The fictional stormer - into the land of Hogwarts

I met Harry Potter, I visited Hogwarts. Hermione, Ron, Professor Snape - met 'em all. How, you ask? Well, it was a journey like no other. A truly marvelous journey which will be with me forever. Hop on to the Tata Safari Storme, let me take you to a tour of Hogwarts - the way I saw it.. :)

As I enter the gate of hogwarts, I smell this beautiful cut grass in the lawn of hogwarts, the students learning the new tricks about magic. The smell was wonderful, the climate was pleasant, everyone was in the typical black blazers, I was in THE Hogwarts. As I looked around, I saw many faces that I recognized. I saw Hermione Granger, coming towards me.

Hermione : Hey, you new around here?
Me : Yea, I'm no magician like you all, I'm just a Safari Stormer.
Hermione : What's a "safari stormer"?
Me : Well, I like to explore the unexplored. I like to travel to new places, meet new people, talk with them - just like I'm talking to you.
Hermine : Right, good. Have a good tour, I've got some plans, cya!
Me : Cya..

This was unbelievable. Did I just talk to Hermione Granger? My my, this is a dream come true. And yes, it was my dream to talk to Hermione Granger.. :p

On a much serious note, how did I reach to Hogwarts? I could see my safari storme, possibly with which I came here but how did I reach to hogwarts - the land of magic? I remembered nothing, absolutely nothing. I didn't complain though, I was in the land of Harry Potter.. :D

I took a few more lazy steps in the magical place but professor Snape just couldn't see me happy. In his deep and heavy voice he said :

Snape : May I know, who you are?
Me : I'm Aditya..
Snape : I don't recognize you, how did you step a foot inside hogwards?
Me : No one stopped me at the gate...
Snape : well, I am.. Get out!

Here comes Harry Potter to the rescue...

Harry : Sir, he's new around here. He's a friend of mine and a new student of Hogwarts.
Snape : Is that so, harry? You know him or are you trying to save him?
Harry : I know him, as a matter of fact, even Hermione does. He's new, that's why you don't recognize him.
Snape : I see.. Telling lies will never be tolerated in Hogwarts but I'm sure by now, you're well aware of this.. Welcome to Hogwarts Aditya, do choose your friends carefully... Certain people here, can lead to trouble (looks at Harry)
Me : I will Sir..
Snape : Very well...

Snape walks away in his typical style, aggression on his nose and sheer power reflecting in his body language...

Me : Hey Harry, you saved me. Thank you, my friend.
Harry : Please don't mention, Hermione told me about ya.
Me : But, why did you save me? I know you but you don't know me.. I'm inside hogwarts by mistake, I wasn't stopped at the gate, I apologize..
Harry : No one's inside the Hogwarts without the supervision of our principal, if you're here, there's a reason for it..
Harry : Be careful, there are lot of people around here who can be damaging to you, make sure you're safe..
Me : I will..
Harry : I need to go and practice for the quidditch tournament, cya..
Me : Hey Harry, can I come with you?
Harry : You? If we get caught we'll be under severe risk but sure, I like risks.
Me : Aha! That's typical of you, my friend.. That's why you're so popular..
Harry : I am? Haha, some people would disagree...
*Laughs*

Hurry up, Aditya.. We don't wanna be late...

Quidditch stadium it is... Full of brooms.. I look in the sky and THERE I see, the 3rd member of the gang - Ron Wisley, on his broomstick, trying to maintain a balance.. I tried not to laugh but couldn't resist. But then again, everyone else was laughing too. :p

Ron comes down....

Ron : Bloody hell!! That's some broom, you got there Harry.. Whose this with you anyway?
Harry : It's Aditya..
Ron : Whose he?
Harry : He's new around here..
Ron : I see.. Is he a muggle?
Harry : I don't know, I think he is.

This was all like a dream... I was in THE quidditch stadium of Hogwarts... Unbelievable...

Malfoy : Well well.. Who do we have here with Harry? Another friend of yours I'll guess..
Harry : Yes, he is my friend.
Malfoy : No wonder, I've never seen him because only unpopular people around here are your friends.. Haha! Who wanna be friends with Harry Potter... *Laughs*
Ron : Watch it, Malfoy..
Malfoy : oww.. soo sweet.. Defending your friend, huh!! And anyway, what is this new friend doing here in the quidditch stadium? No wonder, he knows nothing about quidditch just like Ron, huh Harry?
Ron : *stares at Malfoy*
Harry : No, I mean yes.. Uh...
Harry to me ( in low voice) : You know anything about quidditch? If I tell him your truth, he would tell it to everyone else and you wouldn't be safe around here.. What should we do?
Malfoy : I see.. I believe he does know about quidditch, is that it? Let's have a contest then, shall we? What's say, Harry?
Ron to Harry (in his ears, in a low voice) - Dammit Harry, your friend knows to ride a broomstick?
Harry to Ron : I don't know..

