A Lesson From The Elders (Story)

A Lesson From The Elders (Story)

Grandfather was an elder Cherokee Native American who had a wrinkled, nut brown face and kind dark eyes. His grandson often came in the evening to sit on his knee and ask the many questions that children ask. One day the grandson came to his grandfather with a look of anger on his face; the child's anger turned to quiet tears. "Come sit, tell me what happened today", grandfather said. "Father and I went to the store today and because I helped him, he bought me a present of a jack-knife. It was small but a good size for me. Here the boy laid his head against his grandfather's knee and became silent. The grandfather, softly placed his hand on the boy's raven hair and said, "And then what happened?" Without lifting his head, the boy said, "I went outside to wait for father and to admire my new knife in the sunlight. Some town boys came by and saw me, they got all around me and starting saying bad things. They called me dirty and stupid and said that I should not have such a fine knife. The largest of these boys pushed me back and I fell over one of the other boys. I dropped my knife and one of them snached it up and they all ran away laughing." Here the boy's anger returned, "I hate them. I hate them all." The elder Cherokee, with eyes that have seen too much, lifted his grandson's face so his eyes looked into the boy's face. Grandfather said, "Let me tell you a story. I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those who have taken so much with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feeling many times. It is as if two wolves are inside me.... It is a terrible fight. One wolf is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense when no offense was intended. It will only fight when it is right to do so and in the right way. This wolf stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith. The other wolf is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of a temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing. This wolf represents fear, envy, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, lies, false pride and superiority. Sometimes it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me for both of them try to dominate my spirit. This same fight is going on inside you and inside every other person too. The boy looked intently into his grandfather's eyes and asked, "Which wolf will win?" The old Cherokee simply replied.... "The one you feed."

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HAPPY ONAM

HAPPY ONAM

ONAM - The National Festival of Kerala

A legend of Kerala is about the sweet memories of a period of peace and
prosperity in the distant past when Mahabali, a celebrated emperor of
the Asuras, was supposed to be ruling over this land. His period is
believed a have been the golden age in the history of the country. A
popular folk song narrates the glories of that period. When Mavely
ruled, all men were equal, they were leading a life of happiness and
nobody had any calamity-thus goes the song. There was neither
dishonesty nor deception, nor was there any instance of false
utterance, use of counterfeit measures of other kinds of unfair practice. Perfect harmony, communal and otherwise, prevailed. In short it was ideal welfare state, the legend tells us.

But this golden age came to a tragic close when Mahabali was expelled from
his Kingdom by Vamana , the dwarf incarnation of Vishnu. Thus by the
designs of the jealous Gods, the glorious reign of the Asura emperor
came to an end. But his grateful subjects, request that their former
ruler might be permitted to visit the land once a year, was granted.

The time for his annual visit was in the first Malayalam month Chingom
(August-September) and this occasion became one of Jubilation
throughout the land, reminiscent of the prosperous times of Mahabali.

Whatever be the truth behind this legend, Onam has for last several centuries
been a grand national harvest festival in which all sections of the
people participate with extreme Jubilation.

As has been mentioned earlier the festival falls in Chingom, the Malayalam
month corresponding to August-September. The festival is supposed to
begin from the lunar asterism Atham which falls ten days before the
asterism Thiruvonam. The preparations for the celebration begin on the
Atham day. The Thiruvonam is the most important day of the festival. In
the front yard of the house Athapoovu (floral decoration) is made for
ten days from Atham to a Thiruvonam. The idol of Thrikkakkara Appan
made of clay is placed in the middle of the floral decoration, a clear
example of the aesthetic sense of the Malayalam who do it with a sense
of devotion.

On the Thiruvonam day every one bathes and offers
worship in temples early in the morning. Then the gayest new garments
are put on. Presents are distributed to the younger members of the
family. Then follows the onam feast of delicious food served on
plantain leaves. Members of families, staying far away from native
places make it a point to visit their ancestral homes to celebrate the
festival in the company of their kith and kin. Keralites celebrate onam
by organising community feast, cultural programmes, etc.

After the feast there will be sports and games, both indoor and outdoor, in
which both men and women of all ages participate. Mack fight, ball
games, card and chess play are the favorites of the menfolk whereas
women find pleasure in `Oonjalattom, thumbithullal, Thiruvathirakali,
Kaikottikali, etc. Boat races (regatta) also form another item of onam
festival which attract thousands of people including tourists from
outside the state.

Of late, the state Government itself has taken the initiative to celebrate
Onam season as tourist festival with the motive of attracting tourists.
Various cultural formS, old and new, are presented in all important
towns in the state during the FestivalOnam
is the most important harvest festival of Kerala and is an attraction
for thousands of people within and outside the state. Ranging from four
days to ten days, all the activities during this season are centered
around worshipping, music, dances, sports, boat races and good food. It
is celebrated in the Malayalam month Chingam (ending of August and
beginning of September). This year it falls on 9th September2011

Onam is a harvest festival, and celebrates the bounty of nature after a year
of hard labor. Elaborate procession of Trichur and spectacular snake
boat races on River Pampa mark the merry-making nature of the festival.
Women dress up in new saris and heavy jewelry and make elaborate and
intricate designs of “rangolis” (with colored rice paste) and
“pookkalam” (with flowers) in front of their homes.

