Q2 Summer
2014
MINDSpark The Quarterly Newsletter of the Orator’s Club, Pune
In This Edition Face-to-Face Straight from the winners—Shashank and Amit Jha
Solecism A fresh new look at some common Grammar mistakes.
Club Round Up What? When? Where? Who? How? Need we say more?
Voices Compositions from the Toastmaster’ Club Members
I, think. Write what you think. Don’t think much on that!
Gathering Paradise Something new. Period.
Black & White An argument for the sake of a conclusion, and an argument.
The Editorial Team Editor in-Chief: Editors:
TM Ankur TM Diana TM Deepthi TM Nitesh TM Anurag TM Vikrant
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The Editorial Survival of the Fittest
Dear Reader, In the summery July of 1776, Thomas Jefferson and his team declared that ‘we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are born equal’ (sic). Many years later, Charles Darwin told the world something about us that would belittle this stance. That all men were born equal held true, only in circumstances that were equal. Differences of opportunities and a skewed probability distribution led to some men being born ‘unequal’ than others. This leads to competition and that only the fittest of men survive. As in evolution, so in competition! In days that have preceded the writing of this column, several important incidences have changed the face of my ideology – politically and literally. And I wish to share them with you via this column. First, there was change of guard at the South Block - a new government which is undermining its hitherto accepted definition and changing one noun to another – from ‘government’ to ‘governance’. I have personally never been a supporter of the right-wing politics in India because their deviation from their principled stance is seldom to happen. However, the alternative to such right-wing parties have failed miserably in their quest to make India truly ‘secular’. Arun Shourie in an interview explained it well. He says that secularism works on two levels: that the individual (and not any group of people) is the unit of state policy, and that the State must not do for one community, what it wouldn’t do for the other. A complete violation of both these values has brought us to where we are and this must end – even if it takes a bold (read: right-wing) swing. There is another aspect to competition, that it always benefits the customer; this known to us from economics. When it comes to Toastmasters too, like elections, competition benefits the member. But there is one ‘Modi’-fication from the Darwinian sense of competition here. That is to say, that despite the competition, benefits and advantages that better speakers have over the others, it isn’t true that the fittest only survive. Instead, all survive and thrive and make each other better. Competitive advantage at the Orator’s club, and indeed the whole of Toastmasters isn’t substitutive, it is cumulative. And here I must congratulate TM Shashank Jha and TM Amit Jha (read their interviews in this edition!) who have made the club proud by winning the Division Level competitions in the fields of Evaluation and Prepared Speeches respectively. With their heads held high, they marched into the District Level competition in Goa and the confidence of all of our members was carried with them. Their contribution to the club has been immense and their spirit indefatigable. With that, I commend this edition to all!
-Ankur Mathur 3
CONTENTS President’s Message
…………………...5
TM Anurag Sharma, CC
Club Round Up
…………………...6
TM Nitesh Pachwarya
Face-to-Face: TM Amit Jha & TM Shashank Jha TM Diana Davis Solecism: Grammatically Speaking TM Ankur Mathur
Voices: Poetry
…………………...7 …………………...9 …………………..10
TM Leena Mikkili, CC
I, think: What I think about TM Public connect (Complied by: TM Deepthi Valsan)
Voices: We Are The Problem TM Amit Jha’s Award Winning Speech
Black and White: Communication TM Priyanka Sonekar and TM Komal Mahajan
The Word List
…………………...11 …………………...13 …………………...14 …………………...15
TM Diana Davis
Gathering Paradise:
…………………...16
TM Sunil Pawar, CC, ALB 4
The President’s Message -TM Anurag Sharma Elections take me back to assembly elections in UP where my dad as returning officer, took me along. Since then, Elections for me are all about long queues, mass participation, indelible ink, process, policemen, that voting booth, passion, cacophony outside but pin-drop silence inside, dust & heat, early mornings.
role taker & table topic speaker. We at Orators club, also got into Election mode a few weeks ago for the new Executive Committee (EC) , the process carried on for about 4 weeks , the cacophony and indelible ink of assembly & college elections was missing, but what wasn’t missing was the passion, participation & the process. The new EC has been elected and the star studded EC team is PresidentSunil Pawar, VP Education- Shashank Jha, VP Membership-Amit Jha, VP Public Relations- Ankur Mathur, SecretaryChetan Joshi, Treasurer-Priyanka Sonekar, Sergeant at Arms-Leena Sukhatme.
