Here you can find the answers to all of life's questions, or just the ones I decided to answer!

What does "Ganas" mean?

That's an easy one! It's a spanish word that I take to mean "desire from within," though that's not the direct translation. Most of my spanish speaking friends refute that it even has an english translation. Perhaps those of us who speak in the english tongue can't understand true "ganas." I first heard it in one of my favorite movies, Stand and Deliver.

So you really like Boston, how come?

What is there not to love about a city where you can wade in a frog pond during the summer and then ice skate on it during the winter? Boston has a special place in my heart because it is a city rich in people and connections made everyday. Go ahead, I dare you to live in Boston without falling in love! And if you do find yourself in Boston in the summertime, I ask you to go to the corner of Mass Ave and Boylston St. in the morning hours and spot a man who looks like Al Sharpton. Tell him I said "Hi!"

How do you pronounce your name and does it mean anything?

If you want to say it correctly, it's pronounced RUM (like the drink not like room) YA. It means beautiful, of course! (or so my mother tells me)

So I'm going to Austin, what should I check out?

I'm glad you asked! So many sites to see in Austin, can't do it all in one day but here's what I suggest: Pennyback Bridge, Mt. Bonell, Zilker Park, UT campus, Chuy's (on Barton Springs), and of course Barton Springs Pool!

Can we be friends on facebook?

You can find me on facebook here but I don't really use it as much as I use twitter. Though I find face-to-face interaction a lot more meaningful but the internet is good communication medium when that isn't possible!

I hear you like to give advice, I'm a graduating senior in high school, got any words of wisdom?

Well if you will be attending college in the Boston area please direct yourself to this lovely piece here. If not, you should still read it and find interesting things to do wherever you decide to move. I can't stress exploration enough. It'll help you figure out what you are good at and what you like doing. You aren't always going to get what you want in life but it's good to figure this stuff out early so you can be on your way to getting what you want. Don't stress over the small (or big) road bumps along the way because they make the journey a lot more interesting!

I saw you made a video about passions, what's yours?

People. I love building community and connecting with others. I also LOVE creating things. As a kid I would always gravitate towards the LEGO-type toys where I could create cool models.

What's with your postcard collection?

Well I began collecting postcards back in summer of 2005 because my parents were going to cool places and I thought it would be great to hear from them in a more personal way than e-mail. I started asking my friends who went to cool places to send me a postcard and my collection as grown quite a bit. I'm almost at a 100! I'm always looking forward to grow my postcard community so if you would like to send me one, let me know!

I just noticed the URL when I read this question, what does it mean?

It's a reference to one of my favorite artists Ben Harper and his album/title song Diamonds on the Inside. The lyrics, to me, talks about a young woman who at the core is good but you can't always tell by her actions alone.

Got a question you would like answered, please feel free to contact me: ramya.sankar[at]gmail[dot]com