*Me thinking to self* - Boy! What do I do here? If I say Yes, I'm in trouble. If I say no, I'm in greater trouble.
Me : Yes, sure, let's go for it Malfoy.. (no idea why I said yes, I had no other option though)
Malfoy (looks around) - okay, you vs me, fine?
Me : Sounds good to me...
Harry to me - you know what you're doing, right?
Me : Yes, Harry, I know..

*Harry lends me his broomstick* I say no, but Harry insists....

*Off we go*.......

Me : woah woah woah!! This is fast... Dammit, how do I control this... Woho!!!
- Malfoy tackles -
Malfoy : Take that...
Me : Dammit, this is totally imbalanced. *Shouts to Harry* - how do I control this?
Harry shouts - I've no idea, try something, maintain your balance or else you're gonna have a great fall..

*and there it was, I lost my balance*

I was holding on to the broomstick, somehow, trying to but I knew I was eventually going to fall down. I looked around the beautiful hogwarts, I looked at Harry and Ron, I looked at Malfoy (having a evil laugh)...

*I fell from the broomstick* and BAM!!!

*DREAM OVER*

*Wakes up suddenly*

Me : Woah! What was that? Stares around the room.. Looks here and there.. *Confused* What was that? Was that a dream? Really? Dream?

Well well well... What a dream! I met Harry, Ron, Hermione, Malfoy and professor Snape, of course. I visited Hogwarts, I got a glimpse of Hogwart's life. Was this all really a dream? That remains a BIG question.. Did I actually visit Hogwarts and came back to real life because I fell from the broomstick? Was this a magical dream to Hogwarts via Tata Safari Storme? Whatever it was, dream or real, I'll remember it forever.. :)

This entry is for I am Explorer contest on IndiBlogger, arranged by Tata Safari. Do visit their site www.tatasafari.com/.

Credits : The head banner is taken from IndiBlogger. Rest of the images are taken from Google. 

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Look around, inspiration is everywhere...

In life, there are times when we feel totally let down and demotivated. Saying from person experience, in such times, all we look for is a ray of hope. Even smallest of the things can cheer us up and inspire us. This blog post is just about that...

My father is my biggest source of inspiration. In today's highly diplomatic world, he's someone who I look upto and someone whose footsteps I follow. He's taught me that being honest is the biggest trade of a person, those who have it, must not sell it. In today's world, people those who speak the truth stand out. I believe the same and hence, many people may not like me for my honesty but those who do, are just the kind of people I'd want to meet.. :)

Inspiration is something that cannot be explained in mere words, it can only be felt. A few days ago, I was sitting with my grandfather and having the morning tea and he told me a story of his struggling days in Delhi. In the early 1960's, he came to Delhi to find a job, he was a civil engineer. Having come from a modest village in Bihar, my grandfather didn't had much money and couldn't afford a good flat or good life style. His brother was living in Delhi and he offered my grandfather to stay with him. Both the brothers stayed in a 1 room flat, not just this but slept on a TABLE and that too not just any other table but the table on which they ate. They cleaned it after eating, put a "chadhar" on it and slept. For breakfast, lunch, dinner - both the brothers just satisfied themselves by eating "channa" - a snack kind of thing, by no means enough to fill one's stomach.

While my grandfather was telling me this story, I had goosebumps. My grandfather doesn't often talk about his struggles and therefore it was very rare to hear my grandpa's story and what a story! Who wouldn't get inspired by it! Today, not only has he had a wonderful career, he has 4 sons that are well established, this speaks of the stature of the great man. Once a struggling civil engineer, today just because of his will power and true-to-work determination has earned him success. My grandfather is also a person who highly inspires me.. :)

Where isn't inspiration? Look around, it's everywhere. Go to a chaiwalla and more often that not, you'd see a 5-6 years old kid working and serving tea, not studying but hoping to study one day. Biggest example of belonging to such conditions is the next probable PM of India, Narendra Modi. His father ran a tea shop on which he worked whenever he was free from school work or on weekends and today, he's the next possible PM of India. Whenever I listen to him speak - I get inspired, I very frankly have highest of the respect for the man. He has worked his way to the top, he started from nowhere and has gradually earned the respect that he has. Salute to the great man! :)

Steve Jobs, who was sacked from his very own company or Walt Disney, who was sacked been given the reason that he lacks creativity, there are so many examples of people that can inspire us. We often think that hardships in life can only mean negativity but that isn't the case, if it was so, then none of us would reach anywhere in life. We all go through struggles but it's our positivity, our sheer hard work/determination which leads us to great success in life and thereby, we all serve as a source of inspiration in the slightest of the way for people around us.

