Three Simple Steps to Improve English or Any New Language

There are only three simple and easy steps to learn English or any other language for that matter. Following:

1. Read a translation book to clear out the basics: We all know one language: our mother tongue. All we need to learn a new language is a translation book that translates our mother tongue to the language we wanna learn. The fact that we fumble with a new language is because of our lack of knowledge about how to form grammatically correct sentences. The best way to speak correct sentences is to first understand how sentences are formed and a translation book will be of great help.

2. Watch English (or the language you wanna learn) movies WITH SUBTITLES: Watching how people use a language and listening how it is spoken is the best way to learn it. But, DO NOT FORGET THE SUBTITLES! Subtitles make it easy to read, understand and absorb the new language. Therefore, simply watch your favorite English movies with subtitles over and over again. They will soon enter your subconscious mind and you'll automatically speak fluent English.

3. Keep a journal: Expressing your thoughts and ideas is more important than gaining knowledge. All your wisdom is of no use if you are unable to communicate your ideas properly to your audience. This is the reason why everyone must keep a journal and write daily his/her thoughts into it in the language they're learning. Slowly your grasp over the language will strengthen.

How I spend my weekend?

Usually it is a sit-back-at-home-and-read weekend. With so many books around me at home: on the sofa, on my computer table, under the blanket, over the pillow, in my reading list, I can hardly imagine a different setup for the weekend. And why, I love the smell of books, I sniff them frequently, they entertain me, they take me to different places, they feed my intelligence, they talk back, they amuse, they enlighten, they may be gods. Yeah, I’m not going anywhere on this weekend. Leave me with my books and forget me.

Then there are movies. Although they are released every Friday, I prefer watching them only if they’ve been rated high by a good number of movie buffs. IMDB is the website I visit most to check out the reviews/ ratings. Only a 7+ pointer will make into my watch-list. No, even a 6.9 does not. So, I have a long watch-list of all time 7+ pointers, mostly from Hollywood; I feel Bollywood is weak in producing 7+ pointers and only an Anurag Kashyap one would interest me. I’ve covered most of the Top 25 of the Top 250 list of movies on IMDB and I’ll soon finish watching the Top 50. So, yeah, if I don’t have a book in my hand, I would most certainly be on my laptop watching movies.

Then, there is music. Oh, my Scarlett 2i2 Audio Interface works magic and it’s a studio music recording that I prefer after books and movies. I’m not much of a singer, so I compose music with my guitar and try to record it in a good-enough voice. I simply love what Glen Hansard plays on his 25 year old guitar and he is a top class singer; I’m sure he’ll snatch another Oscar soon. So, if not composing fresh music, I cover Glen’s songs or listen to them in loop; soothes me.

But, then, there are always relatives out there who want to invite for their children’s birthdays. There are marriages going on at weekends, even Sundays are not spared. And in case there are no such events, the relatives cannot figure out how they spend their weekends and call me to their place for breakfast, lunch or dinner. So I might just visit them occasionally; weekend gone; no books read; no movies seen; no music made.

Now, once in a while, I get too excited about wandering, and because the weekend begins Friday night, my back-bag is packed Thursday night for 2 days and 2 nights somewhere in the mountains. The beach is not very near from Delhi. While in Karnataka, Mangalore was my favorite weekend spot. Merely 110 km from Hassan (where I was posted), Mangalore was the nearest beach place. Now, being in Delhi, I long for a Goa trip, but a weekend is not enough for Goa; it should take a good 5-day week. So, some other time, maybe.

Thanks for reading.

A Journey To Motherhood

I was a kid back then

and now a mother I am
and it's been a journey
beautiful enough for me.

Learned in chunks
the lessons of life,
now teaching 'em all
back to my child.

When unborn to this world,

I still had dreamt of him.

And now in my arms he lies,

It's hard to believe my eyes.

Tiny little hands on my face,

On my lap, his cheek he keeps,

And hide and seek he plays,

Between my fingers he peeps.

Of wonder and full of awe

Are his acts of innocence,

And naughty, mischievous

His omniscient presence.

Morning he wakes up

First, before sunrise,

Keeps me on my feet

All day long, all night.

And he would continue

His nonstop natural process,

With his never ending games,

Of turning things into mess.

Only God knows his ways,

Little monster that he is.

And when he is in full form,

The entire world is but his.

the wine and the dinner

the wine and the dinner,
and the dinner and the wine.
I roam around in time,
in time, I roam around.
I feel so light, I babble, I whine,
I whine as I write these empty lines.
merely to fill in these lines, I write.
I do not feel a thing, I mime,
I mime myself in search of time,
in time, I search my grand sublime,
sublime that I am not able to find,
and so I stay with the wine and I dine,
and I eat my dinner, and I have my wine.

- Praveen Singhmar.