Years have changed, but elections haven’t. My roots are from the ‘hotbed of Indian politics’ and no wonder then, elections attract me a lot. While at college, I got an opportunity to contest for the post of ‘Science Representative’, the election which I lost. But that experience helped me become a better orator, polished my non-existent PR skills and trained me on fund collection.
As the old EC hands over the baton to the new EC, I wish to thank all the Orators & EC members, for being dedicated & true to your roles and responsibilities.
We as Toastmasters, can learn a lot from elections, Campaign trail prepared & impromptu speeches, TV studios – evaluation & debates, Election process –regimented TM meet, Election day – Voting for best speaker,
Contrary to ‘ache din aane waale hain’, for us Orators ‘ache din aa gaye hain’.
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CLUB R
UND UP -TM Nitesh Pachwarya & MindSpark Bureau
The President of the Orators’ Club along with several club members helped charter the “Smarter Orators’ Club” this quarter. The Club is situated at the Commerzone, Yerwada office of IBM, Inc. and is a corporate club. Members from the Smarter Orators’ Club were invited to witness several meeting at the Orators’ Club before they began their own. They were also given an induction session by the members of the Orators’ Club wherein members of the SOC were initiated into several roles and responsibilities of the club. The most major activity in any club’s calendar is the participation and supposed winning in the various competitions that happen. This time, we are pleased to inform hat two of the stalwarts of the Orators’ Toastmasters’ Club, Pune won not only the speech and evaluation contest at the Area Level Contest held in Goa, they finished at the top of the podium in the Division Level Contest held in Pune and represented Division I in the District Level contest in Goa.
TM Shashank Jha and TM Amit Jha after winning the Division Level Speech Competition in Pune.
The Orators Team at the District Levels in Goa. L to R: Milind Sabardande, Amit Jha, Sunil Pawar, Shashank Jha and Karan Khatri.
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At the Area Level Competition in Goa, March, 2014.
Winning is a trait that comes quite easily to employees of Black and Veatch, whether it be in the field of work, play or even public speaking. Our member, TM Diana Davis (DD), took the interview of two such stalwarts of public speaking—Amit Jha (AJ) & Shashank Jha (SJ). Despite sharing their surname, they are distinct individuals who have made their mark in different fields—prepared speeches and evaluation, respectively. They represented District 41 in their respective competitions held in Goa in May 2014. DD: How are you guys doing? AJ: We are doing fine. What was your experience when you were initially chosen for this competition? What difference do you notice between your Ice-Breaker and the latest speech? AJ: Well, the first speech contest took place in our office. I never thought I would be chosen for this club level contest. But then it went on from club level to Area level, I never felt I could be going to this level. The confidence went on increasing at every step & I did my best to remain focused. And yes, I see myself improved because of the support from our club people.
