tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64802360285248918652024-03-12T10:21:08.127+05:30THE INDIAN COMMENTATORBooks, Culture, Views, ReviewsAnu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.comBlogger816125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-50788394179947727612023-12-31T17:43:00.001+05:302023-12-31T17:43:29.236+05:30The Heart of Love: Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6twX_BrP5_tr7S5DzSG5_fhKrxlfbH9YEc_hL5eloAJBauJ_OzRrrxCpXgfLfDSiTX8hym1_OoIU_EsA23ueIz_0zuZf-86hQy7wm_WXfgw-RkGZDd4RQSWyz_hqWjGJdzPbIuivHGQi77jGGfE4EfCcabt3x9aCGSQBbbA1AZo6ift0Tol20KL0zPpT/s8136/Adoration_of_the_sheperds_-_Matthias_Stomer.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5504" data-original-width="8136" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6twX_BrP5_tr7S5DzSG5_fhKrxlfbH9YEc_hL5eloAJBauJ_OzRrrxCpXgfLfDSiTX8hym1_OoIU_EsA23ueIz_0zuZf-86hQy7wm_WXfgw-RkGZDd4RQSWyz_hqWjGJdzPbIuivHGQi77jGGfE4EfCcabt3x9aCGSQBbbA1AZo6ift0Tol20KL0zPpT/s320/Adoration_of_the_sheperds_-_Matthias_Stomer.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">Courtesy: Adoration of the Shepherds by Dutch painter </span><span style="text-align: start;">Matthias Stomer</span><span style="text-align: start;">, 1632</span></span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 3pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He was wrapped in swaddling clothes in the manger. This is what the Gospels say about the birth scene of Jesus Christ. “</span><a href="https://www.archspm.org/faith-and-discipleship/catholic-faith/i-know-jesus-was-born-in-a-manger-but-why-is-that-important-and-what-does-it-mean/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The word “manger” comes from the Latin word manducare which means “to eat.” A manger or crib is a wooden or stone feeding trough or food box that holds hay for larger farm animals like cattle, horses, and donkeys.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">” The food box used by the Jews during the first century AD was made of stone. “</span><a href="https://wherethewind.com/2021/12/25/the-stone-manger/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The stone trough was a manger. Of course, it wasn’t made of wood. Wood was precious and expensive in an arid land where few trees grew straight and tall. That’s why the legendary cedars of Lebanon were so prized. There weren’t many trees, but there was plenty of rock.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">” Not a comfortable place for the King of the Jews. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The newborn was a special child, yet the only place they could find was this stone manger. It was rough, it was meant for animals to eat from. Just imagine the thoughts that must have crossed the minds of Mary and Joseph, if they were us. The manger and the Holy Cross are two emblems that remind us of the birth of Jesus, that is, God in human form. Both these emblems signify discomfort and sacrifice. But later, both symbols became the source of comfort and healing. God became man and built a highway for us to Heaven through his Sacrifice on the Holy Cross. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The manger is a symbol of lack when we consider how two human beings were forced to take refuge there, in the dire need of the hour. Mary was about to give birth, and Joseph could not find another place for them, in the fully packed Bethlehem. We must remember that during that time of the year, a census was going on across the land of Palestine, which was under Roman rule. People were supposed to go to the cities of their original ancestors and register their names. Caesar Augustus was the Roman ruler who had a peculiar liking for census. Since Joseph belonged to the lineage of David, the legendary King David, he went to Bethlehem, the hometown of David. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bethlehem must have been a crowded place during the days of the census. There was no place for Joseph and Mary to stay, especially because the inn owners and whoever saw Mary understood she might give birth to a child soon. It was clear they did not want to take a lot of risk at that time of the year. The situation was more than enough to fill anyone with bitterness. There would certainly be, if it were us, a lot of gnashing of teeth and bitterness. How did the Blessed Mother of Jesus and Joseph, the Wonder Worker, manage to stay above the bitterness of it all? For Mary, accepting the will of God defined her whole existence. The “Yes” of Mary did not just make her part of the salvific plan of God, it saved the entire humanity. The “Yes” of Mary echoes in the trust laid by Joseph upon the instructions he received through his dreams. Mary’s “yes” was an act of courage. “And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.”[b] 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be”( Luke 1: 28, NRSV). Mary was ‘perplexed’, says the scripture. The term ‘perplexed’ means confused. It could also mean being in shock by seeing something unexpected. It means “</span><a href="https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/perplexed?q=perplexed" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">confused and anxious because you are unable to understand something.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mary’s anxiety was understandable. She was a young girl, betrothed to another man. She must have been panicking when the angel appeared in front of her. However, in her panic she does not wrestle with the Lord’s messenger. In the Bible we find many who confront messengers from God. It is quite interesting to observe how they respond to these heavenly messengers. The Book of Genesis shows Jacob wrestling with the angel of God. Mary, although perplexed, was willing to say “yes” to the will of God. Seeing Mary’s anxiety, the angel explains, “30 “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”” (Luke 1:30-33) The words of the angel are directly from God. The angel does not infuse one’s own will either in the language or in the intention of the communication. The message is a direct echo of God’s voice. However, the message is delivered through the person of the angel and for Mary it acts as a consolation. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mary does not wrestle with the Angel, but she asks the most logical question from a human perspective: ““How can this be, since I am a virgin?”” (Luke 1: 34) The question is a reflection of human limitation, which the angel subverts with a statement about God’s power. The angel explains to Mary about the Holy Spirit and how the Son of God will be sinless. The angel also informs Mary about Elizabeth who had miraculously conceived a son at her old age. Elizabeth was a barren woman, incapable of childbirth. Both these messages- one about the intervention of the Holy Spirit and the other about Elizabeth conceiving a child- form a preface to what the angel was about to declare. “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37), the angel declares. With God, everything changes; human limitation changes to heavenly reality. The angel’s words come down to Mary in a sweet logical succession from which it is easy to deduce her own conclusions. And Mary, consciously, willingly, declares, ““Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”” (Luke 1: 38)</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Joseph had a dream of an angel. In the dream, the angel told him “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins”” (Matthew 1: 20,21, NRSV). Joseph was also informed of the intervention of the Holy Spirit, like Mary, and was told the name Jesus. The angel also consoles the anxious Joseph by assuring him about taking Mary as his wife. Just like the perplexity felt by Mary when she saw the angel, Joseph felt anxiety about taking a woman as his wife who is pregnant with a baby, before their life together. He was anxious about the stigma placed by society upon such a pregnancy. The angel’s words helped him strengthen his decision to marry the same girl. Joseph accepts the will of God to be his own life’s anchor. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Joseph was “righteous”, says the Bible. So he, “unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly” (Matthew 1:19, NRSV). Joseph resolved to do this. This resolution was shattered by the vision of the angel, where the angel tells Joseph about Jesus. Just like Mary, Joseph also trusted the angel’s words. It’s a trust imbued with love for God. In Bethlehem, when the people around them offered them no refuge or help, Joseph and Mary did not feel their pride hurt. They did not feel bitter. Both Mary and Joseph did not set out on this journey for the love they had for each other. Mary and Joseph had one common denominator, a common love: Jesus. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This love for Jesus, made their journey tolerable. Bethlehem became the heart of their love, where the whole world saw God in human form. Bitterness and agony was won over with love for Jesus. This is one of the messages we need to learn during the Christmas season. Clearly, Mary and Joseph loved God even before the angel visited them. This is what helps them accept and follow the angel’s words. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So in our lives too, love for Jesus should come first. We shouldn’t wait for miracles or miraculous encounters with angels to prove to ourselves of God’s love for us. We should love Him even without seeing him. We should love Him before we encounter His miracles because we are the best of his creation, and in us, a miracle has already unfolded at the time of our birth. </span></p><br /></span><h3><span>by Anu Lal</span></h3>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-47704809973327247952023-07-15T19:52:00.000+05:302023-07-15T19:52:45.677+05:30Until I Find You by Kanchana Banerjee: A Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zgEz5c9Uwh9iZE9-9SIBre0m_Ya5lexqqwC-qkB4nidUdNpTt7T6i2Tu47ACV-QaE-iZYqlCgHyLOxWFEyd17TK-eGsCG7WfW5rbyHMpE80eWvIkHgCDgSIdjhslz3UjE24ZMcK74KawqHImKSPj7ADQ603l6VKgzxaXG9b_TUFpWoa5rg4H_tm5guoF/s1500/91g9-VnIX9L._SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="975" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zgEz5c9Uwh9iZE9-9SIBre0m_Ya5lexqqwC-qkB4nidUdNpTt7T6i2Tu47ACV-QaE-iZYqlCgHyLOxWFEyd17TK-eGsCG7WfW5rbyHMpE80eWvIkHgCDgSIdjhslz3UjE24ZMcK74KawqHImKSPj7ADQ603l6VKgzxaXG9b_TUFpWoa5rg4H_tm5guoF/s320/91g9-VnIX9L._SL1500_.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Until I Find You" by Kanchana Banerjee is a captivating fiction thriller set in the charming town of Bannod in Rajasthan. The narrative revolves around two key characters, Jenny and Virat, each on a personal quest for redemption and truth, respectively.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jenny finds herself tirelessly searching for the son of her deceased best friend, while Virat, a determined police officer, is driven to solve the mystery behind the sudden disappearance of Jenny's crush. As fate would have it, their paths cross, and they find themselves reluctantly joining forces to achieve their individual goals.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">The plot of the story is peppered with both expected and unexpected twists, leading up to a climax that will leave readers in shock. The author skillfully crafts well-defined characters who grapple with themes such as cults, rape, and the vulnerability of victims. Through their experiences, the story delves into the profound impact that people's susceptibility can have on surrendering their lives to others.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While it may not be the best crime thriller ever encountered, the chosen themes add depth to the narrative, making it a worthwhile read. The introduction of the three highlighted characters, Virat, Jenny, and Harsh, is beautifully executed, emphasizing their significance in the novel. Properly introducing the characters is essential for readers to fully immerse themselves in the essence of the writing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This crime thriller explores the inner guilt of a woman who feels she has failed in certain aspects of her life. Despite her attempts to overcome her dark days and find new paths, life takes an unexpected turn, giving birth to a new suspenseful tale that seamlessly blends with the rest of the story.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While there is an abundance of thrillers available today, this book stands out for its clever narration and ability to hold readers captive until the very end. The moment Jenny sees a picture of a boy in a travel magazine, her world is shaken. The boy bears a striking resemblance to her friend Rubina, who is supposed to be dead. A decade ago, Jenny failed to save Rubina and her child from the clutches of a charismatic cult leader, leading to a mass suicide.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jenny's journey to find the boy leads her to a quiet village in Rajasthan, where she crosses paths with Virat, a police officer investigating the discovery of a decomposed leg at a construction site. Are these two cases connected? As Jenny's past threatens to catch up with her, she and Virat become entangled in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game that escalates to a diabolical climax.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Drawing inspiration from the notorious Peoples Temple mass suicide led by the charismatic Jim Jones, "Until I Find You" presents a grim and brutal thriller where the arid landscape of Rajasthan becomes as much a character as the shadowy dramatis personae. The author's skill lies in her ability to introduce characters against richly detailed backdrops, making readers feel as though they are sitting alongside the players in this macabre tableau, breathing in the dusty heat of Bannod. Her writing allows the characters to come alive, daring readers to fully engage with their lives.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The story itself is captivating, presented with a cinematic gaze. The presence of an unreliable narrator adds to the shock value of the finale. This novel delves into the cult of Jim Jones, exploring the mass massacre and contemplating an alternate ending. What if the cult leader had survived? What if there were other survivors?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Set in the fictional village of Bannod, the author creates an ideal setting for a wolf to infiltrate a tranquil community, assuming the role of the deceased wealthy Thakur's prodigal son. Despite Manjeet's efforts to maintain a low profile, his assumed identity is disrupted by Sejal, a blast from his past. As she questions the authenticity of his fatherhood and threatens to expose his carefully concealed secrets, she goes missing, with her foot turning up at a construction site. However, she is not the last dark secret from his past to resurface. Jenny, a survivor of the supposed cult massacre orchestrated by Manjeet, appears, determined to unveil the truth.