Archive | March, 2016

In Japan, the academic year begins with cherry blossoms

29 Mar

Cherry blossoms in Washington, DC, on March 26 2016

The most special time of the year is finally here! Yes, it’s the season for ohanami, which means spring is here! It is a joyful event for almost everyone in Japan. Everywhere, people are talking about when to go for ohanami. I got an invitation, too! Above: Cherry blossoms in Washington, DC, last Saturday What […]

Word Nerd: Everyone speaks Farsi

28 Mar

We Indians are used to sneaking in the occasional English word when we speak in Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali, Marathi, or some other Indian language. But it wasn’t until I shared a home with an Iranian roommate in the US that I realized how much Farsi I already knew, without ever having learned the language. My […]

Word Nerd: Spring fever

21 Mar

Spring means many things to many people: cute little lambs frolicking about, flowers, spring fever, Easter…. For people who suffer from pollen allergies, it may mean staggering about in an anti-histamine stupor. For couch potatoes, it means this: Above: Spring has sprung, and a couch prepares for rebirth Of course, “spring” can also mean a […]

8 tips to party safely when you’re studying abroad

15 Mar

St Patrick's Day Parade, Omagh, Ireland

With St. Patrick’s Day coming up on March 17, it’s important to keep in mind that having fun is not necessarily the same thing as being stupid. Our simple tips will help you reach home safely, and not end up in a hospital or police station. Sting’s words float musically through my mind: If “manners […]

Word Nerd: 5 Internet Breaking Terms Every Feminist Needs to Know

14 Mar

In an article on feminist vocabulary, a reader commented that the subject matter had “obviously become too hyperacademicated.” This makes it sound like the words had both tonsillitis and pneumonia, and were in need of research drugs. The other interesting fact to note is this reader was using an imaginary word that he (or she) […]

Word Nerd: 8 Words Which Mark Hindi’s Invasion of English in the First World War

7 Mar

We would all readily associate the First World War with catastrophe. But, it was also a time of creativity. Trenches, tanks, steel helmets, poisonous gases, blood banks, and mobile x-ray machines were some legacies of the war. As was the emergence of Poland, the Soviet Union, Turkey and other nationalities. However, what emerged from the […]

5 Top Tips To Help You Prepare for GMAT

3 Mar

It had been one month into my GMAT preparations, and I was still scoring around 520, with a rather embarrassing quant score on almost all my mock tests. Although I was extremely disappointed, I really needed this wakeup call, since there was only one month left to prepare for the exam. I started researching a […]