..that one last ride, wish and a hug!
by Sourav on Monday, May 30, 2011
(Sahil was speeding his bike with a speed of more than 110 kms/per hour and Prisha was too scared)

Prisha: Please slow down, it’s scaring me.
            Sahil: Don’t be silly, this is so much fun!

Prisha: For you it may be, but I’m feeling very uncomfortable.
            Sahil: Fine, I’d slow down if you tell me how much you love me.

Prisha: You are my life, I love you. Sahil now please slow down!
            Sahil: Okay, you got to give me a tight hug now.

Prisha: Loser! (Hugs him)
            Sahil: Love you too! Now please take off my helmet and put it on. It’s bugging me.

 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….A newspaper report next day:

One motorcycle – Bajaj Avenger, with the registration no. DL 7AS 5421 crashed on the National Highway onto a DTC Bus because of bike’s break failure. Two people were on this  motorcycle, but only one could survive.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Halfway down the road, Sahil realized that the bike’s breaks broke, but he never wanted Prisha to find this out. Instead, he had her say she loved him, felt her love and hug for one last time, made had her wear his helmet so she would live even though it meant he would die!


______________________________________________________________________

Japanese boy teaches lesson in sacrifice

Japanese boy teaches lesson in sacrifice

EDITOR'S note:

THIS letter, written by Vietnamese immigrant Ha Minh Thanh working in Fukushima as a policeman to a friend in Vietnam, was posted on New America Media on March 19. It is a testimonial to the strength of the Japanese spirit, and an interesting slice of life near the epicenter of Japan 's

crisis at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. It was translated by NAM editor Andrew Lam, author of "East Eats West: Writing in Two Hemispheres." Shanghai Daily condensed it.

---

Brother,

How are you and your family? These last few days, everything was in chaos.

When I close my eyes, I see dead bodies. When I open my eyes, I also see

dead bodies.

Each one of us must work 20 hours a day, yet I wish there were 48 hours in

the day, so that we could continue helping and rescuing folks.

We are without water and electricity, and food rations are near zero. We

barely manage to move refugees before there are new orders to move them

elsewhere.

I am currently in Fukushima , about 25 kilometres away from the nuclear

power plant. I have so much to tell you that if I could write it all down,

it would surely turn into a novel about human relationships and behaviours

during times of crisis.

People here remain calm - their sense of dignity and proper behaviour are

very good - so things aren't as bad as they could be. But given another

week, I can't guarantee that things won't get to a point where we can no

longer provide proper protection and order.

They are humans after all, and when hunger and thirst override dignity,

well, they will do whatever they have to do. The government is trying to

provide supplies by air, bringing in food and medicine, but it's like

dropping a little salt into the ocean.

Brother, there was a really moving incident. It involves a little Japanese

boy who taught an adult like me a lesson on how to behave like a human

being.

Last night, I was sent to a little grammar school to help a charity

organization distribute food to the refugees. It was a long line that snaked

this way and that and I saw a little boy around 9 years old. He was wearing

a T-shirt and a pair of shorts.

It was getting very cold and the boy was at the very end of the line. I was

worried that by the time his turn came, there wouldn't be any food left. So

I spoke to him. He said he was at school when the earthquake happened. His

father worked nearby and was driving to the school. The boy was on the third

floor balcony when he saw the tsunami sweep his father's car away.

I asked him about his mother. He said his house is right by the beach and

that his mother and little sister probably didn't make it. He turned his

head and wiped his tears when I asked about his relatives.

The boy was shivering so I took off my police jacket and put it on him.

That's when my bag of food ration fell out. I picked it up and gave it to

him. "When it comes to your turn, they might run out of food. So here's my

portion. I already ate. Why don't you eat it?"

The boy took my food and bowed. I thought he would eat it right away, but he

didn't. He took the bag of food, went up to where the line started and put

it where all the food was waiting to be distributed.

I was shocked. I asked him why he didn't eat it and instead added it to the

food pile. He answered: "Because I see a lot more people hungrier than I am.

If I put it there, then they will distribute the food equally."

When I heard that I turned away, so that people wouldn't see me cry.

A society that can produce a 9-year-old who understands the concept of

sacrifice for the greater good must be a great society, a great people.

--

"Keep your heart open to dreams. For as long as there's a dream, there is

hope, and as long as there is hope, there is joy in living."

Anonymous

Learning From Japan

10 things to learn from Japan

1. THE CALM - Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief.
Sorrow itself has been elevated.

2. THE DIGNITY - Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a
rough word or a crude gesture.

3. THE ABILITY - The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings
swayed but didn’t fall.

4. THE GRACE - People bought only what they needed for the present, so
everybody could get something.

5. THE ORDER - No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on
the roads. Just understanding.

6. THE SACRIFICE - Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the
N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?

7. THE TENDERNESS - Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left
alone. The strong cared for the weak.

8. THE TRAINING - The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what
to do. And they did just that.

9. THE MEDIA - They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No
sensationalizing. Only calm reportage.

10. THE CONSCIENCE - When the power went off in a store, people put
things back on the shelves and left quietly

This makes the nation great.

