Meera was sitting at Starbucks hogging on the walnut banana cake and of course the wifi. She was multitasking - eating, giving last minute touches to the presentation for tomorrow's 'Perceptions of Architecture' class, uploading photos on social media about a recent architectural expedition and at the same time talking with her friend and making plans for dinner!
At the opposite corner sipping coffee, engrossed in reading 'Lost and Found' by Jacqueline Sheehan was Ihaan. He was an animal friend, saving animals and a believer of nature conservation. Ihaan was oddly reserved but not shy.
And then a customer walking between these two, tripped and fell down. Meera and Ihaan stood and ran to help the man to get up. Their eyes met and they smiled at each other. Meera took the lead and asked him to join her for dinner. Two people from different worlds met and bonded!
Connected, were they?
The room was tense with nervous outbreaks here and there amidst a few confident beams. Rima with her palms moist and files held tight was waiting for her turn to be interviewed. Priya just came out of the interview room with little relief on her face.
Once all interviews were done, the candidates were asked to have lunch at the cafeteria. The facilitator said that post lunch the result would be announced about candidates qualifying to the next round.
Priya and Rima ended up on the same lunch table and started talking. Priya was just married, had left her current job and came to this new city to be with her husband. Rima also had the same story to share. Here were two females, united by parallel circumstances. They promised to keep in touch irrespective of their fate to be decided in a few moments.
Lunch was done, results announced. Both of them did not make it to the next round!
Connected, were they?
Jamal was an Economics student in one of the developing nations with a zest to excel in this neglected field in his nation. His mother was a homemaker and father was a supervisor in a leather factory. He had a younger brother who was in school. Jamal came from a modest background.
He wanted to do his Ph. D. in 'Wealth Inequality and its effects on education'. He did not have the financial resources to fund his Ph. D. What he had was a scholarship which would be granted only if he had a reputed guide from one of the esteemed universities. But Jamal just wanted one person to be his guide - Dr. Smith, the author of ' The Economic Divide - Are we being fair?'
Dr. Smith (Ph. D.) was a professor of economics at one of these esteemed universities, where he was offered tenure at the age of 30 and accepted at 31, becoming one of the youngest people to do so in the history of their economics department. He published a number of papers in prestigious journals, including American Economic Review, Quarterly Journal of Economics, and Journal of Political Economy. These were just a few of his accomplishments.
Jamal sent an email to Dr. Smith with his preliminary hypothesis and POV. Dr. Smith read it and was impressed. He decided to be Jamal's guide. Only hitch was the guidance would be virtual - via phone and emails.
Jamal and Dr. Smith never met. Connected, were they?
You are reading this blog of mine. For some of you, I might be an unknown blogger scribbling something in some corner of the world and yet you will connect with Priya or Jamal. Some of you may think, "Oh Gosh! How does she know my story?"
You and me - connected, are we????
At the opposite corner sipping coffee, engrossed in reading 'Lost and Found' by Jacqueline Sheehan was Ihaan. He was an animal friend, saving animals and a believer of nature conservation. Ihaan was oddly reserved but not shy.
And then a customer walking between these two, tripped and fell down. Meera and Ihaan stood and ran to help the man to get up. Their eyes met and they smiled at each other. Meera took the lead and asked him to join her for dinner. Two people from different worlds met and bonded!
Connected, were they?
The room was tense with nervous outbreaks here and there amidst a few confident beams. Rima with her palms moist and files held tight was waiting for her turn to be interviewed. Priya just came out of the interview room with little relief on her face.
Once all interviews were done, the candidates were asked to have lunch at the cafeteria. The facilitator said that post lunch the result would be announced about candidates qualifying to the next round.
Priya and Rima ended up on the same lunch table and started talking. Priya was just married, had left her current job and came to this new city to be with her husband. Rima also had the same story to share. Here were two females, united by parallel circumstances. They promised to keep in touch irrespective of their fate to be decided in a few moments.
Lunch was done, results announced. Both of them did not make it to the next round!
Connected, were they?
Jamal was an Economics student in one of the developing nations with a zest to excel in this neglected field in his nation. His mother was a homemaker and father was a supervisor in a leather factory. He had a younger brother who was in school. Jamal came from a modest background.
He wanted to do his Ph. D. in 'Wealth Inequality and its effects on education'. He did not have the financial resources to fund his Ph. D. What he had was a scholarship which would be granted only if he had a reputed guide from one of the esteemed universities. But Jamal just wanted one person to be his guide - Dr. Smith, the author of ' The Economic Divide - Are we being fair?'
Dr. Smith (Ph. D.) was a professor of economics at one of these esteemed universities, where he was offered tenure at the age of 30 and accepted at 31, becoming one of the youngest people to do so in the history of their economics department. He published a number of papers in prestigious journals, including American Economic Review, Quarterly Journal of Economics, and Journal of Political Economy. These were just a few of his accomplishments.
Jamal sent an email to Dr. Smith with his preliminary hypothesis and POV. Dr. Smith read it and was impressed. He decided to be Jamal's guide. Only hitch was the guidance would be virtual - via phone and emails.
Jamal and Dr. Smith never met. Connected, were they?
You are reading this blog of mine. For some of you, I might be an unknown blogger scribbling something in some corner of the world and yet you will connect with Priya or Jamal. Some of you may think, "Oh Gosh! How does she know my story?"
You and me - connected, are we????
In today's world everyone is connected virtually...I dread the days when our kids will be playing, studying and every thing remotely...
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