</div></div>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-91033880304502468652023-04-12T11:36:00.004+05:302023-04-12T11:36:52.122+05:30What is Postmodernism? Essay for Undergraduate Students<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> <span style="color: #374151; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Postmodernism is a philosophical and artistic movement that emerged in the mid-20th century in response to the dominance of the modernist movement. It challenges the notion of objective truth and celebrates fragmentation and irony while rejecting the idea of a universal human experience. This comprehensive overview will explore the origins, characteristics, major theorists and texts, critiques and controversies, and applications of postmodernism in various fields such as architecture, visual art, and music.</span></span></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Postmodernism challenges traditional notions of truth, meaning, and identity and celebrates the proliferation of multiple perspectives. Modernism, on the other hand, is characterized by a focus on the individual, rejection of traditional forms, and belief in progress and rationality. Postmodernism emerged in the mid-20th century as a response to modernism.</span></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Some of the major postmodern theorists include Jean-Francois Lyotard, Jacques Derrida, and Michel Foucault. Deconstruction, a method of analysis that seeks to reveal contradictions and ambiguities in texts while challenging the notion of objective meaning, originated in the work of Jacques Derrida.</span></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Sokal Affair was a controversy in the mid-1990s involving a hoax article published in the academic journal Social Text. Physicist Alan Sokal wrote the article to expose what he saw as the misuse of postmodernist ideas in the humanities.</span></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Postmodernism has influenced architecture by rejecting the modernist emphasis on function and rationality and celebrating ornamentation, historical references, and the use of irony and humor. Examples of postmodern architecture include the AT&T Building in New York City and the Portland Building in Portland, Oregon. Postmodernism has also influenced visual art and music, among other fields.</span></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In conclusion, postmodernism is a complex and multifaceted movement that continues to be a significant force in contemporary culture. While subject to criticism and controversy, it challenges traditional notions of truth and meaning while celebrating fragmentation and multiple perspectives.</span></span></p>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-28447211276563704822023-01-21T20:06:00.000+05:302023-01-21T20:06:56.141+05:305 Simple Steps to Self-Publish Your Paperback Book on Amazon in India<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnxfRUrvCQBFdGkH1Iq5Qc71CalZnUFbNICQy9lgE3JrYsmz0Dn98TB2mecKLnO7fgJuoUVn9EEr8hYFjnc6FlGMixv7HrREN1g8BFKwG_2nPXYO1VavVCIKC37jR-i7wh3vFdCz-ppx3PT-4zAb10Iwz9oJSefFMuCaA7vJW1cvkLxGgHybvEgrk7-w/s1920/books-5937823_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnxfRUrvCQBFdGkH1Iq5Qc71CalZnUFbNICQy9lgE3JrYsmz0Dn98TB2mecKLnO7fgJuoUVn9EEr8hYFjnc6FlGMixv7HrREN1g8BFKwG_2nPXYO1VavVCIKC37jR-i7wh3vFdCz-ppx3PT-4zAb10Iwz9oJSefFMuCaA7vJW1cvkLxGgHybvEgrk7-w/s320/books-5937823_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's relatively easy to self-publish paperback books on Amazon in India using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b435c06d-7fff-23a4-e8fc-66e902a448d4"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The basic steps are as follows:</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Create a profile: </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Create an account on the KDP website. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your personal information and tax information must be provided.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Get your book ready:</span><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Format your book in accordance with KDP specifications. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your book must be submitted as a print-ready PDF file, complete with the cover art.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Make a new heading: </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Create a new title for your book by logging into your KDP account. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You must include details about your book, including the title, author, summary, and keywords.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Determine your price: </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Set a price for your book in your KDP account after deciding on one. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You have the option to establish a price for your book or use the KDP Select programme, which enables you to give your book out for free for a limited time.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Review and publish:</span><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Check that all the information in your book is accurate. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Click "publish" after you are finished to make your book available on Amazon.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Make the book a paperback option: </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Enroll the book in KDP's expanded distribution programme so that readers can purchase it in paperback form.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Promote your book:</span><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As soon as your book is out, you may begin to raise awareness of it. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To reach your target audience, you can employ several strategies such as email marketing and social media.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's important to keep in mind that India has a unique tax and banking system, so you might need to supply extra information or documents to meet their needs. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A paperback version's publication procedure may differ slightly from a digital version's. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The KDP website should constantly be checked for the most recent information and policies.</span></p>For book publishing support visit <a href="http://writerskalam.com">writerskalam.com</a> </span>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-34330485346099263422023-01-21T06:44:00.000+05:302023-01-21T06:44:07.402+05:30Cults of the Roman Occupation: The Impact of Roman Religion on Celtic England<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOLYm9gYCO96Ngr3HFI11xZVaaanlBdr6Hmfk0Zpzym1NPg-JyTKwkkLBDW458YW9aPeA0Hx4hH1HqbvQ5xUqmlxEQeduwdnYaBG07FyA5JGl95o-gTgi0KxgsWnz4SEkgdPoG0v7a_opocyA31863i-35ulrV9jLCoha4PbBP5-FchC4gdnnx_7AiA/s1024/GettyImages-590183550-cc832c2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="865" data-original-width="1024" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOLYm9gYCO96Ngr3HFI11xZVaaanlBdr6Hmfk0Zpzym1NPg-JyTKwkkLBDW458YW9aPeA0Hx4hH1HqbvQ5xUqmlxEQeduwdnYaBG07FyA5JGl95o-gTgi0KxgsWnz4SEkgdPoG0v7a_opocyA31863i-35ulrV9jLCoha4PbBP5-FchC4gdnnx_7AiA/s320/GettyImages-590183550-cc832c2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Roman occupation of Celtic England brought about many changes to the indigenous population, including the introduction of new religious beliefs and practices. One aspect of this cultural shift was the emergence of various cults, which developed alongside the Roman religion and had a significant impact on the spiritual beliefs of the Celtic people.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f67e2896-7fff-310e-5fb3-221e6b8d8820"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the most notable cults to emerge during this time was the cult of the mother goddess, known as the Matres or Matronae. This cult was popular among the Celtic women and was characterised by the worship of mother goddesses who were believed to be responsible for fertility, childbirth and the protection of the home. The cult of the Matres was often associated with the Roman goddesses such as Ceres, Venus and Bona Dea, and was often depicted in statuary and inscriptions throughout Celtic England.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Another significant cult that emerged during the Roman occupation was the cult of the god Mithras. This cult, which originated in the Eastern Roman Empire, was primarily practiced by Roman soldiers and was characterised by secretive initiation rites and the worship of the god of light and truth. The cult of Mithras was particularly popular among the Roman military and had a significant influence on the spiritual beliefs of the Celtic people who came into contact with the Roman soldiers.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Roman occupation also saw the spread of the cult of the god Apollo, which was associated with healing, prophecy and the arts. The cult of Apollo was particularly popular among the Celtic nobility, who saw the god as a symbol of Roman civilization and culture.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Additionally, the Roman occupation also led to the spread of Christianity among the Celtic people. While the Roman authorities generally tolerated the practice of Christianity, they did not officially support it and often viewed it as a threat to the traditional Roman religion. Nevertheless, Christianity slowly gained popularity among the Celtic population, particularly among the lower classes and among those who had come into contact with Roman soldiers and merchants.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Overall, the Roman occupation of Celtic England brought about significant changes to the spiritual beliefs and practices of the indigenous population. The emergence of various cults, such as the cults of the mother goddess, Mithras, Apollo and Christianity, had a significant impact on the religious landscape of Celtic England. These cults not only influenced the spiritual beliefs of the Celtic people but also played an important role in shaping the cultural and social developments of the region during the Roman occupation.</span></p><br /><br /></span>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-2689886655429701822023-01-19T23:23:00.001+05:302023-01-19T23:23:08.261+05:30LESSONS FROM INSTAGRAM LIVE SESSION: By Writers' Kalam, India's Latest Knowledge-Based Education Venture<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1Q2wRQ7vRYU" width="533" youtube-src-id="1Q2wRQ7vRYU"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Wow! This was a fascinating first-time live session from the <a href="http://writerskalam.com">Writers' Kalam</a> family. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Special thanks to @_neharora12 and @ankush.bharti11 for being part of this live session. You guys are awesome!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I'd also like to thank all our #Instagram family for encouraging us and for giving us that motivation!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">You are awesome!!!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Here are a few lessons that we learnt in this live session! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I hope this will be useful for anyone trying to use Instagram live for success in their ventures. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">1. We learned that we should announce the live sessions beforehand using a poster for a video message.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">2. We understood that there is a growing demand among the young generation of India for Authentic, Brief yet Clear information that is the motto of The Holistic Pine - authenticity brevity and clarity. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">3. We realised that we should keep the time of the live sessions limited so that we can work on the next issue of our journal and also on the many projects of <a href="http://writerskalam.com">writerskalam.com</a>!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The demand is so much that our Instagram family was not letting us leave the live session, and it is inspiring and at the same time terrifying in a good way. It reminded us of our true responsibility towards them, that is, to deliver authentic, good-quality content in a brief yet clear manner. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">4. When you feel a lack of motivation always do a live session because your Instagram family is there to support you always. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">These are a few lessons we learned from our live session today! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ciao, until next time!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">To know more about us, visit <a href="writerskalam.com " target="_blank">writerskalam.com </a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Or</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://theholisticpine.com">theholisticpine.com</a></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-2964647331547575922023-01-15T13:08:00.003+05:302023-01-15T13:08:36.624+05:30The Holistic Pine Features Siju Rajan<p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-oCVV51Cl6Mvi2QJwV8DfENRBy3tSDuJcqNGucd4ZdBISp1fTCIuqBObTk7uEddJOnbGmX1hyhVSnhDsTGBltfsu3kYWvYDF3KY607b1y7H9I7fThzjZIUJjs9h29Zbrsu1qUTqkt6lOwqei1W9Me8d9zmpsqpzMwc9-YAF9nvLv3Iy8S8cTGjNUgMg/s1234/Screenshot_2023-01-15-10-09-14-437_com.instagram.android.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1234" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-oCVV51Cl6Mvi2QJwV8DfENRBy3tSDuJcqNGucd4ZdBISp1fTCIuqBObTk7uEddJOnbGmX1hyhVSnhDsTGBltfsu3kYWvYDF3KY607b1y7H9I7fThzjZIUJjs9h29Zbrsu1qUTqkt6lOwqei1W9Me8d9zmpsqpzMwc9-YAF9nvLv3Iy8S8cTGjNUgMg/s320/Screenshot_2023-01-15-10-09-14-437_com.instagram.android.jpg" width="280" /></a></div><br /><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">When you are the owner of a sole proprietorship even Sundays are no off days. you have to work hard to make your visions a reality.</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Of course, it is important to have a vision. When writers Kalam was starting I had a vision of Helping India Write. </span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">My friends, who took part in this journey along with me also realised the importance of the vision.</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Many people are crippled by the fact that they do not have control over their written language. When you do not know how to write properly or how to write efficiently you could be losing out on many opportunities.</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">It is the mission of <a href="http://WritersKalam.com">WritersKalam.com</a> to go into schools, colleges, and other educational institutions to help students and teachers find a balance between their language and writing skills.</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">With this purpose in mind, we started a journal, the first independent online journal in India, The Holistic Pine.</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">When I see the massive reception the journal is receiving I feel proud about the decision of starting this journal.</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The January issue of the Holistic Pine carries a very important column article on the psychological implications of the COVID pandemic.</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">It also features Siju Rajan's writing on "Where to Invest your Time and Resources in 2023."</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Don't lose out on financial freedom. Invest wisely this year. Learn it all in this month's issue of The Holistic Pine, coming out in print and digital this week.</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top:
