Sunday, August 1, 2010

Happy Friendship Day!!!



Friendship isn't always easily described. The Eskimos, they say, have a hundred different words for snow. Unfortunately, the English language isn't quite as innovative, though it has vast opportunities to differentiate meaning. Certainly, Love is one of those opportunities. And so, too, is Friendship.

Lets raise a toast to friendship!!! Friends have no relation of blood,they can be different and yet so similar.If friendship was the base of every relation,we would be blessed. I sure am blessed cause my parents are like my best friends and I'm also lucky to have a couple of true friends.Through each phase of life I've made best friends.They are like angles,who come in our lives to share our joy and troubles with us.Cheers to all my angles,without whom I wouldn't have been what I am now.


The origin of friendships day dates back to 1935 when the US Congress decided to have a day to celebrate this special bond.Though nobody knows why exactly was this thought of,but a little research tells us that maybe the First World War had a huge impact. The First World War ended in late 1918,but the fear,the hatred and the mistrust was still lingering in the minds of the people.So the US Congress declared that the first Sunday should be celebrated as friendships day.The trouble wasn't only between people,there was so much mistrust and tension among the nations which was a perfect recipe for another World War.Isn't it so true,such a day was thought upon after the Great War!! Even in todays times,we may not face any wars but all the problems one can have,friends are the perfect solution to all of them.Then in 1997 Winnie the Pooh was declared as the World's Ambassador for friendship by the UN.




Friends are important in all our lives.We cannot choose our family or our colleagues,but we can always choose our friends.They say we can judge someone by his friends,so true.My best buddies are my treasure,whom i can show off at all times.Not that they are good looking,or rich,or successful,or famous,or they are geniuses,sure they have some of these qualities,but they are great people.Everyone can always point at them and say she/he is a good guy.They have their faults,but so do I.Thats what the bond is about.I feel my best friends are like my soul mates who can understand my silence and see through my smile all the pain I'm hiding.Life wouldn't be the same without you all,I wouldn't be the same without you. Thank you to all my friends for being who you are!! You Rock!!



Let me leave you with an awesome poem by Heather Stoop,which perfectly depicts the friendships we share,separated by miles but connected my hearts.
Between The Miles
Because existence can become severe
in one day,
just sense me and I'll be there.
In the minds eye,
I'm not so far away.
If you hold out your hand,
in the whispers,
I'll become the zephyr.
and besiege you.
If your eye's upon the stars,
in the crystalline darkness,
I'll become the moon.
And the light shall guide you.
If you rest upon the ground,
in the warmth,
I'll become the grass.
And embrace you.
If you turn outside,
in the wetness,
I'll become the rain.
An upon your forehead, kiss you.
If you free the air,
in the light of day,
I'll become the sun.
And smile for you.

Between the miles-
if you need me.
If you need a friend.
Let me be the friend, I want to be.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Kindle.. Do u love it or u don't??

Kindle is an e-book reader from Amazon. It provides us with the facility of reading from a choice of almost 1500 books whenever we want. It was launched not so recently and I wonder is it making waves in India?? I haven't seen anyone using a Kindle yet,but maybe someday soon.As the much lighter and upgraded version of the Kindle has been lodged,there are talks around the corner about is it really lovable? Book lovers of the world.. would you be loving every moment of using Kindle? A book on the move, you can switch anytime,you can save as many,saves you the effort of carrying an actual book in your bag.

You can read a very interesting review of the product at the blog http://anandsathya.blogspot.com/2010/07/amazon-kindle-in-india-review.html

But what I want to ask is who will actually love Kindle? Is it the right choice for a vivid book lover? We all have read at least a couple of e-books in the PC, but somehow for me it doesn't give the pleasure of actually reading a book. Strange it may seem to someone who doesn't love books,because be it an e-book or an actual old fashioned book the content of the book would be nevertheless the same. Then why should reading it in digital or print make any difference? Can't a book evoke the same emotions,the same excitement? Kindle actually means evoke. So I would say it is sad that Kindle won't evoke the same emotions as a book to me.I'm sure many of you can relate to me when i say I prefer a book,thank you! :)

I'm a book lover and I can boast of having a mini library at home. I read different genres depending on my mood and maybe it's also a phase. When we are younger and in our teens we believe in love stories and such things excites us more,that was when i used to read classics. Shakespeare,Jane Austin, Louisa May Alcott and such reads.We all have been through the phase of Enid-Blyton,then Nancy Drew,Secret Seven,Famous Five and Hardy boys.Thats how the love for books begun for me. Sure I read a lot of Shakespeare and classics in my early teens.Non-Fiction was something i appreciated only at the end of my teens.Now I carry the love for mystery books for quiet a while now,thanks to Sidney Sheldon. :)
Having said this, can you imagine reading a Sidney Sheldon late nights when everyone at home is sleeping.Sometimes I'm so into the book that i don't feel like putting the book down and I've read till it's just before sunrise. The love of a book!! Just takes you to a different world altogether.No matter how you day was or whats your stand in life now,a book gives you the luxury of forgetting yourself and just immersing in the magical world (like Faraway Tree if u remember).

No,I cannot let anything replace a book.It's just too precious and no e-book can take its place,at least not now.All my books are my treasures and i don't cherish them virtually.

But there are times when I would prefer reading something online rather than buying a book.To give you an example I would recollect what my college librarian told me once. My students were all excited about the robotics project I'd assigned them.That evening I got a call from our librarian requesting me to suggest some books related to robotics.She took me by surprise,then she told me how my entire class has been asking her for robotics books for their project.It took me a while to convince her that buying books are not necessary as they all have access to the biggest source,the internet.Reluctantly she agreed but added "Ma'am the demand for books will diminish because of internet,I'm worried about my library."

So I think that maybe Kindle would do well if it had to deal with more of magazines, some technical books used for reference,newspapers maybe or blogs.Such variety of products which don't require a lot of your time,concentration and most importantly your emotions are a good sell for the Kindle.Because reading a book you cherish is also like a relationship,it is no fun virtually!! It needs physical presence for it to be worth the experience.. :)


Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Life is beautiful...

Life and its mysteries are not a stranger to man, no matter what his age,caste,gender and place with no boundaries. Someone loves the idea of being in love, and loneliness is the love of someones life. Beyond all the riches and material benefits, we all dream and long for a happy life. For an eternal romantic the ultimate destiny would be finding true love. But no I'm not looking for it, I'm just hoping someday (if not sooner) I will find it around the corner of the street like serendipity. In all it's confusions and all the troubles, life is beautiful. :)What is life but a series of fortunate accidents. Cheers to the thought!!