What's the biggest culture shock you've ever experienced?

 My biggest culture shock was moving from America to Japan. Let me give you a few examples of things that really shook me.

• Trains are very quiet inside the train. Aside from occasional quiet conversations, people are either using their cell phones or something similar. It's a stark contrast to the New York subway, where people are always talking loudly, on their cell phones, or playing musical instruments, just like Americans. Now that I've been in Japan for a few months, I can even tell if someone has just arrived by how loud they speak on the train.

• The children go to school alone. Every day I see a four-year-old child taking the train to school and crossing the street with their hand raised high so that the drivers can see them. If you let a four-year-old child wander around the streets of Los Angeles for even five minutes, people would call you crazy.

• I pay my electricity, phone, and water bills at 7-Eleven. It feels really strange because in America I used to do all of that online.

• I travel by bicycle and on foot. The transportation system here is very efficient, so I hardly ever drive. I own a small car, but in the six months since I came here, I've only had to fill up on gas twice.

• Orderly lines everywhere: bus stops, train stations, convenience stores, concerts, etc. Japanese people are adept at forming orderly lines. In America, even if there are markers indicating where people should stand to form a line when waiting for a bus, people will stand all over the place. You might be the first one at the bus stop to secure a good seat, only to have people standing outside the designated area block your way.

• Masks?! People wear masks when they're sick to prevent others from getting sick, or to protect themselves if someone else is sick. In America, when people get sick, they walk around coughing at everyone (not intentionally, of course).

The world has much to learn from Japan.

Which is the biggest Shiva temple in the world?

 I will tell that the biggest Shiva temple in this world is Chidambaram Natarajar Temple(40 acres).But as it is already mentioned I will go for the second largest one in Tamil Nadu,THAYAGARAGAR TEMPLE,TN.(33 acres).

It is in this place that the great chola king punished his own son for his son had killed a calf by running a chariot over it.Hearing this ,the Chola king gave the justice to the mother cow that his own son will be run under the chariot for killing the calf .

Thyagaragar Temple is Shaivite temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in the town of Thiruvarur in Tamil Nadu, India. Shiva is worshiped as Moolanathar, and is represented by the lingam. The temple complex covers 33 acres, and is one of the largest in India. It houses four gateway towers known as gopurams. The tallest is the eastern tower, with four stories and a height of 30 metres (98 ft).

The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and twelve yearly festivals on its calendar. The temple has the largest chariot in Tamil Nadu and the annual festival is celebrated during the month of April.

The present masonry structure was built during the Chola dynasty in the 9th century, while later expansions are attributed to Vijayanagar rulers .

Nobody knows since when the Shiva Lingam came into existence in this temple as its of a SUYAMBU(self manifested) lingam

It takes one full day to see this temple completely as it as many sculptures

This temple houses 365 lingams depicting the total days in a year and hence some states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala follows Solar calendar (365 days)instead of Lunar calender.

1 emarald Lingam

9 Gopurams,the Raja Gopuram being 98 feet in height

80 Vimanas

A 1000 pillared hall

12 Big Madhilgal(doors of wood)

13 Mantapas

15 holy wells

3 gardens

5 prakarams

100 Sannidhis for various Gods

86 Ganapathi Vigrahams(statues)

24 small inner temples

1 holy pond

and a big 90 feet height Chariot which is of 300 tons having 7 storeys.

There are 3 lingams of which one is emarald(installed by Lord Indra),one installed by Vishnu and one by the chola King.Daily poojas are offered to his idol referred to as Maragatha lingam(Lingam is made of EMARALD). His consort Parvathi is depicted as Kondi. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam having 365 songs dedicated to this temple.

OM MAHADEVAYA NAMAH.

What are the biggest ironies in India?

 

I bet you don’t even know his name !!! Sad !

The biggest ironies of India is that he was forgotten by India and his kin. His own family refused to accept his dead body ! How many know who he was ? Nation has forgotten its heroes. The younger generation are not aware about him. We breath freedom due to heroes like him, but don’t know him. This is the biggest ironies of this country.

