Archive | February, 2017

Word Nerd: 5 English phrases that only Indians truly get

27 Feb

English is a language that often seems to divide rather than unite its speakers from various parts of the former British empire. For example, when Americans speak of ‘boots’ and ‘bonnets’, they are referring to things you wear, but in British English, of course, the words refer to the front and back of a car, […]

5 tips to convince your parents to let you study abroad

22 Feb

So you’ve shortlisted universities, taken the exams you need to take, and even got great scores. And yet, your dream of studying abroad has screeched to a halt. The reason? Your parents aren’t ready to let their precious fledgling fly from the nest. If this sounds like your story, here are a few tips that […]

Word Nerd: Everyone speaks Romani, the language of the Gypsies

20 Feb

Languages are often more interconnected than we realize. They reflect centuries, or even millennia, of migration, trade, and cultural borrowing. Although many of us may feel no connection to the Roma people (a.k.a. Gypsies), we do, in fact, share quite a bit of vocabulary with them. If you’re a Hindi or Urdu speaker, for instance, […]

What Traveling Around the World in 2016 Taught Me

1 Feb

I think it’s safe to say I travelled quite a lot in 2016.  It all started in May with a trip to Australia, and only finished with November in US. Funny thing is that not one of them was ever an actual vacation. If you keep up with BrainGain magazine, you may remember that Meha […]