Samuel L. Jackson Says It Best

Working in transcription sometimes make me wonder whether I’m too demanding or critical of other people, especially those who are supposedly professionals working in communication roles, but then I’m sure I’m not. It’s come to the point where a reasonable interview is a unicorn. Most interviewers I transcribe do one or more of the following: not preparing questions in advance and therefore make a fool of themselves while stumbling on words; not listening while the interviewee is speaker either by continuing to ask questions previously answered or speaking over the poor person; make all sorts of noises right next to the recorder and drowning all the content, including pens clicking, crumbling food wrapping and/or eating, tapping their fingers.

Most important of all: not speaking properly. It makes me think the recorder has special powers and renders people speechless when turned on. But here, Samuel L. Jackson says it best:

Vanessa

Robot 'Spy Otter' Makes New Friends

Go ahead, take a break from your day to watch this video. It's worth it.

Vanessa

Upspeak and vocal fry

There's something happening with speech patterns. First, they are changing in unpleasant ways. Second, they are being more policed than ever. I mean, at least there are names for speech subtleties, so it's easier to talk about occurring patterns. Such as upspeak and vocal fry. In my opinion, they are annoying as hell.

Upspeak is when intonation rises at the end of a sentence, which makes it sound like a question. It's used particularly in what is known valleyspeak, a "sociolect" also often used by those who love the "like" word.

What takes the cake though is vocal fry. You know The Ring or The Grudge? (Not posed as upspeak, but as a legitimate question) That sound that precedes that scary girl showing up? Vocal fry is caused by air bubbles in vocal folds and it is stuff from nightmares. It has a jittery, creaky effect that sounds like it comes from such horror movies. Or like it's coming from a socialite without enough oxygen to form a complete sentence.

I am thankful that this has a name, otherwise I wouldn't be able to shame it here. While there is this study that shows women who use vocal fry may be seen as urban-oriented and upwardly mobile, and this study suggests its use is increasing, anecdotal evidence shows that frying is associated with ditzy people. 

It's been made fun of in newspapers, television and radio shows, and podcasts for a reason, right? Because it's annoying. Yes, Noam Chomsky does it and he's a guy, but he has many more qualities to show for. 

Women, who obviously have less chances to establish a reputation right away and suffer from obsolete instances of inequality like, every day, have to be more concerned about their ideas being listened to, not their speech style. It's seriously unfair, but we women feel it and we have to constantly be extra cautious about appearance to the point of exhaustion. That's why vocal fry is actually detrimental to us women. 

It creates a gendered bubble, an automatic labeling system that places us at a level from where form undermines content. Where those who listen to us may be able to categorize us based on whether they think our speech pattern is urban-oriented and upwardly mobile or ditzy, airheaded and valley-like.

That's why I mentioned speech is being more policed than ever. The same way it's irritating that everything is analyzed these days and certain things are made fun of, it's also irritating that such fads as frying and upspeak turn into a new way of speaking and get picked up so much that they get analyzed in the first place and then associated with personality traits or abilities or genders. It's hard to have to think about these things.

It's hard to pay attention to how we behave and how we might be perceived. I'm only complaining about vocal fry because it's annoying though and it may become a thing. But that's because I obviously have misophonia.

Too long, didn't read version:

Vanessa

To my English speaking readers

I see you make up the majority of my audience and I am sorry I have been neglecting you. I do enjoy writing in English, but Portuguese is also a passion of mine and it is my native language. I'm sure probably most of you are only interested in book reviews anyway, because those are the majority of my posts in English.

I miss writing creatively in English, as it helps to practice for my work, continue to be a proficient bilingual and hopefully fight Alzheimer's, though no one is ever sure if studies indicating prevention of certain illnesses with food or any activity are truthful or just a case of cocky correlations when there's only coincidence.

I'm planning on writing more in the near future, which is surely 2017. I'm not talking about writing reviews, but also sharing some thoughts in English as I used to do in those long-gone websites where one was paid for the traffic (like Bubblews and HubPages — not doing that anymore, especial after Bubblews closed). 

There are some things that only sound good in English, if you ask me. 

Vanessa

My Top 5 Books To Read This Halloween

If you don't know what book to read this Halloween season, I have five suggestions, directly taken from my favorite books shelf. They might not be full-on horror, but they're quite sinister and eerie.

1. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

A girl finds a bundle of old letters in her dad's library, all written to a certain "My dear and unfortunate successor." If you dive into this story, you will find yourself travelling through Eastern Europe in old fashioned trains, dusting off old books in libraries and, best of all, immersing in vampire lure. This is quite a long book with its 704 pages, but I personally wish there was more to read when I got to the end.

2. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

A recent read, this book grabbed me by the wrists and would not let go of me until I turned the last page. Gillian Flynn is now one of my favorite authors. This is a story about a reporter who goes back to her hometown to investigate a murder and a possible kidnapping. But the main character is so grim herself that you don't know which way to turn. Here's my review in case you want to know more about it.

3. A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby

If you're not in the mood for something dark this Halloween, this is a good option. It's dark, but the dark has humor in it. Four people decide to commit suicide on New Year's Eve. They all have their reasons and they're all a bit insane. It all ends up being quite an adventure. You can read more about it here.

4. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

If you enjoy reading and writing, and also creepy stories, I think you would like this one as much as I do. A young woman finds a letter (I know it's a pretty similar start as The Historian) from a bestselling author who wishes the main character to write her biography. Her tale ends up being much scarier than what was expected and it's her last story, never included in her famous book Thirteen Tales of Change and Desperation.

5. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

A Gothic Victorian novel is always a good choice for Halloween. In this one, a series of narrators develop a tale that starts in a London road, where a woman in white is seen. This book is eerie, menacing and one of the best detective novels for those who like the slow, delicious pace that lets the reader savor each moment.

Vanessa

Angel Hair And Aliens In Portugal

Similar to a jelly-made cobweb, angel hair is a supposedly natural substance that descends from the skies, and coincides with reported sightings of religious figures such as the Virgin Mary. However, angel hair is also linked with UFO activity and believed to be a kind of natural material released by spaceships. 

There is not much information on angel hair, because it usually evaporates within a short amount of time, just like the alleged and reported apparitions. There is one reported case of angel hair in Portugal.

A LIVING ORGANISM

According to many news, on November 2, 1959, the Portuguese city of Évora, was visited by two round flying objects, one of them being very bright and incredibly fast. They moved around the city, with abrupt movements and spread light like the sun. But they spread something else too. 

During the mysterious visit, the city was showered with a viscous and light, white and stringy substance: angel hair, also known as "fibralvina". Some of the witnesses say it was falling from the UFO's.

The gelatinous material, that fell for almost four hours, was collected by scientists Lisbon's University. The analysis showed it was made out of fibers, similar to hair when seen under the microscope, and it was composed of well-known elements, such as oxygen, calcium and sodium. 

However, some of the samples contained something that was not so vegetal-like. 

It was reported as a foreign organism, composed of just one cell, that had a rounded nucleus and 10 tentacles coming out of it, and each of those had what seemed to be three tiny fingers. If you look for images of it, it looks eerie. One has to wonder if they are real.

MIRACLE OF THE SUN

The Virgin Mary allegedly appeared to three children who were shepherds at Fátima, in Portugal, and predicted a series of events, when appearing on the thirteenth day of six months in 1917. 

One of the predictions was the so-called Miracle of the Sun, that actually happened on October 13, 1917. About 100 thousand people witnessed the so-called miracle of what could be called a dancing solar mixed with an eclipse ,and many newspapers reported this.

The event coincided with UFO reports around the area and the fall of angel hair, that witnesses described as light, white petals that would disappear as soon as they touched the ground.

Many alien theorists have been pointing out that this miracle is one big case of extraterrestrial beings visiting Portugal and their spaceship blocking the sun and causing optical illusions. 

Fátima is the place in Portugal with the biggest amount of reported cases of "fibralviva" being seen. It happened on the 13th day of September of 1917, on the 13th of May of 1918, 1923 and 1924. 

Sources: Portuguese newspaper descriptions,some random Google research and witnesses relating the events on several Portuguese documentaries on the History Channel.

Note: Post previously published on the deceased Bubblews website and slightly edited for this blog.

Vanessa

The Best Place To Stay In Mobor, Goa

Goans know the Portuguese term sossegado and you can see it in many places as a way to describe quiet, relaxed spots. Mobor in Goa is exactly that, but with a pinch of entertainment in the form of restaurants and bars, souvenir shops, a river and a beach, all within walking distance if you know where to stay.

One can find cheap places to rest in Mobor, with the cheapest price being 16 euros per person per night, from what I've seen. There are many hotels in Mobor though and most of them charge European rates. 

Of course, you do pay for quality in Goa, as in any place in the world. That's why I was so amazed to find this self-catering apartment in the center of Mobor, right near other hotels and resorts.

