Lifestyle

Vinayaka Chaturthi day celebrations captured in Chennai

Vinayaka Chaturthi provided me with the perfect opportunity to was roam the streets of Chennai. It gave me the wonderful opportunity to see Ganesha idols in different pandals and captured them in my camera. It was wonderful to see few innovative ideas in making Lord Ganesha idols this year. 

Vinayaka Chaturthi or Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the popular festivals celebrated in western and south India during the month of August – September. Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed Hindu God is considered as remover of obstacles and the God of beginnings and wisdom. The festival involves installing clay images of Ganesha in public pandals, set up for 10 days. At the end of these 10 days these idols are immersed at the end of the festival in a water body (lake, river). The water in the lake is symbolically purified after adding herbal and medicated plants and leaves (patri) in lakes. This practice emerged because in the early days people used to drink lake water, and this was done to protect people from infections and viral diseases. Some Hindus also install the clay images of Ganesha in their homes. It is believed that Ganesha bestows his presence on earth for all his devotees during this festival. 

Lifestyle

Fun things to do in Chennai

If you’re new to a city, clubs and groups are a great way to get to know the place, and to meet people with similar interests. If you’re a local, groups are also a fun way to discover a new side of your city.

Whether you enjoy curling up with book or exploring the great outdoors, namma Chennai has something for everyone.

The Great Outdoors:

If the idea of exercise makes you happy, and trekking through jungles is your idea of a perfect holiday, Chennai has many clubs to choose from. The Outdoor Activities’ Club is for anyone who loves the great outdoors. The Club offers trekking, hiking, bicycling, kayaking, angling and bird watching activities. The group has great opportunities to explore nature, and organizes frequent camping trips. Located on NH5, the club is great for week end activities.

Attention Bookworms:

There are clubs for those of you who prefer to stay in the warmth and the comfort of the indoors, curled around a book. Book Buff Company is a group that meets regularly to discuss, and review various novels, exchange books and talk about anything literary, over cups of coffee.

Curtain Call:

Chennai has a vibrant theatre culture. Unleash you’re inner drama queen by joining one of the many theatre groups in the city. Theatre groups such as Madras Players, Theatre Y and Crea- Shakti offer you a chance not only to act, but also to volunteer in production and direction as well.

Lights, Camera, Action:

If you hope to direct your own film someday, Refractions (RefrACTIONS) is the place to start. The activities of the club are inclusive of the various aspects of film making, such as production, direction, script writing, acting and even film criticism. With notable speakers offering input and expert advice, this club is a great opportunity to hone your skills and showcase your talent!

Head’s up shutterbugs:

Chennai has plenty of groups and clubs with regard to photography. The Photographic Society of Madras is one such group. The group conducts regular classes, as well as organizing photography tours regularly. Another great club to join is the Chennai photographers models group. This group is for both aspiring models and photographers. Apart from the occasional photo shoot, they also arrange for regular photography camps.

B Factor:

If you’re planning on starting your own business, Chennai has a host of clubs to choose from. The Startups Club is a group that provides support for the practical aspects of business. Whether you have vague business ideas, own a company or plan on starting out on your own, the Chennai Entrepreneurs Meetup Group offer industry advice regarding business and entrepreneurship. Members of the group meet to network, brainstorm and share resources in order to get over common obstacles.

Cracking the code:

A variety of clubs teach members the basics of computer languages, coding and operating platforms. Groups such as Chennai Titanium, Chennai Embedded Linux Networkgroup, Analytics for Business and Chennai Electronics Design Technology Meetup provide members an opportunity to hone their existing software skills, and acquire knowledge from industry experts.

123… Mike Testing:

Toastmasters is a club that teaches public speaking and leadership skills. It helps individuals get over stage fear, and enables people to present themselves more effectively. There is a Toastmasters club in almost every locality in the city; it’s a great way to meet new people, while developing one’s communication skills.

Surf’s up:

Every surfer remembers their first wave. The Bay of Life – First Wave surfing school offers lessons to people of all ages. The organization offers a variety of both short and long term courses. Bay of Life provides members with the surf board, and accessories. In just a couple of classes you could catch your own wave. Given Chennai’s great beaches, it‘s a fun club to join.

The X Factor

For those of you who believe that Life is either a daring adventure or nothing, Chennai has a lot to offer. Everest Base Camp Trekking – We Ramblers is a community of enthusiastic members looking for daring adventurous activities world over. The club organizes treks to Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Ranges and Zanskar Region, bike rides along some of the world’s most perilous roads, scuba diving in the Arabian Sea and much more. Touchwood Club is another group that also regularly organizes trekking, biking and other adventure based activities.

Dirt Track:

If you are passionate about biking, Madras Bulls is your ideal club. Madras Bulls regularly undertake long road trips across the country, and members are expected to participate in the rides and events. The club members typically ride the bullet series of motor cycles from the Royal Enfield stable. The MadBulls meet at 7 PM on every second Saturday at Maya Motors, LB Road, Adyar.