Be ashamed of your education , but do read this to know who he was 👇

*London, 1908 – India House*

A cold drizzle tapped against the windowpanes of India House. Inside, the air was thick with smoke. Maps of India hung on the walls, plastered with pins marking cantonments and rail lines of the British Raj.

Savarkar leaned across the table toward Madan Lal Dhingra, his voice low but burning.

Savarkar: “Madan, speeches cannot uproot an empire. The Englishman’s rule rests on the sword. Shall we answer it with petitions?”

Dhingra’s eyes darkened.

Dhingra: “I have seen Indian labourers mocked on London streets, my countrymen treated worse than others. My own comforts mean nothing now. If freedom needs blood, then let mine be the first.”

Savarkar slid a revolver across the table.

Savarkar: “Remember, martyrdom is not defeat. It is the seed from which nations grow.”

Dhingra picked up the weapon. In its cold steel, he felt destiny stir.

*The Imperial Institute, London – 1 July 1909*

The hall glittered with chandeliers and silk gowns. Sir William Hutt Curzon Wyllie moved with practiced grace, his wife by his side. Dhingra blended into the crowd, calm, almost invisible.

When Wyllie approached, Dhingra stepped forward.

Dhingra: “Sir Curzon, may I speak a word?”

The revolver spoke. Four shots struck Curzon in the chest. He collapsed instantly. But another figure crumpled too — Dr. Cawas Lalcaca, a Parsi physician who had rushed to intervene.

Lady Curzon screamed, clutching her dying husband.

Lady Curzon (hysterical): “Good heavens , you killed him. Alas, I did beseech him not to seek his ‘posting of preference’ in this accursed India! Oh! Oh! Will none deliver him? Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Confound these blasted Indians! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! Ooooooooooooooooo!!!

Dhingra stood still, revolver lowered. His voice was steady.

Dhingra: “Sorry Ma’am. He had to pay for his sins. I did my duty to my country. I regret the other man’s death. He was not my enemy. For that, I am sorry.”

Policemen stormed the hall. Dhingra offered his wrists without resistance.

*The Trial, Old Bailey Court*

The court was tense with whispers. Indian elites in London denounced him; some turned their faces away.

The Judge’s gavel struck.

Judge: “Madan Lal Dhingra, you stand charged with the murder of Sir Curzon Wyllie and Dr. Cawas Lalcaca. How do you plead?”

Dhingra’s chin was high.

Dhingra: “I plead not guilty to murder. I killed an enemy of my nation. That is war, not crime. But I regret the death of the Parsi doctor. He was innocent. For that, I apologise.”

Gasps rippled through the hall. The Judge’s voice hardened.

Judge: “You are sentenced to hang by the neck until you are dead.”

Dhingra smiled faintly.

Dhingra: “So be it. The gallows are but a gateway to my motherland. If I meet that bugger Curzon in afterlife, I will kill him again!!!”

*Pentonville Prison, August 1909*.

The jailor entered with his last meal.

Jailor asks uneasily : “Why die for a country that has abandoned you? Even your family has renounced you.”

Dhingra looked up, eyes burning softly.

Dhingra: “They are not my family anymore. My true family is India. My next of kin are those yet unborn, who shall breathe free.”

He left behind a note under the candle flame:

“Patriotism is religion, and religion is love. Let me be reborn again and again, until I see my motherland free.”

*The Gallows – 17 August 1909*

The hangman adjusted the rope.

Hangman: “Any last words?”

Dhingra: “Tell my countrymen I am content. My body dies, but my spirit goes to my mother.”

The lever was pulled. Silence fell.

Epilogue

Back in Amritsar, his own family disowned his memory, refusing even to claim his body. For decades, his remains lay in a foreign prison yard. To countless young revolutionaries, he was proof that courage could strike at the very heart of empire.

Madan Lal Dhingra left no heirs. But in truth, we are his family — every Indian who walks free because a young man once dared to stand alone.

What are Bollywood's biggest flops of all time which came with high expectations?

 You may not have seen this movie…But I went to theatre to watch this movie called DRONA starring Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Kay Kay Menon and Jaya Bachchan.

BUDGET - 45 Crores.

With such a big starcast you would expect a value for money movie..But it was a disaster.

