Introducing to you the Tabla Guy...

Somebody's gotta like this instrument after watching this guy play !!!
                                                      :-)

How to Chop onions without Tearing!

Finally -actually its been quiet a while since- there's been a successful discovery in slicing onions without burning your eyes. People have tried all kinds of ways trying to prevent that bad sting while cutting onions. I remember giving my maid a pair of sunglasses to wear in the kitchen cause I felt sad looking at her weep while cutting em onions. So here's the technique; but it does require a lil pre-planning.

Here's the thing! Refrigerate your onions for about an hour before chopping them. That will paralyze most of the teary gases that cause the tearing. So that's it. Give those onions the "chill pill" and they won't trouble you anymore. Or just forget all that you just read, and put on some goggles. :-p

Have a good day...:-)

(img from>>>http://housewifeindubai.files.wordpress.com)

Being a Good Drummer...

So what exactly makes a good Drummer? 

People have a misconception that 'Fast' Drummers are "Good" Drummers. But this isn't really the case. We can have a drummer who has the ability to play reaaalllly fast, but can still be an amateur Drummer. Playing Fast is simply the result of developing your 'drumming muscles'. A good way of doing this is practicing on a non-rebounding surface like a pillow. For you leg muscles you can run up and down the last step of a staircase. Other exercises for your leg muscles are sit-ups, jogs, and jumping up and down. :-), seriously!

Now all these can increase your speed of playing but cannot increase your creativeness in playing complex patterns on the drum set, a factor that really determines how good a drummer really is. Speed is important, but knowing how to arrange your rhythm and fills in an interesting or musical Pattern really builds one up as a good drummer. Fast drumming can thrill you, but a Good drummer really knows how to add Music into his playing. Again, speed is  important and only an element into drumming. IT ISN'T THE WHOLE THING.

So in short, a creative drummer who drives music into his rhythm, and keeps moving up the learning scale by learning challenging moves on the drums, and by combining whatever he has to really bring the groove inside of us, is a progressive drummer. But if a drummer just focuses on playing real fast, he can really not build anything into his Talent.

Happy Drumming. Do watch the videos on your way out to understand What I'm trying to say.



Now this is an example of a Fast Drummer who barely has any Music to His Playing

I'm not saying this drummer is not good at playing. I don't know him. But what is being played here is just speed and no talent.



His name is Tony Royster and is known for adding music to his drumming. As one comment said, "I feel like running to my drum set and practicing after watching this". Now that's good playing.

Practice well ! :-)

Building a Terrarium/Vivarium

What is a Terrarium? Basically its the "Terrestrial" form of an aquarium. An aquarium is an aquatic Micro ecosystem, while a terrarium is a Land Micro Ecosystem. The Word Ecosystem refers to any system that contains living and non living elements which interact with each other. Therefore in an ecosystem we have Autotrophs, heterotrophs, prey, predator, etc. Basically the place we live in is an ecosystem in itself. Now when we make an ecosystem and confine it to a small space, like a tank or a bowl, we get a micro ecosystem. And the term Vivarium is a common term for both an aquatic or a terrestrial system.

Micro-ecosystems are really interesting. Firstly, we get to design our own little environment, and later on watch how the ecosystem grows, thrives, and evolves in its own time. In other words we get a god point of view of the ecosystem. By this we learn about different creatures and their characteristics. It's great fun if your looking at it as a hobby, or even from a learning perspective.


Having such hobbies as building stuff, music, exploring etc., can really help people beat negative feelings like depression, anger, and frustration.


As a beginner I constructed a small Vivarium inside a fish bowl. I added some seeds, ants and a spider to kick start the ecosystem :-). The seeds took about 3 days to sprout, and the ants took about the same time to adjust. This is just an example of a Basic ecosystem and as a beginner i hope to learn more about how to build and sustain a more complex and bigger ecosystem.

The above picture was taken when I just finished the Setup. It took some time for the plants to grow.

This is another style of a Vivarium I made with the Same Boul, about a week Later. I was planing to Grow an Island in the centre and Then Put some Guppies in the Water Around. 

