Picked this up with a lot of expectations but was left sorely disappointed.
Is all of life a competition? Who decides who wins? What if I decide not to compete?
What type of tourist are you? The adventure seeker? The souvenir shopper? The soul searcher? The nature lover? Whatever type you are, Sikkim, in Northeast India, is sure to please you.
What makes a place feel like home? Sometimes, even very small changes can transform a once-comforting space into a place that feels confining and distant.
Weekends are a good time for families to get together for some fun riddles. Here are a few for you. Challenge your family members and see who can come up with quickest answers!
We have all heard of Déjà vu. But have you heard of Jamais vu? You may have heard of color blindness, but have you heard of synesthesia? Do you know what apophenia is? Read on to learn more about some of these interesting concepts.
Japan is known as a country that offers a unique blend of culture and technology. Stories of Japanese style of management and concepts such as Ikigai and Kaizen have several books written on them. All this can leave one with a very one sided idealistic view of Japan.
Often well-meaning people say useless and hurtful things to our face. If we call them out on it, we'll be labeled touchy and sensitive. However, people who meet you just once or twice a year have no business telling you anything; well-intentioned or not.
Parthasarathy Temple in Chennai, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, is more than 2000 years old. The Pallava and later Chola kings helped in the development of the temple.
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was an academician, scholar, and philosopher. He served as the president of India from 1962 to 1967. His birth date, September 5th is celebrated as Teacher's day every year in India.
Though sometimes a distinction is made between "jealousy" (this happens in relationships and involves three people) and "envy" (this refers to feelings hostility towards someone who has something you don't), in this article I have used the words interchangeably.
"Vikram Aur Betha" ("Vikram and the Vampire") is a collection of short stories believed to have been written in the 11th century. Read by even kids, each story ends with a riddle that tests the reader's values and judgment. Here are two stories. How would you answer the riddles?
Square watermelons, white strawberries, and "sekai-ichi" apples (literally, "world's number one" apples) are just a few examples of how the Japanese try to add their special touch to regular fruits. Some of these fruits are extremely expensive and given as gifts.
A mother-daughter relationship is pure magic. It is simple in its love yet complex in its dynamics.
All of us have heard of "anime" (animation). Here are a few lesser-known loan words as well as Nipponized words created by the Japanese from the English language.
All teachers want their students to do well; students too would like to do well in the language in which they have invested time, money and energy into. Here are some questions students should and shouldn't ask their language teacher.
There are so many articles on the art of saying "no" that we fail to understand the benefits of saying "yes." Saying "yes" doesn't make you a pushover; it only makes you more open to learning and change.
Flightless parrots, blind moles, gentle retrievers and silly Kakapos. Here are some interesting and lesser known tidbits from the animal kingdom.
"Orange Days" on Netflix is a Japanese drama series. With just Eleven episodes this drama series is not overly lengthy. With a hearing-impaired person as the protagonist, most dialogues are spoken slowly; hand gestures come with Japanese and English subtitles.
Natsuhonban! (Summer is here!) Read on to learn some interesting summer words and phrases in Japanese language.
Chennai in South India is known for its scorching heat and punishing humidity. Here are some simple local summer drinks to beat the summer heat.
I saw the phrase "delulu is the solulu" in the comments section of a YouTube video. Scrolling down the comments section made me realize just how much Gen Z slang is totally beyond my comprehension. Read on to learn some of these really interesting "words".
Recently when I injured my finger, I suddenly found myself relieved of many household chores. Here are 5 things I have enjoyed doing with all the time I found myself saddled with. These activities have worked for me in the past too, especially on some boring Sundays.
Japanese letters, both formal and informal, follow a set pattern. Certain salutations and seasonal phrases go in business correspondences and casual emails as well. Read on to know more.
Multitasking led to a finger injury for the author. This is her story.
I remember enjoying television commercials as a kid. The jingles were catchy, the models were good-looking and the whole set along with the screenplay was pretty aspirational. Advertisers and marketers indeed need to know a bit of psychology to sway customers towards a product.
"Whisper of the Heart" ("Mimi wo Sumaseba") was directed by Yoshifumi Kondo and written by Hayao Miyazaki. This movie is an adaptation of Aoi Hiiragi's 1989 manga of the same name.
Disney is predominantly associated with wholesome, kids friendly content. However some of their villains can be terrifying even to adults. Here are my top 5 quotes by some of these iconic villains.
The idea behind Anant Pai's "Amar Chitra Katha" was brilliant and simple at the same time. They present India's mythological stories and epics in comic format.
Did you know that there are two lovers' days in Japan? Besides Valentine's Day, they also have White Day. Read on to learn more.
