Classic Obsession

Literature at it's best 

We all read books , everyone reads according to their preferences. Nowadays people read the newbies or have new fandoms for books like Hunger games , Harry potter or  " Twilight " ( which I think is overrated ) . 

Reading them is totally okay but we should develop interest in classics as well. We must not read classic literature simply because it has been revered by previous generations. It is every generation's duty to read and assess whether the literature canon has something of this generation's relevance. Literature is not supposed to exist as a historical artifact , it must do more. It should engage it's reader and assert it's relevance.
Some part of this generation must think "  why should we read classic literature ? It's not of any use to us" . Well , you my friend are wrong in this assumption.

Classic literature teaches us numerous things . For example : Wuthering Heights teaches us how to respect everyone's choices and how to deal with inter family relations. Jane Austen teaches us  the warmth of love , her stories teach us the moralities of life . Shakespeare was yet an exceptional writer , his works are masterpieces . Jules Verne , the science fiction lover gave us so many books to drool on !

Classics teach us moral skills , apart from that they enhance our vocabulary . In the olden days , people had a refined tongue , nowadays people just follow their own made up slang . Literature is like a art , so deep and elegant . Classics are true gems to the book world. The writers wrote books on basis of their lives and that's why these stories touch our hearts. They're assumingly true and give us the right amount of reality and fiction. 

The most enjoyable aspects of reading classic literature is watching the most talented artists engage in an exchange of ideas; it enriches the reader's mind and allow him or her to sit back and observe profound ideas explored and interrogated throughout decades and centuries past.

Classics expand our understanding of the world. They're are various secrets to be unlocked by the reader by simply reading which will deepen and expand their understanding of the world and their consciousness.
 Be a classic lover . Classics will love you ! 

Once Upon A Time

No , this isn't a fairy-tale , it's the reality. 

We all live a really comfortable life but we aren't the slightest aware of how life was back when we weren't born (   we : I'm talking about us teenagers and early 20's "adults" ) . 

We watch TV , listen to songs , go out for movies but all yesteryear's entertainment was the one -channel radio or on lucky days - a day out to the park. Believe it or not luxuries were a dream back then. We long for ice-creams from gianis , pizzas from dominoes , pastas and macroni but those kids longed for their mother's made custard.

The world has evolved to become more citizen-friendly and everything we need is easily available. Back then , holidays meant spending time with uncles , aunts and cousins at their places ; now holidays means going abroad to exotic countries and staying at five-star hotels. Birthdays are celebrated with extravagant parties and delicacies from fancy restaurants but in the yesteryear birthdays meant "family time" and maybe the child's favorite dish in dinner.

Human desires  changed the world with a modern outlook. We all are so used to such a luxurious lifestyle that we can't even spend one day without TV, internet or delicious food items! One day isn't much to ask , it's just 24 hours in contrast our parents and grandparents spent years without such comfort.

We should respect what we get because our parents work hard for us to be comfortable. Respect their struggle through hardships. Try to empathize with them !

#Lived Happily Ever After

 

It Happens Only In India

India is the only country where you'll find charity giving beggars , companies claiming to change your lives by chocolate biscuits , Overloaded trains , nationwide hunger strikes and what not ? 

India is one strange country ! Earlier today I witnessed a gate saying " The Dog is Ok Beware of the owner " in Delhi . This is one country where you'll find billionaires building entire skyscrapers and living in them as homes. The English spoken here is unbeatable !
Let's not talk about all this ? There are plenty of things India is known for : bad specifically.
But the good things are the one which go invisible to us. The same day when I noticed the gate I saw a man ( seemingly of a lower strata : economically) feeding a street dog milk from a milk packet bought from a store. Even though he is struggling economically , he maybe sacrificed his own one time meal for feeding that dog. My dad and me both thought the same thing : " It happens only in India" . People aren't that bad here. We Indians know how to work our way around any situation ; be it cheating in an examination or bargaining with the local vegetable vendor.

So basically what I'm trying to say is that India is a divine nation and we should respect our own nation despite the selfish billionaires or billboards in broken English . I hold tonnes of respect for that man who fed the dog. He deserves a salute because of his humane and loving deed.
On the other hand , the gate ; well the owner sure knows how to crack a joke on himself. 
Well , go on Respect yourself. Your nation . And do something good today. Your name might end up in my blog !

