A mental hospital
After hearing that one of the patients in a mental hospital had saved another from a suicide attempt by pulling him out of a bathtub, the hospital director reviewed the rescuer's file and called him into his office."Mr. Haroldson, your records and your heroic behavior indicate that you're ready to go home. I'm only sorry that the man you saved later killed himself with a rope around the neck.""Oh, he didn't kill himself," Mr. Haroldson replied. "I hung him up to dry."
We have new babies
For weeks a six-year old lad kept telling his first-grade teacher about the baby brother or sister that was expected at his house.One day the mother allowed the boy to feel the movements of the unborn child. The six-year old was obviously impressed, but made no comment. Furthermore, he stopped telling his teacher about the impending event.The teacher finally sat the boy on her lap and said, "Tommy, whatever has become of that baby brother or sister you were expecting at home?"Tommy burst into tears and confessed, "I think Mommy ate it!"
Delivering a baby
A country doctor went way out to the boondocks to deliver a baby.It was so far out, there was no electricity. When the doctor arrived, no one was home except for the laboring mother and her 5-year-old child. The doctor instructed the child to hold a lantern high so he could see, while he helped the woman deliver the baby.The child did so, the mother pushed and after a little while, the doctor lifted the newborn baby by the feet and spanked him on the bottom to get him to take his first breath.The doctor then asked the 5-year-old what he thought of the baby."Hit him again," the 5-year-old said. "He shouldn't have crawled up there in the first place!"
Entering into Heaven
A man arrives at the gates of heaven. St. Peter asks, "Religion?"The man says, "Methodist."St. Peter looks down his list, and says, "Go to room 24, but be very quiet as you pass room 8."Another man arrives at the gates of heaven. "Religion?""Baptist.""Go to room 18, but be very quiet as you pass room 8."A third man arrives at the gates. "Religion?""Jewish.""Go to room 11, but be very quiet as you pass room 8."The man says, "I can understand there being different rooms for different religions, but why must I be quiet when I pass room 8?"St. Peter tells him, "Well the Jehovah's Witnesses are in room 8, and they think they're the only ones here.
Sue over the property
Did you know that heaven and hell are actually right next to each other? They are separated by a big chain-link fence. Well, one day hell was having a big party and it got a little out of hand. God heard the ruckus and arrived to find his fence completely smashed by the wild partiers. He called the devil over and said "Look, Satan, you have to rebuild this fence." Satan agreed. The next day God noticed that the devil had completely rebuilt the fence...but it was 2 feet further into heaven than before."Satan!" beckoned God. "You have to take that fence down and put it back where it belongs!""Yeah? What if I don't?" replied the devil."I'll sue you if I have to," answered God."Sure," laughed Satan. "Where are you going to find a lawyer?"
Computers are female
The top six reasons computers must be female:6. As soon as you have one, a better one is just around the corner.5. No one but the creator understands the internal logic.4. Even your smallest mistakes are immediately committed to memory for future reference.3. The native language used to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else.2. The message "Bad Command or File Name" is about as informative as"If you don't know why I'm mad at you, then I'm certainly not going to tell you".AND THE NUMBER ONE REASON COMPUTERS ARE FEMALE:As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half of your paycheck on accessories for it.
Photos
Me and Myself
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Miracle that Cost One Dollar and Eleven Cents
A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door. She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing.. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!'And what do you want?' the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice.. I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages,' he said without waiting for a reply to his question. 'Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,' Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. 'He's really, really sick...and I want to buy a miracle.' 'I beg your pardon?' said the pharmacist. 'His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now So how much does a miracle cost?' 'We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you,' the pharmacist said, softening a little. 'Listen , I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me ho w much it costs..' Thepharmacist's brother wasa well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, 'What kind of a miracle does your brother need?' ' I don't know,' Tess replied with her eyes welling up. I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs anoperation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money.' 'How much do you have?' asked the man from Chicago 'One dollar and eleven cents,' Tess answered barely audibly.'And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.' 'Well, what a coincidence,' smiled the man. 'A dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a miracle for little brothers. ' He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said 'Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need.' That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery.. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well. Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place. 'That surgery,' her Mom whispered. 'was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?' Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost..one dollar and eleven cents....plus the faith of a little child. In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need.. A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Friendship Forever
Two inseparable friends, Sam and Jason, met with an accident on their way to Boston City. The following morning, Jason woke up blind and Sam was still unconscious. Dr. Berkeley was standing at his bedside looking at his health chart and medications with a thoughtful expression on his face. When he saw Sam awake, he beamed at him and asked." How are you feeling today Sam?" Sam tried to put up a brave face and smiled back saying, "absolutely wonderful Doctor. I am very grateful for all that you have done for me. "Dr Berkeley was moved at Sam's deed. All that he could say was, "You are a very brave man Sam and God will make it up to you in one way or another". While he was moving on to the next patient, Sam called back at him almost pleading, "promise me you won't tell Jason anything"."You know I won't do that. Trust me." and walked away."Thank you " whispered Sam. He smiled and looked up in prayer " I hope I live up to your ideas...please give me the strength to be able to go through this..Amen"Months later when Jason had recuperated considerably, he stopped hanging around with Sam. He felt discouraged and embarrassed to spend time with a disabled person like Sam.Sam was lonely and disheartened ,since he didn't have any body else other than Jason to count on. Things went from bad to worse. And one day Sam died in despair. When Jason was called on his burial, he found a letter waiting for him. Dr Berkeley gave it to him with an expressionless face and said" This is for you Jason. Sam had asked me to give it to you when he was gone". In the letter he had said: " Dear Jason, I have kept my promise in the end to lend you my eyes if anything had happened to them. Now there is nothing more that I can ask from God, than the fact ,that will see the world through my eyes. You will always be my best friend........Sam".When he had finished reading Dr. Berkeley said " I had promised Sam to keep his sacrifice he made a secret from you. But now I wish I didn't stick it Because I don't think It was worthy it" . All that was left for Jason while he stood there was tears of regret and memories of Sam for the rest of his life .
