Insights & Instincts

I see myself today in the mirror, and I see a bright future. It is filled with happiness. I see myself today in the mirror and I see that I'm travelling. Across the world, I'm learning. I wish to eat on Indian streets, Socialize and get to know the Pakistanis, Sleep on a beach in Spain, and feel on my cheeks, Mumbai's rain. I wish there were no wars, and we lived in a world that is ONE where love, friendship; triumphed; always. And then my final wish will be, that all of us, wish the same.  I again see myself in the mirror, and I see that I am smiling.

Every week I hear or read about a girl raped in some remote part of the country. Which is followed by people protesting in front of the parliament house or any other place for justice. After few days, the government, under political pressure, will make promises or commitments to the country which are a complete hokum. Talking about a recent incident, a 5 year old girl was raped in New Delhi by a somewhat 22 year old guy. The sentence itself is horrifying! Touch-wood the girl is out of danger now. This is just a case that has been reported. There are numerous other cases of sexual harassment which aren't even brought up due to some orthodox mentality of people. The question ahead of us is 'WHY?' The answer is sex-education. Yes. Remember last time you were watching TV with your family and just then a 'condom' commercial poped up and the whole family starts searching for the remote control ; embarrassed. Unlike west, sex is a totally alien thin...

This has happened to me time and again. I come into contact with a person, talk with him/her and that person starts moving up in my 'MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN MY LIFE' list.  This time it happened to me just on the phone!  Her name is Akshi. We came into contact as participants of the AFS KIZUNA student exchange program and parted as best friends-for life! It was a get-together of the KIZUNA participants' families. Our parents were discussing few important things likewise how are we going to the national orientation in Delhi and what documents etc. we should be carrying during our travel. Just then, I got a call for an unknown number- Needless to say it was Akshi. The voice on the other side of the phone said in the most lovely yet funny 'kathiawaadi' accent, " Hello? Is this Vedang?" For a moment i started thinking who the hell is disturbing me when i am discussing something really important and i felt like disconnecting the ca...

vedang96@gmail.com It was sometime around August when i learned that I've been selected ; Yessssssss! Selected and won  a scholarship to Japan. Blood was running in my veins at the speed of a Japanese bullet train. So here is how all this happened. Scene 1 : I knew about AFS since long. Its a non-profitable organization promoting world peace and friendship which sends, every year, Indian students to countries like the USA, France, Japan, Germany and Italy. It also hosts foreign students from these countries and helps these students get an idea of the Indian culture. Thus, every exchange student learns a lot about the country he/she is staying in and tells his/her fellows about his/her own country. I have friends who went to one or the other country for 10 or  6 or 1 month(s) exchange programs. One of them also went for 15 days short term program to Japan. All of them; Changed; Before and after; Huge change in their personalities; Definitely positive. So, ...