Life Is 2 Live

Live Today Because Tomorrow Is Not Promised

2011-05-01T22:41:00.001+08:00

One day a woman's husband died, and on that clear, cold morning, in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't "anymore". No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more "just one minute." Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away, never to return before we can say good-bye, say "I love you."

So while we have it, it's best we love it, care for it, fix it when it's broken and heal it when it's sick. This is true for marriage.....And old cars... And children with bad report cards, and dogs with bad hips, and aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.

Some things we keep -- like a best friend who moved away or a sister-in-law after divorce. There are just some things that make us happy, no matter what.

Life is important, like people we know who are special.. And so, we keep them close!

I received this from someone who thought I was a 'keeper'!

Suppose one morning you never wake up, do all your friends know you love them?

I was thinking...I could die today, tomorrow or next week, and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed, friendships that needed rekindling or three words needing to be said.

Let every one of your friends know you love them. Even if you think they don't love you back, you would be amazed at what those three little words and a smile can do. And just in case I'm gone tomorrow….

I LOVE YOU!!!

Live today because tomorrow is not promised…
Source: Unknown

Tips For Pleasant Bird Watching Experience

2011-04-16T23:21:00.002+08:00

Followings are the few points that I found that are essential for bird watching to make it more enjoyable & memorable.

Good Quality Binocular.
It is a very rare scenario that you will get a closer look at the birds when you are in the jungle. But I had one such lucky opportunity during my entire trek. So carry a binocular with you for a real closer look at the birds or other jungle animals or flowers.

DSLR Camera.
If you want to bring back a good memory of all the floras & faunas that you have seen, this is another one must have item. Please carry with you at least one Tele-Zoom & Macro Zoom lens with you in your digital camera kit. Make use of the sunlight available for getting better shots while zooming for long distance object.

Bird’s Guide
There is a book published by local wildlife department and it has good information about different types of birds that can be found in the Fraser’s Hill area & their habitats. On my last day of the trip, I happened to meet the local wild life department officer Mr. Durai, who has contributed his part to this book & information board. He is also interested to share his experience of wildlife with the visitors arriving there.

Bird’s Call Audio
Person like Mr. Durai has the unique quality of spotting the bird and its name just the sound that they make. You can also search on the net to understand various sounds and matching bird’s call in audio format. You can use it to play in a portable speaker connected to your mp3 players based on the birds nearby you. This will help the bird to stay longer in the branch with echoing voice as it feels that their crowd is present there by the call.

Laser Pointer
This is very useful in case you are going as a group to notify the birds sitting position to others. But please point the laser light to the branches nearby the bird so that the birds are not disturbed.

Know The Feeding Timings Of Birds:
I learned from Mr. Durai that birds visit usual area (trees in routes accessible by us) only during their feeding timings. If we don’t know this fact it is not worth waiting under the tree to see the birds on branches. And the birds feeding timings are morning 8AM till 12 noon. Afternoon 2PM till evening 7pm. Owl does its feeding during night time.

This is what I have learned during my trip about points to be certainly take note/prepared of for any bird watching activity. If you know anything more, please feel free to comment.

Trip to Fraser's Hill

2011-02-13T17:48:00.003+08:00

I’m sharing another travel experience after a long gap and thanks to my friend Raj Senthil for taking us there and accompanying me through out the trip. Firstly we chose another place at Terengganu but due to road condition & distance we chose Fraser’s Hill to be the best destination for this 3 days CNY Holiday. Booked 2 night stay at Fraser’s Silverpark Apartment a week ago once we decided this place. Fraser Hill is very popular for Bird Watching, Trekking. So, we were just waiting for the day to arrive.

And The day arrived, we started our journey early morning around 4.30AM from Singapore and we had an unscheduled stop at Batu Caves for our Breakfast. After that we didn’t follow our GPS route and chose our own route through Rawang to reach kuala kubu bharu, which is the base of Fraser’s hill. It takes around 2 hours from KL. But we had a brief stopover at Rawang for quick shopping on F&B then we drove straight down to KKB.

Once we reach KKB town, we drove past the dam that has a beautiful scenic spot. But we had no time to stop over as we were chasing the time to reach The GAP, from which the final (12Km) stretch is a one way for every one hour up & down. We also had no time to stop for a trek to Sungai Chilling on plan to do on our way back but really missed it out.

Unfortunately, we just missed the last entry by just couple of mins & we had wait down at The Gap for another 1 hour 20 mins. If you are planning to go there up to Fraser’s Hill. Please plan your arrival time to Thers GAP to reach the Fraser’s Hill as per the schedule given below as we were just escaped during our way down from Hill. It is like Odd hours 40 mins to Go Up & Even Hours 40 mins to come down. 8.40PM to 6AM is free for both side entry but it is very risky to drive at this time.

During our waiting time at The Gap, I had a good walk to the nearby road side forest & I was at least able to spot 5-10 different types of birds around that area. It was really overwhelming experience for me at the start of the trip to be with the faunas of the hill.

So, we had reached our resort at around 3+ in the evening. I didn’t want to miss the good evening out there on the first day, so I enquired at the information counter about the easy trekking trails & quickly grabbed a copy of Fraser’s Hill Map with information about each trail at it’s back. Followings are the list of trails at Fraser’s Hill with it's difficulty level, for those who wants to be close to the nature.
1 - The Bishop (Medium & enjoyable)
2 - The Rompin (Shortest)
3 - The Kindersley (Medium)
4 - The Maxwell (Longer & officially Closed)
5 - The Hemmant (Easy & Enjoyable)
6 - The Abu Suradi (Shortest & Not very easy)
7 - The Mager (Medium)
8 - The Pine Tree (Longest & Toughest)

You can get more info about the details of each trail at Fraser Hill Info Page

Fraser's Hill Map

Hemmant Trail is a wide path & easy to trek through this as a start as it was also nearby to our resort. In this trail I had a nice experience of being very close couple of bird’s that were at the feeding in the branches of plant by walkway. I also had good glimpses of a very unique wild orchid flower. In the route, I noticed some sign post mentioning name of plants but couldn’t really spot anything except for Ratan.

Finally at the end of the Hemmant trail I saw a big signboard kept at the entrance explaining each of the spot in the trail & the picture of the plant that can be found by the sign post. It also includes information like what types of birds can be seen in that particular trail as well as how the difficulty of route especially on Bishop’s trail. Later I realized the fact that I was coming from the end point of the trail to starting point. I learnt the fact that it is good to start the trip from the sign-board as it provides clear information of where what can be seen in each trekking route.

After coming out of Hemmant Trail, I moved on to the next trail that is Abu Suradi as decided earlier. It was not as easy as I expected as the paths were mainly narrow and not much of ropes to hold onto. I was almost at the end of the trail, but couldn’t find the way out and I had to come back the way I started then returned back through Hemmant Trail as it was shorter path for our resort. During the return I was really able to relate to the sign post & plants nearby according to the information board kept at the entrance of the trail.

Evening was soo chilling as our resort is located at higher altitude of the hill. We chose this resort just for it’s amazing location though there were so many other inconveniences in the room. Had good time at later evening as the temperature was continuing to fall low and we just couldn’t stand out without wearing our jacket. We prepared our dinner, had food & went to sleep tight as it was getting colder.

I know you and I are very tired of reading and posting such a long article on day 1 experience, so I will stop for now & share with you Day 2 & 3 experience later in my next post.

Also please stay tuned for an another exclusive post about Must Have Items & Must known Facts for making the trip of Bt. Fraser most unforgettable experience.

Coconut Facts

2011-01-10T02:22:00.003+08:00

Coconut is playing a good role in stabilizing blood sugar; lowering cholesterol; healing; hydration; and even replacing blood plasma in an emergency. Let us get to know more in details facts about it in this post.

Referred to as kalpa vriksha (Sanskrit for "the tree that supplies all that is needed to live") in ancient India, the coconut palm has been recognized as a top immune booster, antifungal,antibiotic, antiviral and antibacterial remedy for thousands of years all over the world. Yet, it has only been recently that modern researchers have begun to fully discover the massive health benefits this amazing fruit seed offers.

To give just one example of coconuts' live-saving properties, they were used extensively in the Pacific during World War II. Since blood plasma supplies were scarce, it was very common for medics to siphon pure coconut water from young coconuts to be used as emergency plasma transfusions for soldiers who were injured. Since coconut water is nearly identical to human blood, it was suitable for people of all blood types.

Because of its strong antioxidant properties, the coconut can be used
to Lower cholesterol, Improve digestion, Ward off wrinkles, Stabilize glucose levels, Fight off viruses, too cool of body, Build cells, Regulate hormones, Increase thyroid production, Lose weight, Increase metabolism, Fight infections, Stave off memory loss, Kill bacteria.

Considered one of the most treasured foods of all time, coconut products including coconut flesh, coconut water, coconut oil, and coconut cream each deliver superb health benefits.

Coconut oil, for instance, is considered the best and safest oil to use for cooking even superior to extra virgin olive oil when it comes to giving the body what it needs for optimum health. Unlike other fats and oils that we typically use for cooking and baking, coconut oil does not form polymerized oils or dangerous Trans fatty acids in our bodies, which can raise our cholesterol levels; clog our arteries and even make our skin sag and wrinkle. Plus, this ultra-safe oil can give your body important antioxidants that can help build stronger cells and improve your
overall health and well being.

Here are a few ways that you can use coconut products to stave off disease and to recapture the look and feeling of youth:

Coconut Water - The coconut is a natural water filter. It takes almost 9 months for a coconut to filter every quart of water stored within its shell. This makes the resulting coconut water completely pure and sterile, which is one reason why it can be used for blood transfusions.
Another benefit of coconut water is the fact that it has the highest concentration of electrolytes than anything else found in nature. This makes it an excellent source of hydration.

Coconut Oil - In addition to being superior for cooking and baking, coconut oil also makes a superb topical oil that can help to naturally rid the skin of dangerous toxins. It also gives the skin the perfect mix of hydration and antioxidants that it needs to stay healthy, smooth and younger-looking longer.
Another great benefit of coconut oil is in protecting your teeth from
the bacteria that can cause cavities and disease. Simply rubbing a little fresh coconut oil on your gums and teeth can keep them stronger and healthier than virtually any other dental treatment.

Most people don't realize that coconut oil can actually help you lose weight! Yes, simply changing your cooking oil from the unsaturated fat variety to coconut oil can help you lose those extra pounds. Here's why:
Unsaturated fats found in canola, corn and other vegetables oils, as well as margarine suppress the metabolism, which makes it harder to lose weight and easier to gain it. Over time, this metabolism suppression may result in 20-30 pounds of excess weight that your body cannot get rid of.
Coconut oil, on the other hand, helps to increase thyroid function and boost your metabolism -- 2 important components to shedding unwanted pounds.

Coconut Cream - The best skin treatment product one can use to achieve flawless skin may quite possibly be coconut cream. Unlike traditional skin creams which can actually introduce fats and oils to the skin that will break it down over time, making it look older, creams derived from the coconut can actually replenish the skin, giving it a more youthful and healthy glow than most other skin care products on the market.

When it comes to buying coconut products, coconuts are not all created equal. Wild coconuts are always best, but can be hard to obtain if you don't live in a tropical country. Whether you are using this wonder food to boost your immune system; increase your metabolism or fight wrinkles, using products from young coconuts will help you reap the most benefit.

Young coconuts contain the purest unsaturated fat, compared to the fat found in the more mature varieties. This is why they offer the most rejuvenation properties for the body's tissues. But how can you tell how old a coconut is? Young coconuts are usually green in color, it is heavier to carry as it contains more water inside and oddly shaped. The brown hairy ones are mature coconuts, and while they offer a lot of healthy benefits, they aren't nearly as good for you as younger varieties.

Postpone What I WANT To Do For What I HAVE To Do

2010-09-28T15:33:00.002+08:00

Source: Unknown

Yesterday, I was driving, and the FM radio went off for few seconds. I thought I should have an iPod. Then suddenly I realized that I have not used my iPod in last 6 months. And then& more things, Handy cam in last 2 years, Digital Camera in last 2 months, DVD player in last 1 month and many more. Now I can say that I bought that Handy cam just out of impulse, I have used it twice only in last 4 years.

So, what's wrong and where? When I look at myself or my friends I can see it everywhere. We are not happy with what we have but all are stressed and not happy for the things we don’t have. You have a Santro, but you want City & you have a City, but you want Skoda. Just after buying a new phone, we need another one. Better laptop, bigger TV, faster car, bigger house, more money. I mean, these examples are endless. The point is what is it actually worth? Do we ever think if we actually need those things before we want them?

After this, I was forced to think what I need and what I don't. May be I didn’t need this Handy cam or the iPod or that DVD player. When I see my father back at home, he has a simple CRT color TV that was bought few decades ago; he does not need a 46" LCD wall mount. He has a cell phone worth Rs 2,500. Whenever I ask him to change the phone, he always says "It's a phone; I need this just for calls". And believe me; he is much happier in life than me with those limited resources and simple gadgets. The very basic reason why he is happy with so little is that he does not want things in life to make it luxurious, but he wants only those things which are making his life easier. It's a very fine line between these two, but after looking at my father's life style closely, I got the point. He needs a cell phone but not the iPhone. He needs a TV but not the 46" LCD . He needs a car but not an expensive one.

It is very simple- Our ancestors treated Necessities as Luxuries, we are looking at Luxuries as Necessities. This is making our life miserable...

Assume Not

2010-04-13T13:48:00.000+08:00

A teacher teaching Maths to five-year-old student asked him, "If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?”Within a few seconds the student replied confidently, "Four!"

The dismayed teacher was expecting an effortless correct answer (three). She was disappointed. "Maybe the child did not listen properly," she thought. She repeated, "My boy, listen carefully. If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?"

The student had seen the disappointment on his teacher's face. He calculated again on his fingers. But within him he was also searching for the answer that will make the teacher happy. His search for the answer was not for the correct one, but the one that will make his teacher happy. This time hesitatingly he replied, "Four…"

The disappointment stayed on the teacher's face. She remembered that this student liked strawberries. She thought maybe he doesn't like apples and that is making him loose focus. This time with an exaggerated excitement and twinkling in her eyes she asked, "If I give you one strawberry and one strawberry and one strawberry, then how many you will have?"

Seeing the teacher happy, the boy calculated on his fingers again. There was no pressure on him, but a little on the teacher. She wanted her new approach to succeed. With a hesitating smile the student enquired, "Three?"

The teacher now had a victorious smile. Her approach had succeeded. She wanted to congratulate herself. But one last thing remained. Once again she asked him, "Now if I give you one apple and one apple and one more apple how many will you have?"

Promptly the student answered, "Four!"

The teacher was aghast. "How my boy, how?" she demanded in a little stern and irritated voice. In a voice that was low and hesitating young student replied, "Because I already have one apple in my bag."

Moral of the Story:
When someone gives you an answer that is different from what you expect, don't think they are wrong. There maybe an angle that you have not understood at all. You will have to listen and understand, but never listen with a predetermined notion.

You Reap What You Sow

2010-04-01T16:47:00.000+08:00

A little boy got angry with his mother and shouted at her, "I hate you, I hate you." Because of fear of reprimand, he ran out of the house. He went up to the valley and shouted, "I hate you, I hate you," and the echo returned, "I hate you, I hate you."

Having never heard an echo before, he was scared, and ran to his mother for protection. He said there was a bad boy in the valley who shouted "I hate you, I hate you"

The mother understood and she asked her son to go back and shout, "I love you, I love you". The little boy went and shouted, "I love you, I love you," and back came the echo.

That taught the little boy a lesson: Our life is like an echo. You Reap What You Sow in another words We get back what we give.

The Sack Lunches

2010-03-28T13:00:00.004+08:00

I put my carry-on in the luggage Compartment and sat down in my Assigned seat. It was going to be a Long flight. 'I'm glad I have a Good book to read perhaps I will get
A short nap,' I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally Surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation.
'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.

Petawawa in the USA. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then We're being deployed to Afghanistan

After flying for about an hour, an Announcement was made that sack Lunches were available for five Dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I Quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time..

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask his buddy if he
Planned to buy lunch.'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably Wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base '

His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and Handed the flight attendant a Fifty dollar bill.

'Take a lunch to all those soldiers..' She grabbed my arms and squeezed Tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a Soldier in Iraq ; it's almost like you are doing it for him.'

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up The aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat And asked, 'Which do you like Best - beef or chicken?'

'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why She asked. She turned and went to The front of plane, returning a Minute later with a dinner plate from First class. 'This is your thanks..'

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down The aisle, looking at the aisle Numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he Was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, an said, 'I want to shake your hand.'

Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand with a booming voice he said, 'I was A soldier and I was a military pilot once, someone bought me a lunch.It was an act of kindness I Never forgot.' I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of The passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows In front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them And handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to Reach the base.

It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.'

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return.
These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals.

It seemed so little. A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'Australia ' for an amount of 'up to and including My life.'

That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.

People will forget what you said
People will forget what you did but
People will never forget how you treated them

Saving Account for Marriage Life

2010-02-22T17:51:00.002+08:00

Monica married Hitesh this day. At the end of the wedding party, Monica's mother gave her a newly opened bank saving passbook. With Rs.1000 deposit amount.

Mother: 'Monica, take this passbook. Keep it as a record of your marriage life. When there's something happy and memorable happened in your new life, put some money in. Write down what it's about next to the line. The more memorable the event is, the more money you can put in. I've done the first one for you today. Do the others with Hitesh. When you look back after years, you can know how much happiness you've had.'

Monica shared this with Hitesh when getting home. They both thought it was a great idea and were anxious to know when the second deposit can be made. This was what they did after certain time:

- 7 Feb: Rs.100, first birthday celebration for Hitesh after marriage
- 1 Mar: Rs.300, salary raise for Monica
- 20 Mar: Rs.200, vacation trip to Bali
- 15 Apr: Rs.2000, Monica got pregnant
- 1 Jun: Rs.1000, Hitesh got promoted and so on...

However, after years, they started fighting and arguing for trivial things. They didn't talk much. They regretted that they had married the most nasty people in the world.... no more love...Kind of typical nowadays, huh?

One day Monica talked to her Mother: 'Mom, we can't stand it anymore. We agree to divorce. I can't imagine how I decided to marry this guy!!!'
Mother: 'Sure, girl, that's no big deal. Just do whatever you want if you really can't stand it. But before that, do one thing first. Remember the saving passbook I gave you on your wedding day? Take out all money and spend it first. You shouldn't keep any record of such a poor marriage.' Monica thought it was true. So she went to the bank, waiting at the queue and planning to cancel the account.

While she was waiting, she took a look at the passbook record.. She looked, and looked, and looked. Then the memory of all the previous joy and happiness just came up her mind. Her eyes were then filled with tears. She left and went home. When she was home, she handed the passbook to Hitesh, asked him to spend the money before getting divorce.

The next day, Hitesh gave the passbook back to Monica. She found a new deposit of Rs.5000. And a line next to the record: 'This is the day I notice how much I've loved you thru out all these years. How much happiness you've brought me.'

They hugged and cried, putting the passbook back to the safe. Do you know how much money they had saved when they retired? I did not ask. I believe the money did not matter any more after they had gone thru all the good years in their life.

"When you fall, in any way, Don't see the place where you fell, Instead see the place from where you slipped. Life is about correcting mistakes."

Causes of Liver Damage

2010-01-16T15:23:00.001+08:00

1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are main cause.
2. Not urinating in the morning.
3. Over eating.
4. Skipping breakfast.
5. Consuming too much medication.
6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring, and artificial sweetener.
7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil. As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit.
8. Consuming raw (overly done) foods also add to the burden of liver.
Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store.

Bring down High Blood Pressure Naturally

2010-01-16T15:11:00.004+08:00

Are you the one sick and tired of taking Blood Pressure tablets and looking for a natural remedy? Try the few of the following steps sincerely and post your comment if it helped.

Meditation: Calming your mind from high stress definitely helps lowering blood pressure. Sure way to way to achieve this is by practising meditation every day.

Garlic: Garlic is very effective in lowering blood pressure. Take 2-3 raw garlic cloves a day. It slows down the pulse rate and relieves the symptoms of dizziness, numbness and shortness of breath and formation of gas within the digestive system.

Indian Gooseberry: Indian gooseberry is also very effective in controlling high blood pressure.

Lemon: Lemon is also very effective food in controlling high blood pressure. It helps in maintaining capillary fragility.

Grapefruit: Grapefruit is useful in preventing high blood pressure.

Watermelon: Watermelon also safeguards against high blood pressure. The seeds of watermelon also can be dried and roasted and taken in liberal amounts.

Rice: Rice is low-fat, low-cholesterol and low-salt content is very good for people suffering from high B.P. who have been advised salt-restricted diet. Particularly brown rice having calcium soothes and relaxes the nervous system and helps relieve High B.P symptoms.

Potato: Boiled potatoes are very valuable in lowering high B.P. Boiled potatoes absorb very little salt and thus are very useful. Potatoes are rich in Potassium and not sodium salts and magnesium present in potato is also beneficial.

Parsley: Parsley is very useful in high blood pressure. It helps maintain the blood vessels .Parsley can be taken as a beverage by simmering 20gms of fresh parsley leaves gently in 250 ml of water for a few minutes. Drink this several times a day.

Vegetable Juice: Raw vegetable juices, especially carrot and spinach juices, taken separately or in combination, are also beneficial in the treatment of high B.P If taken in combination, 300 ml of carrot juice and 200 ml of spinach juice should be mixed to make 500 ml and taken daily. If taken separately, one glass should be taken twice daily, morning and evening.

Cut down on these: Cut down on salt, cholesterol, fat, tea, coffee and alcohol intake to keep a tab on high blood pressure.

Expres your feelings: Don't repress your feelings, talk about them to friends and exercise regularly.

Exercise: Excercising 30 minutes a day can help you lose weight, which can lower blood pressure.

Heart Quotes

2010-01-16T14:59:00.004+08:00

Follow your heart, but be quiet for a while first. Ask questions, then feel the answer. Learn to trust your heart.
If your head tells you one thing and your heart tells you another, before you do anything, you should first decide whether you have better head or a better heart. Heart is always better than head.

There is a light that shines beyond all things on earth, beyond the highest, the very highest heavens. That is the light that shines within your Heart.

A true friend reaches for your hand and touches your heart.

The moment you have in your heart this extraordinary thing called love and feel the depth, the delight, the ecstasy of it, you will discover that the world is transformed.

Today, see if you can stretch your heart and expand your love so that it touches not only those to whom you can give it easily, but also to those who need it so much.

Love is missing someone whenever you're apart, but somehow feeling warm inside because you're close in heart.

Once a woman has given you her heart, you can never get rid of the rest of her.

The greatest treasures are those invisible to the eye but found by the heart.

Wherever you go, go with all your heart.

Traditional Fishing using Pathal Kattai

2010-01-10T14:05:00.007+08:00

I was trying to write about this traditional fishing technique using Pathal Kattai for quite a long time. During my recent trip to my home town I got an opportunity to click some snaps to get you picture based explanation of this unique fishing technique that is followed in South Tamil Nadu. Without dragging further I shall write to you more detailed picture about this technique.

If you see the diagram mentioned below,
1) The canal that is coming from river and reaching to the lake.
2) Pathway for diverted water to flow through the Pathal Kattai
3) Mud pot will be buried with just mouth opened that serves as temporary storage of fish
4) Kazhungu – An outlet that provides air circulation for pathal kattai
5) Canal is blocked with sticks and sand bags for restricting fish traveling towards opposite direction to approach pathal kattai. This is also helping to adjust the level of water flowing through the pathal kattai.
6) Smooth surface filled with muddy grasses further upwards near pathal kattai
7) This portion is filled with very nice mud (technically called Nenju kali) that feels smooth as marble that is a sure trap for fish to jump upwards above pathal kattai.

During my childhood days, we used to go as a gang from my village for fishing during winter season. All we had to do was to perform some initial work in laying a proper structure for water to pass by the pathal kattai and we are almost done for fishing nearly a month.

