- Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
- Memorise your favourite poem.
- Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
- When you say, "I love you", mean it.
- When you say, "I'm sorry", look the person in the eye.
- Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
- Believe in love at first sight.
- Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
- Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
- In disagreements, fight fairly. No name-calling.
- Don't judge people by their relatives.
- Talk slowly but think quickly.
- When someone asks a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
- Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
- Call your mum.
- Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
- When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
- Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions.
- Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
- When you realise you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
- Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
- Marry a man/woman you loves to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
- Spend some time alone.
- Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
- Remember that silence is something the best answer.
- Read more books and watch less TV.
- Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think back you'll get to enjoy it a secong time.
- Trust in God but lock your car.
- A loving atmosphere in your home is so important. Do all you can to create a tranquil harmonious home.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Cherishing little things in life
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Differences at its best
A water bearer had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his master’s house. The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.
But the cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer by the stream.
“I am ashamed and want to apologise to you.”
“Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?”
“I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out. Because of my flaws, you have to do all this work, and don’t get full value from your efforts,” the pot said.
The water bearer felt sorry for the cracked pot, and said, “As we return I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the cracked pot took notice of the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load.
The bearer said, “Did you notice there were flowers only on your side of your path? I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. I have been able to pick these flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.”
MORAL: Do not underestimate yourself by comparing yourself with others. It’s our differences that make us unique and beautiful.
For two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his master’s house. The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.
But the cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer by the stream.
“I am ashamed and want to apologise to you.”
“Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?”
“I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out. Because of my flaws, you have to do all this work, and don’t get full value from your efforts,” the pot said.
The water bearer felt sorry for the cracked pot, and said, “As we return I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the cracked pot took notice of the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load.
The bearer said, “Did you notice there were flowers only on your side of your path? I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. I have been able to pick these flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.”
MORAL: Do not underestimate yourself by comparing yourself with others. It’s our differences that make us unique and beautiful.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
3 college finance tips
The cost of college rises every year, making it harder for cash-strapped families to afford tuition and other costs. But with both parents and students well aware the long-term value of a degree, most families are looking for ways to cover the bills. Let us look at a few tips that could make solving the college financing puzzle a little easier.
Tip #1: Apply for every scholarship you can: University endowments and scholarship funds are like tress full of money, yours for a good hard shaking. Spend some time crafting a killer application essay and it can be yours. Even once you are already in school, these opportunities are still available. Make sure you apply on time as most are offered on first come, first serve basis.
Tip #2: Only borrow what you need: Students are advised to seek work study positions and scholarships which can often take some burden off loans.
Tip #3: Be aware of the aid policy: The colleges probably have some policy related to providing financing to its students. Make sure you know all the nitty-gritty. — Agencies
Tip #1: Apply for every scholarship you can: University endowments and scholarship funds are like tress full of money, yours for a good hard shaking. Spend some time crafting a killer application essay and it can be yours. Even once you are already in school, these opportunities are still available. Make sure you apply on time as most are offered on first come, first serve basis.
Tip #2: Only borrow what you need: Students are advised to seek work study positions and scholarships which can often take some burden off loans.
Tip #3: Be aware of the aid policy: The colleges probably have some policy related to providing financing to its students. Make sure you know all the nitty-gritty. — Agencies
Friday, July 26, 2013
Kitchen gardening
Due to space constraints, cultivating a lush garden along with growing vegetables and fruits may seem like a farfetched idea to many today. But if planned in appropriate ways, having an organic kitchen garden is possible. Moreover, you must be paying high prices for organic products, so why not grow your own in your back garden? The whole process is not only inexpensive but it also needs low maintenance, as all you need to have are a small plot of land and patience and creativity.
You don’t need to feel unfortunate if you don’t have a huge garden in your home. Many people have been using their terraces but you can also allocate some space in your backyard to grow vegetables, flowers and fruits. If not, you can even use the windowsills. If you choose to grow in containers, decks or balconies may also provide plenty of space. Growing vegetables can be a fun way to spend time with your family members outdoors in the sun. More than that, there’s a different joy you get when you consume healthy, pesticide-free natural foods grown from your labor.
Starting a kitchen garden
The best location for a new garden is a plot receiving full sunlight, at least six hours of direct sun per day. So make sure to choose a sunny spot. Soil conditions don’t have to be perfect. But make sure that the soil drains well so that there are no puddles in your kitchen garden.
