Open-minds open hearts

On the last weekend of ski season at Flumserberg, I among a few others, sought the opportunity to hone snowboarding skills further on a bright sunny day. Turning, and gliding are two aspects of snowboarding that form the crux of the sport. Turning taught me control while in motion, while I understand that gliding helps to accelerate between turns. As a beginner, learning to turn either way posed the bigger challenge than gliding, for turning involves actively shifting body weight from side to side causing the snowboard and hence oneself to turn. While for an observer, this might seem seamless and simple, for a snowboarder it involves maintaining a delicate balance between either leaning backward or forward during the turn and keeping a reasonable pace. I, a fledgling, constantly struggled to keep a good balance and pace while turning, which are essential for consistent and smooth motion. My line of sight stayed glued on the area of slope near my board, with almost negligent view of ...

Prologue: Naruto is a well known Japanese animation series, and is also the name of protagonist. Naruto, at birth is infused with a 'bijuu' or a large amount of self-conscious energy. This energy is such that, it manifests as a being within its host or 'jinchuriki', with its discrete identity. It constantly questions and rejects the acknowledge its host to whom its tied with life i.e., both the 'bijuu' and the 'jinchuuriki' cease to exist without each other.  The host draws energy from the hosted in times of need as a temporary boost leading to a constant clash between their personalities to dominate one another. The 'bijuu' seeks to seize every opportunity at hand to takeover jinchuriki's mind. While jinchuriki has to learn to tame the bijuu with reason, and not force, to not only preserve his identity but also to seamlessly access the unlimited power of the bijuu with its consent. Therefore, a delicate and lasting balance has to be...