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There are White Walkers at the wall, the Mother of Dragons going back to claim her birthright, a new King in the North, and Cersei is fast losing her sanity in King's Landing, enough to keep the entire world enraptured in a spell that demands attention effortlessly, and we, the viewers, are more than happy to see what happens next.<\/p>
But the problem is, the new season starts on July 16, about 3 weeks from now, and if you're like me and a big fan of the series, the wait is almost unbearable.<\/p>
But, have no fear, because we have a list of TV shows you can binge watch before the new season of Game of Thrones drops! Here's our list!<\/p>
1. House of Cards <\/b><\/p>
The show which currently has 5 seasons has been described as a 'dangerous addiction', often making you watch multiple episodes together before you no longer have the energy for it and then repeat the same process again the very next day. House of Cards, starring the excellent Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright as Frank and Claire Underwood on their quest for power, has wowed viewers and drawn much deserved praise from critics around the world. All seasons are currently available on Netflix, with the 5th one dropping just last month. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498562833214","data":"59524218cf2aa"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498564790924","data":"
2. Breaking Bad <\/b><\/p>
Why haven't you watched Breaking Bad yet? At one point it was touted to be the best thing since sliced bread (and The Wire, of course). Breaking Bad follows the story of Walter White, a brilliant Chemistry Teacher down on his luck, having to work two jobs to make ends meet before he finds out that he has lung cancer and not much longer to live. In a mad rush to provide for his family before he dies, watch as White, played by Bryan Cranston, goes from being in danger to becoming the danger. <\/p>
Joining him as a lead character is Jesse Pinkman, played by Aaron Paul, a character that progressively gets better and better as the seasons go by. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498566011976","data":"59524fb13705a"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498566552383","data":"
3. Samurai Jack<\/b><\/p>
After years of absence, when show creator Genndy Tartakovsky announced that Jack would return for one last season that would bring his story to an end, the internet went into a frenzy. We all worried how the new season would turn out to be, considering the amount of Hype it generated, but we're happy to report that Samurai Jack Season 5 was easily one of the best seasons the show has ever received. <\/p>
It's signature art style and usage of character and camera movement, combined with a more mature storyline and Jack's personal demons keep the season fresh throughout, and the tight narrative structure hooks you almost immediately. If you've never watch Samurai Jack before, now would be an excellent time to do so. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498566749805","data":"595250d148188"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498566786328","data":"
4. Westworld<\/b><\/p>
HBO's other fantastic entry. Westworld, based on the original movie that released way before any of us were born (unless you're like 45 and above), is a story of intrigue, life and death, conspiracy and more, filled with so many twists it'll squeeze your brain into a pink mulch. Carried by fantastic performances from its cast, industry legend Sir Anthony Hopkins forces you to both admire and fear him with his amazing performance throughout the season. <\/p>
I highly, highly recommend this. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498567949596","data":"5952557b2c2a5"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498567979613","data":"
5. American Gods<\/b><\/p>
Neil Gaiman's work is not always easy to bring onto the screen, but Bryan Fuller manages it without breaking a sweat. American Gods, starring Ian McShane (you've seen him in John Wick) and Ricky Whittle as Mr. Wednesday and Shadow Moon (yes that's his name), two characters that you won't forget in a hurry! Moon, just released from prison, finds out that his wife was killed in a car crash, and on his way back meets the enigmatic Mr. Wednesday, a man who would change his life forever. <\/p>
The plot of American Gods, the less I talk about it the better. It is an experience of its own, and you have to check it out. The first season of the show concluded last Sunday. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498569020514","data":"595259ce7131c"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498569138097","data":"
Too much drama on your plate this season? Want something light hearted and funny before you dive headfirst into the new season of Game of Thrones? Don't worry, because I have a list of comedy shows as well! <\/p>
1. That 70s Show<\/b><\/p>
An incredible, if not groundbreaking, sitcom that kickstarted actor Ashton Kutcher's career, That 70s Show is incredibly funny, smart and relatable at times. The full series is on Netflix right now, go watch it! <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498569311534","data":"59525ac9314e4"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498569338837","data":"
2. The Office <\/b><\/p>