Lesson of the story: No matter what If we make a friend, we should stick by him till the end. Life is meaningless without a friend.
Lesson of the story: No matter what If we make a friend, we should stick by him till the end. Life is meaningless without a friend.
Youth and Age
Youth and Age
by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Verse, a breeze mid blossoms straying,
Where Hope clung feeding, like a bee—
Both were mine! Life went a-maying
With Nature, Hope, and Poesy,
When I was young!
When I was young?—Ah, woful When!
Ah! for the change 'twixt Now and Then!
This breathing house not built with hands,
This body that does me grievous wrong,
O'er aery cliffs and glittering sands,
How lightly then it flashed along:—
Like those trim skiffs, unknown of yore,
On winding lakes and rivers wide,
That ask no aid of sail or oar,
That fear no spite of wind or tide!
Nought cared this body for wind or weather
When Youth and I lived in't together.
Flowers are lovely; Love is flower-like;
Friendship is a sheltering tree;
O! the joys, that came down shower-like,
Of Friendship, Love, and Liberty,
Ere I was old!
Ere I was old? Ah woful Ere,
Which tells me, Youth's no longer here!
O Youth! for years so many and sweet,
'Tis known, that Thou and I were one,
I'll think it but a fond conceit—
It cannot be that Thou art gone!
Thy vesper-bell hath not yet toll'd:—
And thou wert aye a masker bold!
What strange disguise hast now put on,
To make believe, that thou are gone?
I see these locks in silvery slips,
This drooping gait, this altered size:
But Spring-tide blossoms on thy lips,
And tears take sunshine from thine eyes!
Life is but thought: so think I will
That Youth and I are house-mates still.
Dew-drops are the gems of morning,
But the tears of mournful eve!
Where no hope is, life's a warning
That only serves to make us grieve,
When we are old:
That only serves to make us grieve
With oft and tedious taking-leave,
Like some poor nigh-related guest,
That may not rudely be dismist;
Yet hath outstay'd his welcome while,
And tells the jest without the smile
by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Verse, a breeze mid blossoms straying,
Where Hope clung feeding, like a bee—
Both were mine! Life went a-maying
With Nature, Hope, and Poesy,
When I was young!
When I was young?—Ah, woful When!
Ah! for the change 'twixt Now and Then!
This breathing house not built with hands,
This body that does me grievous wrong,
O'er aery cliffs and glittering sands,
How lightly then it flashed along:—
Like those trim skiffs, unknown of yore,
On winding lakes and rivers wide,
That ask no aid of sail or oar,
That fear no spite of wind or tide!
Nought cared this body for wind or weather
When Youth and I lived in't together.
Flowers are lovely; Love is flower-like;
Friendship is a sheltering tree;
O! the joys, that came down shower-like,
Of Friendship, Love, and Liberty,
Ere I was old!
Ere I was old? Ah woful Ere,
Which tells me, Youth's no longer here!
O Youth! for years so many and sweet,
'Tis known, that Thou and I were one,
I'll think it but a fond conceit—
It cannot be that Thou art gone!
Thy vesper-bell hath not yet toll'd:—
And thou wert aye a masker bold!
What strange disguise hast now put on,
To make believe, that thou are gone?
I see these locks in silvery slips,
This drooping gait, this altered size:
But Spring-tide blossoms on thy lips,
And tears take sunshine from thine eyes!
Life is but thought: so think I will
That Youth and I are house-mates still.
Dew-drops are the gems of morning,
But the tears of mournful eve!
Where no hope is, life's a warning
That only serves to make us grieve,
When we are old:
That only serves to make us grieve
With oft and tedious taking-leave,
Like some poor nigh-related guest,
That may not rudely be dismist;
Yet hath outstay'd his welcome while,
And tells the jest without the smile
"Who is Silvia?
"Who is Silvia?"
by William Shakespeare
Who is Silvia? what is she,
That all our swains commend her?
Holy, fair, and wise is she;
The heaven such grace did lend her,
That she might admirèd be.
Is she kind as she is fair?
For beauty lives with kindness.
Love doth to her eyes repair,
To help him of his blindness;
And, being helped, inhabits there.
Then to Silvia let us sing,
That Silvia is excelling;
She excels each mortal thing
Upon the dull earth dwelling;
To her let us garlands bring
by William Shakespeare
Who is Silvia? what is she,
That all our swains commend her?