Being positive and inspiring people around us, in the slightest of the way we can is the best way to live life. We must be there for our loved ones and friends when they require us the most because this is what 'inspiring' is.. :)

I'd love to know your views on this. Inspiration is everywhere, even the smallest of the things can inspire us. :)

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Android Gaming Review : Virtua Tennis Challenge by Sega

Android games have made a significant name for themselves.. Whether you're on tour, travelling or basically just bored at office and need to relax a bit - android gaming is the way to go. Just unlock the front screen, go to menu > switch on the game. It's as simple as that. Easy to install, easy to play. Android games have a bright future ahead, considering the huge number of users of this technology.

Sega, a well respected company for computer games, stepped into the android zone with it's already established gaming franchise for computer i.e. Virtua Tennis. Been a already reliable source of gaming for it's customers, the hope from the android users was high and let me frankly say, they haven't disappointed.

On Google Play, Virtua Tennis Challenge costs around 305 rupees, which isn't a lot. Fairly priced and belonging to a very respected gaming franchise, the hopes were ought to be very high from me.

The only drawback of the game is that, unlike the PC version, the players aren't licensed, hence you play to play against virtually created players.

Features of the game : You can play the exhibition matches and if you win, you earn 200 gaming points, these points are extremely vital in the "SPT tour" feature of the game. In this, you have to create a new player and take him to the glory of world tennis. You start from ATP rank 50 and from there, winning matches will earn you money - which will help you in joining tournaments, you earn money by winning the tournaments and along side this, your ranking keeps on increasing. As per the value of the tournament, the gaming mode changes. Easy, normal and hard are the 3 levels.

In the exhibition matches mode, you can also play "doubles", which I've personally found better/more enjoyable than singles but that depends on a particular user but this certainly shows the variety in the game. Along side this, Sega just like the PC version of this game, provides you with 2 camera angles - either you can go with tv mode or dynamic camera angles. This can easily be changed by going to settings in the game.

You can play multiplayer with your friends via bluetooth, I haven't tried it but it does sound very interesting. If you're new to the game/franchise and have no idea what's going on, you can try the training mode which will easily make you understand how the game works. You play against a player, you're given a challenge and if you succeed, you're rewarded with 200 gaming points, again very helpful in SPT Tour feature of the game.

The gameplay is fantastic! Don't worry, I'm not exaggerating. For a android tennis game, the gameplay is very realistic. Backhand, smash, top spin - are certain shots you can play in the game. The voices are very realistic and enhance the whole game.

There are variety of stadiums in the game. Grass court, clay court and in total, there are 18 courts to select from/play on. The courts/stadiums are very realistic and for the first BIG Game of tennis on android, this is some impeccable graphics from Sega, who have set the standard very high for the upcoming tennis games on android.

My verdict :- Go for this game. If you're a tennis enthusiast, on android, right now there's no other better alternative and even if there were, you just cannot miss this experience. The game doesn't cost much and is worth trying.

I hope you find this review helpful. Do let me know your experience with the game.. :)

Credits : Google, the images are taken from there..

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Destiny, hard work & luck - the way to success?

Often in life, when we do not succeed, we label the situation as "not in favor of us". We think that we were/are unlucky but no one can be blamed for this. It's very easily understandable that when the situation is not in your favor, you blame the situation above all. Having said that, when we achieve something, who do we give the credit to? Let me not be a diplomat and say that when I achieve success, I give all the credit to myself. Call me selfish but most of us DO.

We work hard, achieve success and we deserve some credit, don't we! :) Moreover, after endless of hard work, achieving success is the least we expect. This is just human nature. But, what if your hard fought success makes everyone else jealous? What if they call your success purely coincidental and label you "lucky"?

Sometimes in life, our success has to do largely with destiny. Hypothetically saying, what if a day at work goes totally wrong but at the end of the day, you meet an old friend, talk a little and he/she offers you a job in his/her company.. Isn't this purely coincidental! And this is just a hypercritical example, there are so many situations in life when something you NEVER thought of/about happens and works in your favor, destiny you may call it.

If I were to name a famous celebrity that is often labeled "lucky", the first person that comes to my mind is, MS Dhoni. I however, do not agree with this. You may believe that he is lucky and perhaps he is, but can you overlook the extreme hard work he has done to come from a small town - Ranchi, worked as a ticket collector, then gradually just because of never losing hope and continuously working hard, has made a name for himself as a terrific leader, has played for India and not only played but is now arguably the GREATEST Indian captain ever.

