The solar eclipse will take place in early hours (IST 5:00 am to 8:00 am) of July 22, 2009 i.e. tomorrow in India and is unique in the aspect that it'll b a total solar eclipse after 15 years and the next total solar eclipse will be observed after 78 years (i.e. in 2087). The other countries to observe the eclipse will be Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Maldives, China and a few Islands namely Marshall Islands, Ryukyu Islands and Kiribati. The eclipse will be totally visible in India in many big cities namely Surat, Vadodara, Bhopal, Varanasi, Patna and Dinajpur. Maximum visiblility will be in Taregana, Bihar where people are busy buying protective glasses. Among the metropolitan cities, Mumbai will experience 95% visibility and Delhi, 80%.
It will be the longest total eclipse in the 21st century, lasting for 6 minutes and 39 seconds and is part of Series 136 of the Saros Circle. The exceptional duration is due to the moon nearing perigee, with the diameter of the moon 8% larger than the sun, perigee being the point of closest approach between the moon and the earth. Hence, there is probability for mild changes in ocean tides during the eclipse due to the Moon's gravitational pull. These tides should not be mistaken as a tsunami.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
100 reasons to live (not my original idea)
1) Somebody, somewhere, loves you. Whether you believe it or not.
2) Sleeping in on Sundays
3) Being able to go barefoot
4) The present won't last forever
5) I'm sure someone is about to release a new cd or book or movie that you probably need to see or hear or read.
6) Pizza!
7) sunrises (for morning people)
8) sunsets (for night people)
9) snow
10) amazing and comfortable clothing
11) spring rain
12) have you actually visited all 7 wonders of the world yet?
13) fall leaves
14) hot chocolate!
15) anything chocolate!
16) amazing music
17) Saturday morning cartoons
18) instant messenger
19) staying home alone
20) parents
21) there's got to be a cause you can fight for
22) puppies
23) kittens
24) laughter
25) goofy pictures
26) good hair days
27) it's almost Christmas, or Valentine's Day, or some very special holiday, or someone's birthday
28) popcorn
29) ice cream
30) flip-flops
31) libraries
32) shapes in the clouds
33) running water
34) puzzles
35) hikes in the woods
36) facebook/orkut
37) hugs
38) warm blankets
39) sleep
40) cute earrings
41) quiet mornings
42) the stars
43) the moon
44) television
45) comfy chairs and couches
46) the smell of dryer sheets and just-washed clothes
47) coloring books
48) sports
49) rabbits
50) new shoes
51) new haircuts
52) computer games
53) comfy pj's
54) hot baths
55) clocks ticking
56) candy
57) red roses
58) the ability to see
59) the perfect pair of jeans
60) strange mutant stuffed animals
61) getting out of the house
62) all that hard work should come to something
63) soul mates
64) awkward moments
65) the mall
66) movies that make you cry
67) cute babies/pets
68) you learn something new every day
69) art
70) concerts
71) roommates
72) people of the opposite gender
73) talking
74) listening
75) God is good
76) green grass
77) moments of confusion
78) poetry
79) meat
80) random odd things in nature
81) fashion!
82) scrapbooks
83) graduation
84) siblings
85) the world needs you
86) romance
87) adventure
88) owning a vehicle
89) to make a great and incredible discovery
90) board games
91) card games
92) get-to-know-you games
93) for the joy of overcoming the challenges of life
94) all creation
95) staying in bed
96) sick days
97) oversleeping
98) the possibility of a challenge
99) lifelong friends
100) the good times
2) Sleeping in on Sundays
3) Being able to go barefoot
4) The present won't last forever
5) I'm sure someone is about to release a new cd or book or movie that you probably need to see or hear or read.
6) Pizza!
7) sunrises (for morning people)
8) sunsets (for night people)
9) snow
10) amazing and comfortable clothing
11) spring rain
12) have you actually visited all 7 wonders of the world yet?
13) fall leaves
14) hot chocolate!
15) anything chocolate!
