How old were you when you stopped believing in Santa?
I do not think that I ever believed in the existence of Santa Claus. I can’t be 100% sure but I am pretty sure. For one – it helps not being in a Christian family and for two – unlike in some countries, mostly Western, it is not a big deal for families to have their kids believe in Santa Claus. I grew up in Kuwait – from birth till age 11 – and since then in India and my family is Hindu (even though I am an atheist, it was from the age of 13 that I started questioning and stopped believing in a deity).

Here is a question for you guys – is kids believing in Santa Claus (as a real person/entity, who lives in the north pole or near the north pole and goes to every house during Christmas eve and gives gifts to kids who are good on his list) such a big thing in North America and the UK? I have seen so many comments, mainly from mothers, who say that “I am not ready for my kids to not believe in Santa yet/know that Santa is not real yet”. To me it seems that it is a bigger deal for the parents rather than the kids. I dunno, since it is not even a question in countries like India. He is known as just another as just another mythical figure and I don’t even see Christians in India making such a big deal about Santa.

Probably because Indians don’t really give gifts for Christmas and it’s considered more of a family gathering, praying and big dinner time. We dress up like Santa (I’ve done it once), wear the hat, walk around and hand out sweets or chocolates. In colleges and offices they now have competitions of silly carol singing, dressing up as Santa and take a lot of photos. In some areas, usually towns and villages, people dress up as Santa and go house to house and get money from the home owners for whatever it is that they do. That’s usually about Rs.50 to Rs.100.

Prompt from 31 December Writing Prompts at Mama Kat’s Losing It

The reason why we organize our lives around a 7-day week is, quite literally, above our heads. Like many other calendars, today’s Gregorian calendar is ultimately based on the phases of the Moon. It takes the Moon around 29.5 days to cycle through all Moon phases. For everyday purposes, this is a fairly long and impractical time span, so it makes sense to break it down into smaller segments.

Enter the Babylonians. This ancient society, who lived in Mesopotamia in what is now Iraq, rounded the Moon cycle down to 28 days and divided this time span into 4 periods of 7 days each, using leap days to stay in sync with the Moon phases in the long run. This 7-day structure is also believed to have ultimately informed a number of popular creation myths, such as the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles, which states that God created the world in seven days: six days of work followed by one day of rest.

Avid astronomers and astrologers, the Babylonians developed a kind of horoscope around 500 BCE where each day of the week was assigned to one of the classical planets – the seven non-fixed celestial bodies visible to the naked eye. These are the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn. Some historical sources claim that the connection between the days of the week and the classical planets was introduced later by the ancient Greeks.

However, historians generally agree that it was the Romans who, a few hundred years later, added many features of the modern 7-day week by adapting the Babylonian system to their world view. From around the 1st century BCE, they introduced a system where each day was named after one of their pagan gods, each of whom was associated with one of the classical planets.

For example, Saturday was dies Saturni, the day of Saturn and Thursday after the Norse god Thor as in Thor’s day!  Tuesday after Tiw (Norse Týr) was a one-handed god associated with single combat and pledges in Norse mythology and also attested prominently in wider Germanic paganism & Friday, meaning the day of the Anglo-Saxon goddess Fríge. The Norse name for the planet Venus was Friggjarstjarna, ‘Frigg’s star’.

As it is the spookiest time of the years, I was wondering – phobias are surprisingly common, but what exactly do people fear the most? Are there any phobias that tend to be more common than others? The following phobias are ten of the most common objects or situations that lead to marked fear and symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, and breathlessness. In some cases, these symptoms escalate into a full-blown panic attack.

Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders and other arachnids. The sight of a spider can trigger a fear response, but in some cases, simply an image of an arachnid or the thought of a spider can lead to feelings of overwhelming fear and panic. So why are so many people terrified of arachnids? While there are an estimated 35,000 different spider species, only around a dozen pose any type of real threat to humans.

