a healthy place to be.

 

A-Z Challenge – G

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G is for “Gaming”

This post has been a long time coming – about a year! I don’t play many video or computer games, but I do have a few that I like to play. Torchlight 2 is my go-to game on the PC. I’ve always liked fantasy-type games, ever since I was in elementary school and played Dungeons & Dragons with my friends. That was such a fun time! I was really into the game, but then when I was in 7th grade or so, I became more interested in girls than games!

But then video games and computers became popular and I played a lot of sword and sorcery-type role-playing games, even official ones using the Dungeons & Dragons name. Torchlight and its sequel, Torchlight 2, are games of this genre, but they are less puzzle-solving and more stat-building. I play on normal or easy mode because I don’t like the stress of my characters dying often. I just like to breeze through the game, exploring new areas, and learning new skills and Torchlight 2 is the perfect game for that. I highly recommend it, especially because it is relatively cheap on Steam. I think I bought it on sale for $10, but it is regularly only $20.

Below is a screenshot of one of the characters I play as. I took this screenshot when she was very low-level so there isn’t any real fancy gear. But I think all the characters looks so cool… the artwork in the game is really vibrant and sometimes funny too! It’s kind of cartoony and doesn’t have any realistic gore, although bashing monsters is a lot of fun. It’s a perfect, low-stress game for pure entertainment. Go play!

Torchlight 2 Outlander
Torchlight 2 Outlander