Make Friends Online
Rebecca Walker asked:
There is always a need for meeting new friends. Meeting new and interesting people can be exciting, and many people enjoy the social aspect that comes with meeting someone for the first time. Furthermore making friends is important psychologically, and it can allow us to unwind and relax and forget about our daily troubles during our leisure time. For companionship and social occasions, friends are crucial in ensuring we have a good time and truly enjoy the experience. Meeting friends online has become a great way to get in touch with people with similar interests, and it can lead to long term friendships lasting for a number of years. In this article, we will look at how best to make friends online, and why making friends over the Internet first can help cement relationships over the longer term.
The first thing you should do if you are looking to make friends or meet new people on the Internet is to locate a social networking website that fits with your requirements, which shouldn’t be a difficult task at all. The Internet is currently in the midst of a revolution whereby social networking sites and others with higher levels of interactivity are coming to the fore. This means that it is easier now than ever before to get involved in shaping the Internet, as it becomes more community focused and personal, and with social networking sites to fit every niche interest area, there are plenty of ways you can get your name out there and get meeting people you want to talk to.
As we’ve seen, the Internet is a great way of meeting new people and making new friends. By having the ability to talk online first, and working out the personality of the person before you go on to meet in person, you can help filter out those that will become close friends. Additionally, the ability to present yourself with your interests, and look for those with things in common with yourself allows you to find exactly the kind of friends you desire, to form a new social group or simply to talk to about your shared interest. By going online today, you can make new friends and meet interesting and exciting people, in as little as ten minutes with any of these proven ways of meeting others online.
There is always a need for meeting new friends. Meeting new and interesting people can be exciting, and many people enjoy the social aspect that comes with meeting someone for the first time. Furthermore making friends is important psychologically, and it can allow us to unwind and relax and forget about our daily troubles during our leisure time. For companionship and social occasions, friends are crucial in ensuring we have a good time and truly enjoy the experience. Meeting friends online has become a great way to get in touch with people with similar interests, and it can lead to long term friendships lasting for a number of years. In this article, we will look at how best to make friends online, and why making friends over the Internet first can help cement relationships over the longer term.
The first thing you should do if you are looking to make friends or meet new people on the Internet is to locate a social networking website that fits with your requirements, which shouldn’t be a difficult task at all. The Internet is currently in the midst of a revolution whereby social networking sites and others with higher levels of interactivity are coming to the fore. This means that it is easier now than ever before to get involved in shaping the Internet, as it becomes more community focused and personal, and with social networking sites to fit every niche interest area, there are plenty of ways you can get your name out there and get meeting people you want to talk to.
As we’ve seen, the Internet is a great way of meeting new people and making new friends. By having the ability to talk online first, and working out the personality of the person before you go on to meet in person, you can help filter out those that will become close friends. Additionally, the ability to present yourself with your interests, and look for those with things in common with yourself allows you to find exactly the kind of friends you desire, to form a new social group or simply to talk to about your shared interest. By going online today, you can make new friends and meet interesting and exciting people, in as little as ten minutes with any of these proven ways of meeting others online.
Tips on Making Friends For Shy People
November 28, 2009 by admin
Filed under Relationships
Alex Vasilevski asked:
Shy people can find it challenging to make friends especially if they are amongst people they don’t know. Would you like to have the skills to start conversation and make friends with total strangers? It is not so difficult and frightening as you think as with little effort and practice you can start right now. Even better once you learn how it will become second nature to you, each time it will be easier, you will overcome shyness and making friends will become pleasure instead of torture.
The first thing to understand is that your shyness can end up being a real gift. Why? Because most of the time, people would rather talk than listen. It is human nature. So if you want to learn how to make friends all you have to know is how to get people to talk to you. Now this is easy once you understand what people like to talk about the most. Themselves.
That’s right, if you want to get people to talk to you just ask them about themselves. Now, of course you are going to run into people who are more private and may be reluctant to do this. In this case, find out what they are interested in and get them to talk about it. Ask how long they have been doing it; ask why they started and why they like it so much. Then just let them go and listen. Knowing how to make friends is all about being able to keep a good conversation going. Get someone to talk about what they are interested in and you’ll hardly have to talk at all. Pretty soon, they’ll wonder the same thing about you. By then it ought to be easy to have your turn.
That said, let me give you a few tips on how to make friends by starting these kinds of conversations and keeping them going:
· Practice talking to people you don’t know:
You can start small and work your way up. Make it a goal today to say hello to at least one person who you don’t know. Do this for one week and then begin to also ask them “How are you today?” Once this becomes a habit, pick two people a day until you are saying this to everyone who you can. You will be surprised at how easy it becomes after some practice.
· Compliment them or ask for their advice
These are both powerful ways to earn someone’s respect right away. Of course, you may not always be in a position to ask someone for advice. That’s when you go for the compliment. Don’t worry about what you are going to say next, the conversation may not go anywhere and that’s OK. The point is that if you get into the habit of doing this that you are going to run into some people who will help move the conversation along.
These simple steps will make a world of difference; just imagine where you could be one year from now! So go ahead and work on putting them into practice. Soon you will learn that knowing how to make friends is something even shy people can learn.
Shy people can find it challenging to make friends especially if they are amongst people they don’t know. Would you like to have the skills to start conversation and make friends with total strangers? It is not so difficult and frightening as you think as with little effort and practice you can start right now. Even better once you learn how it will become second nature to you, each time it will be easier, you will overcome shyness and making friends will become pleasure instead of torture.
The first thing to understand is that your shyness can end up being a real gift. Why? Because most of the time, people would rather talk than listen. It is human nature. So if you want to learn how to make friends all you have to know is how to get people to talk to you. Now this is easy once you understand what people like to talk about the most. Themselves.