Did your confidence increase through this journey from Ice-Breaker to national level? AJ: Well, the nervousness is always there no matter if it’s a general club level speech or a big competition level speech, but the confidence level has definitely grown a lot. What difference did you notice between Division and National level contest? SJ: It gets tougher and tougher once you go higher in the competition but at the same time it gives you more opportunity to learn. You see experienced speakers and evaluators and it gives you an idea as to how you need to work next time you participate. Is it okay evaluating a speaker than being a speaker actually? SJ: Both speaking and evaluating requires different skills. For me it was a great learning to participate for the evaluation contest and learn a lot from it. Were you required to take any preparation for this role? SJ: You have to be a good listener and be attentive while listening to speaker. You need to understand the point speaker is trying to make and how successful he/she has been in doing the same. 7
It’s very important that your evaluation has to be to the point and it should help the speaker improve. As far as the contest is concerned, it was a great learning for me. Amit, which are top five things you would suggest our listeners to have in their speech to come to the competition level? AJ: First and foremost thing is one should think that he or she can do it. You should speak from heart, you can’t fool the audience for 7 mins. Secondly, you should have a good content. All the speeches, at different levels had great content & it was pleasure listening to each one of them. Third, good hand gestures and body moments, audience should feel they are with you. Fourth, pauses, the pauses help the audience to grasp the speech. And the last but not the least, is the eye contact with the audience which keeps them connected to you. How beneficial were these competitions for you? AJ: All these things that I have just mentioned, I learnt from these competitions and next time I will try level my best to reach one step ahead. Apart from what Amit mentioned for speech what you would like to highlight as far as the evaluation part is concerned? SJ: As I mentioned before,
your evaluation should mainly include couple of points. First state the points where the speaker has done best and the points where he can improve and then summarize in the form that encourages the speaker. On which front do you think we have scope of improvement in BV Pune toastmasters club? SJ: We have lot to improve as a club. I feel as a club, we are not doing that great. The strength of any Toastmaster club is people and it has been a worrying sign for us. Our attendance, our response has been poor. When we are asked to give a speech or perform any role, people do not turn up or they cancel at the last minute. At times, the meetings were cancelled last moment. In order to be a stand out club, we need our member to be a bit more dedicated and ensure their presence in the club. If you see this time, the 3rd place winner for the evaluation Contest & Best speaker were from same club, because the core of their club was so good that it made them perform well. The foundation has to be very good. AJ: I believe there are some great speakers in our club, with innovative thoughts. The zeal is somehow lost in the last few months but we can definitely improve on that. The current strength of our club is 23, which was 35 when the office strength was 250. No. of professionals in our office is increasing but the number of toastmasters in the club is decreasing. Management should encourage such activities.
How can be toastmasters useful for the people in office? SJ: As we work across multiple offices, the way we communicate through emails or any other medium becomes really important. This forum gives you an opportunity not only to communicate but to communicate in a right way. We have grammarian who points out grammatical mistakes, thus helping the speaker to improve. Apart from this it gives a platform to develop the leadership skills. As a leader you need to have good speaking skill to captivate the audience. This forum gives you the opportunity to achieve this talent. AJ: We all are hardworking & dedicated to our work. But communication is add on to all these skills and toastmasters really helps you build that platform. Well! After bagging up prizes in Goa and then followed with it at Division Level, what you guys aspire to achieve more at Toastmasters? SJ: For me it was all about learning. Whatever I have learnt at different stages of competition I will try to work on it, help people as and when required so that we can grow as a club. Till the moment I keep improving, it’s nothing like it. AJ: I learned a lot from these 3 competitions. I have become a better speaker than what I was. I will continuously try to improve. How was your journey throughout the Toastmasters? 8
AJ: Initially, everybody is rigid and so was I. Nobody likes to speak in front of people. My starting was not at all good. I could not even speak simple English on mundane topics for one minute. After an year, I would like to continue this journey for years. There is improvement in this forum and improvement is the key to success. The confidence I have achieved has helped me to talk to people confidently. Shashank and Amit, how would you explain each other in context of the Toastmaster’s competitions journey? SJ: As a speaker I believe Amit has improved a lot. The way he performed at District conference was much better than what he did at division level. It doesn’t matter you win or lose, what matters is you should improve with every step and Amit did exactly that. He showed that he is hard worker and if he keeps working the way he has been working, he will definitely win many more competitions. AJ: Shashank was best evaluator. The way evaluation is done in these competitions is of a different level than what is done in our club. But Shashank adapted to this in a very short span of time which is very difficult. The way Shashank did his evaluation was outstanding. Even at division level contest, he performed amazingly and he is an inspiration for all of us. -As told to Diana Davis.
TM Ankur M
athur
THE PHUNNY LANGUAGE It is often the case that grammar leaves us puzzled, because English is a phunny language. Unlike the travails of Panini in writing the grammar for Sanskrit, English which evolved in the camps of rebellion soldiers under French dominated Britain used the same French grammar when it began— until King Edward changed it to make it distinct from the French and remove any traces of obvious French influence over English. So what grammar remains in English is part of what the French gave us and part what King Edward thought it should be.
THE COPE PROBLEM Now, here are some super common grammar mistakes that a lot (and I mean, a hell lot) of us make while using it. Here’s an example: I was not able to cope up with my studies. A dictionary would tell you that to cope already means to be able ‘to overcome’, “to
come UP to a level”. So, the addition of the preposition up is redundant.
also be said to mean, ‘You think I can’t go? Of course I can go!’)
