Blogger, Freelancer, Manager, Software Engineer, Beginner in Crocheting, Struggling Cook, Photography addict, Passionate for long drives n soulful music, Movie buff, Interested in politics, a loving wife and a Mom of three, but still a girl from heart :-)
‘The Story Of Philosophy‘, is a book by Anne Rooney, illustrating the advent of thinking Philosophers and the evolution of Philosophy over the time. This book traces it’s Philosophical roots from ancient Greeks to the modern thinkers.
Beautiful illustrations with side notes, and related short stories embedded in the text, enhances the whole experience of reading and learning. It won’t make any point in reviewing this book, as it actually is a journey of the philosophical ideas of various philosophers. So, I would rather present to you some snapshot, or shall I say intellectual words deserving a good sharing with wider audience.
When Rene Descartes said, ‘I doubt, therefore I think, therefore I am‘, he put forward a very good reasoning, that I reason, that is why I am into existence, but what am I? What is I? This is the difference between Being and Knowing.
Another riveting topic is, should we believe in God, or not? Or, why should we believe in God? Pascal’s wager gave us a solution about the existence of God. He said “If God does not exist, we lose nothing by believing that he does – death brings annihilation whether we believe or not. But if he does exist, then we stand to gain everything (salvation) by believing that he does, and to lose everything (damnation) by thinking that he doesn’t.”
Thought proving discussion has taken place among philosophers of various centuries to understand, what are we? What is Human Being? Is he mind, or matter, or soul? Where does our soul go when we die? Where do we go, when we die? Is there a heaven and hell? What is Self? What is consciousness? As Searle, put it, “Consciousness is an emergent property of the brain”. But, is it, only that?
Most fascinating thing that happened in the history of Philosophy is the relationship that three of the world’s greatest Philosophers have shared with each other. Great Philosopher Aristotle, was a pupil of Plato, who was actually a devoted pupil of Socrates, the great thinker of his time. What an amazing Philosophical lineage?
Socrates has once stated that “man cannot search either for what he knows or for what he does not know. He cannot search for what he knows – since he knows it, there is no need to search – nor for what he does not know, for he does not know what to look for.”
How should we live? If everything is predestined by God, how does it matter? How can we judge action of others, if every one of us is behaving the same way as God has destined us to do? What is a free will? If there is a free will, what will we choose, good or bad? How will we choose? Can we ever live in a perfect ethical and morally good society? What is good?
At the end, a Quote by Bertrand Russel, summarize it all by stating “The point of Philosophy is to start with something so simple as not to seem worth stating, and to end with something so paradoxical that no one will believe it.”
So far I have shown you recipes which my kids prefer to eat. Now, just for a change, and for a very special request, my husband’s favorite Raita Recipe – The Boondi Raita.
Boondi Raita is a side dish served with Indian Meal. It can also be used as a dip or salad, or as salad dressing too. Raita can be prepared with different ingredients like, cucumber (my favorite), tomato, onion, pumpkin, mint, pineapple etc… here, I have made one from Boondi, which is a Rajasthani food item, prepared from chickpea flour, with spices added to it before frying.
Boondi
Let’s go and make ourselves a bowl of Boondi Raita, now.
Drain the Boondi gently, without mashing them. Keep aside.
Whisk curd in a bowl. Add water if desired for the desired consistency.
Add all the spices along with chopped Mint leaves.
Mix well.
Add Boondi to curd mixture. Mix it gently.
Sprinkle with fried Cumin.
Garnish with Mint Leaves, and serve cold.
Best thing about Boondi Raita, or for the matter any other kind of Raita is that, it’s ingredients can be replaced with so many available variations.
Boondi Raita
Like, you can use Coriander leaves instead of Mint, or you can use green chilli instead of red chilli powder, black salt instead of normal sea salt. You can totally ditch Cumin if you are not a fan. Even chaat masala is upto your taste buds. So, even if you will just have curd and Boondi mixed together, with some salt, you will have a Boondi Raita. 😀
That’s easy, right???
P.S. My cooking is experimental. You will find many similar and different recipes, but the idea is to explore your food and do experiments with it. Enjoy Cooking Experiments and Experiences 🙂
King Henry VIII, was the second Monarch of Tudor dynasty. He was King of England from 21 April, 1509 until his death by 28 January 1547. King Henry was famous for two main reasons – one for separating Church of England from Roman Catholic Church; and second reason, he was most notoriously famous for, was his Six Wives and their fate bestowed by King Henry. These posts are dedicated to Six Wives of King Henry VIII. It’s not a historical fact or document, rather a conversational satirical viewpoint of ill-fated Queens.
