Acquaintance, I Call Her Now

Today with tears in my eyes, I recall all

The beautiful moments we have spent,

Those memories which will last me a lifetime,

Provide me company now and forever.

Those times, when nothing went right,

That day when nothing went my way.

Every such day of my life,

You’d cheer me with something your own way!

If tears rolled down my eyes,

You’d wipe them off with a gentle touch.

But maybe things have changed now,

Something changed it, and that’s trust.

Where is that friend of mine?

With whom promises I made!

‘friends forever’

That’s what we said.

Memories are all that’s left.

Where are you, my dear friend?

Where have you gone?

But I still feel that you’ll come back

Look around, I am still there.

Arms spreading outwards, telling you I still can.

We had our share of differences,

Was that all?

No! because I’m still there deep in your mind,

And you, in my soul!

Globalized

   Globalization is defined by the spread and integration of people, goods, finance, knowledge and culture across the planet. Each of these dimensions of globalization has advanced since the dawn of civilisation, at a pace determined by the available technologies for transport and communications. In particular, advances in transportation and telecommunications infrastructure, including the rise of the Internet, represent major driving factors in globalization and precipitate further interdependence of economic and cultural activities. The term globalization derives from the root word "globalize", which refers to the emergence of an international network of social and economic systems. Sociologists Martin Albrow and Elizabeth King define globalization as:

"all those processes by which the peoples of the world are incorporated into a single world society." 

   How does the globalised market work? It is modern communications that make it possible; for the British service sector to deal with its customers through a call centre in India, or for a sportswear manufacturer to design its products in Europe, make them in south-east Asia and sell them in north America. But this is where the anti-globalization side gets stuck in. If these practices replace domestic economic life with an economy that is heavily influenced or controlled from overseas, then the creation of a globalized economic model and the process of globalisation can also be seen as a surrender of power to the corporations, or a means of keeping poorer nations in their place. Low-paid sweatshop workers, selling off state-owned industry to qualify for IMF and World Bank loans and the increasing dominance of US and European corporate culture across the globe have come to symbolize globalisation for some of its critics. The anti-globalization movement is famously broad, encompassing environmentalists, anarchists, unionists, the hard left, some of the soft left, those campaigning for fair development in poorer countries and others who want to tear the whole thing down, in the same way that the original Luddites attacked mechanized spinning machines.

Not everyone agrees that globalisation is necessarily evil, or that globalised corporations are running the lives of individuals or are more powerful than nations. Some say that the spread of globalisation, free markets and free trade into the developing world is the best way to beat poverty - the only problem is that free markets and free trade do not yet truly exist. Globalization can be seen as a positive, negative or even marginal process. And regardless of whether it works for good or ill, globalization's exact meaning will continue to be the subject of debate among those who oppose, support or simply observe it.

 Reactions to processes contributing to globalization have varied widely with a history as long as extraterritorial contact and trade.Philosophical differences regarding the costs and benefits of such processes give rise to a broad-range of ideologies and social movements. Proponents of economic growth, expansion and development, in general, view globalizing processes as desirable or necessary to the well-being of human society Antagonists view one or more globalizing processes as detrimental to social well-being on a global or local scale; this includes those who question either the social or natural sustainability of long-term and continuous economic expansion, the social structural inequality caused by these processes, and the colonial, Imperialistic, orhegemonic ethnocentrism, cultural assimilation and cultural appropriation that underlie such processes. 

Symphony

  A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle. Many symphonies are tonal works in four movements with the first in sonata form, which is often described by music theorists as the structure of a "classical" symphony, although many symphonies by the acknowledged classical masters of the form, Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven do not conform to this model.

 My thoughts and ideas fail to fall prey to any such literal idea of symphony. What my mind musters, is a little off-track.

The tune in the distance is fading away

The dark shadows are slowly retreating,

The walls are falling apart-giving way

To let you glide in- into the angel’s ring!

Storms and shine have ravaged me,

I collect my memories while I recline,

To find them void- an empty way.

My mind is filled as if with wine.

Like the drunken lover I wait,

With the child’s insecurity I hunt for you.

The beam of light, or even a ray

Would fill my soul and make my day.

When I collapse, tired and exhausted

You rise up from the grave and lift your veil,

You enliven my memories, through some are rusted.

The wounds of my mind, you heal.

You touch me with your warmth and embrace my heart,

You glide into my soul- all day and night

Only obstructed by the concrete, which stands guard.

The halo of the heavens, the ring of eternity.

I grope in the darkness to fell thee

We shall be forever in a little above,

I’ll bathe in your light- the moon, calm and serene

The symphony of life you play!

