A casual conversation with a friend got me thinking. His parents are trying to find him a match, and this sparked a debate on ' why do people marry at all?'. Is it for love? yes, surely..only if you are in love. Marrying for love might be the most ideal of circumstances. But not everybody finds love. Not at the right time, not at the right age. What about arranged marriages then? Arranged marriages are a compromise right? Two people, who are scared of living alone, need companionship, need security and stability, get married, just because our forefathers adopted a tradition of monogamy and called it 'marriage'? Is there something beyond that? I've heard of 'connections', 'you'll know the right person for you' stories...but, are they for real? Doesn't the connection die out eventually? Then, whats left? Again, just the companionship and materialistic pleasures that the couple shares.
Another question that crops up, is, can all this be acheived without marriage? The same commitment, the same companionship can be well achieved without marriage. Whats missing then? Nowadays, there exists no social taboo, per se for live in relationships. Except for the government and our parents, does anybody really care about marriage? In a world of financially and emotionally independent, mature individuals, where does marriage stand??
Obviously, everybody has his or her own explanations to this debate, and they'e convinced themselves thats the right answer. Apparently, there is no right or wrong here, and the answer totally depends upon individual perceptions. So give it a good thought, and make sure you convince yourself before taking the big step!
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Parineeta
I caught this review by Shobhaa De in the Times of India, and thought she had done a wonderful job on it.
I'll shut up and let you guys read it in the comments section...
I'll shut up and let you guys read it in the comments section...
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Food drive
As a part of our performance plans at Dell, we are supposed to support and volunteer for a social cause at least once a quater. I had the opportunity to spend some time at a local food bank today. The concept of a 'Food bank' was alien to me. I spent my first ten minutes there mostly looking all around, amazed by the tons of food around me. I wondered how my working there for three hours was going to help the poor.
After the initial introductions, the manager shared some mind blowing facts and stats about hunger in Texas. The fact that struck me was that 20% of the population in Texas is below the poverty line. Organizations such as this food bank collect food and other surplus supplies from individuals and grocery stores and distribute it to the poor through the church, the schools, the hospices and the old age homes. A program that touched my heart, was the 'Kid's cafe'. Single parents, who handle two to three jobs per day, and still can't feed their children, are eligible for this program. The food bank delivers goodies such as cheesecakes, pastries, cookies, candies along with nutritous meals to such unfortunate homes. Isn't that a wonderful program?
During our stint there, we did various things such as sorting canned food, sorting non food items, weighing and packing beans etc. Though this was not very exciting, the end result was phenomenal. By the end of the three hours, we had contributed to 6000 meals for the poor...that'll feed almost 20 children an entire year!
www.austinfoodbank.org is the official site of the food bank.
This stint showed me how a little effort can go a long way!
After the initial introductions, the manager shared some mind blowing facts and stats about hunger in Texas. The fact that struck me was that 20% of the population in Texas is below the poverty line. Organizations such as this food bank collect food and other surplus supplies from individuals and grocery stores and distribute it to the poor through the church, the schools, the hospices and the old age homes. A program that touched my heart, was the 'Kid's cafe'. Single parents, who handle two to three jobs per day, and still can't feed their children, are eligible for this program. The food bank delivers goodies such as cheesecakes, pastries, cookies, candies along with nutritous meals to such unfortunate homes. Isn't that a wonderful program?
During our stint there, we did various things such as sorting canned food, sorting non food items, weighing and packing beans etc. Though this was not very exciting, the end result was phenomenal. By the end of the three hours, we had contributed to 6000 meals for the poor...that'll feed almost 20 children an entire year!
www.austinfoodbank.org is the official site of the food bank.
This stint showed me how a little effort can go a long way!
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Counter motivation
Did anyone notice the counter I put up? Now I can keep checking whether you guys visit my blog often...Increasing the hits is my current motivation for blogging!
The long weekend was undoubtedly crazy. Nobody in office worked on Friday! We were all home by 2, and all of us (four interns and four full timers) started on a camping trip in the evening. The final destination was Mustang Island on the Gulf of Mexico. Simon and Garfunkel, along with a few cops :) kept us company on the long drive.
On our way to the island, a Hooters caught my friends eye, and we had to make an emergency stop! Sorry to say guys, but I was totally let down by the Chicken wings ;) ..People have hyped it a little too much! Anyway, after reaching Mustang Island, putting up the tents in the winds was quite a task. Once the camp was set, we all got down straight to business..Tequila! 5 shots each (at least!) and then, a round of truth or dare! Whatever happened next... stays there ;) - right guys?
The next morning, we left early for a beautiful island, the Bird island. Bird island is a heaven for windsurfing, and is voted one of the top most windsurfing sites in the country. Rob, a fellow intern is a keen surfer, and thanks to him, we got our windsurfing beginner lessons. Once we were in the water and fully equipped, there was nothing stopping us!
Though Rob taught us the basics, it was every man for himself out on the water. Maneuvering the sail with your hands while balancing on a board, holding it at the right angle and pressure to resist the wind, bending just right to hold on to the sail, and keeping an eye on fellow surfers and their speeds was quite a task! After about 5 hours of water coupled with the scorching sun, I was burnt a crisp brown, and that made me stop! However, the exciting experience was entirely worth the tan!
Hang on for the photos..keep visiting!
The long weekend was undoubtedly crazy. Nobody in office worked on Friday! We were all home by 2, and all of us (four interns and four full timers) started on a camping trip in the evening. The final destination was Mustang Island on the Gulf of Mexico. Simon and Garfunkel, along with a few cops :) kept us company on the long drive.
On our way to the island, a Hooters caught my friends eye, and we had to make an emergency stop! Sorry to say guys, but I was totally let down by the Chicken wings ;) ..People have hyped it a little too much! Anyway, after reaching Mustang Island, putting up the tents in the winds was quite a task. Once the camp was set, we all got down straight to business..Tequila! 5 shots each (at least!) and then, a round of truth or dare! Whatever happened next... stays there ;) - right guys?
The next morning, we left early for a beautiful island, the Bird island. Bird island is a heaven for windsurfing, and is voted one of the top most windsurfing sites in the country. Rob, a fellow intern is a keen surfer, and thanks to him, we got our windsurfing beginner lessons. Once we were in the water and fully equipped, there was nothing stopping us!
Though Rob taught us the basics, it was every man for himself out on the water. Maneuvering the sail with your hands while balancing on a board, holding it at the right angle and pressure to resist the wind, bending just right to hold on to the sail, and keeping an eye on fellow surfers and their speeds was quite a task! After about 5 hours of water coupled with the scorching sun, I was burnt a crisp brown, and that made me stop! However, the exciting experience was entirely worth the tan!
Hang on for the photos..keep visiting!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)