World Travel and Tourist Destinations

How were the Incans able to create such magnificent architecture upon a mountain top, with stones so perfectly placed that they still remain today in nearly the same condition as when the city was complete? And whatever happened to the Incas who once lived in the now vacant city of Machu Picchu? The world is yet to produce credible answers to these questions. One of the best ways to get a feel for just how difficult it must have been to make and impossible it is to explain the disappearance is to take a hiking tour up this ancient Incan mountain.

This is a rough trip through jungles and into elevations with less oxygen, so hikers beware before planning a trip. You will need to make sure to be checked out by a physician prior to attempting this vacation. All guides must be registered with the government before the trip begins, so you are sure to have someone knowledgeable of the trek.

The hike will begin at one of the modern day towns. With a guide to help you find your way, and porters to help you carry the load, you are well prepared to head out with the group. You will encounter many of the native animals, such as chinchillas, Andean Condors, and for those who are lucky, the shy, nearly extinct spectacled bear (don’t worry, they are herbivores). After four grueling days of hiking up the mountain, you will experience the marvel of this city made before Europeans even knew about the Americas. Its masonry is absolutely amazing, with stones perfectly lined up in a way that we today have only recently begun to achieve. You will be allowed to wonder the paths of this city abandoned by its people. Wild llama and other animals still inhabit the top of Machu Picchu. Take some time to relax before heading back by train.

Most vacations are end up being a sorry end to any diet, but there is one way to see Europe without having to worry about gaining a pound. As one of the most bike friendly places in the world, Europe offers many fantastic tours that can take you through a country, or even through several for those who are real bicycle enthusiasts. Europe may be one of the smallest continents, but it has more diversity of culture and architecture than almost anywhere else in the world.

Tours can take visitors through almost every country in Europe. For people are not native to Europe, the best way to go is on a guided tour. The guide can give you all the information you need to know about the routes to go and the best times to get moving (or provide the motivation if you tend to be a late sleeper). They can also give you information and history on the different places along the way. Guided tours also include lodgings and food, meaning you won’t have to find a place to eat or sleep at the end of a long day. For the native European or experienced European traveler, there are plenty of self tours.

Tours can be planned according to the tourist’s interests. If it is castles and architecture that spark your interest, there are tours that will make sure to take you past some of the continents best. Bikers wishing to have more of a natural route, there are plans that will provide tourists with routes over mountains and some of the most famous forests in Europe. If it is a challenge you want, or if the regular biking is enough of a challenge, guides will lead groups according to difficulty and biking experience. There are even tours that cater to a particular weather and climate.

The word Australia conjures up so many images of exotic animals, outback adventures, and outlandish experiences, but in the cities, Austria rivals any other city for sophistication and urban excitement. From the famous Sydney Opera House to an exuberant nightlife, Sydney has what you expect from a city, with an Australian twist.

Visit the Royal Botanic Gardens, which is open year round and are free to the public. Lying within this amazing garden is the ruins of the Garden Palace, built just for exhibitions. Although the original was mostly destroyed in the early 1880s, the Government House was built near the location and serves as an extraordinary reminder of the former glory of the Garden Palace. For the true architect lover, the city is rife with stylish and unusually buildings and structures. This includes the Harbor Bridge. Perhaps the most intrigue aspect of the bridge is the Bridge Climb, and yes, it is exactly what it sounds like. Take a breath-taking (and perhaps terrifying) view of the city from the peak of the bridge. The total time to complete the climb is three hours, and don’t take any of your personal belongs because you will have to leave them behind before you start.

The Australian Aquarium is unrivalled in types of sea life presented, and as would be expected a good number of the animals that can be viewed are indigenous. Likewise, the Australia Zoo is a must for all families. It is a show that is presented as only the Australians can imagine. For those who cannot get enough wildlife, roughly an hour out of the city’s center is the Featherdale Wildlife Park. The park is home to native animals only and is probably the best way to experience Australian wildlife if you do not want to leave the comforts of the city.

Most people think of Alaska as the coldest, most barren part of the United States; this reputation is entirely inaccurate. The best way to see just how wrong this impression is, consider taking a vacation on an Alaskan cruise. Several cruise liners offer exceptional service as passengers marvel at the wonders of the Pacific Ocean and experience life in the cities and towns up the Alaskan coast. It is not your typical cruise vacation. After the first day, you will feel a much more natural, less tamed sense of freedom.

