Day 1: 10000 Budhas Monastery and Ngong Ping 360
Day 2: Disney World First day
Day 3: Ocean Park
Day 4: Disney world Second day
Day 5: Sky 100, Science Museum and Victoria Peak
Day 6: Noah's Ark
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Hong Kong - In my eyes
A cool "kewl" place to visit...
Size:Bigger than Singapore, Smaller than India (Of course!) Thinking why I am comparing with these two countries? Because one is my birth place and another is the place where I live.
Cleanliness:Some places were too clean and rich. Most of the places were dirty and the buildings were looking too old and shabby. Overall the look and feel was not bad. (As I always compared it to my two near and dear countries)
Transport:Good and well planned. MTR is comfortable and there are many ways to reach it from wherever you are. You can go by normal Bus or small 16 seater mini bus or Taxi. 16 seater mini bus or the normal bus is not fair enough in collecting money though. They ask us to tap when we get on but not when we get off. Meaning they don't calculate the amount by the distance we travel. Sometimes fair and sometimes totally unfair.
Sight Seeing places:Very well maintained and they do have the visitors as their first priority. I would definitely appreciate their service as it was commendable almost everywhere. They know how to attract people to buy their souvenirs.
Food:I can comment only about Indian Vegetarian food as the food that we tried there was vegetarian and mostly Indian. These days Indian veggy food is available almost all over the world and we did find a few restaurants there and food tasted good too. Most of the dishes available are that of north India as we could find North Indians to be a part of some percent of the HK residents. Good thing was that we got Indian Veggy food inside Disneyland eventhough it was spicy, it was tasty and good.
Language:Very few understood English.
Taxi:Taxi drivers were completely rude. May be there are exceptions not sure. whichever taxi we took, the drivers were too rude and they did speak good english. Bus drivers were rude too but they did not understand much but responded to us in English :)
Shopping Malls:Very rich malls and people in the malls looked rich too. It was completely similar to what we see in Singapore and if you ask me even more richer than Singapore malls.
Weather:Too cool from morning to Extremely cold in the night.
Stay:Hotel we chose was good and breakfast was good too. We stayed in Regal Oriental Hotel in Sa Po Road. Its not nearby any MTR but there is a 16 seater bus from the hotel which was convenient for us to travel outside.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
All excited and thrilled!
Mummy! How many days will we be there!
Mummy! Will it rain there?
Mummy! Will there be flood?
Mummy! Can i take bath there?
Mummy! Is there a fridge where I can put my car for color change?
Mummy! .... A five year old is too curious as how the place would be, worried if that place will be safe, happy that he is going on a holiday... We are all set to go there (where? - later will update it) with mixed feelings, knowing little information about it, expecting it could give us a great experience, planning to spend quality time with my kids...
More updates sooooooooonnnn
Mummy! Will it rain there?
Mummy! Will there be flood?
Mummy! Can i take bath there?
Mummy! Is there a fridge where I can put my car for color change?
Mummy! .... A five year old is too curious as how the place would be, worried if that place will be safe, happy that he is going on a holiday... We are all set to go there (where? - later will update it) with mixed feelings, knowing little information about it, expecting it could give us a great experience, planning to spend quality time with my kids...
More updates sooooooooonnnn
Thursday, December 15, 2011
What Do Recycling Symbols on Plastics Mean?
The versatile material is in our cars, toys, packaging, clothing, home goods, food utensils, medical devices and so much more. It is also littering our streets, clogging our waterways and choking marine life. Many plastics can be readily recycled, but how do consumers make sense of all the different types and rules?
You're learning to recycle plastics (great!), but now you have probably heard reports of nervous consumers cleaning out their cupboards and closets of containers that experts are warning may not be safe to use. The good news is those recycling codes can help you protect your family, and The Daily Green will tell you how.
Though it's true regulators and the plastics industry are pointing out that the science on the real-world harms is not yet proven, many are saying the stakes are too high, and the alternatives too easy, to ignore. Read on to see which types of water and baby bottles you don't want to give your kids.
Monday, December 5, 2011
What goes around comes around
One day a good man saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of the lady who had got a Mercedes. Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe; he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was those chills which only fear can put in you. He said, “I’m here to help you, ma'am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson. Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn’t thank him enough for coming to her aid. Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, And think of me.He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight. A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn’t erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan. After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin. There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: “You don’t owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.Under the napkin were four more $100 bills. Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard.She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, Everything's going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson. There is an old saying "What goes around comes around".
The evil you do remains with you! The good you do, comes back to you!
A woman baked bread for members of her family and an extra one for a hungry passerby. She kept the extra bread on the Window-sill, for whosoever would take it away. Every day, a hunch-back came and took away the bread. Instead of expressing gratitude, he muttered the following words as he went his way: "The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!" This went on, day after day. Every day, the hunch-back came, picked up the bread and uttered the words: "The evil you do, remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!" The woman felt irritated. "Not a word of gratitude," she said to herself... "Everyday this hunch-back utters this jingle! What does he mean? "One day, out of despiration, she decided to do away with him. "I shall get rid of this hunch-back," she said. And what did she do? She added poison to the bread she prepared for him! As she was about to place it on the window sill, her hands trembled. "What is this I am doing?" she said. Immediately she threw the bread into the fire, prepared another one and kept it on the window-sill. As usual, the hunch-back came, picked up the bread and muttered the words: "The evil you do, remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!" The hunch-back proceeded on his way, blissfully unaware of the war raging in the mind of the woman. Everyday, as the woman placed the bread on the window-sill, she offered a prayer for her son who had gone to a distant place to seek his fortune. For many months, she had no news of him.. She prayed for his safe return. That evening, there was a knock on the door. As she opened it, she was surprised to find her son standing in the doorway.. He had grown thin and lean. His garments were tattered and torn. He was hungry, starved and weak. As he saw his mother, he said, "Mom, it's a miracle I'm here. While I was but a mile away, I was so hungry that I collapsed. I would have died, but just then an old hunch-back passed by. I begged of him for a small part of his food, and he was kind enough to give me a whole bread. "As he gave it to me, he said, "This is what I eat everyday: today, I shall give it to you, for your need is greater than mine!"
"As the mother heard those words, her face turned pale and red. She leaned against the door for support. She remembered the poisoned bread that she had made that morning. Had she not burnt it in the fire, it would have been eaten by her own son, and he would have lost his life! It was then that she realized the significance of the words: "The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!" Do good and; Don't ever stop doing good, even if it's not appreciated at that time.
"As the mother heard those words, her face turned pale and red. She leaned against the door for support. She remembered the poisoned bread that she had made that morning. Had she not burnt it in the fire, it would have been eaten by her own son, and he would have lost his life! It was then that she realized the significance of the words: "The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!" Do good and; Don't ever stop doing good, even if it's not appreciated at that time.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Art of Giving!
"Rivers do not drink their own water, nor do tree eat their own fruit, nor do rain clouds eat the grains reared by them. The wealth of the noble is used solely for the benefit of others!
Even after accepting that giving is good and that one must learn to give, several questions need to be answered.
The first question is:
When should one give?
We all know the famous incident from Mahabharat.
Yudhisthir asks a beggar seeking alms to come the next day. On this, Bhim rejoices that Yudhisthir his brother, has conquered death! For he is sure that he will be around the next day to give. Yudhisthir gets the message.
One does not know really whether one will be there tomorrow to give!
The time to give, therefore, is now.
The next question is:
'How much to give?'
One recalls the famous incident from history.
Rana Pratap was reeling after defeat from the Moghals. He had lost his army, he had lost his wealth, and most important, he had lost hope, his will to fight. At that time, in his darkest hour, his erstwhile minister, Bhamasha, came seeking him and placed his entire fortune at the disposal of Rana Pratap. With this, Rana Pratap raised an army and lived to fight another day.
The answer to this question how much to give is:
"Give as much as one can!
The next question is:
'What to give?'
It is not only money that can be given away. It could be a flower or even a smile.It is not how much one gives but how one gives that really matters. When you give a smile to a stranger that may be the only good thing received by him in days and weeks!
"You can give anything but you must give with all your heart!"
One also needs answer to this question
Whom to give?
Many times we avoid giving by finding fault with the person who is seeking. However, being judgmental and rejecting a person on the presumption that he may not be the most deserving, is not justified.
“Give without being judgmental!"
Next we have to answer:
'How to give?'
Coming to the manner of giving, one has to ensure that the receiver does not feel humiliated, nor the giver feels proud by giving.In giving, follow the advice 'Let not your left hand know what your right hand gives? Charity without publicity and fanfare is the highest form of charity.'
'Give quietly!'
While giving, let not the recipient feel small or humiliated. After all, what we give never really belonged to us. We come to this world with nothing and will go with nothing. The thing gifted was only with us for a temporary period. Why then take pride in giving away something which really did not belong to us?
Give with grace and with a feeling of gratitude.
"What should one feel after giving?"
We all know the story of Eklavya. When Dronacharya asked him for his right thumb as "Guru Dakshina, he unhesitatingly cut off the thumb and gave it to Dronacharya.
There is a little known sequel to this story.
Eklavya was asked whether he ever regretted the act of giving away his thumb. He replied, and the reply has to be believed to be true, as it was asked to him when he was dying.His reply was "Yes! I regretted this only once in my life. It was when Pandavas were coming in to kill Dronacharya who was broken hearted on the false news of death of his son, Ashwathama, and had stopped fighting. It was then that I regretted the loss of my thumb. If the thumb was there, no one could have dared hurt my Guru?The message to us is clear.
Give and never regret giving!
And the last question is:‘How much should we provide for our heirs?'
Ask yourself 'are we taking away from them the gift of work? - A source of happiness?
The answer is given by Warren Buffett:
"Leave your kids enough to do anything, but not enough to do nothing!"
I would conclude by saying:
Let us learn the Art of Giving,
and quoting the Saint Kabir:
"When the wealth in the house increases, when water fills a boat, throw them out (for good causes) with both hands!"
This is the wise thing to do!
Even after accepting that giving is good and that one must learn to give, several questions need to be answered.
The first question is:
When should one give?
We all know the famous incident from Mahabharat.
Yudhisthir asks a beggar seeking alms to come the next day. On this, Bhim rejoices that Yudhisthir his brother, has conquered death! For he is sure that he will be around the next day to give. Yudhisthir gets the message.
One does not know really whether one will be there tomorrow to give!
The time to give, therefore, is now.
The next question is:
'How much to give?'
One recalls the famous incident from history.
Rana Pratap was reeling after defeat from the Moghals. He had lost his army, he had lost his wealth, and most important, he had lost hope, his will to fight. At that time, in his darkest hour, his erstwhile minister, Bhamasha, came seeking him and placed his entire fortune at the disposal of Rana Pratap. With this, Rana Pratap raised an army and lived to fight another day.
The answer to this question how much to give is:
"Give as much as one can!
The next question is:
'What to give?'
It is not only money that can be given away. It could be a flower or even a smile.It is not how much one gives but how one gives that really matters. When you give a smile to a stranger that may be the only good thing received by him in days and weeks!
"You can give anything but you must give with all your heart!"
One also needs answer to this question
Whom to give?
Many times we avoid giving by finding fault with the person who is seeking. However, being judgmental and rejecting a person on the presumption that he may not be the most deserving, is not justified.
“Give without being judgmental!"
Next we have to answer:
'How to give?'
Coming to the manner of giving, one has to ensure that the receiver does not feel humiliated, nor the giver feels proud by giving.In giving, follow the advice 'Let not your left hand know what your right hand gives? Charity without publicity and fanfare is the highest form of charity.'
'Give quietly!'
While giving, let not the recipient feel small or humiliated. After all, what we give never really belonged to us. We come to this world with nothing and will go with nothing. The thing gifted was only with us for a temporary period. Why then take pride in giving away something which really did not belong to us?
Give with grace and with a feeling of gratitude.
"What should one feel after giving?"
We all know the story of Eklavya. When Dronacharya asked him for his right thumb as "Guru Dakshina, he unhesitatingly cut off the thumb and gave it to Dronacharya.
There is a little known sequel to this story.
Eklavya was asked whether he ever regretted the act of giving away his thumb. He replied, and the reply has to be believed to be true, as it was asked to him when he was dying.His reply was "Yes! I regretted this only once in my life. It was when Pandavas were coming in to kill Dronacharya who was broken hearted on the false news of death of his son, Ashwathama, and had stopped fighting. It was then that I regretted the loss of my thumb. If the thumb was there, no one could have dared hurt my Guru?The message to us is clear.
Give and never regret giving!
And the last question is:‘How much should we provide for our heirs?'
Ask yourself 'are we taking away from them the gift of work? - A source of happiness?
The answer is given by Warren Buffett:
"Leave your kids enough to do anything, but not enough to do nothing!"
I would conclude by saying:
Let us learn the Art of Giving,
and quoting the Saint Kabir:
"When the wealth in the house increases, when water fills a boat, throw them out (for good causes) with both hands!"
This is the wise thing to do!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
A NEEDLE CAN SAVE THE LIFE OF A STROKE PATIENT
This is from a Chinese professor. This is amazing. Please keep this handy.. Excellent tips. Do take a minute to read this. You never know.....someone's life may depend on you one day!! Keep a syringe or needle in your home to do this... It's amazing and an unconventional way of recovering from stroke, read it through.
'My father was paralyzed and later died from the result of a stroke. I wish I knew about this first aid before today. When stroke strikes, the capillaries in the brain will gradually burst.
When witness a stroke occurring, stay calm. No matter where the victim is, do not move him/her. Because, if moved, the capillaries will burst. Gently help the victim to sit up. Prevent him from falling over again, and then the bloodletting can begin. If you have in your home an injection syringe that would be the best, otherwise, a sewing needle or a straight pin will do.
1. Place the needle/pin over fire to sterilize it, and then use it to prick the tip of all 10 fingers.
2. There are no specific acupuncture points, just prick about a mm from the fingernail.
3. Prick till blood comes out.
4. If blood does not start to drip, then squeeze with your fingers.
5. When all 10 digits is bleeding, wait a few minutes then the victim will regain consciousness.
6. If the victim's mouth is crooked, then pull on his ears until they are red.
7. Then prick each ear lobe twice until two drops of blood comes from each ear lobe. After a few minutes the victim should regain consciousness.
Wait till the victim regain his normal state without any abnormal symptoms then take him to the hospital, otherwise, if he was taken in the ambulance in a hurry to the hospital, the bumpy trip will cause all the capillaries in his brain to burst. If he could save his life, barely managing to walk, then it is by the grace of his ancestors.
' I learned about letting blood to save life from Chinese traditional doctor Ha Bu-Ting who lives in Sun-Juke. Furthermore, I had practical experience with it. Therefore I can say this method is 100% effective.In 1979, I was teaching inFung-Gaap College in Tai-Chung. One afternoon I was teaching class when another teacher came running to my class room and said in panting, 'Ms. Liu, come quick, our supervisor has had a stroke!'
