So, I was ecstatic when I saw my small article published in 'The Metro Plus' of 'The Hindu' paper the other day and I thought I'd put the link in my blog.
http://www.hindu.com/mp/2010/06/02/stories/2010060250110600.htm
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
QUEST FOR EVEREST WILL NEVER REST
How many times have you been gracefully acknowledging the standing ovation, people cheering and going crazy and all that fanfare and fame … and talks of how you made the Guinness Record of being the youngest person to scale the Everest? Amid all this, you start taking you first steps towards the mike to speak those precious few words and then BOOM! You wake up from sleep …
Many times .. is the answer in my case. Anyway .. that’s one dream that’s not going to come true as I dreamt it .. cos am much older now and the new Guinness Record for the youngest person is a 13yr old boy from the US. Good for him. But what makes my heart swell with pride is the fact that a fellow Indian dreamed and he accomplished the feat that’s been closest to my heart .. growing up. Arjun Vajpai, a 16-yr old from Delhi has climbed the mighty Mount Everest and staked his claim on her. When I read the news…. I almost lived the excitement, the anticipation, the thrill, the joy of actually having scaled the Everest.
What makes the whole thing so fascinating and so alluring …. I guess it must be the fact that a human heart loves to be at the center of attention.… it can never grow tired of applause, encouragement and .. and .. FAME.
My other post talks about just this – FAME. People know what’s fame, how to achieve fame and what comes with fame. But have we thought about ‘why FAME for me?’ Better still ‘why the recognition and all the brouhaha over fame and name?’ I think the complex and simple answer is that people want to leave their legacy behind. They want a witness to their lives… something that makes people take note of them and acknowledge them even if for a brief moment. On a broad view – this could mean both positive and negative fame (that’s where the infamous lot come from). ‘At any cost I want to be known in the world’ kind of lunatics too spring from this very well. Its upto man to channelize his energy and use only the ‘positive blue core’ and not the ‘negative red core’ (like in the movie ASTRO BOY!)
So, still talking about the mighty morphin Mount EVEREST, I’m sure it’s the dream of every mountaineer and non-mountaineer like me to climb it and to secure your place in the history. People, keep at it.
So, this has been a post I’ve been wanting to write since May, 22nd 2010, the day the news broke, But Its one of those posts that simply got delayed …but here it is now. It’s almost like my tribute to the Mt. Everest. I know I won’t ever climb it, but atleast.. here is my humble post instead!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
What does fame cost?
"You've got big dreams? You want fame? Well, fame costs. And right here is where you start paying ... in sweat." Debbie Allen in the movie FAME (2009)
Those are the opening lines of the movie in which a captivating story is told about a bunch of highly talented performing arts students who dream to make it big in their chosen field!
I got thinking ... what does fame cost really ??? What is achievement ?? Why do we need achievement? I mean ... i try things... I really try my hand at things ....
sometimes it works out .. sometimes it doesn;t... the times it works out .. things go fine. Things aren't astounding. The reason is .. am not sweating it out.
The results of my actions don't amaze me. They are just ordinary. and I am left feeling unfulfilled. What should I do to get over this feeling. This insomnia every night. The answer to this question lies in the 1st line of this post and also in a ZEN quote !!
I am not successful because I dont want that thing bad enough... how much badly Do I need it?? I shudn't be able to breathe without it. Right now .. right at this moment.. for my survival .. do I need to watch TV? do I merit that sleep? the lounging around the house? No, right now for my survival .. I need to reach my goal, get that thing, up my game and then find another goal and fight for survival! I need to be sweating it out right now to get FAME !!
This article beautifully crafted, merits a read
http://ezinearticles.com/?Between-Dreams-and-Reality&id=2278861
On a more philanthropic note,
"A hundred times everyday I remind myself that my inner and outer lives are based on the labour of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give, in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving"
--- ALBERT EINSTEIN
"
Saturday, July 10, 2010
RIMMEL LONDON 60 SECONDS NAIL POLISH
Wow!! Truth in advertisement !! that’s what I thought when I first tried this Rimmel London 60 seconds nail polish. Yes, its true .. you wear the nail polish and it dries in less than 60 seconds actually. Its kind of matt finish .. but there is some shine. I bought the rich royal red color nail polish and in addition to drying quickly it also wears well. Just 1 coat gives the naturally thick, even, smooth and impeccable finish.