Holy, fair, and wise is she;
The heaven such grace did lend her,
That she might admirèd be.
Is she kind as she is fair?
For beauty lives with kindness.
Love doth to her eyes repair,
To help him of his blindness;
And, being helped, inhabits there.
Then to Silvia let us sing,
That Silvia is excelling;
She excels each mortal thing
Upon the dull earth dwelling;
To her let us garlands bring
Sunday, October 19, 2008
My Mother
My mom!!! No words to describe her. She is a loving, caring and protective mother.
My mom was born in !8th July 1955 in Boh Estate, Cameron Highlands. She completed her primary school studies there before her family moved to Tapah. My mom continued her studies in Government English School and currently known as SMK Buyong Adil and also was my ex-school.
My mom started her carrier as a temporary teacher in 1976 in Blue Valley Tamil School, Cameron Highlands then she went to further her studies in a teaching college in Kuala Lumpur. She continued her teaching proffession again in cameron Highland.
My mom married my father when she was 26 years old and she gave birth to three beautiful girls. Her tragedy hit her on 18th September 1987 and she lost her husband on that day in a road crash. That time she was working in Bagan Serai.
After a year she moved to Tapah where her parents lived and started a new life with her children. Now for almost 21 years she is still in Tapah and she is working as a Headmistress now.
My mom is a single parent.
I'm so proud of my mom because she brought up all of us very well and till now she is still single and she never complained about it even once. My mom is a gem because for me she is an angel who sent by god to take care the three of us.
My mom was born in !8th July 1955 in Boh Estate, Cameron Highlands. She completed her primary school studies there before her family moved to Tapah. My mom continued her studies in Government English School and currently known as SMK Buyong Adil and also was my ex-school.
My mom started her carrier as a temporary teacher in 1976 in Blue Valley Tamil School, Cameron Highlands then she went to further her studies in a teaching college in Kuala Lumpur. She continued her teaching proffession again in cameron Highland.
My mom married my father when she was 26 years old and she gave birth to three beautiful girls. Her tragedy hit her on 18th September 1987 and she lost her husband on that day in a road crash. That time she was working in Bagan Serai.
After a year she moved to Tapah where her parents lived and started a new life with her children. Now for almost 21 years she is still in Tapah and she is working as a Headmistress now.
My mom is a single parent.
I'm so proud of my mom because she brought up all of us very well and till now she is still single and she never complained about it even once. My mom is a gem because for me she is an angel who sent by god to take care the three of us.
Rain My Friend
Rain is my classmate come my groupmate. In first semester I'm not very close with her but as I started to talk to her alot we became very close. even when we were from different ethnics and different culture we both love each other very much.
Rain is a very pretty girl and there is a smile always in her face and eyes. She can know if I have any problem just by looking at my face. After I started to mingle with her alot I started to mingle with other malay girls also.
Rain always helps me in my studies and I also do the same for her. She is a very hardworking girl and she is active in sports. She is also always listens to my prblem and give advice a lot. I love her so much and I hope she'll be my best friend forever.
Rain is a very pretty girl and there is a smile always in her face and eyes. She can know if I have any problem just by looking at my face. After I started to mingle with her alot I started to mingle with other malay girls also.
Rain always helps me in my studies and I also do the same for her. She is a very hardworking girl and she is active in sports. She is also always listens to my prblem and give advice a lot. I love her so much and I hope she'll be my best friend forever.
Autism
Once i watched a Oprah Winfrey show that showed about Autism. Here i would like to share about it with the other readers.
Autism is a brain development disorder that is characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and restricted and repetitive behavior, all starting before a child is three years old. This set of signs distinguishes autism from milder autism spectrum disorders (ASD) such as pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS).
Autism has a strong genetic basis, although the genetics of autism are complex and it is unclear whether ASD is explained more by multigene interactions or by rare mutations. In rare cases, autism is strongly associated with agents that cause birth defects. Other proposed causes, such as childhood vaccines, are controversial; the vaccine hypotheses lack convincing scientific evidence. Most recent reviews estimate a prevalence of one to two cases per 1,000 people for autism, and about six per 1,000 for ASD, with ASD averaging a 4.3:1 male-to-female ratio. The number of people known to have autism has increased dramatically since the 1980s, at least partly as a result of changes in diagnostic practice; the question of whether actual prevalence has increased is unresolved.
Autism affects many parts of the brain; how this occurs is not understood. Parents usually notice signs in the first two years of their child's life. Early behavioral or cognitive intervention can help children gain self-care, social, and communication skills. There is no known cure. Few children with autism live independently after reaching adulthood, but some become successful, and an autistic culture has developed, with some seeking a cure and others believing that autism is a condition rather than a disorder.
Social development
People with autism have social impairments and often lack the intuition about others that many people take for granted. Noted autistic Temple Grandin described her inability to understand the social communication of neurotypical, or people with normal neural development, as leaving her feeling "like an anthropologist on Mars".