0pt;"><br /></span></p>
<iframe sandbox="allow-popups allow-scripts allow-modals allow-forms allow-same-origin" style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-in.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=IN&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=theindicomm-21&language=en_IN&marketplace=amazon®ion=IN&placement=B0BNBJK5NS&asins=B0BNBJK5NS&linkId=63da7e8fc6227de9ec88e92d4856d382&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true"></iframe>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-44664466756509532742023-01-10T07:32:00.000+05:302023-01-10T07:32:58.604+05:30Interview with Ankush Bharti, Chief Editor of The Holistic Pine<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjud_iPbZTkCDiXClOwVNdPRBx6IwYpvep92AiXCG3cGuNCNQ7s1uuh42pA_Gphpe90hvi-6CvAYl1OjEvpXjNzurkGXyZN6osFeEPZ-D8PG8pYNhbM2m910E7LiQADDIeZOu43-kqulTEcGtllZmkjYepKzpsn-ydgdDUU1tOPGZIWWb73_NPibg2xpA/s1080/Ankush%20Bharti.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjud_iPbZTkCDiXClOwVNdPRBx6IwYpvep92AiXCG3cGuNCNQ7s1uuh42pA_Gphpe90hvi-6CvAYl1OjEvpXjNzurkGXyZN6osFeEPZ-D8PG8pYNhbM2m910E7LiQADDIeZOu43-kqulTEcGtllZmkjYepKzpsn-ydgdDUU1tOPGZIWWb73_NPibg2xpA/s320/Ankush%20Bharti.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3409bc5d-7fff-69f8-ca51-4bf5a97b8b68"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Holistic Pine, an independent international monthly journal is creating ripples in India and abroad with its treatment of subject matter and audacity of presentation. The avid reader found one’s haven of reading inside the pages of The Holistic Pine. The pine revolution of reading is an offshoot of Writers’ Kalam, a knowledge-based educational venture initiated by the renowned Indian English author Anu Lal. The venture envisions catering to the rising demands in bridge courses that can help candidates seeking future employment opportunities in equipping themselves better to meet professional challenges. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The second issue of The Holistic Pine came out in December of 2022 and the timing of this issue couldn’t have been better. The new year broke with the stupendously insightful read on the various arenas of education. With J Krishnamurti, philosopher and educator on its cover, the journal carried articles like “Period Education Project”, “God’s of Education”, “Death of Pedagogy”, “School Phobia”, and “9 best Educators”. The second issue also features a line of new-generation courses, which would be immensely helpful for students and parents who wish to make the best of the coming academic year. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With the view of exploring further about The Holistic Pine, The Indian Commentator spoke to the head of the creative team behind it, Ms Ankush Bharti, the Chief Editor of the journal. She is an author, a life coach, a motivational speaker, an NLP practitioner, NLP Trainer, a caricature artist, and a stage performer. She has directed plays and worked as a theatre artist. Her recent books include </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Letters to Life</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stories from the Soil</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A special word of gratitude to Ankush ma’am for giving us the time and opportunity to interview her. Thank you, ma’am, for taking out precious time from your busy schedule. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The interview: </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. What are the challenging elements involved in the job of the Chief Editor?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As the Chief Editor, I don't face many challenges because I have a brilliant team. The Holistic Pine has new themes every month and getting topics that add to the epistemology is difficult. Thinking from the perspective of an audience is super difficult at times because firstly, it's a journal and secondly, we have given it the twist of a magazine. All the international and national writers who are a part of it are not just content writers. Managing all the departments simultaneously is an uphill task especially when I get the final draft. Our founder is the backbone of this journal since he gives me creative freedom. To make it readable by everyone I try to include new and relevant topics.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2.</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> How would you look at those who exist in the margins in the world of literature and in general, as the Chief Editor of an independent journal?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Writers who are not mainstream are getting acknowledged by self-publishing platforms. First, the writers used to struggle a lot to get their works published and the market was ruled by big publishers. In the past few years, self-publishing came back as a boon for marginal and unpopular writers, supported by digital technology. It saves them from facing exploitation at the hands of publishers. It’s not easy to make a big name in this writing industry. What could be the bestseller idea is independent of one’s caste, creed, colour or gender. The audience or readers are the gods here. Yes, advertising your works will make them big. So it's not just quality that creates marginal writers and mainstream writers, as they tell us in the media. It's always these market elements that intervene and those who are unable or uninterested in dabbling in this matrix, would certainly go down in the fight to stay afloat and become unpopular and marginal. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I read somewhere that you love reading and are an avid reader. Do you have a favourite book? A favourite writer?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Yes, you heard it right. But I am unable to pick just one book or a writer because all of them were important as they all taught me some life lessons. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tell us about your birthplace</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was born in the district of Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh. My house is located in the village of Bara. I have spent a maximum of years in Shimla since my dad was working there. After his retirement, we shifted here to Bara village. It's a beautiful place and the river Beas is just a walking distance of 10 minutes. It is home to natural wildlife and greenery. It gave me another understanding of solitude and the strong social norms in a village. Due to globalisation villages have also become advanced. People here have access to organic farming. There is a natural inclination among the youth to move out to bigger cities but still, they are emotionally connected to their culture.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5.</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Tell us about your journey as a writer</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My journey has been different from others as a writer. My first poem got published in our school magazine when I was in class 4th. I continued writing and it took a beautiful shape since I love to read. My writing became more intense after losing my mother at the age of 11. I started writing a diary in which I would pen down my thoughts and emotional outbursts. Growing up was not easy but writing gave me a haven. I could write fiction also because I was able to add a pinch of my own experiences to it. I write in both Hindi and English. During college, I won many writing competitions.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6. Who inspired you the most in pursuing your journey as a writer? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had a lecturer in our college who encouraged me towards this field. I had no idea about writing as a profession but writing gives me joy even today.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7. Tell us about your mentor.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Life was shaped by my mentor whom I met when I was in class 10th. He was not my school teacher but was a highly knowledgeable person. He helped me build confidence and gave me a new perspective on life. I developed my communication skills due to him. He motivated me to ask questions and made my subjects so interesting that I opted for humanities in class 11th. He died in 2009 but I still remember him as a strong human.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8.</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> What is the most important lesson that you’d like to share with the present generation in their career? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I would like to say the sky's the limit for you. So many career options have come up that you can choose from. Don’t neglect your health.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9. </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is your message to young writers?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Young writers shouldn't run after being the bestseller as it could drain them. The process of writing, in itself, is a marathon. It needs a consistent approach rather than trying to make it big overnight. Read a lot since it will give an overview of other writers. Writing can be boring if taken professionally. So ask yourself this question: are you a creative writer or do you want to make money out of it? Once this answer is clear, you will be able to do justice to your writing. Don’t be bent down by negative reviews. Keep writing.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">10.</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> How can we get our writings published in The Holistic Pine?</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Please visit our website <a href="http://theholisticpine.com">theholisticpine.com</a>. You can submit your articles at theholisticpine@gmail.com. If we find them good enough we will include them in our journal. The articles should be good, grammatically, well-researched, and plagiarism free. </span></p><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOeeKaAJHaJ4h2qSXO4SkvY4sI0xQxDLdIUcaOczbXL_bpSU56YrsJnqI38iPCvOKiUkxMSB1tE7AHPGWvBnJlVx9mFt4ykqNzimvdKykeZwLpVxw3XAgTw5MCWTvadeBTLcxPwNuTvfzgybXkYqaOJ75lEigsNlDCT_wuzSSfj_KYmy7tv6dxfhFJw/s3410/HP%20v1%20ed2%20final%20front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3410" data-original-width="2635" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOeeKaAJHaJ4h2qSXO4SkvY4sI0xQxDLdIUcaOczbXL_bpSU56YrsJnqI38iPCvOKiUkxMSB1tE7AHPGWvBnJlVx9mFt4ykqNzimvdKykeZwLpVxw3XAgTw5MCWTvadeBTLcxPwNuTvfzgybXkYqaOJ75lEigsNlDCT_wuzSSfj_KYmy7tv6dxfhFJw/w247-h320/HP%20v1%20ed2%20final%20front.jpg" title="The Holistic Pine issue 2" width="247" /></a></div><br />Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-31422965844357683952023-01-02T10:26:00.001+05:302023-01-02T10:26:37.580+05:30 The God Impact<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_gxy41WL3MWvfa_4deIYtPjFrfVZXVk0iRGHiztx4VyHRG4gnFvOKvzR53K-hYi9WXtegcZY7K4IeokjpjZGhdx1wqhHXrZj4Ey4sxxw4834piRGK8f68Bq2U6jcNQpqj1JstPJXYV9BQtjwtejhgYU3LV1l6Dff26JdnacIWgMEbiCqlqLrulZz7g/s6016/woman-2667455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="6016" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_gxy41WL3MWvfa_4deIYtPjFrfVZXVk0iRGHiztx4VyHRG4gnFvOKvzR53K-hYi9WXtegcZY7K4IeokjpjZGhdx1wqhHXrZj4Ey4sxxw4834piRGK8f68Bq2U6jcNQpqj1JstPJXYV9BQtjwtejhgYU3LV1l6Dff26JdnacIWgMEbiCqlqLrulZz7g/s320/woman-2667455.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-cfa1a986-7fff-3a9c-b2e1-d47d25b9e284"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The God Impact is the gratitude I feel in my heart for the passage that I was granted to cross the tumultuous waters of the past year. The year was tough, in every sense. As the past year dawned, emotions were overflowing, dangers were rising head high, and enemies had already sharpened their weapons and were ready to pounce on my family and me. As the year matured, the ground slipped from under our feet. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We looked for help everywhere, and no one helped us. Relatives joined the enemies, and with friends, I had already kept a distance for fear of losing them all forever. In the absence of any human support, I realised that God became Man two thousand years ago and that I had chosen to walk his Way, the Way. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God had taken human birth and had gone through every trial and tribulation that man would go through in life. So looking at Him, His cross, I found that I have only one refuge and that is the cross of Christ. So, I held on to it while the storms raged around me. There were moments when I thought even my faith would be lost forever. I remember moments when I prayed desperately, “Lord, please don’t let my faith die.”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God works miracles in ways that we cannot expect or predict. The sea of darkness in front of me parted ways as the year came to a close, and I was granted passage. When I stepped on the sandy shore of the new year with my family, I thanked God for the hope that still gleamed in the bottom of my heart. Still, after facing all these turmoils, where there seemed no hope for life, I hoped for a better tomorrow. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I could muster the courage to hope. There seemed a way out of the predicament I had found myself in. There was a ray of hope at the other end of the tunnel. Therefore, I would like to name the previous year, The God Impact. </span></p><br /></span>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-34214961049885882192022-02-03T20:24:00.001+05:302022-02-03T20:24:00.173+05:30THE CORD BY SREDHANEA RAMKRISHNAN: A Review<span id="docs-internal-guid-f022e243-7fff-9acb-350d-d89e7c8502b5"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmAUXclzG8GbaYX5_4t7f108HecCQ6NnDri8_F98LOKU2qymOOmHoDpXvEL29NtKDpfg3EWlL0x6xwn_1Lzp7uo_viQgsyE_-S-rvOyD4OkEbjf1hZ_1VzPQ6Qk0thxxyH5ksrKFAS1JKA_TitFnR-U8h7sICBROyo2_yvUzIAC88iF6snoBDVOSvkwQ=s2560" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1683" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmAUXclzG8GbaYX5_4t7f108HecCQ6NnDri8_F98LOKU2qymOOmHoDpXvEL29NtKDpfg3EWlL0x6xwn_1Lzp7uo_viQgsyE_-S-rvOyD4OkEbjf1hZ_1VzPQ6Qk0thxxyH5ksrKFAS1JKA_TitFnR-U8h7sICBROyo2_yvUzIAC88iF6snoBDVOSvkwQ=w420-h640" width="420" /></a></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Often we ponder the causes that drive a writer to give shape to his thoughts in the form of literary art. We seldom consider the reasons that motivate us readers towards literature and art in general. The laymen take it for granted. Is art such a social or cultural product that we should take for granted as a side-effect of human existence? When the IS demolished the statues of Bamiyan, the underlying message was clear. Art is not just a natural byproduct of humans interacting with humans or nature or supernatural forces. It takes a conscious effort, a step towards the unknown, to entrench oneself or the culture in the world of art. Art, like science and philosophy, takes the torch of investigation forward. Its most important function. Literature, the art of words, is our concern here. “The novel is a meditation on existence as seen through the medium of imaginary characters,” suggests Milan Kundera in his </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Art of the Novel</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPpcy7B1mZIf3eqAJTvGZn73GOmwaEGzXyTqCoA9iixqPuQfwlyLI8AS0Q4JIuQHssm8ZCC1jxI3Mq21Yqpk1jKabZOobeJcAdgZAjY37qAgOIHIQmMawMl3ao6QudC-zMWbeahQrZRXwb3ryBSTdZBqlhkC1k-6iqDDU9p2Eb7USmnDLy9NUQK29CuQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="223" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPpcy7B1mZIf3eqAJTvGZn73GOmwaEGzXyTqCoA9iixqPuQfwlyLI8AS0Q4JIuQHssm8ZCC1jxI3Mq21Yqpk1jKabZOobeJcAdgZAjY37qAgOIHIQmMawMl3ao6QudC-zMWbeahQrZRXwb3ryBSTdZBqlhkC1k-6iqDDU9p2Eb7USmnDLy9NUQK29CuQ" width="237" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">Milan Kundera</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Certain novels draw our attention not just by their subject matter but also by the treatment of the subject. The craft of novel writing involves a complex amalgamation of the subject matter with the language, metaphors, metaphysics, thoughts, philosophy, plot and story. </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Cord</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is one such novel. Commendable in its shortness and economy of style, </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Cord</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> hits all the right notes of emotions, thrill, drama, and suspense through the span of the narrative. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJNzdVmQoZY9qlTW-oKeydt6pwXqGDPYHXHp1JOh3kDNBphtHu_DAtk2xdqf-7V1oI1deN9s2j2GSeUguRYQ9rRYdj3ckvuw1dx2g32HNQxQRBwhTsfr72Lxf6s4bbEmsM8SkWKR9lOvaXV2Aml6szenVhZVxG4Azy5m76yey8SkkaKlw8F2B6xA2P6g" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="485" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJNzdVmQoZY9qlTW-oKeydt6pwXqGDPYHXHp1JOh3kDNBphtHu_DAtk2xdqf-7V1oI1deN9s2j2GSeUguRYQ9rRYdj3ckvuw1dx2g32HNQxQRBwhTsfr72Lxf6s4bbEmsM8SkWKR9lOvaXV2Aml6szenVhZVxG4Azy5m76yey8SkkaKlw8F2B6xA2P6g" width="167" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">George Bernard Shaw</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Cord </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is a brutal story of a father and son who are taken apart by the currents of history. Both of them carve their life out in the armed forces. They settle down in their respective geopolitical sides: one in Pakistan and the other, in India. The novel deals with one of the most complex and difficult existential issues: life in the armed forces. Usually, such narratives that include armed forces portray their valour, glory, and patriotism. There are certain classic exceptions though, such as Bernard Shaw’s </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arms and the Man</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, a play that made the Modernist mind question its loyalties, and Hemingway’s </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Farewell to Arms</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, which enabled us to let go of the burden of putting ourselves to the test of the grand virtues borne by the soldiers. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdADe3Dex18MondjCuPdSMd91LFszYxXJxyI75dWeZhKc-Yrclz02ksMQIqCogodl8dtqeyaub8ecSuuETEvGl61DAPfFl5Tuq6FYa3Y8RO23xiXsxKdvHCA3yTCFsLWdh_1mbz5MJQ4IUUuw2HAQe4mvI8H_HWlmmpqPCUwXiUrPm-vthjoRsklKCxQ" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdADe3Dex18MondjCuPdSMd91LFszYxXJxyI75dWeZhKc-Yrclz02ksMQIqCogodl8dtqeyaub8ecSuuETEvGl61DAPfFl5Tuq6FYa3Y8RO23xiXsxKdvHCA3yTCFsLWdh_1mbz5MJQ4IUUuw2HAQe4mvI8H_HWlmmpqPCUwXiUrPm-vthjoRsklKCxQ" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">Ernest Hemingway</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sredhanea Ramkrishnan puts us to the test of experiencing the agony of a soldier’s moral crisis. Set in the immediate backdrop of India’s partition, </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Cord</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> masterfully captures the uncertainties of the era. Historical figures such as Cyril Radcliffe and Christopher Beaumont are behind the officiation of the partition of the two nations. They appear on the pages and shock us with the gruesomeness of reality. Azad leaves his family. They are migrating to Pakistan due to the newly revived religious sentiments of Major Ashraf Ullah, the father of Azad. The reason for the absconding of Azad is at first unclear to his family. His father, mother and younger sister were left behind in Pakistan, and Azad finds in India his new home. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The novel moves with a tightly woven plot and strong character moments. As the story moves towards its climax, the readers are given a glimpse into the function of the novel: to explore an existential question. The question the novel explores is perhaps as old as humanity’s entire life span but seldom explored. What truly motivates a soldier, the love for one’s family or the love for the nation? </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Cord </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">captures many emotions, ideas, and complex events with clarity</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The economy of words is a surprising aspect of the novel that may serve as a good lesson for aspiring writers. A compatriot of Sredhanea, I remember wondering while reading </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Cord</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> on the author’s gift for writing a complex narrative with such a small number of words. Every word counts in this novel, and every pause matters. The visual aspect of writing is yet another takeaway. The writer shows the story rather than telling it. The novel in the Indian English writing tradition often relies on the expositional narrative, which strikes mostly an authorial monologue. This is absent if not mostly silenced in Sredhanea’s work. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The novel also breaks free from the confinement within the historical territory. The characters that are placed in the complex historical situation of the partition are players in the ensuing fictional narrative. Thus, </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Cord</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> gracefully nestles itself within the niche of historical fiction, still offering the flight of imagination of a fictional narrative for the readers. </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Cord </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">would certainly provoke thoughts. Those open-ended scenes, matters unsaid, would entice a reader to visualise the remaining part in his or her mind providing an ideal ground to take part in the creative process. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Cord</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is Sredhanea Ramkrishnan’s debut novel. It proves her to be a unique voice among Indian English Writers. Published by Zero Degree publishing, </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Cord </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">comes in a cover designed by Vijayan. The cover image does justice to the themes and concerns of the book. Some chapters are epistolary, designed as the inland letter, an old letter-writing sheet usually bought in post offices in India. In the present day, when letter writing has mostly undergone an advanced makeover in the digital form, the inland is no longer seen. The book is priced at Rupees 290 only and is available for purchase on Amazon. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Jayanthi Sankar’s Foreword to </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Cord</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, she speaks about the depleting severity of borders in the present world. Borders in the past were more poignant and threatening. Distances and physical separation in today’s world are overcome by the various conveniences invented by digital technology. Conceiving borders with its gruesomeness is perhaps more necessary today than it was in the past. This helps one to learn why some of us made the decisions they made in the pages of history- personal or national. This may be the reason a reader finds </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Cord</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and engages oneself in the pages of this novel. </span></p><br /></span><p></p><div><span><br /></span></div>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-in.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=IN&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=theindicomm-21&language=en_IN&marketplace=amazon&region=IN&placement=8194973465&asins=8194973465&linkId=5328752cc39d4ec569f70ae3813e8eee&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-59039994235527510012021-11-18T18:55:00.001+05:302021-11-18T18:55:42.313+05:30NECTAR OF ALL WORLD RELIGIONS by Ishwar Joshi Awalgaonkar _ A Review<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwUphhFHimqzfMwi14dSKGukPjnnj4-oG__qXAnwh21uL67MBmS_EQYRJbG7-Nm-iZ2DavcRcOlr3GPROUP6U1Ybyz6h-CoSnpW7e7wtb09wyAcEETU8d-QTLLu85al4CKQzPTZRKCLiT0/s500/41J3tFL7iAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="417" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwUphhFHimqzfMwi14dSKGukPjnnj4-oG__qXAnwh21uL67MBmS_EQYRJbG7-Nm-iZ2DavcRcOlr3GPROUP6U1Ybyz6h-CoSnpW7e7wtb09wyAcEETU8d-QTLLu85al4CKQzPTZRKCLiT0/w334-h400/41J3tFL7iAL.jpg" width="334" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-84a968ae-7fff-0674-ee93-733d64b00980"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have been mulling over a pestering question. The question is connected to a book that I have been working on. How would an inter-religious couple bring up their child? The answer is on the table for everyone to see, open and uncomplicated. It’s easy. They will bring up their child without any religion and let him choose a Faith all by himself when he comes of age. What an idea sir Ji!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s schadenfreude to just let the child -future adult- choose a religious faith from the available options as if it’s as simple as choosing a data pack from your cellular company’s advertisement. As in the case of choosing the data plan, any decision awaiting a choice from a bunch of options always entails stress and anxiety. Is choosing faith as easy as choosing a data plan? Remember, this is not the data plan for a month or a year. This is a plan for your soul, which may have implications for an eternity to come. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Also, there is the question of human rights. The child has the right to know and live in the faith of parents. Hiding it from him/her does not solve the problem for you. Instead, it will create a bigger problem. If a couple chooses not to talk about religion to their child, it will be like disowning a child your legacy. He or she has the rightful claim on your heredity, legacy, and tradition. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So what would an interreligious couple do? Inter-religious marriages or relationships are a reality in India due to its vast array of religious faiths. It is when this question started haunting me, I came across a book titled </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nectar of All World Religions</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. By merely perusing the title and its blurb, I instantly knew that I must jump into its pages right away to find the answer to that confounding question. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The author begins with his first encounter with Gita. Then he moves on to reveal the realization that the messages in Gita are not just abstract topics. Instead, the teachings of Gita are practical and connected with our life. The author explains his many readings of Gita. After reading the Gita five times, he stumbled across the Holy Bible. “Eager to know” if reading The Bible will give him the same experience as the Gita, he decided to “read it cover to cover.” “In the course of the next five years,” the author says he read all the major texts of the twelve major world religions. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Written by author Ishwar Joshi Awalgaonkar </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nectar of All World Religions </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">carries 1000 Selections from 11 Spiritual Traditions. The book begins with the Bahai religion, gives a brief narration about the faith and then moves on directly to quote the sayings from their sacred text: Kitab I Aqdas. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is followed by Buddhism. The way images are integrated into the Kindle edition seemed invaluable, especially because I have gone through the Kindle edition of the book. The selected passages from the Buddhist sacred text Dhammapada is a remarkable read. We learn that “Wonderful, indeed, it is to subdue the mind, so difficult to subdue, ever swift, and seizing whatever it desires. A tamed mind brings happiness.” There are several pearls of wisdom quoted directly from Dhammapada here. What appealed to me more was that it is not the whole of Dhammapada. The book contains only selected sections from the holy text. This, therefore, can be a great help in letting a reader gather knowledge about a certain religious tradition within a short period by going through the sections. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Christianity follows Buddhism. The selections from the King James Bible felt so poignant to read through. Since it is a selected collection from the holy texts, these selected passages often reflect the author’s intention also. By going through the selections one may find the possibility to rise higher in life by capitalising on the moral, spiritual, and psychological side of human existence. The selections from the </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bible </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">are not given as per the categories as in the original text, such as under the name of the writer or title of a particular book in the Bible, as is usually seen. These selections appear without any mention of their specific source. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Confucianism follows. It tells us to “Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.” This is followed by Hinduism. Selections are given from the </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bhagavad Gita</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. As mentioned earlier, the particular details regarding the source, such as chapter names are not given. The book performs its function with efficacy by indulging in strengthening our inspiration to read and understand these great spiritual classics. Selections from the Quran adore the pages next as this section is about Islam. Jainism and its sacred text Acharanga Sutra follows and we are faced with the question of the meaning of life. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Judaism and its sacred text Tanakh follows and teaches us the cosmic truth that “God is with you in all that you do.”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sikhism, its sacred text Guru Granth Sahib and Taoism adore the pages and we merge with the ageless wisdom of the Tao te Ching. Zoroastrianism gave us the Zend Avesta, of which we take a glimpse here. These sacred glimpses give us wisdom. This wisdom is not the divisive wisdom of the world, but the wisdom to love your neighbour and honour their faith. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Like the Second Vatican Council affirms regarding interreligious dialogues, “The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men.” </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the conflict-ridden world we inhabit, friendship and tolerance would go a long way in finding solutions to many of our present problems. </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nectar of All World Religions </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">by Ishwar Joshi Awalgaonkar teaches the similarity in all the world’s mainstream religions. This book thereby initiates an effort of showing tolerance towards people of differing faiths.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I finished reading this book, my initial intuitions were confirmed. Indeed, it is true that all religions carry the light of Truth, objective Truth regarding God and the salvation of souls. It clarified my thoughts further. Now, backed with the insight squeezed out of this volume, I could safely take off with my new story where I try to find the fate of the children of inter-religious couples. The answer is clear: the children of inter-religious couples must be educated in the religious faith of both parents and grow up with the distinct teachings of both Faiths. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p></span>
<iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-in.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=IN&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=theindicomm-21&language=en_IN&marketplace=amazon®ion=IN&placement=B09KRQHDH8&asins=B09KRQHDH8&linkId=15f701fa2f07d729b120dee2ad8c8698&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true"></iframe>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-13314868801515716482021-07-25T15:19:00.002+05:302021-07-25T15:19:59.480+05:30What Should Be The Word Limit For Writing A Story For 10th Standard?<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.eastpoint.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Top-exam-writing-tips-for-students.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://www.eastpoint.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Top-exam-writing-tips-for-students.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-c883b480-7fff-1159-791d-0e456b19cced"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>For</b></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> any student of the
tenth standard, the skill to write independently matters a lot. In many
cases, this skill weighs more importantly upon the tenth standard student than
the student of any other class, which includes students doing their higher
education, up to Post Graduation. The second more important occasion that turns
up demanding more from the student in terms of one’s writing skill is Post
Graduation. The graduation and the earlier phase, the higher secondary, are
just building stages where the student must build one’s skill to write like a
breeze the idea that rises to the brim of his or her conscious mind. The tenth
standard is crucial because it is the gateway to higher education, in all
disciplines. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQcXyY_EHdD_gF9cxmkKR46r4Uz7aJ5PQxNAA&usqp=CAU" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="260" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQcXyY_EHdD_gF9cxmkKR46r4Uz7aJ5PQxNAA&usqp=CAU" /></a></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">The term story means
any write-up. It could mean an article or an essay. It could also mean the
classic definition- a piece of creative writing, in a short length, a fictional
story or a non-fiction story. "Reading maketh a full man; conference a
ready man, and writing an exact man,” remarked Francis Bacon, the renowned
English Essayist, political thinker, and philosopher of the seventeenth
century. This may be his opinion on the skill of writing but it matters very
much to us because it is evident through observation that to write one requires
clarity in thoughts. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbPMrZT_iiHozWSKXMnRH9zLvUPDnJvvT3oKdCF5T1GVDFXzIjE6xxpRB4KVg4uZvT3INJZY4FOvaWLKlsJmlqeHPkLQwxtNFBv68-hBiel-vk4kLBFQJLCb84yrtC6oWVq1vW4kX5RBc/s250/download+%25288%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="202" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbPMrZT_iiHozWSKXMnRH9zLvUPDnJvvT3oKdCF5T1GVDFXzIjE6xxpRB4KVg4uZvT3INJZY4FOvaWLKlsJmlqeHPkLQwxtNFBv68-hBiel-vk4kLBFQJLCb84yrtC6oWVq1vW4kX5RBc/w323-h400/download+%25288%2529.jpg" width="323" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Francis Bacon</td></tr></tbody></table><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">The “exactness”
Francis Bacon talks about can be interpreted as this clarity. Once your ideas
have a clear contour, and when they speak to you and the world with a clear
voice, you can think about steps to achieve clarity of mind. This means a
step-by-step thinking method that can help you write with ease and efficiency.
If you write your essay or story in this manner, you can create an effective
piece of literature. What remains in your mind after the completion of the work
would be the framework of clarity, like a residue or trace. If you are diligent
enough, you can use this framework of clarity to pursue further success in
writing. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Another matter of
significance is the word count of your work. If the document you write is too
long, it is pertinent to think that you may lose interest in your writing
halfway through. If your work is too short, it may be less clear and appear
incomplete with the ideas you visualized in your mind clearly, still not mapped
in your writing in its entirety. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://aurora-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/Redefining-Student-Success-post-1024x768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://aurora-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/Redefining-Student-Success-post-1024x768.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">For a student of the
tenth standard, the word limit for a story should be 250 words. This is the
generalized ideal word count, accurate for a fifteen-year-old to complete a
story idea. But if you are diligent enough you can use words as they come to
you and present your ideas accordingly as per their length and breadth. Your
work may also be shorter, like those of Francis Bacon’s. Francis Bacon used a
style of writing known as the aphorism that was characterised by the directness
of sense and shortness of the length of sentences. You can read Bacon, Philip
Sydney, and many other writers remarkable in the history of English literature
and choose your style.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Always remember, the
purpose of writing is to connect with the reader. So always write with a reader
in your mind. This reader could be your teacher or your friend or parent. Whoever
you are writing for, write with sincerity. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">If you are interested
in knowing more about the process of writing and publishing books, please feel
free to let me know in the comments below. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></span>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-8974044745142511662021-07-25T12:43:00.000+05:302021-07-25T12:43:35.139+05:30The Lamb- A Poem<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1-PcBwbU7qyFpj5TsMNb8vs4Ylc76h4VdhbT4mlZ_xDTGxTimJNuFz9vbklFuqAuwCPrbNdAjsZCIrJDo3hyphenhyphenxf5jq9I-0rKWIqfA-R0dIVPI9zj5p9FN8ALeksMeFY1rv_ajYplZEmnyH/s264/download+%25287%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="264" data-original-width="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1-PcBwbU7qyFpj5TsMNb8vs4Ylc76h4VdhbT4mlZ_xDTGxTimJNuFz9vbklFuqAuwCPrbNdAjsZCIrJDo3hyphenhyphenxf5jq9I-0rKWIqfA-R0dIVPI9zj5p9FN8ALeksMeFY1rv_ajYplZEmnyH/s0/download+%25287%2529.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Libre Baskerville',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Libre Baskerville',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">All those</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Libre Baskerville',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">who walk </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Libre Baskerville',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">on the Way</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Libre Baskerville',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">are unified</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Libre Baskerville',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">through the sacrifice</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Libre Baskerville',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">of the Lamb. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-9817c236-7fff-5795-5405-72c335bc5971">~~~~</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></p>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-5945651567188791742021-06-04T11:34:00.004+05:302021-06-04T11:34:35.079+05:30Post Graduate Mercy Chance Examinations by Kannur University<p> <u><b>ബിരുദാനന്തര ബിരുദ മേഴ്സി ചാൻസ് പരീക്ഷകൾ</b></u></p><p><br /></p><p>19.04.2021 മുതൽ നടത്താനിരുന്ന 2013 ഉം അതിന് മുൻപുമുള്ള അഡ്മിഷൻ ബിരുദാനനര ബിരുദ (സപ്ലിമെന്ററി - മേഴ്സി ചാൻസ്) പരീക്ഷകൾ 15.06.2021 മുതൽ സർവകലാശാലയുടെ താവക്കര ക്യാംപസിൽ വച്ച് നടത്തും.</p><p><br /></p><p>പ്രൊജക്റ്റ് മൂല്യനിർണയം / വാചാ പരീക്ഷ</p><p><br /></p><p>ആറാം സെമസ്റ്റർ ബി. എ. സംസ്കൃതം പ്രൊജക്റ്റ് മൂല്യനിർണയം / വാചാ പരീക്ഷ 08.06.2021 ന് ഓൺലൈനായി നടക്കും. രജിസ്റ്റർ ചെയ്ത വിദ്യാർഥികൾ പരീക്ഷാകേന്ദ്രവുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെടുക.</p><p><br /></p><p>for more details: <a href="https://www.kannuruniversity.ac.in/en/">https://www.kannuruniversity.ac.in/en/</a></p>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-90950760299968475262021-04-03T10:48:00.003+05:302021-04-03T20:19:15.370+05:30ERI by Pradeepan Pampirikkunnu_ Comprehension Questions<h3 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">ERI by Pradeepan Pampirikkunnu </span></h3><h3 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></strong></h3><h3 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Readings on Kerala</strong></h3><h3 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Readings on Kerala (1A02ENG)</strong></h3><h3 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I Semester UG Common Course</strong></h3><h3 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicTmxttDeC_phT6q61Hzp1TcOMsaWaeLG6ad4Ucd_kQdOY39qxf1P3lsxzzQWO1ez9M0dUZ2vmPNWoB5-aELgZLVIS2CjalFPkg0OTpisvrFdQkBj-QQk6Ywaqfs2WHa4P8i67SvkHWMoF/s400/IMG_20190820_094308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicTmxttDeC_phT6q61Hzp1TcOMsaWaeLG6ad4Ucd_kQdOY39qxf1P3lsxzzQWO1ez9M0dUZ2vmPNWoB5-aELgZLVIS2CjalFPkg0OTpisvrFdQkBj-QQk6Ywaqfs2WHa4P8i67SvkHWMoF/s320/IMG_20190820_094308.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></h3><h3 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><br /></h3><h3 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><u>Comprehension Questions:</u></span></h3><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><ol style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Who is Eri?</span></span></li></ol><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Eri, the character represents the historically downtrodden people in the Parayan community in Kerala. Eri has an inter-caste identity. He is born to a Parayan father and a Malayan mother. </span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><ol style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Who is the narrator of the novel?</span></span></li></ol><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The narrator of the story is a research scholar who belongs to the Malaya caste. </span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><ol style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Why is the character Eri important for the narrator? </span></span></li></ol><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The recovery of the history of Eri is important to the narrator because he was impressed as a subaltern linguist by the legend of Eri. The narrator had heard stories of Eri from his father. </span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><ol style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">How did Eri help Raman to find his way home?