At first glance, the story of Tibet seems quite familiar – especially to those who are well versed with international relations and politics. It is a classic case of a smaller and relatively powerless country being overpowered by a stronger one a few decades ago. And now, there is a strong separatist movement within that small piece of land. This movement, whose majority comprises of a strong and motivated force of young people, wants complete independence and is willing to resort to violence if necessary.
However, is this really as simple as it seems? The sequence of events which has taken place ever since the Communist regime of China assumed control of Tibet has been anything but simplistic. In fact, these events prove, without doubt, that without a complete understanding of the underlying history and politics of the country concerned, it is quite easy to be deceived by whatever filters through to the mainstream media.
First and foremost, how did China get control of Tibet? History shows that the People's Liberation Army invaded Tibet in 1950. Being a smaller country with an ill-equipped army, Tibet was unable to defend itself effectively. By signing the Seventeen Point Agreement in 1951, Tibet was officially incorporated into the People's Republic of China.
Of course this version of events is disputed by those who historically prove that it was Great Britain which had given the suzerainty of Tibet to the Nationalist China Party. In 1949, this nationalist party was defeated by the Communist Party, and so, it naturally assumed the suzerainty of Tibet. Suzerainty is a case of a smaller country being a subsidiary of sorts to a larger and more powerful country. The smaller country has some degree of autonomy or self-rule, which distinguishes it from sovereignty.
Irrespective of whichever version of events is more authentic, the fact remains that Tibet has been under China for quite a few decades now. What spurred the current crisis was a rally organized in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, on 10th March 2008 to commemorate the revolt that took place against the incorporation of the country into China. The rally per se might not have created so much trouble – however, with emotions running high, the rally became a bit violent. As a result, Chinese soldiers opened fire at unarmed demonstrators and to date, the total casualties are unknown. But one can only imagine that the figure must run very high, considering that protestors were directly fired at.
The events following this violence were quite predictable. Tibetans reacted very strongly against the Chinese authorities. In spite of repeated attempts by their exiled leader, the Dalai Lama, to remain peaceful and solve issues through dialogue, violence has increased to the extent that Tibet now wants its independence from China, and has called on the world to boycott the Beijing Olympics 2008.
Interestingly, the European Parliament has called for a boycott of the opening ceremony of the summer Olympics if China does not start a dialogue with the exiled Dalai Lama.
The stance of Pakistan is diametrically opposed to that of India. President Pervez Musharraf has categorically spelled out that Pakistan considers Tibet as an "inalienable" part of China and has offered help to crush the separatist movement in Tibet. President Musharraf has also condemned what he terms "attempts to politicize the Beijing Olympic Games." India, which happens to be the place where the Dalai Lama is residing, is giving off pro-Tibet vibes. Many exiled Tibetans are using India as their base to launch their activities without any serious retaliation or reproach from the Indian government.
More interesting is the American stance on this issue. At the time of the 10th March Lhasa incident, President, US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi was visiting India. In the aftermath of that incident, she went to visit the Dalai Lama and reassured him that US was fully supportive of the Tibetan separatist movement. American stance seems interesting, but not quite surprising. Should Tibet gain independence, it would surely need the backing of a larger and stronger country like USA to defend itself - this would ensure American presence in a very strategic country in Asia. The unity and stability of China being threatened is an added bonus to the USA as well.
The question which now arises is – does China really fit into the "bad guy" image which the mainstream media is portraying it as? An alternative viewpoint emphasizes that China has carried out immense developmental work in Tibet – this includes the rebuilding of several Buddhist temples, establishing educational institutes as well as hospitals, constructing a highway system and granting freedom of worship to Tibet's Buddhists. What happened at Lhasa was indeed condemnable, but one cannot ignore all that China really has done for Tibet. Similarly, to boycott the Olympics would seem tantamount to supporting the Tibet separatist movement, and with it, backing the American stance on it. The best course of action would be to regard this as China's internal issue, and let them deal with it.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
IT's here
Given the information technology and telecommunication boom in the country, it is no surprise that an increasing number of telecom companies are cropping up in the market. To give this a further boost, a local niche on the web has emerged to apprise people about the hot happenings of the industry. So whether you are a part of it, or you wish to learn the nitty gritty, Get IT is the website to visit.
