hi friend, board exam not easy? take it easy

Dear friend who has written the board exam today,

How did it go?  Hope everything was fine.  No shocks or surprises in the question paper.

There might have been one or two questions which you feel were out of syllabus, or you were absent during that class or you have not paid attention to the particular chapter and hence not prepared.  Never mind,  let bygones be bygones.  We cannot cry over spilled milk.  But we have a world before us.  We have got a lot to do.  Let us get over our disappointment or disillusion and come back to normalcy.

Lets play some good music, have some nice snacks and get set to prepare for the next exam.  The next exam is going to be a cakewalk to us.  We can master the subject in the time available.  We will definitely succeed.  We will come out with flying colours.

Please do not consult  your friends about the answers you are doubtful.  They may be right or they may be wrong.  If you come to know that it is wrong, it may be painful.  Instead try this method.  Think about the answer which you have written confidently and which is correct.  You may feel elated that there are more such correct answers in your answer paper.  This will give you confidence. 

Above all, writing a board exam is not a child’s play.  You have bravely appeared and attempted and succeeded in answering.  Great job done.  Kudos to you. 

So all the best for the remaining examinations.  Do well.  Do not think about the difference it is going to make in your life as you will be imagining something on which you have no control.  Instead, think about the joy of learning and writing the exams.

Do not learn for the board exam to become a doctor, engineer  or IT professional.  Learn for the examination for the joy of it and for getting high scores.  The future will definitely have some good things in store for all of us.

height of courage

Liked to watch this video, though it is risky. uploaded for visitors of my blog

Preserve the world for us

This short film by a nine year old boy from Kerala has impacted so many.  The film runs for just five minutes. 
This was screened at the just concluded short film festival SCRIPT 2011 ( Social and Corporate Responsibility Promotion International Theatre) in the category for films made by students,  it has won the Halo of Honour Award. 

It has generated discussions on the Perandoor Canal that separates two localities in Kochi.  The narration is that the boy goes to his grandma's place which is next to the canal.  He enquires her why she lives next to a drain, when the grandma remnisces about the beautiful canal that it was once with lotus and fish and boats plying on it.  She narrates how it has become a drain due to wastes from surrounding houses.

At the end, the boy's grandma asks him what gift he wants, he gives a beautiful picture of the Perandoor Canal with a message to preserve the world.

A good thought by the future of India.

hi petdog lovers, see this cute dog

Panda dog
Kind attention dog lovers, there is some interesting news for you.
Named after the quirky detective in the hit TV series 'Columbo', this Maltese-Poodle mix is the talk of the town in Tokyo. His owner, Kensuke Hirakawa, adopted him after Columbo's previous owner abandoned him.

Although Columbo was a bit aggressive and barked non-stop at first, Kensuke saw potential in this little droopy-eyed fur ball and took him in and he soon became tame. Poor Columbo had been through a lot and had the marks to prove it - a stiff back leg, tear-stained eyes and all his canine teeth had been removed (to prevent biting). But being a former beautician and pet shop owner, it didn't take long for Kensuke to hatch a crazy little plan for an Extreme Doggie Makeover!
Using completely safe (non-toxic) black hair color for dogs, Kensuke dyed parts of Columbo's dingy white fur in the striking pattern of the panda that most of Asia is so well known for.
And boy did he stand out! Once a mixed breed mongrel tossed aside because of his looks, Columbo is not only the most talked about and adored dog in the neighborhood (and probably all of Asia as well), he's also now the poster dog and mascot in a campaign to save the abandoned and abused dogs of Tokyo. Kensuke only hopes that this will help teach others how to be responsible and love their pets

TEN VALUABLE TIPS TO REDUCE WEIGHT

1. Eat more fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are packed with beneficial fibers, vitamins and antioxidants. They fill up your stomach fast so you feel full earlier. They are also low in calories and helps to keep your calorie count low. Fruits and vegetables are packed with beneficial fibers, vitamins and antioxidants. They fill up your stomach fast so you feel full earlier. They are also low in calories and helps to keep your calorie count low.