</span></span></li></ol><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Eri applied a medicine from his duppi in his kurya to Raman’s eyes and he was able to see in the dark. </span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><ol style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Did Rama Panikar have a good collection of books in his home library as he claimed? Why? </span></span></li></ol><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Rama Panikar had claimed to have a great collection of books. However, the narrator could only find four palm leaf folders. So apparently, it wasn’t a good collection as he claimed. </span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><ol style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Why did the father use the phrase “white cloth” to describe Eri according to the narrator?</span></span></li></ol><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The father told his son that Eri wears a white dress, indicating purity and cleanliness, which is a symbol of upper caste sensibility. </span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><ol style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Describe the mode of teaching practiced by the Ezhuthassanmaar?</span></span></li></ol><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ezhuthassanmaar travelled from one place to another and taught writing. They stayed in a place and taught Amaram (Amarakosham), Kavyam (Manipravalakavyangal), Enjuvadi, etc. to the children there.</span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><ol style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What did the Antharjanam want from Eri?</span></span></li></ol><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Antharjanam requested Eri to use magic to seduce her out of her husband’s house so that she would be excommunicated. </span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><ol style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What happened to the Antharjanam?</span></span></li></ol><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Her husband, who was sixty, had passed away. She was only twenty years old and wanted to experience more from life. However, as per the tradition of the Brahmin community, she would be forced to live inside the house without any contact with the world outside for the rest of her life. </span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><ol style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Why did Eri decline the request of the Antharjanam?</span></span></li></ol><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Eri declined the request of the Antharjanam because he believes that it is impossible to live together without love. He said that he lives his life with a sense of justice and God has no role in it. The anguish suffered by the Parayan community is the reality of his home. He asks her forgiveness before leaving her there.</span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><ol style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Who was Iringal Kanara Panikkar?</span></span></li></ol><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Iringal Kanara Panikkar was a skilled manthravadi. He was also a vaidyan who knew the Sanskrit language. He was an expert in podiatry and the treatment of fits. </span></span></p>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-49736198865721990652021-04-03T10:45:00.002+05:302021-04-03T10:45:07.937+05:30Curing Caste by Sahodaran Ayyappan_ Comprehension Questions<h1 style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><b>Curing Caste by Sahodaran Ayyappan_ Comprehension Questions</b></span></span></h1><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Readings on Kerala</span></b></div><div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 22.275px; margin: 0cm;"><strong><span style="color: #1c1e29;">Readings on Kerala (1A02ENG)</span></strong></div><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><strong style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1c1e29;">I Semester UG Common Course</span></strong> </li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Comprehension Questions:</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-347cccd8-7fff-d507-085d-5abc3fb3ea7c"><ol style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What, according to the author, are the two types of cures for the caste disease?</span></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sahodaran Ayyappan suggests two cures for the caste disease: one is applied from the outside and the other is from the inside. </span></span></p><ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Why are external ointments not effective for the caste disease? </span></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The cures that are only applied externally leave the real causes of the caste problem unsolved. External ointments or solutions applied outside are short-lived. </span></span></p><ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What are the symptoms of caste disease according to sages? </span></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">According to sages, hate, gossip, and nationalist rhetoric are symptoms of inwardly drawn caste disease. These symptoms exist dormant in the collective psyche of society. </span></span></p><ol start="4" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Explain the phrase “hate rhetoric”. </span></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hate rhetoric is hate speech. Individuals who nurture caste- bias are prone to become successful as politicians who rally masses in the name of caste and hate speech. Politicians exploit caste disease to gather support and secure power. </span></span></p><ol start="5" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">How do those who have faith in caste glorify caste? </span></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Those who have faith in caste glorify caste by equating caste with truth, morality and divinity. For them, breaking caste is forbidden and living casteless in a society is a cause of shame. </span></span></p><ol start="6" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Whom does the “medico” in the poem represent?</span></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The term “medico” indicates a physical or doctor, which here means the doctors who treat society, the social reformers. </span></span></p><ol start="7" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What is meant by the word “dogma”?</span></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The term dogma means blind faith of unquestioned belief. Ayyappan speaks about the importance of exterminating the dogmas of caste in the poem “Curing Caste”. </span></span></p><ol start="8" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What happens when the dogmas and conventions of caste change? </span></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When change occurs in dogmas and conventions of caste, human beings can appreciate each other fully. </span></span></p><ol start="9" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What is the power gained by those who are cured of the caste disease?</span></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Only those who are completely cured of the caste disease can observe the defects and qualities of a person.</span></span></p><ol start="10" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mere intelligence and learning are not sufficient to gain full human potential. What else is needed? </span></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Without getting rid of caste, according to Ayyappan, no result shall be obtained by mere intelligence or learning.</span></span></p><div><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-19434818263623001642021-02-01T09:00:00.017+05:302021-02-01T09:00:05.372+05:30SYLLABLE STRUCTURE AND WORD STRESS<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUKxtQzvnGlksSr9ZrWxOtnVi4HfkGgKU9jqYFgE3pUhqyZrF4NznMkVhYdPoE6PjxPXA5Q8erITy4jb4uUVq0AxRhKQJeSASiaioq7BiSbjRShHFiMHviJQxl2PFiBVPdYpIJOArUh41j/s800/cdn_DclhzOQR4jV6wknVqZYJeeiOXUqHunmc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUKxtQzvnGlksSr9ZrWxOtnVi4HfkGgKU9jqYFgE3pUhqyZrF4NznMkVhYdPoE6PjxPXA5Q8erITy4jb4uUVq0AxRhKQJeSASiaioq7BiSbjRShHFiMHviJQxl2PFiBVPdYpIJOArUh41j/w400-h200/cdn_DclhzOQR4jV6wknVqZYJeeiOXUqHunmc.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Definition:</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-ae63a83d-7fff-c47f-e84c-d017814f6149"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Syllable Structure</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Based on the number of syllables in a word, they can be divided into monosyllabic, disyllabic, and trisyllabic words, etc. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Word Stress</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A very important feature of spoken English. If a word has more than one syllable, all the syllables are not equally prominent, one of the syllables is more prominent than the others. That syllable is said to receive stress. </span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-59900146444751756882021-01-30T07:40:00.003+05:302021-01-30T07:40:23.447+05:30English Language Use<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="329" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t8Sur7q5dOg" width="481" youtube-src-id="t8Sur7q5dOg"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-71971595202184889562021-01-28T09:30:00.024+05:302021-01-28T09:30:05.690+05:30Brandon Sanderson Live Signing Session: Advice for Writers<p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" data-original-height="235" data-original-width="353" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJrO_XC0e2Bm5cSqGl_AiR1vR0-gkcN6QAO8bMT_WqGlXcATVBEPxCc0F6OfCNAqYwe-7Q_FiEm0zGofaZWC495ZkQMYaU39Wy1zhVMjrwxjh2bu2AVSmtLPGEra32KYhi_ZluNVnrkLq/w400-h266/image.png" style="text-align: center;" width="400" /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This morning, I stumbled upon a live signing session by one of the best selling authors of the fantasy genre, Brandon Sanderson. The American writer also dabbles in science fiction, and his books find readers across the world. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here is his advice for writing, which he delivers during one of his live book signing sessions. He conducts these sessions online, on Youtube, often. This one is the twenty-sixth live book signing session. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="369" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SY6BWFylkbM" width="492" youtube-src-id="SY6BWFylkbM"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-26392892997196733702021-01-26T12:35:00.005+05:302021-01-26T12:35:59.618+05:30 E BULL JET: The Secrets of a Successful Vlog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="361" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/37K6BpVgk3E" width="482" youtube-src-id="37K6BpVgk3E"></iframe></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-0b9fa8da-7fff-52c2-5acf-af7958791297"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>#VlogReviews: Episode 3</b></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To nictate while watching their videos is sacrilegious. Every second of their video content brims with clarity, energy, the spirit of adventure and foremost of all, positivity. E BULL JET is one of the most sought after Youtube channels in India, owned by brothers Ebin and Lipin, from Iritty, Kannur of Kerala state. E BULL JET introduced the concept of van life in India. Their videos are usually uploaded daily, by nine at night. Therefore, by the time this review appears on my blog, the video we discuss has become a day old and perhaps even older. On 22 January 2021, E BULL JET released a video, which was more than one hour of length and had a story that no other vlogger in India could tell. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The video showed the brothers journeying through the risky mountainous regions of Sikkim. This area is currently shrouded in a thick coat of snow. They drive up the mountains to reach the place known as ‘zero-point’ with Napoleon, their Force Traveller, their very own house-van. For the first time in the world, a vehicle has become well known in a pet name. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The E Bull Jet enjoys a phenomenal fan-following inviting, often the envy and criticism from peers from the YouTube vlogging community, especially in Kerala. While many stories of how the obstreperous fans of E Bull Jet rummage the peaceful existence of vloggers are rampant on the internet, unspeakable acts of vengeance are also seen against the E Bull Jet brothers and their vehicle Napoleon. Many elite vloggers from Kerala are often seen levelling their scathe of criticism against the style of vlogging and the unruly fan-following of the titular brothers. Recently, these criticisms took a turn with a prominent vlogger. He chastised the negativity in the titles used by the van-life brothers in their videos. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is also a matter of interest to closely observe the genre of the vloggers who condemned E Bull Jet van-life brothers. By unearthing the connection between the criticisms and the vocational inclination of the critics one may comprehend the secrets of success of E Bull Jet.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All vloggers who lambasted the style of video-titles by E Bull Jet are either travel vloggers or wannabe van-life vloggers. Thus it can be surmised that these criticisms are nothing more than professional rivalry, aimed to please a few jealous. One of these criticisms focuses, as I mentioned earlier, on the negative titles. The prominent vlogger criticizes the van-life brothers by admonishing their practice of devising titles that reflect negative outcomes, yet ‘contrary’ to the content of their videos. Therefore, he calls these titles misleading. This is another way of saying that even though their titles may read luring with some tint of sensationalism with ample doses of negativity, their content always carries a positive message. This also shows that E Bull Jet brothers are also versatile in creating captivating titles for their videos. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Another opprobrium levelled against E Bull Jet is that they claim to be the first van-life in India. The criticism is raised by another van-life team indirectly with an affirmation that they are in fact the inaugurator of van-life in India. Being the actual founding fathers of van-life in India, the E Bull Jet brothers strongly expressed their disagreement in one of their widely circulated retorts on their YouTube channel. The second most important element of the success of E Bull Jet, therefore, is the finding of a niche audience- the van-life. Their content exclusively satisfies those who desire to watch lifestyle videos on van life. Also, with the adventurist element, the videos are fun to watch for all those who intend to have a good time. The length of their videos is another factor that lets the viewer immerse into their content thereby resulting in a longer watch time for the YouTube channel. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Combining these mantras into their equation, the E Bull Jet makes exhilarating videos and lived visuals of adventure. The video released on 22 January 2021 deserves to be defined as the perfect start to a new year full of adventure, beauty, and appreciation for the good things in life. The snowy areas in Sikkim are a tough arena to travel, especially if you are taking a big van like Napoleon, the Force van the brothers are using. The tires of Napoleon often skidded on the slippery snow, and it gave the impression that impending doom was following the two brothers. Brothers Ebin and Lipin were not alone on this journey. They had two other vloggers to their company. What marked this journey as particularly attractive is the spirit of positivity exuded by E Bull Jet even while fencing with the most hopeless of challenges. There were occasions when all their planning to drive the van out of a snowy snare failed miserably, and the rescue driver they had taken with them was also petrified at the confrontation of the challenges. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The wisdom imparted by the E Bull Jet brothers on life and journey during their video was truly inspiring, especially considering the fact they barely completed their school education. Lived experience is the true essence of what they try to communicate with the world. And in this manner, they communicate with a larger audience who are young and do not have time to read heavy toms to satiate their hunger for adventure or wisdom. This niche makes E Bull Jet as an all-time favourite of all generations of people, a strategy so subtle yet evident that unfortunately many vloggers in Kerala are unable to comprehend. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p></span><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CKfh4mVHhYs/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CKfh4mVHhYs/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); 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font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CKfh4mVHhYs/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by E BULL JET (@e_bull_jet)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-27035744385620065842021-01-24T10:30:00.003+05:302021-01-24T10:30:03.820+05:30Speech Sounds in the English Language<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppg_iTfO0JbMYeblsiBxo_GP1lEHp89rIwMPk_SZKBaGzlZ1x6TvCCrzQRq84BZmERz7kPDv5RC7ZZP3Txy741bJlS8jJ04LYNji1IKmNBQP1CPh4YhKpt3vDMqK4ai5ARi4ZcteEnWRA/s318/download+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppg_iTfO0JbMYeblsiBxo_GP1lEHp89rIwMPk_SZKBaGzlZ1x6TvCCrzQRq84BZmERz7kPDv5RC7ZZP3Txy741bJlS8jJ04LYNji1IKmNBQP1CPh4YhKpt3vDMqK4ai5ARi4ZcteEnWRA/w400-h200/download+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-56dbdd66-7fff-eec9-d8ba-76494080e72e"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sesquipedalian words in the English language are often difficult to pronounce neutrally, without the influence of the mother tongue. This is the real challenge, to make one’s speech of presentation attractive, long words and sentences are to be used in speech. This usage of long English words become efficient with proper neutrality in one’s accent. This can be achieved by practice. An easy way is to listen to the pronunciation of these words spoken by others with either a native English accent, especially a BBC or Oxford accent, or a neutral accent by someone who is well versed in English as a second language. The latter would be your surest path to achieving a neutral accent in the conditions you face in India, where English is a second language.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The following are the symbols used as the phonetic alphabet of the English language. These are known as the International Phonetic Alphabet. The reason why the English language has a phonetic alphabet and another alphabet for writing purposes is that English is a non-phonetic language. This indicates that in the English language, words are not spelt as they are spoken, according to their sound. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first set of symbols given below are consonants. These consonant sounds are also there in Malayalam language and many other Indian languages. However, there are slight variations, such as the absence of a few consonants in Indian languages and the presence of some additional consonants in the English language. Consonants are speech sounds during the articulation of which audible friction is made. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Consonants:</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEYA2hZAor4SLgvPYhJ90_Q73lCNb6HLyJTcWTzubEErbdhGqllkYmHInoDvMKdTFrUQ2a41WI0-EOP6Ezz4J2HejUFJoZVy8ukr11lntWO8v0PMvBpmqUA9b6dyD2yTsnk_wV-Nv-E890/s350/8e2771661abcfeef5649aaa0c6d07034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="350" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEYA2hZAor4SLgvPYhJ90_Q73lCNb6HLyJTcWTzubEErbdhGqllkYmHInoDvMKdTFrUQ2a41WI0-EOP6Ezz4J2HejUFJoZVy8ukr11lntWO8v0PMvBpmqUA9b6dyD2yTsnk_wV-Nv-E890/w400-h359/8e2771661abcfeef5649aaa0c6d07034.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The next set is Vowels. These are speech sounds during the articulation of which no audible friction is made and the air from lungs passes freely through the mouth. Vowels sounds can also be found in regional Indian languages. There are some differences though, which are due to the absence of some vowel sounds in Indian languages, and the presence of certain vowel sounds in the English language. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Vowels:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pure vowels:</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3sqLjQl2x88cOddJyMOxCFgsHfJr8I9aX3iwiYTeD1isxj75DZbAhgliAnk3D5DIuODSPCQ-ppC_YcWzj80spfnsL-CczjdzhPcIBY1X-C_nbeeqb31Ses7nZVXUfY1NLy8aM6vwSs3p1/s600/vowels-sounds-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="600" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3sqLjQl2x88cOddJyMOxCFgsHfJr8I9aX3iwiYTeD1isxj75DZbAhgliAnk3D5DIuODSPCQ-ppC_YcWzj80spfnsL-CczjdzhPcIBY1X-C_nbeeqb31Ses7nZVXUfY1NLy8aM6vwSs3p1/w400-h245/vowels-sounds-1.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Diphthongs:</span></div></span><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkpxEXg93oHV6mkuM_c2AnUQ_rdUNDVI7Ryhn2SQgn0fiJK2sp5F8PiB4mQlqmS5UxSvFtTL798flmF6ONvIp4tqFs1SP73pOC4C0A2smu9O5OqtCe_rCPLYkq9nGU1VYFF6qwP_6m47z/s541/pronunciation-phonetic-uk-diphthongs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="541" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkpxEXg93oHV6mkuM_c2AnUQ_rdUNDVI7Ryhn2SQgn0fiJK2sp5F8PiB4mQlqmS5UxSvFtTL798flmF6ONvIp4tqFs1SP73pOC4C0A2smu9O5OqtCe_rCPLYkq9nGU1VYFF6qwP_6m47z/w400-h328/pronunciation-phonetic-uk-diphthongs.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-77303033023283415352021-01-22T09:00:00.020+05:302021-01-22T09:00:03.854+05:30 The Sounds of English Language: Exam Preparation, Interviews, Group Discussions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifod5fnQwMUyNGyF6SjQgJkWAWzZHHkowigXY0nv8tYexDhe9W-DXUSwgg22-_Z1g5Mp4okF-wv7RJzl-xupNl4cMcAyafo40qq_9stKyOD1I9ZJqO0aftR7tUvC8Y0PwXm0CvZ5lz5pFW/s1180/aaa0d841-4751-4e92-be39-27c81d93e8a2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="1180" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifod5fnQwMUyNGyF6SjQgJkWAWzZHHkowigXY0nv8tYexDhe9W-DXUSwgg22-_Z1g5Mp4okF-wv7RJzl-xupNl4cMcAyafo40qq_9stKyOD1I9ZJqO0aftR7tUvC8Y0PwXm0CvZ5lz5pFW/w400-h285/aaa0d841-4751-4e92-be39-27c81d93e8a2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-cc318933-7fff-398d-9336-d459f10dd5bf"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The two primordial urges of man are to hunt for food and to show himself or herself to attract mates. These two urges are used by the modern man to find success and win elected contests in the new world. It is Sigmund Freud might say, a drive substantiates all our efforts to shine brighter than others in our field of activity. It could be the proverbial “pleasure principle”. It could also be the drive to influence others (mates, in the primordial context). </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you are a regular visitor to my blog, you must have come across my previous article. In the article, I discuss the vocabulary and pronunciation of the English language. The discussion stems from a question: Which is the best way to develop vocabulary? The answer was that it is important not just to build a vocabulary or to learn the meaning of new words, but also to learn how to pronounce these new words. In this article, we will discuss how to master your spoken English language skills. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The spoken language requires an evolved vocabulary if one wants to win exams and succeed in interviews. Along with the knowledge of words, a knowledge of how to articulate them is also essential. The accent of your speech will decide if you’d be able to impress your peers or qualify interviews like a breeze. Mostly, for group discussions and interviews, this method of learning new words, that is, learning not just the meaning but also the pronunciation, will be a leverage for candidates. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most learners of the English language, especially non-native speakers of the English language come across a puzzling juncture- how to master the pronunciation of the English language? The neutralized accent is the part that one needs to work for in one’s pronunciation and not the Received Pronunciation standard, which may sound odd and confusing in the long run. Usually, every English language learner who is a non-native speaker of English faces the daunting task of defenestrating the phonological influence of the mother tongue of the learner. It is also a process of unlearning. At this point, one may feel like it’s rejecting our mother tongue. No, it’s not a rejection of mother tongue, but it’s a re-learning of mother tongue with special focus on where to limit the sounds of the mother tongue when speaking in the English language. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is another way, an easier one to master English language speaking skill with a neutral accent. The best method to speak with a good accent is to learn all the sounds in their standard RP pronunciation. This is true about learning any language. In the case of the English language, there are 44 sounds. If you practice these 44 sounds, learn how to pronounce them, you can improve your accent. However, this may not be enough. Along with using the sounds that are part of the International English Phonetic Alphabet, there is also a need to differentiate between Malayalam speech sounds and English speech sounds. One should not use Malayalam speech sounds to articulate English words or sentences. This will radically transform how you speak in the English language. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have made a short video on this subject. It’s available on my channel on Youtube, Lit Craft Tech by Anu Lal. Access it for a better grasp about how to learn spoken English well. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You have learned that there are 44 sounds in the English language. These are 44 speech sounds, meaning, sounds that help us speak. Similarly, there are speech sounds in our mother tongue. If we use the speech sounds of our mother tongue to speak in the English language, we will pronounce words wrongly. It is quite a cognate of jumbling up speech sounds. So next time, focus especially on how to pronounce words also. Just by strictly adhering to the basic speech sounds of the English language would help us present our language neatly. If you could not learn the correct pronunciation of all the words in your vocabulary, there is no need to worry. Just choose from the 44 sounds whenever you say something in English. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-43994820025523637192021-01-20T09:00:00.017+05:302021-01-20T09:00:00.635+05:30Vocabulary Vs Pronunciation: This is Your Sure Shot at Success! <p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDN616irrhdk728Ob0lMm50Nzm7IhmH-c1Fgq0JkhvC0-YY6vW4uVZuJS6qETwdGEIhpz6ttj2yHWL2UP8YdFPJLr1h_odK0bFCJuX6PLyKEaKc0i2VLD0dc-RYKaGdU9YKPtxEQDrCFyZ/s860/50-503228_happy-surprised-woman-surprised-girl-png-transparent-png.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="860" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDN616irrhdk728Ob0lMm50Nzm7IhmH-c1Fgq0JkhvC0-YY6vW4uVZuJS6qETwdGEIhpz6ttj2yHWL2UP8YdFPJLr1h_odK0bFCJuX6PLyKEaKc0i2VLD0dc-RYKaGdU9YKPtxEQDrCFyZ/w400-h347/50-503228_happy-surprised-woman-surprised-girl-png-transparent-png.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-9786124a-7fff-e72c-fc4a-ebfceb5af3b1"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Floccinaucinihilipilification means “the action or habit of estimating something as worthless”, according to the Oxford Dictionary. Turning a page in a dictionary might usually get you the meaning of the desired word. This is even easier in the digital environment where you just type a word and search or speak a word and search. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meaning of the semantic identity of a word is essential in grasping the particular identity of the lexical item. To retain a word in memory, it is always good to learn the meaning in different contexts. Note the plural “contexts”. Just by referring to a dictionary, one may not be able to retain the word in memory. The memory of human beings works best when remembering narratives. This is especially true, as I had personally experienced when we prepare for examinations. However, in life so demanding, where good communication skill is essentially the quality of language we articulate, would a basket full of words suffice to our success?