This website has a comprehensive job listings posted in reverse chronological order by date. The main page displays the job title required along with the company which requires the human resource. You can access individual job postings per your interest and expertise.
Those interested in finding out about the events and opinions of the IT world can surf the section on articles. The content is varied where some articles are more technical than others, like marketing techniques through an e-newsletter; and some are meant for light reading like an article on cell phones ringing at every odd time of the day, etc. You can also find articles posted on the Get IT blog.
The news section is also a key characteristic of this website, which features latest happenings in the world of telecommunications, business and technology. News items are categorised into these three main sections so you can access whichever you like.
As with every telecom website, gadgets and gizmos also make their presence felt. You can check out various products and their features which have been launched recently. Moreover, telecom and technology events are also listed here for your convenience along with the details of when and where they will be held.
Furthermore, if you have a good internet connection you can avail an interesting section on videos by downloading the content. These videos feature interviews of Get IT with different professionals in the field, plus the speeches of notable professionals from around the world given on the occasion of an international conference.
You can also either participate in the poll or contribute articles for various sections. The website has instructions on how you can become their regular contributor. For aspiring writers, there are many different aspects of both telecom and technology that you may write on and send to the editor of Get IT.
With telecom and IT both being the buzz words of today, Get IT is a commendable effort to make the information pertaining to the two, relevant for local audiences. It is no longer about the global revolution in telecom and IT — it is all about the one taking place around you. Whether you are a novice or an expert in the field, you will definitely have something to gain from visiting this website.
To read more about the state of IT and telecommunications industry in this country, log onto http://www.getit.pk
This website has a comprehensive job listings posted in reverse chronological order by date. The main page displays the job title required along with the company which requires the human resource. You can access individual job postings per your interest and expertise.
Those interested in finding out about the events and opinions of the IT world can surf the section on articles. The content is varied where some articles are more technical than others, like marketing techniques through an e-newsletter; and some are meant for light reading like an article on cell phones ringing at every odd time of the day, etc. You can also find articles posted on the Get IT blog.
The news section is also a key characteristic of this website, which features latest happenings in the world of telecommunications, business and technology. News items are categorised into these three main sections so you can access whichever you like.
As with every telecom website, gadgets and gizmos also make their presence felt. You can check out various products and their features which have been launched recently. Moreover, telecom and technology events are also listed here for your convenience along with the details of when and where they will be held.
Furthermore, if you have a good internet connection you can avail an interesting section on videos by downloading the content. These videos feature interviews of Get IT with different professionals in the field, plus the speeches of notable professionals from around the world given on the occasion of an international conference.
You can also either participate in the poll or contribute articles for various sections. The website has instructions on how you can become their regular contributor. For aspiring writers, there are many different aspects of both telecom and technology that you may write on and send to the editor of Get IT.
With telecom and IT both being the buzz words of today, Get IT is a commendable effort to make the information pertaining to the two, relevant for local audiences. It is no longer about the global revolution in telecom and IT — it is all about the one taking place around you. Whether you are a novice or an expert in the field, you will definitely have something to gain from visiting this website.
To read more about the state of IT and telecommunications industry in this country, log onto http://www.getit.pk
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Charging neighbourhood
Many of the South Asian countries saw the technology boom in the past few years, but have yet to properly capitalise on it. Although the region is host to a total of one-fifth of the world population, it has an extremely small per cent of the world’s fixed lines and less than one per cent cellular subscribers. Mobile phones have outrun fixed telephone lines only in Nepal and Bhutan.
Following are the brief profiles of the different South Asian countries in terms of the advances they have made in telecommunications technologies.
Afghanistan
The telecommunications sector in Afghanistan has undergone rapid development since 2002. Currently, Afghan Wireless and Roshan are the main domestic companies providing cellular services in the country, while Areeba and Etisalat are the international companies. Moreover, 22 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are catering to around 535,000 internet users.
Telecom development in Afghanistan was an important part of the reconstruction process. A development policy was formulated in 2002 which called for the establishment of a long-distance network to ensure internet services to every part of the country, establishment of a backbone network, issuing of licenses to ISPs and establishment of tele-centres in smaller communities.
Bangladesh
Although Bangladesh has been enjoying internet facilities from 1996, the real growth of ISPs as well as the internet users has increased manifold during the past few years only. With 180 ISPs currently operating under the authority of Bangladesh Regulatory Authority Commission, the number of internet users has gone up to 450,000. Broadband services are not so common considering their very high cost; however, WiMax is slowly making its mark among the tech-savvy population.