That’s right, if you want to get people to talk to you just ask them about themselves. Now, of course you are going to run into people who are more private and may be reluctant to do this. In this case, find out what they are interested in and get them to talk about it. Ask how long they have been doing it; ask why they started and why they like it so much. Then just let them go and listen. Knowing how to make friends is all about being able to keep a good conversation going. Get someone to talk about what they are interested in and you’ll hardly have to talk at all. Pretty soon, they’ll wonder the same thing about you. By then it ought to be easy to have your turn.
That said, let me give you a few tips on how to make friends by starting these kinds of conversations and keeping them going:
· Practice talking to people you don’t know:
You can start small and work your way up. Make it a goal today to say hello to at least one person who you don’t know. Do this for one week and then begin to also ask them “How are you today?” Once this becomes a habit, pick two people a day until you are saying this to everyone who you can. You will be surprised at how easy it becomes after some practice.
· Compliment them or ask for their advice
These are both powerful ways to earn someone’s respect right away. Of course, you may not always be in a position to ask someone for advice. That’s when you go for the compliment. Don’t worry about what you are going to say next, the conversation may not go anywhere and that’s OK. The point is that if you get into the habit of doing this that you are going to run into some people who will help move the conversation along.
These simple steps will make a world of difference; just imagine where you could be one year from now! So go ahead and work on putting them into practice. Soon you will learn that knowing how to make friends is something even shy people can learn.
Encounter With The Paranormal Entities
Alok Jagawat asked:
It is quite late in the night while I am writing the second part of this article series.
This incident took place near Alwar. Alwar is a district which lies on NH-8 from Jaipur to Delhi. You have to take a side road towards Sariska en-route to Alwar. This route is famous for notorious activities of ghostly entities. This was not known to me.
I actually belong to Rajgarh which is a small town of Alwar district. My great grandfather was the “Riyasatdar” of Rajgarh. He was the chief of the land of ‘Rajagarh’ and was responsible for revenue extraction from the area. He was married four times with every wife alive and living with him. It was the will of the God that he has only two sons. They were born to the last wife and one of them Thakur.Kishan singh ji Baraith was my grandfather.
My grandfather was a devotee to God and never liked the idea of ‘Lagan’ or revenue as it was unlawful. So he left my Great Grandfather Thakur. Ratan Singh ji at a very tender age. I am telling you all this because my whole narration is related to this.
My grandfather then came to Alwar. The king of Alwar Shri.Sawai Singh Ji knew my grandfather and was aware of his lineage. So he offered him the job of “Ziladar” in irrigation department. He also gave him a big fort to live. This “Haveli’ belonged to brother- in -law of Alwar “his highness”. This fort or palace was believed to be haunted and people nearby even warned my Grandfather about it.
My grandfather was a staunch devotee of Lord Hanuman, (An Indian deity related to power and Chastity}. He was never afraid of anything and decided to live in the same palace. My father and uncles were born in that palace and I wanted to see it. I have never seen it before. I was informed by my uncles that most of it had ruined. But contrary to the belief of my father and uncles, it did not dampen my hopes. I wanted to photograph everything and wanted to keep it as a memory. So Alwar visit was a visit to my ancient Lineage.
I was accompanied by my cousin brother Rajeev, and his wife. My wife was also with us. We have to leave Jaipur at about 5:00 am in the morning. When I woke up, I felt a sudden change of mind. I was bit perturbed without any reasons. I was not sure that whether I should go or not. I woke up my wife to take a second opinion. According to her I should have informed my cousin about the sudden shift of my plans.
I called my cousin who was still asleep. He told me that he is ready to go and will soon come to my house. However, there was a strong feeling that I should not go which I resisted.
I did not take my son with me who was two years old. This is because I was not aware about the route and did not want any trouble. Here I must tell you that Alwar route passes through dense Sariska forest and several ancient towns. Most of this route is deserted and there are no facilities on the road.
The car we took was my own car which was brand new and was hardly driven. We set on drive at around 6:30 AM. It was a pleasant morning with clouds. So the temperature was normal. (Usually temperature is high in Rajasthan).
We were moving along while chatting to each other. The route to Alwar passes through, Sariska, Pandupol, Brhithari Ji and Bhangarh. We were amazed to see lot of elephants while we were hardly out of the town. They were around seventy in number. I was happy as I took it as a good omen. Here I must tell you that elephants are considered to be related to Trunk headed God Ganesha. In Indian myths Ganesha is a God, who is worshipped before every God. He reconfirms auspiciousness of every motive and act. It is good to see his symbol at the start.
We had hardly driven sixty kilometers when we saw that the road was blocked. There were some people on the road. A tall man was standing in the center and was guiding others. I came out of the car and saw a huge thick pipeline on the road. The tall man was clad in Saffron colored clothing and was a Sadhu or priest. I inquired of what was happening. He informed us that there is a prayer ceremony in the temple nearby and he needed some water. So he requested us to wait for few minutes. I inquired about the temple. I was informed that it was an old temple and was also offered a visit. So we parked our car on the side of a wall and entered the temple premises. To my surprise it was the temple of My “Ishtha” Shri.Thakurji. I was really happy to see my beloved God inside. All of us prayed there for four to five minutes. The priest offered us tea and we sat down over there. (All the time, I have a strange feeling that I should not go. But after praying to my beloved God, I just shunned that idea.)
The head priest requested us to stay there and take meals as well. We were surprised as he hardly knew us. Away from all this, I was happy as I thought that my visit is been stamped by my beloved God. While all the time I was actually wrong. Something else was happening. He was warning us not to go further.