Alaskan cruises guarantee experiences you will not have on a stereo-typical cruise. While most cruises take tourists to tropical locations that are over-crowded and often uncomfortably warm, a cruise up the Alaskan coast provides a unique experience. If you want to explore the cities and town during the port visits, you will witness the bustling existence of America’s coldest state, with less of a touristy feel. Only a trip to Alaska can offer visitors the chance to hike along a glacier or take a helicopter ride to get some amazing pictures. If you are a fan of Call of the Wild, you can take the opportunity to see this world first hand on one of the dog sled excursions. During most of the tourist season you can see whale, sea lions, seals, and other wildlife enjoying the colder Pacific waters.

Of course, it is not the type of trip where you will be packing bikinis and shorts. It is recommended that passengers bring warmer clothes and coats, even in the summer, because of the cooler ocean breezes and higher latitudinal location. This means you will not be compelled to go on a crash diet before your vacation begins. Many cruise liners do have pools, so if you really want a bit of the bathing suit experience it is still an option.

Watching Pirates of the Caribbean will make anyone marvel at the sheer beauty of that area. With its sparkling blue water and remote appearance, it is easy to decide to escape to the Caribbean for vacation. Generally cruises are determined by the location where you want to travel: the Eastern Caribbean, Western Caribbean, or Southern Caribbean. Each section of this gorgeous spans of water and islands has its own charms and cities to recommend it.

A cruise around the Eastern Caribbean is probably a good first time trip if you are not at all familiar with this part of the world. A cruise will take you ports like Barbados, Key West, St. Croix, and St. Kitts. Some of the places where you will stop are larger towns and cities where you explore different markets and shop for souveniers. Others ports are smaller and provide more of an escape from the crowd.

The Western Caribbean ports are more along the lines of what people imagine when they think of the Caribbean. From the Bahams and Grand Cayman, to Jamaica, the ports of call are the ones you would expect. Widely known for the outstanding beaches and numerous off boat activities, these ports of call will keep you exploring for the entirety of the port call.

The Southern Caribbean has more exotic, remote locations. With normal stops in Antigua, Aruba, Quadeloupe, and St. Luca, this trip will be unlike the other two. When you depart the ship, you will have more of a chance to escape from the crowds and experience more of a native Caribbean feel.

Some activities are universal, regardless of where you go. No trip to the Caribbean would be complete without a snorkeling excursion. You can play on vast stretches of phenomenal beaches and enjoy the beauty immortalized in so many movies and songs.

Largely gone are the days where people will pack up an elephant gun and attempt to bring home animal trophies from the largely untamed African wilds. Instead safari travelers can become closer to nature and gain a new respect for the gentle giants roam the continent, as well as many of the other unique, indigenous animals. Landlocked tours are no longer the only way to safari either. Several Southern Africa safaris focus on the ocean and beach life exclusive to this magnificent area.

Something you don’t encounter, or even think about, often is the chance to feed wildlife from a car, most of the time you aren’t even allowed to feed animals anywhere you go outside your home. Africa has an amazing Wildlife Park that gives tourists the opportunity to feed animals like elk and bison from their cars. Naturally, you must drive safely, but it is a great way to start to warm up to some less familiar animals. Don’t expect to see any of the fiercer African animals roaming so freely; the best way to check out the more typically imagined African animals is to schedule a safari out on the Savannah. From a more comfortably safe distance, you can watch the world’s largest cats in action, or inaction if you choose the wrong part of the day.

Between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, South Africa is teeming with aquatic wildlife. After checking out some of the most successful hunters on land, watch some of the world’s best predators of the ocean. You can even plan to take a swim with some of the less fierce sharks. For the sports enthusiast there are different kayaking safaris that take tourists around some of the more remote islands. These trips include other water activities, like snorkeling and fishing.

From its rich history to the modern creations that keep this city very much alive, London is one of the most fascinating and accommodating cities to visit. One of the first places to start is with a trip on the breath taking London Eye. In the time it takes to make one revolution, any tourist will have seen during this phenomenal view of much of London a number of landmarks and buildings to spark interest. Overlooking the Thames River, the London Eye is a large Ferris wheel with glass capsules to allow the riders to have an optimal view of London.

With thousands of years of history, there are few places in London that are not inundated with the feel and atmosphere of the thousands of years this marvelous city has existed. From the broken portion of a Roman wall to the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, London has enough tours and buildings to keep any history buff happy or inform those who are curious to learn more about this ancient city. There are even darker tours for more adult audiences, like the Jack the Ripper Tour. There are also places that are old but kept up to modern standards, like Buckingham Palace, and the famous changing of the guards.

But London is does not rely on its wealth of history and accomplishments. The city is lively and energetic with many modern marvels. With many internet cafes and an efficient tube system, London provides many conveniences to the tourist. This unique city has shops and stores to keep shoppers happily occupied, both during rainy times when you can shop inside and during sunny periods at the outdoor markets. Camden Market is one such place that can provide hours of delightful perusal of a wide array of items. It is also a prime stop for concert stops, so it would be wise to check future concerts and plays when planning a trip to this noble city.

