The art of journaling has found a fresh home among young adults
As summer reaches its peak in Oman and schools and colleges close for a long break, it is inevitably a time for a much deserved rest. But it is also a time to rejuvenate – both the body and the soul. At some point in the long break and unrelenting sun, try journaling.
Once viewed as a pastime for tweens, as we now know them, scribbling in secret diaries or public figures writing their memoirs, journaling today is an industry in itself. Thanks to many events like Covid, the focus on mental health and the pushback on technology, journaling is being re-interpreted as a calming and reflecting opportunity.
This is not a coincidence. Self-care, uncertainty of the future, whether professional or personal, and the need for moral clarity where there is little around us, are all factors pushing this trend to becoming a lifestyle for many. In that sense, it is actually a cultural shift.
There is inspiration from all corners of the world: US author-artist Julia Cameron's popular 'Morning Pages' started a trend that famous writers like Indian stand up comedian Vir Das recommends. The technique is to switch off from all distractions for an hour every morning and, well, just write. It is a literal brainstorming that could include thoughts, fears, hopes, motivation and even concrete plans. Das says that he writes up to 3 pages every day – that is a lot of daily reflection.
Journaling is actually restorative in our present world of incessant stimulations. The digital age, ironically, has made this old-fashioned trend revive. Social media is full of aesthetically pleasing journals, layouts and inspiring prompts. Popular hashtags include #bujo [bullet journaling] or #jounrnalinspiration, all showing ways for people to connect.
Journaling doesn't only use words – it can be a mixed method format of scrapbook, sketches and text, along with other forms like actual planning. This is popular among young adults because it allows them to be more authentic – not the perfect digital version that is the aspiration in much of social media.
As people navigate from one challenge and opportunity to another, journaling becomes a way to track goals, manage time and reflect on achievements and aspirations.
There is a format of journaling for everybody: a bullet form for those who think in terms of itemised ideas, gratitude forms to remind us of what we already have, even a feeling tracker format that charts changing emotions in particular days.
Journaling is now frequently recommended by counsellors and even neuroscientists who have found that writing by hand engages all the regions of the human brain that are involved in cognition, memory and reflection.
The best part of journaling is that it doesn't require any equipment – an old paper and pen can be basic and there is no limit to what can be added to it – beautiful scented books, pictures, colours or just plain words – the possibilities are endless. Encouraging youngsters around us to engage in journaling may offer them a space to clarify their thoughts, be creative and just be a place to be themselves.
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Observer
a day ago
- Observer
The art of journaling has found a fresh home among young adults
As summer reaches its peak in Oman and schools and colleges close for a long break, it is inevitably a time for a much deserved rest. But it is also a time to rejuvenate – both the body and the soul. At some point in the long break and unrelenting sun, try journaling. Once viewed as a pastime for tweens, as we now know them, scribbling in secret diaries or public figures writing their memoirs, journaling today is an industry in itself. Thanks to many events like Covid, the focus on mental health and the pushback on technology, journaling is being re-interpreted as a calming and reflecting opportunity. This is not a coincidence. Self-care, uncertainty of the future, whether professional or personal, and the need for moral clarity where there is little around us, are all factors pushing this trend to becoming a lifestyle for many. In that sense, it is actually a cultural shift. There is inspiration from all corners of the world: US author-artist Julia Cameron's popular 'Morning Pages' started a trend that famous writers like Indian stand up comedian Vir Das recommends. The technique is to switch off from all distractions for an hour every morning and, well, just write. It is a literal brainstorming that could include thoughts, fears, hopes, motivation and even concrete plans. Das says that he writes up to 3 pages every day – that is a lot of daily reflection. Journaling is actually restorative in our present world of incessant stimulations. The digital age, ironically, has made this old-fashioned trend revive. Social media is full of aesthetically pleasing journals, layouts and inspiring prompts. Popular hashtags include #bujo [bullet journaling] or #jounrnalinspiration, all showing ways for people to connect. Journaling doesn't only use words – it can be a mixed method format of scrapbook, sketches and text, along with other forms like actual planning. This is popular among young adults because it allows them to be more authentic – not the perfect digital version that is the aspiration in much of social media. As people navigate from one challenge and opportunity to another, journaling becomes a way to track goals, manage time and reflect on achievements and aspirations. There is a format of journaling for everybody: a bullet form for those who think in terms of itemised ideas, gratitude forms to remind us of what we already have, even a feeling tracker format that charts changing emotions in particular days. Journaling is now frequently recommended by counsellors and even neuroscientists who have found that writing by hand engages all the regions of the human brain that are involved in cognition, memory and reflection. The best part of journaling is that it doesn't require any equipment – an old paper and pen can be basic and there is no limit to what can be added to it – beautiful scented books, pictures, colours or just plain words – the possibilities are endless. Encouraging youngsters around us to engage in journaling may offer them a space to clarify their thoughts, be creative and just be a place to be themselves.