Gateway to the Indian Paradise

 On the 4th day of our trip, back in 2010, We set out from Jammu towards Patnitop, in search of respite from the scorching heat of the sun, on a fine April morning.

   

  Patnitop  is a hill top tourist location in Udhampur district, in Jammu and Kashmir, India, on the National Highway 1A, on the way from Udhampur to Srinagar, 112 km from Jammu. Situated on a plateau in the Shiwalik belt of the Himalayas, Patnitop sits at an altitude of 2024 metres. The river Chenab flows in close proximity to this location. It is in the Lower Himalayan Range close to the Pir Panjal range. The towns of Kud and Batote are located nearby. Kud is a very small town where a sweet shop makes fresh Patissa (a sweet). It can be bought hot from the shop and melts in one's mouth. Batote is known as a place for quality rajma or the kidney beans. Once upon a time there was a beautiful pond surrounded by the lush green meadows lined with Deodhar and  Pine trees. The pond was so enchanting that it cajme to be known as 'Patan-Da-Talab' meaning 'Pond of the Princess' because the local princess used to bathe in its waters. It is quite likely that the English got the pronunciation wrong and henceforth it came to be known as Patnitop. 

 Enveloped by thickly wooded forests, Patnitop offers beautiful picnic spots, peaceful walks and breathtaking views of the valleys of the Chenab basin and the Pir Panjal range beyond. In winter, the resort is generally covered with a thick mantle of snow thus providing opportunities for various snow games including skiing. We lodged in the cottages of Jammu And Kashmir Tourism Corporation, though there are other hotels for accommodation too. We called it a day, and decided to enjoy the trail around the tourism complex.

  Early next morning, we set out to explore Patnitop and its twin town of Sanasar, in a Tata Indica that we had hired from Jammu itself. Sadly there was no snow in Patnitop, but the surrounding hills were covered with a fresh layer of snow. Onse such hill was Nathatop, our first stop of the day, which not only provided fresh snow but also a panoramic view of the snow clad peaks of the majestic Himalayas. Nathatop, located 14km from Patnitop, is a hub of a number of adventure sports like paragliding, skiing, sledging and pony rides. Within a few kilomtres from Patnitop, we encountered the first snow along with a host of Himalayan Peaks dominating the Nirth-Eastern horizon. At Nathatop, we were out to enjoy the snow. But it was bad news for 
adventure sports. The snow was enough to stop the paragliding and pony rides but not enough for skiing. The only activity was sledging but it was nothing adventurous. The sledges are nothing but indigenous version of the hand pulled rickshaws of Kolkata. We spent some time on Nathatop enjoying the snow as well as views. We were soon on our way to Sanasar, which was 5km away. The entire stretch of road was covered with snow, and it made driving extremely difficult, taking 20 minutes to cover the 5km stretch. Like Patnitop the prime attraction of Sanasar are its meadows, pine forests and the enchanting view of the snow clad peaks. In sanasar the meadows are much larger, the pine forests are denser and the snow clad peaks appear much close. But the star attraction os Sanasar was its isolation from the large crowd of Patnitop. Reaching Sanasar, we set out to explore the place. We took a walking trail which took us past the J&K tourism Tourist complex and cottages and past the meadows to a forest lined with pine trees. There were several benches for the interest of us tourists, but we chose the grass to enjoy a small snack comprising of biscuits, cakes, chocolates and some Patissa. 

  Then, we set out to explore Patnitop like  "Monarchs of all we survey". The Patnitop Tourist Complex houses the resort and cottages of J&K Tourism, including a restaurant. The landscape is similar to Sanasar but much smaller in magnitude. It is more touristic with hawkers selling Kashmiri artifacts and dresses along with fast food like puchka and bhel-puri. In the evening we waited long enough in our complex and cottage to enjoy our last evening in Patnitop.

Generation Gap

    The generational gap is a term popularised in Western countries during the 1960s referring to differences between people of younger generations and their elders, especially between children and their parents.Although some generational differences have existed throughout history, modern generational gaps have often been attributed to rapid cultural change in the postmodern period, particularly with respect to such matters as musical tastes, fashion, culture and politics. These changes are assumed to have been magnified by the unprecedented size of the young generation during the 1960s, which gave it the power and inclination to rebel against societal norms, as reflected in songs such as the 1965 hit "My Generation" by The Who and "The Times They Are a-Changing'" by Bob Dylan.Generation Gap is a gap of communication that leads to misunderstanding and disharmony. It refers to the gap between the old and the young. It is about the mindsets of people, and can never be one sided. Youth is full of passion and drive, while the old people bank on their experience. 