Tips - 

• If you plan to house ants or other crawling insects in your Vivarium, you can rub some Petroleum Jelly(preferred) or coconut oil(Not preferred) around the top area of the Setup, which will prevent your bugs from escaping.
• If you plan to house reptiles and/or tropical plants, you can install a mister with a timer to help replicate the tropical climate.
• Keep experimenting with different things to make your Vivarium more realistic, thus making it pleasing to us as well as the creatures that live in it. eg., try building a water fall with a simple pump and some rocks, try building hideouts for the various creatures housed in your vivarium to prevent them from getting stressed, etc.,

Some Really beautiful Vivariums (please do check them out)

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8RqRanwr7k
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYGn5HMR_WA

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY, AND DON'T FORGET THAT GOD CREATED ALL THINGS WONDERFULLY FOR US. SEEK HIM AS THE FIRST PRIORITY IN YOUR LIFE. HIS NAME IS JESUS CHRIST.

How to Soothe and Heal an Upset Stomach?

I've noticed that more people these days have a chronic experience of an Upset Stomach. I believe one reason could be due to the amount of junk food consumed today. Even home food can be considered junk food -

1. When One doesn't have enough fibre in their diet.
2. When fat and oils are consumed in higher proportions. eg., Potato chips, Oil fried items, etc.
3. When we have a regular 'unbalanced' diet.
4. When we overeat(includes constant nibbling between meals).

Less intake of Water and consuming food that causes acidity like Peppers, Milk, Cauliflower, and some beans, can aggravate the condition. Stress is another factor that causes these stomach upsets. Therefore take time to Relax...

How do we get rid of that grumble in the tunnel?

Carry out these simple steps to tame your tummy. :-)

1. Add 1 and a half spoon of Baking Soda(Powder) in a Glass of Water, and stir well before Consuming. Baking Soda helps to Neutralize the Acids in the Stomach.
2. Chew a Piece of Ginger without complaining about its taste :).
3. Have a Banana, as it helps to soothe the Stomach.
4. Make a Mixture of Hot Light Tea(Black or Green or Grey) + 1/2 Tea spoon of Cinnamon powder + Honey, and consume it before it cools down. This is my Favorite. :-)
5. Avoid Milk, Cauliflower, Beans, any kind of meat, oily foods, and Fatty foods. 
6. Take a Warm shower or a comfi dip in your Bathtub.
7. Make sure to have some exercise through out the day
8. Finally before going to bed, keep a Warm cloth or Hot Bag on your tummy, and then Zzz. This will help in digestion.

All the Best!!!

I'm no doctor, but have written the above only for information based on experience and reference. :)

Another beautiful lesson to learn from The Butterfly

Recently, I posted an article about not taking life too critically, and wrote about how we must put our faith in God (as a child trusts its parents). Today, I would like to again bring in the butterfly to teach another important lesson to us.

The Caterpillar -  

The Caterpillar represents ourselves in our present form. It has a beauty of its own kind, but yet is slimy and poisonous, disliked my many. It feeds on leaves and glories in itself. But its Glory is its diet. It's aim is to feed and die. Similarly, we as human beings have a tendancy to live like this caterpillar. We look at our lives as merely being born, growing up and dying. We are slimmy with sin and poisonous with death. Our end is the grave.

But God never intended for us to live that way. The problem is that we are sinners by very nature, and we tend to have pride in it. We all have sinned and fallen short of God's Glory. But God doesn't want us  to remain there. God wants to turn us into the beautiful butterfly, with Wings that Have true Glory, and Food the sweet nectar of His Love. God wants us to be changed from the caterpillar to the Butterfly. If we choose to remain as the caterpillar, unrepentant of our sin, when the flood comes it will destroy us. But The butterfly is Given wings for a journey to the land of pleasantness.

 The Cocoon -

When we die to our sinful nature and turn towards God, we become the cocoon. Like a loser it hangs on a branch; like a dead thing. But the floods sweep the caterpillars below, while the cocoon hangs safely on the branch, awaiting its glorious future. When we Become the coccon we die to our sinfulness and start having Faith in God to Save us. The Bible teaches us that 'for God so loved the World He gave His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for our sin, so that anyone who believes in Him will have Eternal Life'. Now we cannot Go to God as we are, for we are those filthy caterpillars. But when we have faith in Jesus, and submit ourselves to Him, we become God's Children and are forgiven of all our sins. Thus we enter the cocoon stage. We are being transformed in the cocoon. The World will look at the Followers of Jesus Christ and mock them, because they do not involve themselves with the sin of the World. 