When it comes to cell phones, there are around six mobile phone operators in the country, serving a total subscriber base of around 39 million people. Interestingly, it is Grameen Telecom which is actually targeting the rural subscriber base. Their project Village Phone (VP) is a huge hit where, using the microcredit finance programme of Grameen Bank, a villager can purchase a cell phone and become an operator for his/her village.
This is not only providing a cellular service to rural Bangladesh, but is also serving as an income generation opportunity for some of them.
Bhutan
Even in a country which sounds as remote as Bhutan, there are a whopping 82,000 cell phone users. The National Telecommunications Network connects all the major cities and towns. However, the country has only one ISP, and that is Druknet, owned by Bhutan Telecom which provides dialup service. Internet has been around since June 1999 in Bhutan and currently boasts of 3000 subscribers. Bhutan Telecom also provides B-Mobile, a GSM service.
To provide telecom services in the rural areas, Bhutan Telecom has planned a Rural Telecommunications Project which will utilise technologies like Wireless Local Loop (WPP), Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSAT). The pilot project wasimplemented in selected areas and proved to be cost-effective and flexible with easy installation and good quality of service.
India
India boasts the fourth largest telecom sector in Asia (after China, Japan and South Korea), and is the eighth largest in the world. One of the fastest growing economies, the country saw a number of changes in its policies in recent years that have shaped its telecom sector as we see it today.
Earlier, India’s telecom sector was owned and managed by the state. However, in the early 1990s, a policy change opened doors for private sector investment which resulted in better quality service, lower tariffs, and in effect more consumers for the telecommunication industry. However, private sector had a stake in the India’s telecommunication industry even in the ‘80s when the government opened telecom equipment manufacturing to the sector. These reforms were then followed by National Telecom Policy (NTP) in 1994 and NTP’ 1999 which gave further boost to the industry.
According to a report on the internet, the compound annual growth rate of India’s telecommunication sector is at 21 per cent in the last four years, and has seen the revenues to double during the last three years. The country is now host to 160 million subscribers and generated around 19 billion dollars worth of revenues in 2006 alone. The report also promised that the growth will continue since around five to six million subscribers keep adding every month.
Maldives
There are about 344,000 cell phone users in Maldives along with 20,000 internet users. Domestic communication in Maldives is via microwave links while a satellite earth station is used for international communication.
The biggest challenge for the telecommunication provider, Dhiraagu, is the fact that the citizens of this country are spread out over 200 islands. This company, which is partially owned by the Maldives government, has risen up to the task commendably – with the result that the country now has universal access in terms of telephone coverage. All of the inhabited islands are connected to each other via telephones. Maldives also has the highest pay phone penetration in the region.
Nepal
Nepal has around 200,000 internet users with 26 ISPs catering to them. Nepal Telecom and Spice Nepal provide cellular service to cell phone users.
An interesting feature of Nepal which has increased the people’s access to telecom services is the public call office. There are many public call offices (PCO) which have sprung up in different parts of the country. They get a reduction on long-distance call charges as well as a monthly subsidy – something which lures even more people in this business. Apart from offering telephone services, these offices have a wide range of services ranging from internet and email to fax and photocopy.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka boasts of 7.2 million cell phone users – no surprise considering the poor domestic service where telephones are concerned. Internet services, including ADSL, are provided by Sri Lanka Telecom. Two new companies on the block are also providing local connections using the Wireless Local Loop (WPP) Technology.
Telecommunications in Sri Lanka, like many other countries, is concentrated in the urban Colombo – while 80 per cent of its population lives in the rural areas. The government has chalked out a National Telecommunications Policy to induce growth in this sector – this policy mainly calls for a greater participation of the private sector in the telecom industry, cost-based tariff system and improvement in the quality of service.
Following are the brief profiles of the different South Asian countries in terms of the advances they have made in telecommunications technologies.
Afghanistan
The telecommunications sector in Afghanistan has undergone rapid development since 2002. Currently, Afghan Wireless and Roshan are the main domestic companies providing cellular services in the country, while Areeba and Etisalat are the international companies. Moreover, 22 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are catering to around 535,000 internet users.