We quietly refused his offer and took a leave. We have to visit a place called Madhri which was a small village on the route. It was the home town of a great astrologer whom we wanted to meet. According to the instructions I entered a narrow lane which was supposed to take us to the residence of this old astrologer. I was driving very carefully and with great precaution. The street was very narrow and suddenly I heard a loud bang!
I was surprised of what could have possibly happened. Suddenly we were surrounded by lot of villagers. All of them were shouting at us. I acted very calmly and plead for my mistake. My car actually struck against a motor bike and the bike fell down. I immediately offered a compensation as it was my mistake. This calmed most of the villagers. When I came out of the car I was really shocked. The bike was all right. To my surprise the bumper of my car was lying on the road. It was really strange. How could have that happened with that strong part of the car and that too at such a slow pace.
However there was no choice. I unlocked the back gates of my car and kept the bumper inside. My wife and my sister in law were very uncomfortable. We all were taken aback with the strange turn of events. But even after this we continued our journey.
We reached the residence of the astrologer. It was a small hut and carried a big dense tree in the center of the premise. The building nearby was tattered and gave a haunted look. We were all depressed when we came to know that the old man has left the mortal world. But since we have already reached the place, I was looking at all the rooms which were empty. A certain room of that area was closed. I looked into it through a window and there was the second surprise of the day.
I saw a very beautiful altar and idol of my God “Shree Krishna”. I opened the gate which was not locked. All of us prayed over there. Deep inside my heart I prayed for safety.
I was happy as I believed that my God was helping me and is telling me to go ahead. I was again wrong.
We came back to the car which I have to reverse as we have to go back. I moved the hand brake and immediately my car rushed back with a strong motion. I forgot that my car was parked on a high place. It was only a few inches from a wall when I applied the brakes. My heart was pounding with all force, and all of them outside, were also surprised. I must tell you that I am a very experienced driver. I have never even got a scratch on my car before this.
We were not sure what was happening. But what so ever it was, it wasn’t a very happy thing.
After this we were all very conscious and alarmed. Frankly, I was not scared as I have a very strong faith in my God. I pray to God daily and strongly believed in “Yogash Shemam Vaha Mayam”.
We continued our journey. On the way we have to reach Brihat Hari Ji. Brihat Hari was actually a king who became a Saint later on. He left all his riches for the name of God. His name is so common near Alwar that it is often used as a greeting.
We reached Brihathari ji within one hour. By that time my whole body was showing signs of fatigue. There was a strange itch like thing on my whole body especially near my neck. There was one more thing which was alarming. I could feel that I have no mind of my own. This was same with my wife. She had the same strange feeling. We somehow reached the Brihathari Temple which was very beautiful. Despite of this I could barely enjoy the scenery surrounding the great temple. I could feel something lacking.
We offered water to Shivlingam in the front and then prayed to king brihathari. I was deeply in prayer as I was not at all happy with my condition. There was a certain loss of senses.
After praying to this great king we left the place to go further. All this time me and my wife had a strong feeling that we should not go further. Still we traveled further to reach “Silli Seth”. This is the largest manmade lake in Asia and it is beautifully surrounded by green mountains and hill tops. It is on the foot of a great hill which overlooks the water body and carries a hotel and restaurant. To enjoy boating, you have to go all the way down to the water body to catch a boat. We decided to do boating.
The temperature was still hot and I had to put some cloth on my head to avoid the strong Sun. I could not enjoy it much. I was not feeling good. After thirty minutes of ride we decided to go back. I was feeling very hungry and we climbed the stairs to reach the restaurant. I ordered some food for everybody. While sitting at the table I felt I am completely senseless. I could not understand what was happening. I went to the loo. There was some strange bitter taste in my mouth. This, when I checked was my own blood which was coming from inside my mouth. It was shocking and I was really alarmed. Suddenly I felt a complete loss of senses and I could not even see. There was a complete black out for fifteen to twenty seconds. I regained my strength to come out of the loo. I reached my relatives and told them that I cannot go any further.
After lot of persuasion we all agreed to this. By this time everybody was having some strange feeling. But on our way back my brother insisted that we are already inside the Alwar city.
He said that our whole traveling will be useless if we did not visit our own past. It was definitely not a good idea. But we all agreed to this, not so good idea. We reached Alwar and went straight to “Rani Sati Temple”. This temple was situated at a walking distance from my grandfather’s palace.
“Rani-Sati’ refers to queen Sati. Sati is a tradition which was followed in ancient India. According to this a lady who loves her husband dies with her husband while submitting herself to the fire lit for her husband’s dead body.
Rani Sati was actually a **********. According to the legends, when the king died every queen was asked to submit herself to the fire. Since none of them have the courage to do so, a ********** who loved this king very much came forward. She dressed herself in her best clothing and entered the fire. There after she was titled as a queen and a huge temple was built for her which was known as ” Musi Maharani ki Chatri”.
We visited this great place to pay homage to that great lady who once loved a man she was not even eloped to. It is really hard to imagine that sense of love and attraction. Somebody has truly said:
“In love it is only you, there is no ‘me’”
After this we walked towards the palace. This palace has a good front which is still intact. It has three large squares with a huge gate for entrance to each square. Each square is surrounded by rooms and galleries. Every room is connected through this gallery. The First Square and rooms were still in good shape. Rest of the squares was totally shattered. My grandfather used to live at the second square.
