The self-help industry is worth more than billions of dollars in the US alone. Books, tapes, DVDs, all claim to take your life from mediocrity to nirvana — promising inner and outer wealth! And who wouldn't want those? The question is, to what extent do self-help resources help the seekers? What responsibility lies with the…
Travel – Kaghan Rhapsody
This article is from years ago...an ode to the beautiful Northern Areas of Pakistan Two birds fly off from a dish antenna. It is a bright summer morning and the view from the hotel in Balakot is exotic, belying the danger of the night before when a local had escaped the clutch of death in…
Powerful Women – Girls can(‘t) do that
An assignment on an article on things that women should be able to do but don`t, Michelle Obama`s interview, and a meeting with a Bangladeshi woman who, in spite of sad circumstances, still lives a courageous life. Finally something clicks in me and I feel I may have something worthwhile to say for this…
Young World – Genes of life
'We can be mean, lazy or selfish and blame it on a naughty gene? Nope. Heredity is just a foundation, the pillars of a house, and we still have to put in hard work to build the actual house that stands on top of these pillars. The atmosphere at home, influence of parents and…
Young World – Friendships
I remember reading something by Marguerite Yourcenar who was asked how one makes friends: This is what she replied. (Your question calls to mind a charming passage from a book by Montherlant. Surprised that a little girl has not given her cat a name, someone asks, “But how do you call him?” The little girl…
A kaleidoscope of vignettes 