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Culture: The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought. Tradition: The passing down of elements of a culture from generation to generation, especially by oral communication Heritage: Property that is or can be inherited; an inheritance. I thought I'd refer the free dictionary online to check the real meanings of these words. Am sure you'd believe that I had better things to do, than refer to the meanings of these words, but the headline in the Times of India day before yesterday made me recheck the meanings of these words. [ If you have not read the news paper dated, 20th March, 2009, good for you.. Please don't bother reading it...., you'll also end up referring to the meanings of these words....] Don't you think, you've heard these terms associated with our homeland, India, almost always?? All the Indian books, academic or non-academic, fiction or factual, fable or histo...

Trust in God, Trustworthy friend - We have heard of these time and again. I would rephrase it as Learn to trust like a little child. Last month, I was visiting my friend. She has a one and a half year old, baby girl. I had bought my first chocolate ( Cadbury Diary milk) for the little girl. I don't usually buy chocolate for kids till I know they have been introduced to chocolates. The little girl wanted to eat the chocolate. Her mom ( that's my friend) asked her to give it to auntie ( that's me ) to open the wrapper. Without a minute's hesitation the child gave me the chocolate. And she looked at it with such eagerness and so much trust that I WILL surely open it for her. Now, that's what is TRUST. She never once thought that I may not open it, may eat the chocolate myself, or may not give it to her at all. She believed her Mom, and so listened to her and gave me the chocolate. It was a total trust. When there is total trust, you don't have a choice but to keep ...

Affiliated to Bangalore university, Recognized by some X state i cant recall, Approved by AICTE - took me a second to recall that this stands for All India Council of Technical Education... I saw this on a college bus just below the name of the college. I quickly began to think, what else could have been added? Recognized by Government of India, Approved by the United States, Accredited by some committee... and may be many more...couldn't help thinking... Is it recognized by Swiss? I have a simple question... All I need to know is which college does this bus take me to. As I cross the road, I surely will not want to spend time memorizing all the details I read. I just will remember the name of the college for a later research on the details, if at all I decide to take an admit in the college. Wonder what so many Recognized by, Approved by credits really mean to the parent community. Everyone today takes stock of how many students from an institute went abroad or to premier institut...

I like letter writing and now, the electronic letter writing. I pride myself in being able to type long SMS messages on my mobile phone.. Some of my friends have even called me back to ask if I think calling up would be easier than typing that lonnnngggg sms. Never once I have consciously used an Acronym or a Short form. So, that being the case, I walk into this company on Day 1. The security says, Do you belong to STSD division? I said, 'yes' like I completely knew what it meant... but as a matter of fact, I didn't. I remember seeing it on my appointment order, so I got through it. Then, walked a little further down the lobby and some asks, 'Do we have to submit our i card application here?'. So that's the second short form. Over a few years of getting used to wearing an Identity tag around my neck, it was not a tough guess that i card meant identity card. There was this routine of filling up some ten different forms during the first day and each form had at le...

I am this typical tamilian who loves a good cup of home-made filter coffee ( Kaapi , as they call in Tamil). I have this strong thought that very few people can make good coffee. So, I usually avoid taking coffee in restaurants whenever I chance to eat outside. Last month, I met friends in a popular coffee shop. I have no doubts on its reputation for coffee, because its chain of outlets is expanding, even as I type. Still, it is just hard to come out of the thought that no one can make coffee as good as my Mom. I ordered Assam tea. The name on the menu card reminded me of a friend who can sign for the taste of this tea. I had never tasted Assam tea in the past, so was not too sure, but then it didn't matter because I don't know the taste and I can take it easy... whereas, I know the taste of good coffee and can't take a flopped taste. Every other friend of mine had ordered some coffee or the other. After about fifteen minutes, the waiter comes over carrying a white porcelai...

A lot an happen over lunch!!!!! In about 25 minutes of lunch break that I took today, I chanced to watch CNN-IBN news channel in my office cafeteria. - A six year old tortured by policemen, Cop sacked. Probe ordered. - DMK unhappy with center. - High Court - Married couple kissing in public is not obscene. - Cease Fire in Lanka says Kanimozhi.[ Okay.. Thathaasthu!!!] That means 'Granted' in Tamil. - Mob attack two women in Andhra. Eighteen people arrested. - Sania Mirza on her win. - TN rallies on February 7th. - Snow hinders air traffic in Heathrow, UK. Then there was Hilary Clinton, Pranab, Pakistan, Shilpa Shetty and many more tickers; by then I was too full with my sandwich lunch, the world news and my views. Its amazing how every moment is a mix of happenings with umpteen effects. When people are talking about losing crores and lakhs in jobs and shares, When there are people getting injured and killed in war, When there are students sitting at home due to a student attack...

Today's email conversation with my sister: Me : The travel desk guy has given my age as 32.... for the train tickets...!!!!! :( :( :( Either I look aged 32 or he is a bad judge :) She : Either he is a bad judge or His wife is 32, or The person who booked today before you did was 32, or The ticket receipt number could be 32 and he used the same for want of a number, or The average age of people in your company is 32... This quick conversation clarified that there are many random angles possible when it comes to any decision that we take. When I was taught perspectives in Engineering Drawing class back in college, all I knew is that there are different perspectives in which you can draw the same building or object. Never really occurred to me that we are dealing with decisions that dwell on perspectives all the time. I want to term this new found perspective as Random perspective... With these random perspectives I believe, you have a chance to think better... and make puzzling situa...