But Suddenly one day -   the butterfly emerges from its cocoon. It was really stuffy and painful in that cocoon, but when the fullness of time came the butterfly emerged out in its glory.

So it will be for those who choose to give up living in Sin, and follow Jesus Christ, who died for the sins of men. God created us for something really Glorious. Therefore, give up your caterpillar self, follow Christ into the Cocoon, and God will raise you up from the Grave into a Beatuful Butterfly on the day He Judges the World.

FLEE FROM SIN.

Interesting Thought - True Religion is not that which teaches us sinners to live good lives to enter heaven(as if Heaven were a Bargain), but True Religion is that which reveals our sinfulness as Lawbreakers in the sight of God, and Reveals also the Grace of God which Saves us. YOU ARE SAVED AND ACCEPTED BY GOD ONLY BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH, AND NOT BY WORKS, LEST ANYONE SHOULD BOAST.

GOOD LINKS TO HELP YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT JESUS CHRIST

1. MEANING OF LIFE (http://gotquestions.org/meaning-of-life.html)
2. TRUE BEAUTY (FOR WOMEN - http://www.teen-beauty-tips.com/index.html)
3.  CHRISTIAN FAITH (http://www.christian-faith.com/forjesus/)

A Beautiful Thought about Life

Are you stressed out? Are you worried? Are you hurt beyond comfort? Then let's learn an Big important lesson from a small creature. THE BUTTERFLY!

Butterflies are beautiful creatures and really pleasing to the eye. But they have a very short lifespan. Some butterflies live only for a single day. Wow, Just imagine the scenario - A butterfly emerging from its cocoon and flying around, pleasing many with its beautiful sight and searching for the best nectar. But by the end of the day, it must leave. Imagine this butterfly started worrying about how to search for nectar; worrying about how to build the best nest for its home; worrying about whom it should mate with to give the best offspring. Imagine that this butterfly started getting depressed thinking about these things. Imagine another thing, the butterfly flew out of its cocoon and immediately got caught in a spider's web. What a disaster!

Similarly, Our lives are just like a breath in Eternity's perspective. We were born, we grew, and one day we shall die. Must we look foolish to our Creator by worrying? Wouldn't you want to say to that butterfly, stop worrying and live for your purpose, you have only a single day? I mean, literally life is short. In the same way, our lives are too short to start worrying about riches, and family, and other big and petty things. We are here today, and who knows if we will see another day. I could walk out of this room and meet with an accident! What is the use of worrying? When we die, are the worries of life going to be of any significance to us? When we die, would money matter to us? When we are at our last breath, would we get angry at someone, or would we even care to hate someone? Think about it.

Therefore seek first your Creator, and to be with God more than anything in this world. God will provide the rest. For a child of God, life is chilled out! There is no need to worry. And we can become children of God if we believe in His Son Jesus and His sacrifice for our sins. We must live life expecting death. We must not store up riches on earth, but must Grow everyday in our relationship with our Perfect Father. 

Interesting Thought - If you don't believe in God, then consider a painting to have emerged out of mere chance. But if a painting has a painter, and an invention has an inventor, then you were created by the Creator.

Is Tea really Bad for Health? Or is it Good?

Among the top ranks of popular house myths stands the famous TEA. Some say that Tea is good for health, while many condemn the drink. Some myths hold that tea causes whitening of hair, and softening of bones. Some believe that the caffine in tea causes dehydration due to its diuretic properties. Many people hear rumors about the beverage and even add their own spice of gossip to it. And finally people come out with discussions that tea is "bad" for health.

But where's the science? Breaking the ice, we hereby pronounce Tea as NOT Guilty and free from any Penalty...:-)

Yes, in fact, tea is supposed to be GOOD for health and has many positive effects on the body.