No matter what your area of interest is, there is a club for you. These are just few of the many activity clubs in the city, so choose a club and join, as groups are a great way to unwind and relax.

Lifestyle

App solutely outlandish

Smart phones are common news these days, and by virtue of that, so are Applications or Apps – as they are commonly known, for these phones. Apps have become an integral part of our daily lives and it is impossible to imagine a life without them. There are apps for everything, be it food, lifestyle, gym, news, music, education, games and what not. There’s no doubt that they make our lives not only more interesting, but a lot easier. As amazing as these apps maybe, there are some that should not have been invented at all.

Here is a countdown list of some really sily apps invented:

Number 10:

Annoying Sounds:

Have you imagined unwinding to the sound of a jack hammer accompanied by the sound of nails scratching against metal? “Annoying Sounds” offers over 50 sounds that you can annoy your friends with. From the sound of multiple crying babies and screeching metal whistles to the sounds of people retching and screaming. This is a sure way to lose your hearing and your friends! The application is available both on the Google Play Store and the App Store.

Number 9:

Yo:

“Yo” is an application that allows you to communicate easily with friends, family and colleagues. Forget about long text messages and emoticons; with this app all emotions and ideas get compressed into a two character message – Yo. The only possible form of communication with this app is Yo. For instance – you want to say, “This app is crazy”, all you can type is, Yo. This app gives your fingers a rest from all that texting! “Yo” is available on both the Google Play Store and the App Store

Number 8:

My name is:

Remember the days when people used to wear identity cards at conferences, to help with easy identification? Those days are now over, “My name is”, is an app that functions, exactly like how an ID card does. It has over 20 fonts and background colour options, making it highly customizable. So the next time you‘re going for a meeting, wear your smart phone around your neck, like a tie. It’s the new must have accessory! “My name is “, is currently available only on the Google Play Store.

Number 7:

Is it dark outside:

“Is it dark outside”, uses your GPS location, date and time, and then proceeds to compare it with the expected sunrise or sunset time in the area, to let you know if it is dark outside. This is the perfect app for those of you, who are uncertain about whether it’s dark outside at 12 noon; or if you plan on moving into a closed cardboard box. This application is available both on the Google Play Store as well as the App Store.

Number 6:

I am Rich:

If you dream of becoming a multi millionaire, “I am Rich” can help you achieve that goal. When launched, the app displays a glowing red “diamond” and the catch phrase “I am Rich” in the background. Originally available on the App Store for a whopping 999.99 US dollars,   “I am Rich”, is now banned in the App Store. However, a similar version of the app, with a blue “diamond” is available on the Google Play Store. Though if you can afford the app, you are clearly on the right path.

Number 5:

iNap@Work:

Have you ever felt like catching a few minutes of sleep, right in the middle of a busy work day? If you have an office space with a door, the “iNap@Work” is the perfect app for you.  This app makes office like “productivity sounds”, ensuring your co-workers hear a constant din coming from your office space. Even though you’re snoring, colleagues will hear office sounds like typing, mouse clicks, papers being stapled and even human sounds such as clearing your throat or sneezing. You can adjust the settings on the phone to pick the sounds you want to imitate, and customize the frequency of the sounds to create the illusion of a busy or relatively free work day. However if your boss decides to do a surprise check, the app can’t save you. But hey, at least you caught up on your sleep! For now, this app is available only on App Store.

Number4:

Anti Mosquito:

Bzzzzzz…. mosquitoes bothering you?  The “Anti Mosquito” app, promises to repel mosquitoes and other small insects, by emitting high frequency sounds. The frequencies are believed to be higher that what most humans can perceive. The “Anti mosquito” app is available on the Ovi Store, the App Store and the  Google Play Store. All the same, don’t throw away those mosquito nets just yet.

Number 3:

Hold the button:

At least Candy Crush requires some level of thinking. “Hold the button”, is a game that requires you to hold the button that appears on screen, for the longest possible duration, without lifting your finger. Users can either challenge their friends, or beat their own previous records at the game. This game really tests your patience, will power and dedication. The app is available on both on the Google Play Store and on the App Store. Now that’s an intellectually stimulating app!

Number 2:

Hair Clinic:

If you’re developing a bald patch, and don’t have the funds for a hair transplant procedure, the “Hair Clinic” is your best bet.  This app generates various high and low frequencies, in order to promote circulation around hair roots, thereby encouraging hair growth. However, if one were to mistakenly place the device in the wrong place or, use it for extended periods of time, one could become completely hairy, like a Gorilla. Currently this app is available only on the App Store.

