THE GL BAL TIMESMONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2021 www.theglobaltimes.in

Puneet Gupta On Reviving The Lost Theatre Culture Ananya Mittal, AIS Vas 6, X B

They say “theatre is the only institutionin the world which has been dying forfour thousand years and has never suc-

cumbed.” Well, they say it right, for the worldhas always been and will forever be breathingthe air of the dramatic arts, and devoted play-wrights have always been and will forever beopenly writing, producing, and directing tokeep this art form alive. Co-founder of MadHats Theatre, Puneet Gupta, a playwright, di-rector, and actor by profession, has been doingjust that for the past decade. As an engineer-turned-dramatist, he has several successfulplays like The Pillowman, Guilty As (Not)Charged, etc., to his credit. So, when GTcaught up with him for an exclusive interview,he certainly had a lot to say...

On his adventitious influence...I’ve had a flair for dramatics since I was achild. My parents tell me that I was a ‘dramaqueen’ sort of a kid. So, when I grew up, I didcomplete my graduation in engineering but apart of me wasn’t satisfied still. I started ex-ploring different forms of art - street theatre,skits, and other non-professional work in thisarea. So, I guess it was an old itch that I neededto scratch and I did just that.

On the experience that theatre is...There are two parts to the theatre according tome; first is expressing yourself, and the sec-ond and most important, is experiencing newvenues. We humans, go through a lot as welive every day and a lot is left unsaid, theatrehere acts as a healer, a means of catharsis forall to purge themselves of their unwanted, re-pressed emotions. I’ve experienced it first-hand, so have some of my actors and evenpeople in the audience.

On his source of inspiration...Most stories that I like to tell are people-cen-tric. They are about core emotions; some nu-ance of a relationship or just one of thoseinstances in someone’s life, either my own orsomeone I know. It’s typically a moment, asliver of that incident registers with me andthen I try to create a story around it. That’s

how I write. It mostly tends to be realistic, butI do dabble occasionally in fantasy.

On his current project Eggshells...Eggshells is an interesting play, the idea forwhich came from a news clipping that I sawin the Hindustan Times. It is a story about twowomen who are living on two different conti-nents, leading two different lives. Both of themhave a similar sort of emotional baggage butthese women are able to change the course oftheir destinies by being strong, and their storycelebrates women power. It also explores therelationship between a husband and wife, interms of understanding and being there foreach other, and the insecurities that come cou-pled with it. It also projects the cultural socialdivide as well. You ought to definitely lookforward to it!

Advice for the aspiring playwrights...It is untrue if anyone says that you need formaltraining to join a theatre group. For just likeeverything else around the world, this is also amatter of learning something, and learning canhappen anywhere. At Mad Hats Theatre, ratherthan professional actors, we prefer workingwith people who are passionate, and do theatrefor fun, learning, and enjoyment because that’sexactly how we started. G T

Puneet Gupta with GT reporters

Puneet Gupta, co- founder, Mad Hats Theatre

The world’s a stage

The perpetual paradox Road To Technological Singularity, And Its Many Twists And Turns

Do you think openingschools amidst Omicronsuper mutant scare wouldlead to surge in Covidclusters across the nation?

a) Yes b) No c) Can’t say

To vote, log on to www.theglobaltimes.in

Prompt BoxComing Next

History this week, P7

Say Cheese, P10

INSIDE

37%

30%

Do you think global semiconductor chip shortage willimpact India’s automobileindustry drastically?

POLL RESULTfor GT issue December 6, 2021

Results as on December 11, 2021

33%

YesNo Can’t

say

Niharika Roy, XI D & MadhavSharma, XI A, AIS Saket

“AI enters paediatrics” “Na-tional AI Advisory Com-mittee established” “Desi

AI start-ups help businesses make smartdecisions”. These are just a few head-lines that hogged the news space as thisstory went to bed; all pointing to theomnipresence of Artificial Intelligence.But why should you, a school student,be bothered about AI? Because, AI ischanging the way we live, breathe andfunction as you read this. And perhapsso much so that soon it could be a robotreading a story about humans and theirdownfall. Before you drift away to adistant land, let’s pop that bubble withthe not half bad needle of feasibility,shall we?

Catastrophic predicament Today, private players are spending $20billion on AI products. The educationallandscape is changing too with MITalone investing $1 billion in a collegedevoted to AI. In 2018, IBM received9100 patents, out of which 1600 wereAI related. Get the point?AI is on an upward trajectory. Butwhat does this mean for us hu-mans as a species? Will AI,as depicted in pop cul-ture, triumph over hu-manity, in a catastrophicuprising? This event,known as “TechnologicalSingularity,” speculates thathuman-contrived AI will ap-proach self-awareness and exist, ifyou will, ‘singularly’. Once this erastarts, we as a species, would have no‘value’ in the big picture. However, there is a pretty good chancethat we may never experience such ad-vanced levels of singularity. A classic

argument for the same is that, as we ap-proach singularity, we would have au-tomated most jobs in the economy.Unemployment will be rife on automa-tion’s watch and there will be no furtherincentive to advance technology- givingrise to the technology paradox, postu-lated by Martin Ford, in “The Lights inthe Tunnel”.Besides, as of now, AI is unable to un-derstand the true content of human lan-guage. To interpret content, it will haveto understand every single thing thehuman race has ever written to fully jointhe dots. And that is when it might beable to supplant humans, but that seemsrather far away. Today, AI only has theability to change the subset of our world

that can be automated. It is yet toachieve supremacy in fields that rely onperception, social intelligence and cre-ativity, aspects that are uniquely human.And thus, as of now, it would be safe toassume that we, humans are here to stayfor a while.

Dark bends Now bringing the other side of thestory; Prominent futurist Ray Kurzweilis 100% certain that such a singularitywill be achieved based on his law of Ac-celerating Returns. Internet traffic hasexploded from 49 exabytes to 187 ex-abytes in just the last 5 years. About1.38 billion smartphone units were soldworldwide in 2020, compared to 298

million just 10 years ago. AI is expectedto follow a similar recursion, followinga self-improving trend.Look around, AI has already startedshowing signs of its dominion. It is al-ready displacing humans faster thanever in the job market. Cambridge An-alytic’s Facebook shenanigans or Ama-zon’s Alexa eavesdropping, are twoamong many examples of tech gonewild. Thus, wouldn’t it be in our best in-terest to prepare for a singularity irre-spective of whether it may happen, forthe sake of humanity?

Comfort in the chaosAs we delve into the intricacies of thisidea, the philosophical problems be-come more intimidating and the conse-quences even more significant. Wecurrently stand in the face of a paradox-ical contiguity, wherein technologypresents more dangerous and at thesame time more valuable opportunitiesthan ever before. Maybe a combination of the two is whatwe need? Rather than an all-or-nothingstance, we perhaps need to embrace andbenefit from the one-two punch of arti-

ficial and human intelligence whilepreparing for what’s next. Take,

the medical field, for instance.AI can already analyze

medical images with su-perhuman accuracy.

Couple that with a doc-tor’s compassion and you

have more resounding med-ical success. To end, in the

words of Stephen Hawking,“Success in creating AI would be

the biggest event in human history.Unfortunately, it might also be thelast, unless we learn how to avoid

the risks.” Will it be our risk manage-ment, or our acquisitiveness that pre-vails? Only time can tell.

Graphic: Divyaansh Seth, XI A & RaghavAgrawal, XII C; AIS Saket

World Mirror News and Views

THE GLOBAL TIMES | MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 20212 An average pen can write around 45,000words before running out of ink.

Mighty pen

Around TheW RLDGT keeps the newswireticking by bringing younews from around the globe

►Pakistan: First case of COVID-19 Omicron variant reported in Sindh province on Dec 9 ►Australia: Queensland state detectednew version of Omicron on Dec 8 ►Brazil: India unseats Brazil to become top food supplier to Arab nations after 15 years

News Flash

Rohingya refugees sueFacebookRohingya refugees in UK, on Dec6, 2021, sued Meta Platforms Inc. for 150 billion USDfor not taking timely action to regulate anti-Rohingyahate speech on its apps. According to the suit,Facebook has contributed in amplifying “hateful anddangerous misinformation” against the Rohingyacommunity that lead to mass violence.

Announces short workweekUAE government introduced andannounced adoption of a 4.5-day work week in thenation, becoming the first in the world to do so.With Friday as a half day, the move is set to comeinto effect from January 1, 2022. The rule will alsobe applicable to all public sector organisations andeducational institutes.

Billionaire arrives at InternationalSpace StationAboard Russian Soyuz, that blasted off from the BaikonurCosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Dec 8, 2021, Japanesefashion tycoon Yusaku Maezawa arrived at the InternationalSpace Station, becoming the first space tourist to visit thestation in recent years, and marking the return of Russianspace tourism after a decade long pause. He is expected tospend 12 days at the ISS and is set to perform 100 tasks.

First Covid-19 drug approvedChina’s National MedicalProducts Administration, granted‘emergency approval’ for amonoclonal antibody treatmentin what is seen as the country’sfirst specialised treatmentagainst Covid-19. According toclinical studies and trials, it willreduce the need forhospitalisation and number ofdeaths among patients withexisting comorbidities by awhopping 80%.

CHINA Winter Olympics boycotted The government, on Dec 6,2021, made public its decisionto boycott the 2022 BeijingWinter Olympics over China’shuman rights abuses andatrocities in Xinjiang. Whitehouse press secretary, JenPsaki, confirmed that none ofthe diplomats of the USdelegation would be attendingthe event. Other countriesalso supported this decision.