I'm yet to meet a person who dislikes The Office. Filled with multiple amazing characters, The Office (both the British and the American versions) is one of the funniest shows to grace TV screens across the world. I'm sure you've heard at least one of your friends interject a conversation with a 'That's what she said', a reference from the show. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498569475054","data":"59525b7027038"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498569505335","data":"
3. Brooklyn Nine-Nine:<\/b><\/p>
A sitcom set in New York's 99th Precinct Police Office, it features a fantastic range of memorable characters, like Jake Peralta played by Andy Samberg, Terry Jefferes played by Terry Crews, and a host of other characters like Rosa Diaz, Amy Santiago, Charles Boyle and the captain of the precinct, Raymond Holt and his assistant Gina Linetti.<\/p>
It is an incredibly funny show that'll have you in splits throughout its 4 season run, with the 4th season concluding only a few months ago. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498569757026","data":"59525c873e6a1"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498569783818","data":"
4. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia <\/b><\/p>
Terrible people doing terrible things and having terrible things happen to them, all of which is completely ad-libbed (which is to say, they don't have a script, only a general idea of what is going to happen and they come up with their own jokes), makes me wonder how on earth the show even works in the first place, but it does! <\/p>
It's always sunny is one of the funniest TV shows you'll see, and your experience of the show will only be enhanced when you understand that all of it is ad-libbed and thought of right on the spot. It is a show that is carried by it's a fantastic set of actors, all of whom are excellent beyond compare. This is one show you have to watch! <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498570317789","data":"59525ebc15e38"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498570319872","data":"
5. Friends<\/b> <\/p>
If you haven't watched Friends yet, well, I don't know what to tell you. Its cultural impact on the world of pop culture speaks for the show and it is completely alright if you've grown sick of hearing about it from your friends about Friends. But, it deserves every bit of that praise and more. <\/p>
David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Matthew Perry, Matt Le Blanc and Lisa Kudrow's characters Ross Geller, Rachel Green, Monica Geller, Chandler Bing, Joey Tribbiani and Phoebe Buffay have become households names, with the show becoming one of the most popular sitcoms in the world. It's popularity today can only be rivalled with giants like Game of Thrones, and it broke many a heart with its final episode in May 2004. <\/p>
You don't even have to work hard to get the episodes of this series, just ask a friend of yours and they are sure to have all seasons stored in HD. I guarantee it. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498571422335","data":"59526317b1d28"}]
1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President of the United States Donald Trump today at The White House. The meeting, in which Modi masterfully avoided being trumped by Trump's handshake, was an event of promising cooperation and discussing China and Terrorism across the world. Trump also thanked India's role in imposing sanctions on North Korea. <\/b><\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498572554925","data":"59526790578bf"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498572609631","data":"
2. A day after Chinese troops cross Indian borders to destroy bunkers in Sikkim, China today issued a statement asking India to remove its troops from what it claimed to be Chinese territory, accusing Indian troops of laying a road. <\/b><\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498572744007","data":"595268330be4e"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498572772424","data":"
3. Completing 100 days in office, Yogi Adityanath today avoided questions from the press about the promises he made after being chosen as the BJP Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. The opposition was quick to jump on the opportunity, with Samajwadi Party calling him a 'curse on UP.' <\/b><\/p>
Yogi Adityanath avoiding questions comes in line with PM Modi's reluctance to answer them in the first place, requesting the press to send in one question beforehand so he could censor or refuse to answer accordingly, while the meeting with Donald Trump was underway. <\/b><\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498572886950","data":"595268ee5cf47"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498572958741","data":"
4. Supreme Court Justices A M Khanwilkar and Navin Sinha refuse to pass an interim order stopping Centre's forceful Aadhar implementation, saying no interim order can be passed at this stage on the \"mere apprehension\" of petitioners that government may deprive people from availing benefits of various social welfare schemes due to lack of Aadhaar. <\/b><\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498573103346","data":"59526983b8464"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498573107748","data":"