I wasn’t able to cope with my studies.
It’s often nice to use ‘may’ while seeking permission. May I go to the washroom?
CAN YOU? Of course, you can! Why wouldn’t you be able to? What’s going to stop you from doing it. It may be coming into a room, borrowing a book or excusing yourself to the washroom. The answer is the same—of course! However, the question needs to be re-thought. And the question must be: “May I…”. The interrogative ‘may’ leaves the question open ended on the replier’s side and does not imply an inherent possibility to do it. Using request questions with ‘can’ makes either a taunt (‘Can I go’ can 9
May I borrow your pen? However, ’can’ has it’s own significance. When you can do something, it has to do it your ability to do it, independent of anyone else. So, in a supermarket where prices aren’t written on products, “Can you know the price of tomatoes?” No, you can’t...unless someone tells you. Use wisely. Live well.
-TM Leena Mikkili
Two Words Earth
open windows closed minds
The Sun burns through the holes in the sky Drying the tears of these uncaring eyes The last leaf still holds on, Hearing a distant songbird’s cries.
clear eyes dusty blinds scattered sun shadow play
We’ve breached into no man’s land now felling the mighty trees to ground. Doesn’t matter how many wars we win, today we don’t deserve this crown.
reaching out pulling away
The desolate forests lay naked Cheated, they are in this deal. Barren, the earth waits for us it’s time we heed their appeal.
shattered glass never whole broken heart kindred soul
Water is rising in the Oceans yet, the fish have no room to live the seas are covered in oil and Poisoned rivers have nothing left to give. Changing seasons, melting mountains are all caused by our own device. We’d better learn to swim fast, ‘Cos now we are walking on thin ice.
Iridescent World The bubbles reflected back a beautiful world of different hues.
Today is the only day we’ve got Tomorrow might come too late Let the wind and sun empower us we shall no longer rely on fate.
It seemed like, encased within them were microcosmic universes, separate from each other yet from the same origins.
Good intentions without actions Are but, brought to naught. ‘Cos where’s the sense in words unspoken or in dreams our conscience sought.
They ceased to exist as soon as she reached out to them, like dreams that disappear with the touch of morning light.
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I, THINK A reader connect initiative.
What I think about Toastmasters. -TM Deepthi Valsan
It was a pleasure to be a guest and attend my first “Toastmasters” meeting at Black & Veatch. Thanks for the invitation. Since I first joined Black & Veatch almost 4 months ago, I have been hearing about Toastmasters and their various achievements and was intrigued to attend and see for myself what this Club actually does. Well, got my first opportunity to see things first hand on the 20th. It was an extremely pleasant experience and something that I would definitely like to pursue. The Greeting given to us by the Toastmasters was very warm and made us feel right at home. The “Word of the Day” made us all introspect and the jokes had us in splits. The “Speech of the day” about a Mother’s job never being over moved us and the impromptu Speeches were a test of our Speaking and extempore skills. These “Toastmasters” Sessions are a way of improving our English language skills, both oral as well as written and also our oratory speaking and emoting. Thank you once again for inviting me into this group and hope to be a part of many more sessions in future. -Jasmine Musa Department Administrator, Pune
Toastmasters Club is an excellent opportunity available for all professionals to hone their communication, leadership skills. I thoroughly enjoyed the sessions in the club. Many a times we have to give speeches at various occasions and we don’t bother about the grammar mistakes, how many times we fumbled and the time limit allotted to us. So, I really liked concept of various evaluators. It is very helpful when you get a thorough evaluation of your speech and a positive feedback would be encouraging too. Through the Topic master’s Session a healthy discussion on various issues, current affairs is conducted which would be helpful in developing general knowledge as well as social awareness. And the members can learn a lot by observing many speakers throughout the sessions and can get an idea how a perfect speech should be! The healthy environment, encouraging nature of members helped me boost my confidence and come up as a table topic speaker in my first session itself. All in all it is a mind refreshing and useful activity. -Sukhada Saoji Intern, Electrical and Controls, Pune 11