**Congratulations**

The Adroit

Sudeshna Sen

For

The Political Curtain

Well-known as Koel among her friends and well-wishers, Sudeshna Sen is a student who is backed by an intellectual family with strong political background.  A resident of Kolkota, India, Sudeshna Sen is fond of Chinese and Hyderabadi food. She loves hanging around her own home city Kolkota and carries a special liking for Hydreabad and Puri, Orissa.

Being a ghostreader, Sudeshna Sen admires authors including Amartya Sen, R.K. Narayan, Jhumpa Lahiri. Her favorite book is Bitter Chocolate by Pinki Virani.

Sudeshna loves socializing, reading and listening to music in her spare time though she doesn’t miss killing her spare time with political thoughts too.

She wants to be a social entrepreneur while backing herself financially up with a sound job after completing her masters.

Apart from being an excellent writer and a thoughtful personality, Sudeshna Sen carries a firm attitude towards life and society. She looks forward to see a corruption free world. She believes in exploring children’s potential to help them achieve what all they are capable of. 

You can see her penned down thoughts at http://koel-asterixa.blogspot.com/ and http://unpresidented.blogspot.com/

You can contact her at sudeshna290@gmail.com

We wish her all the best for a bright future.

We thank all the participants for crafting their best pieces and we’re sure they’ll not get disappointed rather they will outperform their own efforts next time. Any competition is about getting the best out of you. If you’re not the winner, it means a next contest is waiting for you. With every new effort, you are making a diamond out of you that gets refined with every hit.

We appreciate Miss Nair’s entry that was able to draw lot of attention for a very sensitive issue. We can’t miss Khushboo’s entry that equally emotional and provoke a responsible son/daughter in you. Where “Bond of marriage…” was a refreshing and carefully crafted piece, joy of shopping was an interesting piece of knowledge that gave an insight of human psychology. We are glad to see so many talents around sharing a single platform, World Explore.

In this contest, we noticed that some of the best pieces were left out because of lack of people’s vote. An artist is one who admires every art not just his own. A writer is also an artist who crafts the words into soft feelings to powerful swords. We’d really appreciate if all entries are seen with equal eyes no matter you’re the contestant or am audience. We definitely need your support to make this platform strong enough to help talents recognized. 

In next few hours, you’ll find a new post of next contest topic. We expect you to explore your talent until you achieve that perfection and prove yourself. Never give up. It is not just about win, it is about will to win finally.

We’ll keep the comment section opened by the time we post the next contest topic. Once again, congratulations to Miss Sudeshna Sen. She must have received her reward by now and we hope she must be glad with her win.

Thank you all

Nominee 1 - The Political Curtain

Nominee 2 - Bond of marriage or bondage of marriage?

Nominee 3 - Joy of Shopping

Nominee 4 - No Time To Repent

Nominee 5 - When my heart bleeds for the children and my soul burns with rage…

Nominee 1 - The Political Curtain

Nominee 2 - When my heart bleeds for the children and my soul burns with rage…

Nominee 3 - Joy of Shopping

Nominee 4 - Bond of marriage or bondage of marriage?

Nominee 5 - No Time To Repent

There will be three nominees countdown posts in which Top 5 posts will be disclosed. 4th post will disclose The Adroit.

The top 5 are brought up after keeping in 4 criterias mentioned earlier.

Nominee 1 - When my heart bleeds for the children and my soul burns with rage…

Nominee 2 - The Political Curtain

Nominee 3 - Joy of Shopping

Nominee 4 - No Time To Repent

Nominee 5 - Bond of marriage or bondage of marriage?

Next countdown nominees post will be made after 12 hours.

Good luck

I can’t say whether excitement of contest is over or it has just started now. I guess, it’d be a real hot time after the contest. This is the time when you are done with the job of writing your best yet have to defend your stand. It is good to be a critic but it can add a grace if done in a constructive and positive manner.

You may be disappointed at times when someone would rate your entry C and at times, you’ll be flying at twinkling 5 stars. I’d say, read and analyze all entries equally with a neutral mindset. Rate them honestly. Give your frank comments but avoid being offensive.

The best entry would be selected on 4 ground factors

1.  World Explore Panel Review

2.  Popularity of the post

3.  Value of the post to general audience

4.  Writing Style and clarity in the post

You can comment on the posts by clicking the particular post. It will open as one page where you can see the comment box.

You are not allowed to post any URL or link in your comments. We would welcome your hot yet healthy discussion.

You can see the social bookmarking option/sites just above the comment box. It can help you draw readers from other social networking sites and read your post. It’ll make your post more popular as well as worth being discussed.

