Like vs. Love

Back in high school I took this course called Twienth Century Literature, which consisted of literature works from T.S.Elliot, Shakespeare, and the like. We were discussing some love poem and the professor asked the class what is the difference between LOVE and LIKE or rather is there any difference between the two? Most students said they were the same, but one student raised his hand and said that there is a difference. Professor asked him what is it. He simply said: "I LIKE you, but I don't LOVE you." And the entire class was just stunned. But the meaning was clear enough and the prof. took it in a good note.

Cross-Cultural Issues

The other day me and my friend were discussing about cross-cultural issues. Most of the things we happened to agree upon except for one: cross-cultural marriages. She had a more orthodox opinion on it. She didn't think it could work. But I think it’s a beautiful concept, yet there are many challenges that come along with it. Those who enter such a relationship can't just think about themselves; they should also think about their child. They have to put in more effort compare to other parents. There is always a fear that the child might loose its identity. The orientation of the child should be so that it grows up to respect both the cultures. In addition, small issues such as the name of the child can create a problem. It may not be more than a meager issue for the parents, but it could be a big issue for the relatives; the society. It’s best for the parents to live in a host country to avoid over interference of the relatives.

This kind of relationship is very intellectually stimulating and requires "out of the box" thinking. I guess, such couples can accommodate other religions/ cultures along with their own and are very broad minded.

Besides, "Emotions are so stupid, they don't understand any logic", if you love someone, you can't really help it.

However, I do believe that as long as one is not forced to convert into another religion, multi-cultural marriages are fine. Because if you are forced then you are not being accepted for whom you are. Anyways, by doing few rituals, no one can convert anyone into a different religion because religion is not a matter of only following rituals. It is rather something that one believes in; religion is a 'way of life'. It is a reflection of oneself.

Dell Corporation

My first blog ever!! Am not sure what to write about. In any case, I think I want to talk about Dell Corporation. I think it is one of the most unique corporations ever. Its structure, business model and the like are unique. This corporation introduced the concept of direct marketing. Its owner Michael Dell (plz. excuse the spelling), started the corporation in 1984, which is a year after I was born. He totally removed the intermediaries from his business. The corporation sold directly to its customers. In this way it was able to develop a healthy relationship with its customers. This is how the concept of direct marketing came along. In addition, it was able to focus and specialize. Thus came the concept of mass customization. Being able to satisfy individual customer demand. For instance, if a customer wants a silver color laptop with certain specifications, Dell will be able to provide them. I think it totally amazing and a truely unique concept.

It also employs virtual and vertical integration. Its organization structure is now called Value Web. This means that the competition is expected to be between networks as opposed to individual companies. Its all about networking!!