Amazon stores different varieties of Rimmel London 60 seconds nail polish.
Check it out here
http://tinyurl.com/38dknst
For someone whos cost conscious as well as getting quality for the price paid, this one suits really well.
Rimmel London 60 seconds nail polish comes in 24 different shades and all of them are bold, beautiful and shockingly bright! Brightens up my day for sure!
Available: Health & Glow in Chennai (RIMMEL counter)
Beauty Boutiques, Spencer Plaza
Price : Rs250
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
British Council IELTS Scholarship Award
IELTS SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
The British Council will select eight students from India, each of whom will receive an award of Rs.3,00,000 towards the cost of tuition fees.
DEADLINE
Send the IELTS Scholarship Application Form by 31 July 2010
TARGET AUDIENCE
Applicant must begin full time postgraduate study outside India in 2010.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
1. Be a citizen of India.
2. Have a valid IELTS score, with a minimum band score average 6.5
3. Have taken their most recent IELTS test with the British Council
REQUIREMENTS
1. Provide an acceptance letter from the attending institution by 20 August 2010
2. Send the IELTS Scholarship Application Form to The British Council by 31 July '10
PROCESS
1. Complete the application form and send it.
2. 40 applicants will be shortlisted and notified via email by 6 August 2010
3. Short-listed applicants will be required to make a ten minute presentation on a topic that will be given later
4. Present the letter of acceptance from the university you plan to attend
5. Final result notified by 31 Aug 2010
RESULT
Result will be sent by email to the selected applicants by 31 August 2010
For FAQ and other details, go to
http://www.britishcouncil.org/india-exams-ielts-home.htm
The British Council will select eight students from India, each of whom will receive an award of Rs.3,00,000 towards the cost of tuition fees.
DEADLINE
Send the IELTS Scholarship Application Form by 31 July 2010
TARGET AUDIENCE
Applicant must begin full time postgraduate study outside India in 2010.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
1. Be a citizen of India.
2. Have a valid IELTS score, with a minimum band score average 6.5
3. Have taken their most recent IELTS test with the British Council
REQUIREMENTS
1. Provide an acceptance letter from the attending institution by 20 August 2010
2. Send the IELTS Scholarship Application Form to The British Council by 31 July '10
PROCESS
1. Complete the application form and send it.
2. 40 applicants will be shortlisted and notified via email by 6 August 2010
3. Short-listed applicants will be required to make a ten minute presentation on a topic that will be given later
4. Present the letter of acceptance from the university you plan to attend
5. Final result notified by 31 Aug 2010
RESULT
Result will be sent by email to the selected applicants by 31 August 2010
For FAQ and other details, go to
http://www.britishcouncil.org/india-exams-ielts-home.htm
Monday, July 5, 2010
GRE 50% fee waiver
GRE-Graduate Record Examination which is the qualifying exam to do your Masters in the US has long been a bane for aspiring students because of the humongous vocabulary section requiring a student to cram upto 50,000 vocabulary words.
But the good news is around the corner plus bonus.
The new format for GRE test from AUG 2011.
Thats correct, new format suggests complete removal of the vocab section and new question types that are test-taker friendly and more real life scenarios blended in into the test. More reading passages are also expected.
The icing on the cake is 50% fee waiver for the GRE exam from Aug 1, 2011 till SEP 30, 2011. But beware, the results for the test come out only in Nov 2011. So plan accordingly.
Well, thats good news for the sophomores and Juniors in college. For the rest of you guys, you'd need to take up the regular GRE General test if you're to get into colleges this semester or the next.
Point to note - Registrations for new format start from March 15, 2011. So be ready
to enroll and take the test. Results only in Nov 2011. So take that into account as well.
Places to do your GRE coaching in Chennai, India
Jamboree http://www.jamboreeindia.com/
The Princeton Review http://www.manyagroup.com/
Score Getter http://www.scoregetter.org/abouts.html
TOP GRE http://www.topgre.com/
The Lyceum http://www.thelyceum.org.in/
But the good news is around the corner plus bonus.