Social impairments become apparent early in childhood and continue through adulthood. Autistic infants show less attention to social stimuli, smile and look at others less often, and respond less to their own name. Autistic toddlers have more striking social deviance; for example, they have less eye contact and anticipatory postures and are more likely to communicate by manipulating another person's hand. Three- to five-year-old autistic children are less likely to exhibit social understanding, approach others spontaneously, imitate and respond to emotions, communicate nonverbally, and take turns with others. However, they do form attachments to their primary caregivers. They display moderately less attachment security than usual, although this feature disappears in children with higher mental development or less severe ASD. Older children and adults with ASD perform worse on tests of face and emotion recognition.
Contrary to common belief, autistic children do not prefer to be alone. Making and maintaining friendships often proves to be difficult for those with autism. For them, the quality of friendships, not the number of friends, predicts how lonely they are.
There are many anecdotal reports, but few systematic studies, of aggression and violence in individuals with ASD. The limited data suggest that in children with mental retardation, autism is associated with aggression, destruction of property, and tantrums. Dominick et al. interviewed the parents of 67 children with ASD and reported that about two-thirds of the children had periods of severe tantrums and about one-third had a history of aggression, with tantrums significantly more common than in children with a history of language impairment. A 2008 Swedish study found that, of individuals aged 15 or older discharged from hospital with a diagnosis of ASD, those who committed violent crimes were significantly more likely to have other psychopathological conditions such as psychosis.
Communication
About a third to a half of individuals with autism do not develop enough natural speech to meet their daily communication needs.Differences in communication may be present from the first year of life, and may include delayed onset of babbling, unusual gestures, diminished responsiveness, and the desynchronization of vocal patterns with the caregiver. In the second and third years, autistic children have less frequent and less diverse babbling, consonants, words, and word combinations; their gestures are less often integrated with words. Autistic children are less likely to make requests or share experiences, and are more likely to simply repeat others' words (echolalia)or reverse pronouns. Joint attention seems to be necessary for functional speech, and deficits in joint attention seem to distinguish infants with ASD: for example, they may look at a pointing hand instead of the pointed-at object, and they consistently fail to point at objects in order to comment on or share an experience. Autistic children may have difficulty with imaginative play and with developing symbols into language.
In a pair of studies, high-functioning autistic children aged 8–15 performed equally well, and adults better than individually matched controls at basic language tasks involving vocabulary and spelling. Both autistic groups performed worse than controls at complex language tasks such as figurative language, comprehension and inference. As people are often sized up initially from their basic language skills, these studies suggest that people speaking to autistic individuals are more likely to overestimate what their audience comprehends.
Autistic individuals display many forms of repetitive or restricted behavior, which the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R) categorizes as follows.
Stereotypy is apparently purposeless movement, such as hand flapping, head rolling, or body rocking.
Compulsive behavior is intended and appears to follow rules, such as arranging objects in a certain way.
Sameness is resistance to change; for example, insisting that the furniture not be moved or refusing to be interrupted.
Ritualistic behavior involves the performance of daily activities the same way each time, such as an unvarying menu or dressing ritual. This is closely associated with sameness and an independent validation has suggested combining the two factors.]
Restricted behavior is limited in focus, interest, or activity, such as preoccupation with a single television program.
Self-injury includes movements that injure or can injure the person, such as biting oneself. Dominick et al. reported that self-injury at some point affected about 30% of children with ASD.
No single repetitive behavior seems to be specific to autism, but only autism appears to have an elevated pattern of occurrence and severity of these behaviors.
Other symptoms
Autistic individuals may have symptoms that are independent of the diagnosis, but that can affect the individual or the family. An estimated 0.5% to 10% of individuals with ASD show unusual abilities, ranging from splinter skills such as the memorization of trivia to the extraordinarily rare talents of prodigious autistic savants.
Unusual responses to sensory stimuli are more common and prominent in autistic children, although there is no good evidence that sensory symptoms differentiate autism from other developmental disorders. Differences are greater for under-responsivity (for example, walking into things) than for over-responsivity (for example, distress from loud noises) or for seeking (for example, rhythmic movements). Several studies have reported associated motor problems that include poor muscle tone, poor motor planning, and toe walking; ASD is not associated with severe motor disturbances.
Atypical eating behavior occurs in about three-quarters of children with ASD, to the extent that it was formerly a diagnostic indicator. Selectivity is the most common problem, although eating rituals and food refusal also occur; this does not appear to result in malnutrition. Although some children with autism also have gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, there is a lack of published rigorous data to support the theory that autistic children have more or different GI symptoms than usual; studies report conflicting results, and the relationship between GI problems and ASD is unclear.
Sleep problems are known to be more common in children with developmental disabilities, and there is some evidence that children with ASD are more likely to have even more sleep problems than those with other developmental disabilities; autistic children may experience problems including difficulty in falling asleep, frequent nocturnal awakenings, and early morning awakenings. Dominick et al. found that about two-thirds of children with ASD had a history of sleep problems.
Parents of children with ASD have higher levels of stress. Siblings of children with ASD report greater admiration of and less conflict with the affected sibling; siblings of individuals with ASD have greater risk of negative well-being and poorer sibling relationships as adults.
Autism is a brain development disorder that is characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and restricted and repetitive behavior, all starting before a child is three years old. This set of signs distinguishes autism from milder autism spectrum disorders (ASD) such as pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS).