I immediately went to the 3rd floor. When I saw our supervisor, Mr.Chen Fu-Tien, his color was off, his speech was slurred, his mouth was crooked-all the symptoms of a stroke. I immediately asked one of the practicum students to go to the pharmacy outside the school to buy a syringe, which I used to prick Mr. Chen's 10 fingers tips. When all 10 fingers were bleeding (each with a pea-sized drop of blood), after a few minutes, Mr. Chen's face regained its color and his eyes' spirit returned, too. But his mouth was still crooked. So I pulled on his ears to fill them with blood. When his ears became red, I pricked his right earlobe twice to let out 2 drops of blood. When both earlobes had two drops of blood each, a miracle happened. Within 3-5 minutes the shape of his mouth returned to normal and his speech became clear. We let him rest for a while and have a cup of hot tea, then we helped him go down the stairs, drove him to Wei-Wah Hospital . He rested one night and was released the next day to return to school to teach.
Everything worked normally. There were no ill after-effects. On the other hand, the usual stroke victim usually suffers irreparable bursting of the brain capillaries on the way to the hospital. As a result, these victims never recover.- ' (Irene Liu)
Therefore stroke is the second cause of death. The lucky ones will stay alive but can remain paralyzed for life. It is such a horrible thing to happen in one's life. If we can all remember this bloodletting method and start the life-saving process immediately, in a short time, the victim will be revived and regain 100% normality.
This note is as exactly as I read it.
'My father was paralyzed and later died from the result of a stroke. I wish I knew about this first aid before today. When stroke strikes, the capillaries in the brain will gradually burst.
When witness a stroke occurring, stay calm. No matter where the victim is, do not move him/her. Because, if moved, the capillaries will burst. Gently help the victim to sit up. Prevent him from falling over again, and then the bloodletting can begin. If you have in your home an injection syringe that would be the best, otherwise, a sewing needle or a straight pin will do.
1. Place the needle/pin over fire to sterilize it, and then use it to prick the tip of all 10 fingers.
2. There are no specific acupuncture points, just prick about a mm from the fingernail.
3. Prick till blood comes out.
4. If blood does not start to drip, then squeeze with your fingers.
5. When all 10 digits is bleeding, wait a few minutes then the victim will regain consciousness.
6. If the victim's mouth is crooked, then pull on his ears until they are red.
7. Then prick each ear lobe twice until two drops of blood comes from each ear lobe. After a few minutes the victim should regain consciousness.
Wait till the victim regain his normal state without any abnormal symptoms then take him to the hospital, otherwise, if he was taken in the ambulance in a hurry to the hospital, the bumpy trip will cause all the capillaries in his brain to burst. If he could save his life, barely managing to walk, then it is by the grace of his ancestors.
' I learned about letting blood to save life from Chinese traditional doctor Ha Bu-Ting who lives in Sun-Juke. Furthermore, I had practical experience with it. Therefore I can say this method is 100% effective.In 1979, I was teaching inFung-Gaap College in Tai-Chung. One afternoon I was teaching class when another teacher came running to my class room and said in panting, 'Ms. Liu, come quick, our supervisor has had a stroke!'
I immediately went to the 3rd floor. When I saw our supervisor, Mr.Chen Fu-Tien, his color was off, his speech was slurred, his mouth was crooked-all the symptoms of a stroke. I immediately asked one of the practicum students to go to the pharmacy outside the school to buy a syringe, which I used to prick Mr. Chen's 10 fingers tips. When all 10 fingers were bleeding (each with a pea-sized drop of blood), after a few minutes, Mr. Chen's face regained its color and his eyes' spirit returned, too. But his mouth was still crooked. So I pulled on his ears to fill them with blood. When his ears became red, I pricked his right earlobe twice to let out 2 drops of blood. When both earlobes had two drops of blood each, a miracle happened. Within 3-5 minutes the shape of his mouth returned to normal and his speech became clear. We let him rest for a while and have a cup of hot tea, then we helped him go down the stairs, drove him to Wei-Wah Hospital . He rested one night and was released the next day to return to school to teach.
Everything worked normally. There were no ill after-effects. On the other hand, the usual stroke victim usually suffers irreparable bursting of the brain capillaries on the way to the hospital. As a result, these victims never recover.- ' (Irene Liu)
Therefore stroke is the second cause of death. The lucky ones will stay alive but can remain paralyzed for life. It is such a horrible thing to happen in one's life. If we can all remember this bloodletting method and start the life-saving process immediately, in a short time, the victim will be revived and regain 100% normality.
This note is as exactly as I read it.
Are you a MBA or a BE graduate?
This particular joke won an award for the best joke in a competition organized in Britain and this joke was sent by an Indian......
A MBA and a BE student go on a camping trip, set up their tent ,and fell asleep. Some hours later, the BE wakes his MBA friend and says "Look up at the sky and tell me what you see.
"The MBA replies, "I see millions of stars."
The BE asks, "What does that tell you?" The MBA ponders for a minute. "Astronomically speaking, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, it's evident the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you?"
The BE is silent for a moment, then speaks.
"Practically...Someone has stolen our tent".
"ENGINEERING = 100% COMMON SENSE"
Time understands Love?
Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived:
Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all of the others, including Love.
One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all constructed boats and left. Except for Love.
Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment.
When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help.
Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, "Richness, can you take me with you?"
Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you."
Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel."Vanity, please help me!""I can't help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered.
Sadness was close by so Love asked, "Sadness, let me go with you."
"Oh . . . Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"
Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her.
Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come, Love, I will take you."It was an elder. So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where they were going. When they arrived at dry land,The elder went her own way. Realizing how much Love owed the elder, Love asked Knowledge, another elder, "Who Helped me?""It was Time," Knowledge answered."Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time help me?"Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, "Because only Time is capable of understanding how valuable Love is."
Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all of the others, including Love.
One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all constructed boats and left. Except for Love.
Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment.
When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help.
Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, "Richness, can you take me with you?"
Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you."
Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel."Vanity, please help me!""I can't help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered.
Sadness was close by so Love asked, "Sadness, let me go with you."
"Oh . . . Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"
Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her.
Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come, Love, I will take you."It was an elder. So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where they were going. When they arrived at dry land,The elder went her own way. Realizing how much Love owed the elder, Love asked Knowledge, another elder, "Who Helped me?""It was Time," Knowledge answered."Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time help me?"Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, "Because only Time is capable of understanding how valuable Love is."
Monday, November 28, 2011
Lateral Thinking
Many years ago in a small Indian village,
A farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender. The Moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful Daughter. So he proposed a bargain.
He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his Daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the Proposal.So the cunning money-lender suggested that they let Providence decide the matter. He told them that he would put a black Pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would have to pick one pebble from the bag.
1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven.
2) If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.
3) But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into Jail. They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer's field. As They talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he Picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two Black pebbles and put them into the bag.
He then asked the girl to pick A pebble from the bag.
Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What would you have Done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you Have told her?
Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:
1 The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag And expose the money-lender as a cheat.
3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order To save her father from his debt and imprisonment. Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above story is used with The hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral And logical thinking.
The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with Traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses The above logical answers. What would you recommend to the Girl to do?
Well, here is what she did ....
The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without Looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path Where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.
"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the Bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I Picked."
Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had Picked the white one. And since the money-lender dared not admit his Dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into An extremely advantageous one.
MORAL OF THE STORY:
Most complex problems do have a solution. It is only that we don't Attempt to think.
Reading this, I felt that this incident was similar to what i saw in a Korean Drama. There is a king who kills all the traders who try to trade in Tea to their country. One girl is also among those traders as she was trying to help them sneak it out. The King usually holds two coins painted red and will ask the person to be punished to chose one coin. He will say there is one green and one red. If you choose red, you will be killed and if you choose green, you will be freed. Similarly this cruel king did to the girl holding two red coins. This the girl noticed and as she wanted to save herself along with 5 other traders, she gobbled one of the coins and said the King to check the other coin. Seeing her Intelligence, the King will send off all the traders free. I appreciated the idea of the director immediately and now I know its "Lateral Thinking"
A farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender. The Moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful Daughter. So he proposed a bargain.
He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his Daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the Proposal.So the cunning money-lender suggested that they let Providence decide the matter. He told them that he would put a black Pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would have to pick one pebble from the bag.
1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven.
2) If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.
3) But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into Jail. They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer's field. As They talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he Picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two Black pebbles and put them into the bag.
He then asked the girl to pick A pebble from the bag.
Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What would you have Done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you Have told her?
Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:
1 The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag And expose the money-lender as a cheat.
3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order To save her father from his debt and imprisonment. Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above story is used with The hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral And logical thinking.
The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with Traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses The above logical answers. What would you recommend to the Girl to do?
Well, here is what she did ....
The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without Looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path Where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.
"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the Bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I Picked."
Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had Picked the white one. And since the money-lender dared not admit his Dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into An extremely advantageous one.
MORAL OF THE STORY:
Most complex problems do have a solution. It is only that we don't Attempt to think.
Reading this, I felt that this incident was similar to what i saw in a Korean Drama. There is a king who kills all the traders who try to trade in Tea to their country. One girl is also among those traders as she was trying to help them sneak it out. The King usually holds two coins painted red and will ask the person to be punished to chose one coin. He will say there is one green and one red. If you choose red, you will be killed and if you choose green, you will be freed. Similarly this cruel king did to the girl holding two red coins. This the girl noticed and as she wanted to save herself along with 5 other traders, she gobbled one of the coins and said the King to check the other coin. Seeing her Intelligence, the King will send off all the traders free. I appreciated the idea of the director immediately and now I know its "Lateral Thinking"
My Son's Best Uncle's Birthday!
Its not an easy thing to get into kids mind these days with so many distractions around. They tend to forget people quickly if they dont see them continously for 3 to 4 months. But this brother of mine is really a wonderful person. He got straight thru their hearts by his love,care and share nature. Even though we are not from same mothers, he always had been one of my own. With his small gestures of running over to see them whenever we visit India, sitting along with them, talking to them, spending all his time with them...he got a big place in their hearts. My son has made him a greeting card for his birthday and says that he will mail it over to him even it gets to him late. In that there is a long love letter saying...Uncle's Name! (No one calls him uncle...its by his name only even though there is 20 years of gap between them) You are one of my best uncle i've ever had!
I asked him if you say this uncle as your best then what about your other uncle (my husband's brother)? He says thats why mentioned one of my best uncle...meaning I have two best uncles in my life :)
It was a wonderful reply and i really appreciated it. Happy Birthday! to one of my best brothers and to one of my son's best Uncle!
I asked him if you say this uncle as your best then what about your other uncle (my husband's brother)? He says thats why mentioned one of my best uncle...meaning I have two best uncles in my life :)
It was a wonderful reply and i really appreciated it. Happy Birthday! to one of my best brothers and to one of my son's best Uncle!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Eye Excercises
'The eyes are the openings to the liver. People who suffer from eye problems usually suffer from liver disorders and vice-versa. As anger is a symptom of liver dysfunction in Taoist theory, people who use their eyes too much may become angry. The Internal Exercises for the eyes will strengthen both the eyes and the liver and help such serious disorders as cataracts, astigmatism, nearsightedness, glaucoma, and liver problems.
The eyes, specifically their movements, are indicative of an individual's intelligence. People who are clever have large eye movements and are always exploring their environment. Slow eye movement or a lack of eye movement indicates a repressed level of intelligence, which may also be helped through stimulation of the eyes.
Poor blood circulation, indicated by dark circles under the eyes, can also be helped by doing the Eye Exercises. Poor blood circulation results from long periods of inactivity, such as those spent in front of a television set.
Often the first signs of sluggish circulation are chilly sensations, which result when the body temperature rises above room temperature, causing the surroundings to be cooler than the body. Like car engines, our bodies need cool liquids to circulate through them and remove heat. H circulation is sluggish, body temperature goes up. Then the blood ..boils", forms skins, and forms clots. So in order to prevent blood clots, the Eye and other Internal Exercises should be done, especially when television is being watched.
Doing the Eye Exercise can also help bags or puffiness under the eyes which indicate water retention or bad metabolism.
I. Place thumbs on rim of the eye sockets at the upper inside corner of the eyes. There is a slight depression in the bone at the correct point. Those points are designated by the letter A in figure 55a. Press in deeply. Any pain indicates some blockage. Then massage the points for a count of 10. Release. Repeat for a total of 3 times
2. Next, place index fingers in the small depressions at the middle of the lower eye sockets-points designated by B. Press in deeply on the rims, not cheekbones. Massage for a count of 10. Release. Then repeat for a total of 3 times.
3. Then, place index fingers on lower eye socket 1/4 of the distance from outside comers of the eyes. (Look for letter C in figure 55d.) Press and massage for a count of 10. Release. Repeat for a total of 3 times.
4. Place middle fingers on top of eye sockets about 1/3of the distance from the outside comers of the eyes. (Look for letter D.) Press and massage for a count of 10. Release. Repeat for a total of 3 times.
5. Place middle fingers on the temples by coming out from the end of the eyebrows and locating soft depressions on the sides of the head (point E). Press and massage for a count of 10. Release. Repeat for a total of 3 times.
6. Palming. Rub hands together briskly until they are quite wann. Cup the hands over both eyes, fingers slightly crossed, right over left. Do not press the eyes. Hold for a count of 10. Then repeat for a total of 3 times, always feeling the wannth entering into the eyes from the hands.
7. Then rub eyes lightly with three middle fingers. Rub the bones around the eyes in a circular motion, starting from the inside comer of each eye next to the nose. Rub up the bridge of the nose, across the eyebrows, towards the temples, down and back around the lower rims ofthe eye sockets to the nose again. Do this 10 times. Pause. Repeat for a total of 3 cycles.
NOTE A: Rubbing in the opposite direction will weaken the eye muscles and cause wrinkles to appear. Always use a natural, heal ing cream as a lubricant.
NOTE B: For cataract or glaucoma, practice the first seven eye
exercises up to 20 minutes daily. Whenever your eyes are tired, do the Eye Exercises, as they will completely revitalize your entire body in minutes. It is also good to do them in conjunction with exercises which strengthen the liver.
NOTE C:Once you have located the painful points, it is not necessary to continue pressing hard on these points. When you are doing the Eye Exereises,even a very light touching of the points will accomplish the purpose of the exercise, which is to restore nonnal vision. NOTED: Use the first two points (A and B) for diagnosis. If it is painful at all when you press in deeply, then there is something wrong with the eyes and/or body. If it is puffy or dark under point B, water retention or lack of proper rest is indicated.
One may also practice additional exercises which will strengthen the eyes and the muscles surrounding them.
1. Begin by keeping the head straight, but with the eyes first looking up toward the ceiling and then down at the floor. Repeat this motion several times. The eyes should always move slowly and with deliber ation.
2. Next, look to either side of the head.
3. Then look up and down into the opposite comers of the eyes.
4. Then rotate the eyes frrst in a clockwise direction, then in a counterelockwise direction. This will take about ten minutes to per fonn when done slowly.
5. Always follow these eye movements with a rubbing of the hands and a pressing of the palms onto the eyes to bring heat and energy into them.
The eyes, specifically their movements, are indicative of an individual's intelligence. People who are clever have large eye movements and are always exploring their environment. Slow eye movement or a lack of eye movement indicates a repressed level of intelligence, which may also be helped through stimulation of the eyes.
Poor blood circulation, indicated by dark circles under the eyes, can also be helped by doing the Eye Exercises. Poor blood circulation results from long periods of inactivity, such as those spent in front of a television set.
