Books N' Brews By Bluemoon

       Cocktail Party of Storytelling:  A Neurochemical Brew S tories are not merely narratives; they are alchemical brews that can stir the very essence of our being, and exist within us to be passed on to many generations. Like a skilled bartender crafting a bespoke cocktail, the storyteller blends elements to evoke a desired response. Two potent concoctions emerge: the Angel's Cocktail and the Devil's Cocktail, each with its own unique neurochemical signature. The Angel's Cocktail: A Symphony of Joy – A Divine Elixir Just as a skilled bartender mixes ingredients to create a delightful cocktail, the masterful storyteller can concoct a potent brew of emotions. Dr Phillips aptly termed this the "Angel's Cocktail," a potent blend of neurotransmitters that uplift and inspire. Dopamine, Oxytocin, and Endorphins are the main ingr edients in Angel’s Cocktail. Dopamine: The Spark of Intrigue Suspense, the heart-pounding anticipation of the unknown, is the key ingr...

  Ear It Is! By Aurora Bluemoon   The little stretches and bends of our hands and legs can instantly refresh our body. In the same way, the right kind of mental exercise keeps our brain active, alert, and ready to grow. Mental exercises aren’t always about complex calculations or memorising heavy textbooks — they can be as simple and profound as meditation or learning new skills or solving a puzzle that sparks the brain.  As the saying goes, “You are what you eat,” — a thought I explore deeply in my book Subtraction: Mind Minimalism (see the chapter Mind Feast). Just like the food we consume shapes our body, the thoughts, beliefs, and words we consume too shape our mind and personality. Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing (LSRW)- We consider language acquisition and communication skills, focusing on speaking and writing. Yet the foundation of all communication is LISTENING. Listening is more than just hearing sounds — it’s an act of filtering, processing, and trans...

I Love You Two 💕 Dear Lovers, Should love be singular? I thought so until I saw you both. As the saying goes, the More the merrier. I choose the merrier by loving you both equally. Every day, my heart seems to dance between you both, unable to choose, enchanted by your charm, your way of consuming me and your mystery. In love with my classmate, like a little worm on the hook as bait, my heart wobbles in your absence, waiting to grace your presence even at the far end; just a glimpse of your eye-catching smile would warm my heart. It's quite a task to grab your attention among the swarm of girls around you all the time for your ever-charming face and tempting smile, Heart stealer! At times, I forced myself to be angry with you, as I was exhausted waiting to get your attention rather than concentrating on my studies, but then it was your music that fluently bound me to you. Meticulously! I felt like a feather carried on the gentle wind in your presence. Forgiving your ...

  My Bonds, My Tongue My Passionate Bond, I am often in awe of my passions, one of which I have never expressed explicitly: my love for Tamil, my native language and my adoration for English. Tamil is a link that goes deep inside my nerves, impacting my identity and outlook on the world. My mother tongue is more than a language to me; it is a source of pride and a cultural legacy that I cherish. My parents named me Kanimozhi, an abstract Tamil name with no inclusion of other languages' letters, which means that I shall speak the language fruitfully. (I believe so). I know Tamil, my mother tongue, as well as English, my academic tongue, like a delicate thread that connects two worlds of languages.  Nonetheless, as broad as it is, my soul yearns for the earthy warmth of Tamil, the language in which my first lullabies were sung, my first ideas formed, and my sense of identity established.  Tamil is the language that makes me feel most connected to my roots and ...

Christmas , the word itself creates the mental image of carols in church, the jingling of jingle bells, Santa Claus, reindeer, gifts and miracles. Christmas isn't just a winter day off or a religious festival. It's a season of sparkling lights illuminating the streets and homes adorned with festive trees laden with presents. As a 90s kid, certain Christmas movies hold a special place in my heart, particularly,   1. Home Alone (1990)   It's almost four decades since the best Christmas English movie I ever watched as a kid was Home Alone. The film was released almost towards the end of the 20th century, giving us a high perspective and warning to young children who always don’t want to listen to their elders and wish for freedom from them. Initially, Kevin enjoys the freedom of being alone, but soon realizes he must defend his home from two bumbling burglars, Harry and Marv. Kevin sets elaborate traps throughout the house, making it a hilarious obstacle course for the hapless...