Firstly we will go to the paddy field and get huge amount of clay that is key player in the whole process. We will also get some muddy grass & clay to form the smooth surface (6-7) for fish to come towards the pathal kattai.

After collecting the clay & grass, we will dig the pathway for flow of water in the area (2), (7) & (6). Then pathal kattai will be placed and will fill the surrounding area with clay. Area (7) is filled completed with smooth mud clay stacked layer after layer that is very crucial for fishes to come onto the pathal kattai and jump over it.

Then In Area (5) barrier is created by filling with Sand Bags, cut tree branches to regulate the flow of water through pathal kattai path way. Once this is done water will make it’s way through pathway (2) and comes out from the pathal kattai.

Now everything is set, all we need to do is just wait for the fish to come onto the pathal kattai and jump over to the pot. Only during night time there will be variety of fishes will start to fall. It is important that we need to maintain silence and sit still without much of movement around area (6) & (7)

At the time of Sun raise and set, Ayirai fish will be the first catch. Followed by that we get variety of fishes like Kezuthi, Kendai, Uluvai and all sort of other Lake fishes during the whole night. We will just have to keep emptying the temporary storage fish pot all night. The next day morning we will share the fish that was caught with full of sacks that we have. What to do with such a large quantity? We cook very little from them and make the rest of it into Karuvadu (Salted Dry Fish).

When the lake water level goes down after farming, the whole village will come down for fishing using Kacha (net) and lot more other techniques handled that is countless.

For now, Let me leave you with a short clip and snaps that I have taken about unique method of catching fish by using Pathal Kattai…

GEOGRAPHY FACTS

2009-11-06T23:01:00.008+08:00

Alaska
More than half of the coastline of the entire United States is in Alaska.

Amazon
The Amazon rainforest produces more than 20% the world's oxygen supply.

The Amazon River pushes so much water into the Atlantic Ocean that, more than one hundred miles at sea off the mouth of the river, one can dip fresh water out of the ocean. The volume of water in the Amazon river is greater than the next eight largest rivers in the world combined and three times the flow of all rivers in the United States.

Antarctica
Antarctica is the only land on our planet that is not owned by any country.
Ninety percent of the world's ice covers Antarctica . This ice also represents seventy percent of all the fresh water in the world. As strange as it sounds, however, Antarctica is essentially a desert. The average yearly total precipitation is about two inches Although covered with ice (all but 0.4% of it, ice.), Antarctica is the driest place on the planet, with an absolute humidity lower than the Gobi desert.

Brazil
Brazil got its name from the nut, not the other way around. Brazil got his name from a tree called "pau brasil" that means brasil wood and very common here in Brazil.

The nut you foreign people call Brazil nut is typically from Brazil and is called "castanha do Pará" that means Pará Nut , and Pará is a state on north of Brazil.

Canada
Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world combined. Canada is an Indian word meaning ' Big Village.'

Chicago
Next to Warsaw , Chicago has the largest Polish population in the world.

Detroit

Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, carries the designation M-1, so named because it was the first paved road anywhere.

Damascus, Syria
Damascus, Syria, was flourishing a couple of thousand years before Rome was founded in 753 BC, making it the oldest continuously inhabited city in existence.

Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey, is the only city in the world located on two continents.

Los Angeles
Los Angeles' full name is El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula -- and can be abbreviated to 3.63% of its size: L.A.

New York City
The term 'The Big Apple' was coined by touring jazz musicians of the 1930's who used the slang expression 'apple' for any town or city. Therefore, to play New York City is to play the big time - The Big Apple.

There are more Irish in New York City than in Dublin , Ireland ; more Italians in New York City than in Rome, Italy ; and more Jews in New York City than in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Ohio
There are no natural lakes in the state of Ohio, everyone is manmade.

Pitcairn Island
The smallest island with country status is Pitcairn in Polynesia , at just 1.75 sq. miles/4,53 sq. km.

Rome
The first city to reach a population of 1 million people was Rome , Italy in 133 B.C. There is a city called Rome on every continent.

Siberia
Siberia contains more than 25% of the world's forests.

S.M.O.M
The actual smallest sovereign entity in the world is the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (S.M.O.M). It is located in the city of Rome, Italy, has an area of two tennis courts, and as of 2001 has a population of 80, 20 less people than the Vatican. It is a sovereign entity under international law, just as the Vatican is.

Sahara Desert
In the Sahara Desert , there is a town named Tidikelt, Algeria , which did not receive a drop of rain for ten years.

Technically though, the driest place on Earth is in the valleys of the Antarctic near Ross Island . There has been no rainfall there for two million years.

Spain
Spain literally means 'the land of rabbits.'

St. Paul , Minnesota
St. Paul, Minnesota , was originally called Pig's Eye after a man named Pierre 'Pig's Eye' Parrant who set up the first business there.

Chances that a road is unpaved in the U.S.A : 1%, in Canada : 75%

Russia
The deepest hole ever drilled by man is the Kola Superdeep Borehole, in Russia . It reached a depth of 12,261 meters (about 40,226 feet or 7.62 miles). It was drilled for scientific research and gave up some unexpected discoveries, one of which was a huge deposit of hydrogen - so massive that the mud coming from the hole was boiling with it.
United States

The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one-mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.

Waterfalls
The water of Angel Falls (the World's highest) in Venezuela drops 3,212 feet (979 meters). They are 15 times higher than Niagara Falls.

The Top Five Cancer-Causing Foods

2009-10-31T12:04:00.004+08:00

1. Hot Dogs

Because they are high in nitrates, the Cancer Prevention Coalition advises that children eat no more than 12 hot dogs a month. If you can't live without hot dogs, buy those made without sodium nitrate.

2. Processed meats and Bacon

Also high in the same sodium nitrates found in hot dogs, bacon, and other processed meats raise the risk of heart disease. The saturated fat in bacon also contributes to cancer.

3. Doughnuts

Doughnuts are cancer-causing double trouble. First, they are made with white flour, sugar, and hydrogenated oils, then fried at high temperatures. Doughnuts, says Adams , may be the worst food you can possibly eat to raise your risk of cancer.

4. French fries

Like doughnuts, French fries are made with hydrogenated oils and the fried at high temperatures. They also contain cancer- causing acryl amides which occur during the frying process. They should be called cancer fries, not French fries, said Adams.

5. Chips, crackers, and cookies

All are usually made with white flour and sugar. Even the ones whose labels claim to be free of trans-fats generally contain small amounts of trans-fats.

Chanakya Quotes

2009-09-09T15:37:00.000+08:00

For those who are not aware of who was Chanakya. He was a very famous Indian Politician, Strategist & writer lived between 350 BC to 75 BC

A person should not be too honest.
Straight trees are cut first and Honest people are screwed first.

Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous

The biggest guru-mantra is: Never share your secrets with anybody.
If you cannot keep secret with you , do not expect that other will keep it.
It will destroy you.

There is some self-interest behind every friendship.
There is no Friendship without self-interests.
This is a bitter truth.

Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions -
Why am I doing it?
What the results might be? & Will I be successful?
Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead.

As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it.

Once you start working on something,
don't be afraid of failure & don't abandon it.
People who work sincerely are the happiest."

The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind.
But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction.

A man is great by deeds, not by birth.

Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years.
For the next five years, scold them.
By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend.
Your grown up children are your best friends.

Education is the best friend.
An educated person is respected everywhere.
Education beats the beauty and the youth.

Look into our Self,

2009-09-04T09:31:00.000+08:00

In a Chinese modern dance competition on TV, one very unique couple won one of the top prizes. The lady, in her 30's, was a dancer who had trained since she was a little girl. Later in life, she lost her entire left arm in an accident and fell into a state of depression for a few years. Someone then asked her to coach a Children's dancing group.

From that point on, she realized that she could not forget dancing. She still loved to dance and wanted to dance again. So, she started to do some of her old routines, but having lost her arm, she had also lost her balance. It took a while before she could even make simple turns and spins without falling. Then she heard of a man in his 20s who had lost a leg in an accident. He had also fallen into the usual denial, depression, and anger type of emotional roller coaster.

But she determined to find him and persuade him to dance with her. He had never danced, and to "dance with one leg .... Are you joking with me? No way!" But, she didn't give up, and he reluctantly agreed thinking, “I have nothing else to do
anyway." She started to teach him dancing.

The two broke up a few times because he had no concept of using muscle, how to control his body, and knew none of the basic things about dancing.When she became frustrated and lost patience with him, he would walk out.Eventually, they came back together and started training seriously.

They hired a choreographer to design routines for them.She would fly high (held by him) with both arms (a sleeve for an arm) flying in the air. He could bend horizontally supported by one leg with her leaning on him, etc. In the competition, as you will see, they dance beautifully and they legitimately won the competition.

Beauty lies in the heart of the true artist. One with no hand and one with no leg perform on stage an amazing ballet dance. What an inspiration these two talented individuals are. We may lose limbs but the Lord replaces with even stronger spirit and will to overcome. The Lord is not "a taker" but a "giver" of things that all we have to do is to look inside ourselves.

Great Sayings from Great Personalities

2009-09-01T18:27:00.002+08:00

If you judge people, you have no time to love them - Mother Teresa

In a day, when you don't come across any problems, you can be sure that you are traveling in a wrong path - Swami Vivekananda

If someone feels that they had never made a mistake in their life, then it means they had never tried a new thing in their life - Albert Einstein

Never break our things in our life - Trust, Relation, Promise & Heart because when they are break, they don't make noise but pains a lot - Charles Dickens

Three sentences for getting success:
Know more than other | Work more than other | Expect less than other - William Shakespeare

If you win, you need not have to explain...
If you lose, you should not be there to explain - Adolf Hitler

If we cannot love the person whom we see,
how can we love God, whom we cannot see... - Mother Teresa

I will not say I failed 1000 times, I will say that I discovered 1000 ways that can cause failure - Thomas Alva Edison

Everyone thinks of changing the world,
but no one thinks of changing himself - Leo Tolstoy

Believing everybody is dangerous
but believing nobody is more dangerous - Abhraham Lincoln

Talent wins games but team work and intelligence wins championships - Michael Jordan

Weakness Of Attitude Becomes Weakness Of Character

2009-08-26T18:06:00.000+08:00

The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. But the water close to Japan has not held many fish for decades. So to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went further than ever. The further the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring the fish. If the return trip took more time, the fish were not fresh. To solve this problem, fish companies installed freezers on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go further and stay longer. However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen fish. And they did not like the taste of frozen fish. The frozen fish brought a lower price. So, fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, they were tired, dull, and lost their fresh-fish taste. The fishing industry faced an impending crisis! But today, they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan.

How did they manage? To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the tanks but with a small shark. The fish are challenged and hence are constantly on the move. The challenge they face keeps them alive and fresh!

Have you realized that some of us are also living in a pond but most of the time tired and dull ? Basically in our lives, sharks are new challenges to keep us active. If you are steadily conquering challenges, you are happy. Your challenges keep you energized. Don't create success and revel in it in a state of inertia. You have the resources, skills and abilities to make a difference. Put a shark in your tank and see how far you can really go!

'Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character' - Albert Einstein

How to Dance in Rain

2009-08-13T15:18:00.001+08:00

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health.

He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late.

He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now. I was surprised, and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?'

He smiled as he patted my hand and said,

'She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is.'

I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought,

'That is the kind of example about deep sneh that every husband and wife needs in their life.'

True sneh is neither physical, nor romantic.

True sneh is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.

Detox Tips

2009-07-07T20:59:00.000+08:00

If you're feeling generally under the weather, physical and emotional toxins maybe to blame.

1. Avoid eating wheat
This means cutting out biscuits, bread, cakes and pasta and checking the labels on the food you buy, because wheat is found in many processed foods. Even if you are not intolerant to wheat, it remains one of the most difficult foods to digest. Instead, eat oatcakes, rice cakes, rye bread, wheat-free bread, rice, quinoa, buckwheat and spelt.

2. Avoid dairy
That means milk, cheese, ice cream and cream. Don't worry about your calcium intake; you get more calcium from green vegetables! Small amounts of butter and eggs are fine. Instead of cow's milk drink soya milk, rice milk, quinoa milk, oat milk or almond milk and eat soya yoghurts. Goat's products, such as feta cheese, can still be eaten in moderation.
One of the ways in which animals remove toxins is through their milk, which is why dairy products contain toxins. The average cow is given chemicals designed to make it gain weight faster. The toxic cocktail includes steroids and antibiotics as well as pesticide residues.

3. Choose organic
Organic produce is free from pesticides and harmful addictives. It is also cultivated according to the principles that ensure it contains more vitamins and minerals than non-organically farmed food.

4. Avoid additives
Do not consume food or drink that contains artificial sweeteners, colouring, flavouring and preservatives. This is 'fake' food that the body does not recognise and it therefore becomes toxic.

5. Read the label
If packaged food includes hydrogenated fats, do not eat it. Trans-fats, the dangerous by-product of the chemical process to create hydrogenated fats, are found in most processed foods yet have been deemed so dangerous that some countries (and, at the time of writing, the city of New York) are banning their use. They are deemed to be carcinogenic (cancer forming) and can promote heart disease.

6. Cut down on meat
If you choose to eat meat then buy the absolute best you can afford by opting for organic. Bacon tends to contain a lot of salt, so be careful to eat it only very occasionally. As an alternative, try beans, peas and lentils and tofu. They are cheap and easy to cook. Be inspired by some of the Life Detox recipes.

7. Go alternative for cleaning and gardening
Avoid using conventional household cleaners and opt for natural brands instead. When you are gardening, avoid the use of pesticides and insecticides.

8. Don't get toxic while making yourself beautiful!
Traditional beauty products, such as perfume, nail-varnish remover, make-up, skin care, hair care, hair removal creams and aftershave, all contain potential skin irritants as well as chemicals that can be absorbed through the skin. Instead, choose natural alternatives from companies that use non-toxic, organic ingredients.

9. Storage solutions
Try to store food in glass or ceramic containers rather than plastic or plastic-style wrap. Food can absorb chemicals from the container or wrapping it is stored in. Cooking equipment should be stainless steel or ceramic if possible.

10. Drink more pure water
At the very least go for a jug filter, but if possible install a water purification system in your home. Bottled water is a good option, but try to buy glass bottles rather than plastic. Carbonated drinks, including water, contain carbon dioxide, which often leaches calcium from reserves in the body, so carbonated drinks should be avoided.

11. Take supplements
Boost your body's natural detox capabilities with supplements. Specialist detox supplements are the best option for short-term use. However, long-term support can be provided by a good multi-mineral and vitamin supplement. Psyllium husks help with the removal of toxins.

12. Cook foods lightly
Traditional frying creates damaging trans-fats and should be avoided. Browning food through grilling and baking creates harmful free radicals. Try to keep cooking light (as in rapid stir-frying or steaming) and keep roast dinners for special occasions only.

13. Boost your intake of detox nutrients
Include a serving of a detox 'superfood' (e.g. alfalfa or spirulina) in your diet daily. There is a wide range of foods available to suit different tastes and budgets that can be included in meals and snacks with ease.

14. Cut out caffeine, reduce your alcohol and/or nicotine intake
If going 'cold turkey' seems too much then try to reduce your intake little by little each day. Your body will adjust gradually, and, if combined with a nutritious diet, some of the cravings may subside. However, for the Life Detox 7-Day Programme, caffeine and alcohol must be cut out completely for you to enjoy the full benefits.

15. Reduce your mobile phone and television usage
Don't have your mobile phone on charge in your bedroom at night and avoid watching television in bed. Your body does its healing work at night so aim for a 10.30pm lights-out during detox.

Lady Finger for Diabetes

2009-03-27T14:39:00.001+08:00

Last month in one of TV program I learnt of a treatment of Sugar(Diabetes). Since I am diabetic, I tried it and it was very useful and my Sugar is in control now. In fact I have already reduced my medicine.

Take two pieces of Lady Finger (Bhindi) and remove/cut both ends of each piece. Also put a small cut in the middle and put these two pieces in glass of water. Cover the glass and keep it at room temperature during night. Early morning, before breakfast simply remove two pieces of lady finger (bhindi) from the glass and drink that water.

Keep doing it on daily basis. Within two weeks, you will see remarkable results in reduction of your SUGAR.
My sister has got rid of her diabetes. She was on Insulin for a few years, but after taking the lady fingers every morning for a few months, she has stopped Insulin but continues to take the lady fingers every day. But she chops the lady fingers into fine pieces in the night, adds the water and drinks it all up the next morning. Please. try it as it will not do you any harm even if it does not do much good to you, but U have to keep taking it for a few months before U see results, as most cases might be chronic.

Note: This was a forwarded mail and do not know any one who has tried the following remedy. For sure this is not harmful since eating raw lady finger loving act at least for me. so, Confidently Try it and share your experience here.

Please note that another name for Lady Finger (Bhindi ) is "OKRA".

It's called MINDSET

2009-03-23T13:52:00.001+08:00

As my friend was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from the ropes they were tied to but for some reason, they did not. My friend saw a trainer nearby and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away.

"Well," he said, "when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free." My friend was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before? So make an attempt to grow further.... Why shouldn't we try it again?

Your attempt may fail, but never fail to make an attempt
&
CHOOSE not to accept the false boundaries and limitations created by the past...

Why Women are so special?

2009-02-11T14:38:00.001+08:00

Mum and Dad were watching TV when Mum said, "I'm tired, and it's getting late. I think I'll go to bed." She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches. Rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for supper the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container, put spoons and bowls on the table and started the coffee pot for brewing the next morning.

She then put some wet clothes in the dryer, put a load of clothes into the washer, ironed a shirt and secured a loose button. She picked up the game pieces left on the table, put the phone back on the charger and put the telephone book into the drawer.
She watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket and hung up a towel to dry. She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom.

She stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for the excursion and pulled a text book out from hiding under the chair. She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote a quick note for the grocery store. She put both near her bag. Mum then washed her face with 3 in 1 cleanser, put on her Night Solution & age fighting moisturizer, brushed and flossed her teeth and filed her nails.

Dad called out, "I thought you were going to bed." "I'm on my way," she said.

She put some water into the dog's dish and put the cat outside, then made sure the doors were locked and the patio light was on. She looked in on each of the kids and turned out their bedside lamps and radios, hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks into the hamper, and had a brief conversation with the one up still doing homework.

In her own room, she set the alarm; laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack. She added three things to her 6 most important things to do list. She said her prayers, and visualized the accomplishment of her goals.

About that time, Dad turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular. "I'm going to bed." And he did...without another thought.

Anything extraordinary here? Wonder why women live longer...?

'CAUSE THEY ARE MADE FOR THE LONG HAUL'

(and they can't die sooner, they still have things to do!!!!)

Fingernails Signs & Your Health

2008-12-16T11:23:00.006+08:00

Your fingernails can provide clues to your overall health. You can identify almost 7 Signs of Possible Health Problems through your fingernails signs. But do you know how to read the signs?
Learn about some nail conditions that might require medical attention. If you have a nail problem that doesn't seem to be going away, or is associated with other signs and symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor to get it checked out.

Yellow Nail SyndromeYellow discoloration in your fingernails may result from a respiratory condition, such as chronic bronchitis, or from swelling of your hands (lymphedema). In yellow nail syndrome, nails thicken and new growth slows, resulting in discoloration. Nails affected with this condition may lack a cuticle and may detach from the nail bed in places.

Although this condition is often a sign of respiratory disease, it's possible to have yellow nails and not have a respiratory condition. Yellow nails may also result from any condition that causes the growth of your nails to slow.

Nail PittingSmall depressions in the nails are common in people with psoriasis — a skin condition that produces scaly patches. They may also result from nail injuries. Pitting may cause your nails to crumble.

Pitting is also associated with conditions that can damage your nail's cuticle, such as chronic dermatitis of your fingers or alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss.

Nail ClubbingClubbing occurs when the tips of your fingers enlarge and your nails curve around your fingertips. This condition results from low oxygen levels in your blood and could be a sign of lung disease. Clubbing is also associated with inflammatory bowel disease and liver disease.

Spoon NailsSpoon nails (koilonychia) are soft nails that look scooped out. The depression usually is large enough to hold a drop of liquid. Spoon nails may be a sign of iron deficiency anemia.

Terry's NailsWith the condition known as Terry's nails, your nails look opaque, but the tip has a dark band. Sometimes this can be attributed to aging. In other cases, it can be a sign of serious illness, such as:
1. Congestive heart failure
2. Diabetes
3. Liver disease
4. Malnutrition

Beau's LinesBeau's lines are indentations that run across your nails. They can appear when growth at the area under your cuticle is interrupted by injury or severe illness. Diseases or illnesses associated with Beau's lines include:
1. Uncontrolled diabetes
2. Circulatory diseases, such as peripheral artery disease
3. Illness associated with a high fever, caused by pneumonia, scarlet fever, mumps or measles
4. Malnutrition

Nail separates from nail bedWith a condition known as onycholysis, your fingernails become loose and can separate from the nail bed. If your nails show signs of detaching, this may be associated with:
1. Injury or infection
2. Thyroid disease
3. Drug reactions
4. Reactions to nail hardeners or acrylic nails
5. Psoriasis

Courtesy: MAYO

Tambunan Village - A Place with Tranquility & Nature

2008-12-13T11:59:00.005+08:00

I received mail about Air Asia promotion for Ticket to Kota Kinabalu at zero fare. Since There was three days continuous leave for Eid, booked Round trip ticket for 125SGD by booking 2 months in advance. The Day came and flew on last Saturday late night to KK. Kick started the travel morning around 7AM from KKIA towards Tambunan. Cab Driver agreed for drop at TVRC (Tambunan Village Resort Centre) for 170 RM with stopping at Rafflesia Information Centre for a short visit. Tambunan Village is roughtly about 80km from Airport.

It was a fine Sunday morning, there were mists all around on the way up to the village and there were nice chilling scenic view where I asked the cab driver to stop for few snaps. I noticed quite a number of Mushroom plantation projects at every village on the way as well. Roads were well established with nice bridges at sharp curves and clean roads through out.

There was another surprise waiting for me. Upon reaching Rafflesia information centre found out the fact that they are closed on Sundays & Public Holidays. So, I thought that my dream of finding the Rafflesia was bit shattered because as per the plan I was not intending to passing this route back.

I called the resort owner and enquired about the operating hours of Rafflesia Information Centre and confirmed the same that it is closed on Public Holiday & Sundays. With bit of disappointment left that place to move to the next destination of Mahua Water Falls near Tambunan Village. I was more worried about the weather since it is always raining during afternoon at this Rainy season in Sabah and luckily nature did favour by bringing out Sun during most of the day time.

Reached Tambunan around 9AM and checked quite quickly in a bamboo long house room. The atmosphere was kind of soothing and made me like home back at my childhood kampong life. It was a typical village (Kampong) filled with tranquility and am not sure how to express the feeling I got in there. There were rivers all around mountains. Quite nice collections of flower garden at most of the houses. Birds like sparrow & few dove families were happily flying around the rice paddy fields. And such a lovely atmosphere made me decided to stay there for two nights instead of just one night.

From the village once can easily get the naked eye view of sleeping beauty Kota Kinabalu Mount Peak from anywhere in the Village. In the village there were attractions like Mat Salleh, it was about a war memorial place for a person who lived there to fight for their land freedom.

In the town centre they had a warrior statue with a big stone laid at the centre and I was told that their souls were locked in there that keeps protecting the villagers even today. There was a Sunday market where freshly grown vegetables and it was a typical village market that you can see just like where I used to buy vegetable for one week need at my home town too.

After a quick breakfast session on the riverbed kampong style restaurant inside the resort region had made arrangement with resort for a trip to my next destination of Mahua Water Falls. Road condition was very good that even a normal car could get to there without any problem still they charged me quite a big sum for nothing. Thank god I bargained from 150RM to 80RM. But the water falls is just about 15Kms from Tambunan and normal car can easily get there with a newly laid nice road not like you need a 4WD to get there. If you want to get there, beware of this fact. 50 RM is I suppose the reasonable fare.

