Chetan's Random Thoughts

Having studied at the Salesian University for long four years, I had my D-Day on 23rd June, 2008. I successfully defended my Master's Thesis. The thesis was on "Digital Divide: Is it decreasing or increasing globally? Examining the Domestic Digital Divide in India with Special Reference to Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India". The success was celebrated in a fitting manner on 24th evening with a grand dinner. The esteemed guests were my professors from UPS and my colleagues from the college. I look forward to reaching India now after a gap of more than 4 years!!!

Saturday, 14th June, the evening at the faculty of Communications at the Salesian University was more than enjoyable. It was an occasion to meet all the colleagues for the last time and thank our professors too. In the first part, 'Mediamania' - the best productions of the faculty were presented. Theatre, Languages of the Media, Multimedia, Television, Radio were the broad areas. Then followed the dinner, with a variety of dishes, including the typical Latin American grilled meat prepared by Prof.Tone himself. The music and dance that followed the dinner made no distinction between students and professors!! Every one tapped their feet and danced!! Indeed a memorable evening. Thanks to the company of Br.Matej.

After Easter, a 3 day visit to France was truly refreshing. Thanks to the company of Reginald and hospitality of Alwyn in Paris. The long cherished dream of visiting Lourdes and seeking the Mother's Blessings was satisfying. It was raining all through. Yet it made the pilgrimage different!! Very few have seen Lourdes while raining!!! I was fortunate!!! A day in Paris with Eiffel, Louvre museum, etc.was not quite enough. The cleanliness, prompt and organized public transport system of Paris is something to me admired at. The last day, the rarest of the rare visit to Mount St.Michael Abbey, that hangs between the sky and the deep Sea. It's truly one of the wonders of the world. Finally one little disappointment. The security at the Orly airport in Paris did not allow the bottles containing the water from Lourdes pass through. Sad, they threw the water into waste baskets!!

Pompeii, the most famous archeological site in Italy, is located just 25km away from Naples. The excavations are visited by millions of visitors every year and offer one of the most important pieces of evidence of the past in the whole world. Life in this rich and prosperous city was dramatically and brusquely interrupted in 79 A.D. when Vesuvius erupted and totally buried it. The city and its inhabitants were wiped out in moments. A visit to the excavations gives you a pretty good idea of what life must have been like here two thousand years ago. Five minutes from the ruins of Pompei, Italy, the great Roman city destroyed by the volcano of Mt. Vesuvius, there is a an area called Valle di Pompei where the town of Campania is located. In the shadow of the ancient volcano, a Marian Shrine was erected in the latter half of the 1800's. The shrine is dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, named for the Marian image elevated on its high altar. A Sunday relaxing visit to the ruins of Pompe...