16) amazing music
17) Saturday morning cartoons
18) instant messenger
19) staying home alone
20) parents
21) there's got to be a cause you can fight for
22) puppies
23) kittens
24) laughter
25) goofy pictures
26) good hair days
27) it's almost Christmas, or Valentine's Day, or some very special holiday, or someone's birthday
28) popcorn
29) ice cream
30) flip-flops
31) libraries
32) shapes in the clouds
33) running water
34) puzzles
35) hikes in the woods
36) facebook/orkut
37) hugs
38) warm blankets
39) sleep
40) cute earrings
41) quiet mornings
42) the stars
43) the moon
44) television
45) comfy chairs and couches
46) the smell of dryer sheets and just-washed clothes
47) coloring books
48) sports
49) rabbits
50) new shoes
51) new haircuts
52) computer games
53) comfy pj's
54) hot baths
55) clocks ticking
56) candy
57) red roses
58) the ability to see
59) the perfect pair of jeans
60) strange mutant stuffed animals
61) getting out of the house
62) all that hard work should come to something
63) soul mates
64) awkward moments
65) the mall
66) movies that make you cry
67) cute babies/pets
68) you learn something new every day
69) art
70) concerts
71) roommates
72) people of the opposite gender
73) talking
74) listening
75) God is good
76) green grass
77) moments of confusion
78) poetry
79) meat
80) random odd things in nature
81) fashion!
82) scrapbooks
83) graduation
84) siblings
85) the world needs you
86) romance
87) adventure
88) owning a vehicle
89) to make a great and incredible discovery
90) board games
91) card games
92) get-to-know-you games
93) for the joy of overcoming the challenges of life
94) all creation
95) staying in bed
96) sick days
97) oversleeping
98) the possibility of a challenge
99) lifelong friends
100) the good times
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Rickshaw ride in Melacca
Our half an hour rickshaw ride started from the base of the steps leading to Fort A Famosa. We rode and reached the Stadhuys Square where there is a fountain, a clock tower and several handicraft shops as found in every nook and corner of Malacca.
The rickshaw puller (a Tamil fellow with marvelous English) then took us to a street which he proudly declared "a street with three different religious buildings". True! There was a Hindu temple, a small church and a Chinese monastery on one side of the street, but I think he exaggerated a bit too much about the buildings, forced us to get down and peek into the monastery and convinced us to have a few pictures taken with the monastery as the background.
We wished to go to Jonker Street which is popular among tourists for its buzzing night market which displays attractive-looking foodstuff, handicraft goods, lighting and other decorations. We went there in the daytime, so it was comparitively empty. We bought a mask from a Chinese shop ( the Chinese community largely resides in Jonker Street). We were again forced by the rickshaw-puller to take pictures of a shop which sold bound shoes (the kind the Chinese women wore in ancient times). We did.
As we were about to conclude the ride by asking the Tamil guy to drop us near the clock tower, we got the aroma of freshly baked biscuits. My mother, overwhelmed by the smell, immediately told the rickshaw-puller to stop and rushed to the shop. Before I knew she was out, carrying a packet of pineapple cookies (which turned out to be delicious when I tasted them later) and we made our way back to Stadhuys Square.
Though it cost us 270bucks for the ride, it was worth experiencing!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Creamy Paneer
Ingredients
Paneer (cottage cheese) -200 gm
Green peas (boiled) - 50 gm
Onions - 2(medium)
Cream - 4 tbsp
Milk - 300 ml
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 3 tbsp
Salt, pepper and sugar to taste
Method
Cut the paneer into small cubes. Heat oil in a vessel. Add the finely chopped onions and fry till golden brown. Add the chili powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder and boiled green peas. Cook for a while. Pour the cream and milk and mix well. Add salt, sugar, pepper and cook. At last, put in the paneer cubes and cook for 2 minutes. Serve hot with chapati or steamed rice.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Werewolf
Werewolves, also known as lycanthropes are mythological or folkloric humans with the ability to shift shapes into wolves or wolf-like creatures, either purposely, by being bitten or scratched by another werewolf, or after being placed under a curse. This transformation is often associated with the appearance of the full moon. 'Wer' simply means 'man' in old English. Thus 'werewolf' means man-wolf.
The appearance of a werewolf in its animal form as being indistinguishable from ordinary wolves save for the fact that they have no tail and that they retain human eyes and voice. After returning to their human forms, werewolves are usually believed to become weak and undergoing painful nervous depression. Werewolves are often depicted as immune to damage caused by ordinary weapons, being vulnerable only to silver objects, such as a silver-tipped cane, bullet or blade. Many believe that lycanthropy either a hereditary condition or being transmitted like an infectious disease by the bite of another werewolf.