Observer
5 days ago
- Observer
Ancient Myanmar ball game battles for survival in troubled nation
Mastering control of the rising and falling rattan chinlone ball teaches patience, says a veteran of the traditional Myanmar sport -- a quality dearly needed in the long-suffering nation. "Once you get into playing the game you forget everything," says 74-year-old Win Tint. "You concentrate only on your touch and you concentrate only on your style." Chinlone is Myanmar's national game and dates back centuries. Branded a blend of sport and art, it is often played to music and is typically practised differently by men and women. This photo taken on May 8, 2025 show a man weaving cane into a chinlone ball, used in the ancient Myanmar game considered a blend between sport and art, at a workshop in Hinthada township in the Irrawaddy delta region. Mastering control of the rising and falling rattan chinlone ball teaches patience, says a veteran of the traditional Myanmar sport -- a quality dearly needed in the long-suffering nation. - To go with 'MYANMAR-SPORT-CULTURE-CONFLICT-CHINLONE,FOCUS' by Lynn MYAT and Hla-Hla HTAY (Photo by Sai Aung MAIN / AFP) / To go with 'MYANMAR-SPORT-CULTURE-CONFLICT-CHINLONE,FOCUS' by Lynn MYAT and Hla-Hla HTAY Male teams in skimpy shorts stand in a circle using stylised strokes of their feet, knees and heads to pass the ball in a game of "keepy-uppy", with a scoring system impenetrable to outsiders. Women play solo like circus performers -- kicking the ball tens of thousands of times per session while walking tightropes, twirling umbrellas and perching on chairs balanced atop beer bottles. Teen prodigy Phyu Sin Phyo hones her skills at the court in Yangon, toe-bouncing a burning ball while spinning a hula-hoop -- also on fire. "I play even when I am sick," says the 16-year-old. "It is important to be patient to become a good chinlone player." But play has plunged in recent years, with the Covid-19 pandemic followed by the 2021 military coup and subsequent civil war. Poverty rates are shooting up and craftsmen face increasing problems sourcing materials to make balls. But the rising and falling rhythm of the game offers its practitioners a respite. "When you hear the sound of kicking the ball it's like music," Win Tint, vice-chairman of the Myanmar Chinlone Federation, told AFP. "So when you play chinlone, you feel like dancing." - 'Play day is happy' - Different versions of the hands-free sport known as "caneball" are widely played across Southeast Asia. In Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia players kick and head the ball over a net in the volleyball-style "sepak takraw". In Laos it is known as "kataw" while Filipinos play "sipa" -- meaning kick. In China, people kicking around weighted shuttlecocks in parks is a common sight. Myanmar's iteration dates back 1,500 years, according to popular belief. Some cite a French archaeologist's discovery of a replica silver chinlone ball at a pagoda built in the Pyu era of 200 BC to 900 AD. It was initially practised as a casual pastime, a fitness activity and for royal entertainment. But in 1953 the game was given rules and a scoring system, as part of an effort to codify Myanmar's national culture after independence from Britain. This photo taken on May 13, 2025 shows players taking part in a game of the traditional Myanmar sport of chinlone at a court in Yangon. Mastering control of the rising and falling rattan chinlone ball teaches patience, says a veteran of the traditional Myanmar sport -- a quality dearly needed in the long-suffering nation. - To go with 'MYANMAR-SPORT-CULTURE-CONFLICT-CHINLONE,FOCUS' by Lynn MYAT and Hla-Hla HTAY (Photo by Sai Aung MAIN / AFP) / To go with 'MYANMAR-SPORT-CULTURE-CONFLICT-CHINLONE,FOCUS' by Lynn MYAT and Hla-Hla HTAY "No one else will preserve Myanmar's traditional heritage unless the Myanmar people do it," said player Min Naing, 42. Despite the conflict, players still gather under motorway overpasses, around street lamps blighted