Japanese language uses Kanji characters with each character associated with a meaning. This possibly makes it easy to make compound words. E.g. the Kanji for "noon" and "sleep" put together gives the word "midday nap" (hirune). Often many words get combined into one in Japanese language.
Japanese words are usually a combination of Hiragana and Kanji. However, some words are written using Hiragana alone, although a Kanji equivalent exists. Similarly, some words are typically written using Katakana, even if they are not borrowed words.
Did you know that there is a word for the space between your eyebrows? And yes, there is a word for the part that goes behind your ears in glasses. Read on to know more about these less used words.
Here are some thoughts for the year ahead. These Japanese phrases are what I'd like to tell myself as I continue my writing journey and as I continue to interact with more and more strangers on the internet.
Learning a foreign language improves your chances of landing a job. Plus it is a gateway to understanding a new culture and can be an enriching and fun experience. Here are a few mistakes to avoid when trying to learn a new language.
Pondicherry, India, a former French colony, makes for a fun weekend getaway. A curious mix of Tamil and French culture, Pondicherry offers shopping, beaches, restaurants and temples that are all worth the visit.
Tamil Nadu offers a distinct vibrant culture. There are so many unique things one could buy here—and none of these cost much!
Who doesn't like to come back to a clean and nice-smelling house? It's not that hard to achieve. Here's how I manage to keep my house mostly tidy. Hint: Aim for progress and not perfection.
Here are a few brief histories behind some famous brand names. This list includes well-known brands like Pepsi and Häagen-Dazs.
Tasty food solves everything. Even so, at least to my knowledge, there are not many poems about food. Certainly, not as many as there are about "love" or "nature". Here are a few about food that I enjoyed reading.
The Japanese language has classifiers that are used for counting nouns. These are also called "counter suffixes." In Japanese, you don't simply say two pencils. You say two "counter word" of pencils.
The Tamil month Margazhi starts around December 15th and extends to January 15th. This month is auspicious for Hindus.
Even after passing the JLPT exams, I see students struggling to string words into sentences. Read on to learn how to get better at spoken Japanese.
The human psyche is amazing. While all of us are unique, certain psychological theories such as the Bouba-Kiki theory and Barnum Effect apply to all of us irrespective of our nationality and language. Isn't it amazing how we all are so different yet have so many similarities?
Japan is all about hardworking office-goers and businessmen who are known for their resilience. The word "gambaru" which means "to persevere" or "to hang on" defines the collective psyche of the Japanese people. But hey, it's the holiday season. Let's learn some fun (un) Japanese vocabulary.
Ever wondered why the barber poles in Japan are in red, blue, and white? How did the symbol ¥ come to be used for Japanese currency? What's with the baggy socks worn by Japanese high school girls? Read on to learn more about such interesting "everyday things" in Japan.
The Japanese have different styles of highlighting nouns in a sentence. How they choose to highlight the noun depends on the context. It can be quite tricky for foreigners, as many languages do not specifically have such emphasizers.
I learned these home remedies from my mom. Ancient wisdom from India to help combat the common cold and other ailments.
The slightly chilly November air of Chennai stirs memories of Japanese winters in me. My stay in Japan helped me appreciate every small seasonal change in my hometown; though the changes are far less drastic here. Japan or Chennai, the year-end mist always brings with it hope for a happy new year.
What is true love's kiss? Does such a thing even exist?
Aging is hard. It's harder for those with ailments. The caregivers don't have it easy either; ridden with guilt for not making enough time and for not showing enough patience, while being constantly reminded that in a matter of time, they would be as old and possibly as ill.
It is strange how lines penned by poets hundreds of years back move and motivate me. Some of them even seem like they were written just for me. Some of them reflect my thoughts so much so those lines could have been mine. Here are some such lines.
Bodhidharma is considered responsible for establishing Zen Buddhism in China. There is no reliable historical evidence about his birth and life. But he is commonly thought to have been a Pallava prince born in South India.
Reading and listening sections are the hardest sections to crack in JLPT. Students taking the exam from outside Japan find it harder as they don't have as much exposure to spoken and written Japanese compared to students living in Japan.
Furry bunnies, cute kitties, beautiful deer– who doesn't love them? If you are the type who loves to pet and feed animals then you must love Japan. Japan is home to many interesting wildlife stories. Here are some beyond the cat and owl cafes.
Both Japan and Tamil Nadu (located in India) have a tradition of arranging dolls on steps to celebrate the girl child of a family. These doll festivals are called 'Hinamatsuri' and 'Navaratri Golu'.
Pragmatics, a sub-field of linguistics, talks about "face theory" and "politeness theory". It discusses the "face" we put on while interacting with others and explains why we choose certain words over others in our interactions.