2. Small is beautiful :  Eat small frequent meals

Eating small frequent meals help to balance your calorie intake throughout the day and also keeps your blood sugar level balanced. Instead of eating 3 big meals, try to eat 5 - 6 smaller meals throughout the day.

3. Do not cut down your favourites totally

Everyone has his or her favorite treats. Simply allow yourself a little indulgence, but watch out for the frequency and the quantity. Having a small treat once in a while can be rewarding to your weight loss experience. Cutting too much of your favorite treats usually lead to an early relapse.

4. Drink water when you feel like drinking a juice/soda

Juices, soda, cream & sugar in your coffee or tea all add up. Opt for drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day. In addition to providing hydration to your body, it will also help you feel full.

5. Increase your water intake, it detoxifies without adding calories

Drink plenty of water. Our body needs a lot of water so give in to water. Water is not just way to flush out toxin but if you have more water in your body you will generally feel healthier and fitter. This itself will discourage any tendency to gorge. The best thing about water is that is has no calories at all.

6. Follow a balanced diet – do not starve, have variety from all food groups

Choose a variety of foods from all food groups every day. This is a fine way of keeping deficiency diseases at bay. Change the items included in your diet every day. This is an excellent way of keeping deficiency diseases at bay and it helps you to experiment with a variety of dishes and there by you do not get bored of your diet.

7. Break fast within an hour of waking

Try to have breakfast within one hour of waking. It’s always best to have breakfast within an hour of waking so that your body can charge itself with the energy it needs for the day. The idea is not to wait for your self to get really hungry. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day but that does not mean that it should be the most filling meal of the day.

8. Outdoor exercises better than indoor

Exercise out doors as far as possible. There are two advantages of doing whatever you are doing out side. One advantage is that it gives your body a chance to get a lot of the much needed fresh air and sunshine. The second advantage is that the surroundings keep you perked up and it is a break form remaining cooped up all day long

9. Stand and stretch yourself every ½ hr if you have a sitting job

If you have a sitting job, stand up and stretch yourself every half an hour. Most of the jobs today are indeed sitting jobs that are in one word sedentary. This is especially true for those who sit and punch away at the keyboard or toy with the mouse all day long. So if you have such a job, make it a point to get up at least every half an hour and stretch your self.

10. Don’t worry be happy

As long as you do not have serious health problems and weight related issues, don’t worry, be very very happy.  Do not feel guilty about being overweight.  Some people are born overweight,  some acquire weight in due course, some are slim from the beginning and suddenly put on weight.  No medicine or concoction is going to reduce your weight overnight.  It has to gradually go as it has gradually come.  We notice it when some one tells us that you have become fat.  So avoid worrying the moment they tell you and start looking for various methods  to reduce your weight.

Ten manthras of mine to reduce weight

1. Do things yourself.  Do not expect others to do small petty jobs for you like bringing water, switching off the TV etc.
2. Walk for 45 minutes everyday,  If not possible continuously,  split it into three 15 minutes.
3. Sweep and swab the floor everyday, preferably in the morning.
4. Do not crash diet with items you do not like, or which you will not relish, because very soon you will discontinue your dieting.
5. Eat anything you want without guilt.  But try to do some exercise to burn out the extra calories you gained.
6. Never skip your breakfast.  You will try to make up what you have not had in the lunch.
7. Do not wear tight fitting clothes to make yourself feel that you are fat.  Go for those dresses which will make you feel comfortable
8. Do not glue yourself to the television watching serials.  Instead go for a walk, clean the house, spend time with children or near and dear ones or go to the terrace and gaze the stars while walking.
9. One day in a week, eat an oil free, ghee free diet.  Eat boiled vegetables, salads, milk, fruits and porridge.  Have fruits, instead of juice, have nuts instead of fries, have boiled vegetables instead of fried or gravy vegetables.
10. Last but not the least, always look at yourself in the mirror and say that you are slim and beautiful,  you'll become what you say.