IMDB-2.2/10

Yes 2.2 !!!!

Made on a budget of 45 crores the film earned less than 15 crores and was a disaster at the box office.

It was filmed in Prague, Bikaner, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Namibia.

It was an untied and unpredictable movie which you never wanna see.This Movie can literally make you run outside the theatre in order to save your life.

What are the biggest myths about cricket?

 Myth #1: Whenever Sachin Tendulkar scored a century, India mostly lost the match.

Fact: In the 49 ODI matches Tendulkar scored a century, India won 33 and lost only 14 with two no results match. This means India won 67% of the ODI matches when SRT scored a century.

In tests, out of the 51 centuries SRT has, India have won/drawn 40 of them! Which means India won 79% of the test matches when SRT scored a century.

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Myth #2: Sourav Ganguly has never won a major ICC tournament.

Fact: Ganguly did win a major ICC tournament. Way back in 2002, India and Sri Lanka were crowned as joint winners of the Champions Trophy.

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Myth #3: Only four Indians →Uthappa, Kohli, Rahul and Gaikwad have won the orange cap in the IPL.

Fact: Tendulkar won the orange cap too in IPL 2010.

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Myth #4: The highest number of runs conceded in an over is 37.

Fact: In a domestic match of New Zealand, 77 runs were conceded in an over by RH Vance.

What was one of the biggest wastes of money ever?

The longest bridge in the world: the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (costing approximately 20 billion dollars) is a marvel in the history of engineering, but in terms of usability, it has become the biggest failure in world history. To date, three years after the bridge was completed, there is hardly any traffic on it.

When the Zhuhai-Hong Kong-Macao Bridge was about to be opened to traffic, the decision-makers suddenly realized a major problem: who will use this bridge?

Vehicles from mainland China cannot use it because license plates from mainland Hong Kong and Macau are not allowed to enter or leave. Vehicles from Hong Kong cannot use it either, because vehicles with Hong Kong license plates are not allowed to drive to China and Macau, and vehicles from Macau cannot use it because Macanese license plates are not allowed to drive to China and Hong Kong.

Only vehicles with license plates from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau can use the bridge, and such vehicles are very rare, and those that need to cross the bridge are even rarer.

What are Bollywood's biggest flops of all time which came with high expectations?

 

• DRONA

This movie came in 2008 starring Abhishek Bacchan with an estimated budget of 45 crore at that time and it was a commerical disaster , grossing less than 15 crore. So basically it was a Super flop movie.

• JOKER (2012)

This movie had an unique concept with comedy but this movie was failed so miserably at the box office it had a budget of 47 crore but ended up collecting only 20 crores

(I personally enjoyed the movie😌)

• BOMBAY VELVET

This movie came in 2015 starring Ranbir Kapoor and Karan Johar it had a huge budget of 118 Crores and ended up collecting only 30 crores so it was a superflop movie.

and the list goes on

Mohanjodaro,Rangoon,Jab Harry Met Sejal

etc etc

What is the biggest mistake a large company has made?

 Nokia’s CEO once said: “We didn’t do anything wrong, but somehow we lost.”

Nokia. Its biggest mistake was trying to avoid mistakes.

For a long time, Nokia was the world’s leading mobile phone manufacturer—until Apple, Samsung, and the rest of the world shifted to smartphones.

Nokia’s strategy was to stay the course and avoid risks. They didn’t want to change or take bold steps. In the end, their attempt to avoid mistakes by resisting change cost them everything.

Edit (expanded point):
In particular, their stubborn refusal to adopt Android and their insistence on sticking with their Symbian operating system proved to be critical errors. Over time, Symbian failed to keep up with competitors, and this resistance to change ultimately led to Nokia’s decline.

What are some of the biggest Hollywood and Bollywood oops moments?

 1. Amitabh Bachchan and Zeenat Aman in a swimming pool.

2. Amitabh's moment with Zeenat in a film.

3. Amitabh's moment with Tina Ambani.

4. Amitabh's moment with Aishwarya Rai.

5. Amitabh's moment with Deepika Padukone.

6. Amitabh embraces Deepika.

Image(s) courtesy: Google