It's not just on paper

                                                                                                                        July 21, 2012   Dear _________: Professional training in Journalism is getting Big. That’s something to be happy about. But it’s something to worry about, too, and I don’t mind telling you I’m damned worried.  I’m worried that we’re going to fall into the trap of bigness, that we’re going to worship structures instead of substance, that we’re going to dwell in history instead of making it, that we’re going to be drowned by responsibilities instead of buoyed up by recognition.   I’m worried lest hardening of creative experimentations begin...

India is a country which breaths cricket; and the fervor surrounding the fifth DLF IPL was almost palpable. In the midst of all the milestones and controversies which marked this tournament, there were some moments which you wanted to freeze and others you hoped never had happened. Through this long journey, there were many players, owners and umpires who have challenged my cricketing knowledge. Beginning with the most upsetting episode of drama; the dismissal of Deccan Charger’s (DC) skipper Kumar Sangakkara by the Mumbai Indians (MI). The ruckus created by MI captain Harbhajan Singh accompanied by Munaf Patel was shocking! The scene got dirty when the umpire declared Sangakkara Not Out, and the MI players literally forced the third umpire’s intervention. Though they had made a strong appeal, their conduct on the field was Barbaric! This incident was also upsetting to the commentators who insisted that players need to respect the decision of the umpire and should not cha...

‘Ignorance is Bliss’, they say. I couldn't agree more! Let me begin the story of my dilemma with a simple illustration. Wonder if a teenage girl had to splurge during her summer vacation, what would she invest in? Shoes, Clothes, Make Over!!?? Well, in my case, I invested my MET* resources on a three month membership to a reputed gymnasium. (MET: Money-Effort-Time) Investing an hour a day and literally sweating it out, I was confident that I was showing ‘results’. Impressed by the remunerations, I easily floated through my first two months at the Gym. However, little I did I know that like a mirage of an oasis in a desert, I was seeing a mirage in the mirror of a slimmer, fitter me. And I believed it, in spite of the scale on the weight machine stubbornly stuck in its place. And then the day arrived when numbers would testify or squash all the wonderful assumptions I’d made in my leisure hours. Not to your surprise, but pretty much to mine, the la...

What would you call a place will tall trees, lush greenery, fresh waters and quaint peacefulness? God's Own Garden?  We call it Mawlynnong Read on to Uncover its Mystic Beauty... TripEngineers.com: Mawlynnong: God’s Own Garden! : ‘God’s Own Garden !’ These words excite my senses in an unusual way. My eyes see images of colourful flowers and tall trees, my ears ...

Movies are like Binoculars... you can see the World through them! So here's bringing to you:  Top 10 Movies: That will make you wish you were far away from home !  There are so many names that pop up in our heads when we think of movies that make us want to flee from the monotony of home and life in general Read on to know which movies will transport you to exotic destinations across the Globe! 

Read my blog on Kaziranga National Park here: TripEngineers.com: Kaziranga: Up, Close and Personal with the Wild! We all belong in the wilderness, whether we believe it or not! Our civilization has disillusioned us into believing that we’re differ...

TripEngineers.com: Scuba Dive the Summer away! : The summer is knocking at your doorstep and before you know you’re sweating profusely. The fans and ACs are put to some rigorous work, yet...

So we’ve all written, read, seen or been a part of Mumbai. We know Mumbai for Dhobi Ghaat, for Gateway of India, for Taj and Trident and for Nariman Point. We also identify it with commerce, trade and money. But how many times do we reflect upon the masculinity of Mumbai? Yes, Mumbai is a man and its fast, strong and sturdy life makes all of its inhabitants masculine. So here I am, technically a female Mumbaikar but emotionally a very boisterous individual. My encounters with the Man have been ever since childhood. I grew up brushing against men and women in the buses of Mumbai. I got nudged and pushed in the crowd at major markets. I ran on the railway platform to get to my compartment before the train left. But besides all this, there have been a lot of individual experiences which shaped me into my male self. As a child, I accompanied my dad to a lot of places he went to. He was speed walker. So as much as I hated it, I had to walk super fast to keep pace with him; a...

Ever been to Nagothana? No? Here’s why you should go there... Nagothana is situated in the Raigad district of Maharashtra, about 2 hours from Mumbai by road. The railway station closest to this holiday town is Pen. The feel of Nagothana makes you feel relaxed and rejuvenated. One could also describe it as the countryside of the west. The beauty of this place is enhanced by the mountaintops which tower high and lovingly protect the people of Nagothana. One of the first few observations you’ll make en route to Nagothana is the sudden change of atmosphere; from the smell of car exhaust to the aroma of moist mud, from high rise buildings to low lying hutments and from sites of concrete road and streetlights to those of dried hay and green grass. Once there, it is easy to find accommodation in hotels near the marketplace or in a rented farmhouse by the riverside. Besides the food market, there are other local markets which sell saris in bright colours, enriched with traditional Indian desig...

Bhopal was the venue for our class trip in year 2011. This upcoming visit to the capital city of Madhya Pradesh had raised a lot of expectations, especially in me. I thought of the city as a huge metro with public buses plying through every street. I imagined it to have infrastructure as good as New Delhi and people as casual and carefree as in Mumbai. The actual city however was a comfortable combination of both the conventional and the contemporary. Old Bhopal , which was our prime site of visit, reflected the aura the reigns of yesteryears. It spoke of the majestic dynasties and made a spectacle of its enormous and magnificent architecture. Venerable Antique: The bus ride from Bhopal Railway Station to the Old City, from across the dazzling Upper Lake, takes one through gigantic gates overhead and exposes one to sights of people plying on motorcycles and rickshaws. With its large Islamic influence, one spots a Mosque, big or small, alternating every three residential buildings i...