November 2016 - Lifestyle Architecture Lab

Saturday-Pentacle – Week 47 – 2016

November 26, 2016 No Comments

Tasty email updates are here.

Quick note – as a few of you guys have told me that emails are not delivering in the Gmail primary inbox and going to promotions tab in your Gmail. I suggest below two pro tips to get my email in your Primary inbox from next time.

Add my From email address ([email protected]) to your Google Contacts list.
Emails from a your Google Contacts always go to their Primary inbox. So go ahead and add me in your contact list.
Move your emails to the Primary tab.
You can teach Gmail where to deliver your messages. When you move one of my emails from Promotions tab to the Primary tab, Gmail asks whether it should always deliver my emails in your primary inbox. So please do that. You can also read more about these Gmail Help instructions.

Ok. That’s it with the instructions part. Let’s get on with the tasty updates.

“Saturday-Pentacle”

Pentacle

Saturday-Pentacle – Week 47 – 2016

Greetings my internet friends,

Here are some popular links, thoughts, and articles for today’s “Saturday-Pentacle” e-mail newsletter. This is a free newsletter and goes out every Saturday only for my subscribed readers.

P.S.: Something exciting coming up. Read past the cool 5 things to know more.

Enjoy!

Post of the week – Benares! Day – 3 – This is the day 3 from my Benares travelogue post. If you loved the earlier Benares post, you’ll love this one. 2 scary things in this one. Pssss – First involves eating flesh and drinking blood. Click the link to get thrilled.

My most popular Instagram post recently — Orange sky and the bridge in the distance

Article I’m enjoying (and pondering) — This post really got me hooked, who doesn’t want to get more done in less time? Enjoy! – How I Decreased My Weekly Office Hours From 40-plus to Less Than 8.

What I’m listening to — 30 Days of Genius on CreativeLive with Chase Jarvis. Get all the episodes here.

A Quote I’m pondering on lately – (Short but powerful, original post here)

Repetition breeds skill.

– Chase Jarvis.

Until Next Saturday!

Thanks for reading.

– Himanshu

Original Mi Band - worth it or not? — Original Mi Band – worth it or not?

Comin’ up a review of a gadget from my arsenal – Original Mi Band. Including a sad ending. Keep tuned in if you are a fitness lover or aspire to be fit.

Would you like to get a very short pentacle (5 items) e-mail from me every Saturday with the five coolest things I’ve found that week?

It might include books, music, articles, new hacks/tricks, photograph and last but not the least people.

These “Saturday-Pentacle” emails are only available if you subscribe to my e-mail newsletter. They will not be on the blog or anywhere else. This post is just a teaser to entice you to sign up.

Try it out for a week! Unsubscribing is easy, and there’s great stuff coming next Saturday.

Just submit your email address in the below form or right here – and you’re set.

No spam, ever. Only great stuff.

regular, Travelogues

Benares! Day – 3

November 24, 2016 2 Comments

This post is the progression of my earlier travelogue posts (Day 1, Day 1 Continued, Day 2 and Day 2 Continued) on Benares trip earlier this year, Hope you enjoy it.

Benares – Day 3

In the day 2 post where i mentioned i met a few photographers and travelers while i was having my late lunch at the Cafe Zoe near Assi Ghat. We discussed a lot on traveling, photography and life in general, among other things. Life in their countries and life here in india. It was then that i started loving my travels more, cause they made me meet people from across the world who thought like i did.

We met in the evening again on the same day. While bidding goodbyes for the night they invited me to their place for breakfast the next morning. I was so psyched to meet them again. The best part! we didn’t exchange our numbers, they just gave me their address and told me to be their in the morning.

The next morning, i was up at 7 o’clock. Got my shower and ready to go in the next half hour. Then, I started for their hotel where few of them had been living from the past few days.

It was a Welcome Heritage hotel on the far north side of the Main ghat. As i walked towards this hotel, i had to go through two really scary and shocking spots, which i didn’t know were there on my way. First was the living area of the Aghori Babas.