I do know the owner, but being objective here, this is a great deal. This is a two bedroom apartment, with a kitchen and living room with an average rate of 369 dollars or 332 euros per week. If you do the math, that's less per day than what most hotels in the area are charging and you get a whole apartment.

It's great for families and a group of friends, for example. Sandy, the owner, is a Scottish woman who is the nicest hostess and fellow reader. I had the pleasure to meet her in Goa and stay at this apartment. 

She was also kind enough to share with me her favorite books and a couple of great soirees, talking about movies, books, news and life in general. She also showed me great places in Mobor, which I would not find by myself. There are some hidden gems there. I will save that for later and I'm going to show you her apartment.

In case you missed the link above, here it is again. It's the TripAdvisor where you can check the availability and detailed rates, and also contact Sandy. This last photo shows the location.

Vanessa

Procrastination Is Not Always Wasted Time

There’s nothing wrong with postponing something dreadful to you to do something that gives you pleasure. As long as you’re not missing any deadline, that is. Some of us are just better at producing stuff under stress. Stretching the work over periods of time may not be the right method for everyone. For example, I was not one to continually study at school. I condensed all of my studying right in the most possible moments.

The internet helped spread the idea of procrastination. It is easy to get distracted when there is so much to filter. Procrastination is even glorified in videos and articles with titles like Seven Ways Procrastination Can Be A Good Thing or The Wonders Of Procrastination And Why You Should Do It. Distraction can indeed be a positive thing.

For a procrastinator, it can work as a mood boost. It can give the motivation needed in order to perform a boring task or at least postpone it until adrenaline kicks in and our minds work at their full potential. I'm fond of creativity spurts like that. Most of my most precious creative work was born from stress and anxiety.

Yes, you can lose time and opportunities, delay important decisions and miss out on something due to procrastination. However, you can also let your ideas brew, projects ferment to the point of perfection, have fun and produce quality things while you're not doing what you originally were supposed to be doing.

And maybe, just maybe you might die while you are having fun and not doing whatever it is you were postponing and then you won't even regret it in your final moments. Why am the only one thinking like that sometimes?

Ah, the excuses my mind spills out just to defend its own laziness. Wait, the internet does that too. Brilliantly. Do you know what I was doing while I was procrastinating on ending this post? Reading Quote Investigator because I wanted to gloriously finish all of this by quoting: "The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." Still not sure who's coined that, but sure enough, while at that my brain managed to vomit some more crazy ideas I will have to write on bits of paper that will get lost all the while I am not finishing a project before the weekend starts.

I forgot to tell you, I am a Master Procrastinator. Contact me if you need some tutoring.

Note: text loosely based on one previously written for the deceased Bubblews website.

Vanessa

Warning: this may give you the Zs

When in India, sleep like an Indian. That is everywhere, anywhere, any time. Humans and animals alike seem to find it hard to not give in under the scorching heat. Throughout the five months I spent in Goa, I captured some of them in pretty awkward positions and places. Here is the collection I gathered.

 Vanessa

Parallel Universe I

The old cat had collected many ladies over the years, probably to antagonize loneliness, and for that she was nicknamed crazy lady cat, which she preferred to being called a spinster.

Vanessa

Old Age

Completed an age quiz on some random website found on Facebook. Thought it was somewhat trustworthy (chewing on a big grain of salt there) because it had general knowledge questions. 

Turns out knowing most of the answers makes me old. As in 55 years old. The result author went on to say I must have a perfect balance between work and social life (what gives?) and that I have learned a lot during my half a century stay on this planet. Erm. Knowing the answers means exactly the opposite, I think.

Identifying Saturn on an image, knowing who painted Mona Lisa, who invented the telephone, the name of a Beatles album were some of the questions on the quiz. Quickly answering those actually means I have book smarts, if nothing else. It does not prove my balancing skills between work and social life. 

It does not mean I'm older than I am, although taking this quiz as seriously as to write a post about it kind of makes me feel old. It's like I've just discovered the internet and still trust ads that entice me to believe there is someone out there who can enlarge a certain part of the human anatomy.

Anyway. Dear quiz writers (where can I send my resume, by the way?), please do not jump to conclusions based on generalized answers and risk pointing out to a woman she's older than she is.

I will not take it personally though. I guess I can always say that age is nothing but a number.

Wait, I can find a better cliché. I can say older means wiser.

Meh.