The entrance to the second square was closed by a wall but I could still see a hole through it. I entered the hole and passed to the second square. I could see the condition was not good. Every inch of that place was scary. I took some photographs over there and then came back to the front. There were several families who were living near the entrance. One of the ladies in that family recognized my grandfather. She was extremely happy to see us. She took us to her room above. Her son offered us tea and snacks and she completely lost herself in the old stories that surrounded that palace. There was a story that this palace had a secret tunnel which goes below the palace. It is believed that this tunnel is a passage to a big treasure.
It is believed that one man entered this tunnel once, but he was not seen thereafter. My grandfather who was pious man, was alarmed and he cemented the entrance of the tunnel and planted a neem tree
Over there. He was spiritual person and knew that someone was kept to guard that treasure. It is believed that people employed ghosts and snakes to guard their treasures in ancient India. These entities were locked to the place through some Talisman. The snakes were of special varieties that can live very long. The old lady had often seen strange lights near the tree during night time.
My grandfather also informed us that the ghost of an old man also used to reside over there. He was a silent spirit and never harmed anybody. He often came to the dreams of my grandmother and told her that they should always remain pious and should not allow any unholy activity inside the palace. He also warned my grandmother that he lives near the roof top and nobody should be allowed to enter the “square” where he resided. Once my aunt forgot the warning and reached to roof top. She was immediately thrown back by some secret force and fell all the way to the ground floor. Strangely she was not hurt despite of a strong fall from the fourth floor.
The old lady has also seen that spirit and once she was also thrown away from the first floor. The spirit was angry with her as she has done something unholy.
To my surprise I found the idol of my beloved God in her temple. It was evening hours, the hours which are considered highly auspicious for offering prayers. I immediately washed my hands and feet to offer prayers to the God. I saw it as an opportunity to worship my beloved. It was an opportunity as I actually use to carry his idol with me while traveling. During this visit I was sure that we could come back within a day and so I have avoided his idol. Here I was getting a chance to worship him at a time which is considered auspicious for daily prayers. I considered myself very fortunate. It was the sign that he was with me. He was there to protect me.
We took the leave and were passing through the old market. I regained the same strange feeling. Within moments we were crossed by a rickshaw rider and before I could do anything he scratched my car from the right side. Strangely he did not even look at me. My wife informed me that the right of the car has got a big scratch mark as it passed along the metal guard of the rickshaw. I was hardly out of this, when all of a sudden I saw a boy in front of my car. I immediately applied the brakes. He was just an inch away from my car.
A few seconds more and he could have been bashed by the car. His cycle was smashed to pieces. We were all surprised by this. I reversed my car. His cycle was totally crushed.
I came out of the car to see what actually happened. The young boy was totally out of senses. He could not understand that how he came in the front of the car. He could not even speak. All this was very strange. I felt that somebody was forcing us not to leave the place. Somebody we could not see.
Car was also showing strange signs. It was not picking up acceleration despite of full force on pedal. My brother has to meet somebody over there. He told us to visit a nearby temple. But every person in the car wanted to leave the place. By this time everybody was highly perturbed.
Despite of this feeling we visited the temple. This was the last surprise of the day. The temple was an old temple of Thakurji. It was the “Aarti” time. The time, which is considered very auspicious; for visits to the temples. We were greeted by the ‘Pujari’ or the head priest. I bowed with all dedication. This was out of fear, love and partly because of the gratitude, for I was still alive. After half an hour we took the leave. I requested and prayed for safety.
The vehicle was still showing strange signs. No acceleration. Due to my brother’s ignorance we took another root for Jaipur. There were no lights. It was a Full moon day and I could barely see the road because of the rain that started pouring. Car was not picking up acceleration and it was very dangerous course. Some areas near that highway were famous for bad activities and despoil. There was no equipment for protection and bunch of images were flashing through my mind. Most of them were of those demons and bad guys that I have seen in some thrillers, I do not remember. I am not a coward, but I could not bear a scratch to my wife or relatives. What so ever was the situation was; I kept on driving?
We reached Sikandra and suddenly my Vehicle picked up acceleration. The road also changed with good amount of lights on both sides. There was no strange feeling. Everything was as clear as a path in Broad day light. I reached my home after two hours.
Whenever I look back upon the whole incident, I could barely understand what happened over there on that day. There are no heads and no tails. But still, I cannot forget that strange feeling that grasped all of us; I cannot forget that I was supported by God very closely. I imagine what could have happened, if there was no God, or say I never loved him. I knew from inside my heart, that he was walking with me all the time.
I am not the only one who has figured that heaviness on that route. That whole route and place have a long history of tragic deaths and drastic accidents. Some negative energy wanted to do something bad to us, but all the time it was stopped by some positive energy. This feeling often sends a chill down my spine. After this incident, my faith in God has multiplied nth number of times. I believe that he is always there for his Bhaktas.
Alok Jagawat
It is quite late in the night while I am writing the second part of this article series.
This incident took place near Alwar. Alwar is a district which lies on NH-8 from Jaipur to Delhi. You have to take a side road towards Sariska en-route to Alwar. This route is famous for notorious activities of ghostly entities. This was not known to me.
I actually belong to Rajgarh which is a small town of Alwar district. My great grandfather was the “Riyasatdar” of Rajgarh. He was the chief of the land of ‘Rajagarh’ and was responsible for revenue extraction from the area. He was married four times with every wife alive and living with him. It was the will of the God that he has only two sons. They were born to the last wife and one of them Thakur.Kishan singh ji Baraith was my grandfather.
My grandfather was a devotee to God and never liked the idea of ‘Lagan’ or revenue as it was unlawful. So he left my Great Grandfather Thakur. Ratan Singh ji at a very tender age. I am telling you all this because my whole narration is related to this.