Often the first signs of sluggish circulation are chilly sensations, which result when the body temperature rises above room temperature, causing the surroundings to be cooler than the body. Like car engines, our bodies need cool liquids to circulate through them and remove heat. H circulation is sluggish, body temperature goes up. Then the blood ..boils", forms skins, and forms clots. So in order to prevent blood clots, the Eye and other Internal Exercises should be done, especially when television is being watched.
Doing the Eye Exercise can also help bags or puffiness under the eyes which indicate water retention or bad metabolism.
I. Place thumbs on rim of the eye sockets at the upper inside corner of the eyes. There is a slight depression in the bone at the correct point. Those points are designated by the letter A in figure 55a. Press in deeply. Any pain indicates some blockage. Then massage the points for a count of 10. Release. Repeat for a total of 3 times
2. Next, place index fingers in the small depressions at the middle of the lower eye sockets-points designated by B. Press in deeply on the rims, not cheekbones. Massage for a count of 10. Release. Then repeat for a total of 3 times.
3. Then, place index fingers on lower eye socket 1/4 of the distance from outside comers of the eyes. (Look for letter C in figure 55d.) Press and massage for a count of 10. Release. Repeat for a total of 3 times.
4. Place middle fingers on top of eye sockets about 1/3of the distance from the outside comers of the eyes. (Look for letter D.) Press and massage for a count of 10. Release. Repeat for a total of 3 times.
5. Place middle fingers on the temples by coming out from the end of the eyebrows and locating soft depressions on the sides of the head (point E). Press and massage for a count of 10. Release. Repeat for a total of 3 times.
6. Palming. Rub hands together briskly until they are quite wann. Cup the hands over both eyes, fingers slightly crossed, right over left. Do not press the eyes. Hold for a count of 10. Then repeat for a total of 3 times, always feeling the wannth entering into the eyes from the hands.
7. Then rub eyes lightly with three middle fingers. Rub the bones around the eyes in a circular motion, starting from the inside comer of each eye next to the nose. Rub up the bridge of the nose, across the eyebrows, towards the temples, down and back around the lower rims ofthe eye sockets to the nose again. Do this 10 times. Pause. Repeat for a total of 3 cycles.
NOTE A: Rubbing in the opposite direction will weaken the eye muscles and cause wrinkles to appear. Always use a natural, heal ing cream as a lubricant.
NOTE B: For cataract or glaucoma, practice the first seven eye
exercises up to 20 minutes daily. Whenever your eyes are tired, do the Eye Exercises, as they will completely revitalize your entire body in minutes. It is also good to do them in conjunction with exercises which strengthen the liver.
NOTE C:Once you have located the painful points, it is not necessary to continue pressing hard on these points. When you are doing the Eye Exereises,even a very light touching of the points will accomplish the purpose of the exercise, which is to restore nonnal vision. NOTED: Use the first two points (A and B) for diagnosis. If it is painful at all when you press in deeply, then there is something wrong with the eyes and/or body. If it is puffy or dark under point B, water retention or lack of proper rest is indicated.
One may also practice additional exercises which will strengthen the eyes and the muscles surrounding them.
1. Begin by keeping the head straight, but with the eyes first looking up toward the ceiling and then down at the floor. Repeat this motion several times. The eyes should always move slowly and with deliber ation.2. Next, look to either side of the head.
3. Then look up and down into the opposite comers of the eyes.
4. Then rotate the eyes frrst in a clockwise direction, then in a counterelockwise direction. This will take about ten minutes to per fonn when done slowly.
5. Always follow these eye movements with a rubbing of the hands and a pressing of the palms onto the eyes to bring heat and energy into them.
Interesting Facts
A South Indian Meal
A typical South Indian meal is served in three main courses: sambar sAdam, rasam sAdam and more (buttermilk) sAdam.
Sambar is also known as kuzhambu in Tamil, a term that literally translates to 'get confused'. Paramacharya explains how these three courses are related to the three gunas of spirituality: the confusion of sambar is tamo guna, the clarified and rarified flow of rasam is rajo guna and the all-white buttermilk is satva guna. Our meal reminds us of our spiritual path from confused inaction to a clear flow of action and finally to the realized bliss of unity.
Also thought i would add what i have heard
(I heard that Paramacharya once asked the difference between Sambar and Rasam.The ingredients are same for both like tamarind water,dal etc.Then what exactly is the difference? Then he replied the only difference is 'Than'(vegetable in tamil).This also means 'I' (in spritual context).When every one is born on this earth ,all of them are born with the thought of 'I'.
The moment we start filtering and removing the thought of 'I' slowly we progress and clarity sets in (which is Rasam clear and light when compared to sambar).Then we enjoy the boga,Bogyam (happiness )in life which is Payasam (after rasam payasam is served) .How much of payasam can we eat??After enjoying happiness in life till we are bored of it,then we move to More (buttermilk) which is the goal every one has to attain.More (buttermilk) cant be refined any further.From Milk we get Curd ,curd when refined becomes More (buttermilk),beyond that how much every we refine ,what remains is Buttermilk(more).The entire south indian meal as described by Mahaperiyava is to remaind people that path and the steps ahead to reach the Paramathma.After More (buttermilk) we wash our hands (NO MORE) ..(wht a sattire) by thatha...
sAdam
Cooked rice, the main dish of a South Indian meal is called sAdam. That which has sat is sAdam, in the same way we call those who are full of sat, sadhus. We can give another explanation for the term: that which is born out of prasannam is prasAdam. What we offer to Swami (God) as nivedanam is given back to us as parasAdam. Since we should not add the root 'pra' to the rice we cook for ourselves, we call it sAdam.
Rasam
Rasam means juice, which is also the name of filtered ruchi. We say 'it was full of rasa' when a speech or song was tasteful. Vaishnavas, because of their Tamil abhimAnam, refer to rasam as saatthamudhu. It does not mean the amudhu (amrita) mixed with sAdam. It was actually saatramudhu (saaru or rasam + amudhu), which became saatthamudhu.
Vaishnavas also have a term thirukkann amudhu that refers to our pAyasam. What is that thirukkann? If rudrAksham means Rudra's eye, does 'thirukkann' mean Lakshmi's eye? Or does the term refer to some vastu (article) added to pAyasam? No such things. Thiru kannal amudhu has become thirukkann amudhu. Kannal means sugercane, the base crop of suger and jaggery used in pAyasam.
I was talking about rasam. If something is an extraction of juice, then would it not be clear, diluted and free of sediments? Such is the nature of our rasam, which is clear and dilute. The other one, served earlier to rasam in a meal, is the kuzhambu. Kuzhambu contains dissolved tamarind and cut vegetable pieces, so it looks unclear, its ingredients not easily seen.
Buttermilk
A western meal normally ends with a dessert. In a South Indian meal, desserts such as pAyasam are served after the rasam sAdam. Any sweets that were served at the beginning are also taken at this time. After that we take buttermilk rice as our final course. Paramacharya explains that since sweets are harmful to teeth, our sour and salty buttermilk actually strengthens our teeth, and this has been observed and praised by an American dietician. We gargle warm salt water when we get toothache. The buttermilk is the reason for our having strong teeth until the end of our life, unlike the westerners who resort to dentures quite early in their life.
Vegetable curry
Even though cut vegetable pieces are used in sambar, kootoo and pacchadi, in curry they are fried to such an extent that they become dark in color (the term curry also means blackness or darkness in Tamil). May be this is the origin of the name curry.
Uppuma (kitchadi)
I f the term uppuma is derived from the fact that we add uppu or salt, then we also add salt to iddly, dosa and pongal! Actually, it is not uppuma but ubbuma! The rava used for this dish expands in size to the full vessel where heated up with water and salt. The action of rava getting expanded is the reason for the term ubbuma.
Iddly
The term iduthal (in Tamil) refers to keeping something set and untouched. We call the cremation ground idukaadu (in Tamil). There we keep the mrita sarira (mortal body) set on the burning pyre and then come away. The term iduthal also refers to refining gold with fire. The (Tamil) term idu marunthu has a similar connotation: a drug given once without any repetition of dosage. In the same way, we keep the iddly wet flour on the oven and do nothing to it until it is cooked by steam.
Idiyaappam
(This is rice noodles cooked in steam). Brahmins call it seva while others call it idiyaappam. But unlike an appam which is a cake, this dish is in strands. The term appam is derived from the Sanskrit ApUpam meaning cake. The flour of that cake is called ApUpayam. This word is the origin of the Tamil word appam.
Appalaam
The grammatical Tamil term is appalam. This dish is also made by kneading (urad dhal) flour, making globules out of it and then flattening them. So it is also a kind of appam. Because of its taste a 'la' is added as a particle of endearment!
Laddu
ladanam (in Sanskrit) means to play, to throw. ladakam is the sports goods used to play with. Since the ball games are the most popular, ladakam came to mean a ball. The dish laddu is like a ball, and this term is a shortened form of laddukam, which derived from ladakam.
Laddu is also known as kunjaa laadu. This should actually be gunjaa laadu, because the Sanskrit term gunjA refers to the gunjA-berry, used as a measure of weight, specially for gold. Since a laddu is a packed ball of gunjA like berries cooked out of flour and sugar, it got this name.
The singer of mUka panca sati on Ambal Kamakshi describes her as Matangi and in that description praises her as 'gunjA bhUsha', that is, wearing chains and bangles made of gunjA-berries of gold.
Pori vilangaa laddu
Made of jaggery, rice flour and dried ginger without any ghee added to it, this laddu is as hard as a wood apple, though very tasty, and hence got its name from that fruit and the original pori (puffed rice) flour used to make it.
Indian Dishes of Turkish Origin
Our halwa is a dish that came from the Turkish invasion. bahU kalam (long ago) before that we had a dish called paishtikam, made of flour, ghee and sugar. But then the Arabian term halwa has stuck in usage for such preparation.
Sojji
sUji is another name from the Turkish. It has become sojji now. It is mostly referred to these days as kesari. In Sanskrit, kesaram means mane, so kesari is a lion with kesaram. It was a practice to add the title 'kesari' to people who are on the top in any field. Thus we have Veera Kesari, Hari Kesari as titles of kings in Tamilnadu. The German Keisar, Roman Caesar and the Russian Czar -- all these titles came from only from this term kesari.
What is the color the lion? A sort of brownish red, right? A shade that is not orange nor red. That is the kesar varnam. The powder of that stone is called kesari powder, which became the name of the dish to which it is added for color.
Vada
A Tamil pundit told me that the name vada(i) could have originated from the Sanskrit mAshApUpam, which is an appam made of mAsham or the urad dhal. He also said that in ancient Tamilnadu, vada and appam were prepared like chapati, baking the flour cake using dry heat.
Dadhya Araadhana
Someone asked me about the meaning of this term. He was under the impression that dadhi was curd, so dadhiyaaradhana(i) was the curd rice offered to Perumal. Actually, the correct term is tadeeya AradhanA, meaning the samaaradhana(i) (grand dinner) hosted to the bhagavatas of Perumal. It got shortened in the habitual Vaishnava way.
Vaishnavas offer the nivedanam of pongal with other things to Perumal in their dhanur mAsa ushad kala puja (early morning puja of the Dhanur month). They call it tiruppakshi. The original term was actually tiruppalli ezhuchi, the term used to wake of Perumal. It became 'tiruppazhuchi', then 'tiruppazhachi' and finally 'tiruppakshi' today, using the Sanskrit kshakara akshram, in the habitual Vaishnava way. It is only vegetarian offering, nothing to do with pakshi (bird)!
The term dhanur mAsam automatically brings up thoughts of Andaal and her paavai (friends). In the 27th song (of Tiruppaavai), she describes her wake up puja and nivedanam with milk and sweet pongal to Bhagavan, which culminates in her having a joint dinner with her friends. Vaishnavas celebrate that day as the festival koodaara valli, following the same sampradhAyam (tradition). The name of this festival is from the phrase koodaarai vellum seer Govinda, (Govinda who conquers those who don't reach Him) which begins the 27th song. It was this 'koodaarai vellum' that took on the vichitra vEsham (strange form) of 'koodaara valli'.
pAyasam
payas (in Sanskrit) means milk. So pAyasam literally means 'a delicacy made of milk'. This term does not refer to the rice and jaggery used to make pAyasam. They go with the term without saying. Actually pAyasam is to be made by boiling rice in milk (not water) and adding jaggery. These days we have dhal pAyasam, ravA pAyasam, sEmia pAyasam and so on, using other things in the place of rice.
Vaishanavas have a beautiful Tamil term akkaara adisil for pAyasam. The 'akkaar' in this term is a corruption of the Sanskrit sharkara. The English term 'sugar' is from the Arabian 'sukkar', which in turn is from this Sanskrit term. The same term also took the forms 'saccharine' and 'jaggery'. And the name of the dish jangiri is from the term jaggery.
kanji
Before we become satiated with madhuram (sweetness), let us turn our attention to a food that is sour. As an alternative to sweetness, our Acharyal (Adi Sankara) has spoken about sourness in his Soundarya Lahiri.
Poets describe a bird called cakora pakshi that feeds on moon-beams. Sankara says in Soundarya Lahiri that the cakora pakshi were originally feeding on the kArunya lAvaNyAmruta (the nectar of compassion and beauty) flowing from Ambal's mukha chanran (moon like face). They got satiated with that nectar and were looking for somthing sour, and spotted the full moon, which being only a reflection, issued only sour beams!
Acharyal has used the term kAnjika diya, which gives an evidence of his origin in the Malayala Desam. He said that since the cakora pakshis were convinced that the nectar from the moon was only sour kanji, they chose to feed on it as an alternative.
The term kAnjika means relating to kanji, but the word kanji is not found in Sanskrit. It is a word current only in the Dakshinam (south). There too, kanji is special in Malayala Desam where even the rich lords used to drink kanji in the morning. This was the variety came to be known as the 'Mayalayam Kanji'.
Kanji is good for deham as well as chittam. And less expensive. You just add a handful of cooked rice rava (broken rice), add buttermilk, salt and dry ginger, which would be enough for four people.
The buttermilk added must be a bit more sour. The salt too must be a bit more in quantity. With the slight burning taste of dry ginger, the combination would be tasty and healthy.
tAmbUlam
It is customary to have tAmbUlam at the end of a South Indian dinner. In the North, tAambUlam is popularly known as paan, which is usually a wrap of betel nut and other allied items in a calcium-laced pair of betel leaves. In the South, tAmbUlam is usually an elaborate and leisurely after-dinner activity. People sit around a plate of tAmbUlam items, drop a few cut or sliced betel nut pieces in their month, take the betel leaves one by one leisurely, draw a daub of pasty calcium on their back and then stuff them in their month, chatting happily all the while.
The betel leaf is known by the name vetrilai in Tamil, literally an empty leaf. Paramacharya once asked the people sitting around him the reason for calling it an empty leaf. When none could give the answer, he said that the usually edible plants don't just stop with leaf; they proceed to blossom, and bear fruits or vegetables. Even in the case of spinach or lettuce, we have to cook them before we can take them. Only in the case of the betel leaf, we take it raw, and this plant just stops with its leaves, hence the name vetrilai or empty leaf.