The new format for GRE test from AUG 2011.
Thats correct, new format suggests complete removal of the vocab section and new question types that are test-taker friendly and more real life scenarios blended in into the test. More reading passages are also expected.
The icing on the cake is 50% fee waiver for the GRE exam from Aug 1, 2011 till SEP 30, 2011. But beware, the results for the test come out only in Nov 2011. So plan accordingly.
Well, thats good news for the sophomores and Juniors in college. For the rest of you guys, you'd need to take up the regular GRE General test if you're to get into colleges this semester or the next.
Point to note - Registrations for new format start from March 15, 2011. So be ready
to enroll and take the test. Results only in Nov 2011. So take that into account as well.
Places to do your GRE coaching in Chennai, India
Jamboree http://www.jamboreeindia.com/
The Princeton Review http://www.manyagroup.com/
Score Getter http://www.scoregetter.org/abouts.html
TOP GRE http://www.topgre.com/
The Lyceum http://www.thelyceum.org.in/
Sunday, July 4, 2010
The A-Team Movie Review
The A-Team - Gets an A for the following
Action, Adventure, Slapstick comedy, Satire, Cinematography, Special Effects,Cliche
Overall a movie that had people laughing and on the edge of their seats at the same time and left us craving for more.
Ok, its been long... really loooooong since I've seen an English action movie that has so beautifully integrated situational comedy with action and over-the-top violence minus gory scenes. Of course, you leave logic, reason and laws of Physics and gravitation behind at home and watch the movie with an open mind. The subtitles throughout the movie were a lifesaver. No clue why the movie is 'A' rated 'cos there were only 2 kissing scenes and violence was the soft type, the bad guys get disabled, but not killed. I guess the movie appealed to me as much more because I'd read not long ago the A-Team novel by David George Deutsch. This also used to be a popular television series in the 90's. A very good adaptation of the book/TV series.
The movie with its shoot-outs, fights and chases in mid-air, in the water and on land were exceptionally filmed and presented. The thrill never fades and the action scenes top one another. The mention of 'Call Of Duty' brought hoots of recognition from the gamers in the theater. By the end of the movie, a lot of people knew the taglines even before the actors said it - I love it when the plan comes together, There is no Plan B
Now for the characters of the A-Team
A movie that carries every bit on the strength of the characters as its cinematography. Col. Hannibal Smith - the quintessential Hollywood hero and leader of the pack with a head full of silvery white hair and a Cuban cigar dangling out of his mouth. Faceman Peck - again the killer looks of Hollywood type character with a beach body and a stunning smile, the classic ladies' man. B.A Barracus with B.A standing for Bad-Ass or Bad-Attitude Barracus, the 250-pound wrestler types who's just as good with mechanics and bikes and cars as he is using his biceps. Finally the Howling Mad Murdock who's the typical lunatic with extraordinary sides to his personality - he flies helpcopters, speaks Swahili and can function as an emergency doctor !
Put all 4 colorful characters together and you get an A-Team and a hit movie.
The Lessons Learnt - You find out what ticks your adversary and then take him on in order to take him out!
There should be a PLAN for everything.
Of course, you ad-lib and cover up if the plan goes awry.
Call the A-Team if you have some deep dark secret problem which needs resolution, of course you should be the victim.
OVERVIEW
----------
RATING - 5 *****
Genre - Action, adventure, Thriller
Directed by - Joe Carnahan
Running time - 117 minutes
Music - John Powell
A touching tagline - Give me a minute, am good, give me an hour am great, give me 6 months, am unbeatable
Thursday, July 1, 2010
How to crack TOEFL iBT
TOEFL iBT test
Its easy. Doesn't involve hard work. Anyone can do it. Anyone can score high.
MYTHS BUSTED - All of the above are incorrect. As a competitive exams trainer and coach, The following how-to tips I've compiled will take you through a systematic process of preparing and scoring high on your TOEFL.
1. FOR WHOM - Find out if the University you intend to do your Undergard or Postgrad requires a TOEFL score in addition to your SAT/GRE/GMAT score
2. REGISTER - Go to the ETS home page http://www.ets.org/toefl
and register yourself for taking the TOEFL exam.
