Nah! My nights are usually not sleepless. I sleep very well at night, considering my age and the amount and type of work that I do. The closest analogy I can give is the character of Private Jackson (the Sniper) in Saving Private Ryan. The night before the final battle of the movie, with a couple of hours or less to go, his crew was busy talking and couldn’t sleep while Private Jackson was fast asleep. They decided the only reason he can do that is ‘clear conscience’. For those who don’t remember the scene from the movie, I have a link here:
So I am not going to talk about any sleepless nights, but as I write this note, it is late at night, as my editorial board is ‘screwing up’! :) I am watching a TV show, which is very rare for me. I am watching Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy. It is a travel food show about Tucci traveling to different parts of Italy and eating local food. I am watching the second episode: Rome! As an Italian himself, Tucci has the right amount of blend of local, and American elements. The show has amazing music, beautiful visuals, and Tucci’s amazing voice. It is simply mesmerizing. In the end, he went to a Japanese Chef’s place to eat a perfect pasta. It is a pasta with only three ingredients, cacio e pepe, literally “cheese and pepper” and pasta of course. The perfect and simply the best simplistic pasta in Rome is made by Kotaro Noda of Bistro64! Whether it is the best or not, can be anyone’s judgment, but a native Italian praising a Japanese chef’s classic and basic Italian recipe standing in the heart of Rome is something that swells! I haven’t been to Bistro64, but I do plan on visiting the place the next time I will be there!
Tucci also talks about Romans are not wealthy, so they always tried to make the best with the simplest and the left-over unwanted cuts of food and meat, and they didn’t just make a good food out of it, they made the best. Their food is like poetry! Isn’t that what we are supposed to do at hive?
“If Pasta is the first pillar of Roman food, the astonishing use of awful is definitely the second. Somehow poor Romans have turned these unpromising cuts into sheer culinary poetry.” …. Stanley Tucci, Searching for Italy
In this timely satire, Blanchy points out some age-old social tendencies that are not only exclusive to hive blockchain but also true to almost all ways of life where people have the means to draw attention to themselves. However, we live in an era of social media pandemic and we are way too used to seeing these phenomenons on social media each and every day. Kudos to 
Author
We are also delighted to announce two honorable mentions of the week.
| Authors | Highlights |
|---|---|
 @kingobonnaya | Equal love |
| - | - |
 @inthenow | Beyond The Black |
You cannot see the stars anymore, nor the pitch-black darkness that blankets all around you, letting you know it's time to rest. That's how city nights are.
You may think that I'm one of those people who'd just cut off from civilization, live in a place closer to a forest or in a village to see the stars and enjoy the crickets chips. In truth, I'm one of those who can want all that for 2 weeks at most. But on the third week, I'd go back to where I am from.
Everyone is writing about the "Sleepless Night", while I had no sleep yesterday. If it was any other time, I'd be carefree about it. But the reality is that a sleepless night right now is a "peach" whose company I only enjoy during weekends and government holidays. Even then, it's not something I look forward to. How the time changes and how with time, your preference and priorities change too. Now, I have to wake up every morning from Saturday to Thursday to go to the office and do work that I don't particularly enjoy. Even though I have a love-annoyed relationship with the night, I'd still stay up and enjoy that and suffer through a headache during my office frequently. Oh, I remember how I used to enjoy not sleeping at night. Honestly, I'm in my own personal hell where I burn, and there's no other way - that's how the day feels like.
There's no absolute reason as to why I prefer the night. My lifestyle before the office was to sleep when I prefer, eat when I prefer, and do what I want, and all of that I preferred to do at night. It's the silence that I feel connected with, such as a magnet that pulls me toward it; the darkness soothes down all the hassle of the day but keeps me silent company. I can watch movies and series, listen to music, play games, and/or read books. I'm the emperor of my own kingdom. My thoughts don't bother me too much at night as they do during the days, but some horrible realization does occur during the odd hours. It also happens that just moments before going to sleep, my brain suddenly comes up with amazing, thoughtful lines or ideas, which leaves me a moment later, leaving me agitated throughout the night - and those are some agonizing nights.
Life before the job and after the job is different. Now, the things that I love doing, I cannot do anymore. I cannot stay up late any longer than 2 am. I can eat whatever I want to but not whenever. There's a certain routine I need to follow, and I hate following routines. And let's not forget how much toll your face takes when you haven't slept. Your appearance matter, and if you look like a zombie, people will raise questions. Say bye bye to silence my dear friend.