-------
विद्या ददाति विनयम्, विनयम् ददाति पात्रताम्, पात्रत्वात् धनमाप्नोति, धनात् धर्मम् ततःसुखम्Education yields humility; humility yields character; character yields wealth (courage, fortitude & wisdom); wealth supports righteous (dharmic) life; righteousness yields happiness. - Hitopadesha
A typical South Indian meal is served in three main courses: sambar sAdam, rasam sAdam and more (buttermilk) sAdam.
Sambar is also known as kuzhambu in Tamil, a term that literally translates to 'get confused'. Paramacharya explains how these three courses are related to the three gunas of spirituality: the confusion of sambar is tamo guna, the clarified and rarified flow of rasam is rajo guna and the all-white buttermilk is satva guna. Our meal reminds us of our spiritual path from confused inaction to a clear flow of action and finally to the realized bliss of unity.
Also thought i would add what i have heard
(I heard that Paramacharya once asked the difference between Sambar and Rasam.The ingredients are same for both like tamarind water,dal etc.Then what exactly is the difference? Then he replied the only difference is 'Than'(vegetable in tamil).This also means 'I' (in spritual context).When every one is born on this earth ,all of them are born with the thought of 'I'.
The moment we start filtering and removing the thought of 'I' slowly we progress and clarity sets in (which is Rasam clear and light when compared to sambar).Then we enjoy the boga,Bogyam (happiness )in life which is Payasam (after rasam payasam is served) .How much of payasam can we eat??After enjoying happiness in life till we are bored of it,then we move to More (buttermilk) which is the goal every one has to attain.More (buttermilk) cant be refined any further.From Milk we get Curd ,curd when refined becomes More (buttermilk),beyond that how much every we refine ,what remains is Buttermilk(more).The entire south indian meal as described by Mahaperiyava is to remaind people that path and the steps ahead to reach the Paramathma.After More (buttermilk) we wash our hands (NO MORE) ..(wht a sattire) by thatha...
sAdam
Cooked rice, the main dish of a South Indian meal is called sAdam. That which has sat is sAdam, in the same way we call those who are full of sat, sadhus. We can give another explanation for the term: that which is born out of prasannam is prasAdam. What we offer to Swami (God) as nivedanam is given back to us as parasAdam. Since we should not add the root 'pra' to the rice we cook for ourselves, we call it sAdam.
Rasam
Rasam means juice, which is also the name of filtered ruchi. We say 'it was full of rasa' when a speech or song was tasteful. Vaishnavas, because of their Tamil abhimAnam, refer to rasam as saatthamudhu. It does not mean the amudhu (amrita) mixed with sAdam. It was actually saatramudhu (saaru or rasam + amudhu), which became saatthamudhu.
Vaishnavas also have a term thirukkann amudhu that refers to our pAyasam. What is that thirukkann? If rudrAksham means Rudra's eye, does 'thirukkann' mean Lakshmi's eye? Or does the term refer to some vastu (article) added to pAyasam? No such things. Thiru kannal amudhu has become thirukkann amudhu. Kannal means sugercane, the base crop of suger and jaggery used in pAyasam.
I was talking about rasam. If something is an extraction of juice, then would it not be clear, diluted and free of sediments? Such is the nature of our rasam, which is clear and dilute. The other one, served earlier to rasam in a meal, is the kuzhambu. Kuzhambu contains dissolved tamarind and cut vegetable pieces, so it looks unclear, its ingredients not easily seen.
Buttermilk
A western meal normally ends with a dessert. In a South Indian meal, desserts such as pAyasam are served after the rasam sAdam. Any sweets that were served at the beginning are also taken at this time. After that we take buttermilk rice as our final course. Paramacharya explains that since sweets are harmful to teeth, our sour and salty buttermilk actually strengthens our teeth, and this has been observed and praised by an American dietician. We gargle warm salt water when we get toothache. The buttermilk is the reason for our having strong teeth until the end of our life, unlike the westerners who resort to dentures quite early in their life.
Vegetable curry
Even though cut vegetable pieces are used in sambar, kootoo and pacchadi, in curry they are fried to such an extent that they become dark in color (the term curry also means blackness or darkness in Tamil). May be this is the origin of the name curry.
Uppuma (kitchadi)
I f the term uppuma is derived from the fact that we add uppu or salt, then we also add salt to iddly, dosa and pongal! Actually, it is not uppuma but ubbuma! The rava used for this dish expands in size to the full vessel where heated up with water and salt. The action of rava getting expanded is the reason for the term ubbuma.
Iddly
The term iduthal (in Tamil) refers to keeping something set and untouched. We call the cremation ground idukaadu (in Tamil). There we keep the mrita sarira (mortal body) set on the burning pyre and then come away. The term iduthal also refers to refining gold with fire. The (Tamil) term idu marunthu has a similar connotation: a drug given once without any repetition of dosage. In the same way, we keep the iddly wet flour on the oven and do nothing to it until it is cooked by steam.
Idiyaappam
(This is rice noodles cooked in steam). Brahmins call it seva while others call it idiyaappam. But unlike an appam which is a cake, this dish is in strands. The term appam is derived from the Sanskrit ApUpam meaning cake. The flour of that cake is called ApUpayam. This word is the origin of the Tamil word appam.
Appalaam
The grammatical Tamil term is appalam. This dish is also made by kneading (urad dhal) flour, making globules out of it and then flattening them. So it is also a kind of appam. Because of its taste a 'la' is added as a particle of endearment!
Laddu
ladanam (in Sanskrit) means to play, to throw. ladakam is the sports goods used to play with. Since the ball games are the most popular, ladakam came to mean a ball. The dish laddu is like a ball, and this term is a shortened form of laddukam, which derived from ladakam.
Laddu is also known as kunjaa laadu. This should actually be gunjaa laadu, because the Sanskrit term gunjA refers to the gunjA-berry, used as a measure of weight, specially for gold. Since a laddu is a packed ball of gunjA like berries cooked out of flour and sugar, it got this name.
The singer of mUka panca sati on Ambal Kamakshi describes her as Matangi and in that description praises her as 'gunjA bhUsha', that is, wearing chains and bangles made of gunjA-berries of gold.
Pori vilangaa laddu
Made of jaggery, rice flour and dried ginger without any ghee added to it, this laddu is as hard as a wood apple, though very tasty, and hence got its name from that fruit and the original pori (puffed rice) flour used to make it.
Indian Dishes of Turkish Origin
Our halwa is a dish that came from the Turkish invasion. bahU kalam (long ago) before that we had a dish called paishtikam, made of flour, ghee and sugar. But then the Arabian term halwa has stuck in usage for such preparation.
Sojji
sUji is another name from the Turkish. It has become sojji now. It is mostly referred to these days as kesari. In Sanskrit, kesaram means mane, so kesari is a lion with kesaram. It was a practice to add the title 'kesari' to people who are on the top in any field. Thus we have Veera Kesari, Hari Kesari as titles of kings in Tamilnadu. The German Keisar, Roman Caesar and the Russian Czar -- all these titles came from only from this term kesari.
What is the color the lion? A sort of brownish red, right? A shade that is not orange nor red. That is the kesar varnam. The powder of that stone is called kesari powder, which became the name of the dish to which it is added for color.
Vada
A Tamil pundit told me that the name vada(i) could have originated from the Sanskrit mAshApUpam, which is an appam made of mAsham or the urad dhal. He also said that in ancient Tamilnadu, vada and appam were prepared like chapati, baking the flour cake using dry heat.
Dadhya Araadhana
Someone asked me about the meaning of this term. He was under the impression that dadhi was curd, so dadhiyaaradhana(i) was the curd rice offered to Perumal. Actually, the correct term is tadeeya AradhanA, meaning the samaaradhana(i) (grand dinner) hosted to the bhagavatas of Perumal. It got shortened in the habitual Vaishnava way.
Vaishnavas offer the nivedanam of pongal with other things to Perumal in their dhanur mAsa ushad kala puja (early morning puja of the Dhanur month). They call it tiruppakshi. The original term was actually tiruppalli ezhuchi, the term used to wake of Perumal. It became 'tiruppazhuchi', then 'tiruppazhachi' and finally 'tiruppakshi' today, using the Sanskrit kshakara akshram, in the habitual Vaishnava way. It is only vegetarian offering, nothing to do with pakshi (bird)!
The term dhanur mAsam automatically brings up thoughts of Andaal and her paavai (friends). In the 27th song (of Tiruppaavai), she describes her wake up puja and nivedanam with milk and sweet pongal to Bhagavan, which culminates in her having a joint dinner with her friends. Vaishnavas celebrate that day as the festival koodaara valli, following the same sampradhAyam (tradition). The name of this festival is from the phrase koodaarai vellum seer Govinda, (Govinda who conquers those who don't reach Him) which begins the 27th song. It was this 'koodaarai vellum' that took on the vichitra vEsham (strange form) of 'koodaara valli'.
pAyasam
payas (in Sanskrit) means milk. So pAyasam literally means 'a delicacy made of milk'. This term does not refer to the rice and jaggery used to make pAyasam. They go with the term without saying. Actually pAyasam is to be made by boiling rice in milk (not water) and adding jaggery. These days we have dhal pAyasam, ravA pAyasam, sEmia pAyasam and so on, using other things in the place of rice.
Vaishanavas have a beautiful Tamil term akkaara adisil for pAyasam. The 'akkaar' in this term is a corruption of the Sanskrit sharkara. The English term 'sugar' is from the Arabian 'sukkar', which in turn is from this Sanskrit term. The same term also took the forms 'saccharine' and 'jaggery'. And the name of the dish jangiri is from the term jaggery.
kanji
Before we become satiated with madhuram (sweetness), let us turn our attention to a food that is sour. As an alternative to sweetness, our Acharyal (Adi Sankara) has spoken about sourness in his Soundarya Lahiri.
Poets describe a bird called cakora pakshi that feeds on moon-beams. Sankara says in Soundarya Lahiri that the cakora pakshi were originally feeding on the kArunya lAvaNyAmruta (the nectar of compassion and beauty) flowing from Ambal's mukha chanran (moon like face). They got satiated with that nectar and were looking for somthing sour, and spotted the full moon, which being only a reflection, issued only sour beams!
Acharyal has used the term kAnjika diya, which gives an evidence of his origin in the Malayala Desam. He said that since the cakora pakshis were convinced that the nectar from the moon was only sour kanji, they chose to feed on it as an alternative.
The term kAnjika means relating to kanji, but the word kanji is not found in Sanskrit. It is a word current only in the Dakshinam (south). There too, kanji is special in Malayala Desam where even the rich lords used to drink kanji in the morning. This was the variety came to be known as the 'Mayalayam Kanji'.
Kanji is good for deham as well as chittam. And less expensive. You just add a handful of cooked rice rava (broken rice), add buttermilk, salt and dry ginger, which would be enough for four people.
The buttermilk added must be a bit more sour. The salt too must be a bit more in quantity. With the slight burning taste of dry ginger, the combination would be tasty and healthy.
tAmbUlam
It is customary to have tAmbUlam at the end of a South Indian dinner. In the North, tAambUlam is popularly known as paan, which is usually a wrap of betel nut and other allied items in a calcium-laced pair of betel leaves. In the South, tAmbUlam is usually an elaborate and leisurely after-dinner activity. People sit around a plate of tAmbUlam items, drop a few cut or sliced betel nut pieces in their month, take the betel leaves one by one leisurely, draw a daub of pasty calcium on their back and then stuff them in their month, chatting happily all the while.
The betel leaf is known by the name vetrilai in Tamil, literally an empty leaf. Paramacharya once asked the people sitting around him the reason for calling it an empty leaf. When none could give the answer, he said that the usually edible plants don't just stop with leaf; they proceed to blossom, and bear fruits or vegetables. Even in the case of spinach or lettuce, we have to cook them before we can take them. Only in the case of the betel leaf, we take it raw, and this plant just stops with its leaves, hence the name vetrilai or empty leaf.
-------
विद्या ददाति विनयम्, विनयम् ददाति पात्रताम्, पात्रत्वात् धनमाप्नोति, धनात् धर्मम् ततःसुखम्Education yields humility; humility yields character; character yields wealth (courage, fortitude & wisdom); wealth supports righteous (dharmic) life; righteousness yields happiness. - Hitopadesha
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
10 Ideas for making your wife happy on your Anniversary
1. A costly branded handbag for your wife - no need to be bothered about if this size will fit her
2. A Diamond Set with earrings and a necklace - to see her surprising face shining in the diamonds
3. A surprizing candlelight dinner followed by a movie (ofcourse with gift 1 or 2 will be the best!)
4. A shopping voucher for $500 from a famous shop so that she can decide to buy whatever she wants
5. A surprise cake of course with hearts and lovely message and prepare a small party with your kids.
6. One day completely planned trip outside/inside of the country with your wife.
7. A certificate of oath specifying you will not hurt her even once and will keep loving her all the time. (this should include atleast one of the gifts 1 or 2)
8. A Spa/massage voucher for your wife if she likes to do Spa often.
9. Prepare a special Dish, cook it with your own hands. (this also should include atleast one of the gifts 1 or 2).
10. Kiss her and wish Happy Anniversary without forgetting :) - do this at the least!
Other Gift List best for any occassion ;)
Watch
Camera/Camera lens (if she has a DSLR already :))
iPhone4S
iPad2
2. A Diamond Set with earrings and a necklace - to see her surprising face shining in the diamonds
3. A surprizing candlelight dinner followed by a movie (ofcourse with gift 1 or 2 will be the best!)
4. A shopping voucher for $500 from a famous shop so that she can decide to buy whatever she wants
5. A surprise cake of course with hearts and lovely message and prepare a small party with your kids.
6. One day completely planned trip outside/inside of the country with your wife.
7. A certificate of oath specifying you will not hurt her even once and will keep loving her all the time. (this should include atleast one of the gifts 1 or 2)
8. A Spa/massage voucher for your wife if she likes to do Spa often.
9. Prepare a special Dish, cook it with your own hands. (this also should include atleast one of the gifts 1 or 2).
10. Kiss her and wish Happy Anniversary without forgetting :) - do this at the least!
Other Gift List best for any occassion ;)
Watch
Camera/Camera lens (if she has a DSLR already :))
iPhone4S
iPad2
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Jokes
A woman was being questioned in a court trial involving slander.
"Please repeat the slanderous statements you heard, exactly as you heard them," instructed the lawyer.
The witness hesitated.
"But they are unfit for any respectable person to hear," she protested.
"Then," said the attorney, "just whisper them to the judge."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dad's pager went off, summoning him to the hospital, where he is an anesthetist. As he raced toward the hospital, a patrol car sped up behind him--lights flashing.
Dad hung his stethoscope out the window to signal that he was on an emergency call.
Within seconds, came the police officer's hand in response, dangling a pair of handcuffs out the window.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A couple just started their Lamaze class and they were given an activity requiring the husband to wear a bag of sand - to give him an idea of what it feels like to be pregnant. The husband stood up and shrugged saying,
"This doesn't feel so bad."
The instructor then dropped a pen and asked the husband to pick it up.
"You want me to pick up the pen as if I were pregnant, the way my wife would do it?" the husband asked.
"Exactly," replied the instructor.