A journey has begun in my life in TM at B&V. TM is about personal development, leadership and growth. I Know that I am going to share my presentation with the world will encourage me to do a better job. Taking my seat after my speech, I remember thinking, “It’s ok for a first experience”. As I listened to the other speakers...polished, composed, and confident at public speaking, I knew that just getting up in front of this group was a "win" for me. I knew I would attempt better in the next speech. I rehearse my body language a lot to give a remarkable speech. As public speaking and leadership skills are things that everyone uses many times every single day. Now, I am much more confident than I was earlier in public speaking and debates. -Saritha Siripireddy Quality Associate, Pune
Being reticent, I was too hesitant to join Toastmasters, but my supervisor cajoled me to do so. With inspiration and support from fellow club orators, I got confidence to speak in front of large crowd. The feedback given in the session helped me to understand my weaknesses that I need to improve. It also helped me to know my strong points. Along with the communication skills, Toastmasters also helped me in building my own speech, organising it and the way in which I need to deliver it. It also helped me to build up my vocabulary. Toastmasters session is also an excellent and very fun way to take a little break along with other colleagues, even if only for an hour, from our hectic work responsibilities. The impromptu speeches during session also helped me to ponder over the topic instantly and deliver my thoughts to the audience. It also helped me to listen to the quality speeches in the session. The journey with the club has been wonderful and I am looking forward to improve my skills with the help of club orators. -Amit Pawar, Electrical Engineer, Pune
It’s Thursday today, as I write this. I noticed something missing from the day. Aah yes! I couldn’t attend the Orator’s meeting today, being geographically challenged. I had been to TM meetings before in Kansas City, but gave them up as I hit a state of stasis and things got busy at work. When I came to work at Pune office, I promised myself that I will not be closed-off, that I will try to participate and that’s what kept me going. But I didn’t have to try much here. When I first attended an Orator’s meeting, I was hooked immediately. I was overwhelmed by the quality and the variety of speakers. Everyone had their own style and idiosyncrasies which kept me enthralled. I read somewhere that in order to become better at something you sometimes have to stay within yourself and sometimes look outside of your self. I got an opportunity to do both here at the Orators’. I joined readily to participate, to observe more and to improve myself; to get over the self conscious feeling I’ve always felt. The environment was at times nurturing and at times stringent. The responses were appreciative when the going was good and brutally honest when going was rough; goading everyone to get better. But, there never was a dull moment. The enthusiasm is what kept me going back to the meeting week after week for the six months I was there. That, and the privilege of being around several super-talented and helpful people who wanted to exchange ideas and learn from each other. Though my stint at the club was a short one, it was thoroughly enjoyable and enriching one. I will miss being part of the Orator’s Club. -Leena Mikkili Electrical Engineer, Kansas City (stationed in Pune till June 2014)
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We Are The Problem TM Amit Jha Imagine yourself living in a country, where a girl is safe no matter what she is wearing or where she is, where she will not be killed before coming in this beautiful world, where doctors meant to save lives won’t take one, where a Hindu girl can marry a Muslim boy in a catholic way. I can go on and on and live in this fantasy forever but I have only seven minutes to put forward my point, and my point is, we are the difference between this imaginary country and the country we are living in. We are the problem. Contest Chair, dear friends and all those who want to live in that country. After listening to my speech you will be able to connect yourself to present condition of India in a better way. As I was thinking about this, I hit a mirror. As I saw my reflection, I asked myself, “What have I done for my country”? I have been a good son, a good student, a good brother. I have always respected girls. I have never categorized people based on their caste, race and religion. I have never done anything I am ashamed of. I thought I am a true patriotic son of India. But there were two incidences that changed my perception. Once my friend and me were travelling through Pune local train. We had a monthly pass. Ticket collector was standing at the platform. He asked us for the tickets. We gave him the tickets. Believe my luck they had expired just one day ago. He asked us for the fine. I tried the typical old Hindi line, Dekho na bhaiya kuch adjust kar lo, which means negotiation. My friend quickly stopped me & said, Amit this money will go in their pockets. I was furious as I paid the fine & took the receipt. You know what, even today I have that receipt with me & I feel really good about it. I know
