Death of a Naturalist by Seamus Heaney

¡Hola folks!

Today I finished yet another Seamus Heaney Poetry Collection and thought I'd share my thoughts on Goodreads. I am a huge Seamus Heaney fan, and I even have the S of his initial in his handwriting tattooed on my wrist. Generally speaking, I am a sucker for poetry, especially Irish poetry, and Heaney is at the forefront of that.

Death of a Naturalist by Seamus Heaney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"I rhyme to see myself, to set the darkness echoing." (Personal Helicon)

As always, Seamus Heaney's poems blew me away. Even though Death of a Naturalist is his first poetry collection, it is already marvellous. Heaney wrote these poems before The Troubles, which is noticeable in the themes he uses. They centre more around his childhood and his early adulthood, and he is often the focaliser. Nevertheless, this does not diminish the importance and greatness of his poetry. Whether we have poems like "Digging", which is about the differences between his father and himself, or "Mid-Term Break", one of his most emotional works about his brother's death, we have a clear image in mind, even if we can't relate. Just like every other collection, this one is filled with beautiful quotes, does not disappoint, and is worth a read.
My personal favourites are Digging, Mid-Term Break, Valediction, and Scaffolding.

I hope you're having a good morning, day, evening, or night and remember that you are here, you are valid, and you will be okay ♥

Au revoir,

magdalena

how to get more into reading

Bonjour folks!

Today's post will be about  b o o k s! I am an avid reader and I always have a book with me, wherever I go. However, it's hard to get in the reading mood sometimes. Over the years, I have accumulated a few things that make me want to pick up a book again!

1. read books you like, not because you feel like you have to

Oftentimes, we read a book because it's been lying around for some time or because it's a bestselling novel or an overrated classic (hello Hemingway). In this case, reading feels like an obligation which will discourage you from keeping up with it. Luckily, there is no need to read boring books or books you're simply not interested in. Try to find your style of books. It will probably be similar to the movies and shows you enjoy. When you've found a book you're really into, you don't even want to stop reading because you're so invested in the story.

I am aware that especially students often have to read books they don't care about at all. This is something that most people just have to go through and there's no way around it.

2. find your genre 

As I have already mentioned, your preferred genre is most likely going to be similar to the movies and shows you watch or simply the kind of stories you enjoy. If you like romantic comedies, you might consider reading romantic books. If you want to escape reality, fantasy or even young adult novels could be your thing. The real world is good enough for you? Try non-fictional books or perhaps even biographies. There is no end to all the stories people have to tell, you just have to find the right ones for you!

3. maybe start with audiobooks?

You love the stories but you simply lack the time to read? Start with audiobooks! You can listen to them while doing chores, on the bus, or even whilst driving. Moreover, a lot of audiobooks are read by voice-actors who try their hardest to convey the emotions behind every line. It is easy to immerse yourself in the world of the book. Audible is a great app for audiobooks and Spotify has a few very good ones, too!

4. read a short book first, and then read longer ones

Books that have more than 400 pages scare you? No need to read those then! There is a myriad of books on the market that have 200 pages or even less and they're still marvellous. You do not have to force yourself to read 1000-page-long book just so you've read it (see 1). Once you've managed to read a few shorter books, you can venture out into the realm of longer books. It won't be as hard and upon a finding a story you love, no one will be able to get you away from your book.

5. take it with you and read when you have to wait

If you're going out and you know you'll have to wait for some time, why not take a book with you? It's an alternative to the endless scrolling through Instagram and Twitter and it's more rewarding, too. Once you've taken it with you, you don't want the weight to have been in vain. Furthermore, you will be so proud of yourself when you've been reading while out in the world. 

6. set aside some time for reading every day and read before bed

Setting aside a fixed time for reading every day will motivate you to sit down and do it. It can also be your time to calm down and relax for the day. 10 to 15 minutes are enough to get you hooked and maybe you will want to read even longer than this one day. This can be at any time of the day, whenever you like. Perhaps you can make it a ritual to read before you go to bed to detox and let go of the day. Reading poetry before bed has benefitted me a lot because, after a stressful day, it helped reshift my focus onto something completely different.