I will write next about Mahua Water Falls…

வேலை காலி இல்லை / ஏற்புடையதாக இல்லை

2008-10-31T18:11:00.000+08:00

உலக பொருளாதார வீழ்ச்சியின் உச்ச கட்ட தாக்கத்தின் விளைவு இந்த மந்த நிலை என்று கூறினால், யாரால் இக்கூற்றை மறுக்க இயலும்?

சமீப காலமாக எங்கும் வாசிக்கப்படும் செய்தி இது, நாளிதழ்களுக்கு என்னவோ இது நல்ல விசயம் தான், பத்திகளை நிரப்ப! ஆனால் ஆட்குறைப்பால் நித்தம் நித்தம் வேலையில‌க்கும் தொழிலாளர்களுக்கு மிகவும் வருத்தம் தரக்கூடிய விசயம்.

நான் வேலை செய்யும் அலுவலகத்தில் அதிகம் பாதிக்கப்பட்டோர் தற்காலிக வேலையில் இருந்தவர்கள். எவ்வளவு தீவிரமாக வேலை தேடினாலும் வேலை கிடைப்பது மிகவும் கடினமாக உள்ளது இல்லையெனில் ஏற்புடையதாக இல்லை. இது தான் அவர்களிடம் நான் தெரிந்து கொண்டது. பல முன்னனி நிறுவனங்கள் வேலைக்கு ஆள் எடுக்கும் சமாச்சாரத்திற்கு தற்காலிக விடுப்பு கொடித்திருப்பதாகவும் கேள்விப்பட்டேன்.

அரசாங்க‌ வேலையிலும் ஆட்குறைப்பு, இது இன்னுமொரு செய்தி. ஒரிரு தினங்களுக்கு முன்பு நான் நாளிதழிதளில் வாசித்தறிந்த விசயம், சிங்கப்பூரில் அடுத்த வருட ஊழிய ஏற்ற விகிதம் இரண்டு சதவீத்த்தை ஒட்டியே இருக்கும் என்பது இன்னும் ஒரு வருத்தம் தரும் செய்தி. எங்கும், எதிலும் விலை ஏற்றம், பண வீக்க விகிதம் வரலாறு காணாத உயர்வு, ஆனால் சம்பளம் மட்டும் உயர்வதில்லை. அடுத்த காலாண்டில் இன்னும் என்ன நடக்குமோ, பொறுத்திருந்து தான் பார்க்க வேண்டும்.

தற்போதைய நிலவரப்படி இருக்கும் வேலையினை தக்க வைத்துக்கொள்வதற்கு என்ன செய்ய வேண்டுமென திட்டமிட்டு அதன் படி செயல்படுவது நலம் என்பது என் எண்ணம்.

A Story Of Human Body Anatomy

2008-10-31T13:44:00.003+08:00

Interesting article and it is worth reading!

Picture Courtesy : http://lpig.doereport.com/imagescooked/642W.jpg

Time: When your body really starts going downhill

There's no denying the ticking of a woman's biological clock - but men are not immune, either. French doctors have found that the quality of sperm starts to deteriorate by 35, so that by the time a man is 45 a third of pregnancies end in miscarriage. Here, with the help of leading clinicians, Angela Epstein identifies the ages when different parts of the body start to lose their battle with time.

BRAIN - Starts ageing at 20

As we get older, the number of nerve cells - or neurons - in the brain decrease. We start with around 100 billion, but in our 20s this number starts to decline.

By 40, we could be losing up to 10,000 per day, affecting memory, co-ordination and brain function.

In fact, while the neurons are important, it's actually the deterioration of the gaps between the brain cells that has the biggest impact, says Dr Wojtek Rakowicz, a consultant neurologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in London.

We all assume grey hair and wrinkles are the first signs of ageing, but some parts of your body are worn out long before you look old

These tiny gaps between the end of one brain nerve cell and another are called synapses. Their job is to ensure the flow of information from one cell to another, and as we age we make fewer.

GUT - Starts ageing at 55

A healthy gut has a good balance between harmful and 'friendly' bacteria.

But levels of friendly bacteria in the gut drop significantly after 55, particularly in the large intestine, says Tom MacDonald, professor of immunology at Barts And The London medical school.

As a result, we suffer from poor digestion and an increased risk of gut disease.

Constipation is more likely as we age, as the flow of digestive juices from the stomach, liver, pancreas and small intestine slows down.

BREASTS - Start ageing at 35

BY their mid-30s, women's breasts start losing tissue and fat, reducing size and fullness.

Sagging starts properly at 40 and the areola (the area surrounding the nipple) can shrink considerably.

Although breast cancer risk increases with age, it's not related to physical changes in the breast.

More likely, says Gareth Evans, breast cancer specialist at St Mary's Hospital, Manchester, our cells become damaged with age - as a result, the genes which control cell growth can mutate, causing cancer.

BLADDER - Starts ageing at 65

Loss of bladder control is more likely when you hit 65.

The bladder starts to contract suddenly, even when it's not full.

Women are more vulnerable to bladder problems as, after the menopause, declining oestrogen levels make tissues in the urethra - the tube through which urine passes - thinner and weaker, reducing bladder support.

Bladder capacity in an older adult generally is about half that of a younger person - about two cups in a 30-year-old and one cup in a 70-year-old.

This causes more frequent trips to the loo, particularly as poor muscle tone means the bladder may not fully empty. This in turn can lead to urinary tract infections.

LUNGS - Start ageing at 20

Lung capacity slowly starts to decrease from the age of 20.

By the age of 40, some people are already experiencing breathlessness. This is partly because the muscles and the rib cage which control breathing stiffen up.

It's then harder to work the lungs and also means some air remains in the lungs after breathing out - causing breathlessness.

Aged 30, the average man can inhale two pints of air in one breath. By 70, it's down to one.

VOICE - Starts ageing at 65

Our voices become quieter and hoarser with age. The soft tissues in the voice box (larynx) weaken, affecting the pitch, loudness and quality of the voice.

A woman's voice may become huskier and lower in pitch, whereas a man's might become thinner and higher.

EYES - Start ageing at 40

Glasses are the norm for many over-40s as failing eyesight kicks in - usually long-sightedness, affecting our ability to see objects up close.

As we age, the eye's ability to focus deteriorates because the eyes' muscles become weaker, says Andrew Lotery, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Southampton.

HEART - Starts ageing at 40

The heart pumps blood less effectively around the body as we get older.

This is because blood vessels become less elastic, while arteries can harden or become blocked because of fatty deposits forming on the coronary arteries - caused by eating too much saturated fat.

The blood supply to the heart is then reduced, resulting in painful
angina.

Men over 45 and women over 55 are at greater risk of a heart attack.

A recent study by Lloyds Pharmacy found the average person in the UK has a 'heart age' five years older than their chronological age, probably due to obesity and lack of exercise.

LIVER - Starts ageing at 70

This is the only organ in the body which seems to defy the ag ing process.

'Its cells have an extraordinary capacity to regenerate,' explain David Lloyd, a consultant liver surgeon at Leicester Royal Infir mary.

He says he can remove ha a liver during surgery and it will grow to the size of a complete liver within three months.

If a donor doesn't drink, use drug or suffer from infection, then it is possible to transplant a 70-year-old liver into a 20-year-old.

KIDNEYS - Starts ageing at 50

With kidneys, the number of filtering units (nephrons) that remove waste from the bloodstream starts to reduce in middle age.

One effect of this is their inability to turn off urine production at night, causing frequent trips to the bathroom.

The kidneys of a 75-year-old person will filter only half the amount of blood that a 30-year-old's will.

PROSTATE - Starts ageing at 50

The prostate often becomes enlarged with age, leading to problems such as increased need to urinate, says Professor Roger Kirby, director of the Prostate Centre in London.
This is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia and affects half of men over 50, but rarely those under 40.

It occurs when the prostate absorbs large amounts of the male sex hormone testosterone, which increases the growth of cells in the prostate.

A normal prostate is the size of a walnut, but the condition can increase this to the size of a tangerine.

BONES - Start ageing at 35

'Throughout our life, old bone is broken down by cells called osteoclasts and replaced by bone-building cells called osteoblasts - a process called bone turnover,' explains Robert Moots, professor of rheumatology at Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool.

Children's bone growth is rapid - the skeleton takes just two years to renew itself completely. In adults, this can take ten years.

Until our mid-20s, bone density is still increasing. But at 35 bone loss begins as part of the natural ageing process.

This becomes more rapid in post-menopausal women and can cause the bone-thinning condition osteoporosis.

The shrinking in size and density of bones can lead to loss of height. Bones in the back shrivel up or crumble between the vertebrae. We lose two inches in height by the time we're 80.

TEETH - Start ageing at 40

As we age, we produce less saliva, which washes away bacteria, so teeth and gums are more vulnerable to decay.

Receding gums - when tissue is lost from gums around the teeth - is common in adults over 40.

MUSCLES - Start ageing at 30

Muscle is constantly being built up and broken down, a process which is well balanced in young adults.

However, by the time we're 30, breakdown is greater than buildup, explains Professor Robert Moots.

Once adults reach 40, they start to lose between 0.5 and 2 per cent of their muscle each year. Regular exercise can help prevent this.

HEARING - Starts ageing mid-50s

More than half of people over 60 lose hearing because of their age, according to the Royal National Institute for the Deaf.

The condition, known as presbycusis, happens due to a loss of 'hair cells' - tiny sensory cells in the inner ear which pick up sound vibrations and send them to the brain.

SKIN - Starts ageing mid-20s

The skin starts to age naturally in your mid-20s.

According to Dr Andrew Wright, a consultant dermatologist with Bradford NHS Trust, as we get older production of collagen - the protein which acts as scaffolding to the skin - slows, and elastin, the substance that enables skin to snap back into place, has less spring and can even break.

Dead skin cells don't shed as quickly and turnover of new skin cells may decrease slightly.

This causes fine wrinkles and thin, transparent skin - even if the first signs may not appear until our mid-30s (unless accelerated by smoking or sun damage).

TASTE AND SMELL - Start ageing at 60

We start out in life with about 10,000 taste buds scattered on the tongue. This number can halve later in life.

After we turn 60, taste and smell gradually decline, partly as a result of the normal ageing process.

This can be accelerated by problems such as polyps in the nasal or sinus cavities. It can also be the cumulative effect of years of smoking.

FERTILITY - Starts ageing at 35

Female fertility begins to decline after 35, as the number and quality of eggs in the ovaries start to fall.

The lining of the womb may become thinner, making it less likely for a fertilised egg to take, and also creating an environment hostile to sperm.

Male fertility also starts to drop around this age. Men who wait until their 40s before starting a family have a greater chance of their partner having a miscarriage, because of the poorer quality of their sperm.

HAIR - Starts ageing at 30

Male hair loss usually begins in the 30s. Hair is made in tiny pouches just under the skin's surface, known as follices.

A hair normally grows from each follicle for about three years, is then shed, and a new hair grows.

However, with male-pattern baldness, changes in levels of testosterone from their early-30s affect this cycle, causing the hair follicles to shrink.

Each new hair is thinner than the previous one. Eventually, all that remains is a much smaller hair follicle and a thin stump of hair that does not grow out to the skin surface.

Most people will have some grey hair by the age of 35. When we are young, our hair is coloured by the pigments produced by cells in the hair follicle known as melanocytes.

As we grow older, melanocytes become less active, so less pigment is produced, the colour fades, and grey hairs grow instead.

தீபாவளி நல் வாழ்த்துக்கள்

2008-10-24T14:11:00.002+08:00

உஙகளுக்கும் குடும்பத்தினருக்கும்
இனிய தீப ஒளி வீசும்

DID I MARRY THE RIGHT PERSON?

2008-10-23T09:45:00.000+08:00

During one of our seminars, a woman asked a common question. She said, 'How do I know if I married the right person?'
I noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so I said, 'It depends. Is that your husband?'
In all seriousness, she answered 'How do you know?'
Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it's weighing on your mind.

Here's the answer.
EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love with your spouse. You anticipated their call, wanted their touch, and liked their idiosyncrasies. Falling in love with your spouse wasn't hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO anything.! That's why it's called 'falling' in love... Because it's happening TO YOU.

People in Love sometimes say, 'I was swept of my feet.' Think about the imagery of that expression. It implies that you were just standing there; doing nothing, and then something came along and happened TO YOU.

Falling in Love is easy. It's a passive and spontaneous experience. But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria of love fades. It's the natural cycle of EVERY relationship. Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you! nuts.

The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship, but if you think about your marriage, you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/or your spouse might start asking, 'Did I marry the right person?' And as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when marriages breakdown. People blame their spouse for their unhappiness and look outside their marriage for fulfillment.

Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is the most obvious. But sometimes people turn to work,a hobby, a friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances. But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your marriage. It lies within it. I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else. You could.
And TEMPORARILY you'd fe! el better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later. Because (listen carefully to this):

THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON;
IT'S LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND.

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. It'll NEVER just happen to you. You can't 'find' LASTING love. You have to 'make' it day in and day out. That's why we have the expression 'the labor of love.' Because it takes time, effort, and energy . And most importantly, it takes WISDOM . You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage work.

Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your spouse) to succeed with your marriage.

Just as there are physical laws! of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships.
Just as the right diet and exercise program makes you physically stronger, certain habits in your relationship WILL make your marriage stronger. It's a direct cause and effect. If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable... You can 'make' love.
Love in marriage is indeed a 'decision'... Not just a feeling.

Remember this always

'GOD determines who walks into your life. It is up to you to decide who! You let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go.'

Thoughful Quotes

2008-10-21T09:55:00.002+08:00

Respect cannot be demanded, it must be earned. Respect is earned only by giving it away.

A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others.

Never walk on the traveled path, because it only leads you where the others have been - Graham Bell

Always, there is a drop of madness in love, yet always, there is a drop of reason in madness - F Nietzshe

Time is very slow for those who wait,
very fast for those who are scared,
very long for those who lament,
very short for those who celebrate.
But, for those who love, time is eternity.
-William Shakespeare

Many people lose the small joys, in hope for the big happiness - Pearl'S Buck

A good plan for today is better than a perfect plan for tomorrow - George S Patton

Why repeat the old errors, if there are so many new errors to commit - Bertrand Russel

If a drop of water falls in a lake, there is no identity. But if it falls on a leaf of lotus, it shines like a pearl. We need to choose the best place where we can shine.

When we reach for the stars, we may not quite get them, but we won't come up with a handful of mud either - Leo Burnett

In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is do the right thing. The worst thing you can do is do nothing - Theodore Roosevelt

Love me when I less deserve it, because it’s then when I need it most - Chinese Proverb

If I could return to youth, I would commit all those errors again, but a bit earlier - Tallulah Bankhead

Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you're going to do now and do it - William Durant

Nothing can be taught to a man; but it’s possible to help him to find the answer within himSelf - Galileo Galilei

Deepavali Special 2008 Programmes on Vasantham Central

2008-10-17T14:52:00.005+08:00

Here is the list of Programmes on Vasantham Central for this year 2008 Deepavali.

Self Detoxification

2008-10-14T10:20:00.001+08:00

Before you go to bed at night, prepare this magic potion: Finely chop or use the food blender to chop up two cloves of fresh garlic and let it expose to the air for a few minutes while you wash up your blender or chopping board.

The chopping releases the enzyme allinase in the garlic. Gather the chopped garlic on a spoon and swallow it with water.

The garlic will travel your entire digestive tract while you sleep and scavenge and neutralize all the toxins, carcinogens, harmful bacteria, fungi, viruses, foreign chemical before they can harm your healthy cells.

Swallowing the chopped garlic will not give you garlic breath, as long as you don't chew it. You brush your teeth and rinse your mouth before you go to bed anyway.

In the morning, drink a big glass of water. Your first bowel movement will have a strong garlic odor and you will know that the harmful stuff have been eliminated from your body. Try it, especially if you have had a bad eating day.

Saying the Right Thing Even While Drunk – 'PRICELESS'

2008-10-03T10:07:00.001+08:00

A husband wakes up at home with a huge hangover. He forces himself to open his eyes, and the first thing he sees is a couple of aspirins and a glass of water on the side table. He sits down and sees his clothing in front of him, all clean and
pressed. He looks around the room and sees that it is in perfect order, spotless, clean. So is the rest of the house. He takes the aspirins and notices a note on the table. 'Honey, breakfast is on the table, I left early to go grocery shopping.
Love You!'

Totally shocked with the note, he goes to the kitchen and sure enough there is a hot breakfast and the morning newspaper. His son is also at the table, eating. He asks, 'Son, what happened last night?' His son says, 'Well, you came home around 3 AM, drunk and delirious. Broke some crockery, puked in the hall, and gave yourself a black eye when you stumbled into the door'. Confused, the man asks, 'So, why is everything in order and so clean, and breakfast is on the table waiting for me?
I should expect a big quarrel with her!' His son replies, 'Oh, that! Mom dragged you to the bedroom, and when she tried to take your clothes n shoes off,
you said,

'LADY LEAVE ME ALONE! I'M MARRIED!'

Moral
Self-induced hangover - $ 400.00
Broken crockery - $ 800.00
Breakfast - $ 10.00
Saying the Right Thing While Drunk – 'PRICELESS'

There are truly some things that both money and Master card can't buy

80/20 Rule

2008-10-03T09:49:00.003+08:00

Interesting quote from the movie 'Why did I get married?'

In most cases, especially in relationships, you will only get 80% of what you NEED and you will hardly get the other 20% that you WANT in your relationship. There is always another person (man or women) that you will meet and that will offer you the other 20% which is lacking in your relationship that you WANT And believe me, 20% looks really good when you are not getting it at all in your current relationship.

But the problem is that you will always be tempted to leave that good 80% that you know you have, thinking that you will get something better with the other 20% that you WANT

But as reality has proven, in most cases, you will always end up with having the 20% that you WANT and loosing the 80% that you really NEED and that you already had.

Be careful in deciding between what you WANT and NEED in your life.

Adultery happens when you start looking for what you don't have. 'Wow, this girl in my office is a real looker. But it's not her Wynona Rider features that got me. I'm crazy about her because she's also understanding, intelligent, tender - so many things that my spouse is not'

Somewhere along the way, you'll find a woman or a man who will be more charming or sensitive. More alluring. More thoughtful. Richer. Have greater appeal. And you will find a woman or man who will need you and pursue you and go loco over you more than your spouse ever did.

Because no wife or husband is perfect. Because a spouse will only have 80% of what you're looking for. So adultery takes place when a husband or wife looks for the missing 20%. Let's say your wife is melancholic by nature.

You may find yourself drawn to the pretty clerk who has a cherry laugh no matter what she says: 'I broke my arm yesterday, Hahahaha . . ..'

Or because your wife is a homebody in slippers and pajamas, smelling of garlic and fish oil, you may fall for a fresh-smelling young sales representative that visits your office in a sharp black blazer, high heels, and a red pencil-cut skirt Or because your husband is the quiet
type, your heart may skip a beat when you meet an old college flame who has the makings of a talk show host.

But wait! That's only 20% of what you don't have.

Don't throw away the 80% that you already have!

That's not all. Add to your spouse's 80% the 100% that represents all the years that you have been with each other. The storms you have weathered together. The unforgettable moments of sadness and joy as a couple. The many adjustments you have made to love the other. The wealth of memories that you've accumulated as lovers.

Adultery happens when you start looking for what you don't have.

But faithfulness happens when you start thanking God for what you already have.

But I'm not just talking about marriage.

I'm talking about life!

About your jobs.
About your friends.
About your children.
About your lifestyles.

Are you like the economy airline passenger that perennially peeks through the door of the first class cabin, obsessed with what he's missing? 'They have got more leg room! Oh my, their food is served in porcelain! Wow, their seats recline at an 80% angle and they've got personal videos!'

I guarantee you'll be miserable for the entire trip! Don't live your life like that. Forget about what the world says is first class. Do you know that there are many first class passengers who are miserable in first class -- because they are not riding in a private Lear Jet?

The main message???

If you start appreciating what you have right now, wherever you are, you are first class!

QUOTE : DO NOT LOOK BACK AND ASK WHY, LOOK FORWARD AND ASK WHY NOT

சென்னை மாநகர போக்குவரத்து காவல்துறைக்கு சல்யூட்

2008-10-01T10:57:00.003+08:00

ஹாலிவுட் சினிமாக்களில் மட்டுமே அந்த காட்சியை நம்மால் பார்த்திருக்க முடியும். பத்தே நிமிடங்களில் சுமார் 20 கிலோ மீட்டர் தூரத்தை சென்னையில் பரபரப்பான பகல்வேளையில் கடப்பது சாத்தியமா? ஆம்புலன்சுக்கு கூட வழிவிட மனமில்லாத சென்னை வாகன ஓட்டிகளின் சவாலை ஒரு காவல்துறையின் ஊர்தி கடந்து சாதித்திருக்கிறது. சுமார் 120 கிலோ மீட்டர் வேகத்தில் அந்த கார் சாலைகளில் கடந்ததை பார்த்தவர்கள் மின்னலை கண்டதாக சொல்கிறார்கள். சபாஷ் சென்னை மாநகர போக்குவரத்து காவல்துறை. ஷூமேக்கர் வேகத்தில் ஒரு போலிஸ்காரர் காரை ஓட்டிச்செல்ல காரணம் என்னவாக இருக்கும்?

ஒரு உயிரைக் காக்க...

ஹிதேந்திரன் பதினொன்றாம் வகுப்பு படிக்கும் மாணவன். அப்பா அசோகனும், அம்மா புஷ்பாஞ்சலியும் மருத்துவர்கள். மகாபலிபுரத்துக்கு அருகில் இருக்கும் திருக்கழுக்குன்றத்தில் சொந்தமாக மருத்துவமனை நடத்தி வருகிறார்கள். கடந்த சனிக்கிழமை அப்பாவின் பைக்கை எடுத்துக்கொண்டு நண்பனை சந்தித்து திரும்பியவனுக்கு எமன் ஒரு மீன்பாடி வண்டி ரூபத்தில் வந்தது. எதிர்பாராமல் நடந்த அந்த விபத்தில் தலையில் ஹிதேந்திரனுக்கு அடிபட்டது. செங்கல்பட்டு அரசு மருத்துவமனையில் முதலுதவிக்காக சேர்க்கப்பட்டவன் நினைவிழந்த நிலையில் மேல்சிகிச்சைக்காக சென்னை அப்பல்லோவுக்கு கொண்டு செல்லப்பட்டான்.

பரிசோதித்த மருத்துவர்கள் கை விரித்தார்கள். ஹிதேந்திரனின் மூளை செயல் இழந்து விட்டது (பிரைன் டெத்). கிட்டத்தட்ட மரணம். இதயம் மட்டுமே துடிக்கும். பெற்றோரும் மருத்துவர்கள் ஆயிற்றே? பிரச்சினையை புரிந்துகொண்டார்கள். தன் மகனின் உடல் உறுப்புகளை தானமாக தர விரும்பினார்கள். கண்கள், இதயம், சிறுநீரகம், கல்லீரல், நுரையீரல் ஆகிய உறுப்புகள் அகற்றப்பட்டன. புரட்சித்தலைவி ஜெ. ஜெயலலிதா நகரில் இருக்கும் செரியன் மருத்துவமனையில் சிகிச்சை பெற்றுக் கொண்டிருந்த சிறுவன் ஒருவனுக்கு இதயம் அவசரமாக தேவைப்பட்டது. ஹிதேந்திரனின் இதயம் அகற்றப்பட்டு 20 நிமிடங்களில் அந்த சிறுவனுக்கு பொருத்தப்பட வேண்டும். போக்குவரத்து நெரிசல் மிக்க சென்னையின் 20 கிலோ மீட்டர் தூரத்தை 20 நிமிடங்களில் அடைவது சாத்தியமா?

