Mediocrity Kills.......!!

All are not born genius like Albert Einstein or Thomas Eddison. This is the category of intellectuals. Many amongst us belong to the Average Category. I belong to the latter one, and I don't have any qualms admitting it. My take on ordinariness of a person's existence would perhaps help you to relate with the struggles of mediocres ,and this piece could be an interesting read for you.

I endorse the former view i.e. it's been my privilige to be born as a mediocre. Perhaps, that has helped me understand things around me in a much better way than the rest. Coming back to my life's story, I was born in a middle class family. But my father was determined to send all three of us to English medium schools and get us good education. You must be wondering where does the idea of being an average person disappeared! You will understand it once you are through this piece.

My parents did their best to raise us and made us touch the line of mediocrity-which was a huge achivement for them-in terms of education, ambitions, personality and language. 

When me and my siblings advanced to the college life, it was our first brush with the mad chase for goals, ambitions, multi-talented people, people with oddles of confidence. We tried to fit in amongst them. We felt so close to this bizzzare feeling of thriving in Dark Ages, so ignorant was our outlook towards life. We had a keen sense of purpose and inclination to always do good.

There started the journey, at each turn we had struggled and leanrt. You neither get appreciated nor you get slapped with criticism if you are a mediocre. Therefore, its important to rise above this category.  You need a lot of self-motivation to rise from an undistinguished and unexceptional life to that of excellence. A lot of hard work is needed, atleast once . Then life perhaps might get easy, but again complacency is a fatal disease.
Now......after almost a year I am adding onto this post....a lot has changed during this period. A new feather has been added in our cap. Life suddenly has become quite favourable and has been showering with pleasures. We as a family have come closer to our goals. My brothers and I have a well defined career with our individual goals to achieve. I am on my way to become a journalist, and they are excelling in the field of engineering. Today, when I look back to all those years of uncertainty, I feel elated that we have had our share in life's struggle. Or the struggle has just begun......as the Robert Frost has put it "I have got miles to go before I sleep".
Chao till I write the next post....

Musings

It was the first day at new college. Not naming the college for privacy, however, all I can tell you is, that it was one of the most cool colleges of DU. Having studied in a co-ed school and then suddenly getting admission into all Girl's college was not that appealing for me. Not that I hated girls, but it was the beginning of something very unusual in my life.

For the next two years, all I got to see was girls, more girls, and some more girls. All around the campus -inside the Canteen, Nescafe, Lobby, Basketball Court, girls lying on the backyard area, some hanging on the trees, others busy with their love stories on the uppermost floor of the building...oh! God ...Can you imagine the same sight for the two best years of your life? Not that I was dying for boys company, but I had started realizing the unusual, creepy sort of feeling taking shape within my personality.

After the passage of one year, the change had set in. I had started enjoying the warm of the cocconed life. I had become more reserved and uncomfortable towards the opposite sex. It's not just me , most of my friends at college felt the same that studying in Girls' college has serious repercussions on the development of personality. Once the college gets over, we girls' college students aren't able to come to terms with the real world. It gets little odd for us to deal with the opposite sex. It is a very strange feeling. Those who have been into girls college would understand my point.

And the things which got affected the most was my temper. How to describe those wild- tantrums, tombyish attitude, carefree style, practically everything got just worse. On the other hand, I did learn a lot of women- centric qualities- like the importance of freedom, independent thinking and decisions, in the male- dominated society of ours. I feel, even in the 21st century nothing much has changed for women. They are still accepted by the males if they are submissive in their attitude. In this context, I have become much more stronger after having come to this lone world. But somewhere down the line, I do feel that things would have been better off , had I been to a co-ed college.

FOOD WRITERS

Could you ever imagine that one could earn one's bread and butter simply by eating? Yes, eat and get paid for it. Just one requisite: the writers who eat enthusiastically are eligible such an interesting job .
The food writers do have a huge scope to write for newspapers, magazines, websites and publishing houses. All you need to have is some sense of taste and a keen sense of observation. Although this job doesn't involve hard core tactics of Journalism profession, yet it's an integral part of the profession. The food writers need to be objective while reviewing a restaurant, a recipe or a food joint. He can't take the leverage of the fact that he has the power to write. A review essentially needs to be a detailed yet concise, unprejudiced view of a food item.
But what goes into the making of a successful food writer? An urge to try out same dishes at different places, interaction with the staff, managers, crowd helps a lot in building a right perspective about food in particular and restaurant in general.
A food writer's reviews must serve as a guide for a stranger to consult before he tries out a restaurant. If the review fails to serve this basic purpose then it is nothing but a useless piece of information. Hence, the writer must always be clear as to whom he is writing . In other words, who is his target audience? Once this is clear, the review won't lose its appeal.
Thus, if you are a writer who loves to eat, then the food writing profession could be an area for you to explore.

BPO’s FIASCO!