7. wanna watch a show/movie? check if there's a book! impress your pals with insider information and stay motivated because you want to watch the show!!!

Most movies/shows are based on a book or a real story that has been written down and turned into a book. Take for example Game of Thrones, Orange is the new Black or The Hunger Games, all of which books that have been turned into movies or shows. The majority of books contain more information than their counter-screen part and are a lot more detailed. You can also stay motivated because the show or the movie series you're currently into hasn't finished yet but you desperately want to know what happens. Well, the books are there for you!

8. you don't necessarily have to buy a book if you don't have the money, get a library card or borrow books from your friends

Sometimes, money is tight and books are the last thing on your mind when you'd rather get food on the table. Fortunately, there is a way around always paying the full price for a piece of literature. Most towns have public libraries where you can easily access a plethora of different books without paying a dime. Ask your friends if they can lend you their books. If you do have a bit of spare money, consider buying used books.

9. books can be written into and used!!!

A book is not something sacred. It can be used, written into, highlighted, annotated, bent, heck, even broken. If there's a passage you adore, go ahead and highlight or take notes and put a sticky note on the page. Whatever you wanna do, please do so! Preferably only when the book belongs to you, of course. Your book can be as much a piece of art as any painting.

10. RECOMMENDATIONS

Oh my, I have so many recommendations. I'll categorize them.

Fiction

• Action and adventure: The Lost World (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
• Chick lit: The Last Piece Of My Heart (Paige Toon)                 
• Children's: BFG (Roald Dahl)         
• Classic: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (James Joyce)             
• Coming-of-age: The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky)
• Crime: A Caribbean Mystery (Agatha Christie)          
• Drama: Brooklyn (Colm Tóibín)  
• Fairytale: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Lewis Caroll)          
• Fantasy: The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)                 
• Graphic novel: The Walking Dead (Robert Kirkman)                      
• Horror: Carrie (Stephen King)
• LGBTQ+: Carry On (Rainbow Rowell)
• Mystery: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
• Paranormal romance: Obsidian (Jennifer L. Armentrout)                 
• Poetry: The Sun And Her Flowers (Rupi Kaur)                           
• Romance: Me Before You (JoJo Moyes)                    
• Science fiction: The Hobbit (J. R. R. Tolkien)       
• Short story: Birthday Girl (Haruki Murakami)
• Thriller: The Final Girls (Riley Sager)
• Young adult: The Hate U Give (Angie Thomas)

Non-Fiction

• Autobiography: Eat, Pray, Love (Elizabeth Gilbert)
• Guide: The Zombie Survival Guide (Max Brooks)
• Memoir: A Streetcat Named Bob (James Bowen)
• Self-help: The Four Agreements (don Miguel Ruiz)
• Travel: Lonely Planet
• True crime: Columbine (Dave Cullen)

(source for book categories https://reference.yourdictionary.com/books-literature/different-types-of-books.html)

And that's it! Those are my tips on how to get more into reading. I hope they are of help to you. 

Last but not least, I would like to commemorate Toni Morrison who passed away today at the age of 88. She was an African-American author who dedicated her life to writing about racial problems and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. In "The Bluest Eye" she wrote:

"He does not see her, because for him there is nothing to see."

a line that has been with ever since I read it. Thank you, Toni, we will never forget what you have done for the world and the world of literature. May you rest in peace.

Bonne nuit,

magdalena

Is everybody a morning person?

Salut folks!

To answer the headline question: no, not everybody is a morning person. And you don't have to be one if you're not. Really. 

In German, we have that saying "Der frühe Vogel fängt den Wurm." literally translated to "The early bird catches the worm.". This might as well be true for birds but not for humans, at least not for all of them. 

Alas, it's what I've been told ever since I was a child. And like every good kid, I rebelled against this by sleeping in as often as I could. That means every weekend, every holiday and on every break. Why would I want to get up early anyway? There's nothing I can do in the morning I can't do at night or during the night. Moreover, I needed my beauty sleep.