Thrilling Adventures

The need to do something adventurous once  in awhile So that life isn't just a stupid timetable.

Begin at once to live and count each separate day as a separate life.” ~Seneca

Do you regret on not doing something once the moment fades away? Do you remorse when a good movie is aired on TV and you miss it ? Do you throw tantrums when your friends go for a movie and you don't? Of course you do !

We only live once in every life ! ( yeah once , no Indian theories please : 7 births ) . Why should we cry on things we missed? Do something the moment you come across it! You're 50 and wanna go a slide? Well , go on ..SLIDE! But mind you that back pain will cause trouble in the long run! With caution , if you must ! 

Life your life to the fullest with no regrets. Sky dive , Scuba dive , Dance in the carnival in Spain ..do anything that pleases you. Happiness is not the result of squeezing something everyday , it's the result of the moment enjoyed every day. If you get a chocolate one day , that makes you happy right? So why not eat the chocolate ? Participate in life rather than just letting it pass by you !
Appreciate every moment of the day . Life gives us bad and good experiences. Forget the bad , cherish the good. Thank life for the goodies it gave you. Throw away the rotten apples , they might infect your good ones ! Enjoy each and every moment of life. Every day is a new challenge and opportunity to discover something new . Have new experiences. Go on a coaster ride . Go to the beach with a two year old. Never regret. Do something when you can ! Enjoy life. Value life . Live life.
Live and let live !

So what have you done today to live life to the fullest?

Leading A Virtuous Life ...

                          ..A reality show rather than reality.

Truth and lies are the angels and demons of life. We all have a so called angel and a truthful demon inside us.
How many of us actually speak the truth all the time? No one , right ? You come home late from partying , you don't tell your parents that , now do you? " Mom I was at the library finishing my history report"!! Yeah , right ! Anyway , the main point I'm trying to make here is today's generation is infected by the lying syndrome . Children , teenagers , adults , the elderly , everyone in fact ! We fret by the consequences we'd have to face by revealing the hurtful truth . A lie is a powerful weapon at that time , it saves us from the unwanted reactions . Lying sure helps but it is sure not a virtue of life and plus it doesn't help in the long run. I know what you must be thinking that who actually says the truth nowadays and why should if we're happy ?

Well , the thing about virtues is that they come out straight from a good human being and lying is like the bad evil of the society. Saying the truth is like a fantasy now ! We all think lying is rhetorical in any XYZ situation . We need to learn to be truthful to ourselves , Believe me you'll be much more happy then ! The inner satisfaction we obtain is the gift of truthfulness.
Don't lie , it hurts the other person more when they find out it was a lie . Don't break someone's trust cause trust is like glass ; if you lose it it breaks. Learn to say the truth. It's a good virtue ! 

Given the choice between a great mark and a great story, I think you should go for the latter.

Marks don't matter 

Well , It's back to the time of the year when tensions are high in the households of 12th pass-outs and former 10th class students . The examinations are held and students slog it out their respective D days and puff , it is all over ; the results are out ! The successful ones cheer , the not so ones grieve. Astonishing marks are hence  scored however there is some food for thought for those who think education is the primary tool to progress of a nation. Do marks alone matter ?

Education is a process which empowers a student to think for himself/herself and make his/her decisions in life. However, the present day education system puts emphasis on rote-learning and unhealthy competition. Critics have often pointed out the inadequacies of our education system. The general complain is that the school curriculum is too much academic. It is not practical or job oriented. So bringing full marks or A+ grades won't help students to make adequate progress in the future. 

The academics, on the basis of it we are judged, can it give the education of life? Can it give the life skills which we need in our lifetime? No at all! The history or English we study today won’t help us to cope with problems in the real world. We need to know more than just bookish knowledge.

Anyway , the point is that marks aren't the only things that matter. Many students lose their other abilities like good interpersonal skills because of their unbeatable study skills. In reality marks don't matter in the long run , they're just the pillars to get into your desired stream in 11th and college in 12th. After that , who is gonna ask what grade you got in 10th in maths ? So don't worry right now because later on your skills and knowledge will help you , not your marks or grades. Don't just study , LEARN.