Recycle and reuse
To start kitchen gardening, you don’t need to invest in expensive earthen pots. You can make use of the space that you have or even make use of old plastic bottles and buckets to grow vegetables.
Choosing garden crops
Plan your kitchen garden with your needs in mind, calculating what vegetables you will use the most. You can experiment with one or two new crops per season so that there’s diversity in your kitchen garden. You can grow corns and seasonal vegetables like cauliflowers, brinjal, tomato, spring onion, radish and capsicum, salad greens like cucumber and lettuce leaves and essential herbs like coriander, mint, curry leaf and green chilly.
Make your own soil
The most important step in kitchen gardening is to make nutrient-rich soil that supports healthy plant growth. It’s simple to prepare and the results are extremely effective. Start with what you have. You can simply use the kitchen waste and mix it in the soil so that it can turn into manure.
When and how much to water your garden
Fruits and vegetables are made mostly of water, so you’ll need to make sure your plants are getting enough to drink. This is especially important for seedlings that haven’t developed a deep root structure. You’ll have to water them lightly everyday or the next. If there isn’t sufficient rainfall, they need more water once the crops are maturing.
Add compost
Using compost with the soil is the most important thing you can do for your garden. Composted manures or leaves add organic materials to the garden, which break down and improve the texture and nutrient content of your soil.
Insects and diseases
Regular checks on the plants are a must. Companion gardening is the best bet to keep insects away. For example, planting garlic between tomatoes will keep pests away.
Harvest frequently and spend time in your garden
It’s good to experiment and add variety to your garden. Moreover, picking fruits and herbs often stimulates new growth and is healthier for the plants.
You don’t need to feel unfortunate if you don’t have a huge garden in your home. Many people have been using their terraces but you can also allocate some space in your backyard to grow vegetables, flowers and fruits. If not, you can even use the windowsills. If you choose to grow in containers, decks or balconies may also provide plenty of space. Growing vegetables can be a fun way to spend time with your family members outdoors in the sun. More than that, there’s a different joy you get when you consume healthy, pesticide-free natural foods grown from your labor.
Starting a kitchen garden
The best location for a new garden is a plot receiving full sunlight, at least six hours of direct sun per day. So make sure to choose a sunny spot. Soil conditions don’t have to be perfect. But make sure that the soil drains well so that there are no puddles in your kitchen garden.
Recycle and reuse
To start kitchen gardening, you don’t need to invest in expensive earthen pots. You can make use of the space that you have or even make use of old plastic bottles and buckets to grow vegetables.
Choosing garden crops
Plan your kitchen garden with your needs in mind, calculating what vegetables you will use the most. You can experiment with one or two new crops per season so that there’s diversity in your kitchen garden. You can grow corns and seasonal vegetables like cauliflowers, brinjal, tomato, spring onion, radish and capsicum, salad greens like cucumber and lettuce leaves and essential herbs like coriander, mint, curry leaf and green chilly.
Make your own soil
The most important step in kitchen gardening is to make nutrient-rich soil that supports healthy plant growth. It’s simple to prepare and the results are extremely effective. Start with what you have. You can simply use the kitchen waste and mix it in the soil so that it can turn into manure.
When and how much to water your garden
Fruits and vegetables are made mostly of water, so you’ll need to make sure your plants are getting enough to drink. This is especially important for seedlings that haven’t developed a deep root structure. You’ll have to water them lightly everyday or the next. If there isn’t sufficient rainfall, they need more water once the crops are maturing.
Add compost
Using compost with the soil is the most important thing you can do for your garden. Composted manures or leaves add organic materials to the garden, which break down and improve the texture and nutrient content of your soil.
Insects and diseases
Regular checks on the plants are a must. Companion gardening is the best bet to keep insects away. For example, planting garlic between tomatoes will keep pests away.
Harvest frequently and spend time in your garden
It’s good to experiment and add variety to your garden. Moreover, picking fruits and herbs often stimulates new growth and is healthier for the plants.
Love vs. arranged marriages
Some people fall in love and then get married. And for those who still haven’t found the ones they are looking for, listen to U2 and then decide to go for arranged marriages. The Irish Rock band also comes in handy when the love of your life decides to break off the relationship because her parents want her to marry someone from the same caste. A friend of mine was in a relationship with his ‘dream’ woman for eight years. They both came back home to get married, but a month later they went back to the West after each marrying someone else. Whatever happened to love?
