Did You Know..!!

Some of the facts which i was reading through on a website. Some of them are really good. Enjoy reading them:-

- The highest bridge in the world can be found in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains. The valley lies at an altitude of about 5 602 m (18,379 ft) above sea level on the India side of Kashmir. Called the Baily Bridge, it is only 30 metres (98 ft) long, and was built by the Indian Army in August 1982.

- The largest flower in the world, the rafflesia arnoldi, weighs 7 kg (15 pounds) and grows only on the Sumatra island of Indonesia. Its petals grow to ½ metre (1,6 feet) long and 2,5 cm (1 inch) thick.

- The tomato is the world's most popular fruit. And yes, just like the brinjal and the pumpkin, botanically speaking it is a fruit, not a vegetable.

- A diamond is the hardest natural substance on earth, but if it is placed in an oven and the temperature is raised to about 763 degrees Celsius (1405 degrees Fahrenheit), it will simply vanish, without even ash remaining. Only a little carbon dioxide will have been released.

- During the 6th Century, it was customary to congratulate people who sneezed because it was thought that they were expelling evil from their bodies. During the great plague of Europe, the Pope passed a law to say "God bless you" to one who sneezed.

- The Antpitta avis canis Ridgley is a bird that looks like a stuffed duck on stilts and barks like a dog. The bird was discovered by ornithologist Robert S. Ridgley in the Andes in Ecuador in June 1998. Thirty of these long-legged, black-and-white barking birds were found. It apparently had gone undetected because it lives in remote parts and, of course, doesn't sing. The size of a duck, it is one of the largest birds discovered in the last 50 years.

- The only place in the universe where a flag flies all day, never goes up or comes down, never flies half-mast and does not get saluted, is the moon.

- He is handsome, tall, drives a fast car, has an unlimited expense account, and always gets the girl. That's just the actor. The character he portrays also has a licence to kill.James Bond debuted in Ian Fleming's novel "Casino Royale" in 1953. The first Bond movie, Dr No, starring Sean Connery, was released in 1962. Since then, the equivalent of half the world's population have seen at least one Bond movie.

- The amount of time that people spend on travel has been consistent at 1,1 hours per person per day in all societies. The average distance traveled is 12 000 km (7,400 miles) per year. In total, the world population travels more than 23 trillion km (16.6 trillion miles) per year, 53% of which is by car, 26% by bus, 9% by rail, 9% by high-speed transport such as airplanes, and 3% by bicycle, boat and other means. It is estimated that, due to developments in high-speed public transport, travel time will drop to only 12 minutes per person per day by 2050. Of the world traffic volume, 35% will be by car, 20% by bus, 41% by high-speed transport, and 4% by rail.- In 1897, Austrian businessman Emil Jellinek, traveled from his home in Nice, France to purchase a car from the Daimler factory in Cannstatt, Germany. On his return to the French Riviera, his sporting Daimler Phoenix caused such a sensation that he decided to enter it into a local touring competition, under the name of "Mercedes" after his favourite 9 year old daughter. Realising the business potential for the new car, he not only placed an order for 36 more, but also secured the franchise for selling them in several countries. Gottlieb Daimler also agreed to having them sold under the name of "Mercedes."

- Soon after building started in 1173, the foundation of the Pisa tower settled unevenly. Construction was stopped, and was continued only a 100 year later. It then became visibly clear that the Tower of Pisa is leaning, tilting to the south. Since regular measuring of the tower began in 1911, the top of the tower has moved 1,2 millimetres (0,05 inch) per year. Today the top of the Tower of Pisa is some 5,3m (17,4 ft) off-centre.

Belief in Thyself..!!

It is the belief that makes you strong,

It is the belief that makes you realize between the right & wrong;

Some people live by their dreams,

While others have no plans or schemes.

It is the belief that bails you out of tough situations,

It is the belief that helps you in identifying your passions;

Some people have the will to succeed,

While others let someone else lead.

It is the belief that takes you to your goal,

It is the belief that helps you realize the connection between heart & soul;

Some people respect everyone’s thoughts,

While others choose to forget the lessons taught.

It is the belief that helps you create a niche,

It is the belief that ultimately makes you rich;

Some people strive for the best,

While others in life have no zest.

It is the belief that drives you towards excellence,

It is belief that gives you the true life essence;

Some people are always craving for more,

While others find ways to outscore.

It is the belief that defines your attitude,

It is the belief that under crisis gives you the fortitude;

Some people can withstand any big or small issues,

While others need someone for rescue.