with wartime blackouts and on dedicated chinlone courts -- often ramshackle open-sided metal sheds with concrete floors. "For a chinlone man, the day he plays is always a happy day. I am happy, and I sleep well at night," says Min Naing. "On the days I don't play it, I feel I am missing something." - 'Respect the chinlone' - But Win Tint is concerned that participation rates are falling. "I worry about this sport disappearing," says master chinlone ball maker Pe Thein, toiling in a sweltering workshop in Hinthada, 110 kilometres (70 miles) northwest of Yangon. "That's the reason we are passing it on through our handiwork." Cross-legged men shave cane into strips, curve them with a hand crank and deftly weave them into a melon-sized ball with pentagonal holes, boiled in a vat of water to seal its strength. "We check our chinlone's quality as if we're checking diamonds or gemstones," adds the 64-year-old Pe Thein. "As we respect the chinlone, it respects us back." This photo taken on May 8, 2025 shows Mg Kaw, owner of a production workshop for chinlone balls, used in the ancient Myanmar game considered a blend between sport and art, in Hinthada township in the Irrawaddy delta region. Mastering control of the rising and falling rattan chinlone ball teaches patience, says a veteran of the traditional Myanmar sport -- a quality dearly needed in the long-suffering nation. - To go with 'MYANMAR-SPORT-CULTURE-CONFLICT-CHINLONE,FOCUS' by Lynn MYAT and Hla-Hla HTAY (Photo by Sai Aung MAIN / AFP) / To go with 'MYANMAR-SPORT-CULTURE-CONFLICT-CHINLONE,FOCUS' by Lynn MYAT and Hla-Hla HTAY Each ball takes around two hours to make and earns business-owner Maung Kaw $2.40 apiece. But supplies of the best-quality rattan he covets from nearby Rakhine are dwindling. There is fierce fighting in the state between the military and opposition groups that now control almost all of it. Farmers are too fearful to plunge into the jungle battleground to cut cane, says Maung Kaw, endangering his profession. "It should not be that we have players but no chinlone makers," says the 72-year-old. "I want to work as well as I can for as long as I can." —AFP
Muscat Daily
31-05-2025
- Muscat Daily
The Rising Stars Concert 2025 showcases varied cultural talent
Over 90 performers participated in The Rising Stars Concert 2025, including young musicians, vocalists and dancers, at Al Bustan Palace hotel auditorium in Muscat on May 17 The Rising Stars Concert 2025, held at Al Bustan Palace hotel auditorium on May 17 was yet another example of the flood of young cultural talent that thrives in Oman, holding great promise for themselves as well as the sultanate in future years. The concert featured more than 90 young performers under the age of 21 and was organised by the Dar Al Atta'a Let's Read Programme and the Play Tunes Institute of Music. H E G V Srinivas, the Indian Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman, was the guest of honour at the colourful event which showcased the abilities of children in varied genres of music and dance. In view of the astounding success of the event last year as well as this year, Let's Read and Play Tunes have now decided to make this concert an annual event. On the popularity of entries for the concert, Thanae Pachiyannaki, general manager of Play Tunes Institute of Music, said, 'Once the request had gone out to schools and music institutes, the Play Tunes Institute received more than one hundred and ten video auditions online. Due to the enormous amount of talent, it was extremely difficult to choose which acts would participate in the concert. Live auditions were held and, ultimately, more than 90 children were involved in the show. This was the second Rising Stars show and it just seems to be getting bigger and better every year.' Jane Jaffer, founder of the Dar Al Atta'a Let's Read Programme, said, 'The Rising Stars Concert not only gives children an opportunity to showcase their great musical talents and perform in a professional environment, in front of a large audience, it also helps raise funds for the Maktabati Mobile Library Bus. She further said, 'The money raised from the concert will enable Let's Read to buy children's books, in English and Arabic, for the mobile library.' Jane went on to express gratitude to Play Tunes for putting on such a great show, to Al Bustan Palace hotel for hosting the concert, and to the generous sponsors of the event. 