The Eternal Optimist!

Was just thinking... Different countries have certain national symbols which remind them of the core values that they believe in for eg, a flag, a coat of arms and a national anthem. I think if an individual had a personal anthem to motivate him/her towards the goal of his/her life, life would be lot more meaningful. A national anthem generally reflects the culture, strategic thought and aspirations of a nation. An individual would need an anthem reflecting his/her character, principles and goals. I have thus created an anthem for myself. This song is called ‘The Hope.’ it centers on freedom, prosperity, confidence and my love for Goa. As long as the divine light In my eyes still shines And my mind Blossoms with dreams As long as I possess A cunning brain And an able hand My hope will never end To be a free man In the land of sea and sand By the power of my will May my mind be graced by peace And my palace by prosperity May my heart be filled ...

Hi all! Wondering where have I been all these days? Well I was busy giving interviews, looking for a job but I think the only job I m good at is axing myself! First, I went to a famous local daily to get the job of a reporter. Considering my studies in poli sci, the interview panel asked me to explain the current political situation in Britain. I answered. They asked me my opinion on pros and cons of globalization, I answered. “What’s the distance between Margao and Ponda and Ponda and Panaji?” I was blank. “It was nice talking to you Mr. Joshi” they said “you may go.” Next stop, Vodafone. “This is a post paid business.” My immediate boss growled as soon as I cleared the interview. (I had studied some local geography by now.) My contacts at the company had given me the impression that I would be getting a desk job. But no, in reality, I had to sell postpaid sim cards to customers on the street, wander from office block to office block, house to house. ...

Was listening to a lecture by Prof Dattesh Parulekar on information and communication technology in the developing countries. The professor brought out the pros and cons of ICT in Asia and Africa with specific examples. Approximately 70-80% of cobalt needed to manufacture mobile phones comes from Africa mainly Ethiopia and as such the spread of cell phones in Africa has been awe inspiring! However the Africans are not doing so well with regards to internet connectivity where again taking the example of Ethiopia, he showed that about 90% of the internet connections in the country were concentrated the capital of Ethiopia, Aids Ababa. The rate of spread of cell phones in the developing countries rose from 2% in 1991 to a whooping 41% in 2006! The internet usage in the developing world rose from 0.2% in 1991 to 41% in2006. Talking about information and technology and political problems in developing countries, we can see how in countries like India, electronic voting machines have...

I just visited my grandmother and remembered my childhood. So I decided to try my hand at writing a story for children! here goes... A long long time ago, there lived a fairy in the forests of Africa. She loved her forest. Everyday, the fairy hopped from flower to flower and poured honey into it. The flowers greeted her with a smile and the birds sang in her honor. Everyone loved the fairy! One day the fairy saw a grass hopper happily playing around the grasslands. He was dancing hither and thither and singing a song! “Work is so boring Let’s do something thrilling We sing the songs of freedom!! Sing and dance! Now is your chance! Come on, Take a vacation!!” Listening to his song, the fairy began to think. “I have been working all my life.” She though. “My work is indeed boring.” So she decided that she would not work any longer. The next day, she threw her honey pots aside and went for a picnic! She set out to roam around the jungle and enjoy! She ...

“… Creative writing will give me an opportunity to revisit my human side.” I wrote in my application to the Department of English when I opted for the creative writing paper. My calculation was simple. Creative writing does not involve any ‘theories’. It was easily manageable. Besides, a wide database of politically correct statements made by cunning chiefs of states and the knowledge of contemporary issues in international relations would give me an edge over the English students who read poems and plays and lived in a world of fantasy and fairytales However the magnitude of my mistake did not strike me till my performance at the Department of English came to resemble a Greek tragedy. Back in the department of political science, there is a department we regard the most dangerous to world peace-the American Department of Defense otherwise known as DOD. The English department posed grave danger to my mental peace. No wonder I referred to it as the formidable D.O.E. In response to my k...

Dear girls, We all are well aware that without you, our life would be a desolate desert. You are the centre of our attention. We, the boys, dress in the most impeccable way, show off the funkiest of hairstyles and sport the coolest cars and bikes just to impress you! But do we think about what you really want? Do we think about what you really feel? If not, it is time we do. You are the patient angels who provide us all the support we need, you become the foundation stones of our success! When a boy is a little child, he stands up taking the hand of his mother. When he goes to college, his ego stands on the silent support of his girlfriend and in his career, his wife. But when that mother becomes old and looks up to us for support, we throw her in an old age home. To that sweet girlfriend and later wife, we behave like an intimidating monster. Do we rally give you the space and the respect you deserve? If not, it is time we do. It is true that we share a major part of the bl...

At the beginning of every new day, people look forward to little pleasures that make their day delightful. Good weather, a comfortable journey to work and so on. I look forward to traveling in a bus. This object has been the butt of public antipathy for its crushing crowds and yelling conductors but I am drawn to a bus like a Russian to Vodka. I am addicted to it. The bus is a goldmine of enriching experiences! It is an interesting movie of which the conductor is the director, the hero and the villain. Even though the driver controls it, it is the conductor who really rules the bus like a king. And he rules in accordance with the principle of equality. Man or woman, rich or poor, dark or fair, he dishes out equal insults to all! In addition to that, if you are lucky enough not to get a seat, congratulations! You become his favorite victim. For those poor standing passengers, the conductor is a jail warden ordering his prisoners around-and he has only one order to give “ Fati Vach...

This is a digital story that I had made for an event named 'Red'. Red was the inaugural event for a week long series of multimedia workshops offered by Monsoon Gray center for design . The inaugural event of the launch was inspired by a novel written by Turkish author Orhan Pamuk, titled ' My Name is Red' . some 40 people were invited to contribute artwork in medium of their choice. The subject was Red. The participants were free to interpret the concept Red in any manner they liked. There were paintings, poems, essays and sculptures. and i guess only one digital story. this one.