The woman just couldn’t say no to her parents’ request about not cutting off their noses. And the guy was too old-school and decided not to rent a horse, storm the woman’s house and take her away. Maybe they should just have gotten married in the West and invited their parents to the wedding. This is what happens when people don’t read books or watch movies.
If only they had read ‘Romeo and Juliet’ or even watched the Bollywood flicks from the late 80s, then they would’ve had the courage to fight for their love. I’m not saying you should kill yourself to prove your love. I like happy endings. Just get married and then wait for your parents to accept your partnership. For some it’ll take a few years, or a grandchild, but eventually your parents will accept the fact that it’s okay not to have the final word on choosing the party venue or the food menu.
When a man hits 35 and the woman 30, even the astrologers worry about an asteroid hitting the Earth and destroying all forms of life. The family priest will come up with his own Big Bang theory and warn you that if you don’t get married by this Mangsir, then the world will never get to know a great person. He isn’t talking about you but your child-to-be. He works on his mathematical theorems and once again warns you that you have to get married by the end of this year and have a baby by another, or else it’ll be hard for you to produce a rightful heir to your broken laptop and taped-up smartphone.
He is now not only a priest but also an urologist as well. There will always be people like him. They speak multiple languages; have multiple degrees, and some of them even have multiple mistresses. I’m not talking bad about my family priest. He’s a nice fellow and he thinks my time has come to rule the world. But before sitting on the throne, I need to get married.
Some people get married to their high school or college sweethearts. This is what we call the ‘mother of all love marriages.’ Some people meet strangers, fall in love, and a month later, you get invited to their wedding party. Such marriages can be called ‘Hollywood Marriages.’ Most of the Hollywood stars tend to get married this way. But of course, their marriages will fall apart by the next Oscar season. But for normal beings like us, it’ll probably endure unless your partner wants to move to Hollywood to try his or her luck.
Arranged marriages get a bad rap because our grannies found out that they were getting married to some knucklehead only the day before the wedding. Well, it all turned out to be fine, didn’t it? It’s not like in the old days where you don’t even know whom you are getting married to. Nowadays, you get to meet your potential partner, and even go out for a coffee and have a chitchat. And if both of you seem to have some things in common, then it’s time to hire the local musical band for your janti.
In love marriages, you really don’t have to like your in-laws or the relatives from the other side. In arranged marriages, you’ll have to impress nearly everyone, or else you might not get the final approval to marry her. There will always be relatives from the woman’s side who may not like your face, your height, your academic qualifications or your work experience. Some will even go so far out and complain that the way you cross your legs or pick your nose isn’t manly enough.
Then you have relatives from your side who have thousands of advice on what to look for in a suitable bride or groom. If you take notes of their daily advice, you could turn it into a bestseller, and next year, you’ll be the one giving motivational speeches at some workshop organized by, er, Republica instead of Chetan Bhagat!
But it really doesn’t matter if you fell in love and then got married or got married first and fell in love truly, madly and deeply later on. Marriage is all about compromise. If we were to do a literal Nepali translation, then it would be ‘Kum Promise.’ Promise less and deliver more, and everything will just be fine.
KALU MAILA, the writer is a desperate houseman.
The woman just couldn’t say no to her parents’ request about not cutting off their noses. And the guy was too old-school and decided not to rent a horse, storm the woman’s house and take her away. Maybe they should just have gotten married in the West and invited their parents to the wedding. This is what happens when people don’t read books or watch movies.
If only they had read ‘Romeo and Juliet’ or even watched the Bollywood flicks from the late 80s, then they would’ve had the courage to fight for their love. I’m not saying you should kill yourself to prove your love. I like happy endings. Just get married and then wait for your parents to accept your partnership. For some it’ll take a few years, or a grandchild, but eventually your parents will accept the fact that it’s okay not to have the final word on choosing the party venue or the food menu.
When a man hits 35 and the woman 30, even the astrologers worry about an asteroid hitting the Earth and destroying all forms of life. The family priest will come up with his own Big Bang theory and warn you that if you don’t get married by this Mangsir, then the world will never get to know a great person. He isn’t talking about you but your child-to-be. He works on his mathematical theorems and once again warns you that you have to get married by the end of this year and have a baby by another, or else it’ll be hard for you to produce a rightful heir to your broken laptop and taped-up smartphone.