Number 1:

Send me to heaven:

There are many more bizarre apps, but the title of the most bizarre app goes to “Send me to heaven”. The goal of the game is simple, users have to throw their phones as high as they can, without breaking it .The app’s accelerometer calculates how far the device goes, and the results are uploaded to the apps’ leader boards. Despite having been banned by the App Store, “Send me to heaven”, is available in the Google Play Store .This app has inspired other games with similar ideas such as “Hangtime”; an app that records the time your phone remains in air, after it is thrown, and “How Tall “- which measures a person’s height, when the device is thrown from above.

Tempting as it is, avoid downloading theses apps as they can only lead to irritation and frustration, and you can never get back the hours you spent on them.

Lifestyle

The game of football and business

Football is a sport of anticipation, team play, co-ordination, strategy, physical prowess and mental strength. Here winning is everything and coming second means nothing! There are a number of parallels that an organization can analyse and implement from a game of football. Let us look at, offence, defence and flanking – three of football’s most fundamental strategies with regards to tactics of marketing and brand positioning. Below is a novice analysis of some of the similarities of football and business strategies.

Focus

One of the most important qualities required of a football player is to always keep the goal in focus. The greatest goals are scored by strikers that keep an eye on the ball while making the run towards goal. Focus, in business involves the complex tasks of segmenting the market and targeting a specific audience. A business’s success requires it to hold the customer’s attention, keep their needs in prime focus and gain a positive customer perception from the communication directed their way.

Timing is of the essence

A player’s advantage in a goal scoring position is lost if the pass comes too early or late. A forward holds the ball and moves forward till he or a fellow striker covers the distance to reach a goal scoring position. Counter-attack, also being an essential ploy to offence, holds timing at a principle position. The defenders have to pass that ball as soon as possible to the offensive units to make sure the opposing defence is caught off-guard. Similarly, in a business, launching products or campaigns in a timely manner before the competition has a major impact on the market and customers.

Scoring goals is the primary objective of the game

Offence in business principally means outselling or out-performing competition through the means of direct and aggressive strategy. While in football, a striker constantly tests the competence of the defence and goalkeeper, a business constantly strives to market products that are preferred over a competitor’s. A striker constantly pressurises the defender forcing him to make mistakes or step on his wrong foot so he can weave past him. Consider a play where a striker is a brand and the defender marking the striker is the competition. In this scenario, the defender tries to cover the distance and positions that the striker may use to score the goal. The striker uses his footwork and skills to deceive the defender and position himself in a way that gives him enough room to score the goal. Similarly, a successful organization positions itself in such a way, so as to position itself conquering its own niche market segment. Using innovative ways that improve and market products that cater to an evolving market is the way to retain a customer.

Planning all aspects of the offensive attack is what makes it successful. Anticipating the capabilities of the opposition is of immense importance too while planning an attack. Using the strength of the team to capitalize on the weakness of the opponent is only possible through rigorous prior preparation. Planning only covers half a dimension of the game. The other half is left to execution. It’s not possible without the 11 players on field being in tune with the strategy decided as a team. Everyone has a small part to play in this and a team is only as strong as its weakest link.

Thus, business like football involves leveraging ones strengths to capitalize the competitions’ weakness while at the same time safeguarding one’s own weaknesses.

Lifestyle

A whiff of the future

A Paris-Cambridge based startup Vapor Communications, have invented a device that will now allow users to send smells via mobile messaging – and no it’s not a hoax.

On Tuesday March 17, 2014, the world’s first trans-Atlantic digitally scented messages was sent from Paris to New York. Aided by the new iPhone app called oSnap, a fragrance chemist in New York sent a champagne and chocolate smell-o-gram to inventors David Edwards, a Harvard professor, and Rachel Field, at the American Museum of Natural History.

The device “oPhone”, along with a free app called “oSnap” (available on iTunes), lets users take photos, add text, program an accompanying scent, then combines them to send the scent messages or the “oNote” as the company calls it.

How does it work?

The scent laced messages or the oNotes, are composed on the iPhone app – oSnap. The app has an automatic camera, which takes photos of the object they wish to send. Once the snap is taken, a tagging menu appears with an array of scent notes such as butter, cocoa beans, baguette or red wine for the user to choose from. Up to eight different scents can be combined to give the recipient the full picture of a meal or any other experience. The app facilitates the users to mix and match different scents from the 32 primitive scents to create more than 300,000 unique aromas to send via mobile message.

These 32 aromas are placed inside oPhone’s eight “oChips.” On receiving the oNote, the device releases the corresponding aroma via two cylindrical gadgets based on the aromatic tags assigned by the user. Each scent is designed to last roughly 10 seconds – the average time people take to sense an aroma. If the photo is tagged with multiple scents, the smells are emitted one after the other. The photo and its corresponding scent tags are then messaged to the recipient, who uses a scent-transmitting machine, the oPhone to receive the smell.

oPhone

Coming a long way from its ideation two years ago, the oPhone is available for pre-order for $149 to anyone who donates to the device’s ‘Indiegogo crowdfunding’ campaign. The oPhone will cost $199 (US) at the consumer launch, expected in April next year.