Autism has a strong genetic basis, although the genetics of autism are complex and it is unclear whether ASD is explained more by multigene interactions or by rare mutations. In rare cases, autism is strongly associated with agents that cause birth defects. Other proposed causes, such as childhood vaccines, are controversial; the vaccine hypotheses lack convincing scientific evidence. Most recent reviews estimate a prevalence of one to two cases per 1,000 people for autism, and about six per 1,000 for ASD, with ASD averaging a 4.3:1 male-to-female ratio. The number of people known to have autism has increased dramatically since the 1980s, at least partly as a result of changes in diagnostic practice; the question of whether actual prevalence has increased is unresolved.
Autism affects many parts of the brain; how this occurs is not understood. Parents usually notice signs in the first two years of their child's life. Early behavioral or cognitive intervention can help children gain self-care, social, and communication skills. There is no known cure. Few children with autism live independently after reaching adulthood, but some become successful, and an autistic culture has developed, with some seeking a cure and others believing that autism is a condition rather than a disorder.
Social development
People with autism have social impairments and often lack the intuition about others that many people take for granted. Noted autistic Temple Grandin described her inability to understand the social communication of neurotypical, or people with normal neural development, as leaving her feeling "like an anthropologist on Mars".
Social impairments become apparent early in childhood and continue through adulthood. Autistic infants show less attention to social stimuli, smile and look at others less often, and respond less to their own name. Autistic toddlers have more striking social deviance; for example, they have less eye contact and anticipatory postures and are more likely to communicate by manipulating another person's hand. Three- to five-year-old autistic children are less likely to exhibit social understanding, approach others spontaneously, imitate and respond to emotions, communicate nonverbally, and take turns with others. However, they do form attachments to their primary caregivers. They display moderately less attachment security than usual, although this feature disappears in children with higher mental development or less severe ASD. Older children and adults with ASD perform worse on tests of face and emotion recognition.
Contrary to common belief, autistic children do not prefer to be alone. Making and maintaining friendships often proves to be difficult for those with autism. For them, the quality of friendships, not the number of friends, predicts how lonely they are.
There are many anecdotal reports, but few systematic studies, of aggression and violence in individuals with ASD. The limited data suggest that in children with mental retardation, autism is associated with aggression, destruction of property, and tantrums. Dominick et al. interviewed the parents of 67 children with ASD and reported that about two-thirds of the children had periods of severe tantrums and about one-third had a history of aggression, with tantrums significantly more common than in children with a history of language impairment. A 2008 Swedish study found that, of individuals aged 15 or older discharged from hospital with a diagnosis of ASD, those who committed violent crimes were significantly more likely to have other psychopathological conditions such as psychosis.
Communication
About a third to a half of individuals with autism do not develop enough natural speech to meet their daily communication needs.Differences in communication may be present from the first year of life, and may include delayed onset of babbling, unusual gestures, diminished responsiveness, and the desynchronization of vocal patterns with the caregiver. In the second and third years, autistic children have less frequent and less diverse babbling, consonants, words, and word combinations; their gestures are less often integrated with words. Autistic children are less likely to make requests or share experiences, and are more likely to simply repeat others' words (echolalia)or reverse pronouns. Joint attention seems to be necessary for functional speech, and deficits in joint attention seem to distinguish infants with ASD: for example, they may look at a pointing hand instead of the pointed-at object, and they consistently fail to point at objects in order to comment on or share an experience. Autistic children may have difficulty with imaginative play and with developing symbols into language.
In a pair of studies, high-functioning autistic children aged 8–15 performed equally well, and adults better than individually matched controls at basic language tasks involving vocabulary and spelling. Both autistic groups performed worse than controls at complex language tasks such as figurative language, comprehension and inference. As people are often sized up initially from their basic language skills, these studies suggest that people speaking to autistic individuals are more likely to overestimate what their audience comprehends.
Autistic individuals display many forms of repetitive or restricted behavior, which the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R) categorizes as follows.
Stereotypy is apparently purposeless movement, such as hand flapping, head rolling, or body rocking.
Compulsive behavior is intended and appears to follow rules, such as arranging objects in a certain way.
Sameness is resistance to change; for example, insisting that the furniture not be moved or refusing to be interrupted.
Ritualistic behavior involves the performance of daily activities the same way each time, such as an unvarying menu or dressing ritual. This is closely associated with sameness and an independent validation has suggested combining the two factors.]
Restricted behavior is limited in focus, interest, or activity, such as preoccupation with a single television program.
Self-injury includes movements that injure or can injure the person, such as biting oneself. Dominick et al. reported that self-injury at some point affected about 30% of children with ASD.
No single repetitive behavior seems to be specific to autism, but only autism appears to have an elevated pattern of occurrence and severity of these behaviors.
Other symptoms
Autistic individuals may have symptoms that are independent of the diagnosis, but that can affect the individual or the family. An estimated 0.5% to 10% of individuals with ASD show unusual abilities, ranging from splinter skills such as the memorization of trivia to the extraordinarily rare talents of prodigious autistic savants.