I might be histrionic due to my sleep-deprived state. Who wouldn't be, when you are sleepless and have a 9-hour shift, and it's the first day of the workweek. While I wouldn't mind my sleeplessness on any other night, it's the start of the working week. I hate it, even though the blame is all on me as I was binge-watching a series till 3 am and was reluctant to leave last night.
The struggles of life, to do things you want to or not do for your own sake, it's a hard bargain. You'd wish that life stayed the same, but it changes, and we adapt, much to our dismay.
I guess I relish sleepless nights; it's the sleep-deprived state of the day which I would desperately avoid.
Sleepless nights and I go a long way back. From when I was about fifteen, this endless cycle of mine began, and I found myself staying up with the moon and going to sleep as the sun came up.
I'm not saying it's a healthy habit. Because this habit has left me feeling sleep deprived for as long as I can remember, but it's been a long enough time for me to know that letting go of it will be a hassle that'll cost me
a lot in the future. I
For as long as I can remember, my sleepless nights have always been rather lonely. There are some nights that I've spent in great delight, in the company of people I adore and cherish. But overall, If I have to do the math, then those numbers will amount to nothing against the times I've spent my time all alone, mainly doing nothing but stare at the cold dark ceiling of my bedroom.
I won't say these nights are always spent without doing much, no. Because most of my good pieces of written words came out from lonely nights like these, and I don't regret those times at all.
Then there are just times... Times when this feeling of being alone gets too much to bear. When the clock seems to slow down and the nights strech out into eternities as you stay awake for what it seems like forever. Because a mind that isn't occupied is a mind that is haunted. And my demons haunt me best when I'm left with nothing to do. Sadly, the number of times I'm left with nothing to do is also quite significant...
But these days, my nights have gained somewhat of a colour. I have a bunch of new friends. And one of them tends to keep me company through my loneliest hours. The times I spent staring at my ceiling feel like a concept from the past now. Cause these days, my nights are spent watching weird documentaries videos and talking about life with a person sitting behind the screen.
It's comforting, in a way. To know that there is someone out there who is somewhat as lonely as me, and through me, has also found a way to not be totally alone anymore. It's comforting to know someone is there to talk about useless things and get into mindless discussions.
It's comforting, to know that someone is there, and for them, I too, am there, to say, at every step that —
And when you're feeling lost, I will be there too...."
Usually, a sleepless night would remind me of the struggling phases of my life. Depression, anxiety, guilt and all the other disastrous stages I crossed had made my sleep a gone case back then. To me, the issue wasn't staying awake at night; it was the loss of peace I had suffered before sleeping. Generally, I am a person who loves to sleep. Even though my sleep cycle wasn't the most healthy, I still loved everything about a night of proper sound sleep.
There are countless nights reflecting before me to write on. The realization of how you've lost track of your career, or of how your dreams have died, or your struggle with an unexpected breakup can be the reasons to encounter these nights. But no, I am not going to talk about these here and spoil the mood by remembering them. Let's move on to the delighted moments.
I want to remember my sleepless nights with the joyful moments I spent with my friends. Nights when we walked through the roads of an unknown city just to taste our freedom like a nocturnal. Moments of singing on the rooftop when the whole city slept under us. Back in my college life, there is a memory when I went out of my comfort zone and participated in the "Math Olympiad" at the divisional level. I had to travel to another city where I, with the new friend I made from my college, wandered around a completely new city from midnight to sunrise, just because we had boarded a train that took us to our destination around 3 am. That's a memory of mine where I built a fantastic friendship that is still going strong to this day.
So, even though the topic Sleepless Nights might be carrying some unwanted memories for me, I want to bury them with the pleasant ones I have and keep doing it over and over again.
I am lying awake; my own soul is tormenting me, and my eyelids feel heavy, yet I can't close them. My mind is like a maze; I can't find my way around it when I lie in bed, tears noiselessly gliding down my cheeks. I can wake up at dawn and feel refreshed and happy, but I haven't seen the sunrise in the last few years. However, it never happens. I rarely wake up in the morning because I rarely sleep at night.
I couldn't sleep again tonight. For two days in a row, I could not even close my eyes. Even if I sleep, all I feel is restless. Why can't I sleep? I don't know the answer. I tried to sleep but to no avail. Do I have to go to the doctor's? Why do I feel that way? Why can't I sleep in peace? I guess it must be because I always think a lot before going to bed.
You know I'm an over-thinker, and for that, I hate myself; I hate myself so much for always thinking negatively. I hate it when I always think she might not love me the way I love her. I don't know why I think of her so much. She always revolves around in mind but does she ever think about me? Maybe she thinks, but not as much as me. I wasn't aware of what was happening lately. I'm scared of losing her; I'm scared we might not be able to be more than lovers. I've always been scared of these thoughts that keep me awake at night. Not just tonight, but every night.