Lifestyle

Friends

“Im not great at the advice. Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?”

Can you guess which character from an American sitcom would have said the above line?

If you guessed Chandler from “F.R.I.E.N.D.S”, then you guessed it right.

This program is an all time favorite and is about a group of friends in Manhattan who are in their late 20’s, their struggle in the real world and their cool perspective towards life. After a hard day’s work all you need to do is sit back and watch this sitcom and all your worries will fade away (or at least reduce drastically). You will find yourself laughing out loud and feeling light hearted.

This program has been appreciated over the years for its comedy, and the way each character is portrayed in a very unique way. They possess distinctive qualities and characteristics that viewers can appreciate and learn from; Monica’s perfection in everything she does, Chandler’s sense of humor, Joey’s innocence, Phoebe’s way of looking at things from a different perspective, Ross’s interest to learn and Rachel’s sense of style.

Apart from serving as a source of entertainment, “F.R.I.E.N.D.S” teach its viewers to lay back and take things at ease. Everything has a simple solution, be it from stressful situations at work or misunderstandings in relationships. Most important of them all, we learn from this program that no matter what the situation, friends are the ones who stand by you, forgive and accept you in spite of knowing all your flaws and weaknesses.

Surely those who have watched this program will agree that it is one of the best sitcoms ever made. And if you haven’t, then give it a shot to find out why. It’s truly worth the view. Highly recommended!

Lifestyle

Government schools in rural India

A large chunk of population stays in the rural India and amongst them there is again a major portion of children who are under 14 years of age. Under the Right to education act 2009, all the schools are supposed to provide free education to the children under the age of 14 years. But how far has it been implemented?

The second phase of child education begins with primary school but statistics show that a lot of villagers enrol the children to schools but the children end up not attending the schools. In the end the only attraction remaining is the mid-day meal scheme where they get food and ofcourse free school uniforms which provide the BPL people a way to provide clothing at least for their children.

Aayushi Siddharth saxena, who is a biotechnologist by profession and stays in the Kicha, a small town in Uttaranchal, says that most of the children just make their presence felt at school as there they get a stomach full of healthy food which is definitely not possible in a normal family where the father is a poor farmer and mother takes care of 4 children at home.

A big reason why children restrain from going to schools is the distance at which the government schools are situated from the main village and consequently girls become the first ones to withdraw.

Girls would generally serve as a helping hand in the family thereby making it another reason for them being stopped from attending schools. It is a problem faced more by the girl child than a boy.

Onset of menstruation serves no less to the fate of being a girl child in rural India till date.

Rapid privatisation where the private schools pay anytime more as compared to the government schools is taking the major teaching crowd to the private schools therefore only under-qualified teachers left for the government ones where any teacher can barely be seen teaching as their sick leave never gets over!

 

The importance of education is yet not being realised by our political leaders and they talk about making India a developed super-power! Well, thanks to the Non Governmental Organisations in the country which are making endless efforts to spread education in the let out societies and areas and making their Right to Education achieved to a certain extent.

Lifestyle

A walk in Rajputana shoes

The colors of Rajasthan are not just limited to its gem-studded monuments and hand woven textiles, but are visibly reflected in its accessories and lifestyle, like its much admired and unconventional footwear.

Commonly known as mojari or jooti, they are adored not only by the natives of Rajasthan, but also by visitors from across the globe. Exhibiting royalty of the Rajput rulers of Rajasthan on every person’s feet, the mojaris came into existence centuries ago.

Originally, pure camel leather was used for crafting them, but now due to increasing environmental concerns, artificial vegetable tanned leather is used. Worn by both, men and women, its special quality is to keep feet warm in winters and cool in summers. Additionally, camel leather would avoid feet from sinking in the sand.

Initially, only by the royals wore mojaris, and special cobblers would be hired to make them. Special and expensive gems, bound together with silk threads, were used for their decoration. As time passed by, even the normal people started wearing mojaris, and with time it reached all over India.

Presently, mojaris see its presence worldwide. From silk thread to colorful glittering bindis, a lot of creative work is done that catches the attention of every eye. The price can range anywhere from 200 to 5000 rupees. Majorly made for exports, it provides employment to a large number of people in Rajasthan.

So don’t just visit Rajasthan for its history and beautiful monuments and architecture, visit Rajasthan for an extravagant shopping experience too!

Lifestyle

tWIN Memento to Chairman

Here’s what the TAFE Women’s Interest Network (tWIN) Team presented the Chairman on her being conferred the Padma Shri Award by the Government of India.


It’s a pushpin art work made by using 11000 pushpins. Indeed, an innovative memento for an innovative personality.