Unusual responses to sensory stimuli are more common and prominent in autistic children, although there is no good evidence that sensory symptoms differentiate autism from other developmental disorders. Differences are greater for under-responsivity (for example, walking into things) than for over-responsivity (for example, distress from loud noises) or for seeking (for example, rhythmic movements). Several studies have reported associated motor problems that include poor muscle tone, poor motor planning, and toe walking; ASD is not associated with severe motor disturbances.
Atypical eating behavior occurs in about three-quarters of children with ASD, to the extent that it was formerly a diagnostic indicator. Selectivity is the most common problem, although eating rituals and food refusal also occur; this does not appear to result in malnutrition. Although some children with autism also have gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, there is a lack of published rigorous data to support the theory that autistic children have more or different GI symptoms than usual; studies report conflicting results, and the relationship between GI problems and ASD is unclear.
Sleep problems are known to be more common in children with developmental disabilities, and there is some evidence that children with ASD are more likely to have even more sleep problems than those with other developmental disabilities; autistic children may experience problems including difficulty in falling asleep, frequent nocturnal awakenings, and early morning awakenings. Dominick et al. found that about two-thirds of children with ASD had a history of sleep problems.
Parents of children with ASD have higher levels of stress. Siblings of children with ASD report greater admiration of and less conflict with the affected sibling; siblings of individuals with ASD have greater risk of negative well-being and poorer sibling relationships as adults.
My Sisters Are My best Friends
I have two sisters and both are elder than me. Okay let's call them Maroon Orchid and Tigeress.
Maroon Orchid is my elder sister and she is a journalist. She is a very lovely and friendly girl. She talks a lot but no one can beat me. Maroon Orchid calls me "the baby of the family" and the "troublemaker" because i'm the youngest and I'm the blacksheep of the family who always makes trouble. She loves our family very much especially my mom and she is the education minister of our family because she always helps in our studies. Maroon Orchid is quite open minded and i can share everything with her and she can keep it as secret. She is going to marry handsome engineer coming december.
Tigeress is my second eldest sister. i call her like that because she is the most bravest among us and she is just like a guy. She is still studying. She is my protector. Whenever i'm in trouble she'll be there to protect me and she'll even attack the person who makes trouble with me if she need to. She is quite reserved type to outsiders but a very good humor to family members. She can tell jokes for 24 hours a day and she can live without sleeping for even one week. She is such a strong and iron lady of our family. She is the finance minister of our family because she is very good in budgetting.
Both my sisters are different by their characteristics but their love me on me are the same from those days till these days. They both are loving and protective to me. Whenever I'm in trouble they'll come to safe me and always giving me advices. my both sisters are bnot only sisters for me but they both are best friends.
Birth made us sisters but destiny made us best friends.
Maroon Orchid is my elder sister and she is a journalist. She is a very lovely and friendly girl. She talks a lot but no one can beat me. Maroon Orchid calls me "the baby of the family" and the "troublemaker" because i'm the youngest and I'm the blacksheep of the family who always makes trouble. She loves our family very much especially my mom and she is the education minister of our family because she always helps in our studies. Maroon Orchid is quite open minded and i can share everything with her and she can keep it as secret. She is going to marry handsome engineer coming december.
Tigeress is my second eldest sister. i call her like that because she is the most bravest among us and she is just like a guy. She is still studying. She is my protector. Whenever i'm in trouble she'll be there to protect me and she'll even attack the person who makes trouble with me if she need to. She is quite reserved type to outsiders but a very good humor to family members. She can tell jokes for 24 hours a day and she can live without sleeping for even one week. She is such a strong and iron lady of our family. She is the finance minister of our family because she is very good in budgetting.
Both my sisters are different by their characteristics but their love me on me are the same from those days till these days. They both are loving and protective to me. Whenever I'm in trouble they'll come to safe me and always giving me advices. my both sisters are bnot only sisters for me but they both are best friends.
Birth made us sisters but destiny made us best friends.
Trouble
My sisters always tell me I'm buying trouble when i gon online. Yeah their word came true when i met a guy. I won't say i loved him but I liked the way he pampered me. He used to call me always and tells me that he loves him. I stil don't know how i can trust him but I trusted him more than I trust any others.
We met in his hometown and I even given my laptop to him. I was blurr that time because i trusted him so much and I'd never thought he could be a cheat. But he was a cheat. He is already married and he had relationship with so many girls. He just wanted me because of money.
I caught in a big problem because of him there is no one who could help me except for my family members. I told the truth to my sisters and they both supported me and even supporting me till now. I promised to them I won't go and buy trouble after this and I swear i won't trust a guy because most of them are cheats.
We met in his hometown and I even given my laptop to him. I was blurr that time because i trusted him so much and I'd never thought he could be a cheat. But he was a cheat. He is already married and he had relationship with so many girls. He just wanted me because of money.
I caught in a big problem because of him there is no one who could help me except for my family members. I told the truth to my sisters and they both supported me and even supporting me till now. I promised to them I won't go and buy trouble after this and I swear i won't trust a guy because most of them are cheats.
Rose
A rose is a perennial flowering shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species. The species form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp thorns. Most are native to Asia, with smaller numbers of species native to Europe, North America, and northwest Africa. Natives, cultivars and hybrids are all widely grown for their beauty and fragrance.