USA

UAE

India this week

News: In a meeting between Russian defense min-ister, Sergey Shoigu, and his Indian counterpart,Rajnath Singh, the two countries signed a ‘militarytech cooperation agreement’ which will strengthentheir defence ties for ten years. The deal was re-garding the manufacturing and production of oversix lakhs AK-203 assault rifles in India’s Amethi.The meeting is said to have been very productive,providing new discussions and ways of cooperationbetween India and Russia, taking their friendship anotch higher.Views: Even with all the strategic shifts India hasbrought in, i.e., increased proximity to the West,the deal reinstates that Russia still is an importantally, and India should continue to partner with themin areas of interest. Also, the structure of the dealshows that the government is committed to theMake in India idea and wants to be self-reliant forall its requirements. The new rifles will replaceINSAS rifles that were inducted in Indian armythree decades ago. With proven technology, theAK-203 assault rifles will help the Indian soldiersto excel in future operational challenges.

Anjali Nair, AIS Vas 6, IX A

News: All schools in J&K and Ladakh have beendirected by Jammu and Kashmir Board of SchoolEducation to withdraw a textbook published byJAY CEE Publications Private Limited, followingthe reports that it carries blasphemous materialagainst Islam. It contained controversial illustrationof Archangel Gabriel and Muhammad.Views: There is a very fine line between ideal andreality when it come to secularism. An educationalbook is revised almost a million times and seeingsuch a mistake there can be only two explanations- either this was a genuine mistake or subliminalIslamophobia. Either way, the publishing houseshould have been careful because such a disastrousmistake can hurt the sentiments of one sect of so-ciety and moreover, cause unrest in the country.

Chitralekha A Borah, AIS Vas 6, IX D

News: The Supreme Court has announced that theCommission for Air Quality Management in thecapital region has created a task force to ‘monitorcompliance with the direction issues in the wakeof worsening air quality in the region’. The taskforce is said to have five members, and has already

constituted 17 flying squads that will take actionsagainst any violators. The task force was filed afterthe Centre and CAQM were given a 24-hour dead-line to come up with solutions to control air pollu-tion in Delhi-NCR.Views: Every year patients suffering from variousrespiratory diseases face elevated levels of air pol-lution at the expense of our enjoyment. The Com-mission is doing things at its level- appropriateguidelines in place, advisories issued at regular in-tervals, and sale of firecrackers banned; but the de-creasing air quality goes to show that the public iswell aware of its actions and is still not ready tocomply. Hence, the formation of task force comesas a progressive step in this battle.

Ananya Jain, AIS Vas 6, IX B

News: A shortage of doctors in hospitals have beenreported in Maharashtra due to the postponementof NEET-PG 2021 counselling, because of whichoverburdened resident doctors have withdrawnfrom OPD services. Maharashtra State Associationof Resident Doctors have also drafted a letter to theUnion Minister of Health and Family Welfare re-garding the same, stating that only two batches ofresidents are currently present in hospitals, pushingthem on ‘the verge of a breakdown’.Views: The medical situation of the country is al-most always threatening to flow over with burden.And this news certainly bores no joyous elementas the resident doctors are facing unfavorable situ-ations. The doctors have already been hard at workand an overload for them can have a much larger

impact on the patient’s health and the concern al-lotted to them. Ever since the pandemic invaded,the doctors have been on their toes to treat patients.So, they too need a break and the postponement ofthe counselling is not proving to be a good decisionin any decree; and thus, should not be put off any-more.

Ridhi Chopra, AIS Vas 6, IX A

India-Russia sign AK rifles pact

Blasphemous text in J&K text books

Aadya Kapoor, AIS Vasundhara 6, XII D

While we sit on our couch justbreathing, a lot of thingshappen around us, and

sometimes in our very own country. Webring you the ones worth mentioning.

NEET delay leads to doctor shortage

Formation of CAQM’s task force

JAPAN

UK

New chancellorelectedHaving served as thenation’s vice chancellor for over the past 4 years,Social Democrat Olaf Scholz was elected as thenew German Chancellor on Dec 8, 2021, endingAngela Merkel’s 16 years of conservative rule. AsGermany’s ninth post WW II chancellor, Olaf wonthe elections with a clear majority of 395 votes.

GERMANY

Mig

hty

pen

The smallest pen in the world isNanofountain Probe which can producelines which are about 40 nanometres.

One for the journey: My journey started11 years ago in Singapore when a friend en-couraged me to record a demo script. I en-joyed it, and when I came back to India, Itrained under the renowned artist KhodusWadia. With time, I started doing more andmore work, and now I work as a part-timevoiceover artist.Twice the hard work: If you want to besuccessful, you need to have a command ofthe languages you speak, proper diction, andthe ability to emote. Be open to feedbackand improve yourself with it.Third time’s the charm: There is no for-mal degree course in our country forvoiceover, but there are a lot of reputed in-stitutes that offer diplomas in it. Down on all four: Rejection can always bea difficult element to deal with. And some-times, following up for payments can alsobe another challenging aspect as someclients tend to take forever.High five to success: When the industrywas in its nascent stage, having a deep bassvoice for men and a feminine voice forwomen was be-all and end-all, but times andrequirements have changed. Our media con-sumption has been challenged and thereforethe kind of voices we hear has as well. From‘voice of God’ to being the voice of aneveryday person, the industry has come a

long way, which is why there is no one-size-fits-all approach here anymore.Hitting a sixer: The voiceover industry isvery disorganised in India, unlike interna-tional markets where there are unions andstandard rate cards. In India, unless you area top-tier, well-established VO artist, youdon’t get to command your own price, nomatter how good you are. You will just haveto go with the flow and not fall into the trapof low pricing or undercutting.No set seven hour shift: I am a part-timevoiceover artist. During the day, I work onmy main job and in evenings, sometimesnights, and weekends, I work on voicing. Ifit is an urgent project, I get a heads upenough to manoeuvre my schedule to de-liver my work on time.Toler‘eight’ing the challenges: Thebiggest test is always to deliver what theclient wants and exactly how they want it.Everyone has a different approach andneeds from a project, so you need to do whatyou are told, and you are rewarded for it.From commercials to audiobooks, from e-learning to corporate films, I enjoy the vari-ety of work I do so it never gets boring.On cloud nine:You can explore voice nar-rations, podcasts, audiobooks etc. You justneed to find what suits your voice and talentbest and what role you would prefer.

One for the journey: My journey has beensweet and smooth because my parents havetaught me the art and its importance since Iwas a kid. Although I did have my fair shareof struggles, I believe all your tough days endup becoming sweet memories once you havemade your ground.Twice the hard work: To be a professionaldubbing artist, you need to work very hardon your lip-syncing, voice modulation, com-mand over language, pronunciations, andmainly have a love for the work you do.Third time’s the charm: The charm of thisindustry is that you don’t need any specificeducational qualifications to become a dub-bing artist. All you need is to learn the craftof voicing, which will only come with timeand practice. Down on all four: As a dubbing artist, youare mostly a freelancer, which means yourschedule is always fluctuating. There can bedays when you are jam-packed with work,but sometimes you are free for several days.High five to success: To be a successful dub-bing artist, you need a good voice, lip-sync-ing, voice modulation, fold back (hearingyour own voice in the headphones whilstrecording), and availability. In my experi-ence, your availability really matters becausethe more you are available when you are re-quired, the more you get work.Hitting a sixer: There is and never will be a

set figure to be made in this industry. Thereare a lot many dubbing artists that are livingluxurious lives, while there are others whoare struggling to make ends meet. There re-ally is no guarantee that you will always endup hitting a sixer.No set seven hour shift: Work can crop upanytime and it can go on throughout theday, even till late evenings. You have tobe ready to go with the flow and keepyourself available for whenever youmight be required.Toler‘eight’ing the challenges: Themost challenging part is expressingthe needed emotion only usingyour voice. You also need totake care of your throatand keep it healthy,so no excessive

ice creams, cold water etc. On cloud nine: Dubbing, as a career, has agreat scope once you crack the art. The in-dustry is growing and so are the employ-ment rates.

One for the journey:My journey has been full of ups and downs.It took me one whole year to learn the nuances of the art. Initially,I got only small characters. Patience and perseverance are the key. Twice the hard work: To be a voiceover artist, you need fluencyin reading, understanding expressions, pitch and timing. In a showlike Shin Chan, I voiced 5 characters at the same time, so it tookme some time and practice to modulate my voice.Third time’s the charm: An education qualification does not mat-ter in this field. That said, there are institutes that teach dubbingand sync techniques that can help you to an extent. Down on all four: The trickiest part is always proving yourself inthe midst of all the great artists that are out there. Approaching stu-dios and making the right connections is also very difficult, so it isnot unusual for an artist to feel frustrated and depressed. High five to success: To be successful, you need to understandhow a recording studio works. You need to know sync techniques,mic positions, voice throw, modulations, expressions etc. You willalso need basic fluency skills in reading, understanding, itch, tim-ing, and of course, patience.Hitting a sixer: The remuneration and success you achieve froma project really depends on its details, the character you portray,the platform you are working for, and the kind of artist you are. Itcan sometimes be mere a 500 INR or can even be 50,000 INR oreven more.No set seven hour shift: This profession is not bound by the con-ventional working hours. My work usually starts around 11 andsometimes even goes on till midnight, but it only happens in rarecases because it can be very difficult to keep doing voiceovers forsuch a long time. Toler‘eight’ing the challenges: Every new character you will dowill be a new challenge in itself. You will need time to modify yourvoice and catch the subtleties.On cloud nine: You firstly need to work on your skills. Networkas much as possible and keep in touch with other artists.

A Hindi and Gujarati dubbing artist,his experience spans over a decade.He has dubbed for the Hindi versionof movies like Fantastic Four andTwilight and is best known forplaying Harry Potter in HarryPotter series and Troy Bolton inHigh School Musical series.

Karan Trivedi

He is a voiceover artist with years ofexperience working with podcasts,IVR, audiobooks, corporate films etc.He has worked with the biggestnames in the country like Amazon,Lenovo, LG, BBC, Airtel, Governmentof India, Tata Group, ICICI, Larsen &Toubro, Indian Oil and many more.

