Anika Choudhary

Today is the 75th anniversary of the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi, also known as Bapu, was born on 2nd October, 1869 in the city of Porbandar in the state of Gujarat, India. He was an Indian revolutionary, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who wanted to free India from British rule. He belived in non violent and peaceful protests and rallies for India to gain independence from the British. Assuming leadership of the Indian National Congress (INC) in 1921, he led nationwide campaigns for easing poverty, expanding women's rights, ending untouchability etc. But, above all, he also led nationwide campaigns for achieving swaraj (self-rule).  Gandhi's birthday is celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti all around the country of India, for Mahatma Gandhi is an inspiration. He taught us that we should always believe in peace and non violence. 

Isn't it relaxing to be sitting in front of a fire on a cold winter day of December or January? Sitting beside the fire with a cup of a hot drink in your ice cold hands? It is quite calming, no? Fire gives us the sensation of something burning. Fire also gives out bright light, heat and smoke. Fire is also regarded as one of the five elements in Hindu mythology along with earth, water, wind and space. Togethe, these five make up something called the Pancha Bhoota in Hinduism. Hence, fire also has a great spiritual importance in India. Fire, or Agni, is considered as the messenger between the people and their gods or dieties. It is also the personification of the sacrificial fire.

It has been really cold these past few days. There has been really huge blizzards in Buffalo, New York, North America and there has been dense fog in North India. Wherever you are living, we can all agree with the fact that this year's winter has been quite harsh. Being a fan of winter season, I love the cold winter breeze blowing in my face and I get excited whenever I see thick and dense fog. I also know that there are people like me who are also fond of the cold weather in winter. But despite this, we have to take care ourselves during winters. Nicely layer yourself whenever you are heading outside. Also remember to wear your hat! I know wearing hats are not always fun, but wearing a hat is better than suffering a headache and heavy head because of the low temperatures. This weather is quite unpredictable and it can also make you sick with cold and cough. So please make sure that you always keep yourself warm, regardless of where you live. Your health is very important and takin...

Happy New Year! Finally the time of a new year has arrived! The year of 2023 is upon us! A new year full of new chances and new opportunities for us to grow, learn and make our world a better place for the future.  According to the Chinese lunar calendar, 2023 is the year of the Water Rabbit, starting on 22nd January, 2023 and ending on 9th February, 2024. Based on Feng Shui principles, the lucky color of the year will be Fuchsia Pink and the element of wealth will be Fire.  The arrival of the new year has brought joy and excitement but it has given us an even bigger feeling which is hope. That is, the hope that the new year will be better and bigger than the last. No one knows what curve balls the year 2023 can throw at us so for now, just enjoy the moment with yourself and your loved ones. Stop thinking about the past and stop questioning the future and live in the present.  May the new year bring you and your family a year full of happiness and good health. So, once ag...

Ho ho ho! Christmas is just around the corner! Just a few hours left until it's time for you to wake up and see the beautiful presents Santa left for you under the Christmas tree. And in just a few hours, we can joyfully wish people a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Time to start singing and playing Christmas carols while sitting down with our family members, showing them our amazing gifts and goodies. Finally, the end of our long and wait is near! Just hang in there for a little longer. Have patience! You're almost there! I know I am. Make sure your beautifully decorated Christmas tree is perfect for Santa Claus. Keep tracking and believing in Santa! From the bottom of my heart, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Now, when most people think about winters, they think about a serene city full of snow covered buildings. They picture people all nicely layered, walking outside in the snowy landscape and there is a beautiful holiday atmosphere in the place. Or if they are imagining a green Christmas, they picture a place clear of snow with moderate cold and the warm sun shining throughout the day. Well, reality is quite different than your imagination. Maybe a green Christmas might be like the one I described above, but that's not the case in my city. In my city, we have fog all morning and all night. It doesn't really snow, but that's where the fog comes in. The fog is basically like the snow. It makes everything look white, but it also makes everything look cloudy. And for the record,  it is quite cold for a green Christmas city. Not as cold as areas in the north, but it is still quite cold. 

One big social issue in the world is poverty and it is defined as when a person cannot buy basic necessities like food, clothing etc. because they have a low income. Currently in countries like Pakistan, India etc. poverty is a huge social problem. In India, there are a few causes of poverty and I shall be noting a few of them.  One reason for poverty is that there are not enough jobs available for people. Industries of both private and public sector created new job opportunities, but they were not enough to soak up all the job seekers.  With new irrigation methods and spread of the green revolution, new jobs were started in the agricultural sector but these effects were limited to only some parts of India.  Another cause if high poverty rates in India are high income inequalities. One major reason for this is unequal distribution of land and other resources. But India has been making many policies regarding this issue which will give us a solution in no time.  The l...