To the delight of the other husbands, he turned to his wife and said, "Honey, pick up that pen for me."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A widow recently married to a widower was accosted by a friend who laughingly remarked: "I suppose, like all men who have been married before, your husband sometimes talks about his first wife?"
"Oh, not any more, he doesn't," the other replied.
"What stopped him?"
"I started talking about my next husband."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When the power mower was broken and wouldn't run, a lady kept hinting to her husband that he should get it fixed. But, somehow the message never sank in.
Finally she thought of a clever way to make her point. When her husband arrived home one day, he found her seated in the tall grass, busily snipping away with a tiny pair of sewing scissors. He watched silently for a short time and then went into the house.
He was gone only a few moments. When he came out again. He handed her a toothbrush. "When you finish cutting the grass," he said, "you might as well sweep the sidewalks."
The doctors say he will probably walk again, but he will always have a limp.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guide: I welcome u all to the Niagara falls. These are the world’s largest waterfalls
and the sound intensity of the waterfall is so high, sound of even 20 supersonic planes passing can’t b heard!
Now may I request the ladies to keep quiet so that we can hear the Niagara Falls?
"Please repeat the slanderous statements you heard, exactly as you heard them," instructed the lawyer.
The witness hesitated.
"But they are unfit for any respectable person to hear," she protested.
"Then," said the attorney, "just whisper them to the judge."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dad's pager went off, summoning him to the hospital, where he is an anesthetist. As he raced toward the hospital, a patrol car sped up behind him--lights flashing.
Dad hung his stethoscope out the window to signal that he was on an emergency call.
Within seconds, came the police officer's hand in response, dangling a pair of handcuffs out the window.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A couple just started their Lamaze class and they were given an activity requiring the husband to wear a bag of sand - to give him an idea of what it feels like to be pregnant. The husband stood up and shrugged saying,
"This doesn't feel so bad."
The instructor then dropped a pen and asked the husband to pick it up.
"You want me to pick up the pen as if I were pregnant, the way my wife would do it?" the husband asked.
"Exactly," replied the instructor.
To the delight of the other husbands, he turned to his wife and said, "Honey, pick up that pen for me."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A widow recently married to a widower was accosted by a friend who laughingly remarked: "I suppose, like all men who have been married before, your husband sometimes talks about his first wife?"
"Oh, not any more, he doesn't," the other replied.
"What stopped him?"
"I started talking about my next husband."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When the power mower was broken and wouldn't run, a lady kept hinting to her husband that he should get it fixed. But, somehow the message never sank in.
Finally she thought of a clever way to make her point. When her husband arrived home one day, he found her seated in the tall grass, busily snipping away with a tiny pair of sewing scissors. He watched silently for a short time and then went into the house.
He was gone only a few moments. When he came out again. He handed her a toothbrush. "When you finish cutting the grass," he said, "you might as well sweep the sidewalks."
The doctors say he will probably walk again, but he will always have a limp.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guide: I welcome u all to the Niagara falls. These are the world’s largest waterfalls
and the sound intensity of the waterfall is so high, sound of even 20 supersonic planes passing can’t b heard!
Now may I request the ladies to keep quiet so that we can hear the Niagara Falls?
Free Online Education Portal.
2011 - இலவச ஆன்லைன் கல்வி போர்ட்டல் - Free Online Education Portal.
14 நவம்பர் 2011, 07:02 க்குஇல் Ravi Nagஆல் எழுதப்பட்டது
நான் இதுவரை பெர்ஸ்னலாக எந்த ஒரு உதவியும் கேட்டதில்லை. ஆனால் இந்த நோட்ஸை நீங்கள் முடிந்த வரை பகிர்வது தான் நான் இப்பொழுது கேட்க்கும் ஒரு மாபெரும் உதவி.
ஆம் இந்த சிறுவர் தினத்தில் "இலவச ஆன்லைன் கல்வி"க்காக நான் ஆறு மாத உழைப்பில் இந்த பணியை செய்துள்ளேன். இது தான் ஆரம்பம். ஆம் ஒன்றாம் வகுப்பில் இருந்து +2 வகுப்பு வரை - ஆங்கிலம் மற்றும் தமிழ் மீடியம் படிக்கும் மற்ற படிக்க முடியாத மாணவர்களுக்கு இந்த சேவை மிகவும் பயனுள்ளதக இருக்கும். இந்த சமச்சீர் கல்வி ஆன்லைன் எஜுக்கேஷனில் 1 - 12 வகுப்பு பாடங்கள், மற்றூம் ஆசிரியர் பயிற்ச்சி ஆங்கில, தமிழ் பாட புத்தகங்கள், செவிலியர் பயிற்ச்சி ஆங்கில மற்றூம் தமிழ் பாடங்கள், மாதிரி வினா தாள்கள், 2009 / 2010 / தேர்வு கேள்விதாள்கள் மற்றூம் இன்னும் நிறைய படிப்பு சம்பந்தமான புத்தகங்களை இனிமேல் இலவசமாக டவுன்லோட் செய்து படிக்கலாம். இதை ஆரம்பிக்கும் எண்ண்மும் அதன் பயன்பாடும்......
1. இனிமேல் உங்கள் குழந்தை பள்ளியை தவிர வேறு எங்கு சென்றாலும் பொதியை சுமக்க தேவையில்லை.
2. நீங்கள் எதாவது ஒரு காரணத்திற்க்காக வெளியூர் சென்றாலும் ஆன்லைனில் படிக்கவும் படிப்பு சொல்லி கொடுக்கவும் மிகவும் எளிதானது.
3. புத்தகங்கள் தொலைந்து விட்டால் உடனே புத்தகம் வாங்க அல்ல்து தெட அவசியமில்லை. இங்கு அனைத்து புத்தகங்களின் டிஜிட்டல் காபி உள்ளது.
4. ஏதாவது ஒரு பாடத்தில் சந்தேகம் இருந்தால் உடனே அந்த பக்கத்தை "பேஜ் மார்க்" செய்து ஆசிரியர்க்கோ அல்ல்து பெற்றோருக்கோ அனுப்பினால் அவர்கள் அங்கு நோட்ஸ் போட்டு உடனே பதிலை அனுப்பினால் உங்களுக்கு மட்டும் அந்த பக்கங்கள் கிடைக்கும்.
5, பரிட்ச்சை முடிந்தவுடன் அடுத்த வருஷ சிலபஸுக்காக வெயிட் பண்ண தெவையில்லை. இங்கு அடுத்த வருடத்திற்க்கான புத்தகம் உடனே எடுத்து விடுமுறையில் பயிற்ச்சி செய்யலாம்.
6. மாதிரி வினாத்தாள் மற்றூம் மாடல் கொஸ்டீன் பேப்பர் மற்றூம் கடந்த உரண்டு வருட கேள்விதாள் இங்கு உங்களுக்காக வைக்கபட்டுள்ளது. அதனால் நன்கு பயிற்ச்சி செய்யலாம்.
7. முக்கியமாக வெளி நாட்டில் உள்ள இந்தியர்கள் இந்த புத்தகத்தை அல்ல்து தமிழ் புத்தகங்களை இலவசமாக லாகின் செய்து தங்கள் குழந்தைகளுக்கு பாடம் நடத்தலாம்.
8. பள்ளீ மற்றும் டுட்டோரியல் கல்லூரிகளில் "புரஜக்டர்" மூலம் இனைத்தால் இந்த ஈ புத்தகத்தை பெரிய திரையில் காண்பித்து எல்லொரும் படிக்க ஏதுவாக இருக்கும்.
9. இந்த ஆன்லைன் இப்பொழுது தமிழக முதல்வர் கொடுத்திருக்கும் இலவச மடிகணனி வழியாக படிக்க நல்ல ஒரு வாய்ப்பு.
10. ஈ ரீடர் எனும் இன்ஸைட் டேப்ளட் கம்ப்யுட்டரும் அதில் இதிலுள்ள அனைத்து புத்தகங்களும் இன்டர்னெட் இல்லாமல் படிக்க ரூபாய் 999/- அறிமுகபடுத்தபடுகிறது.
இந்த போர்ட்டலில் எந்த ஒரு புத்தகத்தையும் புரட்டி படிக்க முடியும். அது போக எந்த பக்கத்துக்கும் நேராக செல்ல முடியும். புக்மார்க் வைக்க முடியும். அது போக நோட்ஸ் மற்றும் ரெஃபரன்ஸ் எழுத முடியும். அந்த ஸ்பெஸல் நோட்ஸ் உங்கள் கன்னுக்கு மட்டும்தான் தெரியும். ஆட்டோ ஃபிளிப் பட்டனை அமுக்கினால் அந்த புத்தகம் அதுவே புரட்டும். அது போக ஜூம் இன் ஜூம் அவுட் வசதி உள்ளதால் எவ்வளவு பெரிதாக வேண்டுமானலும் ஜூம் செய்து கொள்ளலாம். சில புத்தகங்கள் ஆடியோ வசதி செய்யபட்டுள்ள்து. அத்னால் அதுவே உங்களுக்கு படிக்கும்.
மிக சீக்கிரம் வீடியோ கிளாஸஸ் தொடங்க உள்ளோம். மற்றூம் உலகில் உள்ள அனைத்து கல்வியாளர்களின் டிப்ஸ் வார பாட திட்டம், வர்ச்சுவல் கிளாஸ் ரூம் அனைத்து வசதியும் படி படியாக செயல்படுத்துவேன்.
இது ஒரு இலவச கல்வி சேவை. இதற்க்காக மூன்று சர்வர்கள் (அமெரிக்கா / கனடா மற்றூம் இந்தியாவில்) நிறுவப்பட்டுள்ளது. ஒரே நேரத்தில் சுமார் 2 - 4 லட்சம் மாணவர்கள் இலவசமாக ப்டிக்க ஏதுவாக ஹைஸ்பீட் பேன்ட்வித் டேட்டா சென்டரில் ஹோஸ்ட் செய்யபட்டுள்ளது.
தயவு செய்து என் நெடுநாள் கணவான இந்த இலவச ஆன்லைன் கல்வி போர்ட்டலை கொண்டு செல்ல உதவுங்கள்.
www.samacheeronline.com / www.samacheerkalvi.info / www,samacheerkalvionline.in
நன்றியுடன் - நாகாராஜன் ரவி - 14 நவம்பர் 2011. - nag@insightgroupglobal.com
Insight Free Online Education.
Rs 999/- Insight Tablet Launching soon.
14 நவம்பர் 2011, 07:02 க்குஇல் Ravi Nagஆல் எழுதப்பட்டது
நான் இதுவரை பெர்ஸ்னலாக எந்த ஒரு உதவியும் கேட்டதில்லை. ஆனால் இந்த நோட்ஸை நீங்கள் முடிந்த வரை பகிர்வது தான் நான் இப்பொழுது கேட்க்கும் ஒரு மாபெரும் உதவி.
ஆம் இந்த சிறுவர் தினத்தில் "இலவச ஆன்லைன் கல்வி"க்காக நான் ஆறு மாத உழைப்பில் இந்த பணியை செய்துள்ளேன். இது தான் ஆரம்பம். ஆம் ஒன்றாம் வகுப்பில் இருந்து +2 வகுப்பு வரை - ஆங்கிலம் மற்றும் தமிழ் மீடியம் படிக்கும் மற்ற படிக்க முடியாத மாணவர்களுக்கு இந்த சேவை மிகவும் பயனுள்ளதக இருக்கும். இந்த சமச்சீர் கல்வி ஆன்லைன் எஜுக்கேஷனில் 1 - 12 வகுப்பு பாடங்கள், மற்றூம் ஆசிரியர் பயிற்ச்சி ஆங்கில, தமிழ் பாட புத்தகங்கள், செவிலியர் பயிற்ச்சி ஆங்கில மற்றூம் தமிழ் பாடங்கள், மாதிரி வினா தாள்கள், 2009 / 2010 / தேர்வு கேள்விதாள்கள் மற்றூம் இன்னும் நிறைய படிப்பு சம்பந்தமான புத்தகங்களை இனிமேல் இலவசமாக டவுன்லோட் செய்து படிக்கலாம். இதை ஆரம்பிக்கும் எண்ண்மும் அதன் பயன்பாடும்......
1. இனிமேல் உங்கள் குழந்தை பள்ளியை தவிர வேறு எங்கு சென்றாலும் பொதியை சுமக்க தேவையில்லை.
2. நீங்கள் எதாவது ஒரு காரணத்திற்க்காக வெளியூர் சென்றாலும் ஆன்லைனில் படிக்கவும் படிப்பு சொல்லி கொடுக்கவும் மிகவும் எளிதானது.
3. புத்தகங்கள் தொலைந்து விட்டால் உடனே புத்தகம் வாங்க அல்ல்து தெட அவசியமில்லை. இங்கு அனைத்து புத்தகங்களின் டிஜிட்டல் காபி உள்ளது.
4. ஏதாவது ஒரு பாடத்தில் சந்தேகம் இருந்தால் உடனே அந்த பக்கத்தை "பேஜ் மார்க்" செய்து ஆசிரியர்க்கோ அல்ல்து பெற்றோருக்கோ அனுப்பினால் அவர்கள் அங்கு நோட்ஸ் போட்டு உடனே பதிலை அனுப்பினால் உங்களுக்கு மட்டும் அந்த பக்கங்கள் கிடைக்கும்.
5, பரிட்ச்சை முடிந்தவுடன் அடுத்த வருஷ சிலபஸுக்காக வெயிட் பண்ண தெவையில்லை. இங்கு அடுத்த வருடத்திற்க்கான புத்தகம் உடனே எடுத்து விடுமுறையில் பயிற்ச்சி செய்யலாம்.
6. மாதிரி வினாத்தாள் மற்றூம் மாடல் கொஸ்டீன் பேப்பர் மற்றூம் கடந்த உரண்டு வருட கேள்விதாள் இங்கு உங்களுக்காக வைக்கபட்டுள்ளது. அதனால் நன்கு பயிற்ச்சி செய்யலாம்.
7. முக்கியமாக வெளி நாட்டில் உள்ள இந்தியர்கள் இந்த புத்தகத்தை அல்ல்து தமிழ் புத்தகங்களை இலவசமாக லாகின் செய்து தங்கள் குழந்தைகளுக்கு பாடம் நடத்தலாம்.
8. பள்ளீ மற்றும் டுட்டோரியல் கல்லூரிகளில் "புரஜக்டர்" மூலம் இனைத்தால் இந்த ஈ புத்தகத்தை பெரிய திரையில் காண்பித்து எல்லொரும் படிக்க ஏதுவாக இருக்கும்.
9. இந்த ஆன்லைன் இப்பொழுது தமிழக முதல்வர் கொடுத்திருக்கும் இலவச மடிகணனி வழியாக படிக்க நல்ல ஒரு வாய்ப்பு.
10. ஈ ரீடர் எனும் இன்ஸைட் டேப்ளட் கம்ப்யுட்டரும் அதில் இதிலுள்ள அனைத்து புத்தகங்களும் இன்டர்னெட் இல்லாமல் படிக்க ரூபாய் 999/- அறிமுகபடுத்தபடுகிறது.