He is now not only a priest but also an urologist as well. There will always be people like him. They speak multiple languages; have multiple degrees, and some of them even have multiple mistresses. I’m not talking bad about my family priest. He’s a nice fellow and he thinks my time has come to rule the world. But before sitting on the throne, I need to get married.
Some people get married to their high school or college sweethearts. This is what we call the ‘mother of all love marriages.’ Some people meet strangers, fall in love, and a month later, you get invited to their wedding party. Such marriages can be called ‘Hollywood Marriages.’ Most of the Hollywood stars tend to get married this way. But of course, their marriages will fall apart by the next Oscar season. But for normal beings like us, it’ll probably endure unless your partner wants to move to Hollywood to try his or her luck.
Arranged marriages get a bad rap because our grannies found out that they were getting married to some knucklehead only the day before the wedding. Well, it all turned out to be fine, didn’t it? It’s not like in the old days where you don’t even know whom you are getting married to. Nowadays, you get to meet your potential partner, and even go out for a coffee and have a chitchat. And if both of you seem to have some things in common, then it’s time to hire the local musical band for your janti.
In love marriages, you really don’t have to like your in-laws or the relatives from the other side. In arranged marriages, you’ll have to impress nearly everyone, or else you might not get the final approval to marry her. There will always be relatives from the woman’s side who may not like your face, your height, your academic qualifications or your work experience. Some will even go so far out and complain that the way you cross your legs or pick your nose isn’t manly enough.
Then you have relatives from your side who have thousands of advice on what to look for in a suitable bride or groom. If you take notes of their daily advice, you could turn it into a bestseller, and next year, you’ll be the one giving motivational speeches at some workshop organized by, er, Republica instead of Chetan Bhagat!
But it really doesn’t matter if you fell in love and then got married or got married first and fell in love truly, madly and deeply later on. Marriage is all about compromise. If we were to do a literal Nepali translation, then it would be ‘Kum Promise.’ Promise less and deliver more, and everything will just be fine.
KALU MAILA, the writer is a desperate houseman.
The demons that plague your phone
The Android mobile platform has managed to grow a lot throughout the years and now powers the majority of cellphones in the market. Even as users, we have all come to love the mobile operating system by Google.
But like all technology, the Android system is not flawless. From time to time, there are moments where you phone will leave you frustrated and annoyed. Sometimes, the phone refuses to comply with the orders that you throw at it, and sometimes, it just seems to have a mind of its own.
technobuffalo.com
But whatever your problem may be, there are usually simple ways to deal with it. Here, we discuss some common problems that could drive you to chuck your phone out the window and how to deal with them in a few simple steps.
Low Internal Memory
This is one of the problems that plagues a lot of Android users because of the fact that many Android based phones in the market have the option of an external SD card storage for your heavier files, and because of this, the internal storage suffers. Internal Memory, no matter how big it may be, will need occasional cleanups because of the various applications storing their cache files in it. The easiest way to get those unwanted files out of your phone would be to use Cleaner Master, an application that helps you easily recycle your internal and external memory. It deletes unwanted cache files and as well as residual files left behind by application that you may already have deleted. This will help you reclaim your internal storage, and if you are still having trouble with low internal memory, then try uninstalling some of the applications that you may have grown out of.
Google Ad Annoyance
If you happen to be a regular user of free applications on the Play Store, then you might have been annoyed countless times by annoying Google Advertisements on top of your applications. Although Google Ads are essential for free application developers to earn some form of upkeep from their applications, sometimes it can get rather annoying. Usually, when your phone is not connected to any form of internet, be it Wi-Fi or mobile data, these ads do not pop up. But if you want to block these ads completely, meaning even for times when you are connected, the procedure can be a little bit longer. AdBlock Plus, an application that is famous for blocking these ads, has recently been revoked from the Play Store and cannot be downloaded officially but that does not mean that it can no longer be used. Downloading an APK files from Google on to your phone and installing it via your file manager would make it useable on your phone again.
