Friendship

Friendship. We often use this word. But what does it in fact mean? Are you able to answer this question? Who is a real friend? Do you think that friendship will never die? Have you ever thought about it?

GIRL(17)

What does friendship mean to you?

It is something what is very valuable but you can't buy it. It must be protected. You have to take care of friendship because it is very easy to loose a friend but after that it is much more difficult to recover it again. It is like a treasure. You must keep it in safety. If you don't, it will not last anymore. Friendship is soft.

Who do you think a good friend is?

It's someone who you get on well with. Who you like to be with and who you would miss if you lost him. It's somebody who stands by you if you have some problems, who gives you advice, who has always time for you.

Do you think you have many friends?

I am not sure. I have many friends-many people who I know, but not many good friends.

Do you think a good friend can let you down?

Yes, I think so. Somebody seems to be your good friend, but if you have some problems, he/she isn't there for you. But in this case he/she isn't your good friend.

Would you do anything for your friend?

It depends on the friend and on the thing I should do. I think that I will help my friend with problems he/she has to go through. He/she has to feel that somebody in the world loves him/her and takes care for him/her. If you have a good friend, your problems seem to be smaller and it is much easier for you because you know you can always reckon on somebody.

Do you have a boyfriend?

No, I don't.

Do you spend much time with your friends?

Well, I meet them almost every day because many of my friends go to the same school as I do. We also meet each other in our free time. My parents are sometimes angry because they think I don't spend enough time with my family. But they are really nice and accept it. I am with my friends especially during holidays. I want to be with somebody in my age.

Do your parents like your friends?

They don't know them very well, but I think that they like most of them. But I know many families arguing about this topic.

Do you know what they think of them?

I haven't asked. If they are speaking about them, it is usually in a good way. If they thought something bad about them, they would certainly say it.

And is it easy for you to make friends?

Maybe yes. Everybody says I am very sociable and talkative think I am quite reserved to strangers. But if I make a friend, I am sure it will last.

BOY(18)

What does friendship mean to you?

Friendship? It is a relationship between people.

Boys and girls?

Also.

Do you have a girlfriend?

Yes, I do.

Do you really love her?

Well, I don't know. But I like her.

And how long have you been going out with her?

How long? Two weeks. During the last 2 years I have always had a girlfriend and maybe this one is the right.

Is she your good friend? Who is a good friend?

I have known her only for 4 weeks and I think that you must know your good friend longer. Good friend is the one who gives you advice, who has the same hobbies, and of course, who lends you money if you are broken.

Is it all?

Maybe.

So, do you have many friends?

Oh, hundreds.

Could they let you down?

Some did, but we are friends again.

Would you do anything for your friends?

Anything? No, I wouldn't kill somebody for example.

How much time do spend with your friends?

As possible. Especially at weekends. I like playing football with them.

Do you parents think you spend too much time with them?

Yes, we have arguments about it. But I don't have the same opinion.

And do they like them?

Some of them yes. But they are also afraid of the bad influence they could have on me.

WOMAN(40)

What does friendship mean to you?

It is necessary, but I don't have so much time for my friends. I have family, job. It used to be different when I was young. I didn't have so many duties. I haven't seen lots of my friends from school for very long time.

What do you think about today's friendship?

I think that real friendship is rare. Today's meaning of friendship is different as it used to be. People know each other, meet each other, but these meetings are usually for business. Everybody keeps his problems for himself. He cannot be sure about his friends. Someone is your "friend" because it suits him, but he may hate you.

And do you have any children?

Yes, I do. I have two teenagers.

Do they have a boyfriend/girlfriend?

I think so. Somebody always calls them, but it is a secret for me. I think they don't want me to know about it.

And don't you want to know?

Of course, yes. But I remember being the same. It needs time.

I expect you know some of their friends. What do you think about them, do you like them?

I can't say exactly. I don't know them very well. Some are really nice, but I am afraid that some could have a bad influence on them.

In which way?

For example smoking or drinking, playing truant. In the worst case of drugs. They spend much time with them and we both work.

Could they let your children down?

Everybody can disappoint. We are all people.

MAN(53)

What does friendship mean to you?

Friendship? What is it? It doesn't exist anymore!

Don't you have any friends?

I do, but they aren't real friends. They only want to utilise me. Some of them want to borrow money from me, the others want me to help them to build their houses(I am bricklayer).They come to visit me only when they need something.