Unfortunately, younger me did not know that she's actually an early riser and not a night owl. Well, I can't change my behaviour from back then but I have since improved my habits. I usually get up at around 5:30am but definitely always before 7am. Every day, whether I have to or not doesn't matter. I am way more productive in the morning than at night, or at least when it's still light outside. 

The important thing is that this is my way of starting the day. It is not necessarily your way. I get shit done more easily when it's seriously early. Thus, I also go to bed rather early, at around 11pm. Another bonus is that I don't require much sleep. Six hours are sufficient for my needs, as I am more tired throughout the day when I sleep a lot more than that. It is basically how I use my "prime time" to make the most of the day.

On the other hand, take my father or my brother. When my dad was a student at university, he wrote his entire dissertation in the middle of the night. He's still successful even though he is the complete opposite of a morning person. My brother, who is still in school, works on all his presentations at night and then gets up at 2pm the next day. In the end, it doesn't affect his grades. 

The salient point is that it works for them. They do well at school and excel in their profession. 

I've been talking about this with a few friends lately and they were all envious of my wont. Now, there is really no point to that. I told all of them that this is simply what works for me. 

Perhaps, it works for them, too. I think the only way to know for sure what suits you best is to try it. Try to wake up really early for a few days in a row and see how it affects your stamina, your school/college/job performance and you in general. If you do and feel better by rising sooner than usual, maybe you are an early riser. Someone who transcends in the morning. However, if you feel drained, tired and not productive at all, then you are most likely more suited to be a night owl.

Both attributes are absolutely okay and don't make you a better or worse person at the end of the day. You don't have to force one or the other on you, this will not help. Instead of trying to modify our habits, we could adjust to them and make the best out of the time we have at our dispense. I know that, unfortunately, this won't be a possibility for everyone due to school or their job. But we can still make the best out of it. 

Not everybody is a morning person and that's good. That's marvellous because it demonstrates yet again how different we all are and how there's more than one way to excel. If that's at night for you or in the morning for me, doesn't matter. Let's all enjoy the early mornings and the late nights we have as much as we can and try our best. Always.

Adieu

magdalena

Veganism

Bonjour folks!

One of my very best friends has now been vegan for more than a year, so I have decided to elaborate a bit on the topic and give you some insight on what it means to be on a vegan diet. I am not vegan, I'm only vegetarian but ever since I accidentally participated in an animal rights/vegan demonstration I have been interested in the topic and have even gone vegan for a week to see what it's like. When my best friend came over from New Zealand, my family and I had to find some food for her here in Germany because she cannot starve of course. Luckily, Germany is very vegan-friendly with an abundance of options that are not just soy or tofu but every kind of food one can imagine. Through her, I dove even deeper into the matter and bought some cookbooks, learnt some tricks and found some restaurants with vegan options in my town.

The Tara Café in my hometown of Regensburg describes itself as "vegan, organic and fair"

http://www.taracafe-regensburg.de/english/main.html

But what does it mean to be vegan?

According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, the definition of vegan is:

"A strict vegetarian who consumes no food (such as meat, eggs, or dairy products) that comes from animals; also: one who abstains from using animal products (such as leather)."

Pretty simple, right? Hence being vegan means that one neither eats animals nor animal products.

So what are the advantages and disadvantages of a vegan diet?
I did quite some research on this and came up with a list of the most important pros and cons. It is crucial to acknowledge that these aspects might not apply to each and everyone, so take them with a grain of salt.

Pro

• By eating less saturated fats which can be found in dairy products and meats you can mainly improve your cardiovascular health.
• Through the lack of mentioned fats and also the lower calorie income there can be a tremendous weight loss.
• Vegans also tend to have a better digestion as the consumption of fibre occurs through 100% plant-based foods.
• The moral aspect is a huge reason for some people to go vegan because aren't all beings equal in the end?
• A huge benefit is the reduced risk of serious illnesses such as cancer, diabetes or arthritis. 
• Eating vegan is getting easier the more people do it. I notice it here in Germany as more and more vegan food is being produced and found in the supermarkets.
• Naturally, veganism is sustainable in the future as it only consists of plants and plants will more or less always grow.
• Following a vegan diet also leads to healthier skin as one doesn't consume dairy or other foods that are damaging your skin from the inside.
• Most vegans have more energy than non-vegans which is why some athletes have already converted to the diet.

