I do not think that I can define the word ‘culture’. It is a word with a very complicated meaning. Cultures differ not only between various countries, but also within a country. India for example has so many different cultures. Every culture has a set of beliefs which differ from others. Based on these beleifs people either get along or don’t get along. Arranged marriages are very popular in our country. It is done so that in the future there aren’t any problems between families. It is another story whether the boy and girl gel or not.

It is interesting to study about different cultures and know more about each one. If you take a close look and different cultures and compare them you will find a few similarities. Even between the East and West. I really do not know where each culture has come from. Maybe thousands of years ago somebody had made a few rules for his family and that is now a culture. It is fascinating how similar people of a particular culture behave and how different they are from those of a different one.

I am not against each culture having a set of beliefs but it shouldn’t get in the way of living peacefully. These days I find that Westerners are fascinated with the Indian culture. They come all the way here just to study it and people here are fascinated with the culture there. One place where I have seen people from various countries is Dubai. I call it the cosmopolitan city. People speak different languages, wear different kinds of clothes, are of different religions and beliefs. It is truly amazing to see all these people living there in peace. This shows that even people with different beliefs can exist in the same place minus the bad vibes. Instead of fighting for your values and beliefs, it is a lot more fun to study other cultures and learn something from them.

Can you imagine a month without watching television? There was a time when possessing a television used to be a luxury but now it seems to be a necessity. Everyone seems to have at least one. They’re no longer found only in houses but also in buses, cars and who knows where else.

With the increasing number of channels no one can say that they are bored. Television has more positive effects than negative ones. It serves as a stress reliever. People usually come home after a hard days work and unwind in front of the television. It is also informative and it targets the masses. There are so many news channels that you can have your pick, you are always well informed about what’s happening around the world. There are cartoon channels for children so if you are busy all you have to do is to tune into a cartoon channel which will keep a child engrossed for hours.

Movies, music, sports and serials name it and it’s there on television. Think of life before television and after it. Some may say that television has ruined enjoying the simple things in life but I think it has made life better. If television has ruined anything then why do people continue watching it?

If school wasn’t compulsory then we would be a nation with uneducated people. I used to find school extremely boring and wanted to graduate when I was in class 5. I am sure if it were left up to most children in India they wouldn’t want to go to school. I do feel school should be made compulsory at least up to a certain grade.

In our country, people literally count the number of degrees they have. If you have noticed most Multi national companies require you to have gotten a certain percentage in a particular educational field before even considering you for a job. There are a high number of unemployed people but there are also many job openings which have come up most of which require a basic degree.

If you say that many people have dropped out of school and still made it big you are not wrong but it is a very small number.

People who have made a name for themselves have worked their way up and do have a degree. I do not see any harm in slogging for 16 years of your life and living comfortably with a decent income for the rest of it.

Maybe if schools in India were more fun, children would like attending classes regularly and there wouldn’t be the need of compulsory attendance.

Space exploration is no more an alien concept. After the Second World War there have been advancement in science and technology of rocket design, construction, and flight which enabled space travelers to explore the moon and other planets.

Many unknown facts were discovered. Nations work together to complete joint missions and this promotes peace between countries. It is also very intriguing and pushes man to learn more about the mysteries of space, because of this man has come up with so many new technologies which has in turn made work and life simpler. It has become a very important part of our daily lives. Satellites are used for communication, to carry out biological experiments, navigation, to study the atmosphere and much more.

Space exploration is considered to be one of the greatest achievements of the 20^th century

If there was no such thing as recycling, perhaps the world would be one big junk yard by now. A lot of hard work goes into recycling. Its not an easy task to collect waste, manufacture it, make it into something useful and then create a market for the recycled product. It takes more than a few people to carry out the entire recycling process. The most difficult part of recycling is probably collecting waste. Its tedious and requires a lot of time and energy.

The benefits are innumerous, it helps get rid of so much waste. Also recycled products require a very low capital investment, this encourages companies to get into the recycling business. These days people have become more aware about the environment and prefer buying environment friendly products. It also ensures a cleaner and healthier place to live in. Paper, cans and plastic usually top the list of products that are recycled.

It is not a one time process, recycled products can be recycled again. There is no end to this cycle. Even in India people have become aware and are trying to promote recylced paper, glasses, etc. and many organisations have taken it upon themselves to promote these products.

It is one activity that can be done by anyone as no special skills are required to do so. Recycling should be promoted in a big way in order to get more people involved. It would probably solve only five percent of the world’s problems but solving something is better than solving nothing

As I travelled back in time, everything seemed so unfamiliar to me. It was at that time when fishing was perhaps the only source of livelihood. There were men in white robes, the women were covered from head to toe with only their eyes to be seen, camels, blacksmiths, fishermen, huts, boats and vast deserts. I felt very out of place and knew that all eyes were on me, but nobody said a word. At a distance I saw a deer and a fox, who did not seem to see each other and were both very still. I walked through the desert and saw a few shepherds sitting around a bonfire, probably exchanging stories about their adventures. There were stalls with embroidered garments. The schools were very small. As I kept walking I saw beautiful palaces and towering mosques which I was very tempted to enter. The part I loved the most was diving under water along with divers who had gone underwater to collect pearls. It was time for me to travel back to where I had started out. On my way back home all I could think about were the various sights I had seen at the Dubai museum which is the best museum that I have seen till now.

I’ve almost finished reading this book and absolutely love it. The way Jhumpa has narrated these short stories are so simple yet so interesting. Each story is so different from the other which makes the book a great read. I’ve watched the movie ‘Namesake’ based on her previous book and loved that as well. Anyway, back to this book, it takes you from Calcutta to the States and back to Calcutta. A mix of the wonderful culture of West Bengal and life in the USA.

These days television is all about reality shows, be it dance or singing contests, Bigg Boss, Big Brother, reality dating shows and the list goes on. But do people ever get tired of these shows? I’ve heard people say “Not another reality show” but we all still watch them. Personally I enjoy watching them. Its just like the numerous number of serials and soaps that we have, only this is real.

Weirdest thing I’ve seen on a reality show: The host (a woman) slaps a contestant (a guy) which was supposed to be a part of the show and he in turn slaps her back, which apparently wasn’t a part of the show. She looked shocked and even more shocking, a news channel played the scene over and over again. I’m not sure if everything is just an act for TRPs.

Another dance show is more like a battlefield where people hurl abuses at each other and perhaps hurl things as well. Do people actually watch the show for the dance or for the extra entertainment that comes out of the show? Then there are shows which bring out the political side and racism and what not. Issues that are not talked about much otherwise.

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Sheer bliss

Lone chairs

Simply simple

Heaven

Eerily Beautiful

Swallowed

picture perfect

I’ve always wondered what makes a picture stand out? The subject? Or the photographer? Here are some really cool pictures I’ve taken off the net, but definitely worth a look if not more!

A HAND FACE

IS THIS FOR REAL?

I WISH I KNEW HOW IT WOULD FEEL TO BE FREE

COOL YOUR FEET

BRILLIANT WORK

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

SO SIMPLE YET SO LOVELY