Telecom development in Afghanistan was an important part of the reconstruction process. A development policy was formulated in 2002 which called for the establishment of a long-distance network to ensure internet services to every part of the country, establishment of a backbone network, issuing of licenses to ISPs and establishment of tele-centres in smaller communities.
Bangladesh
Although Bangladesh has been enjoying internet facilities from 1996, the real growth of ISPs as well as the internet users has increased manifold during the past few years only. With 180 ISPs currently operating under the authority of Bangladesh Regulatory Authority Commission, the number of internet users has gone up to 450,000. Broadband services are not so common considering their very high cost; however, WiMax is slowly making its mark among the tech-savvy population.
When it comes to cell phones, there are around six mobile phone operators in the country, serving a total subscriber base of around 39 million people. Interestingly, it is Grameen Telecom which is actually targeting the rural subscriber base. Their project Village Phone (VP) is a huge hit where, using the microcredit finance programme of Grameen Bank, a villager can purchase a cell phone and become an operator for his/her village.
This is not only providing a cellular service to rural Bangladesh, but is also serving as an income generation opportunity for some of them.
Bhutan
Even in a country which sounds as remote as Bhutan, there are a whopping 82,000 cell phone users. The National Telecommunications Network connects all the major cities and towns. However, the country has only one ISP, and that is Druknet, owned by Bhutan Telecom which provides dialup service. Internet has been around since June 1999 in Bhutan and currently boasts of 3000 subscribers. Bhutan Telecom also provides B-Mobile, a GSM service.
To provide telecom services in the rural areas, Bhutan Telecom has planned a Rural Telecommunications Project which will utilise technologies like Wireless Local Loop (WPP), Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSAT). The pilot project wasimplemented in selected areas and proved to be cost-effective and flexible with easy installation and good quality of service.
India
India boasts the fourth largest telecom sector in Asia (after China, Japan and South Korea), and is the eighth largest in the world. One of the fastest growing economies, the country saw a number of changes in its policies in recent years that have shaped its telecom sector as we see it today.
Earlier, India’s telecom sector was owned and managed by the state. However, in the early 1990s, a policy change opened doors for private sector investment which resulted in better quality service, lower tariffs, and in effect more consumers for the telecommunication industry. However, private sector had a stake in the India’s telecommunication industry even in the ‘80s when the government opened telecom equipment manufacturing to the sector. These reforms were then followed by National Telecom Policy (NTP) in 1994 and NTP’ 1999 which gave further boost to the industry.
According to a report on the internet, the compound annual growth rate of India’s telecommunication sector is at 21 per cent in the last four years, and has seen the revenues to double during the last three years. The country is now host to 160 million subscribers and generated around 19 billion dollars worth of revenues in 2006 alone. The report also promised that the growth will continue since around five to six million subscribers keep adding every month.
Maldives
There are about 344,000 cell phone users in Maldives along with 20,000 internet users. Domestic communication in Maldives is via microwave links while a satellite earth station is used for international communication.
The biggest challenge for the telecommunication provider, Dhiraagu, is the fact that the citizens of this country are spread out over 200 islands. This company, which is partially owned by the Maldives government, has risen up to the task commendably – with the result that the country now has universal access in terms of telephone coverage. All of the inhabited islands are connected to each other via telephones. Maldives also has the highest pay phone penetration in the region.
Nepal
Nepal has around 200,000 internet users with 26 ISPs catering to them. Nepal Telecom and Spice Nepal provide cellular service to cell phone users.
An interesting feature of Nepal which has increased the people’s access to telecom services is the public call office. There are many public call offices (PCO) which have sprung up in different parts of the country. They get a reduction on long-distance call charges as well as a monthly subsidy – something which lures even more people in this business. Apart from offering telephone services, these offices have a wide range of services ranging from internet and email to fax and photocopy.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka boasts of 7.2 million cell phone users – no surprise considering the poor domestic service where telephones are concerned. Internet services, including ADSL, are provided by Sri Lanka Telecom. Two new companies on the block are also providing local connections using the Wireless Local Loop (WPP) Technology.