Oh boy! That place scared the living shit out of me. But as i digested all that was going around while crossing that spot, i made peace with it. These Aghori monks are said to be an mysterious ancient tribe who feast on human flesh as part of their rituals, as well as drinking from human skulls, chewing the heads off live animals and meditating on top of cadavers in search of spiritual enlightenment.

Here a picture of an Aghori Baba taken by an Italian photographer Cristiano Ostinelli who spent time with the tribe to discover more about their way of life. Here’s the complete article.

Aghori Baba | Photo credits – Italian photographer Cristiano Ostinelli

I wasn’t even back to my wits yet, then came the scariest moment of my Benares Trip. It was a heavy feeling of weird kind of energy when i passed by the “Manikarnika Ghat”*. I’m getting goosebumps even right now, as i’m writing this. I couldn’t even take my camera out, when i was crossing this place.

Saturday-Pentacle

Saturday-Pentacle – Week 46 – 2016

November 19, 2016 No Comments

Tasty email updates are here.

Just a quick note, as a few of you guys have told me that emails are not delivering in the Gmail primary inbox and going to promotions tab in your Gmail. I suggest below two pro tips to get my email in your Primary inbox from next time.

Add my From email address ([email protected]) to your Google Contacts list.
Emails from a your Google Contacts always go to their Primary inbox. So go ahead and add me in your contact list.
Move your emails to the Primary tab.
You can teach Gmail where to deliver your messages. When you move one of my emails from Promotions tab to the Primary tab, Gmail asks whether it should always deliver my emails in your primary inbox. So please do that. You can also read more about these Gmail Help instructions.

Ok. That’s it with the instructions part. Let’s get on with the tasty updates.

“Saturday-Pentacle”

Pentacle

Greetings my internet friends,

Here are some popular links, thoughts, and articles for today’s “Saturday-Pentacle” e-mail newsletter. This is a free newsletter and goes out every Saturday only for my subscribed readers.

P.S.: A bonus picture (in the end) of myself doing something funny.

Enjoy!

Post of the week – Benares! Day – 2 Continued… – This is the continuation of day 2 of my Benares travelogue post. If you loved the earlier Benares post, you’ll love this one. This one is intense in some parts. Go ahead and check it out.

My most popular Instagram post recently —

“Cloud Eruption” – A beautiful time lapse.
Here is another one which i liked from another page which made me go Awe – Friendship.

Article I’m enjoying (and pondering) — This is a must read post for everyone, in the world of spies / CyberSpies – How to encrypt your entire life in less than an hour.

What I’m listening to — This playlist is one of my favorites – Your Favorite Coffeehouse. I listen to it when i want to just let loose and let the mind go free. Hit that link up in your browser and enjoy. You can thank me later.

An important piece from my recent reads —

A very interesting explanation of the difference between saying “I don’t” compared to “I can’t”…

“I don’t” is experienced as a choice, so it feels empowering. It’s an affirmation of your determination and willpower. “I can’t” isn’t a choice. It’s a restriction, it’s being imposed upon you. So thinking “I can’t” undermines your sense of power and personal agency.
In other words, the phrase “I don’t” is a psychologically empowering way to say no, while the phrase “I can’t” is a psychologically draining way to say no..

– Heidi Grant Halvorson (Director of the Motivation Science Center at Columbia University) Read this article for details

Until Next Saturday!

Thanks for reading.

– Himanshu

Here is a fun picture of me doing a push up on the National Park Tracks. Don’t worry it wasn’t done on the Active Track.

Would you like to get a very short pentacle (5 items) e-mail from me every Saturday with the five coolest things I’ve found that week?

It might include books, music, articles, new hacks/tricks, photograph and last but not the least people.

Try it out for a week! Unsubscribing is easy, and there’s great stuff coming next Saturday.

Just submit your email address in the below form or right here – and you’re set.