மருத்துவமனையின் நிர்வாகம் சார்பில் சென்னை மாநகர போக்குவரத்து காவல்துறையை அணுகினார்கள். பிரச்சினையின் தீவிரத்தை புரிந்துகொண்ட கூடுதல் ஆணையாளர் சுனில் உடனடியாக ஒரு உதவி ஆணையாளரை அனுப்பி வைத்து உதவுமாறு உத்தரவிட்டார். உதவி கமிஷனர் மனோகரன் இந்த ஆபரேஷனுக்கு திட்டமிட்டார். தன் சக அதிகாரிகளோடு தொடர்புகொண்டவர் குறிப்பிட்ட அந்த நேரத்துக்கு போக்குவரத்து சிக்கல் இல்லாதவாறு திட்டம் தீட்டினார். சிக்னல்கள் முழுக்க போலிசாரின் கட்டுப்பாட்டுக்கு சில நிமிடங்களில் வந்தது. ஒரு ஆம்புலன்ஸில் இதயத்தை எடுத்துச் செல்லவும், அந்த ஆம்புலன்ஸுக்கு வழிவிட ஆக்சண்ட் காரில் ஏ.சி. மனோகரனே முன்செல்லவும் திட்டம் தீட்டப்பட்டது.

ஹிதேந்திரனின் இதயத்தை ஒரு பெட்டியில் வைத்து படபடப்போடு மருத்துவர்கள் ஓடிவந்தார்கள். படபடப்பில் இருந்ததால் ஆம்புலன்ஸில் ஏறுவதற்கு பதிலாக ஏ.சி.யின் காரில் ஏறிவிட்டார்கள். ஒரு நொடியை கூட வீணடிக்க விரும்பாத ஏ.சி. தனது டிரைவரான கான்ஸ்டபிள் மோகனை புயல்வேகத்தில் ஓட்ட சொன்னார். ஏ.சி.யின் கார் இலகுவாக செல்ல வழியெங்கும் போக்குவரத்து சீர் செய்யப்பட்டிருந்தது. போனில் போலிஸ்காரர்களிடம் பேசியபடியே வழியில் இருந்த தடங்கல்களையெல்லாம் அகற்றினார் ஏ.சி.

மேட்லி ரோடு, தி.நகர் புதிய மேம்பாலம், லயோலா, சூளைமேடு, அமைந்தகரை, அண்ணா வளைவு வழியாக சுமார் 120 கிலோ மீட்டர் வேகத்தில் மோகன் காரை விரட்டினார். திருப்பங்களில் கூட பிரேக்கில் மோகன் காலை வைக்கவில்லை. ஆக்ஸிலேட்டரில் வைத்த காலை எடுக்கவேயில்லை. பொதுவாக போக்குவரத்தில் இந்த தூரத்தை கடக்க சுமார் 50 நிமிடங்களில் இருந்து ஒன்றரை மணி நேரம் வரை பிடிக்கும். மருத்துவர்கள் கொடுத்திருந்த டார்கெட் 20 நிமிடம். பத்தே நிமிடங்களில் செரியன் மருத்துவமனையை ஏ.சி.யின் கார் அடைந்திருந்தது. ஆறு மணி நேரம் நடந்த இருதய மாற்று அறுவை சிகிச்சை சக்சஸ்!

இனி ஹிதேந்திரனின் இதயம் வாழும்!!

மருத்துவத்துறை காவல்துறையோடு இணைந்து இந்த சாதனையை செய்திருக்கிறது. சென்னையில் மருத்துவத்துறை சாதனைகள் புரிவது ஒன்றும் அதிசயமல்ல என்றாலும், காவல்துறையின் இந்த அதிரடி சாதனை சென்னை மக்கள் மத்தியில் பரபரப்பாக பேசப்படுகிறது. வாய்ப்புகள் கிடைத்தால் எங்களாலும் சாதிக்க முடியும் என்று சாதித்துக் காட்டிய சென்னை மாநகர போக்குவரத்து காவல்துறைக்கு சல்யூட்.

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Teaching Your Child About Respect

2008-09-24T09:04:00.002+08:00

One of the most important things parents can teach their children is respect. And respect is not the same as obedience. Children might obey because they are afraid. However if they respect you, they will obey because they know that you have their best interest at heart.

The best way to teach respect is to show respect. When our children experience respect, they know what it feels like and begin to understand how important it is.

Respect is an attitude. Being respectful helps a child not only succeed in school but also later in life. If children don't have respect for peers, authority, or themselves, it's almost impossible for them to succeed. A respectful child takes care of belongings and responsibilities, and a respectful child gets along with others.

Al thought schools teach children about respect, parents play a significant role and have the most influence on molding their children to become respectful individuals. Until children show respect at home, it's unlikely they will show it outside the home.

Respecting your child

Learning to treat children with respect will require a change of heart, that can come only from a major shift in consciousness of how we see our children and how we define respect.

Like adults, children have human dignity too. To treat a person with respect is to acknowledge and preserve their human dignity. To treat a person with disrespect is to attack their human dignity.

If we want to bring out respectful children, we must first be respectful parents, teachers and care givers.

Children are our mirrors. they reflect back to us everything we say and do. 95% of everything our children learn, they learn from what is modeled for them. Only 5% of all they learn is from direct instruction. We are role models for our children. What we speak is what we teach. Children record every word we ever say to them or in front of them. The language children grow up hearing is the language they will speak.

How can you show respect to your child?

- Be positive. Don't embarrass, insult or make fun of your child. Compliment him or her.
- Be honest. If you do something wrong, admit it and apologize.
- Be trusting. Let your child makes choices and take responsibility.
- Be reliable. Keep promises that you make. Show your child that you mean what you say.
- Be fair. Listen to your child's side of the story before reaching a conclusion.
- Be polite. Use 'please' and 'thank you.' Knock before entering your child's room.
- Be a good listener. Give your child your full attention.

More Respect Tactics

When you set rules at home, explain to your child why the rule is important. For example, if you have a rule that says 'No taking of dinner in front of the TV,' do explain that this is because dinner time is the time for everyone to get together, catch up on what has happened during the talk, to talk and to show care and love for one another in the family.

• Teach your children to respect themselves. Self-respect is one of the most important forms of respect. Once we respect ourselves, it is easier to respect others.

• Help them set and achieve goals. Their self-respect will skyrocket when they see themselves achieving those goals.

• Encourage honesty and integrity. Let your children know that they may be able to fool some people, but they can't fool themselves. There is no pride in stealing, cheating or lying.

• Your opinion means a lot to your children. If you believe your children can succeed, they will believe they can as well. Build their independence. Give them responsibilities as soon as they can handle them.

• Most importantly, show love! Say "I Love You" often, and give plenty of hugs and kisses. If your child makes a mistake, remind them that they are still loved.

Healing & Cleansing with Barley

2008-09-23T14:10:00.002+08:00

High in fibre, barley is also a kidney cleanser.. Better yet, with regular intake it helps to prevent heart disease.

EU HOOI KHAW writes –

BARLEY water was always a regular drink when we were still living at home.
Whenever we had to go for a medical exam that included a urine test, my mum would make us drink barley water a day before it to make sure we got a positive result !

My mother was a wise woman. I later found out from an Australian naturopath that barley is known to be a kidney cleanser, and he happily downed glasses of it at a meal we had in a coffeeshop here.

Barley is good for your intestinal health too. Try to eat the barley grains you find in your drink or sweet broth with fu chook (beancurd skin) and ginkgo nuts.

It's high in fibre which feeds the friendly bacteria in the colon and helps! speed up the transit of fecal matter in it. In this way it helps prevent haemorrhoids and colon cancer.

The propionic acid and beta glucan from barley's insoluble fibre also help lower cholesterol and prevent the formation of gallstones.

Eating barley regularly is a preventive step against heart disease as, besides the fibre content, it is also high in niacin, a B vitamin good for lowering cholesterol.

Diabetics should eat more barley as the fibre will prevent blood sugar levels from rising too high. It also provides relief from constipation or diarrhoea for those suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Barley is rich in selenium which prevents cancer and relieves symptoms of asthma and arthritis. It is a good source of manganese, copper and phosphorous.

Malt sugar comes from sprouted barley which, when fermented, is an ingredient in beer and other alcoholic beverages.

Barley, whose Latin name is Hordeum vulgare, has been cultivated for more than 10,000 years.

Since ancient times, barley has been used for healing purposes and has been known to the Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Athletes in Greece and Rome in those days were known to eat barley bread to give them strength.

May I Borrow $25?

2008-09-18T13:43:00.000+08:00

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.

SON: 'Daddy, may I ask you a question?'

DAD: 'Yeah sure, what it is?' replied the man.

SON: 'Daddy, how much do you make an hour?'

DAD: 'That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?' the man said angrily.

SON: 'I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?'

DAD: 'If you must know, I make $50 an hour.'

SON: 'Oh,' the little boy replied, with his head down.

SON: 'Daddy, may I please borrow $25?'

The father was furious, 'If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I don't work hard everyday for such childish frivolities.'

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.

The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?

After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down , and started to think:

Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $25.00 and he really didn't ask for money very often The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.

'Are you asleep, son?' He asked.

'No daddy, I'm awake,' replied the boy.

'I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier' said the man. 'It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $25 you asked for.'

The little boy sat straight up, smiling. 'Oh, thank you daddy!' he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills.

The man saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again.

The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father.

'Why do you want more money if you already have some?' the father grumbled.

'Because I didn't have enough, but now I do,' the little boy replied.

'Daddy, I have $50 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.'

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness.

It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. Do remember to share that $50 worth of your time with someone you love.

If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of hours. But the family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.

Olympic's Facts

2008-09-08T15:04:00.002+08:00

Recently you might have enjoyed the Beijing 2008 Olympic series of games. Here are some interesting Olympic's Facts for your reading...

Around 1913, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, The founder of the Modern Olympics designed the Olympic Flag. The Olympic Flag made its debut at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium.

Background Color of the Olympic Flag white. It is plain white, with no border, and five rings in the center. The plain white background is symbolic of peace throughout the games.

The five colors of the rings on the Olympic Flag are blue, yellow, black, red, and green. Three rings are across the top, and two are along the bottom. From left to right are blue, black and red across the top with yellow and green along the bottom. Yellow and green colors may be found on most flags of the world.

The five interlinked Olympic rings on the Flag represents continents & continent.At the end of each Olympic Games, the mayor of that host-city presents the flag to the mayor of the next host-city. It rests at the town hall of the next host-city for four years until the Opening Ceremony of their Olympic Games.

The Olympic Torch Relay symbolizes the passing of the Olympic traditions from one generation to the next. The Torch Relay began in the Ancient Olympics and was revived at the 1936 Berlin Games. The torch was lit by the sun's rays at Olympia and carried by relay to the host-city of the Games. The Olympic Flame symbolises purity, the endeavor for perfection and the struggle for victory, as well as representing peace and friendship.
Motto of the Olympic is 'Citius, Altius, Fortius'. 'Swifter, Higher, Stronger'. The other three are all parts of the Olympic Creed.

At the start of each Olympics, every athlete promises to play fairly and obey all of the Olympic rules. One athlete from the host country takes the Oath on behalf of all athletes. Even Olympic officials takes the Oath While holding a corner of the Olympic Flag, one official from the host country repeats an oath, similiar to that of the athletes, on behalf of all the officials.

Greece is first in line during the Opening Ceremony's Parade of Nations. The host city is last, and the others are in alphabetical order.

During the Opening Ceremony, doves are released that symbolizes Peace.

In the Closing Parade, the athletes are not separated into national teams as they enter the stadium. This is to symbolize the unity and friendship of the Games. It is a tradition which started at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. John Ian Wing, a 17 year old Australian boy of Chinese origin, wrote to the Games organisers a few days before the closing - his idea was adopted, and gave birth to another Olympic tradition.

Happy Independence Day

2008-08-15T17:20:00.003+08:00

Forgive & Forget - A key to better relationship

2008-07-12T09:48:00.003+08:00

Forgiving is allowing another person to be human for faults, mistakes, or misdeeds. Forgetting is putting these behind you; they are no longer brought up and no longer remain a barrier to your relationship

Forgiving is letting another know that there is no grudge, hard feelings, or animosity for any wrong doing. Forgetting is the lack of further discussion, with no on going negative references to the event

Forgiving is letting the other person know that you accept as genuine the remorse and sorrow for actions or words that hurt or disappointed you. Forgetting is promising that this deed, whether of omission or commission, will not be brought up again

Forgiving is accepting the sincerity of penance, sorrow, and regret expressed over a grievous personal offense; making it sufficient to clear the air. Forgetting is your commitment to let go of anger, hurt, and pain over this offense

Forgiving is giving a sign that a person's explanation or acceptance of blame for a destructive, hurtful, or painful act is fully accepted. Forgetting is the development of a plan of action between the two of you to heal the scars resulting from the behavior

Forgiving is the highest form of human behavior that can be shown to another person. It is the opening up of yourself to that person to be vulnerable to being hurt or offended in the future, yet setting aside this in order to reopen and heal the channels of communication. Forgetting is equally as high a human behavior; it is letting go of the need to seek revenge for past offenses

Forgiving is the act of love between you and a person who has hurt you; the bandage that holds the wound together long enough to heal. Forgetting is also an act of love; in rehabilitation therapy, helping the wounded return to a full, functional, living reality

Forgiving is the God like gift of spiritually connecting with others, touching their hearts to calm the fear of rejection, quiet the sense of failure, and lighten the burden of guilt. Forgetting is the God like gift of spiritually touching others' hearts with the reassurance of a happy and full life with no fear of recrimination, remonstrations, or reminding of past offenses

Forgiving is the act of letting go of temporary ill will, disappointment, or the disgust that arises from the break in your relationship. Forgetting is bridging this gap in the relationship, eventually strengthening it against such a break in the future

Forgiving is an act of compassion, humanity, and gentleness by which you let another know that she/he is indeed a child of the universe upon whom a variety of graces and blessings have been showered and that current or past offenses need not be a barrier preventing goodness and worth to shine through. Forgetting is the act of encouragement, support, and reinforcement by which you assist the other person to rebuild, reconnect and re-establish a loving, caring, healthy relationship with you, others, and the world whereby gifts, talents, and skills are freely appreciated and shared

Negative Consequences of the absences of forgiving and forgetting. In the absence of forgiving and forgetting, the partners in a relationship run the risk of:

Continuously being hurt with pain and suffering going unresolved

Unresolved guilt and remorse for offenses committed

Chronically seeking revenge and paybacks from one another

Being caught up in unresolved anger, animosity, and bitterness

Defensive, self-protective, and distant behavior

Blaming, negative and non-growth oriented behavior

Being stuck in a battlefield stockpiled for future offensive attacks

Being lost in a festering wound that never realizes the revitalization of healing

Secretive and non-communicative behavior

Fear over making a mistake or of having the mistake revealed

Being overwhelmed by fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of non-approval, low self-esteem, fear of conflict & High stress

So, Forgive someone today and post about how you did it to encourage more to do the same that may lead us all join our hand without any difference in developing trouble free Universe.

The Loyal Wife

2008-07-12T09:43:00.002+08:00

There was a man who had worked all of his life, had saved all of his money, and was a real miser when it came to his money.

Just before he died, he said to his wife, 'When I die, I want you to take all my money and put it in the casket with me. I want to take my money to the after life with me.'

And so he got his wife to promise him with all of her heart that when he died, she would put all of the money in the casket with him.

Well, he died . . .He was stretched out in the casket, his wife was sitting there in black, and her friend was sitting next to her. When they finished the ceremony, just before the undertakers got ready to close the casket, the wife said, 'Wait, just a minute!'

She had a box with her, she came over with the box and put it in the casket. Then the undertakers locked the casket down, and they rolled it away.

Her friend said, 'I know you weren't fool enough to put all that money in there in the casket with your husband.'

The loyal wife replied 'Listen, I can't go back on my word. I promised him that I was going to put that money in that casket with him.'

'You mean to tell me you put that money in the casket with him !!! ?'

'I sure did' said the wife. 'I got it all together, put it into my account and wrote him a cheque. If he can cash it, he can spend it.

Backpack is on

2008-07-12T09:39:00.002+08:00

Hi Friends,

Sorry for not updating my blog for quite sometime as the usual excuse goes by saying was busy past few weeks. But you have something to read in couple of weeks time about Inspiring India Northern part very soon. Yes, you guessed it right. I am visiting Northern India next week. I will bring back my memory and share with you all soon. Keep looking :-)

The Extraction Job?

2008-06-25T09:30:00.002+08:00

The local bar was so sure that its bartender was the strongest man around that they offered a Rs 10,000 bet. The bartender would squeeze a lemon until all the juice ran into a glass, and hand the lemon to a patron. Anyone who could squeeze one more drop of juice out would win the money. Many people like weight-lifters, wrestlers, body builders, etc had tried over time, but nobody could do it.

One day this scrawny little man came in, wearing thick glasses and a safari suit, and said in a tiny, squeaky voice, "I'd like to try the bet." After the laughter had died down, the bartender said OK, grabbed a lemon, and squeezed away. Then he handed the wrinkled remains of the rind to the little man.

But the ! crowd's laughter turned to total silence as the man clenched his fist around the lemon and 5-6 drops fell into the glass. As the crowd cheered, the bartender paid the Rs 10,000, and asked the little man, "What do you do for a living? Are you a lumberjack, a weight-lifter, or what?"

"No," replied the man.

"I work as a Project Manager in a software company !! "

Ipod & deafness? and How EMFs affect our health?

2008-06-24T13:34:00.004+08:00

You might love listening to your favourite music on your iPod, but a new survey has revealed that more than 70 per cent of young adults are losing their hearing power, thanks to the increasing use of headphones. A recent survey showed that more than 70 per cent of the youngsters are suffering from the first sign of hearing loss with tinnitus or ringing in the ear.

This may be due to listening to music played at dangerously loud levels on headphones. “That was a real surprise because that was actually more common than the older respondents,” a website quoted Professor Harvey Dillon, director of the National Acoustics Laboratory at the organisation that led the survey, as telling a radio channel. “Mostly for the younger people it didn't happen very often, and it didn't last for very long when it did happen. But it did happen. And we think that that's probably a warning sign for them,” he added.

The survey also revealed that two-thirds of the people listened to music on headphones and of those, 60 per cent played music at dangerous loud levels.

Prof Dillon said it could take just weeks for hearing loss to begin. “That's part of the problem. Although it's happening, definitely, it's happening gradually and people just don't notice it,” he said.

Some 25 per cent of younger people thought that if they damaged their hearing it would get better, he added. The risk of damage occurred in two stages when people go to concerts or noisy venues. “Both occurred inside the inner ear and while one was temporary the other was permanent,” he said. “We tend to notice the temporary loss of hearing .What we don't notice is that at the same time, in the same place but through a different mechanism, there's also a permanent loss going on.

A few hair cells dying here, a few hair cells dying there and they add up from time to time,” he added.

Prof Dillon said that safe headphone audio levels were 85 decibels, averaged over an eight-hour day. He also advised workers exposed to loud machinery or industrial noise to wear earmuffs or plugs to protect their hearing.

Click on this EMF Chart to know how our hearing ability is affected by various types of noises that fills our day.

PS: Nowadays when I'm seduced by the tune to increase my music player volume right before my finger taps the volume increase button my brain taps my memory about this article. Hope it does effect on you as well.

Safety Car in Formula One Race

2008-06-20T08:54:00.003+08:00

Earlier you might have read about Formula One Facts. Also you might be eagerly awaiting to watch The first ever Formula 1 Race to be held at night in Singapore titled Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix on 26-28 September 2008 at Marina Bay area. I recently happened to get to know about another interesting fact related to Formula One Safety Car. And I thought that it will be great news to share with you for your pleasure reading. So, here it is.

The safety car is a key factor in Formula One racing. In the event of an incident or adverse weather conditions, the safety car is deployed by the FIA race director in order to show the cars down and to restore order to the race.

Instructions: The safety car is called onto the circuit to reduce speed, especially during hazardous situations like accidents, unsafe track (objects or dirt on the track), bad weather/poor visibility condition & oil slicks or if there is a danger of aquaplaning.

Regulations: When the safety car is deployed, yellow flags are waved (In Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix these flags are going to be electronic type, I read somewhere) to indicate that no overtaking permitted, reduce speed and laps completed behind the safety car count as race laps.

It looks like there is a selection process to define a specific car model as Safety Car for the year between the leading Safety Car manufacturers like DC & BMW. For this year 2008 It was Mercedes SL 63 AMG was selected as F1 Safety Car for 2008. Here you can find how the safety car evolved over the period of time.

Sign Language: The safety car communicates with the drivers by means of light signals.
Orange Light – No Overtaking
Green Light – Overtake
Flashing white light – Always On

Free Driving: Once the safety car leaves the track, the leading car determines the pace until the Start/Finish line. From then on the drivers may overtake again.

Kids Playing Video Games Excessively? Make them Play Wii Fit

2008-06-17T14:35:00.003+08:00

Growing kids and some matured adults too are playing video game like crazy. Many of them are spending lots and lots of their time in playing video games by means of gaming devices merely like addiction. It causes havoc for their health may it be eye sight issues, behavioural issues, obesity & lack of interest in other social activity.

But strangely some studies suggest that there few positive aspects of such act like games involving firing guns could improve eyesight. Other than this Nintendo's Wii Fit seems to be a gaming method used for rehab.

Fitness-oriented video games are also being used more and more in nursing homes for rehabilitation is an interesting way to make people exercise to make healthy living. Why not you try to divert your kids playing such virtual games that makes them do exercise unknowingly and will surely benefit them with better health in result.

How to Make Decisions? Six Hats Thinking

2008-06-11T22:34:00.003+08:00

The Six Hats Thinking technique enables you to break out of your habitual thinking style and make better quality decisions. Six Hats Thinking was created by Edward De Bono with the aim of looking at the effect of a decision from a number of important, different perspectives, and modifying your decision accordingly. This decision making approach can be successfully used individually or in a group.

In short, you consider the effect of a decision by wearing six "hats", and in turn, articulating the aspirations and concerns of each group.

White Hat
This is the data hat, where you consider facts, figures and information, identify any gaps in your knowledge and either fill or acknowledge them. For example, you use historical data or case studies to predict future behaviour, or do a cost benefit analysis.

Red Hat
This is the emotional hat, where intuition, instinct and irrational responses are considered.

Black Hat
Is the negative, pessimistic, "the world is going to end" hat. This viewpoint is useful as flaws and assumptions can be flushed out and addressed, and contingency plans prepared.

Yellow Hat
Is the polar opposite of the black hat, where optimism prevails. This is where benefits and added value are considered.

Green Hat
The Green Hat is used to put some creativity into the process. What other options exist? Is there a trickier, smarter solution?

Blue Hat
Is the hat worn by the person facilitating the decision making process, ensuring each hat is worn in turn and gets a fair amount of air-time.

Here's an example of how Six Hats Thinking can be used.

A small training company are deciding on whether to deliver online training. This is new territory for them as they have historically only done face to face training. However, they need to grow the business and think this is what customers want.

White Hat Thinking
The team look at their finances and see face to face training numbers are generally stagnant, and declining for some courses. Feedback from customers suggest a growing proportion would prefer a training solution that could be delivered "on demand", wherever and whenever the trainee requires. There are already a considerable number of successful training companies with an online presence.

Red Hat Thinking
The team are nervous about their lack of experience in managing online training. They are concerned their roles will change into being technical support and no longer doing what they enjoy or are good at.

Black Hat Thinking
Black hat thinking flushes out concerns about the cost and complexity of building a website and creating an online training platform, particularly if not all courses are suited to an online environment. Also, how does this project fit with existing workload?

Yellow Hat Thinking
Yellow hat thinking frees the team up to believe that in a year's time they will be wondering what they were worried about. They break the project up into manageable chunks, with agreed deadlines and deliverables. They realise that if all goes to plan, there may be a new market in turning other companies training from off-line into on-line training.

Green Hat Thinking
Spending some time wearing the green hat makes the team consider other ways to deliver training, both off and on-line. They create two different training solutions which they had not previously considered.