My grandfather then came to Alwar. The king of Alwar Shri.Sawai Singh Ji knew my grandfather and was aware of his lineage. So he offered him the job of “Ziladar” in irrigation department. He also gave him a big fort to live. This “Haveli’ belonged to brother- in -law of Alwar “his highness”. This fort or palace was believed to be haunted and people nearby even warned my Grandfather about it.
My grandfather was a staunch devotee of Lord Hanuman, (An Indian deity related to power and Chastity}. He was never afraid of anything and decided to live in the same palace. My father and uncles were born in that palace and I wanted to see it. I have never seen it before. I was informed by my uncles that most of it had ruined. But contrary to the belief of my father and uncles, it did not dampen my hopes. I wanted to photograph everything and wanted to keep it as a memory. So Alwar visit was a visit to my ancient Lineage.
I was accompanied by my cousin brother Rajeev, and his wife. My wife was also with us. We have to leave Jaipur at about 5:00 am in the morning. When I woke up, I felt a sudden change of mind. I was bit perturbed without any reasons. I was not sure that whether I should go or not. I woke up my wife to take a second opinion. According to her I should have informed my cousin about the sudden shift of my plans.
I called my cousin who was still asleep. He told me that he is ready to go and will soon come to my house. However, there was a strong feeling that I should not go which I resisted.
I did not take my son with me who was two years old. This is because I was not aware about the route and did not want any trouble. Here I must tell you that Alwar route passes through dense Sariska forest and several ancient towns. Most of this route is deserted and there are no facilities on the road.
The car we took was my own car which was brand new and was hardly driven. We set on drive at around 6:30 AM. It was a pleasant morning with clouds. So the temperature was normal. (Usually temperature is high in Rajasthan).
We were moving along while chatting to each other. The route to Alwar passes through, Sariska, Pandupol, Brhithari Ji and Bhangarh. We were amazed to see lot of elephants while we were hardly out of the town. They were around seventy in number. I was happy as I took it as a good omen. Here I must tell you that elephants are considered to be related to Trunk headed God Ganesha. In Indian myths Ganesha is a God, who is worshipped before every God. He reconfirms auspiciousness of every motive and act. It is good to see his symbol at the start.
We had hardly driven sixty kilometers when we saw that the road was blocked. There were some people on the road. A tall man was standing in the center and was guiding others. I came out of the car and saw a huge thick pipeline on the road. The tall man was clad in Saffron colored clothing and was a Sadhu or priest. I inquired of what was happening. He informed us that there is a prayer ceremony in the temple nearby and he needed some water. So he requested us to wait for few minutes. I inquired about the temple. I was informed that it was an old temple and was also offered a visit. So we parked our car on the side of a wall and entered the temple premises. To my surprise it was the temple of My “Ishtha” Shri.Thakurji. I was really happy to see my beloved God inside. All of us prayed there for four to five minutes. The priest offered us tea and we sat down over there. (All the time, I have a strange feeling that I should not go. But after praying to my beloved God, I just shunned that idea.)
The head priest requested us to stay there and take meals as well. We were surprised as he hardly knew us. Away from all this, I was happy as I thought that my visit is been stamped by my beloved God. While all the time I was actually wrong. Something else was happening. He was warning us not to go further.
We quietly refused his offer and took a leave. We have to visit a place called Madhri which was a small village on the route. It was the home town of a great astrologer whom we wanted to meet. According to the instructions I entered a narrow lane which was supposed to take us to the residence of this old astrologer. I was driving very carefully and with great precaution. The street was very narrow and suddenly I heard a loud bang!
I was surprised of what could have possibly happened. Suddenly we were surrounded by lot of villagers. All of them were shouting at us. I acted very calmly and plead for my mistake. My car actually struck against a motor bike and the bike fell down. I immediately offered a compensation as it was my mistake. This calmed most of the villagers. When I came out of the car I was really shocked. The bike was all right. To my surprise the bumper of my car was lying on the road. It was really strange. How could have that happened with that strong part of the car and that too at such a slow pace.
However there was no choice. I unlocked the back gates of my car and kept the bumper inside. My wife and my sister in law were very uncomfortable. We all were taken aback with the strange turn of events. But even after this we continued our journey.
We reached the residence of the astrologer. It was a small hut and carried a big dense tree in the center of the premise. The building nearby was tattered and gave a haunted look. We were all depressed when we came to know that the old man has left the mortal world. But since we have already reached the place, I was looking at all the rooms which were empty. A certain room of that area was closed. I looked into it through a window and there was the second surprise of the day.
I saw a very beautiful altar and idol of my God “Shree Krishna”. I opened the gate which was not locked. All of us prayed over there. Deep inside my heart I prayed for safety.
I was happy as I believed that my God was helping me and is telling me to go ahead. I was again wrong.
We came back to the car which I have to reverse as we have to go back. I moved the hand brake and immediately my car rushed back with a strong motion. I forgot that my car was parked on a high place. It was only a few inches from a wall when I applied the brakes. My heart was pounding with all force, and all of them outside, were also surprised. I must tell you that I am a very experienced driver. I have never even got a scratch on my car before this.
We were not sure what was happening. But what so ever it was, it wasn’t a very happy thing.
After this we were all very conscious and alarmed. Frankly, I was not scared as I have a very strong faith in my God. I pray to God daily and strongly believed in “Yogash Shemam Vaha Mayam”.
We continued our journey. On the way we have to reach Brihat Hari Ji. Brihat Hari was actually a king who became a Saint later on. He left all his riches for the name of God. His name is so common near Alwar that it is often used as a greeting.