Onam is celebrated after the memory of King Mahabali. It was said that King
Mahabali ruled Kerala a long time ago and looked after his people well.
Thus Onam symbolizes the joyful rule of the King and the happiness that
the people had under his rule. The people also have the belief that
during Onam, the King returns to Kerala to visit his people.

The people in Kerala prepare for the festival by cleaning their houses and
decorating them. On Onam, everybody in the family would be wearing new
clothes. Delicious sweets and favorite dishes would be cooked and
served on banana leaves. One important item that would be visible
outside each house is the ‘pookalam” a flower mat. This flower mat is
like a symbol of welcoming the King Mahabali. During Onam, traditional
rituals are performed and the people celebrate the occasion with a
grand feast. One favorite dessert that would be served on the day is
‘payasam” a sweet & tempting porridge.

An attractive feature during this festival is the famous ‘Vallamkali” or

otherwise known as the great boat race. In this boat race, hundreds of men row
the boats to the beat of drums and cymbals. An interesting thing to
note is that above each boat there is a scarlet silk umbrella and gold
coins are hung from the umbrellas. There are various boats, which also
include the ‘Chundans”: the snake-like long boats that are shaped like
snakes. This event is extremely popular with various types of boats
compete with each other to win the race.

Thisfestival is not celebrated by Hindus only but by

Christians and Muslimsas well. It is one festival that unites all people regardless of race

and religion

O–Orumayude

N–Nanmayude

A–Aghoshangalude

M–Malayaliyude

Onam Varavayi !!!

Keraliya thanima thottunarthunna,

malayalikalude hridayathe

pookkalam kondu theerkkunna,

naavil ruchiyeriya vibhvangalumayi

ee ponnonathe varavelkaam.

Ellavarkkum Ente Hridayam

Niranja Onashamsakal

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What to do when you are trapped in a lift?

What to do when you are trapped in a lift?

We never know when and where accidents will happen to us OR people around us. Read on and hope this piece of information may help any of us when things do happen to ourself, our friends and our loved ones.

One day, while in a lift, it suddenly broke down and it was falling from level 13 at a fast speed. Fortunately, I remembered watching a TV program that taught you must quickly press all the buttons for all the levels. Finally, the lift stopped at the 5^th level.

When you are facing life and death situations, whatever decisions or actions you make decides your survival.

If you are caught in a lift breakdown, first thought in mind may be 'waiting to die'...

But after reading below, things will definitely be different the next time you are caught in a lift.

First – Quickly press all the different levels of buttons in the lift.

Second – Hold on tight to the handle (if there is any).

Third – Lean your back and head against the wall forming a straight line.

Fourth – Bend your knees

Reason – When the lift falls, you will not know when it will hit the ground, and it may result in whole body bone fracture.

Point 1 – When the emergency electricity supply is being activated, it will stop the lift from falling further.

Point 2 – It is to support your position and prevent you from falling or getting hurt when you lost your balance.

Point 3 – Leaning against the wall is to use it as a support for your back/spine as protection.

Point 4 – Ligament is a flexible, connective tissue. It can be attached to the bone part of the activities, but limit the scope of their activities in order to avoid injury.

Thus, the impact of fractured bones will be minimised from the severe pressure during fall.

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What is Cholera? Cholera is an infection of the small intestine caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It occurs in epidemics when conditions of poor sanitation, crowding, war, and famine are present. Cholera is a serious condition. A severe case of cholera can lead to death without immediate treatment. Cholera is also called V. cholerae and Vibrio. What Causes Cholera? The most common cause of cholera is by someone eating food or drinking water that has been contaminated with the bacteria. After a disaster, this is a very real danger, since regular, clean water and food supplies are often unavailable. The disease can be spread even further by infected people using already dirty water sources to clean themselves or dispose of waste. Symptoms of Cholera? There are many symptoms of cholera. Symptoms can vary from mild to severe. The most common symptoms of cholera are: sudden onset of watery diarrhea, up to 1 liter (quart) per hour diarrhea has a “rice water” appearance, where the stool looks like water with flecks of rice in it diarrhea has a “fishy” odor dehydration rapid heart rate dry skin dry mucus membranes or dry mouth excessive thirst “glassy” eyes or sunken eyes unusual sleepiness or tiredness low urine output abdominal cramps nausea vomiting Can Cholera be Prevented? Yes. There are two vaccines that provide short-term, limited protection against the cholera bacteria. However, the vaccines are not currently available in the United States . If you do not have access to the vaccines and you are traveling outside of the United States , take precautions with food and drinking water. Some common precautions are: Drink only water that you have boiled or treated with chlorine or iodine. Eat only food that’s been thoroughly cooked and is still hot, or fruit that you’ve peeled yourself. Avoid undercooked or raw fish and shellfish. Avoid raw salads and vegetables. Avoid food and drinks from street vendors Can Cholera be Treated? Yes. It is very important to visit a doctor so cholera can be treated immediately.

Follow the mentioned tips to lead a healthy and a happy life.

ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR FAMILY DOCTOR

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