This therefore raises the point, do you believe in Destiny, hard work & luck? Do you believe in any 1 of the 3 or you believe in all 3 of them, firmly believing that they're interconnected? According to me, I do believe they're interconnected. Destiny along with hard work and due luck certainly plays a huge role in life. Do post your views.. :)

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Save paper - we say this but do we deem with this?

In the recent times, I've been observing my surroundings and the misuse of paper is immense. It has become a habit for most of us to use paper in household work, covering dirty windows, using them to clean the house and several other purposes. Has this what the usage of paper come down to? Do we only buy papers to eventually sell them to the "kabariwaalas"? If that's the purpose, then I don't really see a reason why we're cutting trees for this very purpose. Have we forgotten that paper is treated like god, we've been instilled with values that paper must not in fact even be thrown with slightest of disrespect as it is believed to be "vidyadyani".. Remember while we used to tear papers off from our notebooks, we were always instructed not to do so. Why do you think it was so? Not necessarily just because it is believed that you're insulting "vidyadyani" but also because you're not valuing paper, making of which is done by cutting of trees, which is extremely harmful to the nature.

But, we are not the ONLY ones to blame. We learn what we are taught by OUR seniors. Just a few days back, I was watching the Lok sabha in session on tv and saw one of the politician stand up and started giving a speech (I'm not gonna name him), the paper from which he was reading, was distributed to several senior leaders of his party and opposition party too. Now, tell me this - isn't this purely WASTAGE of paper? When he's reading out, what's the point of distributing the very paper to all of the senior leaders present? Whereas on other hand, government is distributing "aakash tablets" to students, why can't the government itself get a little modernistic and start using laptops/tablets in parliamentary sessions.. It's only fitting to raise this question, do you agree?

Similarly, in schools and colleges, why can't we use tablets/laptops? We talk about competing with US, in terms of educational facilities but may I remind you, majority of the schools in US, don't make students write on notebooks. In fact, this is the case in many countries, the use of notebooks is absolutely zero. Why can't India implement the same? Now, don't think I'm UNAWARE of what's happening in our country and how much time it will take to implement all this but at least let's START and work towards a change. Sitting and thinking/debating about this isn't gonna solve the issue...

Most of the students of today's generation are highly tech-freak and know how to use laptops/tablets, for them it shouldn't be a tough task to study on laptops/tablets. Whereas teachers would then need to be trained as to how they should teach FROM tablet and laptops, which will take time but will gradually get implemented throughout India. First this must be tried in the metro cities after which it shall be implemented into smallest cities i.e. if it works out alright in metro cities.. What are you thoughts?

Keeping it short and simple, not complicated, that's pretty much some basic points I'd like to raise. I'm writing this to know your views. What do you think? Are you in favor of/against the total non usage of paper, to save trees from being cut down - further insuring betterment of the nature and at the same time, utilizing the technology that we have in a more better and useful way. Do post your thoughts.. :)

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Friends : Here's why friendship is an very integral bond of life...

Have you watched the American TV shows, friends? Do you agree with the basic concept of such a show - friends for life? If so, why? We all are always on the lookout for friends that will be with us through the thick and thin. The tv show friends revolved around 6 friends, their life in New York, growing with each other through the hardships and good-ships but at the end of the show, they separate ways after 10 years but does that mean that their friendship got over? What do you think?

6 friends - enough/not enough/too many? What do you think? According to me, even 1 friend can provide you with all the happiness in the world and even 10 cannot. As they say "friendship is the only relation of life that you can choose". Love, laughs, fights, rebounding, crying, making up - friendship has got all of it covered.

According to you, does friendship has any age? For me, no, it doesn't. People way older to you/people way younger to you can be your best friends.God gives us the wonderful opportunity in life to select the people we want to be with i.e. our friends. Friendship is not only "precious", true friendship is a bond that is inseparable.

Who can be your friends? It depends. My parents for me are my best friends and why not! They understand me the best, they know what I want/I do not want, they fulfill my needs, stand by me in the toughest of the times and always appreciate me/inspire me, what more can we ask from a friend! :)

The bigger picture then :- what is your take on this? Is there any ideal no. of friends that can make a person happy? Similarly, does friendship has any age or restrictions/boundaries? What is that one thing you look for in a individual before making them your friend?

To conclude, friend scolds you like your father, loves you like a mother, teases you like a sister and makes you look at the 'brighter side' in the toughest of the times like a FAMILY..