Japan has the world's most efficient railway system, where thousands use the metro every day to commute. In Japan, trains can always be relied upon to take you to the right place at the right time. They are impeccably clean and punctual, too.
Every culture seems to have its share of spooky stories and urban legends. Japan is no exception to this. Revengeful spirits and ghosts have been part of Japanese folktales for centuries now.
"Shinto" is the indigenous religion of Japan. Most Japanese follow the traditions of both Shinto and Buddhism. The two religions have co-existed for many centuries now in this country.
Have you heard of the word "Chindougu"? It refers to innovative but bizarre gadgets that we sometimes wish we had; for example, chopsticks with tiny fans stuck to them to cool off your noodles. Sometimes, "out of the box" thinking, can lead to some truly amazing and pathbreaking inventions.
"Tanjore painting" is a rich and vibrant painting style that originated in India. I will share a brief history of this traditional art form as well as steps to creat your own Tanjore painting.
Japanese industries are known worldwide for their innovative technology and meticulous adherence to quality. Here I look at some interesting stories behind popular Japanese businesses.
"Kiki's Delivery Service" is a 1989 anime written, produced, and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, and based on a 1985 novel by Eiko Kadano.
"Howl's Moving Castle" by director Hayao Miyazaki, was released in Japan in 2004, with the dubbed English version following a year later. While technically beautiful, the characters weren't particularly interesting and the plot was confusing.
Not many people know that Japan has sand dunes. The Tottori dunes stretch for around 15 km and are the largest sand dunes in Japan. They're located in the San'in region and run along the sea of Japan.
Have you ever wondered about the woman adorning the 5000 yen notes in Japan? Ichiyo Higuchi is considered the most influential writer of the Meiji era.
Tadashi Yanai is a billionaire businessman whose Uniqlo is now a powerful brand in the international market. His autobiography, "One Win Nine Losses" is yet to be translated into English. Here are some interesting highlights.
The Japanese language has three writing systems – Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. While Hiragana and Katakana are phonetic letters, Kanji is a set of around 2000 characters borrowed from China.
When COVID struck, online classes became the only option for teaching. Post-COVID, teaching and learning have mostly shifted back to physical classrooms. However, foreign language and other extracurricular courses, such as yoga and even music, continue to be offered online.
"My Neighbor Totoro" was released in Japan in the year 1988. Studio Ghibli recently celebrated the 35th anniversary of this Hayao Miyazaki classic. This award-winning movie is available for viewing on Netflix.
Home gardening is pretty popular in Japan. As you walk down a residential street, you can spot many home gardens with plastic bottles turned into self-watering planters and even windmills. Though there are many styles of gardens in Japan, their rock gardens are famous throughout the world.
Jhumpa Lahiri, author of award-winning novels such as "Interpretation of Maladies" and "Namesake" was born in England to Indian parents. Her family moved to the United States when she was three. Her writing often reflects her own immigrant experience.
Mahatma Gandhi is known for his non-violent movement that helped India achieve freedom from British occupation. He wrote his autobiography "The Story of My Experiments With Truth" in weekly installments in his journal. Here are some of my favorite quotes from his book.
Determination of personality traits based on zodiac signs is quite common in many countries. Did you know that the Japanese use a person's blood group to understand his/her characteristic traits?
All of us dream. Most of us experience two or three dreams in our sleep every night. Though the interpretation of dreams is highly subjective, there are certain commonly accepted facts about dreams that are very interesting.
Are you a grandparent? Having once been a parent yourself, you know there is no "right" or "wrong" parenting style. You know different styles work for different kids. You know you were not a perfect parent. You must also know then that, while parenting is tough, grandparenting doesn't have to be.
Vegetarian? You don't have to survive on plain rice in Japan! Whether you're at a convenience store, grocery store or restaurant, here are some tasty options for you.
Sometimes life forces you to move away from your homeland and seek fortune elsewhere. And often, it is for a long duration, where you must make the foreign country your second home.
I finally watched Hayao Miyazaki's Oscar-winning, 2001 masterpiece, "Spirited Away," on Netflix. Here's my take on the movie.
By definition, all crimes are serious and can cause trauma to those involved. However, some crime stories are so wacky they bring a smile to your face. Here are some of those from Japan.
Fiction writers and filmmakers have contributed many words to the English language, like "chortle" and "gaslight". Though reading and watching films are seen as hobbies, they're also part of a country's culture and help us understand language better.
It always helps to know a few words and phrases in Japanese, even if you are expecting to stay in Japan for a short time. The Japanese are very warm to visitors and are openly thrilled when you try to speak their language.