Once again, I congratulate all contestants who have got the entry through their power of words. Wish you a great luck.

This article reveals that smoking has enormous harmful effects. Smoking is dangerous for your health. It can cause many major diseases like heart attack, blood pressure, high cholesterol and cancer. Aptitude of lung diseases and lung cancer is very high among the smokers. Smoking affects your skin and teeth. It can cause infertility in men and women. It reduces the days of life as well as makes your life miserable. There are some useful tips for the smoker which can be helpful for them. Many people give different reasons for smoking like habit, addiction and for fun. To stop smoking you just plan a schedule and work on it. Consult from a doctor and ask for the tips to quit smoking. Once you think about stop smoking firmly stick to your plan. I hope these tips can be helpful for you to quit smoking.

Every body wishes a long and healthy life to spend with his love ones. But do you know that smoking is a habit which is reducing your life day by day. There are countless harmful effects of smoking but few are very much dangerous which can lead you to death before time. Almost every year thousands of people die just because of the harmful effects of smoking. Now give a brief look to the harmful effects of smoking:

Thousands of the people die in their mid age from smoking.

*Tobacco smoke contains such type of toxic elements which can cause cancer.
*Smoking slower down the flow of bloods into vessels which is the major cause of blood pressure and heart attack. Lung cancer is very common among the smokers. Initially it’s a simple bronchitis which leads into a lung cancer.
*Teeth become yellowish in color because of the tar accumulate on the teeth.
*Smoking can increase the fat deposition especially in the blood vessels so that it can block these vessels.
*One of the five persons can die from heart attack.
*Skin becomes dry and desiccant and a person lost his fresh look.
*Men who smoking can be impotent because of low blood flow in the penis. There sperm production rate minimize as compare to the normal persons. Mostly sperm are in abnormal condition.
*Women who smoke have less chance to get pregnant and have higher rate to miscarriage.
*Children whose parents smoke can suffer from asthma in their early ages.
Smoking is a great lose of money and health.

Now the question is why people smoke? A survey on smokers revealed that there are different reasons of smoking.

*People smoke because they are habitual.
*Some people smoke only for the enjoyment.
*Most of the people are addicted to the smoking.
*Some people smoke just to ease them like stress, anxiety, tension, depression and anger.

There are some useful tips which can help you to stop smoking.

*Quit smoking is a difficult task but not impossible. You should be aware of the harmful effects of smoking.
*Set a date when you start to stop smoking. You must be busy in these days.
*Consult from a doctor especially if you are suffering from a health problem like heart, lungs or weight gain.
*Change your company if your friends smoke.
*Ask the help from your family. They can be helpful for you to stop smoking.
*If you cannot quit smoking at once then day by day reduce the number of cigarettes in your daily routine.
*Try to involve in health activities like exercise, jogging and walking.
*Believe in yourself that you can quit smoking.

Authored By Saima Waqas, Pakistan 

We all love to do shopping but have you ever gave it a thought that why shopping is so much exciting… Let’s explore the joy of shopping. 

Have you ever wondered why shopping makes you feel so good?

When you are shopping to buy a gift or get something for yourself, either way it’s kind of a treat—— but why, why this feeling develops into your mind. And why you feel happy & satisfied after buying something esp. for yourself or for your loved ones…?

A growing body of brain research shows how shopping activates key areas of the brain, boosting our mood & making us feel better- atleast for a little while. Peering into a decorated holiday window or finding a hard to find toy appears to tap into the brain’s reward center, triggering the release of brain chemicals that give you a “shopping high”. Understanding the way your brain responds to shopping can help you make sense of the highs & lows of holiday shopping, avoid buyer’s remorse & lower your risk for overspending.

Much of the joy of holiday shopping can be traced to the brain chemical dopamine. Dopamine plays a crucial role in our mental & physical health. Dopamine is associated with feelings of pleasure & satisfaction, and it is released when we experience something new, exciting or challenging. And for many people, shopping is all those things.

The level of dopamine pumps up also because you are seeing things you haven’t tried on before.

But MRI studies of brain activity suggest that surges in dopamine levels are linked much more with anticipation of an experience rather than the actual experience- which may explain why people get so much pleasure out of window-shopping or hunting for bargains.

But if we see the other side of a coin, dopamine can cause someone to get caught up in the shopping moment & make bad decisions. Dopamine may help explain why someone buys shoes they never wear. You see the shoes & get this burst of dopamine which motivates you to seal the deal & buy them. It’s like a fuel injector for action, but once they are bought it’s almost a letdown. Moreover, stressful holiday crowds, poor service or the realization that you’ve spent too much can quickly eliminate the feel-good effects of shopping.

