Blogs and Plagiarism

I first started blogging in the year 2005. My first blog Everything Under The Sky, was an attempt to unleash the writer, I believed, could make a difference in this world. The other reason for starting that blog was because I had read that a blog could be a good source of supplemental income. However, It was a failure in both aspects.

Firstly, It did not contain my own thoughts, there was no originality. It was just a random collection of articles, clips and stuff I plagiarized from various newspapers, websites, other blogs and various online forums. Since there was not much original content, there were few people linking to my stories and google did not send much traffic my way. Leading to the blog not being a good income generator.

Secondly, I commercialized it to such an extent that I abhorred working on it. This further decreased the quality of the content on that blog and decreased the likelihood that anyone would take it seriously.

Hence, I have decided to start all over again. I shall attempt to keep this one uncluttered and free from the aforementioned defects. I hope to post original content and thoughts. And lastly, this blog will not be for money. Let's see how I do this time.

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Arjavamarga - The Direct Path

I always wanted to be a writer. Probably because, I think, I am a good reader. Books have been good friends for me. They do not discriminate between people. Whether an introvert (like me) or an extrovert, most people like to read books. I was introduced to reading at a very early age. My father used to subscribe to various magazines and bought children's novels home and would place them in front of me. He introduced me to the world of print, a magical place; a place where I could not be bullied because I was of small built; a place where I would not be shunned from because I refused to compromise with my principles; a place where something I said or did because it was the truth would not hurt others.

The written word mesmerized me, inculcated in me the need to respect other people, cultures and thoughts. It helped me in my academics - the books I read helped me with my history, geography, social studies and even science. (The one place they failed me where in Mathematics- which I find difficult even today).

It brought about an ardent desire in me to write. Write something which will be read by others. Others who would then be mesmerized, inspired and moved into putting their thoughts into words. Words which would come back to me. I would always look for something to write about. My English language teachers - Ms.Mohsina (Kendriya Vidyalaya, Bowenpally, Secunderabad) and then Mrs.Sudha Grover (Kendriya Vidyalaya, IIT Powai, Mumbai) - were extremely helpful in this respect.

Unfortunately, despite constant encouragement, I could not come up with any substantial effort and have not written anything of note. The writer in me wakes up every now and then, but the inertia accumulated over the past 30 years stops him from making an impact. This coupled with my procrastination have seen many a writing idea slip out of my mind into the realms of have been.

This is an attempt at finding the correct path - the Arjavamarga or Direct path to my dreams. I actually wanted to create this blog under the title -'A Clean Slate'- but since someone has already chosen to start with it, I will take the direct path.

Potato Lovers @ Snack Shack

One of the often visited restaurants in Manipal is the trendily named Snack Shack. What's odd about the naming is that , it is neither a shack in the true sense, and they serve stuff other than snacks. However this post is not about name calling. This is a post about the snack (if I can call it that) I like the most at this small town eatery.

Every time I visit this place, I have never given a miss to the dish they call 'Potato Lovers'. It is nothing very complicated and I believe there is no love involved in making it, but, it is the fastest selling snack at this shack. The potatoes are sliced into slender slices like French Fries and then fried in oil and then soaked in a tangy sweet and sour sauce, before they are, finally served with a garnishing of Tomatoes or Cabbage leaves or whatever Vegetable is lying in front of the Cook at that fortunate moment. It is served within 5 minutes of the order and If you are in a hurry, it is both a quick solution to your time constraints, and since the quantity served is quite large, your hunger problems as well.

Hair Cut With The Boss

What do you do when,you walk into the Barbers shop, and bump into your boss? This is exactly what happened yesterday. I had not had a hair cut for a long time, and was beginning to look like the guy from the Centre fresh advertisement (No, Not exactly like that... I believe I am better looking). But, i hope you get the point.


The hair had grown too long and it was time to make another sacrifice at the altar, where all people,without exceptions, bow their heads at least once in their life time. I entered the shop and was being guided into the Non-A/C section, when, at the last moment, another guy asked me to step into the A/C section. As I was feeling the cool atmosphere inside the chamber of hair cuts, my eyes registered a familiar face, but, my mind pre occupied with other thoughts let it go by. It however did a double-take when it realised it was the Boss. There was an awkward moment when his eyes met mine,and, me being somewhat of a social recluse, couldn't muster any proper greetings. Somehow my lips curled upwards into what i thought was a smile, and as i took the seat proffered to me, managed a "Good Evening sir". I believe those three words did some magic, as the Boss gave me a wide smile and all was well with the world. A few minutes later, he finished with his hair cut and still beaming made an exit, leaving me wondering whether I could have come up with anything intelligent to discuss with him? Talking with Swathi a few minutes later over the telephone, I realised how good a communicator she is. I guess she would have brought the house down with a constant banter if she was ever in my situation.

Manipal Gets An Awesome Light and Sound Show

Well as you can see from the picture above, I am not talking about the artificial man-made sound and light shows that are in vogue today. The only Light and sound show you get in Manipal, is, what the Pre Monsoon showers bring with them. There is an amazing display of Lightning bolts from the sky above followed by a deep rumbling and a thunderclap so loud, that the very ground beneath your feet starts to tremble. I for one have always been very frightened by these experiences since my early childhood and last night was no exception.

I had just finished watching the movie, Marley and Me, when the lights went out and there was the beginning of the show outside. I cowered inside my home and every peek outside heightened my fear of impending doom. The worst part was that there was a dog next door , which began howling away. It reminded me of Marley from the movie, however, in this case, it was bed time for me and it was not my dog!! I felt like i was in one of those B Grade Tulsi Ramsay movies like Chudail ka badla !!!