Contact Blocking
There may be times when you may have given your phone number to certain people who keep on spamming you or annoying you. There might be certain persons that you no longer want to have a connection with and they still do. In these cases, unlike Facebook, your phone does not come pre-equipped with an unfriend button. To stay away from people bothering you, a simple application, Private SMS & Call, will firewall these people for you. You choose to block a certain number from calling or messaging you and it also provides you with an option of creating a blacklist or a whitelist – one of the most essential applications for making your phone private again.
Auto Wake
There are times when your phone’s screen keeps turning on by its own. This could be because of a number of applications or games that have push advertisements. Push advertisements means adverts that appear on your notifications tab that force your phone to call attention to it. Unfortunately, there are many applications that exploit this feature on Android and it is pretty difficult to figure out which application is responsible for these auto wakes. For this exact reason, Wake Lock Detector helps you figure out which applications are responsible for your auto wakes and deal with them appropriately.
Battery Drain
No matter how much you cover the topic of battery drain, there are always problems arising with your battery drain. But adding to the topic of battery drain, one of the main reasons for high battery drain would most definitely be the fact that there are many background applications running even as your phone is asleep. Many applications that you have on your phone, for example, Facebook or doubleTwist, will be running in the background trying to perform certain tasks. Facebook will be looking for new messages and doubleTwist will be searching for artist related information. Fortunately, stopping these background processes would mean lesser CPU usage and longer battery life. This can also be achieved with the help of Cleaner Master that has a task manager as well which kills background process when you put your phone to sleep. This ensures that your phone is up to seed as well as insures better battery life.
There may be countless errors that you might come up against in Android but there are always simple solutions if you look for them. Android users have a large online community, and if you post your problems in the various forums on the internet, a flood of eager enthusiasts will lend a helping hand. Alternatively, you could always drop us and email and we would be happy to help you out with the problems you might be facing with anything technological.
But like all technology, the Android system is not flawless. From time to time, there are moments where you phone will leave you frustrated and annoyed. Sometimes, the phone refuses to comply with the orders that you throw at it, and sometimes, it just seems to have a mind of its own.
technobuffalo.com
But whatever your problem may be, there are usually simple ways to deal with it. Here, we discuss some common problems that could drive you to chuck your phone out the window and how to deal with them in a few simple steps.
Low Internal Memory
This is one of the problems that plagues a lot of Android users because of the fact that many Android based phones in the market have the option of an external SD card storage for your heavier files, and because of this, the internal storage suffers. Internal Memory, no matter how big it may be, will need occasional cleanups because of the various applications storing their cache files in it. The easiest way to get those unwanted files out of your phone would be to use Cleaner Master, an application that helps you easily recycle your internal and external memory. It deletes unwanted cache files and as well as residual files left behind by application that you may already have deleted. This will help you reclaim your internal storage, and if you are still having trouble with low internal memory, then try uninstalling some of the applications that you may have grown out of.
Google Ad Annoyance
If you happen to be a regular user of free applications on the Play Store, then you might have been annoyed countless times by annoying Google Advertisements on top of your applications. Although Google Ads are essential for free application developers to earn some form of upkeep from their applications, sometimes it can get rather annoying. Usually, when your phone is not connected to any form of internet, be it Wi-Fi or mobile data, these ads do not pop up. But if you want to block these ads completely, meaning even for times when you are connected, the procedure can be a little bit longer. AdBlock Plus, an application that is famous for blocking these ads, has recently been revoked from the Play Store and cannot be downloaded officially but that does not mean that it can no longer be used. Downloading an APK files from Google on to your phone and installing it via your file manager would make it useable on your phone again.
Contact Blocking
There may be times when you may have given your phone number to certain people who keep on spamming you or annoying you. There might be certain persons that you no longer want to have a connection with and they still do. In these cases, unlike Facebook, your phone does not come pre-equipped with an unfriend button. To stay away from people bothering you, a simple application, Private SMS & Call, will firewall these people for you. You choose to block a certain number from calling or messaging you and it also provides you with an option of creating a blacklist or a whitelist – one of the most essential applications for making your phone private again.
Auto Wake
There are times when your phone’s screen keeps turning on by its own. This could be because of a number of applications or games that have push advertisements. Push advertisements means adverts that appear on your notifications tab that force your phone to call attention to it. Unfortunately, there are many applications that exploit this feature on Android and it is pretty difficult to figure out which application is responsible for these auto wakes. For this exact reason, Wake Lock Detector helps you figure out which applications are responsible for your auto wakes and deal with them appropriately.