We reached Brihathari ji within one hour. By that time my whole body was showing signs of fatigue. There was a strange itch like thing on my whole body especially near my neck. There was one more thing which was alarming. I could feel that I have no mind of my own. This was same with my wife. She had the same strange feeling. We somehow reached the Brihathari Temple which was very beautiful. Despite of this I could barely enjoy the scenery surrounding the great temple. I could feel something lacking.
We offered water to Shivlingam in the front and then prayed to king brihathari. I was deeply in prayer as I was not at all happy with my condition. There was a certain loss of senses.
After praying to this great king we left the place to go further. All this time me and my wife had a strong feeling that we should not go further. Still we traveled further to reach “Silli Seth”. This is the largest manmade lake in Asia and it is beautifully surrounded by green mountains and hill tops. It is on the foot of a great hill which overlooks the water body and carries a hotel and restaurant. To enjoy boating, you have to go all the way down to the water body to catch a boat. We decided to do boating.
The temperature was still hot and I had to put some cloth on my head to avoid the strong Sun. I could not enjoy it much. I was not feeling good. After thirty minutes of ride we decided to go back. I was feeling very hungry and we climbed the stairs to reach the restaurant. I ordered some food for everybody. While sitting at the table I felt I am completely senseless. I could not understand what was happening. I went to the loo. There was some strange bitter taste in my mouth. This, when I checked was my own blood which was coming from inside my mouth. It was shocking and I was really alarmed. Suddenly I felt a complete loss of senses and I could not even see. There was a complete black out for fifteen to twenty seconds. I regained my strength to come out of the loo. I reached my relatives and told them that I cannot go any further.
After lot of persuasion we all agreed to this. By this time everybody was having some strange feeling. But on our way back my brother insisted that we are already inside the Alwar city.
He said that our whole traveling will be useless if we did not visit our own past. It was definitely not a good idea. But we all agreed to this, not so good idea. We reached Alwar and went straight to “Rani Sati Temple”. This temple was situated at a walking distance from my grandfather’s palace.
“Rani-Sati’ refers to queen Sati. Sati is a tradition which was followed in ancient India. According to this a lady who loves her husband dies with her husband while submitting herself to the fire lit for her husband’s dead body.
Rani Sati was actually a **********. According to the legends, when the king died every queen was asked to submit herself to the fire. Since none of them have the courage to do so, a ********** who loved this king very much came forward. She dressed herself in her best clothing and entered the fire. There after she was titled as a queen and a huge temple was built for her which was known as ” Musi Maharani ki Chatri”.
We visited this great place to pay homage to that great lady who once loved a man she was not even eloped to. It is really hard to imagine that sense of love and attraction. Somebody has truly said:
“In love it is only you, there is no ‘me’”
After this we walked towards the palace. This palace has a good front which is still intact. It has three large squares with a huge gate for entrance to each square. Each square is surrounded by rooms and galleries. Every room is connected through this gallery. The First Square and rooms were still in good shape. Rest of the squares was totally shattered. My grandfather used to live at the second square.
The entrance to the second square was closed by a wall but I could still see a hole through it. I entered the hole and passed to the second square. I could see the condition was not good. Every inch of that place was scary. I took some photographs over there and then came back to the front. There were several families who were living near the entrance. One of the ladies in that family recognized my grandfather. She was extremely happy to see us. She took us to her room above. Her son offered us tea and snacks and she completely lost herself in the old stories that surrounded that palace. There was a story that this palace had a secret tunnel which goes below the palace. It is believed that this tunnel is a passage to a big treasure.
It is believed that one man entered this tunnel once, but he was not seen thereafter. My grandfather who was pious man, was alarmed and he cemented the entrance of the tunnel and planted a neem tree
Over there. He was spiritual person and knew that someone was kept to guard that treasure. It is believed that people employed ghosts and snakes to guard their treasures in ancient India. These entities were locked to the place through some Talisman. The snakes were of special varieties that can live very long. The old lady had often seen strange lights near the tree during night time.
My grandfather also informed us that the ghost of an old man also used to reside over there. He was a silent spirit and never harmed anybody. He often came to the dreams of my grandmother and told her that they should always remain pious and should not allow any unholy activity inside the palace. He also warned my grandmother that he lives near the roof top and nobody should be allowed to enter the “square” where he resided. Once my aunt forgot the warning and reached to roof top. She was immediately thrown back by some secret force and fell all the way to the ground floor. Strangely she was not hurt despite of a strong fall from the fourth floor.
The old lady has also seen that spirit and once she was also thrown away from the first floor. The spirit was angry with her as she has done something unholy.
To my surprise I found the idol of my beloved God in her temple. It was evening hours, the hours which are considered highly auspicious for offering prayers. I immediately washed my hands and feet to offer prayers to the God. I saw it as an opportunity to worship my beloved. It was an opportunity as I actually use to carry his idol with me while traveling. During this visit I was sure that we could come back within a day and so I have avoided his idol. Here I was getting a chance to worship him at a time which is considered auspicious for daily prayers. I considered myself very fortunate. It was the sign that he was with me. He was there to protect me.
We took the leave and were passing through the old market. I regained the same strange feeling. Within moments we were crossed by a rickshaw rider and before I could do anything he scratched my car from the right side. Strangely he did not even look at me. My wife informed me that the right of the car has got a big scratch mark as it passed along the metal guard of the rickshaw. I was hardly out of this, when all of a sudden I saw a boy in front of my car. I immediately applied the brakes. He was just an inch away from my car.
A few seconds more and he could have been bashed by the car. His cycle was smashed to pieces. We were all surprised by this. I reversed my car. His cycle was totally crushed.
I came out of the car to see what actually happened. The young boy was totally out of senses. He could not understand that how he came in the front of the car. He could not even speak. All this was very strange. I felt that somebody was forcing us not to leave the place. Somebody we could not see.