People will ask what you know not what you got.

How Music Affects Teens

Music is something that every person has his or her own specific opinion about. Different people have different taste, and various types of music have many ways of leaving an impact on someone. It can be relaxing, angering, soothing, energizing, and much more. Music sends out either good or bad messages that have big impacts on how people act. People usually become friends with others who have a same taste in music as the rest of the people they hangout with, or it can be vice versa. People may not want to associate with people who have different tastes in music because they’ll argue about what they think is better but its just their own opinions.
People can use music to express themselves, in ways it can’t be expressed through behavior, or art. You can usually tell how someone’s feeling by the type of music he or she is listening to at the time. It’s a tool used by many. Groups of people around the world can come together and gather at concerts, shows, and venues to show what their interests and likings are and you see how many people have similar likings as you. Many people choose their preferences by the influence of their peer group . Others stick to their own choices. Some people dance their feelings away on music . When else is away; music lends a hand .

Music gives a soul to the universe , wings to the mind , flight to the imagination and life to everything. 

  

The Incredible Idiocy Of Chetan Bhagat

Why do some people dislike Chetan bhagat and his work?

Even though this topic has been to death a million times ; I'll write on it again !

Now, the proper argument against CB haters is, ‘If you don’t love him, just don’t read his books. The man has sold so many books. Cut him some slack.’But there are some reasons that he has a very good hate following!First of all , his bad quality writing style in his books. They are the Indian version of Twilight. Mindless. Page-turner, at the end you ask why you even read it in the first place. Essentially he is the embodiment of everything that's hopeless about the nation- love for masala, disdain for debates. He takes advantage of that, propagates it. Moreover he goes on to convince readers they are indulging in literature, while they're not. An unread person is better than one who has grown up on his books. A book has no obligation to appeal to the intellect and increase it, but what it shouldn't do is dumb down the masses further and that's what he does. The Bollywood equivalent for him is RGV ki Aag, TV equivalent is Roadies.  CB is not a good writer in the literary sense. He is no Vikram Seth or Arundhati Roy. He does not write flowery beautiful prose.He is simply earning because of the "masala-influenced" masses we have in our nation.Honestly no one can learn anything new from his books . No new words , no moral values ( of course not ). His books are made to be motion pictures .We can debate all day about why he isn't a good writer and why still his books are best sellers but it wouldn't change the way he writes nor the way we think.He has his fans and haters all over the world .Now , it's everyone's personal opinion on what they would prefer.The choice is all yours folks.#This is my personal opinion and I mean no offense to anyone or anything.  

Next to being married, a girl likes to be crossed in love a little now and then

                                                                                                                 

The above quote were the words of the honored author Jane Austen .Jane Austen is a world renowned English author and, despite her having lived centuries ago, she commands a legion of fans around the world numbering in the millions today. Her timeless works - numbering just six completed novels - have been turned into a plethora of motion pictures, television shows and modern adaptations at a regular pace in addition to being translated into multiple languages that help her stories surpass cultural boundaries. These six works have gone on to become the model formula for the romance stories of today.

•  Pride and Prejudice         
        ....Misunderstanding prevails

•   Sense and Sensibility 
  
                      …Striking the balance

•  Persuasion
  
                      …The heart never forgets

•   Emma 
  
                     …Playing with Fire

•  Northanger Abbey           
          …Romance beyond books

• Mansfield Park     
       …Above rank and status 

Jane Austen remains as popular as ever and is revered as much as any literary figure in the history of the English language .What kind of author would Jane Austen be without a sharp mind and an equally sharp tongue? Her personal quotes reveal something of her character – a fierceness that sometimes can come out of her lead characters. She certainly maintained a unique, almost stubborn, view of the world around her and had made up her mind about a great many things.
Jane Austen’s writing style is something very commendable. It’s concise yet very meaningful. While reading her novels you are totally surrounded by the “world” of Jane Austen. It feels like a movie going on inside your head. She was one such person who can make our hearts pounding on what’s going to happen next in the romance! Her stories give a new perspective to every individual. So go on ...and pick up a Jane Austen classic and read. I would personally recommend the above mentioned six.