It has been widely debated whether the growth of Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) industry has been good for our country and more importantly for our culture. The subject has not been adequately addressed in a manner that will provide an insight to our youngsters, especially those who are most often lured by the seemingly lucrative packages that the industry puts out.

Considering the economic prosperity and massive employment that the BPO has brought, it surely makes BPOs one of the most sought after industries. But let us see what happens once an individual lands up working in a BPO? First he is stripped of his identity. Krishna becomes Chris, Janardhanan becomes John and Saraswathi becomes Sara and so on. They are trained in an accent that belongs neither here nor there. In short the individual’s identity is robbed and replaced by a convenient one to satisfy the economics of the trade.

Secondly, We also need to ask if our teenagers are being robbed of their youth to work like mechanized robots in a demanding industry. The age group of 18 to 25 is the crucial time in a person's life in which he/she acquires skills that will sustains him/her on the long run. The lure of easy money can deprive them of acquiring skills that are more sustaining and meaningful in life.

Thirdly, the industry has encouraged the growth of synthetic westernization which has adversely affected our cultural and traditional outlook. Our oriental values lay great stress on the principles and values of Karma. Karma emphasizes on a value system that puts duty above the considerations of material benefit. It underlines the principle of altruism in its purest form. The hefty pay packages offered by the industry to lure youngsters, kills this spirit and is the classic example of synthetic material values creeping into our culture.

It is often being argued that BPOs provide opportunities for those who do not have anything else to sustain themselves in life. With some basic English speaking skills a financially strained person can earn up to Rs, 20,000. Undoubtedly, BPOs have come as a savior for thousands of unemployed youngsters and has also helped considerably in raising their standard of living. What concerns me the most is that this opportunity is misguiding our youth. In many ways it has killed initiative and creativity by languishing in a vacuum like environment called call centres.

Last but not the least, the amount of freedom that a night working schedule bestows, is more often than not misused. Practices like drinking, one night stands, and drugs have become a part and parcel of their life style. And at this tender age it becomes almost impossible for them to discern the difference between right and wrong.

The need of the hour is to provide proper guidance to youngsters by creating awareness about a larger more meaningful world with great opportunities for creative skills, improvisation and higher education. They must be made to understand that there are various other creative areas to develop one's personality and call centres are only a short cut to mediocre wealth. This initiative should be made by parents and teachers alike.

While BPO’s may offer some hope in a country with great unemployment, one must remember there is a life and scope beyond this instant moneymaking profession.

WRITTEN BY :PRIYANKA CHAUHAN

BOOK REVIEW: The ALCHEMIST
I recently read Paul Coelho’s ‘The Alchemist’. The very title of the book has scientific connotations. Alchemy is a science which transforms lead into gold; symbolically the book captures the transformation of dreams into reality.

The book urges to believe in dreams, personal myth. It’s a symbolic combination of medieval mysticism and the song of the desert.

The tale revolves around Santiago, the central protagonist of the book who is a shepherd. But unlike his kin’s and community members he has an earnest faith in his dreams. One night he sees a dream in which he is to find treasures in the pyramids of Egypt. He immediately sets out on a journey to find treasures embedded in the pyramids.

On his journey he meets a King, an Alchemist, the shopkeeper and a desert girl. While traveling he gets enriched with various experiences. He relates his circumstances to his shepherd’s life. Thus, Santiago’s character till this point in the plot proves to be a persona of immaculate intelligence who can decipher his past life in the light of his present.

The journey totally transforms his perspective towards things, people in particular and life in general. He realizes that the real treasure is “where your heart belongs”. The knowledge, wisdom, invaluable experience that Santiago acquires becomes his ultimate treasure.

The novel is optimistic which reaffirms the fact that “simple things are the most valuable and only wise people appreciate them”. The central philosophy of the novel is: if one really wants something to happen then the whole universe “conspires” so that h/she can achieve it. The book underscores another point though indirectly that those who do not follow their dreams are bound to feel emptiness ahead in life.

The Alchemist is a kind of book that everyone can relate to it. After all life is about dreams, aspirations and desires.

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Written by : Priyanka Chauhan
Book: The Alchemist
Author ; Paul Coelho

The 2008 BEIJING OLYMPICS -------A GRAND OPENING !

The 2008 Beijing Olympics was inaugurated with illustrious performances by the Chinese. It was surely a night to remember for years to come. It seemed as if the amazing fire shots were demonstrating to the world that China is no less than any other developed country.

The event has laid out an international stage for China to showcase their rich culture, achievements and developments over the past few years. It's time for them to make their presence felt across the world. The 29th Beijing Olympic Games were initially clouded by various controversies like Tibet unrest and the issue of human rights violations. But China has managed to kick start the grand event with great pomp and show. The event was a dazzling display of chinese ancient history and culture.

India must fasten its belt for 2010 Commonwealth games. In Asia, China has set the standard for taking an international event to new heights. Will India be a potential competitor in this respect or a loser? Let time answer this question.