5. The European Union today slapped a $2.7 billon fine on Google for distorting the market, with their search results often favouring their own shopping service ahead of others. The tech giant said that they will appeal the decision, but the court has already issued an order to take down the malpractice of face a further fine after 90 days. <\/b><\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498573274972","data":"59526a2fe2ac4"}]
Engineering finishes quicker than you think. Before you know it, you\u2019re pacing down the time with assignments, projects, internships and a million different subjects, units and chapters to study. Personally, I think it goes faster than you realise because you enjoy it. You enjoy the sport, movies or parties you have with your friends. You enjoy socialising and spending time doing things that you want pursue later on in your life. If you enjoy what you're studying, then it makes your under-grad journey even more rewarding. \nSince I have only still completed 2 years of the 4 year term, I would like to look back and highlight some differences or changes that I\u2019ve personally realized over this period. \n <\/p>
1) Attendance <\/p>
This is probably the most haunting part of any engineering student\u2019s life (slightly beating backlogs). The fear that at the end of the academic year aggregate attendance would not cross the 75% barrier is known to many students. Here\u2019s how it changed from the first year to the second for me, in my first month as an engineering student, the only occasion I would even conceive the idea of missing a class would be falling sick or an appointment I could not miss. Whereas in my second year, once I got to know which subject was interesting enough for me to stay back, I would sit in place. In any other case, I would use black magic and the power of mathematics to calculate the number of classes I would need to attend to dodge any sort of condonation fine from the college. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498582884567","data":"59528fbbf2557"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498582893693","data":"
2) Assignments <\/p>
Trust me when I say this, I did not miss a single assignment in my first year. Always on time to submit and complete in solutions. I guess the fear of losing 5 marks diminishes as time goes on in engineering. You slowly start to realize that it is easier to score the same 5 marks in the public exams rather than doing these 3 page problems or Q&As. Something that never works and something that I would definitely like to change in the next two years. \n <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498582938756","data":"59528ff3db9d9"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498582949527","data":"
3) College fests <\/p>
Oh this. The spectacle of a college fest, in the beginning, college fests generally are about hanging out in party wear with your friends and having no classes for a day or two. They probably lose their charm with repetitive attractions or you grow out of them. As someone who has never been a part of the group that performs, I really don\u2019t have the right to comment upon the importance of these fests. They undoubtedly serve a good purpose. They help budding artists from the college get the recognition they deserve, they help showcase the special talents students possess and have trained hard on acquiring. \n <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498582976888","data":"595290345b579"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498583014682","data":"
4) Career choices <\/p>
The seriousness sets in and intensifies as you grow older. The need for short listing your priorities and getting some professional experience under your belt as an intern or a part time employee is vital. It may not seem very plausible in your first year, but it sure does pull ones attention in the 2nd and 3rd year of engineering.\n <\/p>"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498583068091","data":"
5) Backlogs <\/p>
It is ok to fail. Not regularly, but it is fine to wobble or hit a couple of obstacles along the way. You get another chance to redeem yourself, don\u2019t make the same mistakes twice and clear the subjects before they pile up. \n <\/p>
<\/p>
6) Ragging<\/p>
As someone from a college that tackles ragging head on, it wasn't a problem. As a senior now, it is a duty and a responsibility on my part to not be a part of the crime. Every fresher deserves the joy of enjoying college from day 1. No person has the reason or motive to curb such freedom. <\/p>"}]
The importance of travel in one's life, especially for students. It puts one in touch with different people, different cultures, different everything and most of the time, changes a person's perspective on the world entirely. This change in perspective is extremely important for students, as in just a few years, these students head out to face the real world in many ways. Travel is something that also prepares students to take on challenges and handle them. But considering the expenses involved and typical Indian family scenarios where students can't just walk up to their parents and announce that they want to travel, it becomes tricky and for most, even impossible.<\/p>
So what is the easiest way for students to travel? The answer lies in your college itself, in fact, the answer lies in every college across the country. Every college has that one time every year when students from all over can come together to learn and explore. If you still haven't gotten it, I'm talking about college fests.<\/p>