'As part of our Community Footprints programme, Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel, was honoured to host the Rising Stars Concert for the second time, supporting the Let's Read Program by Dar Al Atta'a,' Talal Al Hashmi, director of Operations said. 'Rooted in The Ritz-Carlton's founding commitment to being supportive members of our communities. This event reflects our dedication to creating a brighter future for children – a core focus of our Education Pillar. By opening our doors to this inspiring initiative, we helped nurture young musical talent and encourage a love for reading. Through genuine care for our community, we strive to be a catalyst for positive change – making the places where we live, work, and visit better for future generations.' The show was presented by Maya Sultan, a TAISM student, who was the emcee. She said, 'It was exciting to be the emcee for the Rising Stars Concert. This is a great event that fundraises for a cause that is very close to my heart. I remember my 7th birthday, having the Maktabati Mobile Library Bus at my birthday party and asking all the children to donate books to Maktabati instead of buying me a gift. It was one of my favourite birthdays.' Dana Al Balushi, aged 12 years, opened the show, with a fabulous vocal performance. She was accompanied by the Tunes Jazz Band. Dana said, 'I'm so grateful to have the chance to perform in the Rising Stars Concert every year. It's honestly the most special and honourable part of my singing journey. I love being able to share my passion for music on stage, and it means so much to perform alongside so many other talented kids. Every time I step on that stage, I feel inspired to grow and do my best!' Zain Hakim, an accomplished pianist, wrote, 'The second I heard about the Rising Stars Concert, I knew directly that I wanted to be a part of it. So, I worked every day on my song. I just wanted to perform and shine on stage, to be a rising star for a few minutes. It was an amazing experience and for sure I will do it again next year.' One of the star performers, Mariam Ascona, sang an operatic piece from Carmen by the composer, Biset. She said, 'Despite starting my singing career as a classical singer at the age of seven, I didn't think I would be able to perform before a huge crowd, much less in a nerve-wracking setting surrounded by talented students, especially in a style requiring years of practice. Something about this event has taught me something I can never forget – everyone around the world possesses a unique magic in their culture, talent and themselves. Positivity is a strong force.' Safia Mawany, a parent of one of the singers in the Royal Flight School Choir, which performed at the show, said, 'Congratulations for the roaring success of a concert! What talent and what a delight to be part of the audience. Thank you for a wonderful, inspiring evening and feeding the children with ambition and drive to be creative and showcase their talents!' One of the singers in the Royal Flight School Choir, Sariya al Lawati, aged 10 years, said, 'It was a great experience. I loved singing with the Royal Flight School Choir. Next year I hope to sing a duet with my best friend. I am really excited!' Thanae added, 'Another successful year for the Rising Stars. It was an honour to see such young, talented children perform and for them to be given the opportunity to take music as a career. Their passion and hard work was showcased, and I am so glad that Tunes and the Dar Al Atta'a Let's Read Programme gave them the opportunity they deserve to perform.'