Battery Drain
No matter how much you cover the topic of battery drain, there are always problems arising with your battery drain. But adding to the topic of battery drain, one of the main reasons for high battery drain would most definitely be the fact that there are many background applications running even as your phone is asleep. Many applications that you have on your phone, for example, Facebook or doubleTwist, will be running in the background trying to perform certain tasks. Facebook will be looking for new messages and doubleTwist will be searching for artist related information. Fortunately, stopping these background processes would mean lesser CPU usage and longer battery life. This can also be achieved with the help of Cleaner Master that has a task manager as well which kills background process when you put your phone to sleep. This ensures that your phone is up to seed as well as insures better battery life.
There may be countless errors that you might come up against in Android but there are always simple solutions if you look for them. Android users have a large online community, and if you post your problems in the various forums on the internet, a flood of eager enthusiasts will lend a helping hand. Alternatively, you could always drop us and email and we would be happy to help you out with the problems you might be facing with anything technological.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Cherish The Present
She was 20 and he was 26. They met by the river one May afternoon. She was a city girl who loved the outdoors. He was a young man who nursed his grief, who loved to be alone. They were complete opposites in every aspect.
“Hi!” She says.
She is petite and looks younger than her age, unusually pale but there was some glow in her small eyes. He’s sitting at the big roots of a mango tree at the riverbank, waiting for any fish that will bite his bait. He looks up and frowns as he sees the unfamiliar face. He looks back at the river and says, “Hello.”
She sits beside him. “Mind if I sit here?”
“You’re already sitting there,” he says without looking. “My name is Gessana,” she says after a long silence. “What’s your name?” “Arthur,” he replies.
After that they remain silent, and after several more minutes she tells him that she will go home now. He just nods. The following afternoon, she finds him again in the same spot.
“Hi! Please, do you mind if I sit here again?” she happily asks. A simple nod is his answer. She looks very fragile.
“Where do you stay?” he asks her after she is settled on the big stone beside the big roots where he sits. “Keanne is my cousin and she invited me to spend my summer vacation here.”
He nods again.
“I like it here, the place, this river, and the quiet environment.”
“Is that all?” he asks.
She opens her eyes. “Hmmm, it is relaxing in here, I like the green grass and the feel of the rough mango bark on my back. The warm stone I sit on. Everything!”
“Nature lover, huh?”
“Hummm, sort of.How about you?” He shakes his head negatively. “Nothing.”
She frowns. “Nothing?”
He nods.
“Hmmm, hearing it is something new!” she says jubilantly. But honestly, a person has always something on himself; beauty, joy, cravings, even loneliness and desperation.”
And that was the beginning. They became friends, sharing that something and nothing. But he lives in his dark past. She’s the light that comes to lighten his world, but summer will end after two weeks and his world will be dark again.
“But you don’t need to think sadness before it grips you,” she says.
“You will not enjoy life if you think of getting hurt. Someone we love might disappoint us, incurable sickness will embrace us, and some people will leave us behind. What matter is the lesson it teaches us, that there is always more to life than increasing its speed.”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
The following day is a cloudy day for him. As he cleans his closet, he sees the picture of the woman he loved, he was about to marry a woman whom he’d given all his devotion and understanding, a woman he adored, yet left him because of some foreign ambitions. The grief and bitterness flows back to his heart.
She’s been waiting for him for two hours already yet even his shadow isn’t there. But she still waits … till the darkness envelopes the day and it’s time for her to go home. Every day she waits for him at the riverbank until the summer is over.
September.
“Where does she live?” He is sitting in the living room of Keanne’s house. She’s looking grumpily at him. “Please,” he begs.
“Heaven.”
He frowns. “Please tell me. I need to go to her and tell her how sorry I am.”
She shakes her head.
“She already passed away, two weeks ago. She had bone marrow cancer. You saw how pale she was? Of course you didn’t see it, because you always looked down at yourself.”
He sat by the river and wept silently, but tears would not return her form the grave. Then, he remembered what she said. “Always enjoy the present because it was God’s gift to us, and it’s the only thing that we have now.”
Friday, July 19, 2013
Fine-tune your communication skills
Communication involves more than just being able to speak one-on-one to another individual in a clear and fluid manner so that your message is understood. If you have great communication abilities, you can captivate an audience of hundreds, even thousands, with your presentation skills. You can sit quietly, without interruption, and listen as a subordinate expresses his opinion and then empathise with his viewpoint.
