Button Me Up

Hey did anyone of you ever wonder about the buttons in men's and women's shirt? Why is it on the opposite for men and women?

I was in front of my PC and working as usual... All of a sudden this question popped out of my head. I immediately started looking at my male and female colleagues' shirt :) And I noticed that the ladies shirt had buttons at left while men's shirt had it at right. Why is it so?

Well, i soon searched for an answer in Google.
The answer for the button conventions lies in the 19th century practice. It is because, way back in 19th century, well-off Victorian women did not dress themselves. They had maids and servants to deck them up. So their dress was designed to be handled by right-handed servants. Well, men on the other hand, dressed themselves though they had maids to assist in other stuffs. So having buttons on right hand side for men's shirts made more sense. This tradition continued and no one ever bothered to change the convention. Though, we do not have maids to assist us these days, we continue buttoning our shirts like a left-handed person :)
The next immediate question that burst out of my mind was - Are the buttons/zips of pants in men and women are also designed in a similar way? Now, don't you dare to peep in at you colleagues or neighbors. Haha. Find it out yourself :)

Stay Connected

Gone are those beautiful days,
Now we are all busy in our own ways.
May be we don't have time even to write a letter
bcos we are always working hard to make our life better.

But, in my mind, i had a wish always...
that we get a chance to share our stories in any possible ways.
Thanks to this wonderful technology...
We can now talk about philosophy, biology or even loveology!

Come, be a part of this network and help it grow,
and share your secret, joy, sorrow or your woe.
Lets make our life better...
Just by getting together!

STAY CONNECTED FRIENDS...
Click Here to join my LinkedIn group

Color Therapy

Color is an integral part of our life. We see color every moment. Have you ever wondered that colors do have an influence on our moods, body, mind and soul? Yes! Colors can have an impact on your life and can make one feel happy, calm, angry, excited and it even has the power to heal.

I guess many of you would have experienced a sense of happiness as you walk through the green lawn. Also, you would have heard that the bull gets wild on waving a red scarf close to its eyes. Have you not felt happier and healthier when the early morning-golden-sunrays falls on your skin? What is the reason for all this? The answer is COLOR!

Yes color has a big impact on your life. If it has the ability to change your moods so easily, it definitely has the power to heal certain problems too. It surely has the mightiness to help you lead a better life. Colors, when used in the right way can improve your lifestyle.

Infact, colors is being used in the world of medicine too. Way back in 1970s, a therapy called Photodynamic Therapy was introduced in the United States, which involved using red light to eliminate tumors and skin cancer.

Below is a list of various colors and its attributes listed in the book named Color Therapy written by Pauline Wills.

• Red - This color is very closely associated with the heart and blood and thus related to love and sexuality.
• Orange - This is a color of happiness and joy.
• Yellow - Yellow radiates warmth and joy. Yellow colors is good for skin and it improves the skin texture.
• Green - Lime Green is known to detoxify the liver. It cools the blood and animizes the nervous system. Light green symbolizes prosperity and success, while dark green is the color of deception.
• Turquoise - This is an immunity-boosting color. It can soote inflammatory conditions, particularly when used along with red or orange.
• Blue - Blue is the color of inspiration and peace.It is associated with sadness and depression. So do not dress in blue, if you are feeling depressed. But, blue can provide relief to people suffering from asthma, BP and stress.
• Indigo - Can you believe that this color has the capacity to induce anaesthesia in the physical body?! Yes, indigo is a painkiller. It helps purify blood stream. Also, it is known to relieve tension and muscular strains.
• Violet - This color can be used in various problems like schizophrenia and manic depression. It also helps to fight against bacteria and virus.
• Magenta - Magenta is a color of letting go - physically, emotionally and mentally.
• White - White contains all colors and is related to innocence, purity and spirituality.
• Black absorbs all colors and is generally associated with evil.

There are many more colors like rose pink, golden, silver, pearl which play significant role in healing or improving our lives. For further information you can refer to this wonderful book "Color Therapy" which is mentioned earlier. It introduces to various colors and its benifits and how color can improve ones life when used appropriately. Also it introduces to some wonderful techniques like Meditaion with Color, Color Breating, Color Massage and others.
So even you can imrpove your life by wearing the right colors, by choosing the right color schemes for you home, using the right colored furnitures and growing colorful plants and flowers in you garden.
Have a bright, colorful life!

Don't go bananas over your weight

"Don't go bananas over your weight. Start with two each morning!

Did you know that enjoying two DOLE Bananas with a glass of water each morning can speed up your slimming efforts?"

Yes! Its true. This is what I read in an ad pamphlet that I happened to get along with the local news paper this morning. They claim that DOLE Bananas aid weight loss in various ways.

Of course, various researches have proved that fruits and vegetables aid in better digestion, and can help in weight loss. The fibre content in them helps curb appetite and also takes away some of the fat content when travelling through your digestive system. I am a vegetarian and I love fruits. There are times when I consume only fruits and fruit juice for breakfast/lunch.

Now, from August 1st onwards, Dole bananas is available at various MRT stations across Singapore - For FREE. Here's what you got to do to lose weight:

1. Record your weight everyday in the morning and mark it on your calendar.

2. Pick your two FREE DOLE Bananas at any of the 8 MRT stations between 7am - 10am (Ang Mo Kio, Dhoby Ghaut, HarbourFront, Orchard, Outram, Raffles Place, Tanjong Pagar, Toa Payoh).

3. Enjoy two DOLE Bananas with a glass of room-temperature water.

4. Repeat it everyday to gain healthful benefits.

For more information about DOLE Bananas, you can visit http://dolebananadiet.com/

As Simple as that! I am going to start my weight-losing-program right from August 1st onwards. How about you?

