Hari's Corner

Papa Hari News Service

Responding to the increasing concerns of performance enhancing drugs in sport, the Papa Hari Anti Doping Agency (PHADA) has come up with a novel and foolproof solution to the problem.

The Chairman and Secretary of the PHADA, Papa Hari in a recent press conference unveiled the new rules and regulations that all athletes have to adhere to in order to compete at major global amateur and professional sporting competitions.

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A lot of lecturers/teachers/educationists in higher education often lament that students look for quick fixes in the form of guides or short notes instead of using textbooks and in-depth reference materials for study. Guides or notes are often compressed (often simplified) study materials on a particular subject in easily digestible doses and often provide solutions or answers to frequently asked examination questions. The quality and depth is lost in the process of distillation, but most students do not seem to mind this, instead preferring the simplification offered by guides or notes.

Though I myself hesitate to use guides as replacements for textbooks, I believe that if a student wants to score higher in examinations with lesser effort, a guide seems the best method to achieve this in a shorter period of time.

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So I have finally shed off my laziness to share my experiences (with photos) of Germany. I really wanted to write about my previous visit in 2009 as well, but that kept getting put off till my memories faded to the extent that I couldn't get myself to share my thoughts in detail.

However, I decided that on this occasion that it would be better if I did in fact write a bit, simply as a way to bring back memories and to serve as a personal reference. I hope you find it entertaining (and hopefully) informative to some extent. I'll also be updating this post with more photos as and when I upload them.

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Whoever is reading this blog and is expecting to find something new, I hope you stick around a little while longer. This is one of those periodic slowdowns that happen and I can find absolutely nothing to write about these days. Even my creative juices are at an all time low.

I'm not sure whether this has to do with my daily work routine now (yes, I'm currently going to a lawyer's office part of my time) but I think it's been like this for a while now.

The problem has always been that I'm not big on writing about myself. I find it boring to talk about things I do in real life. I always consider blogging as a kind of relaxation and I don't wish to turn it into a boring life-journal. On the other hand, this also takes away a lot of topics I could otherwise write about regularly. I also don't feel like writing about legal topics of late because to be honest it reminds me too much of work. The one thing I could do if I had more free time is to revive my comics. Hopefully I can find the time and energy to do so. I've never been entirely satisfied with life (in general) unless I have a regular creative outlet.

Regular readers might have noticed that I've started posting a few articles in my mother tongue - Tamil. It's surprising how the human mind can start afresh when you start thinking and writing in a different language from what you normally use. I'd been running dry of ideas and inspiration to update this blog in recent times, but by switching languages I've actually got back the urge to write something.

For the most part, the effort of switching languages in the mind is unconscious, but when you do notice it, you begin to realize the amazing sophistication and complexity of the brain.

Apart from everything else, I think creativity can be boosted if you think in more than one language. Ideas come out differently in different languages and I don't think that is actually a limitation - it actually allows you to explore the same topic from a totally new angle which a mono-linguist might not be able to appreciate. I feel blessed that I am in a position to do this. I also believe that by improving my vocabulary in both English and Tamil, I can only improve my creativity and expression. It has also sort of inspired me to learn a third language.

I don't think all languages are created equal though. Some languages are inherently superior in certain areas of human knowledge. This is a reflection of the particular community and culture that drives and sustains the language and its usage.

I still feel that two languages are not enough and I don't want to make a big deal of it. Learning a third language will definitely benefit me further. I've been thinking of this for some time, but until recently I've not had a really strong urge to take it forward. Maybe I should find a bit of free time to attend German classes.

ஒரு காலத்தில் பண்டிகைகள் என்றாலே கொண்டாட்டம், பூஜைகள், சிறப்பு வழிபாடுகள், புத்தாடைகள், இனிப்புகள், உறவினர்கள், நண்பர்கள், பல நாட்களுக்கு பள்ளிக்கூட, நிர்வாக விடுமுறைகள் - இவையெல்லாம் கலந்த ஒரு மாபெரும் குடும்ப நிகழ்ச்சிதான். இப்பொழுதெல்லாம் பண்டிகைகளையே நாம் மறந்துவிடுவோம் என்ற நிலைக்கு தாழ்ந்திருக்கிறோம். இந்த சூழ்நிலைக்கு என்ன காரணங்களைச் சுட்டிக்காட்டலாம்?

முதலாவதாக, நகர வாழ்க்கை; இரண்டாவதாக, கூட்டுக்குடும்ப அமைப்புகளின் அழிவு; மூன்றாவதாக, தொலைக்காட்சியின் பாதிப்பு; நான்காவதாக, கலாச்சாரத்தின் சீரழிவு. ஒன்றொன்றாக நான் இந்த காரணங்களை விளக்குகிறேன்.

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