இந்த போர்ட்டலில் எந்த ஒரு புத்தகத்தையும் புரட்டி படிக்க முடியும். அது போக எந்த பக்கத்துக்கும் நேராக செல்ல முடியும். புக்மார்க் வைக்க முடியும். அது போக நோட்ஸ் மற்றும் ரெஃபரன்ஸ் எழுத முடியும். அந்த ஸ்பெஸல் நோட்ஸ் உங்கள் கன்னுக்கு மட்டும்தான் தெரியும். ஆட்டோ ஃபிளிப் பட்டனை அமுக்கினால் அந்த புத்தகம் அதுவே புரட்டும். அது போக ஜூம் இன் ஜூம் அவுட் வசதி உள்ளதால் எவ்வளவு பெரிதாக வேண்டுமானலும் ஜூம் செய்து கொள்ளலாம். சில புத்தகங்கள் ஆடியோ வசதி செய்யபட்டுள்ள்து. அத்னால் அதுவே உங்களுக்கு படிக்கும்.
மிக சீக்கிரம் வீடியோ கிளாஸஸ் தொடங்க உள்ளோம். மற்றூம் உலகில் உள்ள அனைத்து கல்வியாளர்களின் டிப்ஸ் வார பாட திட்டம், வர்ச்சுவல் கிளாஸ் ரூம் அனைத்து வசதியும் படி படியாக செயல்படுத்துவேன்.
இது ஒரு இலவச கல்வி சேவை. இதற்க்காக மூன்று சர்வர்கள் (அமெரிக்கா / கனடா மற்றூம் இந்தியாவில்) நிறுவப்பட்டுள்ளது. ஒரே நேரத்தில் சுமார் 2 - 4 லட்சம் மாணவர்கள் இலவசமாக ப்டிக்க ஏதுவாக ஹைஸ்பீட் பேன்ட்வித் டேட்டா சென்டரில் ஹோஸ்ட் செய்யபட்டுள்ளது.
தயவு செய்து என் நெடுநாள் கணவான இந்த இலவச ஆன்லைன் கல்வி போர்ட்டலை கொண்டு செல்ல உதவுங்கள்.
www.samacheeronline.com / www.samacheerkalvi.info / www,samacheerkalvionline.in
நன்றியுடன் - நாகாராஜன் ரவி - 14 நவம்பர் 2011. - nag@insightgroupglobal.com
Insight Free Online Education.
Rs 999/- Insight Tablet Launching soon.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Confidence and Humility
One of the rarest combinations in the human personality is the co-existence of confidence and humility.
Often people who are confident are not humble and people with humility are not confident.
Confidence blended with humility is most appreciated by everybody.
Question:
How can confidence be developed in one who is humble and humility in one who is confident?
Answer:
1. When you see your life from a bigger context of time and space, then you realize your life is nothing.
2. When you are humble you need to see that you are unique and dear to the Divine, which brings confidence, and when you realize you are insignificant, that brings confidence.
3. When you have a guru, you cannot be arrogant. Your guru gives you confidence and also brings humility in you. The weakness in humility and the arrogance in confidence are removed.
You are left with confidence and humility!
Often people who are confident are not humble and people with humility are not confident.
Confidence blended with humility is most appreciated by everybody.
Question:
How can confidence be developed in one who is humble and humility in one who is confident?
Answer:
1. When you see your life from a bigger context of time and space, then you realize your life is nothing.
2. When you are humble you need to see that you are unique and dear to the Divine, which brings confidence, and when you realize you are insignificant, that brings confidence.
3. When you have a guru, you cannot be arrogant. Your guru gives you confidence and also brings humility in you. The weakness in humility and the arrogance in confidence are removed.
You are left with confidence and humility!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Begin LIFE at 50/60 .../70/80
Many people feel unhappy, health-wise and security-wise, after 50/60 70/80
years of age owing to the diminishing importance given to them and their
opinions. But, it need not be so, if only we understand the basic principles
of life and follow them scrupulously.
Here are ten mantras to age gracefully, make life after retirement pleasant, enjoy and treasure the elder years of wisdom and intelligence at its best.
1. Never say 'I am aged':
There are three ages, chronological, biological, and psychological. The
first is calculated based on our date of birth; the second is determined by
the health conditions and the third is how old you feel you are. While we
don't have control over the first, we can take care of our health with good
diet, exercise and a cheerful attitude. A positive attitude and optimistic
thinking can reverse the third age.
2. Health is wealth:
If you really love your kids and kin, taking care of yourself and your
health should be your priority. Thus, you will not be a burden to them. Have
an annual health check-up and take the prescribed medicines regularly. Take out a health care insurance coverage.
3. Money is important:
Money is essential for meeting the basic necessities of life, keeping good
health and earning family respect and security. Don't spend beyond your
means even for your children. You have lived for them through out and it is
time you enjoyed a harmonious life with your spouse. If your children are
grateful they should take care of you. But never take it for granted.
4. Relaxation and recreation:
The most relaxing and recreating forces are healthy and religious attitudes,
good sleep, music and laughter. Have faith in God, learn to sleep well,
love good music, and see the fun side of life.
5. Time is precious:
It is almost like holding a horse's reins. When they are in your hands,
you can control them. Imagine that every day you are born again. Yesterday is
a payed cheque. Tomorrow is a promissory note. Today is ready cash —
use it profitably. Live this moment.
6. Change is the only permanent thing:
We should accept change — it is inevitable. The only way to make sense
out of change is to join the dance. Change has brought about many pleasant
things. We should be happy that our children are blessed.
7. Enlightened selfishness:
All of us are basically selfish. Whatever we do, we expect something in
return. We should definitely be grateful to those who stood by us. But, our
focus should be on the internal satisfaction and happiness we derive by doing
good to others, without expecting anything in return.
8. Forget and forgive:
Don't be bothered too much about others' mistakes. We are not spiritual
enough to show our other cheek when we are slapped on one cheek. But, for the sake
of our own health and happiness, let us forgive and forget them. Otherwise,
we will only be increasing our BP.
9. Everything has a reason; a purpose:
Take life as it comes. Accept yourself as you are and also accept others
for what they are. Everybody is unique and right in their own ways.
10. Overcome the fear of death:
We all know that one day we have to leave this world. Still we are afraid
of death. We think that our spouse and children will be unable to withstand
our loss. But, the truth is that no one is going to die for you; they may be
depressed for some time. Time heals everything and they will carry on.
NOBODY GETS OUT OF THIS WORLD ALIVE!
Regardless How Far The Journey Is OR How Capable We Are, We Do Our Best To
Reach Our Goal. This Is Perseverance At Its Best ...
years of age owing to the diminishing importance given to them and their
opinions. But, it need not be so, if only we understand the basic principles
of life and follow them scrupulously.
Here are ten mantras to age gracefully, make life after retirement pleasant, enjoy and treasure the elder years of wisdom and intelligence at its best.
1. Never say 'I am aged':
There are three ages, chronological, biological, and psychological. The
first is calculated based on our date of birth; the second is determined by
the health conditions and the third is how old you feel you are. While we
don't have control over the first, we can take care of our health with good
diet, exercise and a cheerful attitude. A positive attitude and optimistic
thinking can reverse the third age.
2. Health is wealth:
If you really love your kids and kin, taking care of yourself and your
health should be your priority. Thus, you will not be a burden to them. Have
an annual health check-up and take the prescribed medicines regularly. Take out a health care insurance coverage.
3. Money is important:
Money is essential for meeting the basic necessities of life, keeping good
health and earning family respect and security. Don't spend beyond your
means even for your children. You have lived for them through out and it is
time you enjoyed a harmonious life with your spouse. If your children are
grateful they should take care of you. But never take it for granted.
4. Relaxation and recreation:
The most relaxing and recreating forces are healthy and religious attitudes,
good sleep, music and laughter. Have faith in God, learn to sleep well,
love good music, and see the fun side of life.
5. Time is precious:
It is almost like holding a horse's reins. When they are in your hands,
you can control them. Imagine that every day you are born again. Yesterday is
a payed cheque. Tomorrow is a promissory note. Today is ready cash —
use it profitably. Live this moment.
6. Change is the only permanent thing:
We should accept change — it is inevitable. The only way to make sense
out of change is to join the dance. Change has brought about many pleasant
things. We should be happy that our children are blessed.
7. Enlightened selfishness:
All of us are basically selfish. Whatever we do, we expect something in
return. We should definitely be grateful to those who stood by us. But, our
focus should be on the internal satisfaction and happiness we derive by doing
good to others, without expecting anything in return.
8. Forget and forgive:
Don't be bothered too much about others' mistakes. We are not spiritual
enough to show our other cheek when we are slapped on one cheek. But, for the sake
of our own health and happiness, let us forgive and forget them. Otherwise,
we will only be increasing our BP.
9. Everything has a reason; a purpose:
Take life as it comes. Accept yourself as you are and also accept others
for what they are. Everybody is unique and right in their own ways.
10. Overcome the fear of death:
We all know that one day we have to leave this world. Still we are afraid
of death. We think that our spouse and children will be unable to withstand
our loss. But, the truth is that no one is going to die for you; they may be
depressed for some time. Time heals everything and they will carry on.
NOBODY GETS OUT OF THIS WORLD ALIVE!
Regardless How Far The Journey Is OR How Capable We Are, We Do Our Best To
Reach Our Goal. This Is Perseverance At Its Best ...
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Two Lions
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, "My son, the battle is between two Lions inside us all.
"One is Evil - It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
"The other is Good - It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which lion wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
He said, "My son, the battle is between two Lions inside us all.
"One is Evil - It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
"The other is Good - It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which lion wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
Excellence!
A tourist once visited a temple under construction where he saw a sculptor making, an idol of God.
Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying nearby.
Surprised, he aked the sculptor Do you need two statues of the same idol ?
"No said the sculptor without looking up, We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage.
The gentleman examined the idol and found, no apparent damage.
Where is the damage? he asked.
"There is a scratch on the nose of the idol, said the sculptor still busy with his work.
".Where are you going to install the idol ?"
The sculptor replied that would be installed on, a pillar twenty feet high.
"If the idol is that far who is going to know, that there is a scratch on the nose"? the genleman asked....
The sculptor stopped his work, look up at the, gentleman smiled and said I will know it"
The desire to excel is exclusive of the fact whether someone else appreciates it or not.
"Excellence " is a drive from inside not outside...
Excellence is not for someone else to notice but for your own satisfaction and efficency...
Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying nearby.
Surprised, he aked the sculptor Do you need two statues of the same idol ?
"No said the sculptor without looking up, We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage.
The gentleman examined the idol and found, no apparent damage.
Where is the damage? he asked.
"There is a scratch on the nose of the idol, said the sculptor still busy with his work.
".Where are you going to install the idol ?"
The sculptor replied that would be installed on, a pillar twenty feet high.
"If the idol is that far who is going to know, that there is a scratch on the nose"? the genleman asked....
The sculptor stopped his work, look up at the, gentleman smiled and said I will know it"
The desire to excel is exclusive of the fact whether someone else appreciates it or not.
"Excellence " is a drive from inside not outside...
Excellence is not for someone else to notice but for your own satisfaction and efficency...
Monday, November 7, 2011
My thoughts on "Velayutham"
Velayutham proved again that there is unseen power that will do wonders unexpectedly. Craze for Vijay was completely seen in theaters. Even after one week of release, the theater was full and whistling when Vijay entered and at some of his dialogue deliveries. People have started seeing him as next to Rajanikanth (May be I am seeing him also like that?...Not sure!) It was 80% comedy and 30% seriousness. I liked the way it was picturised. Brother-Sister relationship was shown neatly and to the limit that it can/shoud be shown. I felt Hansika was out of the scope. Would have been better if they had decided on some other heroine. Genelia's Character was nicely framed. Vijay's acting experience shows nicely and he shines in all the expression he makes. Dialogues length was at good pace rather than his usualy never ending dialogues. Did not feel like getting up in between the movie and that should be complemented as one of the best attempt by the director Raja. Train Sequence was attracting compared to all of the other fight sequences. An effort has been made not to make it too cinematic and they wanted things to look as real. I think this idea did come through but at some scenes I did feel unrealistic. How can a person kill so many just like that and justify for his actions?. The theme taken was good and I hope it did not give any worst ideas to any terrorist. I would give 8 out of 10 for this movie. If you love Vijay, If you are looking for a 2 hours of complete witticism entertainment, Watch Velayutham. It would be worth the time spent.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Excellent Thoughts
Almost five years ago, Carol and I interviewed a fascinating neuropsychologist named Rick Hanson for our book, Happy for No Reason. Rick brilliantly explained how a “happy brain” works. He shared with us the great analogy that our brains are like Velcro for the negative, but Teflon for the positive – the negatives stick to us while the positives tend to slide right off. More importantly, he shared simple ways we can reverse that negativity bias.
I’ve continued to be a huge fan of Rick and his work—we even began a book together. I avidly read Rick’s “just one thing” articles, which are wonderful short pieces about easy, powerful practices that can make a big difference in our happiness and well-being levels. In today’s ezine, I’d love to share one of my favorite “just one thing” ideas that I think you’ll find really helpful.
Here are Rick’s wise words about “Don’t Take It Personally” (excerpted from his wonderful new book called Just One Thing):
Here’s an updated parable from the ancient Taoist teacher Chuang-Tzu: Imagine that you are floating in a canoe on a slow-moving river, having a Sunday picnic with a friend. Suddenly there is a loud thump on the side of the canoe, and it rolls over. You come up sputtering, and what do you see? Somebody has snuck up on your canoe, flipped it over for a joke, and is laughing at you. How do you feel?
Okay. Now imagine the exact same situation again: the picnic in a canoe, loud thump, dumped into the river, coming up sputtering, and what do you see? A large submerged log has drifted downstream and bumped into your canoe. This time, how do you feel?
The facts are the same in each case: cold and wet, picnic ruined. But when you think you’ve been targeted personally, you probably feel worse. The thing is, most of what bumps into us in life—including emotional reactions from
others, traffic jams, illness, or mistreatment at work—is like an impersonal log put in motion by ten thousand causes upstream.
Say a friend is surprisingly critical toward you. It hurts, for sure, and you’ll want to address the situation, from talking about it with the friend to disengaging from the relationship.
But also consider what may have caused that person to bump into you, such as misinterpretations of your actions; health problems, pain, worries or anger about things unrelated to you; temperament, personality, childhood experiences; the effects of culture, economy, or world events; and causes back upstream in time, like how his or her parents were raised.
Recognize the humbling yet wonderful truth: most of the time, we are bit players in other people’s dramas.
When you look at things this way, you naturally get calmer, put situations in context, and don’t get so caught up in me-myself-and-I. Then you feel better, plus more clearheaded about what to do.
How?
To begin with, have compassion for yourself. Getting smacked by a log is a drag. Also take appropriate action. Keep an eye out for logs heading your way, try to reduce their impact, and repair your “boat”—relationship, health,
finances, career—as best you can. And maybe think about finding a new river!
Additionally:
1. Notice when you start to take something personally. Be mindful of what that feels like—and also what it feels like to relax the sense of being personally targeted.
2. Be careful about making assumptions about the intentions of others. Maybe they didn’t do it “on purpose.” Or maybe there was one not-so-good purpose aimed at you that was mixed up with a dozen other purposes.
3. Reflect on some of the ten thousand causes upstream. Ask yourself: What else could be in play here? What’s going on inside the other person’s mind and life? What’s the bigger picture?