Peter Abraham

With experience of over 10 years, she is a voiceoverartist for cartoons and anime. She has voiced variousbeloved characters like Shizuka in Doraemon, and Hi-mawari, Yoshinaga, Masau and Kazama in Shin-chan. Sheeven conducts online classes for aspiring artists.

Parul Bhatnagar

Education and EnhancementLearning CurveTHE GLOBAL TIMES | MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2021

The Journey Of Becoming A Voiceover Artist

There is a lot more to lending your voice than justpicking up a script and saying it out loud. The streamof voiceover, just like any other artistic field, has itsown nuances, specialisation, and needs. It is a toughgenre to master, but if voice acting is what calls you,then you have come to the right place to gather allyour 123s of the field that Prisha Nigam, AISGurugram 43, X C, is happy to share...

3

Mighty penGyan Vigyan

THE GLOBAL TIMES | MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 20214Science & Technology

The biggest pen in the worldis 5.5 metres wide, weighs37 kg, and was created inIndia.

Vaishnavi YadavAIS VYC Lko, VII A

Hey! My name is: Melon I am also known as: Cucumis melo

About men I belong to the Cucurbitaceae

family; though my exact originsare unknown but I was mostlikely found in Persia and neartrans Caucasus.

n In the 16th Century, I was intro-duced by the Spaniards to manyplaces in North America,Bermuda and California.

n Though I have more than 40variations, I can be identified ashaving a fairly round shape, withyellowish green outer layer. Myrind can be smooth, ribbed, wrin-kled or netted depending on mydifferent avatars.

n I am an annual vine and havehairy stems, and my yellow uni-sexual flowers are responsiblefor the sweet aroma of my fruit.

n Most of my varieties mature in60-90 days and weigh up to 3-4pounds. On an average, I cangain 12-18 inches height and canspread upto 3-6 feet.

n You will find a seed cavity insideme that is surrounded by smoothbut thick flesh like coat. And my

outer lining is relatively hard butthat is only to protect me.

n In India, I am commonly slicedand served with sugar and car-damom.

n Due to my sweet taste, I am alsocombined with other freshfruits and served as a re-freshing summer drink

What I offerAbout 100 grams of my consump-

tion will provide you:n Calories: 34n Carbohydrates: 8.1 grams n Protein: 0.84 gramsn Fat: 0.19 gramsn Sugar: 0.9 grams n Water: 90%n Vitamins (C, B6, A, etc.)n Other minerals like Potassium,

Copper and Magnesium

I can help you withn Regulating blood sugarn Boosting immunityn Promoting healthy digestive

systemn Improving eye vision

n Controlling weight n Stimulating hair growth

Where can youfind me

I require well-drained loamysand, rich in or-ganic matterwith pH between6.5 to 7.5 for

good cultivation. Igrow best in hot

and dry climatic con-ditions as I cannot tolerate

frost. Cool nights and clearday sunlight is ideal for my sugaraccumulation and helps me providebetter flavour. Region wise, China is my biggestproducer, followed by Turkey, Iran,India, and the United States. Inter-estingly, in 2021, India produced anestimated 1.30 million tonnes of me.That’s great, if you ask me!

My different avatarsn Ananas Melonn Cantaloupe Melon

n Honeydew Melonn Galia Melonn Santa Claus Melonn Canary Melon

Why I fear climate changeI am cultivated mostly in tropicaland sub-tropical regions where theatmosphere is relatively dry. So, thepresent climatic conditions with fre-quent unannounced rains or periodsof cloudy weather that lead to highmoisture content in the air are harm-ful for my ripening stages, and alsolower my quality drastically. Tocompound it, acid rains, caused byindustrial emissions of sulphur diox-ide and nitrogen oxides, leach im-portant nutrients from my soil,resulting in production of poor-qual-ity fruits. Thus, I for once requireimmediate human intervention, sothat climate change doesn’t end upmaking the likes of me go extinct.Besides, I am tasty too, so lendingme a helping hand would be a win-win situation. Hurry up and act now!

Magnificent melonsMagnificent melonsFruits and vegetables make up

the largest chunk of ournutrition. However, their role

is not just limited to a wholesomediet. Their significance permeatesacross economy, environment, healthand social sectors, proving how theyare, in fact, essential commodities toattain a sustainable world. Keepingthe same in mind, the United Nationshas designated 2021 as theInternational Year of Fruits andVegetables to make us cognisant ofthe diverse roles that they undertake.Shaking hands with this goal, GTbrings you a brand-new series,wherein each part will explore thevarious facets of one fruit orvegetable, highlighting why it isimportant to preserve these preciousgifts of nature.

Shubhangi Lakhanpal, AGS Gurugram, XI

Little Ron met all the criterion of being a goodboy, except for that his room was a realmess. As he woke up on a Sunday morning,

tip-toeing his way through the dirty room to meethis friend to play in the park, his mother barged inand halted all his plans. “Where do you think youare going? You are not allowed to go out until youclean this room,” she said and left him alone. Angry and annoyed, he picked up the basketballlaying in a corner and threw it with full force atthe wall. To his surprise, the wall seemed just asfurious and threw it back at him with the samepower. “What? How can you smack me back?” hecried, rubbing his arm that was hurt by the forceof the ball. “Why? You are allowed to act, but weare not allowed to react?” asked both the wall andthe ball together to Ron. Not having an answer and not wanting to be beatenup by them again, Ron angrily picked up the emptybox from the corner and started stuffing all his toysin it. He kept pushing the toys in, even though the

box was filled to the brim. As if in retaliation, thetoys too kept pushing back. “Stop putting so muchforce on us. Of course, we’ll fight back!” com-mented one of his toys that pushed back at Ron’shands every time he tried to push him inside. Ronwas now beyond frustrated; why did all the thingsaround him keep fighting him back?His eyes fell on the inflated balloons that he wasplaying with yesterday. He remembered he had somuch fun filling air in them. Ah, what he wouldn’tdo to go back to playing instead of cleaning! Hequickly picked up a deflated balloon and startedblowing into it, but his fingers slipped, and as a re-

sult, the air in the balloon came rushing out and theballoon went flying around the room.“Noooo, why?” he cried, holding the balloon hespent so long blowing up. “Well, because the airinside me came rushing out so I responded to it byflying!” replied the balloon. Ron now tired ofeverything backfiring at him, almost yelled in frus-tration, “Then it is your fault! Why must every ac-tion come back with an answer?”“Because, silly,” said the wall, “if you will throwsomething at me, I will also throw it back at you.If you push something against me, I will push itagainst you. Every action of yours and of mine and

of everyone else’s has an equal and opposite reac-tion.” “Every action? Really?” asked Ron. “Yes, re-ally,” replied the floor; “you are pushing yourselfagainst me and I am pushing you back, which iswhy you can walk or stand.” “Even me,” chimedin the physics book sitting on the study table, “I amapplying my force on the table and the table is ap-plying its force onto me, which is why I am sittinghere uncomfortably right now.”As one after the other, all the objects in the roomjoined the conversation to talk about how they havebeen replying with the same force that is applied tothem, Ron watched them with curiosity and re-alised that whenever any two things interact in life,they both apply the same level of force onto eachother. But, to him, this force seemed to be oppositein direction, which is what makes things move andalso keeps them steady.Having learned about actions and reactions, Ronpromised to himself to take better care of his toys.The entire experience proved to be a valuable les-son for Ron - an enlightening science lesson andan equally valuable life lesson. G T

A full circleWhat Goes Around Comes Back Around!

Newton’s third lawof motion statesthat when twobodies interact, theyapply forces to oneanother that areequal in magnitudeand opposite indirection.

Illus

tratio

n: V

aish

navi

Yad

av, A

IS V

YC 

Lko,

VII 

A

5THE GLOBAL TIMES | MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2021

Whose life is it anyway?U, Me Aur HumPens were first created around 3000 BC byancient Egyptians who made them fromwood and bamboo straws.M

ighty pen

Saatwik ChatkaraAGS Gurugram, XI

Chess - one of the most dauntingboard games ever created inthe world, has been around

from centuries, and is loved by every-one. Even in today’s technologically ad-vanced world, we have found ways tomove these 64 squares arranged in aneight-by-eight grid online and connectwith other players. This game, whereevery player gets to control sixteenpieces – one king, one queen, two rooks,two knights, two bishops, and eightpawns, is seen as a game of intellect,but there are still some who don’t un-derstand its appeal. So, for them, let’sbreak it down, shall we?

“Can you walk me a little through itsbackstory?”Chess is an abstract strategy game thatis played between two players, wherewith the help of their given sixteenpieces, the opponents must try tocheckmate the other’s king in order towin the game.This board game first originated inIndia and even have references in var-ious texts like Harshacharita and Cha-trang-namak, the earliest one datingback to the 7th century.However, the current version was fur-ther evolved in Europe during the 15thcentury, mainly in Valencia, Spain, andit was from there on that these mod-ernised rules were adopted in Italy andSouthern France, before the rest of theworld.By the end of the 19th century, thegame had become global, and severalmatches were being held annually. Topromote it further, the first ever

Olympiad was held in Paris in 1924,and subsequently, FIDE, the Interna-tional Chess Federation, was formed.In 1927, the Women’s World ChessChampionship was established.With tech advancement, internet cameup with various chess servers, the firstone being Internet Chess Server byUniversity of Utah in 1992. The Inter-net Chess Club was also launched in1995, and today, after being referencedin various pop items like Harry Potterand The Queen’s Gambit, the game hasseen a rise in its players.

“Okay, sounds cool, but why should Iplay it?”As the game requires memorising nu-merous combinations of moves and po-tential outcomes, it helps with memoryskills. Experienced chess player haveshown a better performance when itcame to auditory memory.The game engages the mind in carefulcontemplation and planning. Researchdone by behavioural scientists at Na-tional Institutes of Health proved thatthe group that regularly played chessperformed better in the Tower of Lon-don test (a test used in applied neu-ropsychology) than a group that didnot engage with the game.According to a research review done in2019 by University of Alicante and astudy by Department of Health, Iran,in 2016, chess protects older peoplefrom dementia and helps school-age children with ADHD. It wasalso found that the game helpsone to be calm.