You can find a very long list of benefits that really helped me here.

Con

• Being a vegan is not always easy because there is an abundance of foods that contain milk or eggs or animal products in general and finding one that is indeed vegan can sometimes be tricky.
• You might experience a lack of essential nutrients. Omega-3, iron as well as proteins are all nutrients found in animal products such as fish or red meat. Now, that doesn't mean that non-animal products don't have nutrients at all, it merely implies that those contain fewer nutrients and you have to ensure to still get enough at the end of the day.
• Many vegan products contain soy and whether this is good or bad for the body is still a wildly discussed topic.
• Of course just because someone is a vegan doesn't mean that that person automatically eats very healthily. There is a lot of junk food that is indeed vegan.
• Eating out can be very difficult as most restaurants don't offer vegan but only vegetarian options and bringing your own food to a place is still frowned upon.

Check out all the sources I used for my research!

https://www.vegansociety.com/

https://www.pushdoctor.co.uk/blog/pros-cons-of-being-vegan

http://www.nursingdegree.net/blog/19/57-health-benefits-of-going-vegan/

https://www.self.com/story/vegan-diet-pros-cons

https://www.thisisinsider.com/health-risks-going-vegan-unhealthy-2018-7

https://www.livestrong.com/article/482780-disadvantages-of-being-vegan/

Where can I get some vegan inspiration?
That is an excellent question. Now, there are a lot of accounts on Instagram and also YouTube that showcase a vegan lifestyle. They range from vegan diet-centred to a casually vegan lifestyle but also don't put the diet in the centre at all sometimes.

My personal favourite is Bonny Rebecca. She posts about various things on YouTube as well as Instagram that are connected to her veganism but aren't only about that topic. She is also very cute ^^

https://prettyuglylittleliar.net/topic/3364-bonny-rebecca/

Another one of my inspirations is Nika Erčulj. She used to be a beauty vlogger but has since become a lifestyle/poetry "guru". She is also from Slovenia which is a tiny country in Europe and I am pretty sure that ya'll don't know any other YouTuber from there.

https://www.facebook.com/NikaErcuIj/

Now, of course, there are also quite a few YouTubers who (almost) only make videos about veganism. A good example is Sadia from Pick Up Limes.

Other good YouTubers whose accounts you should definitely check out are:
Happyandhealthy96
FullyRawKristina

EllenFisher

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_MPTj2omIg
Ellen Fisher and her family

I love following vegan Instagram accounts as well because their photos always inspire me to cook and that really means a lot as I am one of the worse cooks that walk this earth.

One of the conspicuously most colourful and beautiful accounts belongs to Amy Shoesmith, also known as the_sunkissed_kitchen. Even if you're not vegan, Amy's Instagram will absolutely entice you.

@the_sunkissed_kitchen on Instagram

Another vegan Instagrammer includes Vegan Richa who posts recipes on her blog!

@veganricha on Instagram

If you are more interested in vegan pastries, you should head over to Lore Salas Instagram datesandavocados! Lore is a pastry chef who currently resides in London.

@datesandavocados on Instagram

More incredible Instagram accounts include:
Wendy and Jess from @foodheavenshow
@minimalistbaker
Angela Liddon from @ohsheglows
Edgar from @edgarraw
Bjonr from @rustic.vegan
Gaz Oakley from @avantgardevegan
Rachel from @plantbasedgeneration

@plantbasedgeneration on Instagram

Where can I find vegan recipes? 