No spam, ever. Only great stuff.

regular, Travelogues

Benares! Day – 2 Continued…

November 15, 2016 No Comments

This post is the progression of my earlier travelogue posts (Day 1, Day 1 Continued and Day 2) on Benares trip, Hope you enjoy it.

Benares – Day 2 Continued…

Once i crossed the Flower boat, i started heading towards north again. Then as i was just crossing an area where a pundit was doing a ceremony, just after a family arrived back to the Ghats from a boat which had gone to immerse ashes of their deceased beloved in holy Ganges. It looked like a rural south Indian family, I tried to capture a few portraits of them.

I was expecting intense emotion of grief, but most of them were having happy faces except for the wife of the deceased. I tried to talk to them and found out the deceased was in pain and suffering due to a long hold malady. So the whole family was having a relief that at least now their beloved will not have to suffer through that pain which he was experiencing from a long time. Here are a few portraits:

I call these photographs collectively – “The Faces”.

The Couple!

Saturday-Pentacle

Saturday-Pentacle – Week 45 – 2016

November 12, 2016 No Comments

Starting this Saturday (which has already started as I’m writing this), I’m going to publish 5 Things I’ve Been Loving, Using, and Reading from the week. I’m calling this newsletter –

“Saturday-Pentacle”

Greetings, friends.

Here are some popular links, thoughts, and articles for today’s “Saturday-Pentacle” e-mail newsletter. This is a free newsletter and goes out every Saturday only for my subscribed readers. I am cheating on this first mailer and giving you six. (Oops – there’s a 7th one also as double bonus, right in the end. And that might be one which will blow your mind.)

Enjoy!

Post of the week – Benares! Day – 2 – This is day 2 of my Benares travelogue post. Hope you like it.

My most popular Instagram post recently — Life is still in the morning.

Article I’m enjoying (and pondering) — A long HBR artical but worth every minute you put in. Double Loop Learning in Organizations. (Don’t click the link if you aren’t an Entrepreneur or an aspiring Leader, this might be overwhelming.)

What I’m listening to — Escape Everything | A Chill Mix by Majestic Casuals, amazing for concentrating. If you are looking forward to an uplifting and focused session of music to get into that creative zone! Also check out – Sensi Sye – Don’t Be Shy.

A quote that’s on my mind —

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Learnings from the week – Don’t break your head on a brick wall. Meaning don’t put your energy where it goes to waste.

Here is picture i loved from my recent archive, ‘Feet on Sand’ in the water of a river.

Would you like to get a very short pentacle (5 items) e-mail from me every Saturday with the five coolest things I’ve found that week?

It might include books, music, articles, new hacks/tricks, photograph and last but not the least people.

Try it out for a week! Unsubscribing is easy, and there’s great stuff coming next Saturday.

Just submit your email address in the below form or right here – and you’re set.

No spam, ever. Only great stuff.

P.S. If you haven’t seen this David Blaine: Beyond Magic show, you’re in for a treat. Perfect weekend viewing.

Travelogues

Benares! Day – 2

November 7, 2016 1 Comment

This post is the progression of my earlier travelogue posts (Day 1 and Day 1 Continued) on Benares trip, Hope you enjoy it.

Benares – Day 2

“Subah-e-Banaras” is the local term (originated from Urdu) used for Benares Sunrise! Which is one of the many exciting charms of Benares. I didn’t know what to expect. But regardless, i had set my alarm at 4:30AM to wake up early in the morning, to get up, shower and make it in time till the Ghats.

The eve before i had asked a boatman if he could take me to the Ganges banks on the other side of the Ghats. He agreed and was to be found at 5AM on the main ghat as promised. When i reached there, neither i could find him nor his boat. The first disappointed of the evening.

Then i started walking north from the Main Ghat into the early twilight of the morning while sun was still below the Horizon. Here is the picture of the particular moment.

Photo - Himanshu Sachdeva