The leaves are alternate and pinnately compound, with sharply toothed oval-shaped leaflets. The plants fleshy edible fruit is called a rose hip. Rose plants range in size from tiny, miniature roses, to climbers that can reach 20 metres in height. Species from different parts of the world easily hybridize, which has given rise to the many types of garden roses.
The name originates from Latin rosa, borrowed through Oscan from colonial Greek in southern Italy: rhodon (Aeolic form: wrodon), from Aramaic wurrdā, from Assyrian wurtinnu, from Old Iranian *warda (cf. Armenian vard, Avestan warda, Sogdian ward, Parthian wâr).
Attar of rose is the steam-extracted essential oil from rose flowers that has been used in perfumes for centuries. Rose water, made from the rose oil, is widely used in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. Rose hips are occasionally made into jam, jelly, and marmalade, or are brewed for tea, primarily for their high Vitamin C content. They are also pressed and filtered to make rose hip syrup. Rose hips are also used to produce Rose hip seed oil, which is used in skin products and some makeup products.
History
The rose has always been valued for its beauty and has a long history of symbolism. The ancient Greeks and Romans identified the rose with their goddesses of love referred to as Aphrodite and Venus. In Rome a wild rose would be placed on the door of a room where secret or confidential matters were discussed. The phrase sub rosa, or "under the rose", means to keep a secret — derived from this ancient Roman practice.
Early Christians identified the five petals of the rose with the five wounds of Christ. Despite this interpretation, their leaders were hesitant to adopt it because of its association with Roman excesses and pagan ritual. The red rose was eventually adopted as a symbol of the blood of the Christian martyrs. Roses also later came to be associated with the Virgin Mary.
Rose culture came into its own in Europe in the 1800s with the introduction of perpetual blooming roses from China. There are currently thousands of varieties of roses developed for bloom shape, size, fragrance and even for lack of prickles
Popular culture
Roses are ancient symbols of love and beauty. The rose was sacred to a number of goddesses (including Isis and Aphrodite), and is often used as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. 'Rose' means pink or red in a variety of languages (such as Romance languages, Greek, and Polish).
The rose is the national flower of England and the United States, as well as being the symbol of England Rugby, and of the Rugby Football Union. It is also the provincial flower of Yorkshire and Lancashire in England (the white rose and red rose respectively) and of Alberta (the wild rose) in Canada, and the state flower of four US states: Iowa and North Dakota (R. arkansana), Georgia (R. laevigata), and New York (Rosa generally). Portland, Oregon counts "City of
Roses" among its nicknames, and holds an annual Rose Festival.
Roses are occasionally the basis of design for rose windows, such windows comprising five or ten segments (the five petals and five sepals of a rose) or multiples thereof; however most Gothic rose windows are much more elaborate and were probably based originally on the wheel and other symbolism.
A red rose (often held in a hand) is a symbol of socialism or social democracy; it is also used as a symbol by the British and Irish Labour Parties, as well as by the French, Spanish (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), Portuguese, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Brazilian, Dutch (Partij van de Arbeid) and European socialist or social democratic parties. This originated when the red rose was used as a badge by the marchers in the May 1968 street protests in Paris. White Rose was a World War II non violent resistance group in Germany.
The leaves are alternate and pinnately compound, with sharply toothed oval-shaped leaflets. The plants fleshy edible fruit is called a rose hip. Rose plants range in size from tiny, miniature roses, to climbers that can reach 20 metres in height. Species from different parts of the world easily hybridize, which has given rise to the many types of garden roses.
The name originates from Latin rosa, borrowed through Oscan from colonial Greek in southern Italy: rhodon (Aeolic form: wrodon), from Aramaic wurrdā, from Assyrian wurtinnu, from Old Iranian *warda (cf. Armenian vard, Avestan warda, Sogdian ward, Parthian wâr).
Attar of rose is the steam-extracted essential oil from rose flowers that has been used in perfumes for centuries. Rose water, made from the rose oil, is widely used in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. Rose hips are occasionally made into jam, jelly, and marmalade, or are brewed for tea, primarily for their high Vitamin C content. They are also pressed and filtered to make rose hip syrup. Rose hips are also used to produce Rose hip seed oil, which is used in skin products and some makeup products.
History
The rose has always been valued for its beauty and has a long history of symbolism. The ancient Greeks and Romans identified the rose with their goddesses of love referred to as Aphrodite and Venus. In Rome a wild rose would be placed on the door of a room where secret or confidential matters were discussed. The phrase sub rosa, or "under the rose", means to keep a secret — derived from this ancient Roman practice.
Early Christians identified the five petals of the rose with the five wounds of Christ. Despite this interpretation, their leaders were hesitant to adopt it because of its association with Roman excesses and pagan ritual. The red rose was eventually adopted as a symbol of the blood of the Christian martyrs. Roses also later came to be associated with the Virgin Mary.
Rose culture came into its own in Europe in the 1800s with the introduction of perpetual blooming roses from China. There are currently thousands of varieties of roses developed for bloom shape, size, fragrance and even for lack of prickles
Popular culture
Roses are ancient symbols of love and beauty. The rose was sacred to a number of goddesses (including Isis and Aphrodite), and is often used as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. 'Rose' means pink or red in a variety of languages (such as Romance languages, Greek, and Polish).