Telecommunications in Sri Lanka, like many other countries, is concentrated in the urban Colombo – while 80 per cent of its population lives in the rural areas. The government has chalked out a National Telecommunications Policy to induce growth in this sector – this policy mainly calls for a greater participation of the private sector in the telecom industry, cost-based tariff system and improvement in the quality of service.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
To mother, with love
Mother’s Day is one of those occasions that are celebrated with love and respect for moms all over the world, a day that belongs exclusively to her. Although the trend of celebrating specific day is new to this part of the world, but the fad has become popular especially among youngsters.
Like any other occasion, when it comes to Mother’s Day, cyberdom has yet again made its mark. As the M-day inches closer, related content on the web also increases in various aspects regarding mothers. Mother’s Day Celebration is one such website.
The website carries some very interesting content. For example, if you are looking to read some amazing tributes given by people to their moms, you can go through the section on Mother’s Day Special. This section covers the best advice that mothers have given to their children, inspirational quotes, poems on Mother’s Day, a heart rending account of the empty nest syndrome which mothers have to face at some point in their lives and of course, a glimpse at the books and movies dedicated to mothers.
You can also dig into the history of Mother’s Day and discover how the second Sunday of May every year has been dedicated to mothers all over the world.
This website also gathers ideas about different things. Whether you are looking for a perfect gift for your mother, or you would like to make something for her, the section on Mother’s Day Fun will cater exclusively to you. Featuring decorations, messages, trivia, songs and humour, you are sure to find something that you mommmy dearest will cherish.
There is also an interesting section on how Mother’s Day is celebrated throughout the world. Hence, you can find out how people pay a glowing tribute to their mothers on this day in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India, Ireland, the USA and the UK.
While you are browsing this website, try to keep this friendly reminder in mind – do not just use these ideas for one day in a year. You can give gifts, cards and tributes to your mom the year round. The best thing about this website is that you will not run out of ideas as to what to do and how to do it.
To access a website totally dedicated to mothers, log onto http://www.mothersdaycelebration.com/
Like any other occasion, when it comes to Mother’s Day, cyberdom has yet again made its mark. As the M-day inches closer, related content on the web also increases in various aspects regarding mothers. Mother’s Day Celebration is one such website.
The website carries some very interesting content. For example, if you are looking to read some amazing tributes given by people to their moms, you can go through the section on Mother’s Day Special. This section covers the best advice that mothers have given to their children, inspirational quotes, poems on Mother’s Day, a heart rending account of the empty nest syndrome which mothers have to face at some point in their lives and of course, a glimpse at the books and movies dedicated to mothers.
You can also dig into the history of Mother’s Day and discover how the second Sunday of May every year has been dedicated to mothers all over the world.
This website also gathers ideas about different things. Whether you are looking for a perfect gift for your mother, or you would like to make something for her, the section on Mother’s Day Fun will cater exclusively to you. Featuring decorations, messages, trivia, songs and humour, you are sure to find something that you mommmy dearest will cherish.
There is also an interesting section on how Mother’s Day is celebrated throughout the world. Hence, you can find out how people pay a glowing tribute to their mothers on this day in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India, Ireland, the USA and the UK.
While you are browsing this website, try to keep this friendly reminder in mind – do not just use these ideas for one day in a year. You can give gifts, cards and tributes to your mom the year round. The best thing about this website is that you will not run out of ideas as to what to do and how to do it.
To access a website totally dedicated to mothers, log onto http://www.mothersdaycelebration.com/
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Take Time Out to Read
A typical day in your life as a student basically involves some or all of the following: school, homework, getting together with friends, watching television and of course, browsing on the Internet. All through day and night, your prime concern is getting to school on time, attending all your classes, finishing your homework and catching up with your friends.
So where then, you ask, do you find time to fit books in?
Yes, books. And here, the reference is not to your textbooks, but to an assortment of classics, novels, contemporary fiction and the like. Of course, you have heard loads and loads of lectures already on how important it is, at this stage of life (or indeed any stage of life) to read good books, so you’ll be spared here. But nevertheless, one can simply not emphasise enough on what reading does for you — from expanding your ideas and outlook on life to improving your language, expression and vocabulary.
But unfortunately, in the fast paced life that you as students are currently living in, books have taken a back seat. You can try this out yourself. Ask anyone what books they are reading and the most common excuse you will get to explain one’s lack of reading is “We don’t have time to read books.”