Did you know that the words "Tycoon" and "Karaoke" are from the Japanese language? "Haiku" and "Emoji" are Japanese words too. But they now belong to the world. The same goes for Japanese words such as "Bonsai" and "Origami".
If you wish to work in Japan, you need to understand the different polite forms of Japanese language. Even though foreigners can usually get by without completely understanding the different levels of politeness, you need them if you want to succeed in the Japanese corporate world.
What screams "summer" around where you live? Watermelons? Fireworks? Fireflies? Here are certain unique things that symbolize summer in Japan.
"Kimi no Na Wa" ("your name" in English) is a Japanese anime that was first released in the year 2016. The movie went on to become the highest-grossing anime ever. I recently got the chance to watch this movie on the big screen, in Chennai, South India.
Kazuo Ishiguro, the Japanese-born English writer needs no introduction. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in the year 2017. "A Pale View of Hills" was his debut novel.
Haruki Murakami is a famous Japanese writer known for his distinct style of story telling. His novels and short stories have been translated into many languages and have won international acclaim. "Birthday Stories" is an anthology of short stories on the theme, "Birthday".
Learning a new language doesn't have to be boring and monotonous. Here are six interesting tips to make learning Japanese less of a chore.
Learn all about the "Thirukkural," the 1,330 short, seven-word couplets composed by the Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar.
Here's a list of awesome, elegant Japanese characters (with meanings) for your next tattoo. Be sure to get that kanji inked right!
Japanese hobbies such as Ikebana and Origami are popular all over the world. Besides them, certain Japanese philosophies like "wabi-sabi" and "kintsugi" can inspire some interesting hobbies.
Minimalism isn't necessarily about restricting expenditures to the point of being stingy. It is about prioritizing expenses. It is about not getting sucked into the world of consumerism. It is about appreciating the value of what we already have.
In today's busy world of instant messaging, navigating friendships can be a little tricky. Forget forging lifelong friendships, maintaining friends for even 5 years seems hard.
If you visit Japan for a week, set aside about three days for Tokyo. This is perfect for covering the city's important spots. Here are some fun places to visit if you're with kids.
Proverbs often mirror a country's culture. Japanese proverbs called "Kotowaza" are no exception. Some of the cryptic ones are open to interpretation. Like many interesting Japanese ideas such as "Ikigai," Japanese proverbs too offer daily inspiration.
Senior citizens can be a parent, a relative or a neighbour. As much as we hate to admit it, we depend on them for advice on home remedies, traditional recipes and even tax returns. Here are some gift ideas for the adorable senior citizens in our lives.
Breathtaking Himalayan views, beautiful valleys, and chilly April winds; this is how I'd sum up my five-day trip to Mussoorie. I do wish though that I'd spent more time in nature and avoided some tourist traps.
There could be many English books set in South India, but R. K. Narayan's are the best. They transport you instantly to a middle-class South Indian household. You can smell the sunny days of "Malgudi" as you read his books.
Tamil is a South Indian language. Both Japanese and Tamil follow the S-O-V sentence structure. Besides this fundamental similarity, there are several other interesting similarities between these two languages that are apparent to even casual language learners.
What makes some teachers more popular than others? How is it that some teachers always seem to produce better results? In my view, they are the teachers who seem to know when to don the "mentor" hat.
It can be difficult for a foreigner to survive in the Japanese corporate world. All of us are familiar with the workaholic culture of Japan. But putting in long hours is only part of the deal.
Life in Japan can seem fast-paced, with crowded Trains running throughout the day. But scratch the surface, and you will discover quite another world. Here is a list of unique things that are best experienced in Japan.
Here is a handy list of unique Japanese Souvenirs that you can take back home. They won’t take up much of your luggage space. They are widely available in big cities and can be easily purchased. What's more, none of this costs much.
Here are three timeless Japanese classics. These films to me, are a study of the Human Mind. The Human Mind can never be fully understood and for this very reason, these films will continue to enthrall audience for many more years to come.
Every country is unique in its own way. Japan, however, occupies a special position among Asian countries for being technologically advanced on one hand and culturally so unique on the other hand.
I have been teaching Japanese language for the past ten years, during which time I have had the chance to interact with different kinds of students. I am often asked how I win students’ trust and cooperation. Read on for some tips that I have learned over the years.
Japanese Dramas are not only thoroughly entertaining, but they also give us valuable glimpses into the Japanese psyche. Here are Five Life Lessons that can be drawn from Japanese Dramas.
There are two popular International tests for Japanese Language proficiency. Read on if you’d like to know which one is better suited for you.
Do you want to only learn spoken Japanese? Or do you want to learn the Japanese script too? Once you have the answer to these questions, all you have to do is follow these very few simple steps.