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Blade to Brace

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Nobody likes going to the dentist. Nobody likes having multiple needle-sharp tools in their mouth for hours straight while the dentist makes awkward small talk. Half the time, you can’t even hear what they say as it gets muffled behind their mask and the noise of their equipment. The other time, even when you do hear them, you cannot respond as you are expected to keep your mouth open wide. I never understood dentists. And no, I’m not referring to their questionable timing in asking questions. I’m referring to their difference from other doctors. To specialise in any other field, a medical student must first complete medical school, where the curriculum is more general, and only afterwards can they train in their speciality. However, dentists have separate schools for dental studies. They aren’t required to attend medical school, but every other physician does. They are “outcasts” in the medical world despite practising medicine themselves. Does medical practise in the mouth not count?...
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The Art of Musicals

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For many, dancing and singing while rearranging the furniture for the next scene seems unrealistic, but musicals have never aimed for realism. They aim to evoke emotions in us. Certain feelings are too complex to portray through simple dialogue. In doing so, musicals defy gravity in their representation of reality. Musicals are not created to just entertain; they highlight how societies dreamed, feared, and hoped. Throughout the eras, they act as a capsule for the historical sentiments they carry through their melodies and dance numbers.  When people wanted to tell a story, they couldn’t always leave their writings in the pages of books. To ensure their stories get heard, they had to bring them to the streets. Musicals flourished way before Broadway was established. It flourished when the majority of literate people were men in positions of power. The stage, the scenes, and the setup worked as a medium for the common folk to raise their voices against those in power. The melodious ...
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Contribution of Jesuits in Goa Pre-Liberation

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(Written as a history assignment in 2024)  The Jesuits, or "Society of Jesus" in English, are followers of a religious order that was originally known as the "Compagnie de Jesus" in French, "Companhia de Jesus" in Portuguese, and "Societas Jesu" in Latin. The Society of Jesus in Goa was launched by St. Ignatius de Loyola, St. Francis Xavier, a priest and a brother. St. Ignatius is credited as the patron saint of the society of Jesus. The areas of Ilhas, Bardez, and Salcette saw some success with Christianisation when the Society of Jesus first set up shop in Goa. After that, the organisation quickly spread to other Asian nations. During that period, the Jesuits were granted royal patronage by the Portuguese King, which greatly aided their international endeavours in South and East Asia. Interestingly, the Jesuit presence spread similarly throughout South Asia during the post-restoration era, which coincided with the British colonial era in the re...
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Checkmating Barriers: Chess as a Sport for All

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When FM Darpan Inani sits at a chessboard, he sees no pieces, yet he ‘sees’ every move. He is currently the best blind player in India and battles against sighted grandmasters throughout the world. He even brought India a gold medal at the Para Asian Games in 2023. Unlike other sports, chess requires a keen and focused mind rather than a perfectly oiled machine as a body. As Helen Keller once said, “The chief handicap of the blind is not blindness, but the attitude of seeing people towards them.” Chess challenges this attitude every day. Not many sports can be considered inclusive. The beauty of chess is seen in the diversity of the chess players; the pairing list is filled with names from different cultures, genders, ages and physical abilities. Numerous athletes with a range of disabilities have made it onto teams for competitions such as the World Chess Olympiad. The World Chess Federation (FIDE) is making constant efforts to equalise the playing field. FIDE is very dedicated to th...
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Indo-Pak Relations (1965 - present)

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 India and Pakistan have had a very hostile relationship since their bifurcation in 1947. The partition was driven by the Muslim League's demand for a separate nation based on religious identity, as they believed that British India consisted of two types of people: Muslims and Hindus. In response, the British divided the region, designating predominantly Hindu areas as India and predominantly Muslim areas as Pakistan. However, British India lacked demarcated religious boundaries, leading to widespread confusion, displacement, and violence. Geographically, Pakistan was divided into West Pakistan (current-day Pakistan) and East Pakistan (current-day Bangladesh). The ideological divide soon turned into bloody conflict; migrants faced looting, violence, and worse atrocities, with families separated and many women taking their lives to avoid assault. Shortly after gaining independence, both countries established diplomatic ties, but tensions from the partition and disputes over princely...
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Studio Ghibli Against Artifical Brushstrokes

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If you are into Anime or active on social media, you’ve likely heard of Studio Ghibli. Founded on June 15, 1985, this world-renowned Japanese animation studio has captivated audiences worldwide. From the 1988 film My Neighbour Totoro to the heavily accoladed 2023 film The Boy and the Heron, the works of Studio Ghibli are renowned for their comforting style of art, which sets them apart from other Japanese animations. These films and several other fan-favourites are the brainchildren of the studio’s honorary chairman, Hayao Miyazaki. While not all the studio’s works are his, they often follow a similar art style. His style portrays Japanese and Western elements, resembling watercolour paintings with soft pastel palettes. Each frame radiates comfort, making the visuals a work of art in themselves. Alongside Hayao Miyazaki, visionaries like Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki have also played crucial roles in shaping the Studio Ghibli productions we love and cherish today. All masterpieces ha...
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Where Did Water Come From?

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Civilisation has historically dominated rivers and water bodies. Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilisation, was situated between the Tigris and Euphrates. Ancient Egypt was dependent on the Nile. Rome too was founded on the banks of the Tiber. Water has no odour or colour yet it has been important for all living organisms despite not providing energy or organic multi-nutrients. Water covers 71% of the Earth's surface, with seas and oceans contributing to most of it. Groundwater as well as ice caps also contribute to this percentage. Water exists in solid, liquid and gaseous forms. It is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula H2O. We all know about the water cycle where water moves continually through evaporation, transpiration, condensation, and precipitation. Water evaporates from water bodies to form clouds in the atmosphere. These clouds later, upon getting heavy, lead the water to fall back to Earth in the form of rain, snow, sleet or hail. This is how we get water now b...
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