This blog post celebrates the meaning of "friendship". :)

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Source of inspiration : An Indian women

What makes an Indian women so much special? I'm sure this would be the first questions that will come to your mind after reading the title. I say, what doesn't make an Indian women special? Our society has seen a rapid change in the last few years, the way of life for an Indian women has changed drastically and if you ask me, she has adapted magnificently well.

Every country goes through a phase of change that totally revolutionizes the way of thinking of the people of that country. In India, something similar has happened. You'd know that just till a few years back, girls in India were not allowed to study. The mindset was such that no girl should study because eventually every girl  has to get married one day and settle down but no one thought about this - if a girl did study then she could have a future of her own, she wouldn't need to depend on her husband and more importantly, could easily support her husband which would be better for both.

A woman was seen as someone who is only suited for doing household work, this thought process has to a very large extend changed. Nowadays, we don't only see an Indian women working but we also see her holding highest of the posts in an organization which makes her a true source of inspiration. From a time, where women were not allowed to work, now all because of her will power she has totally changed the thought process of the society.

My grandmother got married at the age of 16, doesn't it seem practically impossible in today's world? This therefore proves that the society has indeed changed. Agreed that in certain parts of India, child-marriage still takes place but most certainly in near future this would change and child-marriage will be totally vanished from our society.

Gradually the face of India is changing and an Indian women is largely responsible for it and must be thanked for it. Without her will power, all this wouldn't be possible. If there has been a change, it's because of her. Let's make India a country that is known for respecting it's women, a country that is known for being dominated by women, a country which treats women with immense respect. We've been instilled with such values from a very young age and let's standby them, implement them.

This article is dedicated to all the Indian women, which make our country standout and special from the rest.. :)

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Chitti aayi hai..aayi hai..Chitti aayi hai..

Chitti aayi hai..aayi hai..Chitti aayi hai.. - these words from Pankaj Udhas' songs express the feelings of a person receiving a letter. Sounds quite unusual to us, right? I mean most of us would wonder, why ever was there this much hype about a "letter"? Today's world is technology driven, we've got mobile phones/telephones and e-mails to get in touch with our friends and relatives, who needs letters? Having said that, ask someone who has lived in the age of "non-mobiles and computers" and you'd know how much of an importance a letter held with itself.

Now, I've not been a part of that generation. I believe I would be around 2 years old when I started playing games on mobile, funny as it sounds, it's a fact. My 8 months old nephew has already started "working on laptop" and don't get any ideas, when no one's around, he starts typing on the laptop. (:p) It's clearly understood that he's very inclined to know what this "technology" is and at the mere age of 8 months, it's remarkable how curious he is. Today's generation is incredibly intelligent and technology driven from a very young age.

Coming back to the topic of letters; I have never wrote a letter myself because there has never been the need. I can just sms my friends/family or e-mail them if I want to get in touch with them. However, up until just a few years back, in the late 1980's too, people wrote letters and very frequently. I quote my father "the anxiety that was felt after writing a letter and waiting for the reader to receive it and write back is incomparable, the age of technology can never take over such emotions".

My father wrote letters to his father (my grandfather) who lived in Mumbai because of his work. My father wrote letters every week and sent them to my grandfather, who wrote back every week. A letter took about 1 week or so to be received and during this period, as I mentioned earlier, the wait was irresistible but once the letter did arrive, what followed next was a roller-coaster of emotions, we can imagine that, can't we! :)

In case of emergency, telegrams were sent which took very less time comparatively to the letters, it's very sad that this service was recently stopped. We cannot blame anyone for this though, in the world of technology, where an e-mail takes less than a minute to reach the receiver and so does a SMS, one doesn't really need telegram. Whether rich or poor, most of the families own at least 1 mobile and that's the crux of today's life.

I'm a technology freak but yet, I have this desire in me to somehow understand how it was to wait for a letter, what feelings one felt while reading a letter, how all this worked - I mean, for today's technology driven generation, I/we are even fascinated by "letters" which are no more used, unless for a few purposes. Those times were drastically different.. I'd love to know your views regarding this.. Do share if you have any such stories to share.. :)

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A relationship that doesn't rely on "talking" but on faith and love

What is true love? I'm one of those guys that watches a movie, with a cliche ending, the hero meeting the heroine, falling in love, getting married and then they lived "happily ever after" and I actually like it. Is this true love though? Thinking about it, this is by no means "true love", fancy love you may say. :p A relationship isn't successful until both the partners have faith on each other. A relationship is like a car, that needs all the wheels to be in place in order to work properly. :)

We express ourselves to our loved ones through the means of "talking" but what if you were told that you cannot talk to your loved ones for a day, you'd have to express your thoughts through reactions, can you do it? Eventually, it all comes down to trust. The game of "blindfold".. If you're blindfolded and the person you love the most in this world, narrates the right way to you, wouldn't you follow him/her? I'm sure you would because so would I and this is trust and true love because no matter what, the person you love and the person who loves you, will always guide you to the right way.