Premier institutions like the IITs, IIMs, NITs, etc have some of the biggest tech and cultural fests in the country. The fact that most of these institutions are located in smaller cities adds to the appeal of travel for students. Attending a fest at colleges away from your city gives you that much needed opportunity to travel, in addition to racking up certificates onto your resume.<\/p>
Another reason as to why students should travel this way is the kind of events that keep happening at these fests. Taking part in these fests enables students to focus on practical aspects of engineering, as most of these fests involve building something and using that to take part in competitions. From robotics to building planes to presenting research papers, these fests offer a chance to students to learn a lot more, to complement their college education.<\/p>
Apart from the memorable fun that you'll have with your friends on the trip, interacting with students from all over the place at these fests is another major advantage towards travelling this way. From my personal experience, the conversations I had with people I met at fests went a long way towards shaping my career the way it is now.<\/p>
One of the best parts about travelling to premier institutions is that many times, railways and airlines offer a concession for students travelling to these fests, it'll become slightly easier convincing the family!<\/p>
If you are a student in an engineering college, then this is the right time for you to start preparing for college fests, as most of the technical fests happen in August-October period, giving you ample time to work on the project that you wish to present there.<\/p>"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498564896248","data":"Cover image source.<\/a>"}]
Priyanka Rachabattuni, PhD Research Scholar in Translation Studies, Centre for Applied Linguistics and Translation Studies, School of Humanities, University of Hyderabad, has been selected for the two best summer schools in the world, one which is currently being held in Spain, and the next, scheduled to start on July 4th, to be held in Copenhagen.<\/p>
The summer schools, IBN Tibbon Translation Studies Doctoral and Teacher Training Summer School is currently being held at the University of Granada in Spain, whereas the next one, Harvard University's 7th edition \u201cWorld Literature Program\u201d is going to be held at University of Copenhagen, Denmark from July 4th to July 26th, 2017. Needless to say, the two summer schools have an incredible reputation amongst academia. <\/p>
We caught up with the research scholar about her journey to the summer school and more, here is what she had to say! <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498554926125","data":"5952228ebf936"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498554946460","data":"
\"I'm studying audio-visual translation currently at University of Hyderabad,\" she says, speaking to us over the phone from Spain, \"A lot of advertisements are made for North Indian audience and then translated, voiced over and played for the South Indian audience, and a part of my work is studying that.\"<\/p>
Priyanka, who has finished her second year pursuing PhD, spoke about aiming to finish her PhD as fast as she can, \"With this, I hope to finish my PhD as soon as possible and I'm confident that with the exposure and being taught by some of the greatest minds in the field across the world will help expedite the process.\"<\/p>
The summer school Priyanka is currently attending in Spain is the IBN Tibbon Translation Studies Doctoral and Teacher Training Summer School, a joint initiative by 5 different universities (University of Ljubljana, Slovenia; Bo\u011fazi\u00e7i University, Turkey; University of Turku and University of Tampere, Finland; University of Granada, Spain) and focuses, in particular, on contemporary research into literary and non-literary works from a historical perspective. World\u2019s Eminent Professors like Mona Baker, University of Manchester, UK Dr. Dorothy Kelly, University of Granada, Spain Dr. Kaisa Koskinen, University of Tampere, Finland Dr. Tamara Mikoli\u010d Ju\u017eni\u010d, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia etc. are participating in the workshop.<\/p>
The schedule is hectic, with classes starting at 9 AM in the morning and continuing till 9 PM in the evening, but Priyanka loves every moment of it, \"Just being here still feels surreal, and I'm glad that I am. The experience has been thrilling, the people we get to interact with and the place itself is amazing.\"<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498555556320","data":"59522507e1596"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498555582622","data":"
\"I had submitted my application for selection to the schools,\" she says, on being asked about the opportunity, \"I have 10-12 papers and 3 publications to show for my work, and I believe that helped in the selection process.\"<\/p>
Dedicating your life to academics and understanding complex conundrums that make us tick can be difficult, but Priyanka embraces it, \"I aim to become a teacher, a good one that can make a positive impact on a student's life and set them on a path to achieve greatness.\"<\/p>