4. Beware getting caught up in your “case” about other people, driven by an inner prosecutor that keeps pounding on all the ways they’re wrong, spoke badly, acted unfairly, picked on you, really really harmed you, made you suffer, etc., etc. It’s good to see others clearly, and there’s a place for moral judgment—but case-making is a kind of obsessing that makes you feel worse and more likely to overreact and create an even bigger problem.
5. Try to have compassion for the other people. They’re probably not all that happy, either. Having compassion for them will not weaken you or let them off the moral hook; actually, it will make you feel better.
And—really soak up the sense of strength and peacefulness that comes from taking life less personally.
As a recovering “personalizer,” I love this reminder from Rick. Try applying these ideas over the next days and see how you relax and enjoy your life more.
Marci
P.S.
Want more great practices like this? Check out Rick Hanson’s new book, Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time.
The book presents 52 practices – simple actions inside your mind – that light up neural networks of deep well-being and resilience. And because “neurons that fire together, wire together,” each time you do a practice, it strengthens key neural circuits like building a muscle in the gym.
Each practice is grounded in modern neuroscience, positive psychology, Rick’s background in the very real world of business and raising a family. Each bite-size chapter introduces a new practice, explains why it’s important, and shows you how to do it.
I’ve continued to be a huge fan of Rick and his work—we even began a book together. I avidly read Rick’s “just one thing” articles, which are wonderful short pieces about easy, powerful practices that can make a big difference in our happiness and well-being levels. In today’s ezine, I’d love to share one of my favorite “just one thing” ideas that I think you’ll find really helpful.
Here are Rick’s wise words about “Don’t Take It Personally” (excerpted from his wonderful new book called Just One Thing):
Here’s an updated parable from the ancient Taoist teacher Chuang-Tzu: Imagine that you are floating in a canoe on a slow-moving river, having a Sunday picnic with a friend. Suddenly there is a loud thump on the side of the canoe, and it rolls over. You come up sputtering, and what do you see? Somebody has snuck up on your canoe, flipped it over for a joke, and is laughing at you. How do you feel?
Okay. Now imagine the exact same situation again: the picnic in a canoe, loud thump, dumped into the river, coming up sputtering, and what do you see? A large submerged log has drifted downstream and bumped into your canoe. This time, how do you feel?
The facts are the same in each case: cold and wet, picnic ruined. But when you think you’ve been targeted personally, you probably feel worse. The thing is, most of what bumps into us in life—including emotional reactions from
others, traffic jams, illness, or mistreatment at work—is like an impersonal log put in motion by ten thousand causes upstream.
Say a friend is surprisingly critical toward you. It hurts, for sure, and you’ll want to address the situation, from talking about it with the friend to disengaging from the relationship.
But also consider what may have caused that person to bump into you, such as misinterpretations of your actions; health problems, pain, worries or anger about things unrelated to you; temperament, personality, childhood experiences; the effects of culture, economy, or world events; and causes back upstream in time, like how his or her parents were raised.
Recognize the humbling yet wonderful truth: most of the time, we are bit players in other people’s dramas.
When you look at things this way, you naturally get calmer, put situations in context, and don’t get so caught up in me-myself-and-I. Then you feel better, plus more clearheaded about what to do.
How?
To begin with, have compassion for yourself. Getting smacked by a log is a drag. Also take appropriate action. Keep an eye out for logs heading your way, try to reduce their impact, and repair your “boat”—relationship, health,
finances, career—as best you can. And maybe think about finding a new river!
Additionally:
1. Notice when you start to take something personally. Be mindful of what that feels like—and also what it feels like to relax the sense of being personally targeted.
2. Be careful about making assumptions about the intentions of others. Maybe they didn’t do it “on purpose.” Or maybe there was one not-so-good purpose aimed at you that was mixed up with a dozen other purposes.
3. Reflect on some of the ten thousand causes upstream. Ask yourself: What else could be in play here? What’s going on inside the other person’s mind and life? What’s the bigger picture?
4. Beware getting caught up in your “case” about other people, driven by an inner prosecutor that keeps pounding on all the ways they’re wrong, spoke badly, acted unfairly, picked on you, really really harmed you, made you suffer, etc., etc. It’s good to see others clearly, and there’s a place for moral judgment—but case-making is a kind of obsessing that makes you feel worse and more likely to overreact and create an even bigger problem.
5. Try to have compassion for the other people. They’re probably not all that happy, either. Having compassion for them will not weaken you or let them off the moral hook; actually, it will make you feel better.
And—really soak up the sense of strength and peacefulness that comes from taking life less personally.
As a recovering “personalizer,” I love this reminder from Rick. Try applying these ideas over the next days and see how you relax and enjoy your life more.
Marci
P.S.
Want more great practices like this? Check out Rick Hanson’s new book, Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time.
The book presents 52 practices – simple actions inside your mind – that light up neural networks of deep well-being and resilience. And because “neurons that fire together, wire together,” each time you do a practice, it strengthens key neural circuits like building a muscle in the gym.
Each practice is grounded in modern neuroscience, positive psychology, Rick’s background in the very real world of business and raising a family. Each bite-size chapter introduces a new practice, explains why it’s important, and shows you how to do it.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Hardworking Friend
I met this lady when I sent my son to special language class 4 years ago and to be too exact in the month of April year 2007. At first I was amazed by her energy. She was so beautiful and more beautiful when she smiled. We were just talking for about one hour or so and felt as though we had known each other for long time.
Our names were same..need anything to accept a person as friend at the first meet?
She had one son who was one year elder to my first son. They also started getting along. Her husband was also friendly and we were discussing about the house we bought... they were having plans to buy house. They came to our house to see and it started the long endless journey.
We shared information about studies, about happenings, about everything...shared gifts and wishes and helped each other in need and also had travelled together. Now became the most envied friends in the surrounding...
She was working before she met me and left her job to take care of her son. I was working and am still working. Still we manage to find time to talk to each other and keep in close touch. She has started a small scale business and I am just watching and amazing her determination and talent in handling people. She is too good in conversing with people...
The business she is doing is selling Silver goods (pooja items, jewelry, and everything you can expect in pure silver) with unique designs, small and affordable. She takes up orders too. She manages all by herself as her husband is too busy in his job. Her blogspot is Here
Please do contact her if you are interested in her designs and mention my name to get discounts ;)
Our names were same..need anything to accept a person as friend at the first meet?
She had one son who was one year elder to my first son. They also started getting along. Her husband was also friendly and we were discussing about the house we bought... they were having plans to buy house. They came to our house to see and it started the long endless journey.
We shared information about studies, about happenings, about everything...shared gifts and wishes and helped each other in need and also had travelled together. Now became the most envied friends in the surrounding...
She was working before she met me and left her job to take care of her son. I was working and am still working. Still we manage to find time to talk to each other and keep in close touch. She has started a small scale business and I am just watching and amazing her determination and talent in handling people. She is too good in conversing with people...
The business she is doing is selling Silver goods (pooja items, jewelry, and everything you can expect in pure silver) with unique designs, small and affordable. She takes up orders too. She manages all by herself as her husband is too busy in his job. Her blogspot is Here
Please do contact her if you are interested in her designs and mention my name to get discounts ;)
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Powerful Message
We seemed to have lost our bearing & our sense of direction.
One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position
in a big company.
He passed the first interview, the director did the last interview, made the
last decision.
The director discovered from the CV that the youth's academic achievements were
excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate
research, never had a year when he did not score.
The director asked, "Did you obtain any scholarships in school?" the youth
answered "none".
The director asked, " Was it your father who paid for your school fees?" The
youth answered, "My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother
who paid for my school fees.
The director asked, " Where did your mother work?" The youth answered, "My
mother worked as clothes cleaner. The director requested the youth to show his
hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.
The director asked, " Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?"
The youth answered, "Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more
books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.
The director said, "I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean your
mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.*
The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back,
he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt
strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the kid.
The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It
was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and
there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his
mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.
This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that
washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in
the mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation,
academic excellence and his future.
After finishing the cleaning of his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all
the remaining clothes for his mother.
That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.
Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.
The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, asked: " Can you tell me
what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?"
The youth answered, " I cleaned my mother's hand, and also finished cleaning all
the remaining clothes'
The Director asked, " please tell me your feelings."
The youth said, Number 1, I know now what is appreciation. Without my mother,
there would not the successful me today. Number 2, by working together and
helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get
something done. Number 3, I have come to appreciate the importance and value of
family relationship.
The director said, " This is what I am looking for to be my manager.
I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who
knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not
put money as his only goal in life. You are hired.
Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his
subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company's
performance improved tremendously.
A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would
develop "entitlement mentality" and would always put himself first. He would be
ignorant of his parent's efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every
person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know
the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of
people, who may be good academically, may be successful for a while, but
eventually would not feel sense of achievement. He will grumble and be full of
hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we
really showing love or are we destroying the kid instead?*
You can let your kid live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch a
big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it.
After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers
and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is
because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no
matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow gray, same as
the mother of that young person. The most important thing is your kid learns how
to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learns the ability to
work with others to get things done.
One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position
in a big company.
He passed the first interview, the director did the last interview, made the
last decision.
The director discovered from the CV that the youth's academic achievements were
excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate
research, never had a year when he did not score.
The director asked, "Did you obtain any scholarships in school?" the youth
answered "none".
The director asked, " Was it your father who paid for your school fees?" The
youth answered, "My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother
who paid for my school fees.
The director asked, " Where did your mother work?" The youth answered, "My
mother worked as clothes cleaner. The director requested the youth to show his
hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.
The director asked, " Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?"
The youth answered, "Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more
books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.
The director said, "I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean your
mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.*
The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back,
he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt
strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the kid.
The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It
was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and
there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his
mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.
This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that
washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in
the mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation,
academic excellence and his future.
After finishing the cleaning of his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all
the remaining clothes for his mother.
That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.
Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.
The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, asked: " Can you tell me
what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?"
The youth answered, " I cleaned my mother's hand, and also finished cleaning all
the remaining clothes'
The Director asked, " please tell me your feelings."
The youth said, Number 1, I know now what is appreciation. Without my mother,
there would not the successful me today. Number 2, by working together and
helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get
something done. Number 3, I have come to appreciate the importance and value of
family relationship.
The director said, " This is what I am looking for to be my manager.
I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who
knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not
put money as his only goal in life. You are hired.
Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his
subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company's
performance improved tremendously.
A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would
develop "entitlement mentality" and would always put himself first. He would be
ignorant of his parent's efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every
person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know
the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of
people, who may be good academically, may be successful for a while, but
eventually would not feel sense of achievement. He will grumble and be full of
hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we
really showing love or are we destroying the kid instead?*
You can let your kid live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch a
big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it.
After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers
and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is
because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no
matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow gray, same as
the mother of that young person. The most important thing is your kid learns how
to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learns the ability to
work with others to get things done.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
Hong Kong
Visa?
No Visa required for Indian passports if the stay is only for 14 days
(good news... :) )
How many days needed?
Minimum of 5 days to have a relaxed sight seeing
About Hong Kong?
Hong Kong is mainly composed of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories.
Hong Kong is a city for tourism, which is known as a fine place for entertainment, shopping, recreation and food.
What are the main attractions?
1. Hong Kong Disneyland
2. Ocean Park
3. Victoria Peak
4. TSing Ma Bridge
5. 360 Ngong Ping
No Visa required for Indian passports if the stay is only for 14 days
(good news... :) )
How many days needed?
Minimum of 5 days to have a relaxed sight seeing
About Hong Kong?
Hong Kong is mainly composed of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories.
Hong Kong is a city for tourism, which is known as a fine place for entertainment, shopping, recreation and food.
What are the main attractions?
1. Hong Kong Disneyland
2. Ocean Park
3. Victoria Peak
4. TSing Ma Bridge
5. 360 Ngong Ping
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Navarathri
Navarathri 2011 has started and today being the first day, I got the below list from my sister. There are certain things special for each day.
First day: white colour flowers like jasmine.
For Nivethanam: Venpongal
Second Day: Mullai, thulasi
For Nivethanam: Puliyotharai,vadam
Third day: Sampangi
For Nivethanam: jackfruit, Sarkarai Pongal
fourth day: Jaathippoo
For Nivethanam: Curd Rice
Fifth Day: Shenbaga Poo
For Nivethanam: Pongal, Payasam
Sixth Day: Paarijatham, Sembaruthipoo
For Nivethanam: Coconut Rice, Orange and Pomegranate
Seventh Day: Thazhambu, Thumbaipoo
For Nivethanam: Lemon Rice
Eighth day: Sampangi, maruthanipoo
For Nivethanam: Milk Rice
Ninth Day: Lotus, Marikozhunthu
For Nivethanam: Paal Payasam
First day: white colour flowers like jasmine.
For Nivethanam: Venpongal
Second Day: Mullai, thulasi
For Nivethanam: Puliyotharai,vadam
Third day: Sampangi
For Nivethanam: jackfruit, Sarkarai Pongal
fourth day: Jaathippoo
For Nivethanam: Curd Rice
Fifth Day: Shenbaga Poo
For Nivethanam: Pongal, Payasam
Sixth Day: Paarijatham, Sembaruthipoo
For Nivethanam: Coconut Rice, Orange and Pomegranate
Seventh Day: Thazhambu, Thumbaipoo
For Nivethanam: Lemon Rice
Eighth day: Sampangi, maruthanipoo
For Nivethanam: Milk Rice
Ninth Day: Lotus, Marikozhunthu
For Nivethanam: Paal Payasam
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
A Lesson for every Salaried Employee
A Shopkeeper watching over his shop is really surprised when he sees a dog coming inside the shop. He shoos him away. But later, the dog is back inside again. So he goes over to the dog and notices that it has a note in its mouth. He takes the note and it reads "Can I have 12 soaps and a shampoo bottle, please. The money is with the dog." The Shopkeeper looks inside the dog’s mouth and to his surprise there is a 100 Rupees note in his mouth. So he takes the money and puts the soap, shampoo and change in a bag, and then places it in the dog’s mouth.
The shopkeeper is so impressed and since it is the closing time, he decides to follow the dog. The dog is walking down the street, when it comes to the zebra crossing; he waits till the signal turns green. He walks across the road till the bus stop. He waits on the stop and looks up the timetable for the bus. The shopkeeper is totally out of his mind as the dog gets into the bus and sits on a vacant seat. The shopkeeper follows the dog. The dog waits for the conductor to come to his seat. He gives the change to the conductor and shows him the neck belt to keep the ticket. The shopkeeper is almost fainting at this sight and so are the other people in the bus.
The dog then moves to the front exit of the door and waits for the bus stop to arrive, looking outside. As soon as the stop is in sight he wags his tail to inform the driver to stop. Then not even waiting for the bust stop to arrive the dog jumps out and runs to the house nearby. It opens a big iron gate and rushes towards the door. As it approaches the door, he changes his mind and walks towards the garden. The dog walks up to the window and beats his head several times on the window. It then walks back to the door and waits. The shopkeeper maintaining his senses walks up to the door and watches a big guy open the door. The guy started beating and kicking and abusing the dog. The shopkeeper is surprised and runs to stop the guy. The shopkeeper questions the guy "What in the heaven are you doing? The god is a genius he could be famous in life." The guy responds "You call this cleaver? This is the 3rd time in this week that the dog has forgotten the door keys."