“I’m in, what should I keep inmind whilst playing it?”The chess pieces are divided

into two coloured sets, usually blackand white, where players take turnsmoving to unoccupied squares or occu-pied ones which removes the oppo-nent’s piece from the game.The king can move one square in anydirection, rook and queen cannot leapover other pieces, and a bishop canmove diagonally. A game can be won with checkmate(the king is in check), resignation of theopponent, win on time (for time-con-trolled events where the opponent runsout of time), or by forfeit. There arealso six ways in which the game canend in a draw.Usually, the theories to play the gamehas been divided into two differentphases with different strategies likeOpening Theory (which aims to findthe best moves in the initial phase of thegame), Middlegame Theory (which isdivided into chess strategy that is to setand achieve long-tern positioning ad-vantages during the game, and chesstactics that look after immediate mo-ments), and Endgame Theory (which isconcerned with positions where thereare only few pieces left at the end tofight the main battle).

Now you’re all ready to checkmateChess haters!

Check mateUltimate Chess 101: May The Best Strategic Move Win...

Anushka RameshAIS MV, XII E

While pullingtogether all ourbelongings into

countless boxes of memories, Ichanced upon an archaicthreadbare hardbound bookcovered in dust. As I ran myfingers over the texturedgolden letters beneath thedust, it revealed ‘Sanajaoba’-my grandfather’s name. Ipicked it, but the pages thatthreaten to fall like autumnleaves. Gathering them all incuriosity together, I head tothe final page. At least, beforewe take leave from this mightyfortress called Sana Konungthat we once called home.

***Dear diaryI pen down today’s anecdotewith the aroma and delectabil-ity of Manipuri mangal ootti inmy heart, the majestic kitchenof Sana Konung Palace in mymind, and, no doubt, ratsjumping haywire in my stom-ach. Oh! How privileged werewe! With royal chefs lining upornate daawats at the hugedining table, never having tovisit the kitchen. But then theday arrived, I had to walk intothe kitchen and give the boot tomy royal chef. We were notroyals anymore. The govern-ment’s decision to convert thisbeautiful palace into a historicattraction for tourists has tornour whole family into pieces.Not realising that it’s a viola-tion of the 2006 memorandumbetween the government andus, that no decision will betaken without our consent. Per-haps, the royal age was over, orso the government concluded.

***I still remember my father nar-rating the mighty tale of howthe Manipur royal family oc-cupied the Kangla palace postthe 1891 Anglo-Manipur war,thus, laying the foundation ofthis beautiful palace. But thenperhaps this chaos laid its cor-nerstone when my ancestorsand those from Tripura werebludgeoned to be part of Indiain the 1949. Gradually, parts ofthe kingdom began to be con-

verted into military headquar-ters, leaving us with this placeto call our residence. If I hadmy druthers, this situationmight have never come up. Iwould have still been KingSanajaoba: The Living Deity.But since I no longer possessthe power to run my state witha clap of my hands, I have nooption but to let those despica-ble tears well into my eyes androll down my cheeks. But be-fore I show the white flag, I…impulsively… declare ahunger strike.The first couple of days hadbeen pretty rough when myfamished-self related all thelove songs to the succulenttaste of Chamthong or Kang-shoi. The plight didn’t endthere. Sana Konung was morethan just a house. It was home.A shelter that provided uswarmth and security. It was asymbol of the life of our civil-isation. I remember the leavesrustling, similar to a womangracefully sauntering in herevening dress with poise.These ambles down the mem-ory lane bring the confidencein me to not give up on my dis-seize. The corridors of thepalace lie deserted. I can nolonger see the flower tubs, northe white gravels. I am blindedby my ambition to get backwhat is mine. And I’ll fight forit. God, give me the strength.

***I had heard many stories aboutour palace, but never realisedthe real meaning of being anemperor… However, now as Isee my ancestral home beingconverted into a heritage site,to preserve the royal remnantsof our legacy place, as they arecalling it, I can sense every-thing falling apart. Grandfatherpursued politics and joined theRajya Sabha. He gave upmonarchy for democracy.Power based on the people’sopinion is indeed a fair systemin my opinion, but to be de-prived of all luxury servicesthat were just a clap away andlavish luncheons and dinners,it is in fact difficult to envis-age. The mighty name “Sana-jaoba” couldn’t do us wondersanymore!

Is It The End Of The Royal Era?

Theroyal foil

A perfect day must alwaysstart with a bright smile,and I am fortunate that, forme, every morning beginsthis way, mostly due to mystudents. When I hear oftheir sterling achievementsin every challenge they un-dertake, it makes me proudand grateful at the same

time. This time, this feeling is due to Kshitij Ag-garwal, who has won the silver medal at theWorld Economics Cup. This is an outstandingfeat as Kshitij stood amongst the top 20 partici-pants in this competition. It is because of thisvictory that Amity was also adjudged fifthamongst the world’s top 20 national teams. Thequest to excel in all my Amitians never fails toamaze me, but this is an extraordinary feat at aglobal level, considering there were more than50 teams from as many as 38 countries. To per-form in such a diverse environment, competingwith students from distinct nationalities,couldn’t have been easy. This is also the time to reflect on how our learn-ers have imbibed core concepts of holistic edu-cation that we strive to impart as educators.Teachers and mentors at Amity always work to-wards empowering children with a world viewthat consists of both knowledge and wisdom. Inan ever evolving world, we want children to un-derstand world economics in a humane way, sothat their innovation and invention can help inbringing about a meaningful change. Kshitij’svictory has added another feather to Amity’scap. I believe that many more Amitians will con-tinue to make us proud. G T

Shiningbright

Dr Amita ChauhanChairperson

Our lives are slowly return-ing to normalcy and theworst of the pandemic ishopefully behind us, butwe must also rememberthat this is not the time tocompletely throw cautionto the winds. Yes, all of usare happy to be able tophysically participate in so-

cial functions and family gatherings, but doesthat mean that we ignore our collective respon-sibility altogether? I am referring to a recentwedding which I attended where, to my horror,I found that no one seemed to be following anyCovid protocols, in spite of being aware of thenew Covid-19 variant that has surfaced recently.Even though the number of guests was limited,no one was seen maintaining any social distanc-ing, wearing masks or sanitising hands. Most of us have suffered some personal lossduring the last two years, but we seem to haveforgotten that life is a precious gift that cannotbe squandered away. I tried to instil some sensein the guests and while most agreed, a few wereclearly upset about my intervention. Someonewent as far as saying that I was ‘promoting theculture of fear!’ I wish they had understood thedifference between panic and fear. I believe thatwhen fear is rational and based on hard facts, itserves to protect us from undesirable outcomes.And we all need protection from this deadlyvirus, don’t we? We need to continue practisingSMS (sanitisation, mask and social distancing)if we truly care about our loved ones. G T

Vira SharmaManaging Editor

Published and Printed by Mr R.R. Aiyar on behalf of Dr (Mrs) Amita Chauhanfrom E-26, Defence Colony, New Delhi 110024 and printed from HT Media Ltd,B-2, Sec 63, Noida (UP). Editor Ms Vira Sharma. nEdition: Vol 13, Issue 39 nRNI No. DELENG / 2009 / 30258.

Opinions expressed in GT articles are of the writers and do not necessarily reflectthose of the editors or publishers. While the editors do their utmost to verifyinformation published, they do not accept responsibility for its absolute accuracy. Published for the period Dec 13-19, 2021

Mighty penMuse Editorial

THE GLOBAL TIMES | MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 20216Quill pens comprising swanfeathers, goose feathers, and crowfeathers were used the most from700 AD to the 1700s.

Protocolsplease!

Anika Joshi, AIS Vas 1, XII C

When contemplating lifeand its ebbs and flows,the good overpowers the

bad. We tend to remember thebrighter spots in our memories andforget the darker shades. But it is notthe same for everyone. Certain inci-dents, situations and memories maycause prolonged distress and anxi-ety, creating ripples in our mind,perforating through the canvas ofour life. It may completely dishevelour daily activities, making us a cap-tive inside our own self.Now, what if there was a way toerase the memories that fester at theroot of our distress like a decayingwound; completely obliterate certainevents that cause anxiety or even de-pression? Prima facie might pointtowards the obvious- bad memoriesshould definitely be erased. With thegrowing developments aroundmemory manipulation, the day is notaway when one can just hop into aclinic to undergo erasure of somespecific memory. But a deeper lookmust be taken to understand whaterasing a bad memory -or any mem-ory in that case, could mean for us. To delete a memory, first, its valuemust be assessed. A memory can becompared to a single card in a cardpyramid. When one card is pulled,

many other cards get pulled alongwith it; our memories are incrediblyinterlocked. A distressing memoryacts as a transformative event formany- it may have a positive or anegative effect. To delete that onememory would mean to inevitablyinfringe on other memories as well,as several personality traits crop upafter an experience. One small expe-rience of ours, negative or positiveaffects our decisions, our personali-ties, our actions, and our futureselves in ways impossible to predict.Our very notions of self are based onour past actions, our experiences,our memories; and to do away with

these would be to destroy a part ofourselves. According to psychiatryprofessor Dr. Barbara Rothbaum,even when a soldier or veteran dealswith the psychological trauma ofwar, erasing that particular memorywould still be unwise as it will leadto unprecedented changes. Researchers have found out how toplant memories or tweak them, asremoval of complete memories stillstands on the wrong side of ethics.So, when it comes to the total alter-ation of memories, we might becloser than we think. So, the ques-tion arises- would you erase yourbad memories at all?