It is the belief that defines the inner will,

It is the belief that makes you more kind than cruel;

Some people love to experiment the unknown for the thrills,

While others get the chills.

It is my belief that anything is possible,

It is my belief that any situation could be fruitful;

I define my goal as my search for the ultimate,

Thus, making it easier for others to believe in thy spirit.

It's all about the choices we make..!!

Life is a funny concoction of good laughs and sorrows. But it is the tough times that make us realize the importance of hilarity in our life. I often sit and wonder what would happen to the world if the age old proverb “if wishes were horses then beggars would ride” becomes true. How the world would be like if nobody has any tensions or sorrows in life. It is strange to imagine those times and as my father always says “when the going gets tough, the tough get going. If it didn’t happen to you then it never was meant to be for you”. I do believe in the fact that everything that happens, always has a reason. It could be God’s way of teaching us some lessons or could be the harsh truths of life which would make us strong. I know this never sounds appropriate when you are going through a rough phase but then once that period has passed and you sit and analyze you always end up saying “in a way it's good that it happened this way”. Atleast I do. I don’t know whether this is a different way of reconciling with your thoughts or accepting reality but then it always does make one feel better. In life, there would always be good and fun times but unfortunately it somehow would always feel that they are short lived. But if you have the strength to face the tough times then it simply means that you would succeed in any challenges life would throw at you.

I might not be the most experienced person to even talk about the harsh facts that many others would have faced but I guess on a daily basis, all of us do face certain obstacles and it is only how we deal with them defines out true character. There is always a dilemma that continues in the mind which keeps us hanging and wondering whether this phase would pass or not. Whether it would be all good or bad. Life is all about choices and what we choose defines our outlook towards life. Not every time we would make the right choice but then as it is said “ always learn from your mistakes” and ofcourse there is no fun in repeating those mistakes again. We can choose to be happy or sad, we can choose to be at the top or bottom, we can choose to be ourselves or a replica, we can choose to love the things we have or live in despair for what we don’t have. There would always be choices and there would always be tough decisions to make but then the outcome is what is always fruitful and as they all say “every cloud has a silver lining”. Whatever happens, happens for the best and it happens because it is meant to be. If only we would be strong during crisis, then we would emerge a true winner with our own self. After all it is just one life to live and it isn’t worth living with regrets but to make the most of it in whatever and however way possible. It is not everyday that life gives you a second chance so feel fortunate if you get one. After all the battle is always with one self and not with others, no matter how much ever we try to convince ourselves it to be the other way round.

My fav. punchlines..!!

I am not too sure how many people live by phrases in life and to how many do they really make sense. To me it makes a huge lot of difference, something that always inspires me and gives me the kick to do the best.. :-)

I do have my 3 very favorite punchlines which are also my Signature in different email ids. Simple lines and simple words as they may say but definitely hold a deeper meaning.

He who laughs last, laughs the loudest.

There will always be dreams grander or humbler than your own, but there will never be a dream exactly like your own...for you are unique and more wondrous than you know.

Anything Less Than Extraordinary is a Waste of TimeWe are what we repeatedly do; Excellence therefore is not an act, but a habit.

It is funny how certain words/phrases impact your life in so many different ways and you don't even realise it most of the times. I am sure there are whole lot of phrases which i am unaware about but then who said that "I know it all".. :-)

Woman of Substance..!!

Well, there is another addition to the list of women who have been doing so well professionally. It is amazing how the whole outlook towards women has changed in the last 10 – 15 years and they have been taking up some postions of power & control. The latest addition to this is Mrs. Pratibha Patil, the very first woman to be elected to the highest office of the country. For all those who don’t know, she is the newest President of India. That indeed is something. Wow I feel so proud to be a woman. I think there is nothing a woman can’t do if she puts her heart and soul into it. As a person I don’t know her but have read certain articles on her and ofcourse only time would tell how she fairs. But here is wishing her the very best and may she puts her best foot forward.

But point to note is that being a woman I do agree to one thing for sure. There is one industry where undoubtedly the men do extremely well and way far better from women. Though this is just my personal opinion but I think ‘men make better chefs than women’. I won’t deny the fact that there are surely some women who cook the most delicious food in the world and I can name a few without the blink of my eye but then as a whole the majority of chefs are men and let’s face it they do an amazing job and to prove I really don’t need to go too far to look for one. I think I could vouch for this any day that my husband makes better tasting dishes than I do. He does it from his heart while I do it to finish the work so that explains my prejudice.. :-)