Cultural Differences on Pitara Kids Network

Can You Speak Dolphin Language?

Wed, 24 Jan 2001 18:35:01 +0000

Mastering a language is not an easy task. Different countries have different languages, and each language in turn has different dialects. For instance, the Hindi usage, in Uttar Pradesh, is drastically different from the Hindi spoken by the Koli fisherfolk of Maharashtra. In fact, in smaller towns, there is a subtle shift in the spoken language, every few kilometers!

Can You Speak Dolphin Language? [Illustration by Shiju George]

Recent studies show that dolphins are no different from us. Believe it or not, these friendly mammals have languages of their own that are area-specific. It has long been known the dolphins emit clicking sounds (or whistles). Both the clicks and whistles serve a definite purpose – the clicking noises help in echo-location while the whistles are their method of communicating their emotions.

Three Nations or One?

Tue, 06 Nov 2001 04:10:29 +0000

August 19: Tang Weijiang is an angry man. He is suing the famous Japanese company Canon for causing him mental distress! Reason – Tang, a Chinese, was furious that the company making a particular brand of printer, in its publicity video, had given the impression that China, Hong Kong and Taiwan were three separate countries.

He is demanding $12 million in compensation.

Three Nations or One? [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

While the island of Hong Kong has come back to China after being under British control for almost 100 years, Taiwan broke away from China more than 50 years ago to declare independence. But China continues to state that Taiwan is a part of it.

My Country is a Land of Plains!

Mon, 30 Jun 2003 20:53:36 +0000

February 26: India is a land of rivers, cows, wheat fields, hot dusty plains and flat-roofed houses. This is what Stanzin Zangpo had learned in his class. But he is from Ladakh and he had never seen these things. The 12-year-old boy could not even imagine them. His part of India had jagged snow-capped mountain peaks, bitterly cold climate, large barren wastes of land and frozen lakes.

But now Stanzin knows differently. He and 29 other children from Ladakh have come to Delhi on a trip. They have finally seen the part of India that their textbook said there was. For the first time in their lives they saw an elephant (and were terrified of it), a zoo and the Qutub Minar. They were also special guests at the Republic Day parade and the Army Day parade, reports

The China Doll

Fri, 11 Jul 2003 20:18:48 +0000

The China Doll [Illustration by Anup Singh]

December 9: A country’s national identity is very much like an individual’s identity. Each country has a name, a past from which it traces its origins and a few distinguishing characteristics that make up its overall personality. Yes, nations have personalities. Just like human beings, those countries with strong personalities are the ones with a sure sense of who they are.