And really, if you think about it, you will realise that they (or you, if you fall in the same category) do truly have no time for books — which by the way is the excuse of a lot of adults as well. Go back to your routine: you wake up and rush to school. You attend classes, enjoy a recess, attend more classes and then rush back home. Then you either take a nap or go for your tuitions. Then when you return you finish your homework, watch television, check your email or talk on the phone with your friends. Soon, it is time for dinner and following that, time to turn in. So really, when people say they don’t have time to read books, they have a point, right?
Wrong! If you start thinking about your schedule as a whole, you will definitely come to the conclusion that each day is full and you have no time to read. And if you try to fit an hour of reading each day, chances are that after a few days, you will revert back to your schedule and the books will lie on your shelf, neglected and forgotten.
But where there is a will, there is definitely a way. If you are serious about reading, and really want to read a few books, there are many small ways in which you can do that. In this case, don’t try to change your schedule or routine as a whole. Just make a few modifications to your activities within the schedule and you will realise that you indeed have quite a lot of time to read.
Confused? Let’s look at a few examples.
Suppose you are one of those students whom the van driver picks up really early in the morning. The time it takes you to reach school will depend on how far your school is from your house and how many students go in your van. But if you are one of the first people to step in your van, it can easily be assumed that it will take at least half an hour to one hour for you to reach school. Well, then why waste this time? Keep a book in your bag and utilise this hour to read something interesting.
A book in your bag at all times can easily ensure that whenever you have any free time at school, you can take it out and start reading. For instance, on the occasion that your group of friends haven’t turned up and you are bored during your recess, a book can easily be your companion.
Take another example. You are online. You are supposed to be checking your email and browsing a few websites. But your Internet is impossibly and agonising slow. All the web pages are taking eons to load properly, and you are left gritting your teeth in front of the computer and trying not to hurl insults at your cable guy or dialup service. In such an instance, why not keep your cool and pick up a book? You can easily read at least a few pages while your web pages load. And trust me, if you are reading a book, you won’t even notice how long your connection is taking to load a simple gmail login window. Whenever your window finishes to load, you can put the book down and go back to your work. Yeah, so you are sure to get a lot of questioning looks and weird stares at this, but there is a good term for this kind of work. It is called “multi tasking”. You are just giving it a whole new meaning.
Another very constructive thing that can be done pertains to television. All of you must be having at least one thing or the other which you watch on a daily basis, whether it is a soap opera or drama serial or sitcom. Watching television these days can become quite a trial owing to the numerous advertisements that one is bombarded with. Of course, with the remote and the cable channels, it has become easier to avoid these advertisements by channel surfing whenever the commercial break begins in the programme that one is watching. What you can do, however, is that instead of channel surfing, mute your television when the advertisements begin, and pick your book. Muting will ensure that you will know when your programme resumes after the break, so you can go back to it. An ad break goes on for at least five minutes, and there are quite a few of these breaks throughout the whole programme, so you can easily fit in a few pages of your book during this time.
So there you have it — you don’t really need to make any drastic changes in your lifestyle to ensure that you have healthy reading habits.
You don’t have to compromise on any of your work or activity to make time for books. All you need are some minor amendments to your routine activities so that you have the best of both the worlds. After all, considering the numerous advantages that reading offers, making these amendments will only benefit you in the long term.
Finding Good Books
For those of you who are just starting out trying to make reading a daily habit, finding out which books are worth your time can be a harrowing task. At such times, many students decide to opt for books which have the least number of pages and go for books like The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and Animal Farm by George Orwell, without bothering to go into their depth, context and history. So how do you start?
a) Browse through your library at school to see what type of fiction novels are available and which authors appeal to you. You can borrow the books from the library only, and then search for more books by your favourite authors at bookstores.
b) Browse online to see which books — fiction and non fiction — you are interested in.
c) If classics put you off by their sheer length and language, read their abridged versions first. If you like the story, then definitely go for the original unabridged versions. Try this for all the books of Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and other classical authors.
d) Find out which movies are based on books, and watch them. They can motivate you to read books like Gone with the Wind, Rebecca and Anne of Green Gables as well.
So where then, you ask, do you find time to fit books in?
Yes, books. And here, the reference is not to your textbooks, but to an assortment of classics, novels, contemporary fiction and the like. Of course, you have heard loads and loads of lectures already on how important it is, at this stage of life (or indeed any stage of life) to read good books, so you’ll be spared here. But nevertheless, one can simply not emphasise enough on what reading does for you — from expanding your ideas and outlook on life to improving your language, expression and vocabulary.