Knowing that shopping triggers real changes in our brain can help you make better shopping decisions & not overspend while in a dopamine-induced high. For instance, walking away from a purchase you want & returning the next day will eliminate the novelty of the situation & help you make a more clear-headed decision.

And beware don’t shop when you’re visiting friends or relatives. The added novelty of shopping in a new place puts you at higher risk of buying something you don’t need.

But that doesn’t mean you should stop shopping, after all this is your brain at the mall.

So, enjoy your shopping.

Authored By Navneet Bidani, India

It is neither an article nor a story, but these are my feelings, in which you may not be interested, but I would urge you to continue reading. My relationship with my mom was very critical as any young adult girl would have. I always misunderstood my mom like hell, but was she worth my ignorance and rude tantrums? I will be revealing this story because you are with me in this journey and I feel that you should know what the actual meaning of life is and what exactly mother is. It’s well said that whatever you see has two sides, two people may see same thing, but they analyse and evaluate it differently, because different people have different perceptions. Same thing happened with me too.

I always wanted to live life on my own terms. I tried to do everything, what mom didn’t like. She didn’t like me roaming with those frivolous boys and stupid girls, who always lied to their parents and slept with their colleagues for few bucks to fill their pockets. We did party every night and bunked school and lectures since I grew up. I always tortured and lied to my mom. 

I can define my relation with my Mom with a single word, HATE. I hated her because she stopped me from doing everything wrong, yes wrong! She tried to stop me at that time too, when I became a well known doper in my college, I did all this simply because I wanted to hurt her. My mom loved me a lot and I hated her a lot throughout her life! I don’t know why. What was the reason to hate her so much? 

It may be because of that childhood memory, which is blurred and still not clear. That memory still haunts me and makes my senses go feeble and blocks my mind. Dad passed away when I was just 3 years old. I was 6 years, when one day I saw my mother going with some other man at night. It was raining heavily and street poured out like well. 

I said: “Mom wait, brother is waiting at home and he wants you to be with him, he is not well, he needs you”. 

My brother had severe fever and he needed mom. But she didn’t listen, and moved on. My brother died. I blamed mom for that. If she would have stayed and treated my brother with some medicines and called some doctor, then he would have been saved. I loved my brother a lot, he was the only possession left with me. 

Days passed by and I still couldn’t find who that man was. I tried to ask, but she turned mute. Mom was not well one day and she suffered from cancer. I called doctor but it was of no use because it was too late. She hid her disease from me since years. At night when she was suffering from heavy bloody vomiting, somehow I felt a strange satisfaction in watching her suffer. 

I felt, she is paying price of killing my brother. Now my brother’s soul would get some peace. Suddenly a man came out of the limousine and walked towards my mother; she tried to speak but couldn’t talk because of the blood that totally blocked her mouth. She tried to stop that man as if not to tell anything but the man didn’t listen. He knew my attitude towards my mom. Before my mom could utter anything, she died. The man continued: 

“She picked a bud thrown away; many years back from the unknown street of Goa and brought it home. Many people stopped her but she pledged that day that she will turn that bud into a beautiful flower that will make all the scenes of her life beautiful and extraordinary. She knew that her son was ill. She tried to arrange the doctor and medicines, but I came in between, to show her one more bud, which was lying down on the same street. 

She came with me and picked up that bud to give her a life, which would be worth living. She did that to save that bud from the paws of those hungry lions that will grind that bud under their feet within no time. You were the earlier bud and now my adopted daughter is the second bud.” 

I was taken aback! This is what my mother was; this is what the word mother means! Life didn’t give me a single chance to understand her and when I got the chance, she was no more. There is no time to repent now!  

Authored By Khushboo Agarwal, India

The following essay deals the aspects of relationship, the various types of relationships obtained by every individual. it also explains the various ways of safeguarding the relationship with fellow beings and the tactics to cope with the fellow human beings.

Relationship makes our life sensible and realistic. At the moment of birth,the relationship starts with the humans. It is a bond between the fellowships and completes the content of life effectively. As we are humans,we dependent on each others for the mutual benefits. The art of making relationship makes the human to have a marvelous life forever. Let we see some of the important aspects of relationship in the following essay.
 
DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS OF RELATIONSHIP

As I mentioned earlier, the very first relationship bonds with the mother for every individual. It is the best relationship in the world and provides the power of obtaining various relationship in the life. The relationship is long chain which goes like father,siblings,relatives, teachers and the everlasting relationship called friends.Thus an effective relationship between the individuals starts by practising some of the special behaviours and activities. These activities makes the individuals to handle the relationship in an better manner.

