Culmination- 2013 It is with bitter-sweet feelings that I have to call Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)’s 120 th graduation ceremony a culmination of many things. Bitter, because this is the day when we will see many of our friends for probably the last time. Many of them, I am sure, will cross my part of the world one day, but then, there are so many I may not even manage to keep in touch. Sweet, because, like everyone else here, we will be together with families and loved ones once more. It was nice to see the insides of a classroom after about a decade or so; it was a nice break from the daily grind of a regular job, but it was not easy to be away from the loves of your life. Sweet, because the ceremony also falls on the 106 th national day of my country. Well, it’s over for now. As they say, till death, education continues. I am sure some of us may meet at a different part of the world, still in the quest of further knowledge. See you there! What did I learn? Tha...
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From Bhutan to AIT, Bangkok! Yes, I come from Bhutan. That small nation that is ensconced between India and China, and the very one that introduced the concept of Gross national Happiness to the world. In Bhutan, we calculate GNH as a measure of the country’s development, and not GDP. Surprised? I do look like I am from India, or Bangladesh or Nepal. Depends on how you look at it. We are called the “Lhotshampas” in Bhutan, rather fondly, I would say, and loosely translates to “one from the southern fringes of the country”. Well, once upon a time my ancestors came from somewhere and settled in Bhutan. But me and my family (and my grandfather before that) are firmly Bhutanese, although we also celebrate Hindu festivals like the Dasain, along with all the Buddhist ones. You see, in Bhutan, Hinduism and Buddhism are the two state religions, and English and Dzongkha are the popular two languages, apart from other vernaculars. Yes, English, because the education in Bhutan is all c...
Human Life........ Fear of failure is a natural human tendency and limits us psychologically, but fear of success is also a major limiting factor. With success comes many unintended consequences, i.e. more money, less privacy, lovers, haters, changes in the id and ego and cognitive perception. I think that, as far as we know, since this is our one shot at the human experience, we need to make sure that it is carried through with meaning. While that might mean a fabulous career or a healthy family or being in love or helping others realize their dreams or simply watching all this with wonder, it is certainly an individual choice. to be continued................
DIMINISHING CULTURE Migration has contributed to the richness in diversity of cultures, ethnicities and races in developed countries. However, individuals who migrate experience multiple stresses that can impact their mental well being, including the loss of cultural norms, religious customs, and social support systems, adjustment to a new culture and changes in identity and concept of self. In this globalized world, more and more cities are becoming clones of each other, and people are converging into fake stereotypes; gone are the unique cities that carry so much history and culture in every corner, lost are the enriching cultural differences and specificities that make a society uniquely what it is; London looks like Paris which looks like Madrid; Restaurants serving this or that country’s traditional food are drowned out by the huge fast food chains, beautiful traditional clothing is lost between the new bulk-made looks created by the big brands, people look alike, eat alik...
"Selfish Parents" by Sarah Rollins The subject matter seemed quite relevant to our time, and the essay itself (at least to me) is profound in its depth. “Have you ever wished that you had never been born? That you never even existed? Have you ever felt like the whole world doesn’t even care about you? Or even something as benign as not being wanted around? I come from a family of eight. My older sister is beautiful and musically talented. She shared this special gift with my dad. They used to sing together when he was alive. I never had the joy of doing that. My brother is a great musician too. My dad taught him how to play harp and guitar and he shared that bond with our father. But, I couldn’t play. My dad has been dead now for six years, but I can still remember him saying, “Before you were born mom and I used to……” My family is close enough, but I must be honest with myself. If I had not been born my siblings would have had more in life. If I had ...
When does life really begin? Is it when the first fluttering beats of the primitive heart of a fetus start, or when the child is pushed from the womb into the world? Does it all actually start at the moment of conception when the egg and sperm meet and mix their genetic code together to create a new being? Who can say really. No one knows because no one is sure of when life truly begins. There are many out there who say an unborn child isn't really a person, or even alive because it can not sustain it's own life. If this were true, then no one is a real person until they are living on their own away from their parents. When you stop and really think about this, without listening to the arguments about when life starts or if something is considered alive until a certain time, you would surprised at what you may find. When the primitive heart of a tiny fetus starts to beat for the first time, it is then that it starts to actually survive on its own, apart from its moth...