In Italy, France and Germany, it was said that a man could turn into a werewolf if he, on a certain Wednesday or Friday, slept outside on a summer night with the full moon shining directly on his face. To drink rainwater out of the footprint of the animal in question or to drink from certain enchanted streams were also considered effectual modes of accomplishing metamorphosis. In some cultures, individuals born during a new moon and suffering from epilepsy were considered likely to be werewolves.Werewolves are fatal creatures with abnormal aggressiveness and speed and can be brutal for they often crave human flesh and dig up graves to devour corpses.
However, A notable exception to the association of Lycanthropy and the Devil, comes from a man named Thiess. Thiess testified under oath that he and other werewolves were the Hounds of God. He claimed they were warriors who went down into hell to do battle with witches and demons. So, are werewolves real? And, if they are, are they good or are they bad?
The appearance of a werewolf in its animal form as being indistinguishable from ordinary wolves save for the fact that they have no tail and that they retain human eyes and voice. After returning to their human forms, werewolves are usually believed to become weak and undergoing painful nervous depression. Werewolves are often depicted as immune to damage caused by ordinary weapons, being vulnerable only to silver objects, such as a silver-tipped cane, bullet or blade. Many believe that lycanthropy either a hereditary condition or being transmitted like an infectious disease by the bite of another werewolf.
In Italy, France and Germany, it was said that a man could turn into a werewolf if he, on a certain Wednesday or Friday, slept outside on a summer night with the full moon shining directly on his face. To drink rainwater out of the footprint of the animal in question or to drink from certain enchanted streams were also considered effectual modes of accomplishing metamorphosis. In some cultures, individuals born during a new moon and suffering from epilepsy were considered likely to be werewolves.Werewolves are fatal creatures with abnormal aggressiveness and speed and can be brutal for they often crave human flesh and dig up graves to devour corpses.
However, A notable exception to the association of Lycanthropy and the Devil, comes from a man named Thiess. Thiess testified under oath that he and other werewolves were the Hounds of God. He claimed they were warriors who went down into hell to do battle with witches and demons. So, are werewolves real? And, if they are, are they good or are they bad?
Thursday, June 25, 2009
My favorite city in the whole world has turned quite the opposite!
Kolkata or Calcutta (as the British named it) was the best city in the whole wide world for me (now it's Paris). Now it's the worst. The population tests your degree of irascibility, the pollution annoys you and the heat drives you crazy.
When I went there this time to see my ailing and bedridden grandmother; the temperature, the humidity, the brightness of sun transformed me into "Smoked Shreya". The traffic seemed to be not too much this time (Wonder why?), so, that was something positive. Two other good things were the shopping and the Biryani(which was too much for a small girl like me).
Next time you go there make sure to take at least:
1)A pair of shades
2)A dozen handkerchiefs
3) An umbrella
4) and barrels of water for the purpose of drinking AND bathing ( 'cause you never know about the water situation in Kolkata and bathing thrice a day is a minimal requirement)
When I went there this time to see my ailing and bedridden grandmother; the temperature, the humidity, the brightness of sun transformed me into "Smoked Shreya". The traffic seemed to be not too much this time (Wonder why?), so, that was something positive. Two other good things were the shopping and the Biryani(which was too much for a small girl like me).
Next time you go there make sure to take at least:
1)A pair of shades
2)A dozen handkerchiefs
3) An umbrella
4) and barrels of water for the purpose of drinking AND bathing ( 'cause you never know about the water situation in Kolkata and bathing thrice a day is a minimal requirement)
Friday, June 19, 2009
If today was your last day - nickelback
My best friend gave me the best advice
She said each day's a gift and not a given right
Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind
And try to take the path less traveled by
That first step you take is the longest stride
If today was your last day
and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you have?
If today was your last day
Against the grain should be a way of life
What's worth the prize is always worth the fight
Every second counts 'cause there's no second try
So live like you'll never live it twice
Don't take the free ride in your own life
If today was your last day
and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you have?
Would you call old friends you never see?
Reminisce of memories
Would you forgive your enemies?
Would you find that one you're dreamin' of?
Swear up and down to God above
That you finally fall in love
If today was your last day
If today was your last day
Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart?
You know it's never too late to shoot for the stars
Regardless of who you are
So do whatever it takes
'Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life
Let nothin' stand in your way
Cause the hands of time are never on your side
If today was your last day
and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you have?
Would you call old friends you never see?
Reminisce of memories
Would you forgive your enemies?
Would you find that one you're dreamin' of?
Swear up and down to God above
That you finally fall in love
If today was your last day
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