A farewell to Steve Irwin

I would like to say goodbye to Steve Irwin, the Australian Crocodile Hunter. News of his death shocked all of us. Many times I enjoyed watching him on Animal Planet. Sometimes I have to watch with both eyes closed, because of his daredevil action like "hugging" crocodiles. We all love him. He's a truly Australian ambassador to the world.Steve Irwin, thank you for making the world a better place. Your contribution is your ticket to heaven. May you rest in peace.

My first year of college

My first year of college was very eye-opening. I had always been a very outgoing, social person in high school, but I had never been in a situation where I knew absolutely no one. Would I be able to make friends? I was also a very good student in high school, but some of my classes were not very challenging. Would I be able to keep up with college courses? My fresher year not only answered these questions, it taught me about myself more than any other experience in my life -- and I had a great time along the way. The first few days on campus were dedicated to “Welcome Week” for incoming fresher. Everyone was put into an orientation group with about 20 other students. The Colege planned various events encouraging fresher to meet each other and get accustomed to their new “home.” Some of the activities seemed corny at the time, but it was a good way to meet other freshers. After the first day, I started to realize that most of the other students didn’t know anyone either! That made me more confident talking to people. I no longer felt like the “new kid” because everyone was a new kid. The next day, a guy across the hall was humming a music with his door open. I stuck my head in and introduced myself. We had similar tastes in music and we hit it off right away. From that point on, I realized that college was going to be so much more than hard classes and exams. Two years later, that guy across the hall is my best friend.Another Welcome Week activity was an event for fresher to learn about the many different student organizations on campus. Seeing over 15 tables of clubs and organizations was a bit overwhelming at first, but I found things that sparked my interest. One of those things was “College Mentors for Kids!,” an organization aimed at helping at-risk elementary students. I was a mentor for the entire year, and I met a lot of great people doing it.

With all the new experiences I had fresher year, it would have been easy to neglect the reason I came to college: an education. With 3 months of duration of classes first semester, I focused on making the jump from the high school classroom to the college setting.

My parents and teachers always told me that there was a lot of reading in college. They were right. After my first week of classes, I considered working at a Call center for the rest of my life. But once I figured out how to manage my time without the help of my parents, I knew that I could handle my courses. I realized that no one was here to motivate me to work except myself.

My professors were incredibly understanding about the transition to college, but they still expected me to work hard. It surprised me how each professor was really accessible. They all offered tutoring year round, and encouraged everyone to come to their office if things were getting tough. This made the first year that much easier for me to adjust. The things I learned in the classroom were very useful, and that was only part of my education. What I realized fresher year is that college teaches you more than facts and formulas. You learn how to live on your own, interact with different types of people, balance work and play, and discover whatever motivates or excites you. There are so many opportunities. I realized that all the resources are here at college; it’s just a matter of utilizing them. I truly believe that these are the best three years of my life, and I intend to make the most of every moment

Fashion,Society and Trends

In an era of complete revolution,gone are the days where a reporter had to carry notepads and hurriedly take down notes in shorthand, now the trend has taken a turn towards mobiles. Almost as if discovering a potent new aphrodisiac,SMS has become the preferred medium of communication between courting couples and the upwardly mobile. An incredible one crore messages are being flashed across india every single day, threatening to make the telephone an extinct species. For a majority of India's one hundred million cell phone users, it is the best thing since slice bread.

Fusion food has become the favourite receipe of chefs and restaurateurs.From pulavs to pizzas, everything has witnessed a change. Junk food has been and is still the most preferred item. The recent craze has moved towards "Ready to cook and eat" the work gets over in five minutes. A recent survey conducted by the Food Organization,London brings out the fact that children between the ages 12-16 are obese due to their habit of eating junk food while watching television. The government banned the advertisements of junk food items on television, the prime influence. And now,these concerns are finding Indian markets. The obsession with aerated soft drinks has also been on the rise, notwithstanding the consequences.

From flat screen plasma television to music systems that look like they were designed by NASA, the consumer couldn't have asked for more. Mobile phones retain their allure with the introduction of Multi Media Services(MMS) adding a new dimension to hand-held communication. Status seckers with deep pockets are also spoilt with the varied automative choice. If there is an antidote to the pressures of modern life, retail therapy provides it in full life. However, this therapy doesn't work for everybody. With the fast-changing trends, new moralities are ofcourse the great need of the hour

Say It With Tact

Keep your words soft and sweet; you never know when you may have to eat them.
It is not only what we say, but how we say it, which really counts. We, most of the time,ruin what we want to say with the tone of our voice.

It is possible to say the right thing in the wrong way. Saying the right thing in the right way is an art, which is possessed only by very few people. Many a time, fights are caused because what we say may be true, but it would have been said in the wrong way, wrong tone of voice or even in the wrong connection. Learning how to say anythig is just as important as knowing what to say. After deciding what to say, we should be very careful as to how we express it. It is sometimes better to keep our mouths shut than say something in the wrong way.

I remember a story that once i heard: A King dreamed that his teeth had all fallen out.
He sent for his trusted soothsayers to interpret the dream. The first interpreter, after listening to the dream said, "It means that all your relations are going to die and you will be left all alone". The king became very angry and ordered the interpreter to be thrown into prison. The second interpreter said,"Your Majesty, I have very good news for you. The dream means that you are going to live for a long time. In fact, you are going to outlive all your relatives." The king was so pleased to hear this, that he doubled his reward.

Both these men had given an identical interpretation in two different ways -- the wrong way and the right. Instead of saying to a person slowly recovering from a serious illness, "You still do not look completely well", we can say, "You look much better since i last saw you". We should learn to say the thruth without hurting the feelings of others. It will save many a misunderstanding.....

On a Sea Shore

The blue sea seems calm
Still, gentle wave creeps to the shore.
Coconut trees dancing happily;
Coloured butterflies fluttering joyfully
Fishermen,busy sailing to the deep.
The white shore remains cool,
The sun has already disappeared
Now clouds become grey
Cool breeze strikes me, on the shore,
Where I lay soothed in solitude

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Bombs raining down on earth,
Human life had lost his worth.
Heartless beings devoid of love
Angered and saddened the One above.

Blood and destruction everywhere
Perishing lives with no one to care
The cries of the wounded pierces the heart
Man had spoiled God's beautiful art.

The chains binding the pure, white dove
Have to be broken with selfless love.
As brothers and sisters we must join hands
And peace shall regin in all the lands