I have read many books and novels in which the phrase “home away from home” has come. I had always thought that I have never experienced that feeling and was wondering whether I will ever get that feeling.
For the past 5 days, I have got that feeling.
I am at the US right now studying at North Carolina State University. I had come down from India on august 20th itself to go to my aunts place at Atlanta. There they are a typical Indian tamil family. There all the time they speak tamil and every day its Indian food. This gave me the atmosphere of being at home. I was thinking all this will go off once I go to my apartments at my university.
I came to Raleigh (where my university is located) 5 days back. I was thinking I am going to feel lonely. To my surprise near my apartments itself there were many Indians who were very friendly. However there were two main reasons why I did not feel lonely.
One reason was that my roommates (3 of them) are such great guys to hang out with. Most of the time we are laughing our heads off at something or the other or cracking jokes and things like that. The 3 of them are so much fun that will not feel the time going.
Another reason is that there are 2 seniors who have helped us a lot once we got down at Raleigh-Arun and Srinath. They treated us almost like brothers and more than just some fellow Indian. In this time of the world where at times even friends think twice about helping friends, we were really amazed at the way those 2 guys helped us out and are still helping us out. Both of them advise us so much, help us out. Arun is one amazing guy though. He takes not only us but any fresher out for shopping for groceries or clothes or laptops. He lives near my house and it is his open invitation that anyone can come into his house at any time. Most of the time, excepting after 11 pm, there are atleast 6 to 10 guys in his house, either playing the PS2 or accessing his net or just sit there for chatting with the others. More than that he is such a lively person that most of the time he is cracking jokes and making other people laugh. We realized that there is no method from our side to pay them back for all their kindness they have done for us.
And as usual, there are some other benefits like staying up as much time as you want, having all the freedom in the house etc which I generally have at home are some of the other few factors.
So I realize that only because of people who are as great and kind hearted like Arun and Srinath, that people who come so very far away from their homes to study or work, feel that they are at a “home away from home” which is the exact feeling which I am having right now!!!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
The day before the rise of petrol/diesel price!!
Aaah!!Yes.This is something I never seem to understand. I will take the example of what happens in my city-"Singara" Chennai.
Well,as usual the days keep going on normally for the people here. Then suddenly the papers start telling news about the apparent price rise for petrol/diesel. The people here keep seeing the TV for any hint or idea as to when the price rise will happen.Then suddenly in the news it says "price rise is going to be effective from tomorrow!!!".Thats it!! people just drop what ever work they are doing and rush to the nearest gas station.
For example, take the example of the recent price rise. The price of petrol per litre increased by 5 Rs. The people just immedietly rushed to the petrol bunks!!
Well, I agree for those people who drive cars.They generally put around 30 litres and hence saving around approx 150 Rs.
However, what about in the case of the people driving scooter? After all they will put maximum 3 to 5 litres and hence save only around 15 to 25 Rs. For this they leave all their work and go stand in the queue at the petrol bunk for hours together.At most times, the attendants at the petrol bunk put over scene and tell that " I can only put 1 or 2 litres max cause others are standing in the queue( most of the times they tell it roughly- i wonder what happened to "service with a smile").
Here comes my doubt!! lol.
What I want to know is why they want to do that? To save that 15 to 25 Rs? I dont think they are that poor to waste their precious time to save that 25 Rs.Especially at times when the petrol bunk attendants put only 1 or 2 litres, people waste hours together to save 5 to 10 Rs. Anyway they will surely fill petrol next time(i.e atleast in 2 weeks for sure) and they are gonna pay.So y take so much effort and waste so much time for saving tht 10 RS.
(P.S. Alas!!Though how much ever i searched I could not find any pictures which showed the rush at the petrol bunks so that u could have a better Idea but I think u must also have seen the mad rush)
I have been thinking of this thing for a long long time and have been wondering whether the way I am thinking is right or not.So you will have to tell me whether I am right or not!! As always I expect the great comments u give!!
Well,as usual the days keep going on normally for the people here. Then suddenly the papers start telling news about the apparent price rise for petrol/diesel. The people here keep seeing the TV for any hint or idea as to when the price rise will happen.Then suddenly in the news it says "price rise is going to be effective from tomorrow!!!".Thats it!! people just drop what ever work they are doing and rush to the nearest gas station.
For example, take the example of the recent price rise. The price of petrol per litre increased by 5 Rs. The people just immedietly rushed to the petrol bunks!!
Well, I agree for those people who drive cars.They generally put around 30 litres and hence saving around approx 150 Rs.
However, what about in the case of the people driving scooter? After all they will put maximum 3 to 5 litres and hence save only around 15 to 25 Rs. For this they leave all their work and go stand in the queue at the petrol bunk for hours together.At most times, the attendants at the petrol bunk put over scene and tell that " I can only put 1 or 2 litres max cause others are standing in the queue( most of the times they tell it roughly- i wonder what happened to "service with a smile").
Here comes my doubt!! lol.
What I want to know is why they want to do that? To save that 15 to 25 Rs? I dont think they are that poor to waste their precious time to save that 25 Rs.Especially at times when the petrol bunk attendants put only 1 or 2 litres, people waste hours together to save 5 to 10 Rs. Anyway they will surely fill petrol next time(i.e atleast in 2 weeks for sure) and they are gonna pay.So y take so much effort and waste so much time for saving tht 10 RS.