A clean slateShould We Erase Our Bad Memories Or Not?

Vasudha Sharma, AIS Noida, XI I

The resolve to bring about achange in the world that ateenager possesses can be ex-

ceptional, especially if utilised to-wards a positive cause; climatechange in this case. For they are notonly rocking the foundations of thelargely impassive world we live in,but are enthusiastically participatingin revolutionising it sustainably; in away that benefits all – humans, ani-mals, and environment as a whole.With that being said, here’s a list ofsome young eco-activists who areconsciously doing their bit to makethe world a better place.

Aditya MukarjiA 16-year-old boy from Gurugram,India, Aditya Mukarji has made it hismission to ban single use plastic. In2018 thus, he successfully led a door-to-door campaign to persuade around150 cafes and restaurants inDelhi/NCR to refrain from using plas-tic straws and shift towards more sus-tainable alternatives. Recently, he wasgiven an opportunity to intern with theUnited Nations and was invited to theUN Youth Climate Action Summit inNew York where he got a chance tointeract with world leaders and theSecretary General of the UN, AntónioGuterres. To say we are proud, wouldbe an understatement!

Jamie MargolinJamie Margolin, aged 18, is a queer,Jewish, Latina eco-activist and co-

founder of the organisation ‘ZeroHour’. Dedicated towards thecause of environment, Jamie, inJune 2020, published her first book‘Youth to Power: Your Voice andHow To Use It’, which is a guide-book for young activists who wishto start successful and sustainablemovements. To add on to it, shehas organised and led severalmarches and educational cam-paigns to further apprise peopleon climate change and theneed to weed it out.

Licypriya KangujamThis ten-year-old girl fromManipur is considered oneof the youngest climatechange activists in the world,but a passionate one nonethe-less. She has been pro-activeabout environmentalism since shewas six. And since then, she hastalked about environmental sus-tainability and climate change intwenty-one countries, and has ad-dressed world leaders at the UnitedNations COP25 in 2019. She has alsobeen actively campaigning for actionon new laws to curb India’s soaringpollution levels since 2018. Talkabout dedication, you all!

Isra Hirsi Isra is an 18-year-old black, Muslimenvironmental activist from Min-nesota. She is an advocate for inter-sectional environmentalism, and hasco-founded the US Youth ClimateStrike, the American arm of a global

youth climate change movement. Shehas also organised several student-led strikes across US to championclimate change. As a reward for herendeavours, she was named in For-tune’s 40 under 40 list in 2020.

Leah NamugerwaCo-founder of Fridays For Future,Leah, a seventeen-year-old girl fromUganda, ardently discourages the useof plastic and is the face behind thepetition to prohibit the use of plasticbags in her country. Her dedicationtowards a sustainable future reflects

in how she once planted some 200trees on her birthday and gave birthto the ‘Birthday Trees’ project that,ever since, gives out seedlings tothose who want to imitate the ges-ture. She also has the distinction ofgiving a speech at the World UrbanForum in 2020.

These young activists, indubitably,inspire hope as they demand actionto curb the current climate crisis andavert the subsequent doom we couldbe leading forward to. Let’s helpthem by doing our bit, shall we now?

The teen preservationistsMillennials Advancing Towards A Healthy Sustainable Future

Dear Editor,This is in reference to the article ‘Apawing leap’ published on page 1in the GT edition dated December6, 2021. The article reflects on themarvels of VR technology thatmade it possible to see some of ourfavourite animals while sittingcomfortably at our homes andhelped relive our childhoodmemories of visit to the zoo. Of course, all of us stand againstanimal cruelty. But we must alsoacknowledge the significantcontribution the ex-situconservation places have inprotecting the rich ecologicalwealth. So, while virtual zoos giveus easier access, they do risk takingaway the physical areas ofconservation, and might evenjeopardise our mission of fightingagainst climate change andbiodiversity degradation. So, thekey to all this, lies in the system ofbalancing - not only on part of theorganisations, but all of us.

Megha ChattopadhyayAIS Vasundhara 1, Alumna

GT M@il

Issue: Page 1, Dec 6, 2021

Mig

hty

pen

7THE GLOBAL TIMES | MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2021

This time, that yearRetrospectionThe oldest pen in the world stillpreserved is a fountain pen thatwas designed in 1702 by M Bionfrom France.

Henry II, the for-mer duke of Nor-mandy, wascrowned the Kingof England post along civil war thatresulted in the

death of his predecessor, KingStephen. He is said to be responsiblefor the establishment of England asa dominant nation in the world.

The Nutcracker, atwo-act ballet com-posed by famousRussian composer,Pyotr IlyichTchaikovsky, pre-miered in St Pe-

tersburg, Russia. It was accompaniedby the release of his last opera ‘Iolanta’.The storyline of the ballad was inspiredfrom Alexandre Dumas pere’s The Taleof the Nutcracker.

The first episode ofthe Pink Panthercartoon series called‘Pink Phink’ pre-miered on televi-sion. Directed byHawley Pratt and

Friz Freleng, it won the award for BestAnimated Short Film at the 37th Acad-emy Awards. This is also the only ani-mated Pink Panther short andinstallment to win this award.

The Titanic, di-rected by JamesCameron, starringLeonardo DiCaprioand Kate Winslet,opened on this dayafter its premiere atthe Tokyo Interna-

tional Film Festival on November 1,1997. It remained the highest-grossingfilm of all time worldwide until the re-lease of Cameron’s 2010 movie Avatar.

DEC

181964

DEC

191997The world of

sports

DEC

181892

DEC

191154

DEC

191843

DEC

151893

The very firsttable tennis tour-nament was heldin the LondonRoyal Aquarium.

Organised by Major Ritchie, a suc-cessful tennis player, the tournamentwent ahead and attracted a whopping 192 men alongside48 women. In the women’s bracket, Vyvyan Eames wonthe championship, and from the men, R D Ayling claimedthe crown.

The coveted JulesRimet trophy,awarded to thewinner of the foot-ball world cup,was stolen for thesecond time fromthe headquarters

of the Brazil football association in Rio de Janeiro. It wasfirst stolen from England in 1966.

DEC

141901

DEC

191983

The Sovietspacecraft Ven-era 7 success-fully landed onVenus, makingit the firstspacecraft to

successfully soft-land on anotherplanet, and the first one to trans-mit data back to earth. The spacecraft confirmed that hu-mans cannot survive on the surface of Venus and excludedthe possibility of any liquid water on Venus.

DEC

151970

The world of politics

Text: Savyasachi Singh, XI H; Vasudha Sharma, XI I & S. Mysha Urooj, XI F; AIS Noida

UNESCO adoptedthe Conventionagainst Discrimi-nation in Educa-tion, the first-everlegally binding in-ternational treatyentirely dedicated

to establishing education as a funda-mental right. As of today, 106 countriesare signatories and participants.

Symphony No. 9, ‘From the NewWorld’ aka the ‘New World Sym-phony’, by Antonín Dvorak premieredin a public afternoon rehearsal atCarnegie Hall in New York City, fol-lowed by a concert. It is said to be oneof the most popular symphonies of alltime, a tape of which was also takenby Neil Armstrong into Apollo 11.

DEC

191776

‘The American Crisis’, a series of 13pamphlets written by philosopherThomas Paine, was published,strengthening his honour as the‘voice of the American revolution’.The series is considered as a notableattempt to instil a sense of patriotismamongst the troops.

Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’,illustrated by John Leech, was firstpublished in London by Chapman &Hall. The first edition of the novelsold out in 5 days and was reprinteda total of 13 times over the year.

DEC

141960

Park Gyeun-hye,daughter of theformer presidentPark Chung-hee,was elected asthe president ofthe Republic of

Korea in a historic act. She becamethe first female president of SouthKorea with the approval of 51.6 percent of all voters.

DEC

192012

Bill Clinton, the42nd President ofthe US, was im-peached by theHouse of Represen-tatives on charges of‘high crimes and

misdemeanours’, which included lyingunder oath and obstruction of justice. Hewas the second American president everto be impeached.

DEC

191998

NASA launchedRelay 1, an ex-p e r i m e n t a lcommunicationsatellite, to testthe possibilitiesof communica-tions from

space. As part of its successfulspace mission, Relay 1 transmitted live television signalsfrom the US to Great Britain for Winston Churchill’s hon-orary US citizenship ceremony on April 9, 1963.

DEC

131962

The worldof space

The worldof art andliterature

The world of entertainmentWeeks, years, decades,centuries...as time goes byday by day, the world keeps

progressing into a newer direction.But as our eyes always stay glued tothe telescope, trying to get a glimpseof the shining future we work so hardto create, it’s important to take abreak and appreciate how far wehave come. Let’s look back at thepages of history falling betweenDecember 13-19 that played their rolein shaping our society.