it’s not even a single drop in the ocean of corruption, but then the ocean is made of drops. Another incidence takes me to J&K, Srinagar. It was the month of January, temperature was almost zero degrees. Everybody were in their homes with 2-3 blankets, heaters on. But there were some in that intense cold with AK-47 in their hands, their eyes wide open at 2 am in the morning protecting those in tight sleep. Next morning I came to know that their salary is just Rs.8000/- Out of curiosity, I went to one of the BSF jawans and asked him Why, why do you do this? You can be paid a lot more, without even the risk of being killed. He smile & replied, It makes me & my family proud, you would not understand. I did understand & I didn’t just understand it, deep inside I felt it. My father explained to me, Amit we do not have that much courage to be like him but what we can at least do is respect him. If you can cry on Amitabh Bachchan’s illness then there is no harm in shedding a tear for the dead soldier, they are no less than heroes. Keeping these things in mind I went to next phase of life, I asked myself “What I am doing for my country”?. I pay taxes, I work for betterment of society, I don’t do anything which is illegal and I am proud of myself to be a part of the solution and not the problem. After this I went to last & the most important phase in anybody’s life. A phase we all are unsure about, the future. So, I asked myself, what will I do if the worst happens? I imposed upon myself the ultimate question “What if, what if”. What if tomorrow I am given hundred times my salary and all I have to do is small wrongdoings, what will I do? Or tomorrow if I see a beautiful girl walking on a lonely road, would I protect her or would I use her? 13
What will I do out of my wrath if I am betrayed really bad, Or tomorrow if my daughter wants an inter -caste or inter-religion marriage, would I be a happy father or my honour will come in between. Some of us, some of us may face this situation. Our response to this will ultimately define us & answer the very big question “Am I really responsible for this condition of India?” You know what I have realized “Each one of us is busy fixing the blame, nobody is fixing the problem & we are the problem. The problem lies here. These politicians, rapists, those indulged in caste, female foeticide, honour killing. They are not from outer space. They are among us. They can be you, your family, your friends, your relatives, or who knows it can be me. All I want from you is to make them realize we are the problem & more importantly make them believe anybody can be a hero. My dad is a hero for me. You don’t have to be a politician or soldier to make a change. Sachin Tendulkar, Lata Mangeshkar, Satya Nadella or my dad they all have made a change. You just have to be a good human being. I would like to borrow what John F. Kennedy once said “Ask not what your country can do for you, always ask what you can do for your country”. Friends, no country is perfect, it has to be made perfect. My speech title is “We are the problem” and if every individual, when he turns 90 can look back at his life & can proudly say “I have never let my country down”. Believe me he is a true hero & on that day the difference between present India & imaginary India will be zero. On that day we all can have our head held high and we can proudly say, “We are not the problem”. Jai Hind.
BLACK & WHITE Q. Man competes more with technology than with fellow men. AGAINST THE MOTION
FOR THE MOTION
-TM Priyanka Sonekar
-TM Komal Mahajan
Who has been the mastermind behind TECHNOLOGY? It is the MAN who is the originator of technology and has been nourishing its roots since ages. He thinks differently and comes with a better approach every time to mould the technology into a more uniform shape.
Before the era of technological revolution, man invented, for the betterment of society and ease of work; not to get detached from the society. For example, earlier, a family used to sit together for dinner. Now, that thing has changed…we sit together and that’s true, but, in front of the TV while watching daily soaps or chatting with friends on WhatsApp™ while not even uttering a word with anyone. At that moment we are not with the family but with a friend who is far away, and forgetting the real people around us. In much the same way, we are making thousands of friends on Facebook, but are we friends with our parents? Is this how we should use technology? Don’t you think we are getting more prone to technology?
It would not be fair to state that man is competing with the creation of his own. In fact, he has been competing with himself and his own calibre to touch the zenith of sky. Moreover, there is no better way to learn than to learn from our own mistakes. Man has learnt a lot not only from his mistakes but from fellow men’s mistakes too. Every successful theory is the outcome of failure of the previous theories. Newton, Faraday and many other scientists won various Noble awards just by disproving the then existing theories.