Car was also showing strange signs. It was not picking up acceleration despite of full force on pedal. My brother has to meet somebody over there. He told us to visit a nearby temple. But every person in the car wanted to leave the place. By this time everybody was highly perturbed.
Despite of this feeling we visited the temple. This was the last surprise of the day. The temple was an old temple of Thakurji. It was the “Aarti” time. The time, which is considered very auspicious; for visits to the temples. We were greeted by the ‘Pujari’ or the head priest. I bowed with all dedication. This was out of fear, love and partly because of the gratitude, for I was still alive. After half an hour we took the leave. I requested and prayed for safety.
The vehicle was still showing strange signs. No acceleration. Due to my brother’s ignorance we took another root for Jaipur. There were no lights. It was a Full moon day and I could barely see the road because of the rain that started pouring. Car was not picking up acceleration and it was very dangerous course. Some areas near that highway were famous for bad activities and despoil. There was no equipment for protection and bunch of images were flashing through my mind. Most of them were of those demons and bad guys that I have seen in some thrillers, I do not remember. I am not a coward, but I could not bear a scratch to my wife or relatives. What so ever was the situation was; I kept on driving?
We reached Sikandra and suddenly my Vehicle picked up acceleration. The road also changed with good amount of lights on both sides. There was no strange feeling. Everything was as clear as a path in Broad day light. I reached my home after two hours.
Whenever I look back upon the whole incident, I could barely understand what happened over there on that day. There are no heads and no tails. But still, I cannot forget that strange feeling that grasped all of us; I cannot forget that I was supported by God very closely. I imagine what could have happened, if there was no God, or say I never loved him. I knew from inside my heart, that he was walking with me all the time.
I am not the only one who has figured that heaviness on that route. That whole route and place have a long history of tragic deaths and drastic accidents. Some negative energy wanted to do something bad to us, but all the time it was stopped by some positive energy. This feeling often sends a chill down my spine. After this incident, my faith in God has multiplied nth number of times. I believe that he is always there for his Bhaktas.
Alok Jagawat
How to Make Friends While Studying Abroad
November 11, 2009 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Nick Sanders asked:
Most students study abroad with the intent of making new friends and immersing themselves in a new culture and new community. However, many students end up forming a group with other students from their home country and not making the most of the brilliant opportunity they have. The first thing to do when you decide to study abroad is to work on gaining self confidence, and read some news reports on the country you are going too. Give yourself some background knowledge and something to talk about. Then, make sure you know enough of the language to have conversations with others.
When you reach your destination country, remember that you are going to have to put effort into making friends. Local students may seem standoffish, but are probably just waiting for you to break the ice. The first group of students to start with is other international students studying with you. These are students in your situation, and will want to make friends too. You can make a variety of friends from different countries in this way, and find people to socialise with and practise the country’s language with.
Next, don’t presume that orientation seminars or ice breaker events are pointless, as they are there to help you make friends. Activities such as sticking your name to your head or talking about yourself for two minutes may seem daunting, but will help you make global friendships. Attend a few, and you’ll make many friends in a very easy way. Universities hold these events to encourage everyone to make friends, and they are usually tried and tested methods.
If you want to make friends with locals, you will then need to arrange social gatherings outside of university time. Make sure you are always safe and that somebody knows where you are; make sure you aren’t wandering alone, and take money and a map. Go to different surroundings, and see who you’ll meet there. You might meet friends in malls or clubs, or less obvious places such as coffee shops. Remember that as long as you are friendly and polite most people will respond positively to you, and try talking to different groups of people. Local teenagers will know the best places to hang out, but local adults will know where to get cheap or fresh food, and where student deals are available. However, make sure that you know the customs of the local area, and try not to offend anyone. Watch what you wear and say, and if you are somewhere with strong beliefs, then you should adhere to them. Cover yourself up if necessary, or take off your jewellery. If you meet a special someone, keep public displays to a minimum and research the local laws for your area. In some countries, kissing outside can gain you a caution! Your university should have information on the area if you need some, or try googling it. You will struggle to make friends if you don’t appear to respect the country’s boundaries.
Finally, there is nothing wrong with becoming friends with other people from your home country, but don’t limit yourself. While you will probably become best friends with someone who is at your Uni, you will miss out on a lot of the pleasures of being a student studying abroad if you don’t make the most of the social opportunities it gives you. Remember to use your language skills, take photos and make friends, and you’ll have a brilliant time.
Most students study abroad with the intent of making new friends and immersing themselves in a new culture and new community. However, many students end up forming a group with other students from their home country and not making the most of the brilliant opportunity they have. The first thing to do when you decide to study abroad is to work on gaining self confidence, and read some news reports on the country you are going too. Give yourself some background knowledge and something to talk about. Then, make sure you know enough of the language to have conversations with others.
When you reach your destination country, remember that you are going to have to put effort into making friends. Local students may seem standoffish, but are probably just waiting for you to break the ice. The first group of students to start with is other international students studying with you. These are students in your situation, and will want to make friends too. You can make a variety of friends from different countries in this way, and find people to socialise with and practise the country’s language with.
Next, don’t presume that orientation seminars or ice breaker events are pointless, as they are there to help you make friends. Activities such as sticking your name to your head or talking about yourself for two minutes may seem daunting, but will help you make global friendships. Attend a few, and you’ll make many friends in a very easy way. Universities hold these events to encourage everyone to make friends, and they are usually tried and tested methods.