Let me apprehend my point through an example. There's this 8-9 years old girl living nearby to my house, each morning I see her saying goodbye to her mother, by a "reaction". Mother replies with a reaction too, they don't speak, they just react to each other but that isn't the whole story... It wasn't until just a few days back that I came to know the real truth. The girl cannot speak and hear, her mother can... The girl and her mother need not to talk because they know each other so well, their love is so pure that just by the means of reactions, they understand the feelings of each other, this is true love. Isn't it? :)

The whole idea of writing this blog entry is to let my readers know about a story that I'm sure will inspire you all. Ask yourself, the person you trust the most in this world, can you narrate your thoughts to them without "speaking"? It's just a way of me telling you that "talking" isn't the only way of showing your love. Get this, you're in a restaurant and someone looks at you, smiles and you smile back, doesn't it feel good! Ask me, I've no idea why but it does feel good because one feels a connection.

A relationship that doesn't rely on "talking" but on faith and love - what are your thoughts? :)

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WE care, the change is near...

India is a country that has often been labeled as one "run by the matured", I say this because if you consider the simple point that majority of our politicians are above the age of 50, it's clearly not a young majority running the government. Why is this so, one might ask! The answer is simple; becoming a politician in India isn't easy. It takes years to make a name for yourself and then only you get a ticket to become a MLA. College elections do take place but these elected candidates have to work extremely hard for several years to represent their respective parties at the higher positions i.e. MLA or MP.

USA, a country that is a benchmark for the other countries in various aspects depicts the same point. Barack Obama is 48 and is the President of USA. In India, at 48, you'd hardly see even a MLA. There are few but not many. Our country shouldn't necessarily follow the ideology that experience is everything, it is vital for sure but it isn't everything. We must change the system for more young politicians to come forward and join politics. Ask yourself - would you want to be a politician? If yes, why? And if not, why not, you don't want a change to happen? These 2 are very basic questions, finding answers to which is not an easy task.

Having said the above, things are changing. Youth of our country may not necessarily join politics but we've surely apprehended in the recent past that "WE DO CARE". The recent Gangrape case in New Delhi which put the whole country in a shock and dismay, saw thousands of young students gather up at India gate and protest, doesn't this show how much we care for what's happening in the society! This was all done without/under anyone's pressure, the youth had one agenda -strongly condemn what had happened. Similarly, when Anna Hazare gathered people for his "anshan", the youth of the country actively took part. We need more senior activists like Anna Hazare that have the experience of how things work in our political system but more importantly, people like Anna Hazare inspire the youth of the country to follow his footsteps.

All this is happening on the ground. Besides, I'm sure that each one of us has had a debate/talk/discussion with our family and friends regarding what is the current state of our country, what's the future and how we can work towards it's betterment, isn't it! This change in the society certainly brings about the point that the future of our politics might just see plenty of politicians around the age of 25-30, which will certainly be beneficial for our country. Young politicians will understand the requirements of country's youth very well and along with senior politicians, everything will fall into place and we can see a India that doesn't just rely on it's senior politicians but youth representatives/politicians too.

We care, the change is near.. :)

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#HappyTravelling is #HappyLiving

Childhood is the best part of one's life, why do we say this? Further, do you firmly believe this? Well, I do. I just cannot help but remember the summer vacations during my childhood when I along with my parents used to visit my village in Bihar. We just cannot stress enough on the fact that the best part of our life is one that we cherish throughout the life span, the times I spent in Tamuria (Bihar) are the golden times of my life and to this very date and forever would cherish those times, these days of #happytravelling. 

I'm writing this entry for Yatra Holidays contest on IndiBlogger. I'm quite aware that most of the writers would opt to write upon some "fancy" holiday places. Perhaps mostly abroad but for me, I'm going to choose the less taken option i.e. our villages. Through this entry, I will take you to the journey of an Indian village, my village, Tamuria. 

Information about my village, Tamuria:- Tamuria is a village located in Madhubani, Bihar. It's nearby to the city of Dharbanga. Like every village of India, this village too holds with itself a very rich heritage and many stories. I'm truly in love with it's beauty and through this blog entry, I plan to make you experience the beauty of my village through my writing. :)

We've to some extend forgotten the simpler times that we experienced earlier. Moreover, holiday is the time that you want to enjoy with your family, it doesn't necessarily need to be a fancy place, it just has to be a place that you like/love travelling to. For me, as I said, it's Tamuria and I'd tell you why...