We ask our concluding question, on what her advice to students would be, especially those who want to be part of the academia, and she says, \"The key thing is discipline. Even if you don't feel like studying, go to the study room and just sit there, make it a habit and eventually you'll get around to it. It encourages discipline and without that, no matter what you do, it won't matter.\"<\/p>
Priyanka already sounds to be one of the best teachers a student could ask for in their quest for knowledge, we wish her all the best for her endeavours. <\/p>"}]
The Telangana State EAMCET 2017 allotments list will be out tomorrow, June 28th, for students to go through and see if they've gotten selected for counselling. You can, however, check which colleges you can potentially get into through eamcetrank.com, which you can access by clicking here<\/a>. <\/p>For the uninitiated, The Engineering Agriculture and Medicine Entrance Test (EAMCET) is an exam students take for admissions into undergraduate courses across the state of Telangana. Almost all colleges in Telangana take the EAMCET rank into consideration, so it is quite important for one to score a good rank for some of the best colleges in the state. <\/p>Naturally, competition is high and students need counselling before being allotted a seat in a college. The procedure and more details can be found by clicking here<\/a>. <\/p>We wish all students looking to get into undergraduate courses all the very best! <\/p>"}]
For the uninitiated, The Engineering Agriculture and Medicine Entrance Test (EAMCET) is an exam students take for admissions into undergraduate courses across the state of Telangana. Almost all colleges in Telangana take the EAMCET rank into consideration, so it is quite important for one to score a good rank for some of the best colleges in the state. <\/p>
Naturally, competition is high and students need counselling before being allotted a seat in a college. The procedure and more details can be found by clicking here<\/a>. <\/p>We wish all students looking to get into undergraduate courses all the very best! <\/p>"}]
We wish all students looking to get into undergraduate courses all the very best! <\/p>"}]
For a freshman stepping in the college life, it is always a concern about how his\/her 'interactions' with the fellow seniors would go. It is said that the way others respond to you reflects the manner in which you present yourself. For a person who is not having any preconceived notions about you, it's your attitude that drives the conversation.<\/p>
It's true that you can't change yourself overnight, just to get the approval of every other person that you're going to meet. But yes, whoever doesn't synch with your thoughts ought to have a different perspective of life. And that's the best thing to learn from all these interactions. 'Cause the more you know about life, the better you live it.<\/p>
It's not everyone's cup of tea to smile and acknowledge everything that's put up against them. The sense of being an introvert does surround you at some occasions, if not always. But it's highly unlikely to avoid these interactions, especially when all the activities are student-oriented. You'll be needing their guidance them in all the upcoming college years of yours. So it's better to cut away the feeling of unfamiliarity to ensure a sound tuning between you and them in future.<\/p>
So some day or the other, you'll need to open up in front of your seniors, if not on day 1. For the aforementioned students, the best route of escape is the following:<\/p>
1. Agree to whatever the other person is saying. <\/p>
2. Do not cross-question his\/her opinions.<\/p>
3. Keep your thoughts to yourself.<\/p>
4. Answer only what's being asked.<\/p>
5. Do not interpret the situation according to yourself.<\/p>
And there you go. You're now free to leave. But is that what you've come for in the college, to be submissive to any other guy? Well, that just can't be the apt getaway. As you go on interacting with people, you get to whom what to speak and more importantly, when to speak. That's what will go a long way.<\/p>
Being an extrovert shouldn't be your first call (just an opinion, mind you). 'Cause the things might seem to go your way but that won't be the actual case. Instead, you'll be soon considered arrogant, self-centred and a 'to-be-ignored' guy. Again, that's what the people will 'consider' but you certainly can't avoid that, can you?<\/p>
We live in a society where most of our demands and requirements are derived by our surroundings and the people we interact with. So you can't just go outright to have a stand so rigid that you neglect all the other worldly ideas. Being that sort of smart is what the primary objective of college is: To develop who you are and to connect with more of your peers.<\/p>
The best way to develop such traits in yourself is to learn from seniors, 'cause they have been in your shoes (at least academically) in the past. And more often than not, they can relate with your going-throughs more than anyone else. And they deserve to be thanked for their gratitude.<\/p>
Thank you Seniors for testing me on your scales,<\/p>
for letting me explore what I am.<\/p>
Thank you for cracking me from inside,<\/p>
so that I can bloom from within and cherish.<\/p>
Thank you for proving me I am a failure,<\/p>
and inspire me to evolve like the Sun.<\/p>