Do you have any children?

Yes, three boys and two girls.

Do they have any friends?

Yes, they have many friends.

Do you like them?

No, they always come to stay in our house at night and they are really noisy and impolite.

Did you use to have any friends when you were young?

Yes, we used to have fun together, but now they have families and also they have changed. I wish I could turn back the time. Today all the people live only for money and success.

And what about you? Is money more important for you than relationships between you and people around you?

Money is very important, but I used to think that relationships are important too. Now, I have changed my mind. I treat the others as they treat me. Money is also important because my children need it and want it from me. They became demanding.

True friends never leave each other, even if one of them is walking on the wrong path of life. A true friend will try to correct the other in a way that it does not hurt the ego of the other friend. Friends don't mind when mistakes are pointed out; rather they try to accept it and change themselves for the better. True friends are those, who inspire others to become a better person in life.

Here is a short story about True Friendship

Two girls were best of friends, since their childhood. When they were small kids, they used to go to school together, play together and sometimes even stay at each other's places. They were next door neighbors and thus their parents were friends as well. The best friends graduated from school and went to pursue higher studies in the same college. Everyone knew that the girls were the best of friends. Nothing was hidden between the duo, because both knew each other inside out.

After some days, one of the friends found the other behaving in a very strange manner. She would remain withdrawn, sleep too much and turn violent, very often. At first, the other friend thought it was just the studies getting on to her. However, with time, she became even more moody and frustrated. Finally, her friend couldn't take it any longer and confronted her with the problem. She broke down into tears and confessed that she was going around with a guy, who was taking drugs and forced her to take them too.

The girl was not only forced to take drugs, but was also forced to bring money every now and then and was threatened with dire consequences, if she revealed the matter to anyone, even her best friend. Shocked by her story, the other friend consoled her. She then thought of a way to help her. Finally, she thought that she would come up straight to the point and tell her to leave this guy and get out of all the mess. She contacted the college counselor, who was a psychologist and narrated all the problem to her. She offered to help and said that matter would be kept under wraps.

The girl was then advised by her friend to leave this guy, as he was torturing her unnecessarily. Her friend reminded her of her dreams of becoming a successful professional, inspired her to set an example for others and reminded of what her parents would feel, if they found out what their daughter was up to. After a lot of persuasion, the girl finally agreed to leave him. She was given basic counseling and was weaned off drugs, with time. All this while, her friend never left her side and always stood by her.

Finally, they graduated and the friendship only grew stronger. They both went on to become successful professionals, but never let each other down by indulging themselves into bad habits. They lived happily ever after, as close friends.

The story leaves the reader to think about the depth of friendship shared by the two girls. The moral of the story is that true friends are those, who inspire you to become the best you can ever be. They have full confidence in you. They would not leave you until your goal is accomplished.

How to Love

Love is both an action and a feeling. The action of love generates a blissful feeling called by the same name. When the action stops, the blissful feeling is replaced with pain. Every person is capable of great love (and its opposite, fear, which generates all painful emotions such as hate, greed and jealousy).

While there are many different ways to define love and there are many different ways to love someone (or even yourself), here is a general guide to loving.

1. Say it. When you say the words "I Love You", they should carry with them the desire to show someone that you love them, not what you simply want to feel. When you say it, make sure you really mean it and are willing to do anything for that special person.

2. Empathize. Put yourself in someone else's shoes. Rather than impose your own expectations or attempt to control them, to understand how they feel, where they come from, and who they are. Realize how they could also love you back just as well.

3. Love unconditionally. If you cannot love another person without attaching stipulations, then it is not love at all, but deep-seated opportunism (one who makes the most of an advantage, often unmindful of others). If your interest is not in the other person as such, but rather in how that person can enhance your experience of life, then it is not unconditional. If you have no intention of improving that person’s life, or allowing that person to be themselves and accepting them as they are, and not who you want them to be, then you are not striving to love them unconditionally.

4. Expect nothing in return. That doesn't mean you should allow someone to mistreat or undervalue you. It means that giving love does not guarantee receiving love. Try loving just for the sake of love. Realize that someone may have a different way of showing his or her love for you; do not expect to be loved back in exactly the same way.

5. Realize it can be lost. If you realize that you can lose the one you love, then you have a greater appreciation of what you have. Think how lucky you are to have someone to love. Don't make an idol of the person you love. This will place them under undue pressure and will likely result in you losing them.