Living in the capital of India, I've been living a life more or less very modernistic; drastically different to the life lived in Indian villages. Each year I would wait for the summer vacation to start so that I could go and visit my village in Bihar. I was/am not a huge fan of a life without radio/tv/computer hence when I had to travel to Tamuria (my village) I always hesitated. Agreed, I was excited to meet my grandparents and cousins and I was very much in love with the nature beauty but I always wondered, how will the time-pass, won’t I get bored? 

To my exception though, all this belief of mine that village life would to some extend be "boring" was totally incorrect. Just as I would reach to Tamuria after a 24 hour tiring train journey, my grandfather would wait for me at the train station along with his friends and a lavishing arrangement done to welcome me and my parents. It's a sight I will never forget, all these people gathered just to see me and my parents, with "maalas", different sweets, giving me "money" as a sign of blessing, my staying time in Tamuria started on a very high note.

The nature beauty :- As it's pretty obvious, the nature beauty in villages is far superior to the one we get in metro cities. Who needs AC when we have the liberty of experiencing the naturally fresh air (purwa hawaa). I'm a very city life driven kind of a guy, I cannot bear living in villages and yet for some reason village life impressed me. Before going to Tamuria, I would always complain but once we reached the place, I would be the most delighted person among all.

The art of swimming :-In village we call small lakes as "pokhar". During hot summer afternoons, I along with my brothers would go to the "pokhar" and enjoy the feeling of "swimming pool", at least it was no less than a swimming cool. It was a blessing in the hot summer afternoon and after that, what followed next was a lavishing meal that awaited for us back home.

I'm a foodie, food matters  :- The food we get in villages is remarkable. A simple potato "bhujiya" tastes so tasty with the "paratha's" that are truly satisfying to the soul with a bit of butter on the top of the roti, you just cannot help buy say “umm”... :D What more can one ask for! :D 

A holiday is a time that is spent with the family, the laughs, the smiles, the stories, the memories, the time-pass chit-chat, the food, the travelling, everything included, the trip to my village Tamuria is one that I will forever remember. I've never taken a road trip to a nearby place to New Delhi, I’ve travelled to plenty of places in India but I can say this - my trip to Tamuria is one that I'm sure is and forever will be unparalleled. 

Holiday is a time that is not routine, something very unique and an experience that must be felt to be believed. If we look at it from the perspective of merely spending money, that's not holiday. If you look at it from the perspective that regardless of how much money is spent (high or low), the main aim must be to travel to a place that you love/would enjoy to visit. My trip to Tamuria is one such trip that I truly enjoy. :)

I've written this entry to solely apprehend the point that holidays in villages can be equally enjoyable as compared to travelling to abroad or other cities of India. Fact remains, you just have to feel the experience of travelling to your home village because the love and affection from the people, the surroundings, the simplicity of life- everything adds up and makes the holiday one that certainly make you say "kya yaatra hai". :) Do visit http://www.yatra.com/ to arrange such holidays for yourself and live the times that you'd cherish throughout your life. :)

This entry is for Yatra Holidays #HappyTravellers contest on IndiBlogger.

Credits :- The head banner is taken from IndiBlogger's contest page. Rest of the images are taken from Google..

Life is a journey, enjoy this yatra! :)

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Are we neglecting the older generation of our country?

We've always been taught that we must respect our elders and it's of the utmost importance that we abide by what they tell us/teach us. We're privileged to be associated with a culture that treats elders as "gods" - "badon ko bhagwan ki tarah pujnaa chahiye".. These are the values that are instilled in us from a very young age. Having said that, let's focus upon a larger issue that our society is currently facing; are we neglecting our older generation?

Every other day in the news you can hear the news about crimes against older people, the news about older people being sent to old-age home and what not! Such kind of news is not only disturbing but has a huge impact on the society that we live in. It's easily understood that the example that is being set for the next generation isn't by any standards one to be proud of. We belong to a country that takes pride in respecting it's elders and treating them as gods, we're certainly forgetting our values and respect towards our elders.

A couple of days ago, I was in the market along with my father and we were coming out of a shoe shop. As I was coming out, I saw an old lady around 75 years old, walking with the help of a stick, alone and coming out of the shop. On the way out from the shop, I held the gate open for her and helped her to come out of the shop. She looked at me and said "thank you beta" and then said to my father "issne mere liye gate khole rakha, behut accha ladka hai". My father looked at me and I looked at the lady, I had no idea what to say, I just smiled. Now, consider this, is this where our society is going? Are we even hesitant to help the older generation, when they need us the most?