Thank you for drowning me in the valley,<\/p>
for exalting me to rise above every summit.<\/p>"}]
1. The country celebrated Eid today as the holy month of Ramzan finally comes to an end after the crescent moon was spotted yesterday evening. <\/b><\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498480363427","data":"5950ff544a769"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498480389309","data":"
2. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today gave his greetings for Eid celebrations and said that he hoped Eid would bring peace in the Kashmir Valley. <\/b><\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498480491025","data":"5950ffca7fb7f"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498480508518","data":"
3. China today said that they were in talks with India after 47 pilgrims who were to make a trip to Mt. Kailash in Tibet were denied entry. <\/b><\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498480562459","data":"595100297eb60"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498480601092","data":"
4. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal where he stated that the logic of US-India relations were 'incontrovertible', writing that the US and India shared many common goals such as world security and tackling terrorism. <\/b><\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498480756236","data":"595100c93b45a"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498480760928","data":"
5. In 2017, a hotel in Hyderabad refused Nupur Saraswat, a single woman, from staying at a hotel because she was alone and had nobody accompanying her. The woman took to Facebook and her post went viral, being picked up by various media houses across the country. Nupur has, since then, checked in with a hotel that did not discriminate. <\/b><\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498480894422","data":"5951015381f89"}]
You find out a lot about yourself when you move out and are paying the (super expensive) rent for a place in South Delhi all by yourself. For starters, you find out that you're a horrible person and should have never become an adult, the second is that you'll start smelling like a corpse really really quickly if you're not careful. But then again, that just might have been me.<\/p>
Part of why being an adult sucks is that sometimes you have to move to another city for your job or even studying, and if you're going to be living alone, you better prepare yourself for some intense self-reflection because you're gonna find out a lot about yourself and, if you're lucky, learn to improve as well. So here are the things that you need to remember. <\/p>
1. Learn to stay tidy <\/b><\/p>
Your mum or your housemaid isn't going to come pick up that thrown shirt off the ground, you've got to do it yourself, unless you're loaded enough to not take any responsibility, of course, some people carry privilege with them wherever they go. <\/p>
Start by keeping your own room back home tidy without any help. Clean out the dust, sweep the floors yourself, arrange your desk, keep your desktop clean (okay this last one is just me, I absolutely hate a cluttered desktop), peer into your Desktop PC's cabinet and clean out the dust so your CPU doesn't burn itself to death. Sounds tedious, but once you actually get the hang of it, you'll start to enjoy it; it's quite cathartic to clean up your own room and it'll make you feel great! There's no reason not to do it, so better get to it! <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498476575458","data":"5950f9666e150"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498476587173","data":"
2. The Nose Knows<\/b><\/p>
Smell something funny? Yeah, that's just your clothes and your body, cuz you forgot to take a bath for a few weeks now. There's only so much you can cover with deodorant before even that fails, so it's probably a good idea to take a good long shower or a bath and scrub yourself clean.<\/p>
Really though, don't allow yourself to get into a situation where dead people in the morgue of a hospital in the next town can smell you, it ain't worth it. If you're moving to a colder country or a colder city (New Delhi got bone chilling in the winters), that is not an excuse for you to miss your regularly scheduled bathing sessions. Don't skip on this, maintain your personal hygiene, especially when you're away from home, because.. well, onward to the next point. <\/p>
(By the way if your shower looks as fancy as the once below, please let me know.)<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498477361771","data":"5950fb84b8bce"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498477364023","data":"
3. Try to not get sick, if you get sick, try not to die: <\/b><\/p>
The fastest way to recover is to stay home and let your family take care of you, the second fastest is about as fast as the snail in the garden nearby. You see, when you're in another city or another country, you don't always have the luxury of going back every time you develop a serious case of the common cold, or something worse. Which of course, means that the sole responsibility of surviving the illness lies on your slumped shoulders while you confine yourself to the bed wishing the illness away. <\/p>