Vanessa

A good looking bloke

I got to know the restaurant of a hotel called O Pescador with my family when we visited Dona Paula. A friendly couple returned our greeting when we entered the place. Both had an open book on the table and a peaceful look on their eyes. They looked like they were on holidays and enjoying themselves at that. Soon they inspired us to talk about retirement and especially my parents' retirement because the gentleman reminded us of my dad's good-naturedness and free spirit and the lady reminded us of mom's relaxing looks, and even mom agreed with that. We mimicked the couple when they were welcomed to their order of a large plate of french fries. We nodded and smiled at each other during our stay. It was when I got up to take some photos, when the lady was by the pool, that this gentleman decided to strike a pose for me. I promptly obliged and then showed him this photo. "That's a good looking bloke, ain't it?", he said. We all laughed, at the restaurant. He didn't want me to send the photo. I was trying to figure out what to do with it and since his face is not fully visible I decided to publish it on this blog to show this relaxing, good humored moment that happened between strangers, me and the good looking bloke, both in a foreign country.

Vanessa

Why Don't I Just Write In English?

A friend asked me if wouldn't it be better for me to just write in English, especially since probably more Indians speak English rather than Portuguese. The truth is I enjoy writing in Portuguese. 

First of all it's my mother tongue. It comes naturally to me. I like the sound of it in my brain. I like the looks of it when I see the words. It sounds beautiful and looks beautiful to me.

When I created this blog I let go of boundaries and decided I should write in whatever format suits me at the time. That's why I've been writing in English from time to time, at random.

Book reviews, for example, seem a logical choice since I read mostly in English. My opinion on those books comes naturally in English. They even start forming while I'm reading.

Second reason, I'm not good at making choices. I don't like closing doors. I like options. I enjoy expressing many things in many ways. One day I might include graphics, videos, drawings. Who knows? I enjoy variety, diversity, richness of content, clashes of culture, having readers from all over.

Third, why not? I know it's weird answering a 'why' question with a 'why' answer, but that's my best explanation. Why not? There are many, many blogs in English. There are many, many blogs in Portuguese. I'm mixing it up. It fits my purpose, which is to write whatever, whenever. It suits the place I'm at, which was a Portuguese colony, which is now not exactly Portuguese, but not exactly Indian. 

It's a mix, just like me, just like my blog... just like the internet. 

Vanessa

Can You See The Puppy?

So cute and sneaky, isn't it?

Vanessa

Five Days Are Gone

I changed a lot throughout last year's last month and I didn't even have any say in it.

It's not just that I changed continents. The change changed me and brought up the worst things possible. From anxiety, to panic attacks, to bouts of claustrophobia even in large rooms.

It seemed as though my mind was rejecting change and reacting to living healthier. 

Sleeping much earlier than midnight after being a night owl for too many years seemed to make me wake up in the middle of the night gasping for air and sensing the ceiling right next to my nose and the walls embracing me, even in a room that's so much larger than the one I've been sleeping in for years.

At least that's the doctor's theory as to why I had so much trouble sleeping. It was all in my head, he said.

That's the worst possible diagnosis.

I always dreaded taking drugs, but that's what I had to resort to for the first three weeks here. I had a chest infection, a skin condition and a wound that's still healing. The last drug I took was an anxiolytic, because I couldn't calm myself down sometimes. I'm off of it now for almost a week.

Everyone still says everything was caused by the big change. I know I'm an expert at adapting myself. I know I was the one unconsciously causing all the reactions that made me a different person.

I still think it was caused by all the things I carried with me from Portugal. I don't want to sound cliché by saying my baggage, but that's what it is. My baggage caused me to freak out for some reason.

I thought I'd write about all this in English. I already explained some of it in Portuguese, but there are things that sound better or make more sense in other languages.

Anyway. Even with so many annoying things bothering me, time flew. I got to visit places, meet family members I had only heard about, and plan other visits. 

I just noticed that five days from January are gone. I haven't made any goals for this year yet.

One goal I cannot change, though, is that I'll celebrate by birthday in one month.

Vanessa

Wishing Upon The Stars

I was used to a New Year's Eve brightened by fireworks and this time it was so much different. There were no crowds gathering and pushing, no loud drunks spilling alcohol everywhere, no live music at a plaza, no traffic, no amazement at the sheer amount of money being exploded above my head into tiny specs of glowing dust and awful smell. There was also no amount of time being really amazed at the work of art being splashed on the air, coloring the sky and bringing a strange sense of hope that there would be no place for darkness next year. 

This time, it was quiet, on a backyard. Some fireworks went off nearby, but it was mostly the stars shining above me. I didn't have champagne, but I did have a glass of red wine. I didn't have most of my loved ones with me, but I did feel them, almost on the other side of the world, getting ready for midnight. I was five and a half hours ahead, but I felt like time had stopped when I crossed from the old year to the new one.