A manager with good communication skills knows how important it is to keep his team (and boss) in the loop by providing them as much information as possible about projects or changes in the work environment. It means having the ability to write a comprehensive report that anyone can understand.
If you want to work on your communication skills — that means being able to speak, write, and listen in an effective manner — watch those you admire and emulate them, take relevant courses, or join a writing or public speaking group. — Agencies
A manager with good communication skills knows how important it is to keep his team (and boss) in the loop by providing them as much information as possible about projects or changes in the work environment. It means having the ability to write a comprehensive report that anyone can understand.
If you want to work on your communication skills — that means being able to speak, write, and listen in an effective manner — watch those you admire and emulate them, take relevant courses, or join a writing or public speaking group. — Agencies
Sunday, July 14, 2013
An accidental knot
BY SWARNA PRABHA KAR
On this occasion, let me thank my companion for being so nice to me.
Meeting my companion was neither accidental, nor by chance,
It was not like the sort of love at first sight, but a planned occurrence.
It was purely arranged, made to materialise without any option,
We were selected for each other, on the very first occasion.
It was purely selected for each other, on the very first occasion.
The knot was tied, between us, without much delay,
And to realise the truth, it took me only one day.
Everything appeared to be a puzzle after that,
This made me work hard, owning to the habit of, standing first.
In this endeavour, I didn’t even notice the world around me,
Unable to recall the hand that supported me,
I tumbled, stumbled and learned by myself, to stand erect,
Couldn’t count, even on you, oh!
My sweet heart!
One day tired and exhausted, I preferred some rest,
In this plight (unsuccessfully), sought your help, to support, in my test.
I cried and yelled, terribly annoyed, at slowly losing my clout,
But heard only my echo, and found none to bail me out.
I cursed my fate, for everybody being so indifferent,
I blamed my parents, for being so casual in selection of the match,
My consolers almost failed in their approach,
And withdrew within myself, and an exile is all, that I intended to fetch.
Then I noticed a creeping hand, on my shoulder,
I latched on to it tightly, closed my eyes,
And rested my head for ages there.
After I regained my composure, recited the phrase,
“I don’t regret the many hardships I ever met.
Cause, it is those, which brought me to this place
That I have wished to outreach, with a faster pace.”
Unknowingly, I have always tried to follow your view,
But soon realised, what would have I been, without you?
It is then that I started appreciating my parent’s choice,
Now, I can understand the language of my inner voice.
Better sense timely awakened my sleeping soul,
Never did I acknowledge your effort at all.
Yes, now I feel proud of my own destiny,
Thank you ‘my dear’ for being so nice to me.
This material is further published in The Himalayan Times, May 20, 2013 edition.
On this occasion, let me thank my companion for being so nice to me.
Meeting my companion was neither accidental, nor by chance,
It was not like the sort of love at first sight, but a planned occurrence.
It was purely arranged, made to materialise without any option,
We were selected for each other, on the very first occasion.
It was purely selected for each other, on the very first occasion.
The knot was tied, between us, without much delay,
And to realise the truth, it took me only one day.
Everything appeared to be a puzzle after that,
This made me work hard, owning to the habit of, standing first.
In this endeavour, I didn’t even notice the world around me,
Unable to recall the hand that supported me,
I tumbled, stumbled and learned by myself, to stand erect,
Couldn’t count, even on you, oh!
My sweet heart!
One day tired and exhausted, I preferred some rest,
In this plight (unsuccessfully), sought your help, to support, in my test.
I cried and yelled, terribly annoyed, at slowly losing my clout,
But heard only my echo, and found none to bail me out.
I cursed my fate, for everybody being so indifferent,
I blamed my parents, for being so casual in selection of the match,
My consolers almost failed in their approach,
And withdrew within myself, and an exile is all, that I intended to fetch.
Then I noticed a creeping hand, on my shoulder,
I latched on to it tightly, closed my eyes,
And rested my head for ages there.
After I regained my composure, recited the phrase,
“I don’t regret the many hardships I ever met.
Cause, it is those, which brought me to this place
That I have wished to outreach, with a faster pace.”
Unknowingly, I have always tried to follow your view,
But soon realised, what would have I been, without you?