1. Drinking black tea helps prevent deadly clogging of arteries and reverses poor arterial functioning that can trigger heart attacks and strokes [http://www.teabenefits.com/black-tea-benefits.html]
2. Black Tea Wipes out viruses. Previous tests prove black tea can neutralize germs, including some that cause diarrhea, pneumonia, cystitis and skin infections [http://www.teabenefits.com/black-tea-benefits.html].
3. Tea is also known to have excellent antioxidant properties due to certain compouds like Catechins, quercetin, etc. That means tea helps in eliminating free radicals, which are by products of the body's oxidation process, from our bodies.
4. Preliminary research has shown that when the level of caffeine in tea and coffee is identical, alertness across the day may be more consistent in the tea drinkers . Scientists now believe that L-theanine in combination with caffeine may well be responsible for the positive effect of tea on alertness No adverse effects of tea drinking on hydration or iron status have been found at normal levels of consumption. [http://www.femail.com.au/tea-myths-exposed.htm].

The above are just some of the benifits of drinking tea. So you can have your cup of tea without being worried about any ill affects it might cause. In fact, Tea was used as a medication to stomach ailments before it became famous as a common beverage. Another myth that needs busting is that Tea with Milk is "Harmful" to health. That is not true. The only affect that milk has on tea is that it reduces the amount of Catechins (an antioxidant) in the beverage due to the effect of a substance in milk called caesins, making no difference to its overall properties .

ENJOY YOUR TEA

Interesting Fact - Black tea and Green tea are made from the same plant. Black tea is made when the leaves of the tea plant are fermented and dried further, while green tea is made when the leaves are not left for fermentation and the drying of leaves is limited.

Does Education Really Help Us?

When exams draw near, there is a ghastly  fear that comes upon our youth and children. Like a criminal trying to get the burden of  the law off his back, is a student during his trial. Exams have become a word  of terror these days. But think about it - Has education taken the place of learning? And have awful exams and passive learning taken the place of development and new inventions these days?

[http://www.sparklingadventures.com/images/1935.jpg]

Let's choose to take our minds off convention for a while. Imagine we grew up learning what we were interested in. Imagine if schools taught us 'how to think' instead of 'what to think'. Imagine our exams were of a period of time where we had to come up with New Ideas based on our learning, and work on those models toward new thougths and processes. I'm not saying that orderly education is wrong. But the problem is orderly education has been abused and turned into traditional education. There was a funny incident that came to my mind. It was recently, when I was teaching a girl some last minute Chemistry, as her exams started the next day. I was in full zeal, teaching the subject with complete interest and with all my strength, when another woman came in the room and casually asked me if I knew "Kakuu". It sounded so weird that my ears took some time to capture the absurdity of that "Noise". But finally she explained to us that she was talking to us about the subject I was teaching, Chemistry. That dosen't sound like chemistry at all; more like a babble from an infant. She then said that the formula for "KhaKUU" was CH3COOH! :-/...She had mugged up CH3COOH, which is the formula for Acetic Acid, as "KhaKuu" because she didn't really understand its chemical structure and properties to remember it during the exams!:-0.

I didn't even want to laugh at that. I knew this woman since school days, and she confessed to my judgement that she was used to mugging up stuff since she thought the information was useless to her future, career and life. She used to mug up stuff this way, and score really well in her exams. And I knew many people students like that who used to score so well, but never had a conceptual understanding on the topic at all. And apart from school or college lives they were not really good at understanding situations and making decisions. And conversely, I knew students who understood concepts well but failed the exams just because they were not really interested to study for the exams.

[http://ifiwereasnowman.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/nerd.jpg]

I didn't want to bore you off this article due to its length, but wanted to get this point across. Education has become a vain tradition, and people literally treat Exams and Report Cards as decision makers for their entire lives. That should not be the case!

I really would like to encourage you Children to NOT worry much about grades, but concentrate more on understanding what you're learning. This would make studying and education way more interesting than it's now. And all you older folks, who have already passed that horrifying state of mental torture, to take time in reading factual information and make time for creative thoughts and works of art. That would make life more interesting and would keep you busy in the right way. If you have children, take time in reading their text books. Do something interesting. Build stuff, even if you have to throw it all away in the end. Be Curious! God has made all things so complex and wonderful so that through those things you would understand the greatness of His Love and Character. Get back to learning!

Interesting Thought - Einstein was a school dropout, and thus learned the value of true learning. And Gandhi Ji was a realist who chose to excel in the simple things of life.

Media based on the article -

1. Book - 3 Point Someone (by Chetan Bhagat)
2. Movie - 3 Idiots (Based on the book 3 point someone)
3. Video - Education and learning in India