Mighty penMosaic Senior

THE GLOBAL TIMES | MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 20218

Anupriya NayakAIS Saket, X A

It was like any other wintermorning in the good oldcountryside, but for some rea-

son it felt colder. The chill creptup in his bones from underneath,and no matter how many layershe was wearing, how many hourshe spent rubbing his palms to-gether, it stayed the same, searingfrom his insides. Even the warmtears dropping from his eyes frozewhen they met the skin on hisface, and the same cold numbedhis fingers as he held her handsfor the last time.The bells chimed as the door waspushed in, revealing an old wrin-kled man who had just entered theshop. With short and tired steps,

he came up to the counter, hiseyes surveying his surroundingsas he walked. “Can I get a bou-quet of lilies, please?” he asked.As he waited for the flowers, hismind raced back to the time whenhe was standing in the sameplace, many years ago. He, again,had asked for lilies because heknew it would be a great way tosurprise her. He stood outside thehospital room, lilies in his hand,knowing that when he’d open thedoor, he wouldn’t be the same.He gave her the flowers with asmile on his face and was, in re-turn, handed a bundle of new lifeto hold on to. How those tinyhands gripped his finger! Wipingaway the single tear that had es-caped his eye, he was broughtback to reality when the florist

handed him a bouquet of lilies. Ina hurry to reach his destination,he quickly took out his wallet andhanded him the money. As he didso, a piece of paper fell down un-noticed from his wallet, a bit ofmud latching onto the edges ofthe glossy photo.Every year, on this day, he gaveher lilies because they were herfavourite and today was theirwedding anniversary. He had toreach room no. 394 by 4 o’clockto see her, the same room of thehospital his wife was in when hisson was born, and the same roomshe had been in for the last sixmonths. The doctors had beenkind enough to let him visit oncrucial days such as today, butthey, too, seem to be giving uphope; they told him she doesn’t

have much time left now.“Excuse me, sir, is this yours?”the florist asked, wiping the mudoff the photo that fell from theman’s wallet. “What a beautifulfamily you have!” he continuedand passed him a smile. The manlooked down at the photo; his sonand wife’s smiles stared back athim. Their eyes were wide andgleaming. Those smiles still hadnot left the picture, nor his heart.“Thank you.” He tried his best tosay it as firmly as he could butthe strain in his voice and thetears sitting right on the edge ofhis eyes gave him away. The photograph held two of themost important parts of his life,only one of which still remainednear him. The other was takenaway from him years ago by areckless speeding truck. He feltpowerless and in agony everytime he thought of how helplesshis son must have been. Heshould have saved him; he shouldhave done something, but hecouldn’t. His son left, leaving himstranded in the darkness. Andnow, the only person he was leftwith will soon be gone, too. Hegripped the lilies in his hands a lit-tle tighter, put on a brave face,and made his way to the hospitalto hold her hand one last time.G T

WORDS VERSE

A bouquet of lilies

Storywala

CAMERA CAPERS

Mist of paradise

Enchanted forest Blooming with joy

Nature’s ecstasy

Send in your entries to cameracapers@theglobaltimes.in

Ballpoint pens with a steel ball at the endwere used by pilots in World War II as theydidn’t leak when they were high in the sky.

Maansi Anand, AIS Vas 1, Alumna

Laughter that soundsLike the strums of a guitarEchoing in the windAll around the bar

Hidden behind gun shotsSuddenly bash out voices Of humans drowning in bloodCrying out loud and loud

The scene is taken overBy screams of hate and crimeAnd this was only becauseThey loved others of their kind

In her son’s absenceA mother moves aroundGathering all his thingsTo set him away with a frown

Oh, my dear sonThere’s just one thing on my mind What was the harm my childIn loving others of the same kind?

Staring out the windowA sister awaits the girl Who had left in excitement But has not yet returned

Wondering where she’d goneShe kept calling her every second “I don’t know if she’ll come back”Is what the sister’s mind kept saying

Oh, my dear sisterThere’s just one thing on my mind

What was the harm my sisterIn loving others of the same kind?

Over the voicemailA father heard his children cry Far away, he was at the borderHelpless, with an expression wry

Oh, my dear sonThere’s just one thing on my mind What was the harm my childIn loving others of the same kind?

So, do you have answers To the people standing in the rain Sobbing for their loved onesWho were killed for no gain?

What else can they do?Fight back? They won’tThey were only innocent peopleWhose lives were over in a jolt

And at the end, I hopeThis message reaches all the minds That there is never any harmIn loving others of the same kind. G T

He stood outside thehospital room, lilies inhis hand, knowing that

when he’d open thedoor, he wouldn’t be

the same.

Sambhavi Ranjan, AIS Gurugram 43, X B

Break the eggs and pour theyolk into a large bowl.Now, add the refined oil andsugar into the bowl. Whisk themixture well. Set it aside to rest.In another bowl, sieve maidaand baking powder. Once done,add them to the egg mixtureand whisk once again, so thatno lumps are formed.Now add dry fruits andvanilla essence to the mix, andgive it a stir.

Brush a baking mould withrefined oil.Pour the batter in the mouldand top it with chopped dryfruits. Bake it at 180° for about20 minutes.Once done, prick the cake inthe centre using a knife ortoothpick. If it comes out clean,your cake is ready; if not, bakeit for another 5-10 minutes.Your dry fruit cake is readyto be devoured!

Ingredients

Procedure

Dry fruit cakeMaida ..................................................................................1 cupSugar ....................................................................................1 cupRefined oil............................................................................1 cupEggs ........................................................................................3-4Baking powder ......................................................................1 tspDry fruits (chopped)............................................................½ cupVanilla essence ..............................................................2-3 drops

Sambhavi Ranjan

Aditri Jha, AIS Noida, XI B Prisha Nigam, AIS Gurugram 43, X COrlando

iDhairya GuptaAIS Gur 43, VII A

The year was 1990 whenthe world came togetherto pool their resources

into one project. A project thatwould push them closer to ashared dream - the dream todance among the stars. The Inter-national Space Station was a stepin achieving that dream. It couldhouse satellites launched into theatmosphere and maintain contactwith them, while possessing theability to stop any faulty satel-lites that may turn into a threat.When the presidents of the devel-oped countries around the worldcame together to discuss theirstrategy in undertaking this her-culean task, it was decided thatthe best scientists of each partic-ipating country would be se-lected to lead this mission.However, no one anticipated the

scarcity of bright minds. Theywere too few in number to han-dle everything. As the discussioncontinued, one of the presidents,namely Joon, excused himself ashe had a call from his wife. Dur-ing his conversation, he couldhear his young son in the back-ground talking about the vastnessof space and how it enticed him.With this, he suddenly got anidea, which to him, at the mo-ment, seemed great. He rushedback to the meeting and pro-posed his new plan to his fellowpresidents. “Hey, how about werecruit children into the pro-gramme?” he elaborated. As it was to be expected, therewas an outrage, for most of themthought it was a foolish idea toentrust children with equipmentthat cost millions. But Jooncalmed everyone down and ex-plained his plan more elabo-rately. “The children would only

be responsible for charting andnavigating, which would reducelabour costs and save preciousresources and time,” he tackedon. Eventually, the plan wasgiven a green light, but most ofthem were still against the ideaof involving children. Joon thus,vowed to prove them all wrong.As such, he single-handedlycame up with a selection processfor the same, which, given thesignificance of the issue at hand,was a tough nut to crack.Exams, disguised as competi-tions, were held across the worldin order to select the best of thebest. Joon’s son, Jean, was one ofthe kids who got selected for themission. He had always been abright kid, the object of pride andadmiration in his small village ofIlsan, South Korea, and Joon wasnothing but proud of him. Know-ing too well that his son wasgood with technology and math-

ematics, and could even buildcomplex machines using merescraps, a feat rare amongst hispeers, Joon encouraged him togive the mission his all. His sonmeticulously worked with otherchosen children from around theworld, their collaboration was atalk for the legends. Within 8years, the International SpaceStation was finally complete. Theyear was 1998, the date Novem-ber 20, when humanity took astep closer to being among the ce-lestials – this with the help of kidsaround the globe. “Kids can dowonders, I told you all,” saidJoon looking at his son and otherkid scientists, as tears streameddown his face and others admiredhim for his faith in the future gen-eration.(The above story is one of theentries received as part of thestory writing workshopconducted as a part of GTSummer Workshop 2021. Theparticipants were given a settingand characters to weave agripping short story.)

G T

The most expensive pen in the worldis a Fulgor Nocturnus Fountain Penwhich costs 8,000,000 USD.M

ight

y pe

nTHE GLOBAL TIMES | MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2021 9Mosaic Junior

The story of ISSShort story

So, what did you learn today?A new word: MeticulouslyMeaning: Taking care of

minute details

Exams, disguised ascompetitions were

held across the worldin order to select the

best of the best.

Christmas wreath Ankana Sangar, AIS Vasundhara 6, IV

n Flexible/Flaccid pipe-1n Christmas decorationmaterial

n Red decoration tape-1

n Christmas garland (anycolour)

n Fevistick/Glue

Ankana Sangar

Method

n Take the flaccid pipe and join both of its ends with the help ofa tape. The pipe should now be in the shape of a circle.

n Now, neatly wrap the Christmas garland on the lower half ofthe pipe.

n Then start rolling the red tape on the upper part of the pipe tocover it whole.

n Once done, gather all the Christmas decoration material youhave, such as bells, sticks, gifts and balls, etc., and paste themonto the garland with the help of Fevistick.

n Finally, add a Merry Christmas tag on the top of the wreath.You can also roll some Diwali lights around it, as they looklovely at night.

n Your Christmas wreath is ready! Pin it to a wall to adorn yourhouse this Christmas.

PAINTING CORNERShaurya Kansal, AIS Noida, II F

It’s MeRajveer Kharbanda

AIS VYC Lucknow, KG

Q: What do you call a train thatsneezes?A: Achoo-choo train

Q: Why did the banana go tothe doctor?A: Because it was not reallypeeling well.