</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The answer to this question should be a wake-up call for most of us. The question is answered in the negative. It’s not just the number of words and the sentence structures that helps us, but how we articulate the words. Our utterance has the power to either build or shatter our personality. This is a stark reality in spoken English communication, especially if you are a person from a culture where English is a second language if you are a non-native speaker. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Non-native speakers of any language often struggle to find the correct pronunciation of words. Consequently, word stress, sentence stress, pitch and tone of the sentences are also not acquired during the interactions that take place in second-language classrooms. If a word is learned without knowing the sounds units in the word, the learner would find it difficult to recognize the word while listening to it or communicate it precisely to the receiving end in the communicative process. The result is a fruitless communication, an act of floccinaucinihilipilification. Even this word, with which we started our short discussion on the importance of how words sound like, need to be learned with its proper pronunciation to be used later in a practical context. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How is it possible for a second language learner to learn to pronounce new words? Wouldn’t it be too difficult? Wouldn’t we need a native speaker to tell us how to pronounce words properly in the standard English?</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The global standard for English pronunciation is called RP or received Pronunciation, which is the BBC English, also known as Queen’s English in common parlance. It may not be accurate to say that every non-native speaker of English should follow the correct RP since it strenuously prescribes the legacy of the colonizer’s language, for someone learning RP from India. The many versions of English available across the world are an example of how someone from India also could make use of the particular variant of English in India. General Indian English is a variety of English accepted as standard Indian English. The term ‘general’ indicates how this variant of English distances itself from regional languages of the country. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The mother tongue of the second language speaker expresses a strong impact upon the pronunciation habits. This creates an accent of the mother tongue on spoken English of the non-native speaker. The best way to learn how to pronounce words properly is to neutralize our accent as much as possible. This indicates subtracting the influence of the mother tongue from the pronunciation of English words. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This method of building a neutral accent or adhering to a national standard of pronunciation is easier said than done. However, pressing demands from the many fast-developing career options leave no room for laxation. We must learn the pronunciation of words along with learning their meaning. Building a vocabulary also includes practising sounds that help us articulate words and sentences better. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are forty-four speech sounds in English. Learning these speech sounds will enable us in articulating words with the proper pronunciation.</span></p></span>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com0Kannur, Kerala, India11.8744775 75.370366199999992-16.435758384802419 40.214113517790977 40.184713384802421 110.52661888220901tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-63507351553809500712021-01-18T23:23:00.006+05:302021-01-19T05:34:17.365+05:30 No Author should Face a Similar Situation! മറ്റൊരു എഴുത്തുകാരനും ഈ ഗതി വരരുത് <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS93yCZNYbADJ025dm5PkQOJPPCDN7WmtiZbrbhuU_LUU1xcxbZ_MwPRhnOhmS4x9oaNXJl_nzIldmF_LqAqzXGM7Z_TaTiHlGOD-kQNDjtf5hkxgU6OGdWeVWz27fuK6-jNSegPQISx63/s1080/Every+birdie+in+your+surrounding+is+telling+a+story%252C+every+animal+is+recounting+an+experience%252C+every+beat+of+nature+is+narrating+a+cosmic+event..png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS93yCZNYbADJ025dm5PkQOJPPCDN7WmtiZbrbhuU_LUU1xcxbZ_MwPRhnOhmS4x9oaNXJl_nzIldmF_LqAqzXGM7Z_TaTiHlGOD-kQNDjtf5hkxgU6OGdWeVWz27fuK6-jNSegPQISx63/w400-h400/Every+birdie+in+your+surrounding+is+telling+a+story%252C+every+animal+is+recounting+an+experience%252C+every+beat+of+nature+is+narrating+a+cosmic+event..png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-6701ab51-7fff-ff16-73e0-09bc2ce55cff"><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For the first time, for my tenth book, I broke my convention. My convention was to release the book in quiet solitude. No one probably realizes that a new book has been released into the vast sea of other books, into a battle for attention by authors, reviewers, and publishers. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This time, I decided to ask my readers on Instagram their suggestions regarding the release date of the book. To my surprise, many responses came and all of them were extremely useful for me to fix the release date of my book. The book that I am talking about is my new book </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3bOUSeL">Stories We Live</a></span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The finalization of the release date of </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3bOUSeL">Stories We Live</a></span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3bOUSeL"> </a>was inspired by this social media event. The question was asked, if they could suggest a release date, on Instagram, which was later shared on Facebook and WhatsApp. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most numbers of suggestions were received on Instagram. The names that I would like to acknowledge here are, author Devika, my buddy Divyank, author Krithika Sharma, Deepti Gupta, Ashwini Iyer, author Kapil Raj, and others. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I would like to thank all of them who helped me release my book </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stories We Live </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">on 14 January 2021. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A special thanks are due to renowned Iranian translator, author Sougand Akbarian, author of</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <a href="https://amzn.to/3bPUFb7">SouganDilli</a></span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, for sharing an invaluable remark on, </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stories We Live</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. When I requested her for an endorsement, she had readily agreed, according to which I sent her a copy of the manuscript. After reading the manuscript, she shared a beautiful quote on the book, which itself reads like poetry. Her quote made my book shine even brighter. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have a humble request to make to all my readers. Without support from a home crowd, it becomes very difficult to play and win any game played amid greatly stressful circumstances. I have realized recently that my people, the people of Kerala have been showing very less support towards my books. The reason why they do it is perhaps that I write in the English language. Perhaps, they think I am arrogant and that is why I write in English. This is not true. The choice of language is primarily to secure a larger reach and to cater to a wider audience. My selection of language is English because of another reason too, and that is, my mother tongue, Malayalam and the knowledge about its literary expressions are very limited. Even though I studied in a Malayalam medium school, the vernacular Malayalam was the only version of the language I was well versed in. But writing in vernacular Malayalam didn’t help me get published. The mainstream Malayalam weeklies, offbeat weeklies, and newspapers, back in the nineties and early twenty-first century, promoted literary Malayalam with its high-sounding words and expressions, the almost brahminical twist to the language that I grew up with. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Like many of my generation, this brahminical casteism in the literary use of Malayalam distanced me from writing in the language. It sounded artificial, phoney, and unbearable. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shunned by the people of Kerala, even when I wrote a book on the worst disaster the state had ever faced, the megafloods of 2018, titled </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Life After the Floods</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, I could only wish no other writer would have to deal with a similar situation. </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Life After the Floods </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">primarily focused on the psychological impacts the floods would have had on the population affected by it. The book also suggests many steps be followed by anyone who reaches a flood-affected area to help the affected people. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You’d say that my release strategy, that I mentioned in the beginning, the silent type, was faulty. No one might have heard about the book. This could be true, had I not invested a considerable amount of money on the marketing of the book, especially on Instagram, Facebook, and on Amazon itself. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kannur, the district where I am from, is always slow to respond to literary matters. This is my request to the people of Kannur and that of Kerala. For any author to survive, there should be a considerable number of book sales. Without this, flamboyant praises, and literary gatherings wouldn’t help. Literature in Indian English has potential, especially when it is written from Kerala, the south of India. The mainstream of this category belongs to the north of India. I urge both the readers of the north and the south to purchase copies and support this endeavour. This is the only way I could bring more stories to you. My books are always priced below Rs 200. This makes them affordable for common people. Reading an English book would give a good vocabulary for kids, ideas, and stories for the readers, and certainly teach a lesson or two about life. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We spend more than Rs 200 on many unnecessary items, often even daily, including, lotteries, liquor, or cigars. A book is an asset. It will increase your value, even if it is kept neatly in your showcase. Once in a month, why don’t you spend at least Rs 200 on buying a book for you or your beloved ones? Not all authors need to sell lakhs of copies of their books. Just a thousand books sold over one month would help make a decent living. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let me wind up this write-up here. Please consider my request and act on it. It would be appreciated. </span></p><br /><br /><br /></span>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6480236028524891865.post-44285858399756591782021-01-16T09:30:00.001+05:302021-01-16T09:30:02.175+05:30Exam Preparation Plus One: Learn these New words from HIS FIRST FLIGHT by Liam O’Flaherty<p style="text-align: center;"> <img height="322px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Bf2TdiWeF3WQNqPqnNxb_62s8XXCFM6vUm9VdHNjXb-pQdTBEw4RKIIJcl10TVjWzYI3oaFRZChVkLowPEnZDSvFsSW3RH_LlevbXngG3MjF5CdrrUsYRknqkxQazYPm" width="390px;" /></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3a8d349f-7fff-19ed-5e84-66ed9256347f"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Seagull= a popular name for a gull.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gull= a long-winged web-footed seabird with a raucous call, typically having white plumage with a grey or black mantle.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Plumage=a bird's feathers collectively.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ledge: a narrow horizontal surface projecting from a wall, cliff, or other surface.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Flap= (of a bird) move (its wings) up and down when flying or preparing to fly.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">plateau (N)- an area of flat land that is higher than the land around it.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">scold (v)- to speak angrily to somebody, especially a child, because they have done something wrong</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ascending (adj) - increasing in size or importance.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">gnaw (v)- bite at or nibble something persistently. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">persistently (adv)- continuously</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">trot (v)</span><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: run at a moderate pace</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">daintily(adverb): in a careful way that suggests good manners</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Means (N): a way of achieving or doing something</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">precipice (n)</span><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: very steep rock face/cliff </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">beneath (Preposition): under somebody / something</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Brink (N): the extreme edge of land</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Doze (V): to sleep lightly for a short time</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Preen (V): for a bird to make its feathers smooth with its beak</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hump (N): a large mass that sticks out above the surface of something, especially the ground</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Scrape (V): rubbing against a hard surface</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whet (V): to increase your desire for or interest in something</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Self-reliance (n): Reliance on one's own powers and resources rather than those of others.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Soar (V)= to fly very high in the air or remain high in the air</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Swoop (V) = to fly quickly and suddenly downwards, especially in order to attack somebody/something</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Commence (V) = to begin something</span></p><div><span style="font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #ffa400; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Courtesy: Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary</span></div></span>Anu Lalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348837368680298553noreply@blogger.com0