Ophidiophobia is the fear of snakes. This phobia is quite common and often attributed to evolutionary causes, personal experiences, or cultural influences. Some suggest that since snakes are sometimes poisonous, our ancestors who avoided such dangers were more likely to survive and pass down their genes.

Acrophobia, or the fear of heights, impacts more than 6% of people. This fear can lead to anxiety attacks and avoidance of high places. People who suffer from this phobia may go to great lengths to avoid high places such as bridges, towers, or tall buildings.

Aerophobia, or the fear of flying, affects between 10% and 40% of U.S. adults despite the fact that airplane accidents are actually very uncommon. Around 1 out of every 3 people have some level of fear of flying. Some of the common symptoms associated with this phobia include trembling, rapid heartbeat, and feeling disoriented.

Cynophobia, or the fear of dogs, is often associated with specific personal experiences such as being bitten by a dog during childhood. Such events can be quite traumatic and can lead to fear responses that last well into adulthood. This particular phobia can be quite common.

Astraphobia is a fear of thunder and lightning. People with this phobia experience overwhelming feelings of fear when they encounter such weather-related phenomena. Symptoms of astraphobia are often similar to those of other phobias and include shaking, rapid heart rate, and increased respiration.

Trypanophobia is the fear of injections, a condition that can sometimes cause people to avoid medical treatments and doctors. Like many phobias, this fear often goes untreated because people avoid the triggering object and situation. Estimates suggest that as many as 20% to 30% of adults are affected by this type of phobia.

Social phobia involves the fear of social situations and can be quite debilitating. In many cases, these phobias can become so severe that people avoid events, places, and people who are likely to trigger an anxiety attack.

Agoraphobia involves a fear of being alone in a situation or place where escape may be difficult. This type of phobia may include the fear of crowded areas, open spaces, or situations that are likely to trigger a panic attack. People will begin avoiding these trigger events, sometimes to the point that they cease leaving their home entirely.

Mysophobia, or the excessive fear of germs and dirt, can lead people to engage in extreme cleaning, compulsive hand-washing, and even avoidance of things or situations perceived as dirty. In some instances, this phobia may be related to obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Yes in one way or the other. If you have lots of money you can buy things, provide for you and your family and that makes everyone happy. There are ofcourse things that you cannot buy with money, like love, but you can buy stuff to make your loved ones happy and take care of them and make their lives a lot more secure and happy. This is another way that you can buy happiness when you see your loved ones happy.

So I don’t buy that old saying. I can do a lot of things with money. Buy comfort, the best house or accommodation, the best in medicine & medical care, the best in entertainment, food and drink! That is something that everyone cannot do for their loved ones. But imagine you had so much money that spending it for doing this all even for 45-50 people will just be a drop in the bucket for you and your wealth! I’m talking Jeff Bezos kinda rich! Yeah, I want that and more so I can do that for my loved ones.

Money buys you things and services and comfort and luxuries. Cures (well gets you the best medical care up to a certain extent) and takes care of your health needs. Gets you entertainment stuff so you aren’t too bored. Also gets you homes and keeps your loved ones in safe & comfortable homes. It allows you to travel as much as you want (pandemic permitting) and that too makes you happy. So all in all, money does buy you happiness indirectly and sometimes directly.

Prompt from OCTOBER BLOG AND JOURNAL PROMPTS at Living A Sunshine Life

Both doctors agree, your best defense against dehydration is prevention. Follow these six tips to stay safe and healthy, especially when temperatures — or your activity levels — increase:

1. Don’t wait till you’re thirsty to drink. By the time you feel thirsty, you’re already slightly dehydrated. Sip water steadily throughout the day and drink more fluids than usual when the weather is hot, especially if you’re active.
2. Flavor your water. If plain water tastes boring to you, you can add flavor with fresh fruits or a splash of fruit juice. You can also consume clear broths, ice pops or sports drinks (especially if you’re doing intense exercise). Just make sure to limit caffeine and alcohol.
3. Eat water-rich fruits and vegetables. Certain fruits and vegetables contain plenty of water in addition to healthful nutrients. Watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, peaches and pineapples are fruits with high-water content. Water-rich vegetables include cucumbers, leafy greens, radishes, celery, zucchini and tomatoes.
4. Stay inside when it gets too hot. On very hot days, stay indoors in an air-conditioned environment. If you don’t have air conditioning at home, try a shopping center, movie theater or public library. Avoid sun exposure, especially between 10 am and 2 pm, when the rays are strongest. Plan outdoor activities in the early morning or evening.
5. Dress for the weather. Wear light, loose-fitting clothing that lets your skin breathe. Dark colors absorb heat, so stick with lighter shades. Wear a wide-brimmed hat in the sun to keep your head cool and use plenty of sunscreen to avoid sunburn, which can increase your skin temperature and make it harder to stay cool.
6. Be aware of the signs of dehydration (below). If anyone in your family is ill, pay attention to how much they’re able to drink — especially young children and the elderly. Anyone with a fever, vomiting or diarrhea should drink plenty of fluids. Do not wait for signs of dehydration to appear.

From Scripps.org

What does it mean to be a good neighbour?

I think a good neighbor should be friendly but not over friendly. You shouldn’t barge in on your neighbours lives or homes and you should respect their privacy. You should wave and smile and greet them when you see them but their waves and smiles back aren’t an invitation for you to go and hog their couch for the next 2 hours.

Buy or make food after you check and see their dietary preferences. The last thing you want is to make them feel guilty for food going to waste. Especially food that they spend time preparing. And don’t over do it either. Once or twice a month is fine but anything more than that is overkill and they may not be the kind of people who make a lot of things themselves and now they feel like they owe you something.

Be supportive and encouraging but you are not family. Help without asking or expecting anything back. Don’t be too affectionate towards their children – they are not your own or your nieces/nephews – but treat them like you would want their parents to treat your kids.

Prompt from 30 Days Of September Writing Prompts at The SitsGirls

If you’re single, share something you love about it! 

Now I am not saying which is better. That is for each person to decide. However if you have read my blog for a while, you will know what I think about being single and being married. Anyways, since the prompt if about the things that I love about being single, let’s only look at the positive things about being a single guy.

You can easily stay in touch with friends. Trust me, it is easier for single men or women to be in touch with their friends, plan dinners out or drinks at a bat than it is for their married/married with kids friends. It’s hard to find the time to do much when you have a spouse and child to consider.One of the best things is planning a quick, on the spur of the moment night out with your buddies without having to check with anyone else.

Movie night selections, tv shows that you binge watch & music that you listen to is all yours to choose. I know a friend who has to listen to his heavy metal bands on the earphones only as his Karnatic Music trainer wife cannot stand to hear that music played loudly. And vice-versa! I pick and choose my movies that I watch over the weekend by Thursday and plan for tv shows to watch & rewatch all the time. No selection headaches, no compromises and no issues.

Making a decision for yourself will be less complicated. Now, I haven’t moved out of my hometown because of my parents but had the offers I received been really good (aka a really good salary that will afford me to life my lifestyle while also helping my parents) then I would have perhaps made the move to Bangalore or Chennai or Delhi a few years ago. Others can surely thrive if travel and moving is your decision alone.

Choosing the food to eat, the drink to drink is solely at your discretion. Today you don’t want to cook but want to order a pizza? Done. Chinese instead of the Indian cooking? Ofcourse. No time for checking to see what you can make at home so instead a burger and chicken wings? Why not? You pick the drinks and the food and you decide which day what you want to eat. Also guys tend to be a little bit more adventurous than women in general and may want to try some weird or odd combinations.

Prompt from 100+ Writing Prompts & Blog Post Ideas for September at Pretty Opinionated