Life in Singapore

Howz Singapore? What's it like in Singapore? How's life in Singapore? How's the weather? How are the people out there? How is the culture? What is it that you love the most out there? Do you love Singapore or Do you like Singapore?

Yes... these are few of the many questions that keeps shooting out of my friends and relatives.
I am basically from Karnataka, India. I spent my 23 years there, then moved to Singapore after my wedding - in November 2008. It was early morning that we - Adarsh and me - landed at Changi International Airport, Singapore. The weather was good, though not as good as that of Bangalore. :) We got a taxi and within an hour, we were at our new flat. It was from then on, I entered into a new world - altogether new!

To begin with, Singapore is a very lovely city - a very clean and well organised place to dwell in. I would say Singapore is a blend of western lifestyle and Asian culture. You find a wide range of diversity - be it in race, culture, lifestyle or food. Yet, there is harmony, there is discipline. Singaporeans are kind hearted. They are soft by nature.

I am a Software Engineer by profession. I wanted to take a break from my career after my marriage. So I did not look out for jobs immediately. However, after 2 months or so , I actively started seeking a job. Getting a job in Singapore was not so easy for a .NET Developer like me. Recession had made an impact on Singapore employers. There were people who lost jobs, there were others who kept trying to find a secure job, and amongst all these people, there I was - seeking for a decent job with no local experience, with no Microsoft Certifications, with no Work Permit Visa in hand! - It took me nearly 4 months to resume my career.

Work culture in Singapore is good. It is like any other IT Company that you find in India. You slog to meet the deadlines. Rest of the time, you simply chill out and enjoy the IT facilities of sitting in an air-conditioned room, and browse internet the whole day. Friday evening is the time for some refreshment. Weekends are meant to be spent with friends and family.

I am enjoying my work - yet, I can't compare the work environment to that of Mindtree Ltd, Bangalore. I had the best times of my career at Mindtree. Even now, I miss it.
Here, I have friends from various parts of Asia - from India, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Philippines and many more! Its fun with them... But, back in India, it was the local Kannada friends I had, chit-chatting the time away at the coffee bar, at the lawn, in our cubicle, in the cab, gossiping about others - all those were definitely much more fun. I miss you all out there in Bangalore!!!

Singapore is definitely a lovely place and it surely changes your lifestyle. There is so much to learn from people here. There is much more to do just than office and home work. You don't get stuck in traffic, and you hardly find a reason to blame the government. But, staying in a far off land, away from your parents, friends and close ones, it surely makes you miss them. It surely makes you nostalgic. But that's the way life is! Knowing that, I enjoy what comes my way. Make the best you can with what you have.

Zumba Fitness

Working out your body can be fun. But not as much fun as Zumba! Yes folks. Zumba is a fusion of hot Latino rhythms and easy-to-follow moves which is not just a dance but a energetic fitness program that will for sure change the way you look at body fitness and exercise. Its music and steps will surely blow you away.

Zumba is an aerobic fitness program created by Miami-based dancer and choreographer Beto Perez and two others, Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion. I can say that Zumba is a combination of rumba, cumbia, mambo, salsa, hip hop and many more with a mixture of fast and slow moves. It targets areas such as heart, arms, legs, abdomen and glutes. It is considered to be a very good aerobic exercise.

Recently, Jackie Chan's California fitness Club - Novena branch's 3rd anniversary celebration was held at Novena Square, Singapore. And of course, there was Jackie Chan inspiring the crowd with his Body Combat, Zumba Fitness and Boxing sessions.
Check out the below pictures - "Jackie Chan in Action". Its a snapshot of the Zumba Fitness that he is performing on the stage.


(Pictures above: Jackie Chan dancing at California Fitness - Novena Square, Singapore)

I never knew that working out at a gym or fitness club could be so much fun. Body Combat and Zumba are my all time favorites. I suggest each one of you who read this blog to try Zumba at least once. You wont stop once you start!

Lets Zumba!

Body Combat - California Fitness, Singapore:

Body Combat is a cardio work out and a very energetic program where you are totally unleashed. It is a combination of various martial arts like Karate, Boxing, Muay Thai and Thai Chi. It not only stimulates the body, but also the mind to function better. Overall, this cardio exercise with superb and vivid music will help you burn those unwanted carbs and help you reach your goal towards fitness.

It was somewhere the last week of December 2008 that I attended the first ever Body Combat Session at California Finess - Orchard, Singapore. It was Adarsh who dragged me into joining this fitness club. He felt it would be fun for both of us to workout together.

It was a one hour session which started off initially with a warm up, followed by various combat techniques and ended with a cool down exercise. The music was very energetic and the instructor's spirit made the atmosphere more vital.

(Check out the below snap with our instructors on stage.)



Initially I took it easy, and my moves were easy going and less powerful. I could see people beside me sweating out all their carbs while I stood there at ease :)

Within three-five such sessions, I began to love Body Combat. I picked up strength, power and force. My movements improved gradually. Now, its been around six months of Body Combat and all that I can say is: Its simply the best. All you fitness freaks need to explore the magic of BC and its tracks. I am sure you can't escape without being addicted to it.

Body Combat is for anyone and everyone. You need not have to know martial arts techniques to kick start it. Anyone with average fitness level can start Body Combat. One advice I would like to give to you before you set out: You are surely going to get hooked to Body Combat once you start. So watch out! Do not over-do. We - both me and Adarsh, practice it twice or thrice a week and that is sufficient.

Be active! The safest and most effective way to lose weight is to reduce calories and increase physical activities.

Bottom line is: Body Combat Rocks!!!