Why The Japanese Aren't Looting

Foreign observers are noting with curiosity and wonder that the
Japanese people in disaster-plagued areas are not looting for
desperately-needed supplies like bottled water. This behavior
contrasts sharply with what has so often happened in the wake of
catastrophes elsewhere, such as Haiti, New Orleans, Chile, and the UK,
to name only a few. Most people chalk up the extraordinary good
behavior to Japanese culture, noting the legendary politeness of
Japanese people in everyday life.

Culture does play a role, but it is not an adequate explanation. After
all, in the right circumstances, Japanese mass behavior can rank with
the worst humanity has to offer, as in the Rape of Nanking. There are
clearly other factors at work determining mass outbreaks of good and
bad behavior among the Japanese, and for that matter, anyone else.

There are, in fact, lessons to be learned from the Japanese good
behavior by their friends overseas, lessons which do not require
wholesale adoption of Japanese culture, from eating sushito sleeping
on tatami mats. It is more a matter of social structure than culture
keeping the Japanese victims of catastrophe acting in the civilized
and enlightened manner they have displayed over the past few days.

The Cruise Ship and the Ferryboat

Many years ago, a worldly and insightful Japanese business executive
offered me an analogy that gets to heart of the forces keeping the
Japanese in line, that has nothing to do with culture. "Japanese
people," he told me, "are like passengers on a cruise ship. They know
that they are stuck with the same people around them for the
foreseeable future, so they are polite, and behave ve in ways that
don't make enemies, and keep everything on a friendly and gracious
basis."

"Americans," he said, "are like ferryboat passengers. They know that
at the end of a short voyage they will get off and may never see each
other again. So if they push ahead of others to get off first, there
are no real consequences to face. It is every man for himself."

Perhaps more successfully than any other people of the world, the
Japanese have evolved a social system capable of ensuring order and
good behavior. The vast reservoir of social strength brought Japan
through the devastation of World War II, compared to which even the
massive problems currently afflicting it, are relatively small. Japan
has sustained a major blow, but its robust social order will endure,
and ultimately thrive.

Advantages of Black Tea

 Black Tea is made from the same plant as green tea and white tea.  Black tea doesn't mean tea without milk, and white tea doesn't mean tea with milk.  The difference is the way the tea leaves are processed after picking.  Green and white teas are hardly processed at all, whereas black tea is fully oxidized.

Here are 10 health benefits of drinking black tea:

1. Studies continue to show that tea is very good for you, and has some amazing health properties that cannot be ignored.

2. Black teas contain antioxidants which prevent the damage caused by free radicals which can lead to numerous diseases.

3. Drinking black teas can help to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, as it helps to expand the arteries, which increases blood flow to the heart. 

4. Research has shown the black tea can be used in the fight against cancer.  Properties of the tea slow down the growth of cancerous cells without destroying healthy cells.

5. Tea is also believed to help to delay the aging process.  Nowadays there are many anti aging creams and lotions that contain tea extracts to help the skin look younger.

6. Drinking black tea can help to burn fat and speed up metabolism.  This makes it an ideal drink for those who are looking to lose weight, or who exercise regularly.

7. Drinking tea such as black and green tea helps to reduce bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol

8. Tea contains fluoride, which can help to prevent tooth decay by strengthening tooth enamel.

9. For those people with diabetes, drinking tea can help to decrease glucose levels, which can reduce the risk of cataracts, and other conditions brought about by diabetes.

10. Investigations have shown that the benefits of black tea are lessened when milk is added.   So, in order to take advantage of the amazing health benefits of this tea, it's recommended that you don't take your tea with milk or sugar.

There are so many different loose teas to choose from that you won't get bored. As well as black, why not try white and green tea? Many people don't make these sorts of teas properly, which is why some people don't like loose tea.  By using a tea machine, you can ensure that you are getting the water temperature and the steeping time right, you can be reassured that you are getting the health benefits of black tea.  