Having said the above, it's not that I've only seen the negatives. Take metro trains example for instance, I've often seen younger generations standing up and telling elders to please sit.. It's certainly g ood to see that we do "care". But still, it cannot be helped but talked about, what's really going wrong in the society? Sticking with metro, the previous example is a positive one but often older people stand up through their journey which certainly is very sad. Couldn't we have a separate metro train compartment for their convenience, is that asking for too much? I hope not. 

It's not like India is the only country which is having problems with the way it's older generation is getting treated. There are several other countries, in fact every country has got cases in regard to people from the older generation not being treated well or in other words, being treated with disrespect. 

We label our country as one to be "traditionally and ritually the strongest" in the world. We should abide by this, treating the older generation with respect isn't an option but must be the priority. Smallest of the things must be taken care of... 

Our laws must be changed as per the rapidly changing times. After retirement, the amount of pension given to the senior citizens must be raised as per the highly costly world that we're living in. Imagining a reasonable life in 5-10 lackh in today's world is highly unrealistic and in all fairness, a retired employee and an ethical one at that would by no means have more money than this. By this point of view, how can we rule out the possibility of one perhaps not even having a son or daughter, who would then be held responsible for them not being allowed to live a reasonable life style even after retirement? 

Going one step further and talking about facilities provided at public places. Railway stations or air ports for instance, do they have special facility for older people? My grandparents went to Bhopal last year and they were helped by the touring company from which we booked their ticket but more often than not, older people may not even be helped if they do not know how the system at air port works, I'm just pointing out an example. Similarly, railway stations as we all know in India are hugely crowded almost every month of year, in such situation it's not hard to imagine how much trouble it would be for an aged person/couple to travel alone. 

The last and the most important point is that of the health insurance. We must not overlook the fact that after retirement an average old couple might not even have sufficient money for a health insurance, in such cases, what should be done? My maternal grandfather has got health insurance provided by his company which is valid all throughout his life and is totally free, although only applicable in the city where he’s working i.e. (Bokaro). Why cannot something similar be done with all companies? These are just some genuine demands that must be fulfilled for the betterment of the older generation in our country.

Let's be a country that does not look upto other countries when it comes to treating it's older generation but is itself an example for other countries to apprehend the simple point that we are indeed a country that treats it's elders with respect and sees "god" in them. That's the kind of values we're grown up with and let's emphasize and deem with such values. 

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A conversation betweeen a smartphone and it's smart user

Our life has had a significant change in the last few years because of the rapid changes in the technology field. Below is a conversation between a teenager and his smartphone. Without more ado, let's see how this unusual and unheard of conversation goes.

Prakash (smartphone user) - I wonder how life would be without a smartphone!

Smartphone - Obviously a life without smartphone wouldn't be smart. No twitter, no FB, no GooglePlay which means no apps. Boring life...

Prakash - Just that? That's all you're useful for? A simpler life would be a lot more fun and a lot more easier.

Smartphone - I disagree...Smartphone has made your life a lot more convenient and a lot more joyful. For instance, you need to search for a nearby restaurant, you can get easy step by step guide to a restaurant as per your wish, near to the place you're at. Was this remotely possible in the earlier times!

Prakash - Our life has become a nuisance since the invention of smartphone. Most of the teenagers I see, in trains/metro's/airplanes, you just cannot see them without a smartphone. Their eyes continuously on the mobile screen, playing games or surfing net, what about the weakening of the eyesight because of this? They're getting distracted from the much more important parts of their life. They've stopped exploring the real sense of life. Teenagers have stopped spending time with their family. What about this? "Parents say something and they just nod along, without even realizing what their parents are saying"...

Smartphone - What about the free information that you get via the apps provided in smartphones. These apps have made learning a lot more fun and creative. We just cannot overlook this change. Similarly, we're living in the modern times and as the society around us is getting modernized, we too must with it get modernized.

Prakash - Getting calls from work colleagues for no important reason but just gossip, what's the use? Students talk to their friends/sms their friends and not on important issues but useless ones. Is this where our society is coming? How can this be labeled as a "good" change?

Smartphone - On that note, if there's an emergency and you need to call your relative or a hospital, isn't a smartphone or a phone for that matter a blessing? In case, you don't know about the nearby hospitals, there are apps on smartphone which can be used for this very purpose. If you consider this, you can realize how important a smartphone is...

Prakash suddenly woke up and realized that he was dreaming. What a dream it was! A conversation with his smartphone. Both the smartphone and Prakash raised several valid points in the dream. So, what do you think? Whose thoughts were apprehended in a better way or whose thoughts do you stand by with - Prakash' or smartphone?

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda

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