Wife # 2 – I am Anne Boleyn, Second wife of King Henry VIII
A smart and intelligent woman outweighs any beautiful face or body, and even Men; but only problem in being a sharp woman is, that it’s hard to find a husband whose ego doesn’t get hurt when he unsuccessfully attempts to tame his wife. 😎
Me, Anne Boleyn, was born to Thomas Boleyn and Lady Elizabeth Howard. I don’t even remember my birth date now. Guess it happens when you were dead for centuries. 😳
Anne Boleyn, before marriage
I was not beautiful as per the English standards of that time, but I did compensated it with my personality and charming etiquette. My olive skin and dark eyes accentuated my medium stature. My neck was long and thin, which actually turned out to be quite useful in my time of death. 😆 But, whatever you may have heard of, I never had a sixth finger. I was not deformed in any way, as some of the contemporary writers tried to falsely put forward. Why were they so fascinated to prove me a devilish woman, I may never know, or maybe I was devilish? Who Knows?? 😈
Anne Boleyn – second wife of King Henry VIII
I belonged to a high class family, and the only dream that I had, was to marry into the same high blood. To live a life of luxury and dignity. Maybe, to some extent, I have dreamt of becoming a Queen.What’s wrong with that? Every girl treats herself as a princess, and wants to be married to a King. Coming to think of it, I not only wanted to be a Queen, I also wanted to give birth to a future King. 💡
A Queen, I wanted to be, but never a mistress. My pride was too high to accept the second position. When King Henry, laid his lustful eyes on me, I was so unsure of my future. I was not the one who can be used and then thrown away, like the way Henry used my sister Mary.Poor Mary…. 😥
Portrait of Anne Boleyn
I made myself very clear to King Henry, that I can not be his mistress; his toy, something to play around. Maybe Henry was rejected first time by a lady, and that’s what made him more eager to want me; to have me. Tip to all ladies out there – Play hard to get, but not too hard. 😎 Henry used to write love letters to me. Beautiful poetry and romantic words written himself by the King.Who won’t be mesmerized?I was. Baffled, by his love, his attention. A king going crazy to want me, in his arms. ❤
“Wishing myself…in my sweetheart’s arms, whose pretty dukkys, I trust shortly to kiss…” lol…..
Anne Boleyn and King Henry enjoying their courtship
Many blamed me for breaking marriage of Henry and Catherineof Aragon, his first wife. But, tell me is it my fault, solely(some of it I can take 😛 ), if a king wants me desirable; or if I do not oblige him by giving him my virtue before marriage? I think it only made me a better and dignified lady to stand for my virtue. I do condemn that I became the reason of Catherine’s misery. Now, when I am thinking of it, I do believe that it was my karma, which came back to me eventually. Sigh!!!
Anne Boleyn – full portrait
Henry got his marriage to Catherine annulled, and after 7 years of courtship, me and Henry finally took our vows. Yes, we waited for seven years, who do that now a days? Another tip to all the ladies – Don’t give up too easily. 💡 It was worth it. We had the best of our time. We danced, romanced, partied. It was just a long honeymoon, our marriage. Till I delivered my first baby, Elizabeth, a girl.
Anne Boleyn and King Henry hunting and playing
Henry and all of England was so impatient to have a male heir, that they were disappointed by the birth of my lovely child, Elizabeth. Never did they dreamt of, that she will become the most successful monarch of England. I am proud of her. Afterall she got my brains and learnt from my fate, that marriage is the only way a woman can loose or gain every sense of her being. She never married. 😐
I got pregnant two more times, but both were stillborn, one was a son. My sole survivor, and I could not save him, in my own womb. I was never loved by the realm, but this was the last nail in my coffin. All that My King longed for, was a Son, and I couldn’t give it to him. But, was it my fault? As far as I know, Henry was also responsible. Isn’t it? 😮
A bewildered Queen – Anne Boleyn
I could never understand, how a wife is just confided to fulfill only one duty, to give birth to his husband’s successor. I was much more than that. But Henry was not in the mood to attribute anything more to my status, than me being his wife. By cheating on me, he devoid me of having that satisfaction too. 😥 How can I allow him to cheat on me? When I have done all required to fulfill his needs? I don’t want to be another Catherine. I struggled with him, argued with him, showed him all the tantrums; but to no avail. He was the king. A king can do whatever he wants.
Anne Boleyn
I supported him in every good or bad decision of his (sometimes I even took decisions for him 😛 ). Whether it would be of severing ties with Roman Catholic Church, and declaring himself as the supreme head of England’s Church, or executing Thomas Moore, Fisher and many more. I supported him, infact, I planned some of it… just to make sure that all the prospective enemies of Henry’s authority are eliminated.
What did I get in return?
A charge for adultery, treason and incest. Adultery, with so many men, including my own baby brother?? 👿 I loved my brother, but, he was my brother. Every sister loves his brother. I was loyal to a cheating husband, that was my only crime. Actually, my crime was that I was married to The King; a king who no longer desired me, because he had found someone else. Another young courtesan who wanted to be The Queen – Jane Seymour. What I did with Catherine, came back to me; and in what way? 😥
Anne Boleyn Executed in Tower of London
I was charged on baseless stories and was executed. First Queen, to be executed publicly. Ironically, in the same Tower of London, where once my coronation was done with all the pomp, now my execution was happening.
Irony of being Anne Boleyn – Second wife of King Henry
That was my fate. I feel happy and relieved now, when I am no longer a Queen, for now I am free.
Anne Boleyn : Wife # 2
My only regret with life being, that it gave me brains and wits to attract a suitor but not the patience and obedience to be a good behaved quiet wife, of a King. 😐
My Journey So Far.... 