A chat with Dr.Devi Shetty, Narayana Hrudayalaya (Heart Specialist) Bangalore was arranged by WIPRO for its employees .  The transcript of the chat is given below. Useful for everyone.  Qn: What are the thumb rules for a layman to take care of his heart?  Ans: 1. Diet - Less of carbohydrate, more of protein, less oil  2. Exercise - Half an hour's walk, at least five days a week; avoid lifts and avoid sitting for a longtime  3. Quit smoking 4. Control weight  5. Control blood pressure and sugar  Qn: Is eating non-veg food (fish) good for the heart?  Ans: No  Qn: It's still a grave shock to hear that some apparently healthy person    gets a cardiac arrest. How do we understand it in perspective?    Ans: This is called silent attack; that is why we recommend everyone past the age of 30 to undergo routine health checkups.  Qn: Are heart diseases hereditary?   Ans: Yes    Qn: What are the ways in which the heart is stressed? What practices do you suggest to de-stress?  Ans: Change your attitude towards life. Do not look for perfection in everything in life.  Qn: Is walking better than jogging or is more intensive exercise required to keep a healthy heart?  Ans: Walking is better than jogging since jogging leads to early fatigue and injury to joints    Qn: You have done so much for the poor and needy. What has inspired you to do so?  Ans: Mother Theresa , who was my patient  Qn: Can people with low blood pressure suffer heart diseases?  Ans: Extremely rare  Qn: Does cholesterol accumulates right from an early age  (I'm currently only 22) or do you have to worry about it only after you are above 30 years of age?  Ans: Cholesterol accumulates from childhood.  Qn: How do irregular eating habits affect the heart ?  Ans: You tend to eat junk food when the habits are irregular and your body's enzyme release for digestion gets confused.  Qn: How can I control cholesterol content without using medicines?  Ans: Control diet, walk and eat walnut.  Qn: Can yoga prevent heart ailments?  Ans: Yoga helps.  Qn: Which is the best and worst food for the heart?    Ans: Fruits and vegetables are the best and the worst is oil.  Qn: Which oil is better - groundnut, sunflower, olive?  Ans: All oils are bad .  Qn: What is the routine checkup one should go through? Is there any specific  test?    Ans: Routine blood test to ensure sugar, cholesterol is ok. Check BP, Treadmill test after an echo.  Qn: What are the first aid steps to be taken on a heart attack?  Ans: Help the person into a sleeping position , place an aspirin tablet under the tongue with a sorbitrate tablet if available, and rush him to a coronary care unit since the maximum casualty takes place within the first hour.  Qn: How do you differentiate between pain caused by a heart attack and that caused due to gastric trouble?  Ans: Extremely difficult without ECG.  Qn: What is the main cause of a steep increase in heart problems amongst youngsters? I see people of about 30-40 yrs of age having heart attacks and serious heart problems.  Ans: Increased awareness has increased incidents. Also, edentary lifestyles, smoking, junk food, lack of exercise in a country where people are genetically three times more vulnerable for heart attacks than Europeans and Americans.  Qn: Is it possible for a person to have BP outside the normal range of 120/80 and yet be perfectly healthy?  Ans: Yes.  Qn: Marriages within close relatives can lead to heart problems for the child. Is it true?  Ans : Yes, co-sanguinity leads to congenital abnormalities and you may not have a software engineer as a child  Qn: Many of us have an irregular daily routine and many a times we have to stay late nights in office. Does this affect our heart ? What precautions would you recommend?  Ans : When you are young, nature protects you against all these irregularities. However, as you grow older, respect the biological clock.  Qn: Will taking anti-hypertensive drugs cause some other complications (short / long term)?  Ans : Yes, most drugs have some side effects. However, modern anti-hypertensive drugs are extremely safe.  Qn: Will consuming more coffee/tea lead to heart attacks?  Ans : No.  Qn: Are asthma patients more prone to heart disease?  Ans : No.  Qn: How would you define junk food?  Ans : Fried food like Kentucky , McDonalds , samosas, and even masala dosas.  Qn: You mentioned that Indians are three times more vulnerable. What is the reason for this, as Europeans and Americans also eat a lot of junk food?  Ans: Every race is vulnerable to some disease and unfortunately, Indians are vulnerable for the most expensive disease.  Qn: Does consuming bananas help reduce hypertension?  Ans : No.  Qn: Can a person help himself during a heart attack (Because we see a lot of forwarded emails on this)?  Ans : Yes. Lie down comfortably and put an aspirin tablet of any description under the tongue and ask someone to take you to the nearest coronary care unit without any delay and do not wait for the ambulance since most of the time, the ambulance does not turn up.  Qn: Do, in any way, low white blood cells and low hemoglobin count lead to heart problems?  Ans : No. But it is ideal to have normal hemoglobin level to increase your exercise capacity.  Qn: Sometimes, due to the hectic schedule we are not able to exercise. So, does walking while doing daily chores at home or climbing the stairs in the house, work as a substitute for exercise?   Ans : Certainly. Avoid sitting continuously for more than half an hour and even the act of getting out of the chair and going to another chair and sitting helps a lot.  Qn: Is there a relation between heart problems and blood sugar?  Ans: Yes. A strong relationship since diabetics are more vulnerable to heart attacks than non-diabetics.  Qn: What are the things one needs to take care of after a heart operation?  Ans : Diet, exercise, drugs on time , Control cholesterol, BP, weight..  Qn: Are people working on night shifts more vulnerable to heart disease when compared to day shift workers?    Ans : No.  Qn: What are the modern anti-hypertensive drugs?    Ans : There are hundreds of drugs and your doctor will chose the right combination for your problem, but my suggestion is to avoid the drugs and go for natural ways of controlling blood pressure by walk, diet to  reduce weight and changing attitudes towards lifestyles.  Qn: Does dispirin or similar headache pills increase the risk of heart attacks?  Ans : No.  Qn: Why is the rate of heart attacks more in men than in women?  Ans : Nature protects women till the age of 45.  Qn: How can one keep the heart in a good condition?  Ans : Eat a healthy diet, avoid junk food, exercise everyday, do not smoke and, go for health checkup s if you are past the age of 30 ( once in six months recommended) ....  Send it to all your nearest and deares t ...which should be many..........