3. PAYMENT - You can either pay at the ETS website through a credit card or purchase a voucher and fill in the voucher details at the ETS website and thus complete payment. Currently, for most countries, the fee is USD 165 for the exam
4. EXAM LOCATION - Now, this is very important. You'd want to register early so that you can choose a location in your city close to your home. You'd be doing this before the payment step.
5. RESULTS - The TOEFL exam results are published 15 days after the day of the exam. So on 15th night after 12AM, you can log on to the ETS website and check your scores.
There is an option to send your TOEFL scores to 4 universities you are considering for your higher studies at no extra charge. So dont forget to do this step in the registration process. You'd also get a paper copy of your results by post to your home address.
PREPARATION PROCESS
There are 4 sections on the TOEFL and its an internet-based test. Well, TOEFL is not so hard but without thorough and diligent preparation you run the risk of low scores.
1. SCHEDULE - With the test date in mind, draw up the schedule and try to stick to it as much as possible. You can always do more than planned, but never less.
For a person completely ignorant of any kind of competitive exams and what it entails, I'd advice 3 months of preparation time.
For someone, who has faced similar tests such as these, i'd suggest 1.5 months of TOEFL related study.
2. READ - This can include the newspaper, magazines, and all of those idle hours of internet surfing can be turned into productive online reading practice time. Not only you broaden your knowledge, you also learn new vocabulary words.
3. WRITE - The above point and this one are things to do while you are not doing TOEFL specific study. This is to break the monotony. Blog about articles and if you are the paper and pen kind of guy, just write about anything under the sky. This does not include FACEBOOK, TWITTER, ORKUT work as writing :)
BOOKS for TOEFL
Kaplan TOEFL iBT
The Princeton Review
Barrons' Edition TOEFL iBT
ETS
The Complete Guide to TOEFL iBT
TOEFL SPECIFIC STUDY -
1. First of all take a practice test of all sections of TOEFL from any of the books you are following. This will help evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Yes, you will not be able to evaluate your speaking skills yourself. Here's where online TOEFL tutor or having a dedicated trainer for yourself or the institute you are attending will come in handy. As for the writing, you could have someone grade the writing piece for you.
2. The Reading section - understand that there are specific questions on the TOEFL that are facts, negative facts, reference, pronoun antecedent, vocab questions etc. Once you know all question types.. answering the RC passages will be easier.
Each passage is 700 words long and followed by 12-13 questions. You have 20 MINS to complete each passage
3. The Listening section - Here's where you need to brush up on your American vocab and idioms.. often used in conversations. Just hear clearly, make notes as you go and you'll be able to answer the questions. Again, know the entire format for listening section and this makes answering easier.
MANDATORY 10 MIN BREAK
4. Speaking section - Short n sweet section of 20 mins. 6 kinds of questions each requiring 45 sec - 60 sec responses. DO NOT FREEZE and talk whatever comes to mind. Alternatively, if well prepared ... stick to the format prescribed in all books. Until the last day .. do as many speaking tasks as possible, with yourself/friend/tutor. Record your speaking sections and check the timing. Work with a timer/stopwatch
5. Writing section - 1 hr, 2 tasks, again will be required to take notes on Integrated writing section when you hear the lecture. Reading passage appears while writing. second task is independent writing.
IMP POINTS TO NOTE - 1. Paraphrase the lines from the reading passage and the listening piece.. Do not .. I repeat.. DO NOT REPRODUCE line by line from the text.
2. Use quotes/sayings/Facts to open your essay. Leaves a good impression
3. Use good vocabulary .. not outstanding is just fine. Try not to make grammar errors.
4. Sound points to explain .. after all content does matter in a small way.
So, thats that and All THE BEST for your TOEFL exam.
Do comment and ask me if you have any specific questions about preparation for TOEFL or other competitive exams !!
Adios'
Its easy. Doesn't involve hard work. Anyone can do it. Anyone can score high.
MYTHS BUSTED - All of the above are incorrect. As a competitive exams trainer and coach, The following how-to tips I've compiled will take you through a systematic process of preparing and scoring high on your TOEFL.