But unfortunately, in the fast paced life that you as students are currently living in, books have taken a back seat. You can try this out yourself. Ask anyone what books they are reading and the most common excuse you will get to explain one’s lack of reading is “We don’t have time to read books.”
And really, if you think about it, you will realise that they (or you, if you fall in the same category) do truly have no time for books — which by the way is the excuse of a lot of adults as well. Go back to your routine: you wake up and rush to school. You attend classes, enjoy a recess, attend more classes and then rush back home. Then you either take a nap or go for your tuitions. Then when you return you finish your homework, watch television, check your email or talk on the phone with your friends. Soon, it is time for dinner and following that, time to turn in. So really, when people say they don’t have time to read books, they have a point, right?
Wrong! If you start thinking about your schedule as a whole, you will definitely come to the conclusion that each day is full and you have no time to read. And if you try to fit an hour of reading each day, chances are that after a few days, you will revert back to your schedule and the books will lie on your shelf, neglected and forgotten.
But where there is a will, there is definitely a way. If you are serious about reading, and really want to read a few books, there are many small ways in which you can do that. In this case, don’t try to change your schedule or routine as a whole. Just make a few modifications to your activities within the schedule and you will realise that you indeed have quite a lot of time to read.
Confused? Let’s look at a few examples.
Suppose you are one of those students whom the van driver picks up really early in the morning. The time it takes you to reach school will depend on how far your school is from your house and how many students go in your van. But if you are one of the first people to step in your van, it can easily be assumed that it will take at least half an hour to one hour for you to reach school. Well, then why waste this time? Keep a book in your bag and utilise this hour to read something interesting.
A book in your bag at all times can easily ensure that whenever you have any free time at school, you can take it out and start reading. For instance, on the occasion that your group of friends haven’t turned up and you are bored during your recess, a book can easily be your companion.
Take another example. You are online. You are supposed to be checking your email and browsing a few websites. But your Internet is impossibly and agonising slow. All the web pages are taking eons to load properly, and you are left gritting your teeth in front of the computer and trying not to hurl insults at your cable guy or dialup service. In such an instance, why not keep your cool and pick up a book? You can easily read at least a few pages while your web pages load. And trust me, if you are reading a book, you won’t even notice how long your connection is taking to load a simple gmail login window. Whenever your window finishes to load, you can put the book down and go back to your work. Yeah, so you are sure to get a lot of questioning looks and weird stares at this, but there is a good term for this kind of work. It is called “multi tasking”. You are just giving it a whole new meaning.
Another very constructive thing that can be done pertains to television. All of you must be having at least one thing or the other which you watch on a daily basis, whether it is a soap opera or drama serial or sitcom. Watching television these days can become quite a trial owing to the numerous advertisements that one is bombarded with. Of course, with the remote and the cable channels, it has become easier to avoid these advertisements by channel surfing whenever the commercial break begins in the programme that one is watching. What you can do, however, is that instead of channel surfing, mute your television when the advertisements begin, and pick your book. Muting will ensure that you will know when your programme resumes after the break, so you can go back to it. An ad break goes on for at least five minutes, and there are quite a few of these breaks throughout the whole programme, so you can easily fit in a few pages of your book during this time.
So there you have it — you don’t really need to make any drastic changes in your lifestyle to ensure that you have healthy reading habits.
You don’t have to compromise on any of your work or activity to make time for books. All you need are some minor amendments to your routine activities so that you have the best of both the worlds. After all, considering the numerous advantages that reading offers, making these amendments will only benefit you in the long term.
Finding Good Books
For those of you who are just starting out trying to make reading a daily habit, finding out which books are worth your time can be a harrowing task. At such times, many students decide to opt for books which have the least number of pages and go for books like The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and Animal Farm by George Orwell, without bothering to go into their depth, context and history. So how do you start?
a) Browse through your library at school to see what type of fiction novels are available and which authors appeal to you. You can borrow the books from the library only, and then search for more books by your favourite authors at bookstores.
b) Browse online to see which books — fiction and non fiction — you are interested in.
c) If classics put you off by their sheer length and language, read their abridged versions first. If you like the story, then definitely go for the original unabridged versions. Try this for all the books of Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and other classical authors.
d) Find out which movies are based on books, and watch them. They can motivate you to read books like Gone with the Wind, Rebecca and Anne of Green Gables as well.