There is a myriad of vegan cookbooks out there in primarily every language and a few of the YouTube and Instagram accounts I introduced to you also show you how to make your own vegan dish in next to no time! In addition to that, I found a few blogs that centre around veganism.

http://thevegan8.com/
Amy creates simple and easy to follow dishes for everyone like this "Vegan Lemon, Garlic And Thyme Pasta".

http://thevegan8.com/2018/09/18/vegan-lemon-garlic-and-thyme-pasta/

http://www.picklesnhoney.com/
The creator of the recipes at Pickles and Honey is culinary nutritionist Amanda who transforms our favourite recipes into vegan alternative recipes like this "No-Bake Vegan Oreo Cheesecake".

http://www.picklesnhoney.com/2017/10/17/no-bake-vegan-oreo-cheesecake/

https://www.thugkitchen.com/recipes
Here you'll find recipes like "Earl Grey French Toast". The people from the Thug Kitchen not only have a blog with recipes, but they also wrote three books and have their own podcast, all dedicated to veganism! You can buy the book here.

http://plantoptimised.com/product/thug-kitchen-eat-like-give-fuck/

http://www.isachandra.com/recipes/
Isa Chandra Moskowitz has not only published multiple books, but she also leads a vegan blog and has two restaurants on top of that as well! Vegans can really do it all. Purchase her first book here.

https://www.isachandra.com/book/vegan-with-a-vengeance-10th-anniversary-edition/

For all the vegan beginners out there I found a perfect book called "But I Could Never Go Vegan!" by Kristy Turner. You can your own copy here.

https://www.amazon.com/But-Could-Never-Go-Vegan/dp/1615192107

But nobody important is vegan, why should I go vegan?

You're definitely wrong there! I've already talked about all the benefits of going vegan, so there you have enough reasons to try it. And then there are so many celebrities who swear on veganism. One of the most prevalent is Miley Cyrus. She's been a vegan for years and even has a tattoo with the vegan sign. Her fiance Liam Hemsworth is also vegan.

https://twitter.com/peta/status/650136947936006145

https://www.reddit.com/r/QuotesPorn/duplicates/4c1tg6/after_all_the_information_i_gathered_about_the/

Woody Harrelson is another actor who has decided to live on a vegan diet. He talked about his lifestyle here.

https://www.livekindly.co/woody-harrelson-credits-vegan-diet-for-his-high-energy-levels/

More famous vegans include Ellen Page, Ariana Grande, Al Gore, Bryan Adams, Peter Dinklage and James Cameron. You'll be with the best company if you choose to go vegan.

If I actually go vegan, is there anything I can do to make it a bit easier, at least in the beginning?
Of course! I have some valuable tips for you to make the transition a bit easier.

1. Start simple! Don't try very hard recipes right at the beginning, start with something that has very few ingredients and is easy to make. Otherwise, you'll be discouraged to continue and that would definitely not be a good start.
2. Get a cookbook! You don't have to figure out everything by yourself, that'll just make it unnecessarily harder. Buy a cookbook or look up some recipes online.
3. Ask other vegans! They have already gone through what you are going through right now, they might have even faced the same problems. Just ask them for their secret tricks, recipes or favourite restaurants.
4. Do your research! You're out of food and have to go grocery shopping but you don't know what products are actually vegan? Look it up online before you buy anything, that'll make it way more comfortable than checking all the ingredients at the store. You can then also write your shopping list according to the information you found on the internet.
5. Slowly adapt to the vegan lifestyle! If you're a full-on meat eater but want to go vegan, it's a wise move to slowly transition and not all at once. You should consider going vegetarian (or even pescetarian) first and then after a certain amount of time go vegan because it will not only make it easier for you but also for your body. Going from eating everything to only plant-based food is a huge change which should not be taken lightly as it most certainly takes some adjusting. 

What's your opinion on veganism, Magdalena?
I think it's a great idea to go vegan, especially since I noticed that a vegetarian diet already benefits me a lot. I am not vegan myself, at least not yet, because it's merely too inconvenient at the moment. It's already a bit tricky to go out and find something vegetarian to eat, something vegan is even harder to find and I still live at home and when my mum cooks I don't want her to go the extra mile just to cook me something vegan. In the future, when I live alone and maybe also in a bigger town than now, I am actually quite apt to adopt the vegan lifestyle!

Well, that's it. I hope you gained a plethora of information through this post and are perhaps even considering going vegan yourself! Tell me what your opinion on veganism is! Are you a vegan, or maybe just a vegetarian like me?

Au revoir

magdalena