1. FOR WHOM - Find out if the University you intend to do your Undergard or Postgrad requires a TOEFL score in addition to your SAT/GRE/GMAT score
2. REGISTER - Go to the ETS home page http://www.ets.org/toefl
and register yourself for taking the TOEFL exam.
3. PAYMENT - You can either pay at the ETS website through a credit card or purchase a voucher and fill in the voucher details at the ETS website and thus complete payment. Currently, for most countries, the fee is USD 165 for the exam
4. EXAM LOCATION - Now, this is very important. You'd want to register early so that you can choose a location in your city close to your home. You'd be doing this before the payment step.
5. RESULTS - The TOEFL exam results are published 15 days after the day of the exam. So on 15th night after 12AM, you can log on to the ETS website and check your scores.
There is an option to send your TOEFL scores to 4 universities you are considering for your higher studies at no extra charge. So dont forget to do this step in the registration process. You'd also get a paper copy of your results by post to your home address.
PREPARATION PROCESS
There are 4 sections on the TOEFL and its an internet-based test. Well, TOEFL is not so hard but without thorough and diligent preparation you run the risk of low scores.
1. SCHEDULE - With the test date in mind, draw up the schedule and try to stick to it as much as possible. You can always do more than planned, but never less.
For a person completely ignorant of any kind of competitive exams and what it entails, I'd advice 3 months of preparation time.
For someone, who has faced similar tests such as these, i'd suggest 1.5 months of TOEFL related study.
2. READ - This can include the newspaper, magazines, and all of those idle hours of internet surfing can be turned into productive online reading practice time. Not only you broaden your knowledge, you also learn new vocabulary words.
3. WRITE - The above point and this one are things to do while you are not doing TOEFL specific study. This is to break the monotony. Blog about articles and if you are the paper and pen kind of guy, just write about anything under the sky. This does not include FACEBOOK, TWITTER, ORKUT work as writing :)
BOOKS for TOEFL
Kaplan TOEFL iBT
The Princeton Review
Barrons' Edition TOEFL iBT
ETS
The Complete Guide to TOEFL iBT
TOEFL SPECIFIC STUDY -
1. First of all take a practice test of all sections of TOEFL from any of the books you are following. This will help evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Yes, you will not be able to evaluate your speaking skills yourself. Here's where online TOEFL tutor or having a dedicated trainer for yourself or the institute you are attending will come in handy. As for the writing, you could have someone grade the writing piece for you.
2. The Reading section - understand that there are specific questions on the TOEFL that are facts, negative facts, reference, pronoun antecedent, vocab questions etc. Once you know all question types.. answering the RC passages will be easier.
Each passage is 700 words long and followed by 12-13 questions. You have 20 MINS to complete each passage
3. The Listening section - Here's where you need to brush up on your American vocab and idioms.. often used in conversations. Just hear clearly, make notes as you go and you'll be able to answer the questions. Again, know the entire format for listening section and this makes answering easier.
MANDATORY 10 MIN BREAK
4. Speaking section - Short n sweet section of 20 mins. 6 kinds of questions each requiring 45 sec - 60 sec responses. DO NOT FREEZE and talk whatever comes to mind. Alternatively, if well prepared ... stick to the format prescribed in all books. Until the last day .. do as many speaking tasks as possible, with yourself/friend/tutor. Record your speaking sections and check the timing. Work with a timer/stopwatch
5. Writing section - 1 hr, 2 tasks, again will be required to take notes on Integrated writing section when you hear the lecture. Reading passage appears while writing. second task is independent writing.
IMP POINTS TO NOTE - 1. Paraphrase the lines from the reading passage and the listening piece.. Do not .. I repeat.. DO NOT REPRODUCE line by line from the text.
2. Use quotes/sayings/Facts to open your essay. Leaves a good impression
3. Use good vocabulary .. not outstanding is just fine. Try not to make grammar errors.
4. Sound points to explain .. after all content does matter in a small way.
So, thats that and All THE BEST for your TOEFL exam.
Do comment and ask me if you have any specific questions about preparation for TOEFL or other competitive exams !!
Adios'
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)