SAFEGUARD YOUR RELATIONSHIP FROM BREAKING

As we are the human beings we believe most of them by the emotional bonding between others. Approaching the relationship with matured minds avoids more than ninety percent of the problems among the relationship when both the individuals are capable of judging themselves with the experienced minds and thoughts, then the probability of breaking the relationship approaches to zero. As the relationship is coupled with emotional instincts,be bold to solve the problems with intense height of positive thoughts.

LEARN FROM OTHERS MISTAKES LEADS TO HAPPINESS

It will be a joy in reading the mistakes and conflicts of the relationships with the respective solutions. The very small decisions and activities at the conflicts may safeguard a million worth relationship. Thanks to advanced technologies in web which helps to refer a number of blogs in an easier way. When we read a number of quarrels and problems with their style of solutions, then we can avoid these quarrels easily in our real life. Attest we can predict the later results of conflict and can control the way of dealing with our dear ones. As the relationship is seen as a mirror, it is highly important to safeguard it with calculated measures and behaviours. This may avoid the barriers of involved in the relationship and makes our life to live with satisfaction
 
SEE YOUR RELATIONSHIP BEYOND THE MONETARY BENEFIT 

When we deal the people with our human kindness and emotional intelligence we start to look the relationship with human kindness. As we are comfortable in dealing the relationships, then the monetary benefit through the relationship might go out of scope.

So live the life with the real happiness and satisfaction by adding values to your relationships and fellowmen!

Authored By Balaji Jayaraman, India

I’m politically honest (oops! Was that an oxymoron!!!) All my idea about politics is the way I see it in my college- for nothing other than power! And all I do as a common voter is choose the best among the worst!

College politics- one of those very favorite things to debate upon!! How can the country progress without the youth thinking of politics? Why should you sell off your youth to a dirty thing like politics?

It is useless to define what politics is- we all are intelligent enough to check the dictionaries. But do you realize how important the State is? I came to think of it when, in my first year of college a senior told me, “You don’t exist if the state chooses to not let you exist!”

When we are born, the State confirms our birth, hands over the Birth Certificate. We get in to school, we pass out. The State certifies that we are literate. We find a job, the State says that we earn more than what we need and therefore should give up something. We get married- yet again the State affirms that. We die- but we are dead only when the State officially hands over our death certificates. So you can cease to exist without dying if the State chooses to. And ultimately who whips this horse? The political leaders chosen by us, the democratic people of India!!!

And we say running a State is a joke? No way!! But unfortunately thinking of politics today, all that I know is what I see in my college.

Being under the Communist rule ever since birth, I shouldn’t have seen much of tension. West Bengal is politically, the most stable state in the country. You may wonder whether I’m anti-industrialization, talking against Tata’s car factory or speaking up against the violence in Nandigram. I am neither a democratic maven nor the Marxist saint; I cannot comment on policy implications or send out judgments about what these two particular events had to do with the Communist rule. I am a small entity.

My college has always been politically active. I didn’t know why till I joined. I wondered why Students’ Federation of India (SFI), never approached me in spite of the party members knowing that I come from a communist family. I found out very soon- all the active SFI members are muscle men who can bulldoze down the opposition. All that they needed from me was the vote- better not let me see the dirty politics that they play behind the curtain. I was the most confused soul on the Election Day…

College elections- CPM backed SFI have the right to bring in people from other colleges to beat up the opposition. They fail to recognize classmates whom they have studied with for a whole year, they steal away the strategy sheets of the opposition, they call up confirmed voters and threat them, frighten their families so that the students cannot even come out to vote! In spite of that they fail to win the elections. They fight, they demand a re-poll, and they say that the opposition rigged, arrange for attendance registers from the University long after the working hours are over and don’t allow the panel election to come through before a month is over!

What about the so highly sought after opposition, Independence Consolidation, IC, who seem to win the election doing nothing? I’ve nothing to say about them because they don’t do anything except the passion to make a change! They hardly have any organization. They don’t have a mother party helping them beat up people and bag the votes. They aren’t even good liars! Poor them!!

In the devastating state that Indian politics is in, even this much honesty would go ways to help us achieve the Indian dream. But that is really a distant dream- after all what do we students understand of politics? What can the youth do? And incidentally, by the time they are old enough to make an impact, unfortunately, the common citizen’s psychic phenomena will turn them corrupt enough as well. After all, we live in India!

So, do we, the youth, bid a good bye to our political dream and just end up being a statistic in census?

Perhaps we should now go and look up on the dictionary as to how politics is exactly defined!
Authored By Sudeshna Sen, India

The word fashion usually conjures up the image of designer clothes in these rapidly changing modern times.  The old cliché that clothes make the man has been reverberating down the ages since they were first coined in 16th century England. The term was later changed to ‘ye taylor maketh the manne’ and may be one of the first crude attempts re the use of slogans as a marketing tool.