If you want to make friends with locals, you will then need to arrange social gatherings outside of university time. Make sure you are always safe and that somebody knows where you are; make sure you aren’t wandering alone, and take money and a map. Go to different surroundings, and see who you’ll meet there. You might meet friends in malls or clubs, or less obvious places such as coffee shops. Remember that as long as you are friendly and polite most people will respond positively to you, and try talking to different groups of people. Local teenagers will know the best places to hang out, but local adults will know where to get cheap or fresh food, and where student deals are available. However, make sure that you know the customs of the local area, and try not to offend anyone. Watch what you wear and say, and if you are somewhere with strong beliefs, then you should adhere to them. Cover yourself up if necessary, or take off your jewellery. If you meet a special someone, keep public displays to a minimum and research the local laws for your area. In some countries, kissing outside can gain you a caution! Your university should have information on the area if you need some, or try googling it. You will struggle to make friends if you don’t appear to respect the country’s boundaries.
Finally, there is nothing wrong with becoming friends with other people from your home country, but don’t limit yourself. While you will probably become best friends with someone who is at your Uni, you will miss out on a lot of the pleasures of being a student studying abroad if you don’t make the most of the social opportunities it gives you. Remember to use your language skills, take photos and make friends, and you’ll have a brilliant time.
Why are We Fascinated With Astrology?
November 3, 2009 by admin
Filed under Art And Entertainment
Ronald Eapen asked:
In the 1920’s, there was a big sensation in the US. Twosisters had photographed fairies flying around flowers in their garden. It was an unbelievable event. The two gave interviews and talked stuff. It was after more than sixty years that one sister revealed the whole thing was a hoax. The fairies were made of paper. Nonetheless they captured public imagination. It was something different and unbelievable, but was revealed a hoax later.
But thousands of paranormal and supernatural things remain the way they are- uncanny and unimaginable. No one has explanations. All the same, people love to know more and indulge in these pursuits. Very often we have astrologers predicting events. Most people love the opportunity to get one’s palm read by an astrologer.
Believe the stuff or scoff at it. But the whole idea is fascinating to humans. Many people read the headlines of a newspaper later, but read their horoscope first. Astrologers and fortune tellers may talk in deceptive and ambiguous terms. Knowing the same, people flock to them.
Science and scientists try a lot. They never come up with satisfying explanations to paranormal and psychic stuff. Human beings are a curious lot. Issues with explanations satisfy them. But things with no explanations fascinate them. Take this one. Former US presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy – Kennedy’s life was very nearly a copy of Lincoln’s. Both became presidents after similar victories. Held office for nearly same number of days. Both were assassinated outside a theater near their car. The name of the killer was the same in both cases. These two incidents happened more than eighty years apart. Science does not have any explanation to this. People are intrigued by such happenings.
Human minds are adventurous. No wonder, why horror movies are so popular.
Everyone knows it’s all make believe. People still get white with fear inside cinemas and dream of ghosts for next few days. Calling spirits of dead people has become an industry in Britain. You have Gypsy ladies peering in a psychic glass ball and calling spirits of the dead people you want to get in contact with. Forget the common man, British aristocracy has been known to visit them more than anyone else.
Science-fiction -a word that sums up the topic. All the science-fiction novels, movies is make-believe. Nothing is real but every thing’s in a proper scientific way.
Giant spaceships, alien landings, UFOs kidnapping people all happen in science fiction. Actually there’s a group of people in US who claim to have been kidnapped by UFOs. They believe, they have had extra-terrestrial contact. What’s true, what’s not only time will tell.
Now if there were a time machine to travel in the future like in the movies…
In the 1920’s, there was a big sensation in the US. Twosisters had photographed fairies flying around flowers in their garden. It was an unbelievable event. The two gave interviews and talked stuff. It was after more than sixty years that one sister revealed the whole thing was a hoax. The fairies were made of paper. Nonetheless they captured public imagination. It was something different and unbelievable, but was revealed a hoax later.
But thousands of paranormal and supernatural things remain the way they are- uncanny and unimaginable. No one has explanations. All the same, people love to know more and indulge in these pursuits. Very often we have astrologers predicting events. Most people love the opportunity to get one’s palm read by an astrologer.
Believe the stuff or scoff at it. But the whole idea is fascinating to humans. Many people read the headlines of a newspaper later, but read their horoscope first. Astrologers and fortune tellers may talk in deceptive and ambiguous terms. Knowing the same, people flock to them.
Science and scientists try a lot. They never come up with satisfying explanations to paranormal and psychic stuff. Human beings are a curious lot. Issues with explanations satisfy them. But things with no explanations fascinate them. Take this one. Former US presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy – Kennedy’s life was very nearly a copy of Lincoln’s. Both became presidents after similar victories. Held office for nearly same number of days. Both were assassinated outside a theater near their car. The name of the killer was the same in both cases. These two incidents happened more than eighty years apart. Science does not have any explanation to this. People are intrigued by such happenings.
Human minds are adventurous. No wonder, why horror movies are so popular.
Everyone knows it’s all make believe. People still get white with fear inside cinemas and dream of ghosts for next few days. Calling spirits of dead people has become an industry in Britain. You have Gypsy ladies peering in a psychic glass ball and calling spirits of the dead people you want to get in contact with. Forget the common man, British aristocracy has been known to visit them more than anyone else.
Science-fiction -a word that sums up the topic. All the science-fiction novels, movies is make-believe. Nothing is real but every thing’s in a proper scientific way.
Giant spaceships, alien landings, UFOs kidnapping people all happen in science fiction. Actually there’s a group of people in US who claim to have been kidnapped by UFOs. They believe, they have had extra-terrestrial contact. What’s true, what’s not only time will tell.
Now if there were a time machine to travel in the future like in the movies…