“Wisdom is better than wit, and in the long run will certainly have the laugh on her side “  - Jane Austen

A Fairy Tale ..Yet to be discovered

Who says Fairy tales are just stories? Who says they’re not real?They are!

You must’ve read about the French Revolution or the American civil war in High school, right?You read it in book, you read fairy tales in a book too right? So why don’t you believe in them?Belief is the only thing that drives us away from such webs. If we don’t believe, why would something be real and happen to us? We believe in the world wars happening, why not Cinderella? Huh?Belief is a portal to many worlds! Imagination is the base of creating of a belief!The French Revolution and the world wars are both “stories” in history.Now stories – where do they come from?We hear the stories of Akbar the great from our elder, stories are passed on from one generation to the next. They have been in fact being passed on for hundreds of centuries!The Grimm Brothers collected all these stories (known before as folk tales) and gave them to us in print. Maybe these stories are real...maybe Cinderella had a fairy godmother; maybe snow white did have a prince charming..! Who knows...there might be a thing like magic in the world too!Let’s take this fact – The world wars happened …we believe in them because there is proof in text . But how do we know that text is REAL? We simply believe in it.Our imagination is the only way we can believe in them. Why can’t we simply believe in fairy tale?Magic is a word for something that can do anything and everything.Imagination IS magic.We have read stories like Twilight, Hunger games and Harry Potter. These all came from someone’s imagination. Imagination is a wondrous object we possess. Magic, fairy tales are just “stories” for those who don’t believe. But imagination isn’t for anyone.Napoleon existed.Rumpulstilskin existed.Why’d you read the second statement so unbelievingly? We believe in the world ware cause they make sense. We don’t believe in fairies cause their existence doesn’t make sense to us. Why does everything have to make sense?Don’t feel ashamed or crazy if you believe in fairies or magic; Respect yourself because you’ve got a amazingly good imagination!Imagination is real.Believe and Enjoy.Imagine and make magic.(Believe me) You can do wonders!

Reading Is My Escape

Reading is my escape from reality. 

When I read I leave reality and enter a different world that is truly amazing. I get pulled into books like no other. When I read I forget what I am surrounded with and get surrounded by something better. 

It is simply one of the best feelings ever. To get pulled into a book, into a different world when it seems so real, but it is just inside your mind.
Don’t get me wrong, I think reality is beautiful, especially since it’s all we’ve got, but in a certain sense imagination is an aspect of reality as projected by our own neural circuitry. So it should be ok to enjoy escaping from time to time, right? Of course that’s right! Only a scientist would ever think to ask permission to step outside reality for a little bit. But this is where comics come in oh so handy.So if I’m looking for a bit of easy escapism why don’t I just watch a movie? Well I prefer reading, I like that it’s active. And a movie takes a specific amount of time. It’s right there on the box. For whatever reason I’m resistant to having to try and fit that in my schedule, as opposed to a comic I can carry around the house reading in fits and starts as I please. But this is all the nuts and bolts of my own preferred escapism, what’s my actual point?

Reading gives you an inner satisfaction that there is something more worthwhile and more enjoyable in this world. I face this inner urge to read cause I enjoy it and why not ?
A few hours without homework and the boring textbooks ..who wouldn't!
Go pick up a good book and READ.
You'll enjoy .! Believe me.! 

The End Of The World

Dear 21-12-12,Sorry to say you weren’t the last day of our time.

The clock strikes midnight, the hallowed date arrives and the apocalypse fails to turn up on schedule (due to technical problems). This time a group of believers have been left bewildered at the absence of death and devastation. Why is it that everyone is so obsessed with the possibility of the apocalypse? The world will end. That is a certainty. But it may not be anytime soon. The Mayans have a calendar based on the “long count” system , just because the last date mentioned is 21-12-12; doesn’t mean that it’s doomsday!

Surprisingly I’ve survived the end of the world 2 times (in a row)! Didn’t you guys think that how Lord Jesus could let the world die just 4 days before his birthday?! Huh?Some people take Eschatology* too seriously. It’s proven that the world will end but a million years later folks! Yep, Million! So enjoy your life ‘because You live only once!HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

*Eschatology -religious theory of the end of the world