Blue Hat Thinking
Throughout the discussion, one person wears the blue hat, ensuring no thinking style dominates or colours the others.

Six Hats Thinking forces you to consider many different perspectives when making a decision, and break out of your habitual thinking style. This technique is particularly useful for both newly formed, or established teams, as there is a transparent decision making process to be followed

Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveils iPhone 3G

2008-06-11T09:12:00.004+08:00

Yesterday Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled iPhone 3G, the App Store, MobileMe, and more in his Worldwide Developers Conference keynote address from San Francisco's Moscone West. Here is a video clip on WWDC 2008 Steve Jobs Keynote - iPhone 3G. This is expected to be released on July 11th in Apple retail outlets & AT&T stores in the US and in 70 other countries by end of of this year.

Here are some Pros & Cons for you to decide on what you can expect on this new iPhone 3G version.

Pros:

Location-based services via the GPS

Comes at a low price (US$199 for the 8GB & US$299 for the 16GB version)

3G speed is twice faster than its current version

Thinner than the previous model and much lighter version for extra cost

Software 2.0 supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, delivering push email, calendar & contacts

Longer battery life

Supports collection of applications available on its SDK for gaming lovers

Looks a little better with the new design

Better reception & Better Audio

Cons:

No Multimedia Messaging

No dock included anymore

No Copy & Paste

No voice dialing & Video recording

No flash support for browser

No Landscape keyboard

No expandable Memory

The Law of the Garbage Truck

2008-06-04T09:26:00.002+08:00

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly.

So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so...

Love the people who treat you right.
Pray for the ones who don't - that they see the wisdom of their foolish ways'

Chennai Rail Network Map

2008-06-04T09:15:00.003+08:00

Here is the map of Chennai City & Suburban Railway Network Map. This is very useful for the travellers to avoid increasing traffic jam during their journey. Click on the image below to get the clear map

Inflation & Futures Trading in Commodities

2008-05-30T11:23:00.007+08:00

We all know that cost of living in the recent days have gone up everywhere in Asian region. A cost for a tea on the road side shops will cost you 5 bucks, If a go into a decent restaurant for a group meals I needed to fill my wallet with bunch of high end denominations of rupees. Things weren’t same as before during my visit to India just a couple of weeks back. Few months back I was chatting with one of my friend about the raising cost of living in India recently, one of the fact that he was telling me was something about Online Futures trading in commodity that adds more fuel to it. He was saying unless government takes some serious measure on all such act we might end up hitting record high inflation ratio like that.

There were analysis done on the topic “Futures ban can bring down inflation in India”. Couple of nights back I also watched special coverage news on the TV about what really drives this Online Future Trading to aggravate inflation. He was telling that there more speculators on commodities that were not meant to be traded this way. Seems like the theory matches with what my friend explained to me during our conversation.

The theory is like when there is no real need for goods by the consumer they purchase it online and keep the stock with the dealer by making payment. Assume later there is a demand for the good that he holds stock (reason being shortage in supply at that point in time) and takes more money from that consumer then instructs the dealer to deliver to the address of the consumer who is actually in need of it. So, this speculation is done purely on the interest of making money by business minded people. As a result it affects us whole.

Probably our Indian government realized the fact that future trading ban on few commodities could help to slow down the skyrocketing inflation ratio. We shall keep our fingers crossed and see what happens in future on sky high inflation issue that trembles our whole nation.

Please feel free to share your views.

Right Way of extinquishing Kitchen Oil Fire

2008-05-28T14:44:00.003+08:00

I never realized that a wet dish cloth can be a lid to cover a fire in a pan!

This is a dramatic video (30-second, very short) about how to deal with acommon kitchen fire ... oil in a frying pan. Read the following introduction, then watch the show ... It's a real eye-opener!!

At the Fire Fighting Training school they would demonstrate this with adeep fat fryer set on the fire field. An instructor would don a fire suitand using an 8 oz cup at the end of a 10 foot pole toss water onto the grease fire. The results got the attention of the students.

The water, being heavier than oil, sinks to the bottom where it instantly becomes super heated. The explosive force of the steam blows the burning oil up and out. On the open field, it became a thirty foot high fire ball that resembled a nuclear blast. Inside the confines of a kitchen, the fire ball hits the ceiling and fills the entire room.

Also, do not throw sugar or flour on a grease fire. One cup creates theexplosive force of two sticks of dynamite. This is a powerful message. Watch the video and don't forget what you see. Tell your whole family about this video. Or better yet, send this to them.

Dragon Fruits - An Insight View

2008-05-28T14:19:00.007+08:00

I have eaten this fruit during my childhood days I used to bring our cow to farm fields for them to eat grass, we call it Maadu meithal (மாடு மேய்த்தல்) in Tamizh. So, we go for searching varities of wild grown fruits to eat just like our tidbits these days. We come across many such items I can't name them here since its all Tamizh Names all that I know of. During such act I also remembered plucking this type of fruit from Cactus valley grown in the waste land. But those days I ate it just for the taste it, but now I have learned the real power of it.

The legend of the dragon fruit says that the fruit was created by fire-breathing dragons. By eating the dragon fruit it was believed that one became empowered with the same strength and ferocity of a dragon. Other stories say that the dragon fruit looks like a dragon's egg. Enjoy the nutritional facts and amazing health care information of it here.

Dragon fruit is of cactus family, with high economic value. It can be taken as fruit, flower, vegetable, health product and medicine as well, called "priceless treasure“

As "king of the fruit", dragon fruit appears shining red and olive-shaped. Every single one is 500-1200g, and its flesh is white or red, tasted sweet but not thick, with light fragrance. The sweetness of dragon fruit is 16-18 degree, better than water melon. It can be called as "water melon on trees", considering about its structure, eating method and planting way

Dragon fruit is delicious vegetable dishes, having high nutrition, low heat, rich vitamin C

It is good material of beverage, may be processed to be all kind of drinks

Dragon fruit can be used as cosmetic and health material, with functions of improving eyesight and preventing hypertension

Environment protection. Dragon fruit absorbs CO2 at night and releases oxygen to purify the air

Dragon fruit can be plant easily. It has strong root and is good at water observing, heat and drought resisting. So planting dragon fruit is low cost

The red flesh variety is believed to be rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants prevent the formation of cancer-causing free radicals

The dragon fruit is rich in vitamins

The dragon fruit helps the digestive process

The dragon fruit helps prevent colon cancer and diabetes

The dragon fruit helps to neutralize toxic substances such as heavy metal, reduce cholesterol levels and high blood pressure

Consumed regularly the dragon fruit can help against asthma and cough

In Taiwan, diabetics use the fruit as a food substitute for rice and as a fiber rich part of the diet

Dragon fruit is rich in fiber, Vitamin C and minerals. The typical nutritional value per 100g of dragon fruit is as follows:

Ashes - 0.68g
Fat - 0.61g
Fiber - 0.9g
Phosphorus - 36.1mg
Carotene - 0.012g
Protein - 0.229g
Water - 83.0g
Calcium - 8.8g
Iron - 0.65mg
Riboflavin - 0.045mg
Niacin - 0.430mg
Ascorbic Acid - 9.0mg

Who I Am Makes A Difference

2008-05-27T09:14:00.002+08:00

A teacher in New York decided to honour each of her seniors in high school by telling them the difference they each made. She called each student to the front of the class, one at a time. First she told each of them how they had made a difference to her and the class. Then she presented each of them with a blue ribbon imprinted with gold letters,which read, "Who I Am Makes a Difference."

Afterwards the teacher decided to do a class project to see what kind of impact recognition would have on a community. She gave each of the students three more ribbons and instructed them to go out and spread this acknowledgment ceremony. Then they were to follow up on the results, see who honoured whom and report back to the class in about a week.

One of the boys in the class went to a junior executive in a nearby company and honoured him for helping him with his career planning. He gave him a blue ribbon and put it on his shirt. Then he gave him two extra ribbons and said, "We're doing a class project on recognition, and we'd like you to go out find somebody to honour, give them a blue ribbon, then give them the extra blue ribbon so they can acknowledge a third person to keep this acknowledgment ceremony going. Then please report back to me and tell me what happened."

Later that day the junior executive went in to see his boss, who had been noted, by the way, as being kind of a grouchy fellow. He sat his boss down and he told him that he deeply admired him for being a creative genius. The boss seemed very surprised. The junior executive asked him if he would accept the gift of the blue ribbon and would he give him permission to put it on him. His surprised boss said, "Well, sure." The junior executive took the blue ribbon and placed it right on his boss's jacket above his heart. As he gave him the last extra ribbon, he said, "Would you do me a favour? Would you take this extra ribbon and pass it on by honouring somebody else? The young boy who first gave me the ribbons is doing a project in school and we want to keep this recognition ceremony going and find out how it affects people."

That night the boss came home to his 14-year-old son and sat him down. He said, "The most incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my office and one of the junior executives came in and told me he admired me and gave me a blue ribbon for being a creative genius. Imagine. He thinks I'm a creative genius. Then he put this blue ribbon that says: "Who I Am Makes a Difference, on my jacket above my heart. He gave me an extra ribbon and asked me to find somebody else to honour. As I was driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I would honour with this ribbon and I thought about you. I want to honour you. My days are really hectic and when I come home I don't pay a lot of attention to you. Sometimes I scream at you for not getting good enough grades in school and for your bedroom being a mess, but somehow tonight, I just wanted to sit here and, well, just let you know that you do make a difference to me. Besides your mother, you are the most important person in my life. You're a great kid and I love you!"

The startled boy started to sob and sob, and he couldn't stop crying. His whole body shook. He looked up at his father and said through his tears, "Dad, earlier tonight I sat in my room and wrote a letter to you and Mom explaining why I had killed myself and asking you to forgive me. I was going to commit suicide tonight after you were asleep. I just didn't think that you cared at all. The letter is upstairs. I don't think I need it after all." His father walked upstairs and found a heartfelt letter full of anguish and pain. The envelope was addressed,"Mom and Dad."

The boss went back to work a changed man. He was no longer a grouch but made sure to let all his employees know that they made a difference. The junior executive helped several other young people with career planning and never forgot to let them know that they made a difference in his life...one being the boss's son. And the young boy and his classmates learned a valuable lesson. Who you are DOES make difference.

I felt that You are Important and that's why you get to read to this post.

WHO YOU ARE MAKES A DIFFERENCE, AND I WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT!!!

I am passing the blue ribbon to you.

Have an Awesome day, and know that someone has thought about you today!

If you have anyone who means a lot to you, I encourage you to send him or her this message and let them know. You never know what kind of difference a little encouragement can make to a person.

Vineyard Tour in Bourgogne (Burgundy) Region

2008-05-27T00:36:00.006+08:00

Firstly I must write about the name Bourgogne, it has to be pronounced as Burgundy. Guide mimicked about how english speaking people tried prounce the Bourgogne with a weird funny pronounce as usual we all do to read any french word.

As we started off from the tourism office for the wine tour they sky was getting more clear as per the weather report it was suppose to be cloudy and brief showers were expected. So, our guide Lu-Lu (this is his nickname) was very happy about the weather and was saying many thanks to nature for bring out the bright sky. He took us at the outside road of rampart around the town. He explained about the ancient buildings on the way.

As we moved out of the town and reached the outskirts all that could be seen were vineyard that was filled up with the roots of grape plants. He explained many interesting theories about the farm fields as we stopped at one place. Depends on the size of the stem the age of the plant can be gauged it seems. There were many samples shown ranging from 10 years till 100 years. If some are dead they are replaced by a new plant but a better protection is needed till it grows well as they are better feast for rabbits as I heard. So, they have protected it with a polythene cover.

Normally the grape farm plants that I have seen in India were grown high taller and makes easier to cut from the standing position, but here they are all cut at the level of our knee. This is to get the better juice out from the grape it seems. So, it is very demanding physically during the harvesting process and this harvesting must be done in a shortest time span just at the ripe condition even few days delay could cause grape become unusable to produce better quality of wine. I also heard from him on my way back that during such harvesting time they are suppose to produce the number of workers in the fields and seems like head count was being monitored from the helicopters. In case of any excessive count they go and catch the owners for illegal employment it seems.

During the plant growth process to apply fertilizer they use copter for spraying pesticides it seems, in order not to touch the ground level they have markings done by the tall stick tied up with the polythene bags on the top of it.

When I visited that was the beginning of the growing grape plant season. He told that this is the period I can show you how the farm lands are split between owners. He showed us the shade in the ground as you can see in the picture different colour of soil means different owner it seems unlike our place we have dividers (vaaikkaal) between each one of our paddy field. Also one owner might have different piece of land at different slopes to produce varieties of wine as the soil condition and weather conditions differs depends on the location.

He showed a wall built between two vineyard regions and told us that this is the end of Beaune and starting of Pommard>. He told us that normally the names of the wine brands are nothing but the names of the wine villages and the place located. He was telling another interesting fact that the quality of wine produced between two different vineyards at the very exact border still differs though it has same amount of slope for better exposure of Sun and used same method of cultivation and same ages for the root. He said that’s how the taste differs.

Important factor for getting better grape to produce wine is the slope land. It cannot be too high or too low (leveled ground). This is mainly because of the right exposure to Sun light and the right Weather condition and the right soil moisture things like that can get good quality of grape for good quality of wine it seems. As we entered the Pommard town he showed us the château of Pommard. He said every village had one Château during those days and was controlled by family from that Château.

There were two examples he mentioned about the design concept of the RC and CSI Churches until that day I didn’t know about how to differentiate the churches of RC & CSI. Its nothing but the cathedrals of RC are built with tall rocket shaped towers and rich in architecture but CSI churches were having square type of towers that were mostly built by huge square blocks stones and were much simple in design. We also passed by the vineyards around this region like Meursault AOC there are some Premier Cru vineyards, Volnay to reach back DE SAVIGNY LES.

On our way back he explained the fact that every house in the villages has their own wine cellar and making their own money. There was one street on the both side that he showed every single house had wine cellars of their own. He was saying though these people live in ordinary houses like the one in the picture they make real good profit out of this business. There were name boards outside the gates of those houses containing their brand names.

At one point after this village on our way he stopped the vehicle at one strange up hill and freed the gear at one upward slope, (don’t know how the law of force works) the vehicle was supposed go downwards as it was uphill but the vehicle was moving upward and he told us that he always why it happens only at that place. You can see that slope as in the attached image. We were also passing by another wine village called Bouze Les- Beaune. First name sounds quite familiar isn’t it? Huh haa, the actual meaning is cow dung it seems.

This posting is becoming bit longer and its getting late for me to get back to bed, So, I leave you guys with a happy reading till now and let me write about the wine making process at the wine cellar in my next post.

Tamil Lieteratures e-Book Collections

2008-05-21T09:34:00.003+08:00

This guy Prabhu has good collections of Tamil Literatures. If you are interested to read any kind of tamil literature check out his collections.

One Day trip to Beaune

2008-05-21T09:19:00.002+08:00

In a way you are lucky to get this post because I chose this destination in the last minute (just a day before I left Paris) also TGV train fare to Brussels was two times costlier than this destination travel price. Earlier I heard from my friends that Wine tour is something that is unique experience not to be missed. Sometimes when you change your plan you really have surprises in store for you. After visiting this region I felt how lucky I am to change my travel plan to make trip to this area. Reason being this was another rural area but rich in nature especially with its vineyard all around the hill ranges.

I booked my tickets two days in advance to make my way to this wonderful destination at SNCF station, (Luckily I didn’t have much of communication problem like the one I had for booking ticket to visit Switzerland.) You can check with SNCF site for latest train timings (sadly this site is in French but not difficult to understand about the info we need). I had also pre-booked for a wine tour with Bacchus Wine Tours to avoid missing a seat as the seats are limited for common trip.

I had started my journey from Paris early in the morning around 7AM (6.55) and reached Beaune around 9:30AM. I roughly got the location of tourist information office from the Beaune Web Page. So, I headed straight there to get the Pass for visiting local attraction and to pick up brochure on Beaune plan. I got Beaune pass that would give me free entry to Hôtel-Dieu, Musée du Vin de Bourgogne & Musée des Beaux-Arts et Musée Marey (Beaux-Arts Museum).

The wine tour was only at 2:30PM. So, I had decided to visit all the monuments in and around the town. First thing I noticed was the rampart around the town was literally similar to what I have seen in Provins. Later when I walked all around the town it was confirmed they too had similar kind of protection in here too.

If you are a person who doesn’t feel like walking you can rent a bicycle for the whole day with Bourgogne Randonnees. You can in fact take this nice bike for long distance riding too. Its good to go for such long distance ride to enjoy the sceneries around this Bourgogne region. There are cycle route maps are also available at TripAdvisor Forum for touring as well or you can join the bike tour organized by De tours where you can rent your bikes.

First place I visited was the Charity Hospital Hôtel Dieu (Hospices de Beaune) that was built in 15th century by Nicolas Rolin and envisioned it as palace for the poor. This is one of the town's most visible antique buildings. The inner furnishings were done with a polyptich attributed to Rogier van der Weyden. The multi coloured polychrome-tiled roofs of the Hôtel-Dieu have become one of the symbols of Burgundy. They used this place as a hospital for treating ill people. They have varieties of beds used during those days, medical equipments and pharmaceuticals all can be seen inside. There are collections of various objects brought from this area. There was a sacred room, it was dark and with the collection of few arts kept inside the room with low-light. Must have been the place where the saint lived? With that last room visit I came out of the Hôtel-Dieu.

Actually in the morning when I visited the tourism office, the girl at the reception told me that they have weekly market put up on the street today right after the Hôtel-Dieu. When I came out I could see that there was a huge market place happening with varieties of fresh items. Almost everything was available there namely vegetables, breads, butters, meat items, provisions, flowers & fruits. Everything you need for your cooking at sufficient enough for one week. The entire street was filled with colours and market was really happening place. Lots and lots of buyers from locals along with them tourists too joined to choose their pick. I walked along the street and I was lost twice towards finding my next visiting of Musée du Vin de Bourgogne (Wine Museum).

I managed to find the Wine Museum as it was way in through petty lanes. As the name suggests, this Musée du Vin de Bourgogne has collections on Wine Info in the region. There were also varieties of objects that symbolized wine cultures were stored in 15th- and 16th-century rooms. There were samples of tools used for wine making process right from vineyard preparation till packaging. It was nice to see the wine bottles and labels of famous wine brands that were dated centuries back.

After visiting the Wine Museum I took a long walk around the town through the rampart region. It was nice sight with few ceilings have multi coloured polychrome-tiled roofs done by specially prepared materials. It seems like these roofs can be stronger enough to stand out shining for many centuries. I spotted smaller Arch similar to what is constructed in Paris. On the way I was that there was a very old theatre building that was abandoned long time back looked like, not sure if this has any connection with physiologist Etienne Jules Marey, who discovered the principles of the cinema long before 1895. When I came back to the avenue where there was weekly market put up on sale in the morning was completely done winding up and they were washing the streets. There was no evidence to say that such a big open market was existed in the morning.

Since I had time to kill about 1 hour before the wine tour starting time I entered into the Beaux-Arts Museum. It had paintings belonging from 16th to 19th centuries. As usual there were sculptures from Middle Ages and the Renaissance on the display too. I found the sculpture attached quite interesting. Since time was nearing 2:30 to start the wine tour I just moved out of the art museum and at the exit is a tourist information office from where the wine tour was scheduled to start.

OMG!!! It was already 1.30 AM when I finished writing this article. Will write on the wine tour around this region in my next post with lot of information about the whole process of wine making along with interesting snap shots. Until then see you ya…

Tamil Nadu Land Registration Details (Patta Copy) goes online

2008-05-20T11:26:00.002+08:00

Another welcoming move by the Tamil Nadu Government on the launch of
e-Services of Government of Tamil Nadu is you can view the Patta Copy (Chitta Extract) and A-Register Extract for the agriculture land in Tamil Nadu.

I am sure will be much useful for the people to avoid counterfeit and to prove the legitimacy of the land.

Cheers to TN Govt for this brilliant effort.

One Day Trip to Provins

2008-05-18T01:09:00.001+08:00

I was in search of visiting a village around Paris & I came across this medieval town called Provins (Actually people in France pronounce it as Provans), which is the far end at zone 6 in Paris. So, I started my journey early in the morning and I was eager to catch the train that leaves from Gare De Nord. But I was misguided to take train to Gretz Armainvilliers from Meganta station. So I took it, but I didn’t know that I was going to be stuck down there without train for 1 hour 15 minutes. So, when I arrived there that’s what happened.

I just took a walk to the nearby town entrance and came back an hour was gone. Train was waiting to go to Provins. So, I got in after confirming that it is going to Provins. The more closely train came to Provins, I was bit worried because of the brief showers on the way through out the station. I was hoping to see bright sky, if it rains sure to waste such a nice visit to this medieval town.

It was raining when the train reached Provins and I didn’t lose my hope, I jumped into the local bus to reach the local tourist information centre (Office de tourism) hoping that the rain will stop soon. Luckily it is so happened that the rain stopped by the time I reached there. I just bought the Provins pass that gives free entry to four main attractions such as Tour César, La Grange aux Dîmes, Les souterrains and to museum. I was told that there are some shows happening at different timings so I just wanted to try out one show due to shortage of time and got my ticket for The Legend Of The Knights at 3.00 PM. Also I was given with the local map and started to walk towards the historical places inside the town.

First thing I noticed was the big wall built around the town and it was also under maintenance for restoration. Later I learnt the fact that this was built around the entire town to stop people from entering into the town since around the wall there was a big canal filled with water (may be those days no swimming & wall claiming expert to come across?)

So, when I just entered from the entrance I could feel that I am walking into the place that exists beyond many centuries because the houses were literally that old that is clearly understood because of its built. I first visited the Tithe Barn that was the nearest from tourism office. They had samples of wax humans that symbolized the trading that happened in that underground house during those days. Looks like the town was popular for weaving and there were other trading as well. I happened to see the entrance to the underground route and just at that entrance they put a wax statue looked like a quarry worker. I thought that they were digging something out of it. So, I left it at that.

Since I was running out of time for the show I quickly hurried myself up to the Cesar tower and its architecture was so amazing that it served many purposes like place of refuge, watchtower of the surrounding and a prison. You can go up all the way till the top of the tower, some of the paths were not meant for people in heavy size as it was very narrow. I went up all the way till top and saw a bell weighing 500KG? I still wonder during those days how they managed to bring it all the way to the top. From the top the entire surrounding is clearly visible and I am sure with a telescope you can easily find out who is approaching town from far. After that I quickly moved back to the place near the entrance as the show was organized right behind the walls of the town.

I got myself in by showing the ticket at the entrance on the way I quite surprised to see the war weapons that was used centuries back that I have seen only in Hollywood movies like The Patriot and the most exciting part of it was they have used one of it during the show (just that instead of triggering fireball they used water ball). The show took me back to the time of the knights and was enjoyable with a good theme of chivalry. The stunt shows reminded me of few Hollywood movies where there was lots of sword fighting by riding on the horses and on the lands. The climax was nice with the concept of winning anything by LOVE. Actually the show was done in French language but you don’t really need a language to understand what was happening with their actions.

After that nice show I headed towards the museum and as I wrote before this isn’t much of my interest compared to Louvre. As usual there were few paintings, objects belonging to this territory that existed during11th to 18th century, few sculptures and few coins were what was seen in this 3 story museum. Then I just walked around the churches nearby for a while.

When I came out on search of underground gallery as per the map I was lost a bit and by enquiring few locals I managed to reach there on time before they close as everything is closed by evening 5-6pm. I didn’t know that I had big surprise waiting there for me. I thought I will just go alone without any guide into that underground gallery and come out quickly but to my surprise I was wrong.

The receptionist asked me to join with a guide who was just ahead of me. Lucky I joined her and guess why I call myself lucky? Because the underground that was built centuries back is that huge and very long that connects the entire town across. After I entered in I had no idea of where I am going into as it was pitch dark and the only torch that the guide was holding was the only light that was giving bit of luminous. She explained in French about how this was built and what was the purpose of it things like that.