Moral of the story: You may continue to exceed onlookers’ expectations... Buy will always fall short of the "Bosses" Expectation...
The shopkeeper is so impressed and since it is the closing time, he decides to follow the dog. The dog is walking down the street, when it comes to the zebra crossing; he waits till the signal turns green. He walks across the road till the bus stop. He waits on the stop and looks up the timetable for the bus. The shopkeeper is totally out of his mind as the dog gets into the bus and sits on a vacant seat. The shopkeeper follows the dog. The dog waits for the conductor to come to his seat. He gives the change to the conductor and shows him the neck belt to keep the ticket. The shopkeeper is almost fainting at this sight and so are the other people in the bus.
The dog then moves to the front exit of the door and waits for the bus stop to arrive, looking outside. As soon as the stop is in sight he wags his tail to inform the driver to stop. Then not even waiting for the bust stop to arrive the dog jumps out and runs to the house nearby. It opens a big iron gate and rushes towards the door. As it approaches the door, he changes his mind and walks towards the garden. The dog walks up to the window and beats his head several times on the window. It then walks back to the door and waits. The shopkeeper maintaining his senses walks up to the door and watches a big guy open the door. The guy started beating and kicking and abusing the dog. The shopkeeper is surprised and runs to stop the guy. The shopkeeper questions the guy "What in the heaven are you doing? The god is a genius he could be famous in life." The guy responds "You call this cleaver? This is the 3rd time in this week that the dog has forgotten the door keys."
Moral of the story: You may continue to exceed onlookers’ expectations... Buy will always fall short of the "Bosses" Expectation...
Heart touching story
I was walking around in a Big Bazaar store making shopping, when I saw a Cashier talking to a boy couldn't have been more
Than 5 or 6 years old. The Cashier said, 'I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy this doll. Then the little boy turned to me and asked: ''aunty, are you sure I don't have enough money?''
I counted his cash and replied: ''You know that you don't have enough money to buy the doll, my dear.'' The little boy was
Still holding the doll in his hand. Finally, I walked toward him and I asked him who he wished to give this doll to. 'It's the
Doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much. I wanted to Gift her for her BIRTHDAY. I have to give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there.'
His eyes were so sad while saying this. 'My Sister has gone to be with God. Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so I thought that she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister.'' My heart nearly stopped.
The little boy looked up at me and said: 'I told daddy to tell mommy not to go yet. I need her to wait until I come back from the mall.' Then he showed me a very nice photo of him where he was laughing. He then told me 'I want mommy to take my picture with her so my sister won't forget me.' 'I love my mommy and I wish she doesn't have to leave me, but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister...' Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly.
I quickly reached for my wallet and said to the boy. 'Suppose we check again, Just in case you do have enough money for the doll?'' 'OK' he said, 'I hope I do have enough..' I added some of my money to his with out him seeing and we started to count it.
There was enough for the doll and even some spare money. The little boy said: 'Thank you God for giving me enough money!' Then he looked at me and added, 'I asked last night before I went to sleep for God to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll, so that mommy could give It to my sister. He heard me!'' 'I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, but I didn't dare to ask God for too much.
But He gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose. My mommy loves white roses.'
I finished my shopping in a totally different state from when I started. I couldn't get the little boy out of my mind. Then I remembered a local news paper article two days ago, which mentioned a drunk man in a truck, who hit a car occupied by a young woman and a little girl.
The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on the life-sustaining machine, because the young woman would not be able to recover from the coma. Was this the family of the little boy?
Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the news paper that the young woman had passed away.. I couldn't stop myself as I bought a bunch of white roses and I went to the funeral home where the body of the young woman was exposed for people to see and make last wishes before her burial. She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of the little boy and the doll placed over her chest.
I left the place, teary-eyed, feeling that my life had been changed for ever. The love that the little boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to this day, hard to imagine. And in a fraction of a second, a drunk driver had taken all this away from him.
Than 5 or 6 years old. The Cashier said, 'I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy this doll. Then the little boy turned to me and asked: ''aunty, are you sure I don't have enough money?''
I counted his cash and replied: ''You know that you don't have enough money to buy the doll, my dear.'' The little boy was
Still holding the doll in his hand. Finally, I walked toward him and I asked him who he wished to give this doll to. 'It's the
Doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much. I wanted to Gift her for her BIRTHDAY. I have to give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there.'
His eyes were so sad while saying this. 'My Sister has gone to be with God. Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so I thought that she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister.'' My heart nearly stopped.
The little boy looked up at me and said: 'I told daddy to tell mommy not to go yet. I need her to wait until I come back from the mall.' Then he showed me a very nice photo of him where he was laughing. He then told me 'I want mommy to take my picture with her so my sister won't forget me.' 'I love my mommy and I wish she doesn't have to leave me, but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister...' Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly.
I quickly reached for my wallet and said to the boy. 'Suppose we check again, Just in case you do have enough money for the doll?'' 'OK' he said, 'I hope I do have enough..' I added some of my money to his with out him seeing and we started to count it.
There was enough for the doll and even some spare money. The little boy said: 'Thank you God for giving me enough money!' Then he looked at me and added, 'I asked last night before I went to sleep for God to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll, so that mommy could give It to my sister. He heard me!'' 'I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, but I didn't dare to ask God for too much.
But He gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose. My mommy loves white roses.'
I finished my shopping in a totally different state from when I started. I couldn't get the little boy out of my mind. Then I remembered a local news paper article two days ago, which mentioned a drunk man in a truck, who hit a car occupied by a young woman and a little girl.
The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on the life-sustaining machine, because the young woman would not be able to recover from the coma. Was this the family of the little boy?
Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the news paper that the young woman had passed away.. I couldn't stop myself as I bought a bunch of white roses and I went to the funeral home where the body of the young woman was exposed for people to see and make last wishes before her burial. She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of the little boy and the doll placed over her chest.
I left the place, teary-eyed, feeling that my life had been changed for ever. The love that the little boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to this day, hard to imagine. And in a fraction of a second, a drunk driver had taken all this away from him.
Jokes - 1
Mother asks little Johnny, as they wait for the bus, to tell the driver he is 4 years old when asked because he will ride for free.
As they get into the bus the driver asks Johnny how old he is. "I am 4 years old."
"And when will you be six years old?" asks the driver.
“When I get off the bus," answers Johnny.
*******************************************************************
An English teacher often wrote little notes on student essays. She was working late one night, and as the hours passed, her handwriting deteriorated.
The next day a student came to her after class with an essay she had corrected. "I can't make out this comment you wrote on my paper."
The teacher took the paper, and after squinting at it for a minute, sheepishly replied, "It says that you need to write more legibly."
*******************************************************************
A visitor from Holland was chatting with his American friend and was jokingly explaining about the red, white and blue in the Netherlands flag.
"Our flag symbolizes our taxes," he said. "We get red when we talk about them, white when we get our tax bill, and blue after we pay them."
"That's the same with us," the American said, "only we see stars, too"
*******************************************************************
Stressing the importance of a good vocabulary, the teacher told her young charges, "Use a word ten times, and it shall be yours for life."
From somewhere in the back of the room, came a small male voice chanting, "Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, Amanda."
*******************************************************************
"Your child has started growing up when he stops asking you where he came from and starts refusing to tell you where he's going."
*******************************************************************
The doctor's office was crowded as usual, but the doctor was moving
at his usual snail's pace. After waiting two hours, an old man slowly
stood up and started walking toward the door.
"Where are you going?" the receptionist called out.
"Well," he said, "I figured I'd go home and die a natural death."
As they get into the bus the driver asks Johnny how old he is. "I am 4 years old."
"And when will you be six years old?" asks the driver.
“When I get off the bus," answers Johnny.
*******************************************************************
An English teacher often wrote little notes on student essays. She was working late one night, and as the hours passed, her handwriting deteriorated.
The next day a student came to her after class with an essay she had corrected. "I can't make out this comment you wrote on my paper."
The teacher took the paper, and after squinting at it for a minute, sheepishly replied, "It says that you need to write more legibly."
*******************************************************************
A visitor from Holland was chatting with his American friend and was jokingly explaining about the red, white and blue in the Netherlands flag.
"Our flag symbolizes our taxes," he said. "We get red when we talk about them, white when we get our tax bill, and blue after we pay them."
"That's the same with us," the American said, "only we see stars, too"
*******************************************************************
Stressing the importance of a good vocabulary, the teacher told her young charges, "Use a word ten times, and it shall be yours for life."
From somewhere in the back of the room, came a small male voice chanting, "Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, Amanda."
*******************************************************************
"Your child has started growing up when he stops asking you where he came from and starts refusing to tell you where he's going."
*******************************************************************
The doctor's office was crowded as usual, but the doctor was moving
at his usual snail's pace. After waiting two hours, an old man slowly
stood up and started walking toward the door.
"Where are you going?" the receptionist called out.
"Well," he said, "I figured I'd go home and die a natural death."
Monday, September 19, 2011
Paper dolls
Started my first attempt of making a paper doll. Was just amazed by seeing the images of Kusudama folding from this book
Paper dolls
Checked youtube for live teaching and learnt the folding slightly.. The problem of youtube is the its a one way communication. We are not able to check if whatever we are doing is correct.
Wasted few papers before trying on the actual origami paper. It did come out well. Hope to complete the doll before Navarathri to display it in my sooper Golu this year.
Paper dolls
Checked youtube for live teaching and learnt the folding slightly.. The problem of youtube is the its a one way communication. We are not able to check if whatever we are doing is correct.
Wasted few papers before trying on the actual origami paper. It did come out well. Hope to complete the doll before Navarathri to display it in my sooper Golu this year.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Carrot, Egg or Coffee?
*A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...
*You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again, whether you drink coffee or not.
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her.
She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling.
It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire.
Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placedground coffee beans.
She let them sit and boil; without saying A word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl.
She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see." "Carrots, eggs, and coffee,"she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft.
The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed
the hard-boiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma
the daughter then asked, "What does it mean, Mother?"
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water.
Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting.
However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.
The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through theboiling water, its insides became hardened.
The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?
Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?*Think of this:* Which am I? *Am I the carrot* that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and
become soft and lose my strength?
*Am I the egg* that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit,
but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does myshell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or *am I like the coffee bean*? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings
the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things areat their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are
their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity?
Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make youstrong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; theyjust make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightestfuture will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward inlife until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.
Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyonearound you is crying.
You might want to send this message to those people who mean something toyou to those who have touched your life in one way or another; to those whomake you smile when you really need it; to those who make you see thebrighter side of things when you are really down; to those whose friendshipyou appreciate; to those who are so meaningful in your life.
May we all be COFFEE!!!!!!!!
*You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again, whether you drink coffee or not.
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her.
She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling.
It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire.
Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placedground coffee beans.
She let them sit and boil; without saying A word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl.
She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see." "Carrots, eggs, and coffee,"she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft.
The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed
the hard-boiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma
the daughter then asked, "What does it mean, Mother?"
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water.
Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting.
However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.
The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through theboiling water, its insides became hardened.
The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?
Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?*Think of this:* Which am I? *Am I the carrot* that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and
become soft and lose my strength?
*Am I the egg* that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit,
but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does myshell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or *am I like the coffee bean*? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings
the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things areat their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are
their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity?
Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make youstrong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; theyjust make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightestfuture will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward inlife until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.
Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyonearound you is crying.
You might want to send this message to those people who mean something toyou to those who have touched your life in one way or another; to those whomake you smile when you really need it; to those who make you see thebrighter side of things when you are really down; to those whose friendshipyou appreciate; to those who are so meaningful in your life.
May we all be COFFEE!!!!!!!!
Paper Crafts in Singapore
When I was googling for paper crafts, I found this word "Paper quilling" and immediately googled more on it. Came to know more and more small information about quilling. I was totally dragged towards it and started searching youtube to find for some videos where people can teach me how to do paper quilling. I did find some... so next step is to quench my thirst by buying some products to start off my quilling experience. I took some time off from office during lunch time and went to look out for shops in Bras Besah complex near City Hall. There is one shop called Art Friend in 4th floor. I was able to find Quilling strips but the quilling complete set which was around 20$ was already gone... did not loose heart still...got some strips and planning to try out a greeting card all on my own with people in youtube... will post a picture soon once I am done with my first effort...
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Good Bye Prayers
A father put his 3 year old daughter to bed, told her a story and listened to her prayers which ended by saying: "God bless Mommy, God bless Daddy, God bless Grandma and goodbye Grandpa." The father asked, "Why did you say goodbye Grandpa?" The little girl said, "I don't know daddy, it just seemed like the thing to do."
The next day grandpa died. The father thought it was a strange coincidence. A few months later the father put the girl to bed and listened to her prayers which went like this: "God bless Mommy, God Bless Daddy and goodbye Grandma." The next day the grandmother died.
"Holy Moley, thought the father, this kid is in contact with the other side.
Several weeks later when the girl was going to bed the dad heard her say: "God bless Mommy and goodbye Daddy." He practically went into shock.
He couldn't sleep all night and got up at the crack of dawn to go to his office. He was nervous as a cat all day, had lunch and watched the clock. He figured if he could get by until midnight he would be okay. He felt safe in the office, so instead of going home at the end of the day he stayed there, drinking coffee, looking at his watch and jumping at every sound.
Finally, midnight arrived, he breathed a sigh of relief and went home. When he got home his wife said, "I've never seen you work so late, what's the matter?"
He said, "I don't want to talk about it, I've just spent the worst day of my life."
She said, "You think you had a bad day, you'll never believe what happened to me. This morning my golf pro dropped dead in the middle of my lesson.
The next day grandpa died. The father thought it was a strange coincidence. A few months later the father put the girl to bed and listened to her prayers which went like this: "God bless Mommy, God Bless Daddy and goodbye Grandma." The next day the grandmother died.
"Holy Moley, thought the father, this kid is in contact with the other side.
Several weeks later when the girl was going to bed the dad heard her say: "God bless Mommy and goodbye Daddy." He practically went into shock.
He couldn't sleep all night and got up at the crack of dawn to go to his office. He was nervous as a cat all day, had lunch and watched the clock. He figured if he could get by until midnight he would be okay. He felt safe in the office, so instead of going home at the end of the day he stayed there, drinking coffee, looking at his watch and jumping at every sound.
Finally, midnight arrived, he breathed a sigh of relief and went home. When he got home his wife said, "I've never seen you work so late, what's the matter?"
He said, "I don't want to talk about it, I've just spent the worst day of my life."
She said, "You think you had a bad day, you'll never believe what happened to me. This morning my golf pro dropped dead in the middle of my lesson.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Here I come Bali
Planning to Visit Bali
Things to do:
1. Visa to Bali
2. Sight Seeing places
3. Places to Stay
4. Restaurants
5. Cheap and best Flight fares.
I want to document all my work here so it may help some one else...
Things to do:
1. Visa to Bali
2. Sight Seeing places
3. Places to Stay
4. Restaurants
5. Cheap and best Flight fares.
I want to document all my work here so it may help some one else...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)