I still remember the last time she said that her family had chosen another boy for her. At that moment, my heart sank. I couldn't even believe my ears. It's tough to be in a long-distance relationship initially; it gets more complicated in the middle. I had to convince myself that one day everything would work out for the two of us, that we would be together forever. But hearing this news, I lost confidence. However, I know I have to keep my posture and stay in my place. I can't give up on her and our relationship. I will not give up. I will not leave her alone in this cruel society because she won't be able to make it out.
But why am I always thinking about it? Why can't I be like a normal boy who doesn't overthink? Why aren't my nights peaceful? Why do I squirm every night? Why can't I keep myself calm and just sleep? These sleepless nights only keeps me tired the next day.
Long nights come following the longer days. Darkness seizes upon the horizon; the angel of sleep grabs our eyes; brings us to the world of dreams. Sleeping is a blessing upon us. Unfortunately, many face problems getting a sound sleep. In our urban or modern lifestyle, it is a common phenomenon at present.
Not only a number of health issues but also numerous mental factors are interrelated with the sleep cycle of our life. Pills, meditation, motivation and what not; people willing to take them do to get relief from these. However, I am not a doctor or an expert who can tell the medical and psychological factors behind it. Instead, I want to draw your attention towards something different.
Generally, we consider sleepless nights as worthless. But there is an amazing hidden side to the whole story, which most people overlook. I wonder about the poets whose sleepless nights brought the best of poetry. Novelists that brought terrific stories or the night birds who loved to sing without any reason.
Many spend sleepless night due to their job or the timing of it. Moreover, I've seen people wandering around and enjoying their sleepless nights. When I was at my University Dorm, our days were like dreams and the nights were nothing like anything. Let me tell you.
One of my friends was a singer of folk songs. I remember spending many nights listening to his songs and flute; you can imagine several young folks sitting in a circle and the Adda growing as time passed. The dorm rooftop was my favourite place to spend time when I used to have any problem with sleep.
My sleepless nights discovered the poet inside me beneath the clear sky, white clouds that move slowly under that moonlit night. It gave me the time to think, re-think, de-think about myself and the actions I make. Some wise man once said you should make the best out of it even it is the worst one.
Who says sleepless nights aren't the thing that can be enjoyable? Not true, my friend. Try not to panic about your sleeping issues. Give it some time. Try to enjoy it; do some productive work; give yourself a calm ambience to think about any stress you are in.
I guess I should stop here. This night is also getting older and older.
Sweet dreams!
Champions League nights are always special. And in this part of the world, the live broadcasting of the Champions League are always on midnights. It's a competition that brings the whole world together. Billions of people root for their club to win, and in the meantime, taste the delight and thrill that football brings. After all, who doesn't want to win the most prestigious title in the football world of Europe?
David beating Goliath is a ubiquitous sight here. And that fear of losing, that just gets to you. No one wants to lose and be made fun of. It's this inner fear that keeps the players going, giving their best to stay in the game. It's also this fear that keeps the fans going.
We always see players giving their all on the field, but how often do we pay attention to the stands, where thousands of fans sing their hearts out, making the stadium a hell on earth for the opposing team. And in truth, sometimes, it's that extra boost, that little encouragement given from fans is all that it takes to do the unthinkable. So home games in the Champions League. The buildup to these games are like no other. People wait for weeks or months for these games to start. And when the waited day arrives, everyone faces emotional thrill and excitement surges. I've seen a lot of people passionately thinking about what would happen if their team lost and how they'd face their family and friends after that. It's the same for the players too. They, too, fear facing others if the burden of failure falls on them. It's hard.
This is a very emotional game. As unrealistic as it sounds, it is actually true. People cry over the Champions League. People laugh, leap with joy, and crumble in sorrow and fear because of this. If you don't know what I'm talking about, try tuning in to the top games, such as the Champion Leagues finals, the World Cup finals, or quarter-finals or semi-finals. You'll see how contrasting the situation is on both sides. People have a hard time shaking off the thrill they feel after every game. People celebrate with their friends and family if they win, and in some parts of the world, the celebration goes on all night long. And on the losing side, you will find people who cry to sleep, or sometimes can't sleep at all, after being so close to the finish line. This is why football is so devastatingly beautiful.
The emotions are similar in this south Asian part of the world too. Maybe they are not on par with the European countries, but we still have our own flair. People here also do a great deal in following their club. Even if the games are broadcasted late at night, we fanatics still stay up, disregarding our much-needed rest, just to smile and celebrate with our favourite set of athletes. And these short moments of excitement are worth all of the hassles.
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