On the way through the underground she showed some strange animal pictures and names and years dated 17th and 18th centuries written down. She also explained something about the soil layer formation by torching above the head as it was in French I could not understand but I think she gave explanation about how strong the ceiling was as she has also shown about leakage of water from the ground level at one underground hall and the different type of ceiling. The underground was like a real maze to me coz anywhere you go there were many branches out don’t know where it leads to... On the way she also showed us some ventilation holes for lighting and air flow purpose.

Finally we came out from the underground just opposite to the place where we started our exploration. It made me felt like walked at least 1km distance in round. I was just thinking about similar type of existence in Ho Chi Min city in Vietnam that the underground city was built during Vietnam War. I really loved this kind of unique experience that I had under this ground and I wanted to go for another round poor me I was already running out of time and I don’t know what time is the next train to get back to Paris without getting stuck in Provins.

Still I didn’t want to go back to train station as I felt like walking some more and explore the entire town so I started walking back towards the old town towards north and on the way happened to see the place of a very old hospital building then reached back the entrance of the town by that direction. I walked down to the tourism office by the side of the walls around the town and was hoping to get a bus from there to the train station. On the way I witnessed wonderful canola farm fields that were filled with greeneries also a very old cemetery.

At last arrived at the place where I started my visit but the bad news from the bus time table was that the bus service would stop by 6 and it was already 6 plus. So, I had no choice but to take a long walk back to train station. My legs were refusing to move as I was dead tired and I really pushed myself way towards the station halfway through the rain also started bit heavily. Pushed myself real hard again and reached the station lucky I had to wait only 45 mins for the train to start back to Paris. I reached back apart hotel and feel asleep with my legs paining because of the enthusiastic round I made the whole day.

Next day when I told about this place to my office colleagues, who are locals and staying in Paris since they are born, they didn’t even know that there is such a place exists in Paris region. I tell to myself that there are lots more to be seen then.

To me this town is a must visit place in the outskirts of Paris.

One Day Visit to Louvre Museum

2008-05-14T14:41:00.001+08:00

I wanted to share this long time back but now only I could write about this.

If you are a lover of Paintings & Sculpture, this is the place where you must be in Paris. They have collections all around the world collected from King Louis XIV period. Here is the History of Louvre museum.

Here are the lists of items you can expect to see inside this museum.

Full of Paintings & Drawings are kept in the II Floor - Each and every piece of painting is unique out here, I'm sure you will be lost to the huge collections from French, German, Flemish, Dutch, Belgian & Russian Paintings & Drawings.

Objects beyond centuries & Antiquities collections from Egypt & Greek region are kept in the I Floor. I as really amazed by the Egyptian collections. It really did make me feel that I was in Egypt with the varieties that they had. You can also witness Large French, Italian & Spanish paintings here. World famous Monalisa master piece is also kept as centre of attraction in this floor. I also remembered witnessing objects from palace interiors like Ornaments, Crown, Royal bed, carpet & furniture’s.

Sculptures of different era can be seen at the Ground Floor & Lower Ground Floor. Also there were Antiquities collections from Greek, Etruscan & Egypt were kept in display. I was once again astonished by the Code of Hammurabi during King Babylon period and various forms of writings collections available on the collected pieces of stones. Those writings made me feel like living many stone years back. There were also medieval Louvre, remains of the moat of the Louvre of Philippe-Auguste and Charles V, 12th to 14th century was available to access and get the feel of those days. When you get to this area be sure that you don’t get lost your way just like how I was lost.

By the time I finished making round almost the day was coming to an end. If you plan to visit here make sure that you are having good stamina for walking around the whole day. Another good piece of information is that entry to this museum is free on first Sunday of every month and its up to you to make your queuing arrangements. Though it was crowded the management was having many entrance to cut down the long queuing.

After visiting this museum I didn’t really find Musee D’orsay that interesting to me. This was the biggest museum I have ever visited in my life. Enjoy your visiting too…
Official Web Site

Stay tuned for my next posts on A Day visit to Beaune - Wine Village near Dijon in France, Provins - Medieval Town from the exterior of Paris.

Rare Photos of India

2008-05-14T14:00:00.008+08:00

Train (1895)

Ambulance - Chennai (1940)

Bank of Madras (1935)

Car Showroom - Chennai (1913)

Andaman (1917)

Karachi (1917)

Departmental Store (1883)

Ford (1917)

Hoogly - Calcutta (1915)

Kothaval Chawadi - Chennai (1939)

Lahore (1864)

Colleage Students @ Chennai Library (1913)

Chennai Marina beech (1913)

Mumbai (1894)

VT Station - Mumbai (1894)

Mylapore - Chennai (1939)

Ooty (1905)

Power Plant (1917)

Theatre - Karachi (1917)

A school boy (is it a water bag?)

Servant?

Click Here to see the rare photos of Chennai

Going on a Business Trip? Plant 6 Trees a year to compensate environmental damage

2008-05-14T13:51:00.004+08:00

How many of us really bothered about making a business trip? Company is paying money and we do nothing but to fly all around but recent studies of almost 5m expense claims filled in by British workers have shown up the environmental damage done by business travel. The average employee needs to plant six trees a year—and ensure those trees grow to maturity—in order to offset the carbon emissions of his annual working trips. More...

Courtesy : Kuralvalai Pathippar MSV Muthu

Add Petai to our Daily Diet

2008-04-25T09:59:00.005+08:00

Now that I get the solution for my puzzled question on why villagers in Malaysia likes to eat Petai fruit raw when it is not even eaten by cow or goat in our village. Here you is your chance to know the medicinal benefit of petai.

ADVICE FROM A UKM MEDICAL DOCTOR on PETAI

Little did you know …… after reading THIS, you’ll NEVER look at petai in the same way again!Petai contains three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose. Combined with fibre, petai gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proved that just two servings of petai provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder petai is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes. But energy isn’t the only way petai can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND among people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating petai. This is because petai contains tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS(premenstrual syndrome): Forget the pills - eat petai! The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, petai can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the petai industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power : 200 students at a Twickenham (Middle) school [di mana kan tu?] were helped through their exams this year by eating petai at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fibre, including petai in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a petai milkshake, sweetened with honey. The petai calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Petai has a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating petai for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness:Snacking on petai between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of the petai skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Petai is high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight:

Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: Petai is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control:Many other cultures see petai as a “cooling” fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Holland, for example, pregnant women eat petai [banarkah nie? Ada org putih pandai makan patai kan?] to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) : Petai can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan.

Smoking: Petai can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium petai snack.

Strokes: According to research in “The New England Journal of Medicine, “eating petai as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%”.

Warts:

Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of petai and place it on the wart. Carefully hold the petai in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, as you can see, petai really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, “A Petai a day keeps the doctor away”.

A Leader Should Know How to Manage Failure

2008-04-23T16:44:00.000+08:00

This was the question asked to Former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam:

India Knowledge@Wharton: Could you give an example, from your own experience, of how leaders should manage failure?

Kalam: Let me tell you about my experience. In 1973 I became the project director of India's satellite launch vehicle program, commonly called the SLV-3. Our goal was to put India's "Rohini" satellite into orbit by 1980. I was given funds and human resources -- but was told clearly that by 1980 we had to launch the satellite into space. Thousands of people worked together in scientific and technical teams towards that goal.

By 1979 -- I think the month was August -- we thought we were ready. As the project director, I went to the control center for the launch. At four minutes before the satellite launch, the computer began to go through the checklist of items that needed to be checked. One minute later, the computer program put the launch on hold; the display showed that some control components were not in order. My experts -- I had four or five of them with me -- told me not to worry; they had done their calculations and there was enough reserve fuel. So I bypassed the computer, switched to manual mode, and launched the rocket. In the first stage, everything worked fine. In the second stage, a problem developed. Instead of the satellite going into orbit, the whole rocket system plunged into the Bay of Bengal. It was a big failure.

That day, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, Prof. Satish Dhawan, had called a press conference. The launch was at 7:00 am, and the press conference -- where journalists from around the world were present -- was at 7:45 am at ISRO's satellite launch range in Sriharikota [in Andhra Pradesh in southern India]. Prof. Dhawan, the leader of the organization, conducted the press conference himself. He took responsibility for the failure -- he said that the team had worked very hard, but that it needed more technological support. He assured the media that in another year, the team would definitely succeed. Now, I was the project director, and it was my failure, but instead, he took responsibility for the failure as chairman of the organization.

The next year, in July 1980, we tried again to launch the satellite -- and this time we succeeded. The whole nation was jubilant. Again, there was a press conference. Prof. Dhawan called me aside and told me, "You conduct the press conference today."

I learned a very important lesson that day. When failure occurred, the leader of the organization owned that failure. When success came, he gave it to his team. The best management lesson I have learned did not come to me from reading a book; it came from that experience.

Potato Facts

2008-04-23T16:32:00.002+08:00

How I came about writing facts about Potato? This was very famous for cooking in France during my stay over there. It was also used as fashion accessory, which I noticed in one of the painting in the Château de Versailles. Potatoes available there were much fresh and so clean with no sand on it. I can hear somebody saying OK, Stop It. So, Let us head straight to the facts now.

This nutritious, tasty tuber - now eaten all over the world and the main ingredient in over 406,000 recipes on the Internet - was first cultivated in the South American Andes mountains over 4,000 years ago.

The potato consists of about 80percent water and 20percent starch.

One medium-size potato (about 150g) contains 100 calories if you boil it or bake it without fat.

Website www.thehotpotato.com lists these nutrients in a medium-size potato: 3g protein; 0g fat; 22g carbohydrates.

Apart from being fat and cholesterol-free, the potato is also high in vitamin C, potassium and a good source of vitamin B6 and dietary fibre.

The sweet potato belongs in the same family as morning glories while the white potato belongs to the same group as tomatoes, tobacco, chilli pepper, eggplant and the petunia.

Despite the popular notion, the majority of nutrients are not found in the skin, but in the potato itself. Nonetheless, leaving the skin on the potatoes retains all the nutrients and the fibre in the skin. It also makes potatoes easier to prepare.

This is the United Nations' International Year Of The Potato which will focus on the importance of the potato in providing food security and alleviating poverty.

The potato as a fashion accessory? Don't laugh. France's Louis XVI and his queen, Marie Antoinette , liked to wear potato blossoms. He in his buttonhole, she in her hair.

Cherish Our Parents

2008-04-22T10:28:00.003+08:00

This was narrated by an IAF pilot to IIT students during a Seminar on Human Relations:

Venkatesh Balasubramaniam describes how his gesture of booking an air ticket for his father, his maiden flight, brought forth a rush of emotions and made him (Venkatesh) realize that how much we all take for granted when it comes to our parents.

My parents left for our native place on Thursday and we went to the airport to see them off. In fact, my father had never traveled by air before, so I just took this opportunity to make him experience the same. In spite of being asked to book tickets by train, I got them tickets on Jet Airways.

The moment I handed over the tickets to him, he was surprised to see that I had booked them by air. The excitement was very apparent on his face, waiting for the time of travel. Just like a school boy, he was preparing himself on that day and we all went to the airport, right from using the trolley for his luggage, the baggage check-in and asking for a window seat and waiting restlessly for the security check-in to happen. He was thoroughly enjoying himself and I, too, was overcome with joy watching him experience all these things.

As they were about to go in for the security check-in, he walked up to me with tears in his eyes and thanked me. He became very emotional and it was not as if I had done something great but the fact that this meant a great deal to him. When he said thanks, I told him there was no need to thank me. But later, thinking about the entire incident, I looked back at my life.

As a child, how many dreams our parents have made come true. Without understanding the financial situation, we ask for cricket bats, dresses, toys, outings, etc. Irrespective of their affordability, they have catered to all our needs. Did we ever think about the sacrifices they had to make to accommodate many of our wishes? Did we ever say thanks for all that they have done for us?

Same way, today when it comes to our children, we always think that we should put them in a good school. Regardless of the amount of donation, we will ensure that we will have to give the child the best, theme parks, toys, etc. But we tend to forget that our parents have sacrificed a lot for our sake to see us happy, so it is our responsibility to ensure that their dreams are realized and what they failed to see when they were young. It is our responsibility to ensure that they experience all those and their life is complete.

Many times, when my parents had asked me some questions, I have actually answered back without patience. When my daughter asks me something, I have been very polite in answering. Now I realize how they would have felt at those moments.

Let us realize that old age is a second childhood and just as we take care of our children, the same attention and same care needs to be given to our parents and elders.

Rather than my dad saying thank you to me, I would want to say sorry for making him wait so long for this small dream. I do realize how much he has sacrificed for my sake and I will do my best to give the best possible attention to all their wishes. Just because they are old does not mean that they will have to give up everything and keep sacrificing for their grandchildren also. They have wishes, too.

We shall now decide (if you haven't really done this before) how we will be taking care of our Parents.

THEY BROUGHT US INTO THIS WORLD, GAVE US ALL THEY HAD AND MADE US WHAT WE ARE. THEY ARE PRECIOUS

The Making of Tower Eiffel

2008-04-22T09:46:00.005+08:00

This is a must and obvious place to visit in Paris. When you are standing right below the Tower and look up to the height of the tower, Oh Man... Just can't imagine the feel you get. If you go up to the top you can get the view of the big city. This is how the world (wonder) famous Eiffel Tower was constructed.

Dropped your Mobile Phone in Water?

2008-04-18T15:59:00.004+08:00

I have put my Nokia phone inside washing machine and got washed along with cloths few years back. I ran to Nokia Service Centre, they told me that any contact with liquid doesn’t come under warranty and we cannot recover the life of your phone even we after tried in our service lab, so they gave it back.

I didn't really get to know about much technique on drying it out to make it work. A week later my friend mailed me saying similar incident happened with his O2 Phone and he managed to recover it by completely disassembling it and drying it out with Hair Dryer. He was lucky until today he has no problem. I tried but it didn’t work may be mine was dead long time back and cannot be revived.

The real technique involves with drying your wet phone and removing all the moisture quickly with right amount of heating. Remember after all the phone internal main board is made up of using IC Chips and other semiconductors devices like transistor and resisters, hence they are all sensitive to too much of heat. If you have studied Electronics subjects you will know this for sure.

Today I just received an email saying a bowl of rice also can do this job and I did a quick search to see if this is for real or hoax and seems like it was discussed in Yahoo Answers and one guy mentioned about the same few months back. Somebody Else also posted an extensive article on this topic of how to save a wet mobile phone and it seems it did solve the problem. The Conetent of the mail I received is available here.

With all this I am sure if your iPod or phone happens to accidentally goes under I am sure you have the solution handy now.

Bread Pitt

2008-04-18T15:56:00.002+08:00

We have a bakery shop named this at Maxwell Food Centre? It will not be a surprise if someone set up another bakery and name it Angelina Loti :)

TN State Board E-Books

2008-04-17T18:19:00.002+08:00

This is a good piece of work by TN Government Either this is going to benefit you or your friends or your neighbours or your colleagues, whose children are studying in the State boards. Now the TN State board books are online in PDF and downloadable for all standards of schools that is from Std 1 to Std 12 and All subjects. It is available at Text Books Online

If you think this news will benefit your friends or your neighbours or your colleagues, please feel free to forward this.

With this do you feel education society is moving bit hi-tech? Share your views

Rama Navami

2008-04-14T17:28:00.000+08:00

Sri Ramavathar is one of the greatest Avathaar (incarnation) taken by Sriman Narayanan. This Rama Avathaar explains lots and lots of guidelines that need to be followed by each and every person in this world. During this Avathaar, Sriman Narayanan incarnates as the son for great king, Dasarathan. But in spite of being born to a great king, throughout this Avathaar, he led his life as an ordinary person. And, during this Avathaar, irrespective of the caste/creed, he helped all the persons who seeked his help and extended his divine hands to all of his devotees.

Navami and Sri Rama:
Generally, we will not perform (or) start any new issues (or) work during Ashtami (the day Sri Krishnar is born) nor in Navami. And during this Navami thithi only, Sri Rama was born.

There is a small and beautiful story behind this. Each and every thithi has karthaas (Head or Chief). Once, these two thithis - Ashtami and Navami went towards Thriuppaarkadal and questioned that these two thithis are not being accepted by any of the person in the Bhoolokam and thinks that these two were not used for any of the new business not new things being started during these days. But, on hearing this, Sriman Narayanan answered them that to explain the greatness of these thithis, he will be born in the earth, during these thithis. And as a result of this only, Sri Rama was born in Navami and Sri Krishna in Ashtami and the entire world is celebrating these two days as a great festival.

இனிய சர்வதாரி தமிழ் புத்தாண்டு நல் வாழ்த்துக்கள்

2008-04-14T16:35:00.004+08:00

உங்களுக்கும் உங்கள் குடும்பத்தினருக்கும்
எனது உளமார்ந்த இனிய
சர்வதாரி தமிழ் புத்தாண்டு
நல் வாழ்த்துக்கள்

எவ்வாறு தமிழ் புத்தாண்டை எனது சிறு வயதில் கொண்டாடினேன் என இங்கே படித்தறியவும்.

Quotes from Legends

2008-04-10T17:12:00.001+08:00

If you start judging people,
you will be having no time to love them - Mother Teresa

If you win you need not explain But if you lose
you should not be there to explain - Adolf Hitler

Dont compare yourself with anyone in this world
If you do so, you are insulting yourself - Alan Strike

Believing everybody is dangerous
Believing nobody is very dangerous - Abraham Lincoln

If you need any changes from others,
You first show it in yours - Mahatma Gandhi

Success is the sum of small efforts,
repeated day in and day out - Robert Collier

To climb steep hills requires
A slow pace at first - Shakespeare

Do not worry about your problems with mathematics,
I assure you mine are far greater - Albert Einstein

It is common sense to take a method and try it.
If it fails, admit it frankly and try another.
But above all, try something - Franklin D. Roosevelt

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity;
An optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty
- Sir Winston Churchill

Snow Facts

2008-04-10T16:41:00.002+08:00

Since I have enjoyed too much of Snow quite recently here I thought I will find more facts about it and share it with you all here. Before we get to know the facts here is just a brief intro on how the snow is formed and how it comes down to ground as snow flake in the form of snow fall.

Water inside clouds gets frozen and it turns into ice crystals. They are formed around tiny bits of dirt that have been carried up into the atmosphere by the wind. Finally these Ice crystals join together creating snow flakes. Once the flakes are heavy enough they fall to the ground as snow. Each snow flake is made up of from 2 to about 200 separate crystals. In addition to a normal snow fall, snow can drift to the ground lightly as flurries, fall heavily as a snowstorm, or pile up quickly by being blown by strong winds in a blizzard. Ok, now you can proceed to read more on the snow facts.

Snow continues to challenge weather experts across the country. It is still very difficult to predict and is surprisingly hard to measure once it has fallen

Based on National Weather Service records for 1961 through 1990, Rochester, New York averages 94 inches of snow annually and is the snowiest large city in the United States. Rochester has a population more than 200,000 and annual municipal snow-removal budget of $3.7 million (1995 figures)

Buffalo, New York, is a close runner-up in terms of U.S. large cities with the most snow. A 39-inch snowfall in 24 hours in early December 1995 cost the city nearly $5 million for snow removal.

Each year an average of 105 snow-producing storms affect the continental United States. A typical storm will have a snow-producing lifetime of two to five days and will bring snow to portions of several states.

Fresh snow is an excellent insulator. Ten inches of fresh snow with a density of 0.07 inches, seven percent water, is approximately equal to a six-inch-layer of fiberglass insulation with an insulation R-value of R-18.

Practically every location in the United States has seen snowfall. Even most portions of southern Florida have seen a few snow flurries.

Snow kills hundreds of people in the United States each year. The primary snow-related deaths are from traffic accidents, overexertion, and exposure, but deaths from avalanches have been steadily increasing.

The greatest snowfall officially reported at the Phoenix, Arizona National Weather Service Office was one inch. That occurred twice. The first time was January 20, 1933. It happened again four years later on the same date.

In the western United States, mountain snow pack contributes up to 75 percent of all year-round surface water supplies.

The commonly used ten-to-one ratio of snowfall to water content is a myth for much of the United States. This ration varies from as low as 100-to-one to as high as about three-to-one depending on the meteorological conditions associated with the snowfall.

Nationwide, the average snowfall amount per day when snow falls is about two inches, but in some mountain areas of the West, an average of seven inches per snow day is observed.

Courtesy : NSIDC

One Day Visit to Chateau de Versailles

2008-04-08T20:05:00.003+08:00

My plan during the weekend is to visit two major attractions in Paris, one is Chateau de Versailles and another one is to visit Musée du Louvre. As a first move I chose to visit Chateau de Versailles on Saturday and Musée du Louvre on Sunday.

Saturday Morning around 10 plus I managed to join the queue the ticket office at the Palace to get the ticket, As expected the queue for buying ticket was longer but luckily not so long compared to the situation an hour later. There was another queue again to get into the Palace with security checks and all. I collected the audio guide and started to explore the palace right from the assembly hall till King's private places.

King Louis XIV had real passion for art I would say, the collections of huge art paintings hanging on the wall and appearing at the every ceiling inside all around the palace. It seems like there were arts school to teach by the experts during those days. He was also an expert in ballet dance I heard. During his days he was treated like God by the people as there was waking up ceremony everyday morning by the priests and the bedroom was real beautifully decorated to the max. Nowadays we may not be expected to have that kind of luxurious life now matter how rich we are. Inside the Palaces to visit, Hall of Mirror, Bed Room for Queen and Discussion Room for making major decisions also public entertainment area, Room for Gods and lot more.

After that I returned my audio guide and took quick lunch and walked along the Garden that had so many water fountains under different names. Its architecture was simply fabulous. There were varieties of sculptures carved on Marble and various other materials as well. They make the fountain work only for 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening so it’s nice to visit the garden only during that period.

After that I had to walk for about 15 mins to reach Grand Trianon on the way I saw a farm land where they breed sheep, cow and horses. Herd of sheep were spread all along those piece of big land and were busy doing there grass eating business. Tried to attract few of them closer to me with a green apple I heard and quite a lot came over near the fence and I clicked few snaps of them.

Grand Trianon was built mainly for a place where king and his close family could escape from the hectic life of court at the Château of Versailles. Petit Trianon was closed for renovation, but had access to the Marie-Antoinette’s estate and it was real big one, where the queen had her own theatre and Private house. I understand from the history that this entire estate was built and managed as per queen’s taste. Small houses along these regions were unique in design of its kind. There were farm land at the backyard of the houses and it was decorated with gardens through front and back. I shall add those pictures here tonight.

By the time I finished walking around the estate it was already 7PM, I thought I will better walk back home since I was really getting to the point of being totally exhausted. I must make a point here that if you are not physically strong to walk around everywhere in this huge area you must really prepare yourself with all possible support as it really demands a strong physique to explore. There are mini trams available to move between different locations alternatively you can hire a golf cart or bi-cycle too but to walk inside the palace or estate it’s definitely tiring for those who dislike walking. I didn’t know that the same goes for Musée du Louvre until I visited it next day.

You will have to plan at least one day to be there and explore the entire place if not in half a day you might have to skip some portion of the whole place. I would suggest to buy One Day Pass ticket as it will give you access to all places out there otherwise you will have to buy ticket for every entrance and is expensive than One Day Pass. I guess a pass will cost you 25 Euro. Another Idea could be to get a 2 days Museum pass that will cost you only 30 Euro and you can also visit all other museum in Paris along with Chateau de Versailles. For details on Museum passes please visit Official Web Site and get details on what kind of passes you like to buy and where to buy. They have passes valid for 2 / 4 / 6 days and it has no expiry date that gives you the freedom to use any day you want to use it. But the day count is consecutive from day one you start to use it.

I need to give special thanks and credit to my friend David, who lives in Paris and works for the same company as mine for providing excellent details and guidance on where to go and what to look for.

I will write another post on my experience during the visit to Musée du Louvre.