6. Never stop loving. Even if you have been hurt before you should not stop giving love.

Amazing Facts about India and Indians!

1. India is the world's largest, oldest, continuous civilization.
2. India never invaded any country in her last 10000 years of history.
3. India is the world's largest democracy.
4. Varanasi, also known as Benares, was called "the ancient city" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C.E, and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today.
5. India invented the Number System. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.
6. The World's first university was established in Takshashila in 700BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century BC was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
7. Sanskrit is the mother of all the European languages. Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software - a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987.
8. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. Charaka, the father of medicine consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. Today Ayurveda is fast regaining its rightful place in our civilization.
9. Although modern images of India often show poverty and lack of development, India was the richest country on earth until the time of British invasion in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by India's wealth.
10. The art of Navigation was bornin the river Sindhu 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navy is also derived from Sanskrit 'Nou'.
11. Bhaskaracharya calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. Time taken by earth to orbit the sun: (5th century) 365.258756484 days.
12. The value of pi was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century long before the European mathematicians.
13. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India. Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10**53(10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 BCE during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Tera 10**12(10 to the power of 12).
14. IEEE has proved what has been a century old suspicion in the world scientific community that the pioneer of wireless communication was Prof. Jagdish Bose and not Marconi.
15. The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra.
16. According to Saka King Rudradaman I of 150 CE a beautiful lake called Sudarshana was constructed on the hills of Raivataka during Chandragupta Maurya's time.
17. Chess (Shataranja or AshtaPada) was invented in India.
18. Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted complicated surgeries like cesareans, cataract, artificial limbs, fractures, urinary stones and even plastic surgery and brain surgery. Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient India. Over 125 surgical equipment were used. Deep knowledge of anatomy, physiology, etiology, embryology, digestion, metabolism, genetics and immunity is also found in many texts.
19. When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization).
20. The four religions born in India, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population.
21. The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC.
22. India is one of the few countries in the World, which gained independence without violence.
23. India has the second largest pool of Scientists and Engineers in the World.
24. India is the largest English speaking nation in the world.
25. India is the only country other than US and Japan, to have built a super computer indigenously.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The Andaman and Nicobar islands have been inhabited for several thousand years, at the very least. The earliest archaeological evidence yet documented goes back some 2,200 years; however, the indications from genetic, cultural and linguistic isolation studies point to habitation going back 30,000 to 60,000 years, well into the Middle Paleolithic.

In the Andaman Islands, the various Andamanese people maintained their separated existence through the vast majority of this time, diversifying into distinct linguistic, cultural and territorial groups. By the 1850s when they first came into sustained contact by outside groups, the indigenous people of the Andamans were:

• the Great Andamanese, who collectively represented at least 10 distinct sub-groups and languages;
• the Jarawa;
• the Jangil (or Rutland Jarawa);
• the Onge; and
• the Sentinelese (most isolated of all the groups).

In total, these people numbered somewhere around 7,000 at the time of these first encounters. As the numbers of settlers from the mainland increased (at first mostly prisoners and involuntary indentured labourers, later purposely recruited farmers), these indigenous people lost territory and numbers in the face of punitive expeditions by British troops, land encroachment and the effects of various epidemic diseases. The Jangil and most of the Great Andamanese groups soon became extinct; presently there remain only approximately 400–450 indigenous Andamanese, the Jarawa and Sentinelese in particular maintaining a steadfast independence and refusing most attempts at contact.

The indigenous people of the Nicobars (unrelated to the Andamanese) have a similarly isolated and lengthy association with the islands. There are two main groups:

• the Nicobarese , or Nicobari, living throughout many of the islands; and
• the Shompen, restricted to the hinterland of Great Nicobar.

There are 572 islands in the territory, of which only approximately 38 are permanently inhabited. Most of the islands (about 550) are in the Andamans group, 26 of which are inhabited. The smaller Nicobars comprise some 22 main islands (10 inhabited). The Andamans and Nicobars are separated by a channel (the Ten Degree Channel) some 150 km wide. The highest point is located in North Andaman Island (Saddle Peak at 732 metres (2,402 ft)).

The total area of the Andaman Islands is some 6,408 km2 (2,474 sq mi); that of the Nicobar Islands approximately 1,841 km2 (711 sq mi).