It is then that I started appreciating my parent’s choice,
Now, I can understand the language of my inner voice.
Better sense timely awakened my sleeping soul,
Never did I acknowledge your effort at all.
Yes, now I feel proud of my own destiny,
Thank you ‘my dear’ for being so nice to me.
This material is further published in The Himalayan Times, May 20, 2013 edition.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Workplace Fatigue
Diagnosing fatigue in workplace personnel is daunting task because the afflicted worker might simply be too tired to describe or be too tired to describe or be aware that fatigue is the actual problem. Nonetheless, management and employees should at least try to consider potential causes of fatigue as way to reduce its effects on workplace safety and business performance.
Physical health
A person can suffer physical ailments or diseases that prevent him from performing at peak efficiency. For example, an active employee who is a sports enthusiast might suffer lifelong muscle and joint injuries. In fact, the medical community is starting to accept that patients who complain of constant tiredness might suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). According to research by Harrison Wein, PhD, in association with the National Institutes of Health, CFC may occur in combination with other viruses.
Mental health
Increased workload and responsibility can overtax the human brain, especially if the job requires if the job requires extended periods of deep mental though processes, according to a study conducted by Kei Mizuno, et al, and published through BioMed Central Ltd. On the other hand, some occupations have always required extreme mental aptitude from people, such as emergency room doctors, and so mental fatigue is par for the course. Another aspect of mental health is the mood of the person. Depression is a disorder that causes people to feel fatigued and sad overall. Mood disorders may be the result of the issues in the workplace or in the employee’s personal life.
Equipment and furniture
Workers can become fatigued from being ill-equipped to perform a task. An administrative worker that sits in comfortable, air-conditioned office all day, such as an accountant or secretary, looks fully accommodated for doing the job. However, a cheap, non-ergonomic office chair can create stress points and pain on a person’s back, seat and extremities. Factory and service workers who stand and walk all day need comfortable, quality walking shoes to reduce the pressure on the lower limbs. Failing to think about the ergonomics of the work setting can lead to bodily pain, which in turn causes fatigue.
Environmental
The working environment refers to indoors, as well as outdoors. Poor air conditioning, improper ventilation or harsh chemicals cam make workers tired from not being able to breathe fresh, clean air. Poor lighting can also strain the eyes causing fatigue. Outdoors, workers might have to contend with weather anomalies, such as unusually cold or hot temperatures, causing the body to tire out from trying to adapt to the changes. Also, workers can become exposed to ambient chemical and natural hazards, such as smog and pollen, causing an adverse and fatiguing effect on the body.
Work schedule
Workers who have long or late-night office hours might become tired from not being able to keep a normal schedule. Law enforcement personnel do have defined shifts, but an officer might also be on call for major incidents. The human mind body operates on a Circadian rhythm that automatically sense day and night. Fighting the body’s natural time clock can cause workers to suffer from fatigue.
To sum up, both the employers and employee should make efforts to avoid and prevent the above mentioned reasons that cause fatigue.
Monday, July 1, 2013
True Taste of Success
By Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj ji
Ours is a society that’s driven by success. Today it has become the most important criterion to judge a person by his success. In simple words, ‘Success’ in life can be defined as the continued expansion of happiness and the progressive realisation of worthy goals and ability to fulfil our desires with effortless ease.
Success has always been considered to be a process that requires hard work, and it is often considered to be at the expenses of others. However, in the present milieu, we need a more spiritual approach to success and affluence, because with the knowledge and practice of spiritual law, we can put ourselves in harmony with nature and create joy and love with carefree mind without taking any kind of stress or tension.
There are many aspects to success, of which material wealth is only one component. One must understand that, success is a journey, not a destination. Material abundance, in all its expressions, happens to be one of those things that make our journey more enjoyable. But success also includes a healthy mind and body, enthusiasm for life, harmonious relationships, and last but not the least, emotional and psychological stability. However, even with the experience of all these things, we may still feel unfulfilled or dissatisfied unless we nurture the seeds of spirituality within us. True success, can therefore be experienced only with the enlightenment of ‘who we are’. Hence, when we begin to experience our life with the practice of Spiritual, Moral and Human Values, not occasionally, but all the time, only then shall we experience the true taste of success.
The author can be contacted through nikunjji@brahmakumaries.in, www.brahmakumaries.com.
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