Q: What did the policeman sayto his tummy?A: “You’re under a rest”

Q: What does a cloud wearunder his raincoat?A: Thunderwear

Q: What is worse than finding aworm in your apple?A: Finding a half worm

KNOW MEMy name: Rudrika GargMy Class: I CMy school: AIS Vas 1Born on: Aug 10

MY FAVOURITESTeacher: PriyankaSangar ma’am Subject: Arts Friend: AdhyaBhardwaj Game: CarromCartoon:Masha &the Bear Food: Pasta Mall: Shipra mallBook: Story books

MY DREAMS AND GOALSHobbies: Drawing and dancingI like: Dressing upI dislike: DarknessMy role model:My mom I want to become: A doctorI want to feature in GT because: I want tobe popular

Avyaan TalwarAIS Gurugram 46, V F

Bunny went to the martTo buy a jar of nutellaSuddenly it started to pour But he had no umbrella

On his way, he saw a petLost, it was also getting wetBunny brought him homeSo the dog would not roam

He wiped him with the towel Which was a dazzling pinkGave him something hot to drinkAnd some dog food to gobble

The pup then slept on a pillow

Dreamt of playing near a willowAs Bunny heard a loud noiseHe got up really annoyed

He went outside with a torchAnd saw the owner at the porchSo, Bunny bid adieu to the pupBut he was glad they met up!G T

Bunny’s busy dayPOEMS

Avishi AgarwalAIS VKC Lucknow, VIII A

Flowing down shiny drops of pearlsThere’s a story you need to unfurlTransparent like the ray of lightWhich can judge our will and might

Drop of tear reveals different emotions May falter us to acquire our passionTears unfold saga of sadness and pain Which might put our strong self in vain

Sometimes appear deceptively honest

Which is not a sign of weaknessBy forever flowing down our cheek Better and calmness is what we seek

Teaching us to be strong and boldEven though the doors are closed Showing us the simplicity of life Helping us to be calm even in strife!G T

Tears

Material required

Educational Poster A cheesy affair

THE GLOBAL TIMES | MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2021M

ighty penSpace Pen was designed by Paul Fisher for theApollo 11 mission, and it used cartridge inkthat worked in zero gravity, underwater, upside-side and even on oily surfaces.

If there is one dairy produce that is both univer-sally used and loved, it has to be cheese.Cheese is a nutritious food staple made mostlyfrom the milk of cows but also other mammals,

including sheep, goat, buffalo, camel and yak. Thestory of cheese began 4000 years ago, when peoplestarted to breed animals and process their milk.Today, we have over 2000 varieties of cheese theworld over. Arpita Chakraborty, GT network,brings to you the ones that are most popular.

Country of origin: NetherlandsColour: Pale yellowTexture: Buttery and crumblyFlavour: SmokeyWe use it for: Cheese crostini, stuffed cutlets, dips etc.Named after the city of Gouda in Netherlands, this cheesehas a beautiful smoky aroma as it is smoked in ancient brickovens. It has a dense, caramel flavour which is elevated withnuts that are sweet and creamy. Both pasteurised and unpas-teurised variants of smoked gouda are available.

SMOKED GOUDA

Country of origin: ItalyColour: StrawTexture: Crystalline, dense and grainyFlavour: Fruity, nutty, savoury, sharpWe use it for: Pasta, salad, bruschetta etc. This is one of the most widely used varieties, and is alsoknown as Parmigiano Reggiano. Derived from unpas-teurised milk of cows that graze on fresh grass and hay,parmesan ages really well. The taste and texture of parmesankeeps evolving from sweet to savoury then to salty, dry andcrumbly; inferior versions can impart a bitter taste.

PARMESAN

Country of origin: ItalyColour: YellowTexture: Crumbly and firmFlavour: Mild and sharpWe use it for: Pasta, Risotto, Pizza etc. Produced in bulk in Northern Italian regions, it is derived exclu-sively from cow’s milk. A must-have in Italian cuisine, the distinctflavor of the cheese is soft, creamy, with a slightly acidic finish whenyoung. As it ages, the flavour turns stronger and delivers a pungentbite to finish. This blue cheese is full-flavoured, salty and earthy.This versatile cheese tastes divine with grapes, honey and pistachios.

GORGONZOLA

Country of origin: Village of Cheddar, EnglandColour: Pale yellowTexture: Compact and crumblyFlavour: Creamy and sharpWe use it for: Mac and cheese, cheddar scallion biscuits, cheddarquesadillas etc. Cheddar cheese is also derived from cow’s pasteurised milk. Theprocess of manufacturing is quite different and is called ‘cheddar-ing’. In the initial months, cheddar cheese tastes mild and starts get-ting stronger with time. The largest cheese sculpture in the world ismade with cheddar cheese.

CHEDDAR

Country of origin: ItalyColour: WhiteTexture: Springy, stringy and suppleFlavour: MilkyWe use it for: Lasagna, pizza, quiche, quesadillas etc.Pizza’s stretchy element is stretched curd cheese widelyknown as mozzarella. It is usually sphere or oval and is keptin water for retaining its moisture. It is derived from pas-teurised or unpasteurised milk of cow or buffalo. Mozzarellais known as ‘white gold’ in its country of origin, Campanianear the Gulf of Naples.

MOZZARELLA

Country of origin: GreeceColour: WhiteTexture: Creamy, crumbly, grainy and openFlavour: Salty, tangyWe use it for: Baked cheese, salad, sandwiches etc. A must-have in all kitchens, feta cheese is derived from pas-teurised or unpasteurised milk of goats and sheep. Its tastediffers from region to region, and it can be extremely creamyor crumbly. Those who are gluten intolerant can enjoy it aswell, as there are no added additives.

FETA

10

11THE GLOBAL TIMES | MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2021

WassupSchool Lounge

AGS Gurugram

Riya Kharyal & Vedika Singh, XI

The virtual festival of lightsand International Day cele-brations took place on Octo-

ber 29, 2021. Held under thevisionary guidance and leadership ofDr. (Mrs.) Amita Chauhan, Chairper-son, Amity Group of Schools andRBEF, the day celebrated the victoryof light over darkness and embracedthe world’s incredible cultural diver-sity as oneness of humanity. Students demonstrated the spirit of

the school ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam:The world is one family’ during thecelebrations which commenced withthe auspicious lighting of the lamp.Students from primary school cheer-fully exhibited their research on thedifferent festivals of lights celebratedaround the world. Diwali and similarlight festivals from various cultureswere commemorated with a bouquetof crafts, music and dance. Another annual event celebrated onthe same day was International Day.An initiative of AGS Gurugram,IBDP CAS students, the event aimedat instilling a sense of pride in one’s

culture and fostering inter-nationalism amongst the stu-dent community. TheInternational day celebrationwas inaugurated with rib-bon-cutting ceremony andschool principal Arti Guptaaddressing the audience. Two students from grade

XII enlightened the audience aboutInternational Day, its importance andhow it is celebrated at the school.Students of Grade VI-XII from thefour houses Amazon, Ganges, Nileand Zhuang, showcased the rich cul-ture, traditions and heritage of di-verse regions across the globe andtook the audience on an educationalworld tour. The houses also presented videos ofinnovative and multidisciplinary ac-tivities like skits, music, art, dance,sports, etc., displaying cultures oftheir respective regions. Nile, Ama-zon, Zhuang and Ganges houses ush-

ered the audience to Central Europe,Middle East, Central & SouthernAsia and Western Europe respec-tively, through their well-woven pre-sentations and extensively inclusiveportrayal of the regions. Nile house won the ‘Synergy Award’,Amazon secured the ‘Percipient In-quiry Award’. Zhuang house baggedthe ‘Ingenuity Award’ while Gangeshouse swept the ‘Storyline Award’.Student representatives from eachhouse shared their insightful reflec-tions on their learnings and experi-ence of preparing these presentations.All the students who had actively par-ticipated in the celebration of the In-ternational Day were awardede-certificates by Rekha Gupta, theIBDP CAS coordinator. The eventconcluded with vote of thanks deliv-ered by head boy, Vaibhav Chopra,who extended his gratitude to every-one involved in making the event aremarkable success.G T

Supporting Palliative Care

Mighty pen Buzz Aldrin even used the felt

tip of his pen as a replacementof the engine switch during theApollo mission.

Caring for the world

World of businessKshitij Aggarwal The silver victory vista

Young economistAmity Bags Silver @ WEC

AIS Vasundhara 6

Kshitij Aggarwal fromClass XII wonsilver medal at the

World Economics Cup held vir-tually on September 11, 2021.Scoring a total of 351 out of450, Kshitij earned a well de-served position among theworld top 20 young economistsadept in solving questions re-lated to fundamentals, deepcomprehension, and thinkingand innovation. He was short-listed to participate in this megaglobal event after he scored 7th

rank position worldwide at theInternational EconomicsOlympiad, held by the HighSchool of Economics (HSEUniversity), Moscow, Russia. AIS Vas 6 was ranked 5thamong the world top 20 na-tional teams in the competitionwith 52 participating teams and265 competitors from 38 coun-tries. The jury comprised lead-ing economics professors frominstitutes like Columbia Uni-versity, University of Oxford,MIT, Harvard University, JohnHopkin’s University andCleveland University.

ACCGC

An information session by NanyangTechnological University (NTU), Sin-gapore, was organised for the students

of Class XI-XII of Amity Group of Schools andAmity Global Schools at AIS Noida, on Octo-ber 29, 2021. The session facilitated by AmityCareer Counselling and Guidance Cell(ACCGC), under the visionary leadership of Dr(Mrs) Amita Chauhan, Chairperson, AmityGroup of Schools and RBEF, aimed at makingstudents aware about study courses and schol-arships at NTU, Singapore. Expert speakers Vijay Krishnan Chandran,manager, Office of Admissions, Student andAcademic Services Department, NTU and OngHui Sien, head, Office of Admissions, NTUshowcased the essential information for study-ing UG courses in Singapore. They coveredtopics like, intake capacity, schools, pro-grammes, application process, tuition fees, andmerit-based scholarships. The presentation wasfollowed by Q&A session, in which students aswell as parents discussed their queries.