        

       Generations can be distinguished by the differences in their language use. The generation gap has created a parallel gap in language that can be difficult to communicate across. This issue is one visible throughout society, creating complications within day to day communication at home, in the work place, and within schools. As new generations seek to define themselves as something apart from the old, they adopt new lingo and slang, allowing a generation to create a sense of division from the previous one. The term 'communication skills,' for example, might mean formal writing and speaking abilities to an older worker. But it might mean e-mail and instant-messenger savvy to a twenty something. People often have private conversations in secret in a crowded room in today’s age due to the advances of cellular phones and text messaging. Among “texters” a form of slang or texting lingo has developed, often keeping those not as tech savvy out of the loop. “Children increasingly rely on personal technological devices like cell phones to define themselves and create social circles apart from their families, changing the way they communicate with their parents. Cell phones, instant messaging, e-mail and the like have encouraged younger users to create their own inventive, quirky and very private written language. That has given them the opportunity to essentially hide in plain sight. They are more connected than ever, but also far more independent. Text messaging, in particular, has perhaps become this generation’s version of pig Latin. 

          This generation gap has always been there but these days it has reached to an explosive stage. The values and patterns of life have changed to a great extent. Today, everybody likes to live and behave in his own way. This attitude has widened the generation gap, which can never be filled. It is now destroying family life completely. The elders look after the children and make all sorts of sacrifices to bring them up. Naturally, they feel they have a right over them. They want their children to follow their instructions as they have certain expectations from them. But the children, when they grow up, want a complete freedom in their thoughts and actions and unfortunately their thoughts and actions are just opposite to those expected by the elders. They revolt when any kind of restrictions are imposed on them.

          In India, we are yet in the initial stages, but the gap has appeared and it is going to grow bigger day by day. So it is not only the responsibility of the younger but also of the elders to fill this gap with their love, affection and trust. The problem, in fact, has grown and intensified due to the rise in complexities of life. These complexities have arisen in the wake of modernism where everything allied to tradition, custom and the world was to be turned upside down. The problem arises mainly when parents forget how did they behave, what problems did they encounter and what feeling did they feel when they were children, especially teenagers. When the children enter the stormy teens the problem of generation gap comes out with greater intensity then ever. Children too fail to see their parents’ point of view and blindly stick to breaking rules. For them, at this age, their friends suddenly become important dislodging the parents from the vantage point. This causes great anxiety to parents and the friction increases between the children and the parents.

          At this time, grandparents can play a constructive role in order to bridge the gap of thought, attitude, and way of life and approaches to it. Generation gap is not that serious a problem if families can learn to sit over dinner and talk or sit in the living rooms over a cup of hot comforting coffee and talk the things out, ironing the difference and sharing the experiences. When this communication barrier is transcended and the ice broken, the problem does not remain that serious anymore. Talking it out calmly and coolly, with the idea of sorting things out, changing for each other and changing for better can be the most helpful instrument in bridging the generation gap. Family outings, vacations, tours, to picnic-outings, often with the family etc can be effective ways to initiate intimacy between parents and children. Watching movie and discussing them, putting forth the different viewpoints can be a beginning to inculcate the habit of a healthy dialogue between members of the family. Such small things and steps can do wonders in initiating a healthy family atmosphere and reducing friction between two generations that are right in their own respects. Their only fault is that they are viewing the same object from opposite directions. Age, time and experience or the lack of it, forces them to do so.

Roger Federer

Roger Federer, (born 8 August 1981) is a Swiss professional tennis player who as of July 2012 is ranked World number 1 by the ATP. Several sports analysts, tennis critics and former and current players consider him to be the greatest tennis

 player of all time. He owns several men's world records of the Open Era, including, holding the number 1 position for more than 286 weeks overall(and counting); a 237-consecutive-week stretch at the top from 2004 to 2008; winning 17 Grand Slam singles titles; reaching the finals of each Grand Slam tournament at least five times (an all-time record); reaching the Wimbledon final eight times and many others.

His versatility has been summarised by Jimmy Connors: "In an era of specialists, you're either a clay court specialist, a grass court specialist, or a hard court specialist...or you're Roger Federer." Federer is an all-court, all-round player known for his speed, fluid style of play, and exceptional shot making.
Federer is at times referred to as the Federer Express,shortened to Fed Express or FedEx, and the Swiss Maestro, or just Maestro.
Federer is currently number 31 on Forbes top 100 celebrities as of May 2012.

That says it all. Roger, you are and will remain the BEST. Haters can hate you, but I shall always love you.
My Hero.
♥

Happy (31st) Birthday, Roger Federer ! :D
With Lots of Love and Best Wishes for the upcoming year.
Lovingly,
A-Federer-Maniac.

(http://www.rogerfederer.com/en.html)