(P.S. Alas!!Though how much ever i searched I could not find any pictures which showed the rush at the petrol bunks so that u could have a better Idea but I think u must also have seen the mad rush)
I have been thinking of this thing for a long long time and have been wondering whether the way I am thinking is right or not.So you will have to tell me whether I am right or not!! As always I expect the great comments u give!!
Friday, June 20, 2008
OH! To be a football player!!
Hi!! This is my first ever Blog entry. I never thought I would of all people start writing blogs, but here i am writing my first one.
For the past 4 years, I have this interest and passion to play football. The last I played football when I was in the 11th std i.e, almost 5 years back.That too I was just a backup defender even in ordinary matches during games period.At that time, I was not that keen or passionate about playing football.
Well the reason I started to become so interested in playing football might sound really dumb.However each and every person is different and the way the draw inspiration also differs.
I actually got interested in playing football after watching 'Hungry Heart' and 'Captain Tsubasa'.If you are wondering what they are, they are cartoon shows which is show in a popular cartoon channel called 'Animax'.
In both of the shows, the main character is portrayed as an ordinary person who is so much passionate about playing football.They at the beginning do not have that much skill in playing football but the unending passion which they have in their hearts make them play with so much talent that people think it its an inborn talent in them.
I too am a normal person. Well, a little big for my age, not having that much stamina or any sorta skill in football. So its no great thing that I was but a defender when we played for fun at school.
Seeing those 2 shows, for some reason, made me grow really passionate about that gr8 game. It made me think that I too want to be a player, have fun on the field, hit goals and what not! How I want to play in the International Field with the players like Ballack,Ronaldo,Ronaldinho,Robben and so many others.Well If not with them at least against them :) How I wish I could score against great goalies like lehmann and Buffon.
What pains me so much is that my country is not that gr8 in the game. In the world rankings, India is currently at 153. The highest ever FIFA ranking for India was 54 (in February 1996). Only once we have qualified for the World cup and that too it was because of the result of the withdrawal of all their scheduled opponents.After that we have not even come close to qualifying.
Well I do not and will not ever blame my country. I feel its the selectors who are the problem. I am sure in my country, there are thousands of ppl who share the passion I have i.e., to play football for India, they might even have the skills to play. However, I do not think much importance is given to the game in India and hence either not many people are coming forward to play for the country or they are just not scouted properly.I do hope in the coming years, people here start taking more interest in football also and bring up the standards by which v play in order to make India also a great Football playing country.
Well I hope all this does not be only my dream. I do hope my country will one day come to such great heights in Football, so that if not playing for the country I love so much, I at least want to cheer from the stands and see it winning the world cup some day!!!
I hope I have not bored you too much.This is my first entry and I hopefully will start to write more interesting things.However, I need your comments to know how my first entry is so I hope you take some time out write some comments!!!
For the past 4 years, I have this interest and passion to play football. The last I played football when I was in the 11th std i.e, almost 5 years back.That too I was just a backup defender even in ordinary matches during games period.At that time, I was not that keen or passionate about playing football.
Well the reason I started to become so interested in playing football might sound really dumb.However each and every person is different and the way the draw inspiration also differs.
I actually got interested in playing football after watching 'Hungry Heart' and 'Captain Tsubasa'.If you are wondering what they are, they are cartoon shows which is show in a popular cartoon channel called 'Animax'.
In both of the shows, the main character is portrayed as an ordinary person who is so much passionate about playing football.They at the beginning do not have that much skill in playing football but the unending passion which they have in their hearts make them play with so much talent that people think it its an inborn talent in them.
I too am a normal person. Well, a little big for my age, not having that much stamina or any sorta skill in football. So its no great thing that I was but a defender when we played for fun at school.
Seeing those 2 shows, for some reason, made me grow really passionate about that gr8 game. It made me think that I too want to be a player, have fun on the field, hit goals and what not! How I want to play in the International Field with the players like Ballack,Ronaldo,Ronaldinho,Robben and so many others.Well If not with them at least against them :) How I wish I could score against great goalies like lehmann and Buffon.
What pains me so much is that my country is not that gr8 in the game. In the world rankings, India is currently at 153. The highest ever FIFA ranking for India was 54 (in February 1996). Only once we have qualified for the World cup and that too it was because of the result of the withdrawal of all their scheduled opponents.After that we have not even come close to qualifying.
Well I do not and will not ever blame my country. I feel its the selectors who are the problem. I am sure in my country, there are thousands of ppl who share the passion I have i.e., to play football for India, they might even have the skills to play. However, I do not think much importance is given to the game in India and hence either not many people are coming forward to play for the country or they are just not scouted properly.I do hope in the coming years, people here start taking more interest in football also and bring up the standards by which v play in order to make India also a great Football playing country.
Well I hope all this does not be only my dream. I do hope my country will one day come to such great heights in Football, so that if not playing for the country I love so much, I at least want to cheer from the stands and see it winning the world cup some day!!!
I hope I have not bored you too much.This is my first entry and I hopefully will start to write more interesting things.However, I need your comments to know how my first entry is so I hope you take some time out write some comments!!!
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