What is most interesting about the complexities of vogue, as a subject, is the reasons why people, often spending huge amounts of money, follow trends and want constant change. The rate of fashion change has certainly accelerated since the beginning of the 20th century, due on the most part to changes of affluence, the industrial revolution, the availability of more leisure time that in turn created demand for apparel other than that of basic work clothes and department stores; however, Neanderthal cavemen can be attributed to being some of the earliest trendsetters with the application of various dyes to their fur skins and having the odd bone accoutrement fixed into their ears and nostrils. Not exactly an Armani or Lauren I admit, but in those days who knows the name of the fellow in question-probably no more than a grunt anyway?

Fashion has many different connotations, some of which bear stark contrast to each other. For example, is fashion seen as a statement of status and distinction from our fellow human beings? To the contrary, is it that we want to appear similar by wearing a type of basic tribal uniform that identify us into like-minded peer groups?-mods and rockers, teddy boys or punk rockers for example. A sense of identity and tradition certainly seem to be a major factor.  If I was to list a number of hat and shoe types, I would think most people would be able to identify their origins. Let’s give it a shot: sombreros, the fez, bowler hats, berets, stetsons, clogs and cowboy boots-not one of the hardest quizzes I hear you say!

To try to understand the reason behind trend statements, we need to look back to their origins in history. Dress basically used to separate the opulent upper classes from their downtrodden serfs, whose basic dress was practical, normally designed for work purposes and hardly changed over the centuries. Vogue was usually brought about by people who would be considered on a par with the film stars and sportsmen of today-nobility and royalty. High class robes were viewed as a means of expression; Queen Elizabeth I used her apparel, rich in beaded jewellery and sequins, to emanate power and wealth. Forms of dress have also been influenced by wars, religion, climate and culture.

Many designs of today are reruns and variations of themes from yesteryear. When new fashions take off, they have to be widely accepted; the wild and extravagant ranges do not necessarily gain automatic notoriety. The human mind, however, does tend to play tricks on us; I would challenge anyone who did not admit that they have at one time or another greeted new apparel with scepticism and disdain, only to admit later to becoming an aficionado. My particular admissions include bleached jeans and ones that like someone had had trouble with a roll of barbed wire ending up with tears without the scratches-within months of their introduction, yours truly was wearing them.

Clever marketing and advertising have a considerable influence on winning us over to what first appear to be outlandish or weird innovations. In this throw-away society, clothing suppliers want to ensure the average number of times we wear some our clothes does not mean they end up threadbare before we discard them. So the statement from the wizard of words, Mr Will Shakespeare, does seem to have a ring of truth in them-five hundred years on!

Authored By Maira Kamran, Pakistan

This article discusses about the recent suicide cases of young students due to failure in academics. It divulges the reason for that and suggests some solution to this precarious trend.

As famous writer Phil Donahue said, “Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem”, it looks like many of our younger generation are opting for the ‘so called’ permanent solution to even smaller problems in their life. And, the recent increase in the number of suicide cases of young students across the country, owing to the poor academic performance, would vouch for that. If the real reason for this is dug out, it would turn out not really to be the poor performance of the students but it is the lack of proper motivation from the school and parents side. Students are made completely oblivious to the other options available to them and are enforced with the burden of securing the highest ranks and subsequently a place in the reputed colleges and medical institutions.

What has crept into the minds of the students and their parents that makes them to even take their life for granted and struggle for merits and top ranks? To begin with, Students are only taught how to work harder and concentrate on their school subjects and fair well in their exams. They are not properly educated about the various other career options available to them. “So what if I don’t study well? I have this career option to pick up….I have this passion to pursue” should be the attitude of every student. And they should be exclusively trained on this, that is, in parallel to education the importance should also be given to attitude building. But, It does not mean students can simply skip the studies and take up some hobby or passion to pursue. It is that, Students who cannot really concentrate or fair well in their exams will be surely gifted with some talent or the other. So why not tap their potential and make their lives easier and happy, instead of pushing them into the same old path and finally to see them hanging one day.

A very recent instance is the death of an IIT student in the northern India and the reason cited is that she failed in two subjects. This is really daunting and this clearly indicates that students are motivated in the wrong way that they should study to live. But practically, the student should be made to understand how living is more important than studying. After all education is one of the ways to make the life easier and comfortable to live, but definitely not the only way.

So what is the solution? And what is the strategy to be adopted?