God in the guise of man

People call themselves heroes doing many things which others cannot do,  but mostly for the popularity or for the fame and name it brings to them.  There are many heroes who do heroic deeds to serve the society.  They are the real heroes who are worth worshipping and if possible giving a helping hand in any form.  One such person is Shri. Narayanan Krishnan.

Narayanan Krishnan was a bright, young, award-winning chef with a five-star hotel group, short-listed for an elite job in Switzerland. But a quick family visit home before heading to Europe changed everything.

"I saw a very old man eating his own human waste for food," Krishnan said. "It really hurt me so much. I was literally shocked for a second. After that, I started feeding that man and decided this is what I should do the rest of my lifetime."

Krishnan was visiting a temple in the south Indian city of Madurai in 2002 when he saw the man under a bridge. Haunted by the image, Krishnan quit his job within the week and returned home for good, convinced of his new destiny.

"That spark and that inspiration is a driving force still inside me as a flame -- to serve all the mentally ill destitutes and people who cannot take care of themselves," Krishnan said.

Krishnan founded his nonprofit Akshaya Trust in 2003. Now 29, he has served more than 1.2 million meals -- breakfast, lunch and dinner -- to  homeless and destitute, mostly elderly people abandoned by their families and often abused.

Krishnan said the name Akshaya is Sanskrit for "undecaying" or "imperishable," and was chosen "to signify [that] human compassion should never decay or perish. ... The spirit of helping others must prevail for ever." Also, in Hindu mythology, Goddess Annapoorani's "Akshaya bowl" fed the hungry endlessly, never depleting its resources.

Krishnan's day begins at 4 a.m. He and his team cover nearly 125 miles in a donated van, routinely working in temperatures topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

He seeks out the homeless under bridges and in the nooks and crannies between the city's temples. The hot meals he delivers are simple, tasty vegetarian fare he personally prepares, packs and often hand-feeds to nearly 400 clients each day.

Krishnan carries a comb, scissors and razor and is trained in eight haircut styles that, along with a fresh shave, provide extra dignity to those he serves.

The group's operations cost about $327 a day, but sponsored donations only cover 22 days a month. Krishnan subsidizes the shortfall with $88 he receives in monthly rent from a home his grandfather gave him.

Krishnan sleeps in Akshaya's modest kitchen with his few co-workers. Since investing his entire savings of $2,500 in 2002, he has taken no salary and subsists with the help of his once-unsupportive parents.

"They had a lot of pain because they had spent a lot on my education," he said. "I asked my mother, 'Please come with me, see what I am doing.' After coming back home, my mother said, 'You feed all those people, the rest of the lifetime I am there, I will feed you.' I'm living for Akshaya. My parents are taking care of me."

For lack of funding, the organization has been forced to halt construction on Akshaya Home, Krishnan's vision of a dormitory where he can provide shelter for the people he helps. Despite the demands and few comforts his lifestyle affords, Krishnan says he's enjoying his life.

"Now I am feeling so comfortable and so happy," he says. "I have a passion, I enjoy my work. I want to live with my people."

Necessity is the mother of invention the saying goes.  It does not require huge science and maths labs or sophisticated facilities to invent something.  People in rural areas and the underpreviliged areas invent so many new things everyday.  It is not given the publicity or the popularity.  These people do not even know what they are capable of.  They invent many things which contribute a lot to their society. Take this case for example.  I read it in a newspaper, and have reproduced the contents as it was worth mentioning.

Ship Of The Desert Drives A Bus

Acarpenter by profession, late Shri. Mewaram Jangid has developed a camel-driven school bus that attempted to solve commuting problems in rural desert areas.In this novel bus,the driver sits on the camel with the reins and two brackets fixed to the animals saddle are connected to the rear of a double-decker unit on four wheels.Discarded aircraft tyres are used as these are broad and reduce pressure on the sand due to increased surface area. There are five such affordable buses transporting 400 students daily