This is why maintaining hygiene and keeping your room tidy is such a big deal; a clean room means a healthy you, and that is always a good idea. Plus if you get sick frequently, your new workplace or class might not really like it, and why do you want to be seen as someone who frequently skips class or work?<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498477631594","data":"5950fbdcbf88e"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498477633690","data":"
4. Kitchen Nightmares: <\/b><\/p>
Your room is fine, but when you've rented the whole place, it also means that you have other rooms to take care of as well unless you have a roommate. One of these extra rooms is the kitchen, and the kitchen nightmares you'll have here won't be accompanied by Gordon Ramsay screaming obscenities in your ear. <\/p>
A common thing about just graduated students living in different cities is that they never wash their own utensils and make an effort to keep the kitchen clean, which is a massive mistake. I once had to scrub out maggots from the kitchen sink because we let some uneaten food rot in there for too many days, and just thinking of the smell is making me nauseous.<\/p>
The point is, the kitchen is one of the most important parts of your home, if you even cook food in a maggot infested hell hole, there is no guarantee that you won't poison yourself. Now with that out of the way, we come to the final point. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498478168346","data":"5950fc2f713a1"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498478170169","data":"
5. Learn to Cook <\/b> <\/p>
The most important skill you can pick up, not just for living abroad, but for your life. I am of the opinion that this is a life skill that must be taught in schools instead of wasting all our times with boring subjects. Not only will cooking help you stay healthy (unless you have a radioactive waste filled kitchen like mentioned above), it will also be incredibly cheap on your pocket, all you have to do is spend some money now and then on groceries, put on your chef's hat\/bandana, and cook! Watch Chef or Ratatouille for inspiration, and try not to imagine yourself in a Kitchen Nightmares episode, you'll be good to go. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498478377570","data":"5950fc4f2bcad"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498478379574","data":"
Living alone has taught me that I can run as far as I can from my responsibilities but they will always catch up to me, so why run when I can face them head on? I can definitely say it has made me a better person, more self-reliant than ever. Now if only there was a cure for laziness, I'd be looking like a greek god by the end of the year. <\/p>"}]
The list of short film makers who started off as students and reached great heights in film-making is not small and with social media, it has become very easy to become popular if you are into short films. But what if you want to make a short film before the college starts again and you have no clue what to do? That precisely is the reason I am doing this blog, after talking to our in-house video production team (all of whom started making videos and short films when they were students).<\/p>
According to Srikanth Yadav from our team, it is always good to start off by structuring the schedule and the process in a proper way. All the different elements, story, screenplay, budgeting, shooting and post production have to be channelised properly. Once the story is there, turning it into a good screenplay decides whether the end result will be good or not. Softwares like Celtix help a lot in writing a script. Once the screenplay is done, the rest of the production comes into play, with casting being the next step.<\/p>
\"The most common mistake that amateur film-makers usually make is while casting. Most of the time, friends come on board the project but later show disinterest and back off. It is crucial to ensure dedicated people come on board and bring a lot of enthusiasm to the project. Another mistake is not having auditions before taking people and it is something that should be avoided completely. Always have auditions before selecting people,\" explains Srikanth, who has done several short films so far.<\/p>
It is advisable to schedule the entire shoot in the least amount of time possible, and at easily accessible locations like friends' houses or colleges. And to shoot, renting the equipment is a very cost-effective option. \"It is imperative to shoot in a minimum of 3 angles and because amateur film-makers like ourselves don't usually have the necessary technical knowledge of aspects like lighting and all, it is better to shoot in sunlight. Early hours and evening hours are the best, in my opinion. But one thing that needs to be taken care of is the uniformity in light. If you shoot a scene early in the morning and have to redo it, it is better to do it at the same time on another day, to ensure the same light is seen in the scene,\" he shares, adding, \"Also, make sure script papers are on the set, this gets rid of a lot of confusion.\"<\/p>
Ensuring that all the scenes at one location are shot in one day, adds up to reducing the cost of the entire project. And about post-production, he says, \"Another thing that needs to be taken care of for sure is the nomenclature of the different takes of the scenes. This makes post-production easier. Adobe Premier Pro is really easy for beginners to edit, learning this software goes a long way.\"<\/p>
