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Category Archives: Books

Too Much TV?

05 Friday Feb 2010

Posted by Barneys Girl in Books, Lifestyle, Random Musings

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

happy

Apparently mom was right, there is such a thing as too much TV. According to this research by the University of Maryland, “unhappy people watch more TV, while people who describe themselves as ‘very happy’ spend more time reading and socializing.” Indeed, I recently read a book called, Happy for No Reason, where watching too much TV was one of the habits of being happy for a bad reason, because it only provided you with a temporary high.

I must admit, I’m definitely guilty of too much TV. It was one of the few things I looked forward to when I came home after work. At some points I’d watch a whole TV series within a few days! It’s really hard to stop at just one episode once you get started. When an episode ends, the inevitable feeling of emptiness creeps up, and all you want to do is start another episode! That was my ultimate guilty pleasure, and I indulged myself a lot.

Recently though, I’ve cut back on my TV watching. Instead, I’ve been devoting my time to socializing, reading and studying. I must say, keeping busy constructively really does make a remarkable difference on one’s mood. My dad claims that it’s because it keeps me from thinking too much. But maybe it’s because of my reduced TV consumption!

By no means, don’t cut your cable yet just to be “happier”. But maybe this weekend, try reducing your TV consumption and see how you feel. Do report back!

Rebecca

13 Wednesday Jan 2010

Posted by Barneys Girl in Books

≈ 4 Comments

As per the (repeated) recommendation of one of my family members and because it suited my current mood, I started reading Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier and finally finished it today after only 3 weeks. This is some sort of a record for me, since these old classics usually take me months. I usually find the painstakingly detailed descriptions of how one places the tea cup terribly tedious and hard to digest. I recall that many years ago, it took me over 4 months to finish Emma by Jane Austen, and another 3 months to complete A Sentimental Education by Gustave Flaubert. And yet, Rebecca was incredibly easy to digest. On some nights I find myself staying up for hours just to read what happens next!

The pace of the book was quick, even though for most of the book nothing really happens. They spend most of the time walking in the garden with the dog and having tea. The highlight of the chapter would be the narrator going up into a dead woman’s room and observing her possessions. Nevertheless, it was incredibly engaging. The writing was also quite clever. I was so engrossed into the narrator’s point of view that I did not see the obvious signs of what was going on until the narrator herself did, even though I am so much more jaded than her. No wonder it was a hit back in the  1938! It is a surprisingly refreshing novel even now. I wonder if it is more relatable to me because it was written more recently than Jane Austen books, and so the language is easier to digest or if it really is the talents of Ms. DuMaurier. And I wonder what happened in the end……….

I’m such a nerd. School is over and here I am dying to discuss the implications of a classic novel, when back in the days, I struggled to come up with something to say in class! Maybe I should join a book club!

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Tea with BG

A twenty something who loves having tea with scones and devonshire cream, while chatting with friends about fashion, love, life, finance and everything in between. And no, this is not a food blog.

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