Ecom Forum, Fostering Finance And Business Experts

AIS Saket

The school organised its 22nd EcomForum, an annual inter-school com-petition of economics and commerce

to foster business and management thinkingof young minds, virtually for the secondtime, on October 30, 2021. The event heldunder the visionary leadership of Dr (Mrs)Amita Chauhan, Chairperson, Amity Groupof Schools and RBEF, is a platform to makestudents understand the synergy betweeneconomics, commerce and innovation. It was the collaborative effort of Rebus, Eco-nomics & Finance Society of the school alongwith the commerce department. Participatingstudents from Class XI-XII of 26 eminentschools of Delhi/NCR took part in three com-petitions viz: Economics Symposium, Wis-dom Wands and Fintoons. Economics Symposium competition saw stu-dents discuss current issues like IntellectualProperty Rights, Sri Lanka’s Economic Cri-sis, National Monetization Pipeline, UBI vi-

ability and Crypto currency. Anika Joshi(XII), AIS Vasundhara 1 and Nitya Malhotra(XI), AIS Gurugram 43, won the first prizefollowed by Tanishqa Sharma (XII), AGSGurugram, and Ananya Jain (XII), AISMayur Vihar, winning second and third prizerespectively. Riddhi Jain (XI), AIS Noida,won second prize and Avni Singh (XI), AISJagdishpur, won third prize as interjectors atthe competition. Wisdom Wands was a startup launched witha social cause competition in which problemslike connecting local artisans to market, li-brary service for underprivileged children,carbon footprints etc., and their solutionswere presented by the students. SanjaliSharma (XI) and Ayush Mantri (XII), AISNoida, were awarded the second prize. Anvi

Chawla (XI) and Deepannita Mukherjee (XI)of AIS Gurugram 46 were given third prizein the competition.Fintoons competition required students tocreate financial cartoons on the topic, ‘Makein India: Upskilling and Reskilling to createAtmanirbhar Bharat’. Mitul Singh Rawat(XI), AIS VKC Lucknow, won second prizein the competition. The overall Late Shri Baljit Ji Shastri rollingtrophy, instituted in the memory of the fatherof Dr Ashok K. Chauhan, Founder President,Amity Universe, was bagged by AIS Noida.The event was judged by eminent expertsfrom the field of business, finance, journal-ism, education, who lauded the exemplaryawareness and finance expertise of youngAmitians. G T

Financial fintoons by young budding business minds of modern world

Chairperson addresses the audience

The Spirit Of Oneness And Unity

AIS Noida

Amitians won laurels at aslogan and short write-up competition organ-

ised by The Departmentof Palliative Care, Sir Ganga RamHospital to mark the World Hos-pice and Palliative Care Day 2021on October 9, 2021. The competition held for studentsabove 12 years of age, aimed tospread awareness about ‘Pallia-tive care and equity in access to

palliative care’. Aarushi Misraand Anjali Gupta both fromClass IX and Agastya Kaushikfrom Class X received a certifi-cation of appreciation fortheir outstanding submissions atthe award ceremony held on Oc-tober 8, 2021.A total of 11 students from theschool participated in the compe-tition. The competition instilledcompassion and sensitivity in theyoung minds about palliativecare.G T

The young global citizens light up the celebrations of International Day

Dignitaries of NTU and Amity at the event

Study abroadSingapore Dreams

From (L-R): Aarushi Misra, Agastya Kaushik and Anjali Gupta The lights allover the world

Bag Pack Variety

THE GLOBAL TIMES | MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 202112More than a hundred people die everyyear due to suffocating on pen caps.

All top quotes contributed by Suhani Gupta, AIS Gurugram 46, VII B

An ingenious writer Ananya Singh

AIS VKC Lko, XII B

Writing a book indubitablyis indeed challenging, tosay the least. From com-

ing up with a unique idea to goingthrough the whole creative processof editing and re-editing to finallyfinding a publisher, the patience andtime that goes into creating thiswork of art is by no means a joke.However, Anurabh Sinha, afourth grader from AIS VKCLko, believes that anything is pos-sible if one is diligent. Showcas-ing the same zeal, Anurabh hassuccessfully authored hisdebut book, 3 BFFs. So, be-fore he comes up with asequel, let’s get into thethick of it, shall we?

When did you re-alise your passion

for words?I entered the world ofwords when Ichanced upon one ofJeff Kinney’s books,namely ‘Diary of aWimpy Kid’. I was so

intrigued by it that I de-cided to give it a read. And

so, as days passed and I fin-ished reading it, the dormantwriter in me awakened. Notresisting the urge thus, Ibegan conceptualising a

basic premise for my own book.After pondering over the subject fora considerable amount of time, I fi-nally decided to write about myfriends and our exciting adventurestogether. However, it was during thepandemic that I actually started put-ting my thoughts on paper. And therest is, well, history!

What is 3 BFFs about?The plot of the book focuses onfriendship and the importance ofmaintaining this precious relation-ship in life. It was initially titled‘The adventures of Anurabh andPriyan’, but during the lockdown,my equation with Viraj, also afriend, strengthened to the point thatI decided to change the name to 3BFFs. The book is filled with excite-ment and playful energy, and is amust-read for all, irrespective oftheir age.

How did you overcome any chal-lenges that came your way?To find my feet and identify my per-sonal style of writing rather than im-itating other writers was the mostchallenging part of this entire jour-ney for me. But as the pages startedcoming together, I was relieved tosee the final result. Other than that,I think imagining fictional adven-tures while sitting in front of thecomputer gave me a hard time aswell. But it was all worth it in theend because I wanted the readers to

connect with my emotions and ex-periences, and so any effort that Imade in that direction is dear to meand I will cherish it forever.

How did your parents react uponyour keenness to write?My mother encouraged me everystep of the way and was as excitedas me to see the final outcome of thebook. My father, on the other hand,was the man behind the entireprocess of getting my book edited,designed, and then finally approvedby the publishers. And so, I dedicate

this book to them, for none of itwould have been possible withouttheir constant support, guidanceand motivation.

Can you tell us how well the bookhas been received by the masses?The response has been largely pos-itive and people have appreciatedmy writing style; to the point thatone of my relatives even went on tosay that they felt nostalgic whilereading the book and could not helpbut remember and relive their owncrazy adventures through it. Though3 BFFs is only available on Amazonin the Kindle edition format, the pa-perback version will also be comingout soon. So, stay tuned!

What is your next plan of action?I am currently in the process of writ-ing a sequel to 3 BFFs, and the read-ers can expect the new book soon.The plot of the upcoming book willbe even more intriguing, and defi-nitely a lot different from the one Ihave already produced. Though Ihope it receives the same or evenbetter reception from the readers.

What is your advice to all theyoung aspiring writers?Follow your dreams and never letprocrastination take over your life.If you are passionate about it, givewriting your hundred percent and Ipromise your efforts will be ac-knowledged and rewarded.

Mighty pen

Synopsis: The Karate Kid isan 80s masterpiece about ayoung boy, Daniel Larusso,who moves to California withhis mother and starts at a newschool, only to be mocked andbullied by the rich kids there.But as the story progresses, hemeets a World War 2 veteran,Mr Miyagi, who goes on to be-come Daniel’s mentor andteaches him karate in order forhim to overcome his weak-nesses and make the best useof his strengths. Watch themovie today to know what lifeactually has in store for Daniel. Why is it watch-worthy: TheKarate Kid is no doubt one ofthe best examples of the incor-poration of martial arts into amovie. Although, the title ofthe movie might seem a littlemisleading and may give you awrong idea, but let me reassure

you that the movie is not en-tirely about karate. It is a com-ing-of-age tale for youngDaniel who goes through histurbulent adolescence underthe guidance of his sensei, MrMiyagi. The movie capturesthe essence of growing up in afriendless world where everyday might seem like a struggle.Mr Miyagi’s pearls of wisdomdropped throughout the movieare possibly something we canall relate to. What really cap-tures the attention of the audi-ence is the beautifulmentor/protege relationshipbetween Daniel and MrMiyagi. Iconic Dialogue: “It is okay tolose to opponent. Must not loseto fear!”Rating:

Review by: Alina Ahmad,AIS Mayur Vihar, XI G

MOVIE REVIEW

Rake in thatreviewMovie: The Karate KidDirector: John G. AvildsenReleased On: June 22, 1984Starring: Ralph Macchio, WilliamZabka, Pat Morita, Elisabeth ShueGenre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama

Sohum Basu, AIS PV, XII G

Have you ever wonderedwhat a day in the life ofa clumsy person looks

and feels like? Maybe not, espe-cially if you are fortunate enoughto rank high on the coordinationspectrum. Clumsiness is not justawkwardness, though. It hasproblems that go beyond justbumping into every imaginableobject or merely losing personalpossessions habitually. Do youwant an exclusive sneak peekinto one such life?

MorningAs the alarm rings for the fifthtime, her day begins as it alwaysdoes – late and uncertain. Get-ting ready hastily and (almost)choking on her breakfast, shemakes her way to the bus stop,tripping over even the smallest ofpebbles. Twice. Oh, and in herhurry, she has forgotten to wearher assembly tie. It is a raremorning when she is not pun-ished for an untidy uniform. Shesits alone in the class, hair un-kempt, shoes unpolished, andsocks down. The day has justbegun and she needs to put onher mean face and soldier on.

AfternoonAll the lectures are just the samefor her. She can’t find where shewrote yesterday’s notes in theEnglish class. For math, she re-members she has forgotten hernotebook at home. Some mem-ory, eh? Science is no better.She leans against the labcounter. It is her final attempt tolisten carefully to the instruc-tions when she slips and breaksthe glass beaker. All this to

teachers’ disapproval, of course.During lunchtime, she spills herlunch on the classroom floor be-coming the centre of attention,and not in a good way.

EveningWhen she joins other children inthe park to play, she sprains herankle. She limps back home tospend the rest of the eveningwatching cartoons. After spend-ing a day riddled with sprains,

falls and spills, she finally getsher favourite dinner. But wait.Life isn’t done with her yet. Herdinner ends with a shirt stainedwith her beloved pasta.

Quite a challenging life, right? Sonext time you see someone stum-ble, smile because it takes a lot ofcourage for them to keep theirchin up. Extend a helping handand laugh with them. Won’t thatbe awesome?G T

Life of a KlutzAn Adventurous Tour In The Day Of A Clumsy Person

Title: 3 BFFsAuthor: Arunabh SinhaPrice: 99 INRAvailable on:

In Conversation With The Budding Mind Behind A Successfully Published Book