Sadly, The Indian Education system is also to be blamed for the student’s ignorance and the biased view. Because the whole concept of schooling is to carry books, read books, and live with books and the system is complacent with its current method. Hence students right from childhood to adult age firmly believe studying is something related to books and if they don’t master their books their life is gone for the toss. This is a completely incorrect and perilous notion that they carry. Hence, school should comprise everything in equal proportions.

Say if studying is 50% then the remaining 50% should comprise of activities like sports, music, painting, dancing etc. And more importantly the hobbies should also be made compulsory like the other subjects. Each student should compulsorily take up a hobby and in parallel they have to be trained on that too. This is only a step towards making the students realize that apart from studies there are so many wonderful things in the world to pursue. This way, they can also get rid of that attitude of “INABILITY” from their mind and in turn will gear up and emerge as masters in their own field.

So it’s time now for the country to seriously think of the pitfalls in the current education system After all, when every country’s development is dependant on youngster’s it is  equally important that the development of the youngsters are also properly taken care by the country.

Authored By Susheela Subramanian

This is a story of a couple who rediscovered the spark of their marriage in the most vulnerable times. Can we do the same? Let’s see how.

Anju and Mohan were happily married after a courtship of six long years. The world was such a beautiful place for both of them until a few months after marriage, when the harsh realities of day to day life started striking them. The souls which were felt to be created for each other suddenly started departing as if from Mars and Venus! Well, they knew earlier too that there are many differences between both of them. But Mohan used to say, “U know dear opposite poles attract each other!” and Anju honestly believed so. Then why suddenly lines like-“We both were happy for twenty years, thereafter we met” started sounding sarcastically true? Why even after bearing a sweet little kid, everything about each other seemed wrong?

Does above story sound too familiar? After so many books written and read about “Improving your relationship with your spouse”, why most marriages are unhappy? As many of us, Anju and Mohan were also educated and cultured people. They had already started contemplating the reasons for their troubled marriage.

This was the time when Anju fell sick. The chills and temperature were just not receding and then followed a series of investigations. As the misfortune would have, she was suffering from severe typhoid and septicemia. She had to be admitted to hospital. After initial three to four days of frequent hospital visits, Mohan decided to bring her back home and do the nursing care himself, as they were alone in the big city and nobody could accompany her.

Severely ill and tensed Anju was initially reluctant to go home. She felt, the fellow who does not know what household chores are will never be able to manage. But to her utter surprise, he did. He took care of her and their kid for nearly 18-20 days without a frown of complaint. He took leave from his work. During this time he realized how important the mere presence of his wife for him is! For her, all negativities seemed to vanish in thin air when he used to apply analgesic lotion to her painful back.

For all those who detest their spouses, here is the trump card! Think whether you will love your life without him or her? Many of us desire so many things in life and our desires do not seem to match our partner’s. However, many times, when we think that we have achieved all those desires in our life without the presence of our spouse, we realize how futile that happiness is.

In most marriages, however troubled they may be, the spouses say, “No, I may be happier for a few days without her but cannot tolerate total absenteeism of him or her in life.” If your answer is same or similar, take it for granted that there is lot of scope for improvement in your relationship. Then let’s see what can be done? Or what Anju and Mohan did?

1. Think beyond you- Well, though this is easier said than done, with practice it is definitely possible to put yourself in other person’s shoes and understand his or her problems and feelings. Even a pat on back or a hug after a long day’s work works wonders than a diamond necklace!

2. Understand importance of small things in life- It is well said that smallest things in life bear the largest implications. While on work, message her, “I love you sweetheart, you are so beautiful” and she is sure to greet you with warm hug on your return. Tell him how crazy you are of his golf hobby instead of nagging him about his bad habits and he is sure to take responsibility of kitchen one fine evening.

3. Give enough space to each other- This is the most important but most ignored aspect of any marriage. The bond of marriage shouldn’t seem big burden of restriction for both of you. More the space you give each other, more likely you will form the major part of that space. It has been observed by relationship experts that couples who are not restrictive have more to share with each other and so have better communication.

4. Learn the art of forgiveness- This is truly tricky thing especially in today’s world where both spouses are independent and have their egos always intact. Though we all know, “to err is human”, how many of us can really accept this error and move ahead? This forms the major hurdle for any relationship to bloom and mature. Unless couples stop criticizing about each others’ inadequacies and blunders, the lotus of love cannot bloom. Accepting the errors and living with them as part of life makes the path much easier. It is very well said that we should enjoy our similarities and respect our differences.

What more? These were things sensed in time by Anju and Mohan. So, when Mohan whispered in Anju’s ears, “You are looking so gorgeous! I love you, please don’t leave me ever”, Anju’s watery eyes told him that their relationship is here to stay…till eternity…even beyond!

Authored By Dr. Shreya B. Deshpande, India