News Flash
With the proliferation of print and electronic media, coupled with a similar increase in citizen journalism, it is now quite easy to access multiple sources of news from around the world.
In stark contrast to the time when there was only one state-owned television channel and radio station with their hourly news bulletins, public today have access to as many sources of news as they need to satiate their appetite for the going-ons around them. Now the internet, too, has a key role in not only augmenting the sources of news, but also in enhancing the way in which news is received.
However, with such a massive amount of information at the disposal of the audiences, it sometimes becomes a little difficult to judge between different stories — which stories need immediate attention? Which issues need to be addressed first? Which issues can be set aside for a while? These decisions simply reflect the understanding and need of time.
Ten Stories is a website which gathers stories that are important and need attention. On an annual basis, this website brings out a list of 10 pressing global issues to direct the attention of people towards them. A venture of the department of public information of the UN, this list of 10 stories was first released in 2004 and continues to date.
You can go through this website to discover more about the current press issues — which are essentially the key happenings of 2007. The issues which, according to this website, should receive more time, space and attention include the plight of the female soldiers, keeping bird flu from becoming pandemic, key advances in the prevention and treatment of malaria, the peace process in Northern Uganda, the divide between Afghanistan, the international community, and others. Within the individual webpage of each issue, you can read up on what the story really is, which will give you some insight into its significance.
The context of the story is described next — this includes a little bit of background along with facts and figures given in bullet points for easy reading. At the end, there are links pointing to more web-spaces in the cyberspace which you can peruse to find more about the issue.
Moreover, the website has an archive of its previous key issues categorised by the year they were brought to the forefront. So you can delve into any or all of these years from 2004 to 2006 inclusive, and read up on the issues which were the main concerns of media at that time.
Of course, at the end of the day, the question arises: what next. Now that you know about the issues, you can make your own judgment as to which issues you consider important enough to direct your attention to, irrespective of the news media which you use to get your information.
This website is one of the many around cyberspace which can help you decide which news to look out for, and whether or not you consider them as pressing issues is entirely up to you.
To discover the ten most important stories you should know more about, log onto http://www.un.org/events/tenstories
In stark contrast to the time when there was only one state-owned television channel and radio station with their hourly news bulletins, public today have access to as many sources of news as they need to satiate their appetite for the going-ons around them. Now the internet, too, has a key role in not only augmenting the sources of news, but also in enhancing the way in which news is received.
However, with such a massive amount of information at the disposal of the audiences, it sometimes becomes a little difficult to judge between different stories — which stories need immediate attention? Which issues need to be addressed first? Which issues can be set aside for a while? These decisions simply reflect the understanding and need of time.
Ten Stories is a website which gathers stories that are important and need attention. On an annual basis, this website brings out a list of 10 pressing global issues to direct the attention of people towards them. A venture of the department of public information of the UN, this list of 10 stories was first released in 2004 and continues to date.
You can go through this website to discover more about the current press issues — which are essentially the key happenings of 2007. The issues which, according to this website, should receive more time, space and attention include the plight of the female soldiers, keeping bird flu from becoming pandemic, key advances in the prevention and treatment of malaria, the peace process in Northern Uganda, the divide between Afghanistan, the international community, and others. Within the individual webpage of each issue, you can read up on what the story really is, which will give you some insight into its significance.
The context of the story is described next — this includes a little bit of background along with facts and figures given in bullet points for easy reading. At the end, there are links pointing to more web-spaces in the cyberspace which you can peruse to find more about the issue.
Moreover, the website has an archive of its previous key issues categorised by the year they were brought to the forefront. So you can delve into any or all of these years from 2004 to 2006 inclusive, and read up on the issues which were the main concerns of media at that time.
Of course, at the end of the day, the question arises: what next. Now that you know about the issues, you can make your own judgment as to which issues you consider important enough to direct your attention to, irrespective of the news media which you use to get your information.
This website is one of the many around cyberspace which can help you decide which news to look out for, and whether or not you consider them as pressing issues is entirely up to you.
To discover the ten most important stories you should know more about, log onto http://www.un.org/events/tenstories
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