25 Tips For A Healthy Living

2008-04-04T21:34:00.001+08:00

Eat more of gains, vegetables, beans, greens, fruits, fish, seeds & yogurt

Eat less of milk, cheese & nuts

Add Garlic to your recipes

Add Beta-carotene rich foods like carrots, cabbage, sweet potatoes and dark leafy greens to your food preparation

Reduce sodium intake to no more than 1 1/4 (one and quarter) teaspoons of salt per day

Eat regular meals at right break

Drink water throughout the day

Switch from coffee to tea, green tea even better

Exercise regularly, if not daily at least 2 to three days a week

Take the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator

Do Housework that gives you an extra chance for simple exercise

Healthy weight should be maintained

If you are a smoker try quiting of smoke for the shorter then longer period and completely for ever

Avoid Alcohol and subsidise it with something else

Sleep adequately

Monitor your Blood Pressure

Cholesterol level should also be monitored

Work Schedule should be regular that will help to avoid too much stress

Meditate daily its a good stress relieving technique

Share jokes with friends/colleagues as you know Laughter is a good medicine

Complete health check-Ups should be done regulary to monitor over all health

Watch your diet and Control Diabetes

Beware of our Family History of cardiovascular disease

Love - Give it & Receive it

If you are on a medication by physician follow the instructions as prescribed strictly. Courses must be completed fully though you are cured in advance

Switzerland or Sweeter Land?

2008-03-31T20:37:00.009+08:00

Why Should I be calling Switzerland as Sweeter Land? Didn't you read my previous post on my trip to Europe Region? Yes, the first week plan in my travel itinerary was to get to Switzerland and I made it with extra effort and extra spending from my packet, It was a similar kind of traveling arrangement experience to Pulau Besar. I almost gave up the hope of visiting Switzerland as I just missed the train ticket reservation even for the first class train from France to Switzerland. Still I searched for Train Passes on the internet and found an agent in Paris who provided me with first class train ticket on a different train but longer traveling hours. Along with it also took a Swiss Flexi Saver Pass for 3 days to board any train / bus / tram except mountain trains inside anywhere in Switzerland. It was very useful since it also came with the entry passes to 300 plus museum across the country though we visited only two or three museums.

I had the glimpses of snowing right at the beginning of entering Switzerland border till the end of the journey. I can’t express it by words with the nature mother’s best is shown out there on this land with snows and greenaries along with man made architecture. It was snowing everywhere at night and some times during the day, people were very nice and friendly, which is why I called it as Sweeter Land than Switzerland. It was very touching to see with the people living there provided assistance in all the aspects right from the begining of the trip, immigration help provided by first co-traveler named Fabienna who was on her way back to home from trip to India.

On our way back one senior citizen (she must have been 80+) explained us about Evian town and mountain around it as a wonderful scenic spot also made arrangements with another passenger to show is the scenery as she was getting off just one station before the scenic spot. Even the other passenger (Heidi is her name) was kind enough to share with us the chocolate she bought for the Easter celebration and told she is on her way back to her study school from home. She showed the spot and she also gave us the route to visit seashore at the Lausanne town as we had some extra time to kill before leaving to Paris.

During my stay there in Switzerland visited Places like Jungfrau Mountain (Top of Europe – 3200 Meter above Sea Level) and learned the fact that if you have heart problem you are not suppose to go up since, lack of oxygen and high pressure in air and had similar experience at Mount Titlis too. Also visited Mount Pilatus at 2000 Plus meter high.

Got to know about the Alpine Horn out there. Way back from Piltus to down hill with wooden Sledge is unforgettable memory in my life as without any experience I took ride on a difficult path and managed to arrive at the next cable car station an hour later. After that visited to Lucerne Town and Zurich as well, these two towns smells the history over Switzerland many years back by means of its rich architectural buildings and monuments as well museums. I must mention here about the Switzerland Train Timings, they are very acurate and punctual about departure and arrival timings. You can tell the time by the departure and arrival of trains without even looking at your watch if you know their timings. You can get complete timings of train timings here . I am sure I can’t write everything here will try to post one more detailed experience and also find the way to share some of the shots during the stay. For the time being will leave you with some of the photos I edited from my collections along with this post.

As promised the photos are available Here. Sorry that you need to have Orkut Login to see it.

High Heels with High Troubles

2008-03-31T20:27:00.003+08:00

I had always worried about the health factors concerning to wearing a high heel sandal or shoe by ladies. Here is an interesting piece of info that came to my mail box and I felt it is necessary to share with you all especially to those who would love to wear High Heels shoes or sandals without knowing the real impact of it. Click on the image to read about it further and know where you stand.

Based on my knowledge any heel above one and half inch is surely going to cause some long term problem to your health. For your heel height calculation you can visit the page here

Bonjour

2008-03-17T23:18:00.004+08:00

I am hearding this word everywhere since this morning and happy to know the everyone around wearing smiles around and greeting each others. Wondering how? just because I've been assigned for an official Mission in Paris. Other than the fact that I'm suffering due to jetlag and chilling cold (<3 deg) my stay here is quite pleasant. I'm yet to explore the city in the upcoming month. Stay tuned to read my post titled Trip to Paris. I will also be visiting other European neighbouring countries during my weekends and will try to share my travelling experience with you all.

To All Married Couples and Singles Who Intend To Get Married

2008-03-11T17:37:00.002+08:00

Author : Unknown

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly. She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why? I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man!

That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer, i had lost my heart to a lovely girl called Dew. I did'nt love her anymore..I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, 30% shares of my company and the car. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Dew so dearly.

Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I did'nt have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a months time and she did'nt want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that everyday for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy.

Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Dew about my wife s divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully. My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us,daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly, don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset.

I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office. On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest.. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realised she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily. Suddenly it hit me, .. she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart.

Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head. Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mum out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly, it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I had'nt noticed that our life lacked intimacy. I drove to office... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind... I walked upstairs. Dew opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished. Then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other any more. Now I realise that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death does us apart.

Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away. At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote: I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

The small details of our lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, the property, the bank balance that matters. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy.

Do have a real happy marriage!

If you don't share this, nothing will happen to you, but if you do, you just might save a marriage.

Heard of Backward Running or Walking?

2008-03-07T15:12:00.004+08:00

Backward walking is practiced since long time ago especially among elderly people as a part of daily exercise to be mentally and physically fit. This kind of practice is also called retro-exercise.

It's good for the hips, legs, and trunk. When you go backwards, your stomach will work out like your back and creates a nice reaction for your abdominals. Putting it in reverse for a while is a pretty good deal.

Doctors recommend us to walk or do jogging everyday as a part of exercise. But busy people will complain all the time saying its too time consuming activity and I don't have time for it. So, we just try for few days and leave the idea on the air. The good news for such people is that 100 steps backward walking is equivalent to 10,000 steps conventional walking, this is what is the statement explained by a physical exerciser Walking 10,000 steps will take half day of yours. Many have no such precious time to waste just for jogging or walking especially in the morning. It is also hard to continue everyday.

For backward walking, an important point to note is that not to bend your knee. It is recommended to try to keep your feet straight or in stretched position. Backward walking does not require long distance, which means you can do it anywhere (May it be your backyard or at the top of your office building during your tea breaks).

To avoid muscle soreness, start slowly: Start to walk backward a quarter mile for the first week and improve from there on. Elderly exercisers or anyone else with balance problems should not retro walk

Choose the right shoes. Avoid stiff-soled shoes that don't bend. "Walking shoes" have flexible soles and stiff heel counters to prevent side-to-side motion. But for normal terrain, any comfortable, cushioned, lightweight, low-heeled shoes will do.

Let's walk backward and get physically and mentally healthy.

Just for Today

2008-03-07T15:09:00.001+08:00

10 reasons why you should drink Tea (instead of coffee!)

2008-02-22T14:33:00.001+08:00

Tea contains antioxidants. These antioxidants protect your body from the ravages of aging and the effects of pollution.

Tea has less caffeine than coffee. Coffee usually has 2 to 3 times the caffeine of tea. If drinking coffee gives you the jitters, causes indigestion or headaches or interferes with sleep - switch to tea.

Tea may reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Unwanted blood clots formed from cholesterol and blood platelets cause heart attack and stroke. Drinking tea may help keep your arteries smooth and clog-free, the same way a drain keeps your bathroom pipes clear.

Tea protects your bones. It's not just the milk added to tea that builds strong bones. One study that compared tea drinkers with non-drinkers, found that people who drank tea for 10 or more years had the strongest bones.

Tea gives you a sweet smile. Tea itself actually contains fluoride and tannins that may keep plaque at bay. It's the sugar added to it that's likely to blame for bad dental records. So add unsweetened tea drinking to your daily dental routine of brushing and flossing for healthier teeth and gums.

Tea bolsters your immune defenses. Drinking tea may help your body's immune system fight off infection. When 21 volunteers drank either five cups of tea or coffee each day for four weeks, researchers saw higher immune system activity in the blood of the tea drinkers.

Tea protects against cancer. Thank the polyphenols, the antioxidants found in tea, once again for their cancer-fighting effects. While the overall research is inconclusive, there are enough studies that show the potential protective effects of drinking tea to make adding tea to your list of daily beverages.

Tea helps keep you hydrated. Caffeinated beverages, including tea, used to be on the list of beverages that didn't contribute to our daily fluid needs. Since caffeine is a diuretic and makes us pee more, the thought was that caffeinated beverages couldn't contribute to our overall fluid requirement. However, recent research has shown that the caffeine really doesn't matter - tea and other caffeinated beverages definitely contribute to our fluid needs.

Tea is calorie-free. Tea doesn't have any calories, unless you add sweetener or milk. Consuming even 250 fewer calories per day can result in losing one pound per week. If you're looking for a satisfying, calorie-free beverage, tea is a top choice.

Tea increases your metabolism. Lots of people complain about a slow metabolic rate and their inability to lose weight. Green tea has been shown to actually increase metabolic rate so that you can burn 70 to 80 additional calories by drinking just five cups of green tea per day. Of course, taking a 15-minute walk every day will also burn calories.

Source: i village

This article is meant for infomation only and does not constitute as medical advice. Please consume everything in moderation and consult a doctor first especially if you are pregnant or have certain health conditions.

Insight into Decision Making

2008-02-22T10:19:00.001+08:00

A group of children were playing near two railway tracks, one still in use while the other disused. Only one child played on the disused track, the rest on the operational track.

The train is coming, and you are just beside the track interchange. You can make the train change its course to the disused track and save most of the kids. However, that would also mean the lone child playing by the disused track would be sacrificed. Or would you rather let the train go its way?

Let's take a pause to think what kind of decision we could make................

Most people might choose to divert the course of the train, and sacrifice only one child. You might think the same way, I guess. Exactly, I thought the same way initially because to save most of the children at the expense of only one child was rational decision most people would make, morally and emotion! ally. But, have you ever thought that the child choosing to play on the disused track had in fact made the right decision to play at a safe place?

Nevertheless, he had to be sacrificed because of his ignorant friends who chose to play where the danger was. This kind of dilemma happens around us everyday. In the office, community, in politics and especially in a democratic society, the minority is often sacrificed for the interest of the majority, no matter how foolish or ignorant the majority are, and how farsighted he child who chose not to play with the rest on the operational track was sidelined. And in the case he was sacrificed, no one would shed a tear for him.

The great critic Leo Velski Julian who told the story said he would not try to change the course of the train because he believed that the kids playing on the operational track should have known very well that track was still in use, and that they should have run away if they heard the train's sirens. If the train was diverted, that lone child would definitely die because he never thought the train could come over to that track! Moreover, that track was not in use probably because it was not safe. If the train was diverted to the track, we could put the lives of all passengers on board at stake! And in your attempt to save a few kids by sacrificing one child, you might en! d up sacrificing hundreds of people to save these few kids.

While we are all aware that life is full of tough decisions that need to be made, we may not realize that hasty decisions may not always be the right one.

"Remember that what's right isn't always popular... and what's popular isn't always right."

Everybody makes mistakes; that's why they put erasers on pencils.

Priceless Gift

2008-02-21T10:42:00.002+08:00

Some time ago, a friend of mine punished his 4 year old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated when the small child tried to decorate a box to put under the tree.

Nevertheless the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said: "This is for you Daddy."

He was embarrassed by his earlier over reaction...

He opened the box and his anger flared again when he found the box was empty. Then he yelled at her: "DON'T YOU KNOW when you give someone a present there's supposed to be something inside of it???”

The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said,
" Oh Daddy it's not empty, I blew kisses into the box, all for you Daddy."

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged her for forgiveness.

My friend told me that he kept that gold box near his bed for years. Whenever he was discouraged he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense each of us has been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses.

There is no more precious possession anyone could hold. It’s simply Priceless...

"It takes a minute to have a crush an hour to like someone and a day to love someone but it takes a lifetime to forget someone"

7-Day Detox Diet Plan

2008-02-20T22:22:00.002+08:00

Detox diets needn't leave you feeling famished and tired. Try this realistic one-week detox diet meal plan to cleanse your system and improve your well-being. Begin your day with half a lemon squeezed into hot water, caffeine-free tea or fruit juice, then incorporate the following nutritionally-balanced meal plans to keep you functioning at your best while you flush out the toxins from your body naturally.

Flush out toxins and rid water retention with this one-week detox menu!

Day 1
Breakfast:Sandwich, ham and lettuce on wholemeal bread, and 1 glass of soya milk.
Lunch: Fish noodle soup and 1 wedge of papaya.
Snack: 1 cup of apple chips.
Dinner:Curried mixed vegetables, stir-fried garlic wholegrain rice and 1 kiwi fruit.

Day 2
Breakfast: Tuna spread on rye toast and 1 glass of carrot juice.
Lunch: Chicken porridge and half a mango.
Snack: 100g bar dark chocolate.
Dinner:Baked salmon, fresh vegetable salad with low-fat mayonnaise and corn soup.

Day 3
Breakfast: Oats and muesli with low-fat yogurt and strawberries.
Lunch: Skinless chicken, celery, 1 bowl of steamed rice.
Snack: Handful of dried cranberries.
Dinner: Spaghetti with meat sauce and boiled broccoli.

Day 4
Breakfast: Home-made smoothie, blended using soya milk and banana.
Lunch: Egg salad sandwich on wholemeal bread and 1 wedge of pineapple.
Snack: 3 pieces of plain digestive biscuits.
Dinner:Grilledchicken,beanandpasta salad and 1 glass of orange juice.

Day 5
Breakfast: Low-fat peanut butter on oat crackers and half a grapefruit.
Lunch: Stir-fried prawn noodles and 1 slice of watermelon.
Snack: 1 cup of low-fat frozen yogurt.
Dinner: Turkey, sliced tomatoes and lettuce on wholegrain bread.

Day 6
Breakfast:Omelette with bacon bits and diced spring onion, and 1 glass of tomato juice.
Lunch: Stir-fried fish in sweet and sour sauce, 1 bowl of steamed rice.
Snack: Handful of unsalted almonds.
Dinner: Tuna and buckwheat pasta, 1 bowl of miso soup and 1 kiwi fruit.

Day 7
Breakfast: Wholemeal toast and 1 cup of low-fat yogurt.
Lunch:Chickenfingersandfreshfruitsalad sprinkled with finely
chopped nuts.
Snack: 4 pieces of wholemeal crackers.
Dinner: Seafood pasta and 1 apple.

I'm a vegetarian so I cannot try this so you please try this and leave your comment if it worked for you if you are a non-vegetarian.

Water Cure

2008-02-20T10:11:00.003+08:00

I have posted many other articles related to H2O. This is another addition to it. There are some Q & A underneath this cure listing. Read, Follow & Get Benefited.

1. Reduces high blood pressure to some extent

Those who suffer from blood pressure may not find it completely cured. The salt accumulated on the walls of the intestines obstructs the expansion and contraction of the intestines. With more salt and less intake of water blood becomes thick. If this thick blood is to be pumped through hardened nerves heart has to undergo pressure. In result blood pressure goes up. If 5-6 liters of water is taken salt deposits are flushed out, blood vessels become soft and blood pressure comes down. It cannot be cured without medication in all the people. It depends on the percentage of salt in the food. When more water is taken many people are able to bring down the blood pressure from 140/90 to 120/80. Those who are not able to maintain blood pressure are able to control it with more intake of water. Anyway, do not stop medicines immediately after taking more water. Medicines are to be reduced under medical supervision. Water can prevent people from falling prey to blood pressure. If 5-6 liters of water is taken blood pressure can be kept under control. Those who have moderate blood pressure can be cured completely.

2. Low blood pressure can be eliminated

Drinking 5-6 liters of water will cure reeling sensation and blood pressure. Water is the only medicine for low blood pressure. Those who take less water suffer from low blood pressure. If we consume more salt and take less water we can never overcome the problem of low blood pressure. Less water intake decreases the pressure of water in the blood. If the pressure of blood is low heart cannot pump blood properly. When the brain does not receive blood properly we suffer from reeling sensation and swoon. Low blood pressure can surely be cured with drinking 5-6 liters of water and head bath with cold water everyday. Whenever there is reeling sensation and weakness coconut water will be helpful.

3. Relief from headache

60 per cent of people who come to us are able to be free from headache just by taking more water. Others are not that lucky unless they follow food regimen and other restrictions too. Maladies in stomach and excretion system cause headache. If more water is drunk and head bath with cold water is taken headache disappears within 10-15 days. As we take more water and desist from taking water while eating stomach feels light. With this many people are free from headache. There are 10-12 reasons for headache: Anemia, thickening of blood, consumption of less water, contraction of blood vessels and rupture of blood vessels in the brain, oozing of bad chemicals because of tensions etc. Water brings about changes in all aspects.

4. Relief from constipation

When less water is taken fasces are hardened and stick to intestines. It cannot move from intestines leading to constipation. Even if good food is taken and intake of water is less bowel movement will not be free. Only water helps the fasces become soft and move without sticking to the intestines. 90 in 100 are able to have free bowel movement and are free from constipation when they take 5-6 liters of water. The intake of water helps cure constipation. Taking lot of water, concentrating on intestines and entering toilet when the urge is powerful is helping many people.

5. Good sleep There are many reasons for not being able to sleep properly. If constipation, stomach disorders, insufficient blood circulation to head, tension and blood pressure are reasons for sleeplessness taking more water helps. Many can sleep well if they have free bowel movement.

6. Appetite increases

Those who do not have free bowel movement have less appetite. They eat something or the other and get along. In result appetite further diminishes. Unless you clean the fasces there is no use of medicine. If water is taken in the above said manner constipation disappears completely and appetite increases. Digestive juices are produced in less quantity due to insufficient availability of water. If those juices are less appetite decreases. With the intake of 5-6 liters of water digestive juices are produced in good quantity, bowel movement is free and appetite becomes good.

7. Burning sensation in stomach decreases

With more intake of water people are able to get relief from burning sensation in the stomach within two or three days. Some say they find relief the same day. Acids ooze out in the stomach and cause burning sensation. Water influences these acids and works as an antidote. If water is taken after two hours of taking food there won’t be any burning sensation. The water we take along food dilutes the acids that are produced. The water we take thrice in a day stops the influence of acids on the intestines. It is better to take warm water to keep away from acidity. If the burning sensation is to be relieved immediately it is better to take 5-6 liters of warm water.

8. Gas trouble

Gas is produced more in those whose digestive system is weak and those who suffer from constipation. Harmful bacteria are generated from the stored fasces, which release a variety of gases. This gas cannot go downwards because of constipation. The undigested food in the stomach also produces certain gases. These gases make the stomach heavy. By taking more water constipation disappears. Food is digested properly if as we do not take water while eating. Because of these two changes gas trouble subsides.

9. Some relief from ulcers

Very few people are relieved from ulcers just by taking more water. They are cured completely if they follow food regimen also. There are several reasons for ulcers. Untimely eating, having more tea, diminution of mucus in the intestines, generation of acids in excess and harmful bacteria are the causes for ulcers. Taking 5-6 liters of warm water is better in these conditions. The burning sensation due to ulcers is reduced to a large extent with intake of more water. If the method of taking water is perfect there is no suffering. Intake of more water leads to increase in mucus in the intestines and gives relief.

10. Weight reduction through intake of water

Those who are obese have more water content in their body. More water is stored in their body unusually. Those who put on weight take less water. They think that more intake of water makes them further obese and reduce intake of water. Less intake of water leads to storage of water inside the body, which leads to overweight. Those who are overweight by 20 kilos are able to reduce their weight by 5-6 kilos in 20 days when they take 6-7 liters of water. Without any change in food they are able to reduce weight in the first month. If they change their food habits they can reduce their weight further, at least they can maintain the same weight. With the intake of more water the process of food becoming fat is not that active. There are people who reduce weight just by intake of water.

11. Contraction of tummy

Man has lower and upper abdomen. If there is no proper ablation lower abdomen grows. If we drink water while eating well upper abdomen rows. When we take more water ablation is free and the lower abdomen comes down. If water is not taken till after two hours of eating food upper abdomen decreases. The water taken on empty stomach brings down the tummy.

12. Cold can be cured

Some suffer with every change in food and water and some others frequently once in a month or two. Those who suffer from high histamine and eat unsuitable food get this ailment. When waste material and toxins increase in the body they are purged out in the form of cold. It can be said that those who take less water suffer from cold. Water is anti-histamine. It means water works as antidote to histamine produced in the body. Moreover, with more intake of water waste material and toxins are purged out everyday and cold is cured and it stops from recurring. When suffering from cold 6-7 liters of warm water gives quick relief. Remedy for cold is water.

13. Edema can be cured

If any body suffers from edema it means there is more salt and less water in his body. More salt is deposited in the body in those who take less water. Salt is not deposited in isolation. It stores water also. This leads to edema. As we suffer from edema we reduce consumption of water and the trouble shoots up. If the stored water from the body has to come out we have to take more water. The water we take goes into the body and comes out in the form of urine along with the stored salt. With this edema will disappear to a large extent. Only few people can get rid of edema with intake of just water. Those who have limited problem get complete relief. Those who have lot of swelling cannot be cured completely just with water. 50-60 per cent can be cured. If they stop taking salt edema disappears within 5-6 days.Taking more water is important.14 Sneezes Sneezes occur to throw out cold from face and nostrils. As the cold obstructs air sneezing appears. If we do not want to sneeze we should stop cold. For this we should take more water. Those who take less water sneeze frequently. It is better to take warm water throughout the day to stop sneezing. At least it is to be taken in the morning. For some people this problem goes with water and some others should stop taking salt completely. Some others are not relieved of this unless they do Pranayamaand some jogging. However, warm water helps to a large extent.

15. Allergies

Allergies are of several kinds - food allergy, dust allergy, skin allergy etc. Allergies are not cured with medicines. It is said the allergic items are to be avoided completely. Those who give the body natural foods such as fruits,vegetables and nuts are allergic to unnatural foods like cool drinks, ice creams, sweets, pickles etc. Allergies occur when natural foods are given to unnatural body. Being allergic is common these days even to snow, sun, rain, coconut, honey, citrus fruit, water, flowers and vegetables. It means our body, which has turned unnatural, is not accepting natural things. It is throwing them out considering that there is no place for them. Actually we should be allergic to pickles, cakes, sweets, cool drinks, fried vegetables and non-vegetarian food. There is nobody who visits a doctor with such allergies. Unless we clear he body of unnatural stuff, allergy to dust, food and skin cannot be overcome. It is water that cleans it. If the body is cleaned outside with water allergies won’t go. Many people are cured of allergies just with drinking water. Some others get relief when there is change of food along with taking more water. 5-6 liters of water is veryuseful

16. Scars disappear

I have got some scars on the face and the skin. I feel that I will look better without them. Skin cannot be cured easily. As the skin is at the end of the body blood pumped through heart reaches skin late. The waste material, which is to be thrown out, reaches the skin. Through perspiration the skin sends out the waste. Otherwise part of the waste materials remains in the skin or goes back into the body. Those who take less water do not perspire properly and waste material gets deposited in the skin resulting in skin disease and scars. When more water is taken blood gets diluted and more blood flows to skin. Those who take more water but not sweat much discharge waste material through urine. Skin is cured with water. Complexion improves by drinking more water. Scars may disappear.Blackness under the eyes also diminishes for some.