For audio, hiring a studio is ideal but if it is not affordable, student film-makers can just use a phone recorder in a very silent room but care needs to be taken while syncing it with the video. And lastly, music is also very important as that is the one aspect that changes the mood of the entire film. For music, free sources like Indian Movie BGMS and Bensound can be used without any hassle.<\/p>
So what are you waiting for? Unleash the creativity in you and make the most of this vacation by making a short film. <\/p>"}]
I remember hearing about The Last Wish sometime in 2006 when fan translations were hitting the obscure internet forums dedicated to gaming. You see, the story of Andrzej Sapkowski's fantasy series was being made into a video game titled The Witcher. The book series, which also came to be known as The Witcher Saga, was already famous in Poland, where author Sapkowski is based, where before the release of The Last Wish, fantasy was seen as childish and not worth a serious readers time. <\/p>
While the elitism amongst book readers of the world might still exist in one form or another, I had heard from a Polish friend I had made on Yahoo! Messenger that it was quite a big deal that the saga was being used as an inspiration for the games, and insisted I read the books. And so I did, unsure what to expect as I picked up The Last Wish, a collection of short stories, and got myself acquainted with one of the most memorable characters in pop-culture in return: Geralt of Rivia, also known as White Wolf, and The Butcher of Blaviken. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498467650677","data":"5950cdd34e15a"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498467719582","data":"
Geralt of Rivia is a Witcher, a group of superhuman warriors trained from childhood for one purpose only: Killing monsters. For the world of which Geralt is but a mere speck of is infested with monstrosities of all kinds, drowners dragging fishermen and people near shores down into the dark depths of their watery graves, ghouls that feast on human flesh burrowing their way from underground wherever there was a battle or a corpse lying around, lesser vampires, the kind that cannot think for themselves but must feed on blood, out to bite any human's throat they can find, giant manticores, harpies and worse. <\/p>
There was a need for a group that would exclusively deal with monsters for gold, or whatever local currency the locals could muster, and so Geralt, much like his brothers in arms, wandered town from town, looking for work and monsters to kill. <\/p>
It is also this world that Andrzej Sapkowski effortlessly thrusts you in as you follow the adventures of Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher who had not yet met the people that would change his life forever. Sapkowski's paints a grim picture of the world infested with monsters and humans banding together and retreating to their homes, fear in their hearts, of monsters that would vary depending on the part of the world they were in and also whether if they were in a city or not. <\/p>
But does everything seem as bad as it appears to be? The best part of the Saga, and indeed this book, is the way Sapkowski handles morality. A Witcher is supposed to be neutral, keeping his head out of conflict unless it directly benefits them, but the monsters he faces don't always have to be monstrous, and in many cases, Geralt has found, humans themselves turn more monstrous than actual monsters. <\/p>
All these factors, the grey morality, the choices Geralt faces, especially during the incident that would earn him the nickname 'The Butcher of Blaviken', the world which feels oppressive, dark and extremely grim, the characters with Geralt's dry sense of humor and the others that make for the rest of the book's most memorable moments and the fact that it is presented in short story format, with each story being a different adventure adds to the overall experience; this is a book I would recommend to anyone in a heartbeat, it is your journey down the type of fantasy you don't often get to read. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498468679556","data":"5950d1fa54add"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1498468780248","data":"
This is the world where knights in shining armours are usually the ones that are more likely to screw you over, than a 'mutant freak' like Geralt and the other Witchers, untrusted by common folk because of how they appear and the myth that a Witcher only draws his sword when he hears the chink of gold coming his way. <\/p>
Of course, after the first game released, more Witcher books were translated, giving the world some of the best fantasy fiction we've seen in a while. The world is unapologetic, depressing even at times, there are no knights in shining armour, only Witchers, whom both the monster and men fear, although if you ask Geralt, sometimes the difference between a monster and a man is difficult to tell. <\/p>
This is a fantasy book unlike anything you've ever read before, and we highly recommend that you read it as soon as possible. When you do finish the books, there's always the games to play, and such excellent games they are too! <\/p>
Click here<\/a> to buy The Last Wish! <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1498469217497","data":"5950d3b62ea27"}]
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