It was quiet and dark, but I could see the stars like never before, because it seems like here I can see better and feel better and wish better. So I wished upon the stars to bring all of this with me when I go back.

Vanessa

Sweet Lassi

I have no problem trying out new things, even if that means throwing cautionary tales, like not drinking tap water and avoiding cheap looking bars when traveling, out the window. I mean, lassi is a good enough reason to do so.

If you do not like yogurt, it's best to stay away from it. Lassi is a refreshingly delicious drink made with yogurt and spices. The sweet version of lassi is usually seasoned with fruit juice or rose water (my favorite) and probably a generous pinch of sugar, and preferably lots of ice cubes. I do not even mind if they're made out of tap water.

This is also a local variation of a smoothie if one is lucky enough to find a place that uses real fruit in it. Those are usually the places where the savory lassi (chaas) is also available, and where hygiene meets international standards. I'm sorry if I sound a little snobby here.

I've tried lassi in a couple of different places. It's usually when I'm kind of hungry, but not starving, or when I'm craving dessert. Lassi is like a drinkable dessert, actually.

Vanessa

Serial seriousness

My uncle R. told me my face is often serious or sad. Yeah, I get that a lot, so that means I haven't changed. I've always seen it as being pensive, which I often am. I cannot control my resting face and I cannot force myself to smile all the time, but uncle thinks that's the answer to all problems. "Just laugh, laugh, laugh," was his advice.

Dad told me my first posts were pessimistic. I also get that a lot. I'm serious and pessimistic. I've always been this way. I guess this is a part of discovering myself while discovering Goa. But would I be who I am or do what I do had I evolved differently? No, and I probably wouldn't even be writing a blog.

Name one writer who's always optimistic and cheerful and generally expansive. No, self- help gurus don't count. And many of those had to learn what they know and teach from less than happy experiences.

Most writers I've grown to love are serious and pessimistic, and their genius derives from that. I may have unconsciously tried to mimic them, but my main theory is that no one who uses the brain can be happy all the time. It's the opposite of ignorance being a bliss. Knowledge is doom.

I do smile a lot here though. I found that's the best language one can have while traveling. It beats the best dictionaries. It's street smarts 101. Other than that, I'll keep my generally contemplative state, which is what I do when I'm not doing something specific. If my thoughts want to wander to less happy landscapes, let them.

Vanessa

I Should Be Taking A Nap

People here nap a lot. Correction. My family naps a lot, especially right after meals. It doesn't sound healthy, but many people do that here in the neighborhood, so after lunch hours are pretty quiet.

I was never a napper, not even in kindergarten. I enjoy my nap time reading, writing, surfing the web and catching up with friends in Portugal. At least with those that can chat during work hours.

I do not mind the sun, so I often go for walks too. It seems like it's the day's peak, with the sun shining the brightest as it will ever do, the colors vivid and glowing, the sounds of nature sharper.

Mom says I should take a nap, but it's much more fun to feel so awake while so many people are sleeping.

Vanessa

Back To Basics

It seems meals dictate our moves here.

Meal hours are our time limit for anything we do. By lunch time, breakfast is already being digested and most chores under way, as it's cooler and more manageable to engage into more tiring activities. 

Mid morning, there's some tea and maybe biscuits, some fruit or a piece of toast. Diabetes runs wildly in the family. I never wondered why. 

By this time, lunch is already a set plan and often a conversational topic that opens the discussion table about food. After lunch, a little snooze or sitting on the porch. 

From there until the afternoon, time flies and suddenly it's tea or coffee time, again with some snacks to keep one going until dinner time. 

I'm glad I never intended to immerse myself in this lifestyle and brought the means to keep working. Less than a week here and I have no more ideas about food to join the conversation. 

In fact, it's quite boring, even if one thinks about life after retirement (both my uncles are enjoying it now). Sleeping and eating does sound enticing, but only for a week tops, maybe two during vacations.

All of this makes me curious about how other people live their lives in Goa. I do know this is a wealthy village where people make the most of their last days on earth with the funds gathered during their active years, but even so, I see many other people without the familiar belly, produced by the sleepy lifestyle, and a faster pace. There must be something more to be done here, other than thinking about food, eating, planning the next meal, and going out to buy ingredients, and snoozing under the heat.

Right now, it's back to work for me. Mom is cooking pastries right now and asking me what do I fancy for lunch. I have always wanted to try fasting. It's been said it's very good for you. 

Vanessa