17. Stones in the kidney

Some of the stones in the kidney can be thrown out just by taking more water. Some others go out through urine. However, all types of stones do not go out with water. It depends on the type of stones and the area in which part of body they are formed. If some people suffer from stones even after consumption of lot of water they have to either take medicines or go for surgery. Those who take less water suffer from formation of stones in the kidney and bladder, as the calcium and oxalate are not purged out but turn into stones. If such stones melt by taking more water it means they would not have formed if sufficient water were to be taken. It could have been avoided. If stones in the kidneys are to melt down it is better to take 7, 8 liters of water for some time.

18. Burning sensation of urine

Urine is produced less in those who take less water. It leads to deposit of waste material such as urea and uric acid instead of being purged out. Because of less production of urine it becomes thick. As it goes out in little quantity burning sensation occurs. Thinking that there is lot of heat in the body, people take water mixed with sugar or buttermilk, but not water. As the urinary organ in women is a short one, bacteria easily enters into the bladder through reproductive organs causing infections. Added to that if they take less water bacteria are allowed to grow causing burning sensation in the urine. They may suffer from fever also. In such condition if they take more water the urinary tract gets cleared and giving relief from burning sensation. Urine should always be clear and have good flow without anysmell. Then, there will be no scope for infections.

19. Body odor

If one’s body is emitting bad smell it means waste material is deposited there because sufficient water is not available to purge them out. Even if the excretion system is all right, urine and sweat smell bad as needed water is not there to help move it out. If 5, 6 liters of water is taken everyday these bad smells decrease to a large extent in a couple of months.

20. Asthma

Generally those who suffer from asthma get sneezes and suffer from cold. They feel that taking more water would enhance those problems and tend to take less water. With this more histamines are produced which leads to breathlessness. If we are used to take more water allergies do not lead to asthma. If people suffering from asthma, take 5, 6 liters of warm water breathing becomes easy, phlegm gets diluted and is thrown out. This results in easy breathing. There may be some people who get complete relief with taking more water and lot of people get 50 – 60 per cent relief. If salt consumption is given up uneasiness is cured completely.

21. Joint Pains

People suffer from joint pains as the lubricating liquid goes down between the joints. Those who take less water that lubricant is produced less. If more water is taken, the percentage of lubricant increases. Moreover blood circulation also improves with intake of more water. Generally obese people suffer from joint pains. By taking more water joint pains also come down while body weight comes down. In the early stages of joint pains consumption of more water gives relief to a large extent. It may not be that useful to the people who suffer from joint pains for a long time.

22. Sinusitis

Those who suffer from cold for a long time are affected by sinusitis. With this nostrils are blocked and suffer from headache. By taking more water waste material along with mucus deposited in the nostrils is also thrown out. Taking warm water and fomentation of face helps those who suffer from sinusitis.

Questions – Answers

You say that one should not drink water while eating. But medicines are to be taken only after eating. How can we take them without water?

Taking water along with food hampers digestion. That is why it is not advisable. But those who have to take medicines can do so with small quantity of water. It does not hamper digestion. Medicines can be taken with buttermilk also.

Don’t we develop potbelly if we drink 5-6 liters of water?

When we take a liter of water it first goes into the stomach. Some of it (20- 25%) goes into small intestines. The water in the stomach and small intestines reaches blood in 15-20 minutes. The intestines and stomach retain water only for 15-20 minutes. However, water mixes with blood quickly only when we drink water on empty stomach. If we take water along with food it remains in the stomach as long as food is there and the stomach sags. Remember that the water taken on empty stomach helps contraction of stomach and the water drunk with food makes it sag. 5-6 liters of water is advised only on empty stomach. No need to worry about protruding belly.

If usual 5,6 liters could not be taken on a particular day, shall we take extra water the next day to compensate it?

Yes, it is better. The water taken in the morning helps clean the cells and blood. If sufficient water is not taken on any day more water may be taken the next day and clean the system. If water is not taken in the morning due to unavoidable circumstances there is no harm. There may not be any disorder in the body but on other occasions when water is not sufficient problems may arise. It cannot be set right the next day. We may encounter problems like reeling sensation, dryness of mouth, burning in the eyes, urine in yellow color or less urination and weakness writ on the face may be evident on the same day. When the climate is pleasant such problems may not crop up. However, when it is hot we should take ample of water during the day.

What amount of water can be given to children?

Children usually like to take more water and less food. However, mothers think that children’s appetite is killed if they take more water and discourage them from drinking more water while forcing them to consume more food. It is prudent to encourage children to drink more water.

1. Children below one year – 300 ml to 500 ml.

2. Children between 1 to 5 years – 1 liter to 1.5 liters.

3. Children between 5 to 10 years – 2 liters to 3 liters.

4. Children between 10 to 15 years – 3 liters to 4 liters.

5. Between 15 to 20 years – 4 to 5 liters.

If children drink like this they can eat and digest well and grow healthy. They will be free from ailments like cold, headache and fever. It can be said that water is a boon to children. The parents who take more water can ask their children also to do so. They will have good immunity, enjoy health always and lead an active life.

Don’t we suffer from cold if we take cold bath every day?

Answer: Cold bath has nothing to do with cold. Some people take cold bath in a river or lake as early as at 4-5 A.M. for a month or two as part of religious practice. If you ask them about cold they say that they never suffered from cold during this period. Rather they suffer from it in normal days. If you take hot water bath regularly and switch over to cold bath all of a sudden you suffer from cold till you get accustomed. Even if you suffer from cold, continue it till you get habituated. We have some mucus in the gaps in the face and head. In those who do not have physical exercise this problem is more. When such people take hot water bath mucus gets diluted to certain extent. If such people take cold bath suddenly the mucus becomes thick. It obstructs breathing. Nostrils try to throw it out. We call it cold. The reason for accumulation of mucus is lack of physical exercise, pollutants in water, deficiency in food and anomaly in thinking process and not because of cold bath.

Courtesy: Sahridhayan

Trip to Pulau Besar

2008-02-16T09:35:00.008+08:00

Initially I lost hope of going out for the long holiday as most of the places were fully booked due to Chinese New Year Holiday (2008 - RAT Year). Still I made up my mind to visit the island originally planned hang out along with my colleagues. Fortunately when I called the travel agency they said one of the resorts called Nirwana Resort is opened before the Monsoon season closes. Immediately booked the package for 3D2N.

Day 1

We left home early morning around 5:45AM from Singapore and reached my friend’s Home in Ulu Tiram around 9 plus. He drove us over to Mersing in his Car around 1PM. We realized that we missed the ferry boat to Pulau Besar that left about 15 mins ago. So, we had to wait at the Mersing Jetty Terminal till evening 5:30PM because of low tide. Nirwana Resort Management really made a special arrangement to send us to Pulau Besar in the evening boat along with another one family who were stuck like us. I must say here that The Management, Mr. Shaam was so kind and nice to us just because we missed the boat they gave us free extension of one more day.

We arrived at the Pulau Besar just at the Sun Set and it was a cold evening. We were given welcome drink and a sea front chalet to stay. We unpacked everything and quickly refreshed ourselves and took dinner at the dining hall. Then made a walk on jetty wooden bridge and spent time in watching the visitors involved in fishing activity.

Day 2

We got up next day morning and went on to take a walk to the left side of the seashore. We started walking around 7:30AM towards the eastern side of the Pulau Besar along the seashore. To our surprise we found many fossils of dead corals and varieties of Shells along with the big rocks. We were immersed with the richness of natural life existed with the fossils we witnessed all the way. At one point in time as we were getting late for our breakfast we made U Turn halfway and came back an hour late. We wanted to go for snorkeling to nearby island with another group and it had been cancelled as they found it was expensive for their troop.

We then took shower and had breakfast then we had a quick chat with Mr. Don who is brother of Mr. Shaam. He was explaining us about the facilities available in the resort and interesting places to visit around the island. We wanted to take the Jungle Trekking Route but he said it would be dangerous to go alone as it was not used for many months since the resort was closed due to monsoon season. We dropped that idea for the time being and he told us about the shooting done in Pulau Besar for TV programme Survival and even a Hollywood film, Ocean Lifeguard. He told that the flight wreckage setup for Survival series still could be seen. He was surprised to hear from us about our morning walk to the rock side seashore on eastern side. He said he always wanted to go for many years and could never make it but we did it.

Then we decided to take a slow walk along the pathway to the north western side of Pulau Besar. We were quite excited to see such shooting spot and started to walk at around 11AM. We passed by many resorts along the way and just after the last resort we passed by a small bridge we noticed the very same place that was used for shooting, we found the plane wreckages built-up bit inside the jungle bit away from the walking path. From the far it looked like a real flight was crashed down and when we had a closer look at it found out that it wasn’t real but made of wood and iron sheet to make it real from outside view. Behind there seems to be a grave yard region. We then walked further down till the farthest we could walk at the end of the road we found nice huge rocks and we decided to stop our walking to get back to resort for our lunch. We walked back to resort and had lunch then I decided to spend some time in watching the fishing activity in the Jetty terminal. I spotted a big headed fish that was resting under the shades of jetty wood stage. I have also cited the big catches by few families, who visited mainly for fishing activity. Then I found that the sea water started go back deep inwards as a result I found almost 1-2KM undersea area became accessible by just walking. So, I started to walk into the dried land alone and I noticed many sea cucumbers were lying under the rocks and not only that as I walked further in I noticed so many beautiful living baby coral reefs. It was so cool to see the way nature unfolds with many underwater lives. I went deep inside until the area where there was strong sea tide was happening, when I turned back I saw I was far from the seashore and noticed some water formation in the middle and I got terribly afraid that I was being cornered by sea water and started to run back to the seashore. Later I realized that it was similar before walked deep inwards. I brought back my partner to show what I have seen and noticed many more than what I found during my initial walk. As we started to walk further down the water level started to rise and we were alarmed by it and reached back seashore quickly. Then it was beginning to dark another family set the camp fire and we joined them and enjoyed the music and dancing along with them by blasting few Tamil songs from our portable speakers and mp3 player since their kids like Tamil Songs. By then there was barbeque items were getting ready for us at the resort. Then we had our dinner and spent bit of time in watching TV and noticed that there was Tamil satellite channel available too. We went to bed very late.

Day 3

We got up very late too. We quickly ran to dining area and took our breakfast along with a cup of tea. We took bath on the sea and took bath in the tap water. Then we decided to make daring entry into the jungle trekking path that was never used for many months. We thought it would be a good idea to visit as a big gang and we moved to the nearby chalet to ask them if they wanna join us. But it was too late for us to ask them as they were packing their bags to get back to Singapore due to the CNY cause way traffic jam on the last day of the holiday. So, we bid bye-bye to them and I borrowed a big knife from the kitchen chef since he warned me several times against the personal safety. We still decided to go into the jungle. Every step we made was nerve killing and so thrilling as the path was filled with dried leafs and lots of spider web along the path that were really sticky. We found the only evidence for us was the small water pipe and we walked along with that route. We reached only one third of the destination and we were being attacked by the wild mosquitoes terribly. We had no choice than to quit our expedition than to come back halfway.

We were quite bored for a while. We went for a Kayaking on the sea for few mins. After that we were back and resting a while under the tree shadow and were singing some Karaoke songs then noticed outside a group of 6 members belonging to the local fishing village was walking with the long coconut tree stick as their fishing equipment. They were walking down the sea since it was low tide like yesterday. Then we decided to follow them to see what they are doing the old men was quite happy to explain us about what they do in Malay though I could hardly understand what he was saying only by signs I could manage to get few points. They gathered shells along the sea walk and used them as fish bites and they were in action with full swing. While they were doing this we wanted to continue our walk back towards the eastern side till far end beyond the point we stopped yesterday. So, we walked further down and noticed many interesting sea creatures along the walk due to low tide.

When we returned back by evening all of 6 group fisher men family members were carrying back quite a few kilograms of fish on their shoulders. Took few snaps with them and they made their way back into the jungle to their hut. We relaxed a while on the beach and went back into our chalet started to pack for leaving tomorrow.

Day 4.

Got up and took bath. Went to dining hall and took our breakfast. We waited for a while for the ferry boat to arrive and another group left for island hopping to nearby islands to do snorkel. I felt I missed this activity alone during this trip. Then we boarded the ferry around 10:15AM and reached back Mersing in an hour time and took two buses to reach Mersing – Kota Tinggi – JB and finally arrived at Singapore in the evening 5:30PM. Home Sweet Home…

I will try to post the photo album into flickr during the weekend and past the link here. Meanwhile if you are so excited to make a visit I suggest you please call Shaam at +60197997222. He is a very nice person to my knowledge and he can do the boarding and lodging arrangement for you.

I have noticed few are searching in Google for ferry timings. May be I should share my experience on the timing too. If you are stuck between 1PM to evening 4+PM you are most likely stuck down there due to low tide. Depends on the tide conditions the ferries are operated either till afternoon or in the evenings. Normally evening time is against the wind so as far as I know no ferry leaves from Islands to mainland. If you want to know the tide condition you can visit the web page of Marine Metrological Forecast for details about tide conditions.

Think Before You Act

2008-02-16T09:33:00.001+08:00

The train has started moving. It is packed with people of all ages, mostly with the working men and women and young college guys and gals. Near the window, seated a old man with his 30 year old son. As the train moves by, the son is overwhelmed with joy as he was thrilled with the scenery outside..

"See dad, the scenery of green trees moving away is very beautiful"

This behavior from a thirty year old son made the other people feel strange about him. Every one started murmuring something or other about this son."This guy seems to be a krack.." newly married Anup whispered to his wife.

Suddenly it started raining... Rain drops fell on the travelers through the opened window. The Thirty year old son , filled with joy " see dad, how beautiful the rain is .."

Anup's wife got irritated with the rain drops spoiling her new suit.

Anup ," cant you see its raining, you old man, if ur son is not feeling well get him soon to a mental asylum..and dont disturb public henceforth"

The old man hesitated first and then in a low tone replied " we are on the way back from hospital, my son got discharged today morning , he was a blind by birth, last week only he got his vision, these rain and nature are new to his eyes.. Please forgive us for the inconvenience caused..."

Moral: The things we see may be right from our perspective until we know the truth. But when we know the truth our reaction to that will hurt even us. So try to understand the problem better before taking a harsh action.

1 Lakh Car - TATA Nano unveiled in India

2008-01-11T10:11:00.000+08:00

The much awaited 1 Lakh Car (Appox. US$ 2,500/S$ 3,600) by Tata was unveiled yesterday in the International Auto Expo 2008 happening at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi between Jan 10th -Jan17th 2007.

VEHICLE SUMMARY

Model : Nano - Petrol
Car Body Type: Hatchback
Segment: A Segment
Top Speed: 90
Fuel Consumption(Highway) : 26 KMPL
Fuel Consumption(City) : 22KMPL

ENGINE SPECIFICATIONS

Displacement : 796cc, 3 cylinder
Engine Type : Petrol
Maximum Power : 33bhp
Maximum Torque : 0

COMFORT & CONVENIENCE

Central Locking : Manual
Driver Seat Adjustment : Manual
Door Mirror : Driver Side

OTHER SPECIFICATIONS

Seating Capacity : 5
No. of Doors : 4
Tyre Size : 0
Steering : No Power Steering
Brakes : Front Disk, Rear Drum
Gears : 4 Manual
Fuel Tank : 30.00
Body Color Bumpers: Yes

Rest of the features are NO for this car. Hoping to go back for a short drive on this Tiny Nano when I am back in town.

Smart Appeal and Smart Reply

2008-01-08T12:04:00.000+08:00

Dear Bo$$

In thi$ life, we all need $ome thing mo$t de$perately. I think you $hould be under$ tanding of the need$ of your worker$ who have given $o much $upport including $weat and $ervice to your company.

I am $ure you will gue$$ what I mean and re$pond $oon.

Your$ $incerely,
Anoo$ha Mi$hra

The next day, the employee recieved this letter of reply:

Dear ANOosha

I kNOw you have been working very hard. NOwadays, NOthing much has changed. You must have NOticed that our company is NOt doing NOticeably well as yet.

NOw the newspaper are saying the world`s leading ecoNO mists are NOt sure if the United States may go into a NOther recession. After the NOvember presidential elections things may turn bad.

I have NOthing more to add NOw. You kNOw what I mean ...

Rabbit Facts

2008-01-07T16:37:00.000+08:00

I have two of them at my home and starting to learn more about them. Later I will try to post their picture here...Here are some facts about Rabbits for you.

Rabbits are not rodents, they are lagomorphs

A male rabbit is a buck

A female rabbit is a doe

A baby rabbit is a kit

When the doe gives birth her babies are collectively refered to as a litter

The gestation period for a rabbit averages 31 days

A rabbits teeth never stop growing

The American Rabbit Breeders Association has 45 recognized breeds of rabbits

The ARBA has over 30,000 members

Rabbits can be litter trained

A pet rabbit can live as long as 10 years

Bunnies get weaned at about 8 weeks old

Adult bunnies can weigh between 2 lbs - 20 lbs depending on breed

Rabbits can purr similar to a cat

Domesticated rabbits are born without fur

Domesticated rabbits eyes do not open until they are about 2 weeks old

Rabbits cannot vomit

Rabbits need hay to assist the digestive system and prevent fur balls in their stomach

A group of rabbits is called a herd

A group of rabbits live in a warren

Mothers typically only feed their kits about 5 minutes a day

Rabbit meat is lower in fat, cholesterol and calories than chicken, pork and beef

Rabbit meat is all white meat

Rabbit droppings make an excellent garden fertilizer

Rabbits have 28 teeth

A 4 pound rabbit will drink as much water as a 20 pound dog

Bunnies love to chew

Rabbits do not hibernate

Rabbits can jump 36″ and higher

Rabbits can suffer heat stroke

Rabbits can see behind them, but have blind spot in front of their face

When rabbits are happy, they will jump and twist, this is called a binky

Rabbits can start breeding as early as 3-4 months of age

Predators can literally scare a rabbit to death

Does will pull fur when pregnant to assist in the building of their nest

Rabbits can have false pregnancies

Rabbits groom themselves

Domestic rabbits cannot breed with wild rabbits

The only place a rabbit sweats is through the pads on its feet

Rabbits eat their own night droppings called cecotropes

Courtesy: Three Little Ladies Rabbitry

Plan for your Holiday in 2008

2008-01-05T10:09:00.000+08:00

8 Days Leave 37 Days Of Rest click on the image below to see how.

Note: Applicable only for employees working in Singapore

Gone are the days

2008-01-04T10:31:00.000+08:00

...........but not the memories

Gone are the days
When the school reopened in June,
And we settled in our new desks and benches.

Gone are the days
When we queued up in book depot,
And got our new books and 1 quire notes.

Gone are the days
When we wanted two Sundays and no Mondays, yet
Managed to line up daily for the morning prayers.

Gone are the days
We learnt writing with slates and pencils, and
progressed To fountain pens and ball pens and then micro tips.

Gone are the days
We began drawing with crayons and evolved to
Colour pencils and finally sketch pens.

Gone are the days
We started calculating first with tables and then
with Clarkes tables and advanced to calculators and computers.

Gone are the days
When we chased one another in the corridors in
Intervals,And returned to the classrooms drenched in sweat.

Gone are the days
When we had lunch in classrooms, corridors,
Playgrounds, under the trees and even in cycle sheds.

Gone are the days
When all the colours in the world,
Decorated the campus on the Second Saturdays.

Gone are the days
When a single P.T. period in the week's Time
Table,Was awaited more eagerly than the monsoons.

Gone are the days
When cricket was played with writing pads as
bats,And Neckties and socks rolled into balls.

Gone are the days
When few played "kabadi" and "Kho-Kho" under scorching
sun,While others simply played "book cricket" in the
confines of classroom.

Gone are the days
Of fights but no conspiracies,
Of Competitions but seldom jealousy.

Gone are the days
When we used to watch Live Cricket telecast,
In the opposite houses in Intervals and Lunch breaks.

Gone are the days
When few rushed at 4:45 to
"Conquer" window seats in our bus.

Gone are the days
While few others had "Big Fun",
"gulfi ice" and "pepsi !" at 4o Clock.

Gone are the days
We used exam pads as rackets and
corn piece stem as shuttlecocks to play badminton.

Gone are the days
Of Sports Day, and the annual School Day ,
And the one-month long preparations for them.

Gone are the days
Of the stressful Quarterly, Half Yearly and Annual Exams,
And the most enjoyed holidays after them.

Gone are the days
Of tenth and twelfth standards, when we
Spent almost the whole year writing revision tests.

Gone are the days
We learnt, we enjoyed, we played, we won,
we lost,We laughed, we cried, we fought, we thought.

Gone are the days
With so much fun in them, so many friends,
So much experience, all this and more.

Gone are the days
But not the memories, which will be
Lingering in our hearts for ever and ever and
Ever and ever and Ever .

I hope you went back to ur Olden days...........for a while..........as I DID!!

Pencil Thought

2008-01-04T09:14:00.000+08:00

There are 5 important lessons to learn for us from a humble pencil

It tells you that everything you do will always leave a Mark

You can always correct the mistake you make

The important thing in life is what you are from inside and not from out side

In life you will undergo painful sharpening which will make you better in whatever you do

Finally, to be the best you can be, you must allow yourself to be held and guided by the hand that holds you

Think Outside Of The Box Questions

2008-01-03T09:27:00.000+08:00

Question 1: You are driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night, it's raining heavily, when suddenly you pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for a bus:

An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.
An old friend who once saved your life.
The perfect partner you have been dreaming about.

Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing very well that there could only be one passenger in your car?

This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application.

* You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first;
* or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to ! pay him back.
* However, you may never be able to find your perfect mate again.

The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his answer. Guess what was his answer?

He simply answered: "I would give the car keys to my Old friend and let him take the lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the partner of my dreams."

Sometimes, we gain more if we are able to give up our stubborn thought limitations. Never forget to "Think Outside of the Box."

Question 2: What will you do if I run away with your sister?"

The candidate who was selected answered " I will not get a better match for my sister than you sir"

Question 3: Interviewer (to a student girl candidate) - What will you do if one morning you woke up & found that you are pregnant?

Answered the Girl - I will be very excited and take an off, to celebrate with my husband.

Normally an unmarried girl will be shocked to hear this, but she managed it well. Why I should think it in the wrong way, she said later when asked

Question 4: Interviewer: He ordered a cup of coffee for the candidate. Coffee arrived kept before the candidate, then he asked what is before you?

Candidate instantly replied "Tea" and He got selected. You know how and why did he say "TEA" when he knows very well that coffee was kept before.

Answer: The question was "What is before you (U - alphabet), Reply was "TEA" (T - alphabet) and Alphabet "T" is before Alphabet "U"

Question 5: Where Lord Rama would have celebrated his "First Diwali"? People will start thinking of Ayodya, Mitila [Janaki's place], Lanka etc...

Answer: But the logic is, Diwali was a celebrated as a mark of Lord Krishna Killing Narakasura. In Dusavataar, Krishnavathaar comes after Raamavathaar. So, Lord Rama would not have celebrated the Diwali At all!

Question 6: The interviewer asked to the candidate "This is your last question of the interview. Please tell me the exact position of the center of this table where u have kept your files."

Candidate confidently put one of his finger at some point at the table and told that this was the central point at the table. Interviewer asked how did u get to know that this being the central point of this table, then he answers quickly that sir u r not likely to ask any more question, as it was the last question that u promised to ask. And hence, he was selected as because of his quick-wittedness.

This is What Interviewer expects from the Interviewee. ....

"THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX"

Happy New Year 2008

2008-01-01T15:28:00.000+08:00

Wishing You and Your Family
A Very Happy, Loving, Lucky, Peaceful & Prosperous
New Year - 2008