Again, man can learn many things like how to be humble, how to be kind from people around him and not from the machines. A machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men but no machine can do the work of one extraordinary man. Machines can never become superior to human beings because humans have created machines and machine’s intellect can never be greater than that of human. So, competing with machine is worthless.
The constructive competition with fellow men has emerged as spell bounding inventions and has made the earth a better place to stay and our lives more relishing.
I would like to conclude with a quote of Albert Einstein, “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have the generation of idiots.”
Don’t agree with what is written? Then worry not! Write into us at Davisd@bv.com or Mathura@bv.com 14
the word list -tm Diana Davis Privilege: A special advantage, immunity, permission, right, or benefit granted to or enjoyed by an individual, class, or caste
She was born into a life of privilege.
Fable: Apologue, allegory, parable. He combines facts and fables to make a more interesting story.
Indulgent: Willing to allow someone to have or enjoy something even though it may not be proper, healthy, appropriate, etc.
She was perhaps a bit too indulgent with her children, who always seemed to get away with everything
Sedulous: Diligent in application or attention, consistent. The sedulous efforts of class teacher helped the student clear his exams.
Elated: Full of high spirits, exhilaration, pride or optimism; very happy She was elated upon learning that she had been accepted by her first-choice college.
Prolific: Profusely productive or fruitful. It’s an asset to have a prolific employee in the company.
Aficionado: Fan, devotee, enthusiast, expert, admirer In June 2014, Brazil will be full of football aficionados to enjoy 20th FIFA world cup.
Introspection: Introspection is the examination of one's own conscious thoughts and feelings This is a book that invites introspection from established groups, possibly even navel gazing. 15
Gathering
compiled as ‘Notes from a Big Country’ and ‘A Walk in the Woods’ is an account of Bryson’s punishing (by his standards) hike across the Appalachian Trail, the longest footpath in the world.
Paradise -TM Sunil PaWAr CC, ALB
St. Augustine rightly said: “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” An essential part of our personal and professional lives is spent in travelling: meeting long-lost relations, attending business duties, and sometimes taking a break from our taxing routines. But how often do we consider ‘travel’ in its bare nakedness? Travel is about experiences and meeting new people, not hotels and packages. Agree? But you can’t just sit up, get your leave approved, pick a random dot on a map and just travel there. And if you do that, you’re more likely to end up at a strange place, where no breathtaking sight awaits you; maybe what waits at such places is a set of confused and exasperated faces of your fellow travellers (who seriously believe that you’ve gone mad or are a trickster or both). A better way to avoid such unplanned plans is to do some research, talk to a few trusted friends and pick a place that best suits your needs and pockets. And if you’re a
bit of loner – one who trusts the word-in-print over wordof-mouth – then you’ve got to pick a travel book! Not a guidebook, mind you, but a travel book. Many of us believe that the genre of travel writing is dead, and that The Internet has killed it. But I believe that the genre is still alive and breathing…And my favourite author, of such works, is: Bill Bryson. William McGuire “Bill” Bryson is a best-selling American author of humorous books on travel, as well as books on the English language and science. Bryson with his indefectible wit and humour describes several places, monuments, museums, and even complete continents in his works. ‘Neither here Nor there’ describes Bryson’s exploits across mainland Europe and ‘Notes from a Small Island’ is about Britain and Bill’s aim “to take a stock of the nation’s public face and private parts (as it were).” Many of his works are related to the United States viz. ‘The Lost Continent’ speaks about travel in small town America, his select newspaper columns on the American way of life are 16
There is no one out there who could write travel with such ease and humour. Bryson’s books can make you snigger and snort even if you’re reading them in public. I believe that if you don’t find these books funny then something’s seriously wrong with you! Bryson displays a lot of research, several museums visits, a concern about local flora and fauna and a dry and direct but still humane way of looking at the world. His account on the travels in the countrycontinent of Australia, titled ‘Down Under’, also speaks about atrocities faces by the local population: the Aborigines. The Aborigines are hardly mentioned in the tomes on history written by everyone else. So, if you are thinking of visiting an exotic location or are simply cashstrapped enough that you can’t afford a vacation, pick up a Bryson! A beautiful set of words on travel were said by Mark Twain, “Twenty years from now you will become more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
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