The rose is the national flower of England and the United States, as well as being the symbol of England Rugby, and of the Rugby Football Union. It is also the provincial flower of Yorkshire and Lancashire in England (the white rose and red rose respectively) and of Alberta (the wild rose) in Canada, and the state flower of four US states: Iowa and North Dakota (R. arkansana), Georgia (R. laevigata), and New York (Rosa generally). Portland, Oregon counts "City of
Roses" among its nicknames, and holds an annual Rose Festival.
Roses are occasionally the basis of design for rose windows, such windows comprising five or ten segments (the five petals and five sepals of a rose) or multiples thereof; however most Gothic rose windows are much more elaborate and were probably based originally on the wheel and other symbolism.
A red rose (often held in a hand) is a symbol of socialism or social democracy; it is also used as a symbol by the British and Irish Labour Parties, as well as by the French, Spanish (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), Portuguese, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Brazilian, Dutch (Partij van de Arbeid) and European socialist or social democratic parties. This originated when the red rose was used as a badge by the marchers in the May 1968 street protests in Paris. White Rose was a World War II non violent resistance group in Germany.
Education System in Malaysia
Education in Malaysia is monitored by the federal government Ministry of Education. Most Malaysian children start schooling between the ages of three to six, in kindergarten. Most kindergartens are run privately, but there are a few government-operated kindergartens.
Children begin primary schooling at the age of seven for a period of six years. There are two major types of government-operated or government-assisted primary schools. The vernacular schools (Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan) use either Chinese or Tamil as the medium of teaching. Before progressing to the secondary level of education, pupils in Year 6 are required to sit for the Primary School Achievement Test (Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah, UPSR). A programme called First Level Assessment (Penilaian Tahap Satu, PTS) was used to measure the ability of bright pupils, and to allow them to move from Year 3 to 5, skipping Year 4. However, this programme was abolished in 2001.
Secondary education in Malaysia is conducted in secondary schools (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan) for five years. National secondary schools use Malay as the main medium of instruction. The only exceptions are the Mathematics and Science subjects as well as languages other than Malay. At the end of Form Three, which is the third year, students are evaluated in the Lower Secondary Assessment (Penilaian Menengah Rendah, PMR). In the final year of secondary education (Form Five), students will sit for the Malaysian Certificate of Education (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, SPM) examination, which is equivalent to the British Ordinary or 'O' Levels (now referred to as GCSE). The oldest secondary school in Malaysia is Penang Free School. Penang Free School is also the oldest school in South East Asia.
Malaysian national secondary schools are sub-divided into several types, namely National Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan), Religious Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Agama), National-Type Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan) which is also referred as Mission Schools, Technical Schools (Sekolah Menengah Teknik), Residential Schools and Mara Junior Science College (Maktab Rendah Sains MARA).
Mathematics and Science subjects in government primary and secondary schools are taught in English. The main goal for the switch in medium of instruction is to help students overcome the language barrier during their tertiary education in fields such as medicine and engineering.
There are also 60 Chinese Independent High Schools in Malaysia, where most subjects are taught in Chinese. Chinese Independent High Schools are monitored and standardised by the United Chinese School Committees' Association of Malaysia (UCSCAM, more commonly referred to by its Chinese name, Dong Zong), however, unlike government schools, every independent school is free to make its own decisions. Studying in independent schools takes 6 years to complete, divided into Junior Level (3 years) and Senior Level (3 years). Students will sit for a standardised test conducted by UCSCAM, which is known as the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) in Junior Middle 3 (equivalent to PMR) and Senior Middle 3 (equivalent to A level). A number of independent schools conduct classes in Malay and English in addition to Chinese, enabling the students to sit for the PMR and SPM as well.
Students who wish to enter public universities must complete an additional 18 months of secondary schooling in Form Six and sit for the Malaysian Higher School Certificate (Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia, STPM); equivalent to the British Advanced or 'A' levels.
As for tertiary education, there are public universities such as University of Malaya, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan and Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. In addition, five international reputable universities have set up their branch campuses in Malaysia since 1998. A branch campus can be seen as an ‘off-shore campus’ of the foreign university, which offers the same courses and awards as the main campus. Both local and international students can acquire these identical foreign qualifications in Malaysia at a lower fee. The foreign university branch campuses in Malaysia are: Monash University Malaysia Campus, Curtin University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus and University of Abertay Dundee.
Students also have the option of enrolling in private tertiary institutions after secondary studies. Most institutions have educational links with overseas universities especially in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Malaysian students abroad study mostly in the UK, United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore and Japan.
In addition to the Malaysian National Curriculum, Malaysia has many international schools. International schools offer students the opportunity to study the curriculum of another country. These schools mainly cater to the growing expatriate population in the country. International schools include: the Australian International School, Malaysia (Australian curriculum), The Alice Smith School (British Curriculum), elc International school (British Curriculum), The Garden International School (British Curriculum), Lodge International School (British Curriculum), The International School of Kuala Lumpur (International Baccalaureate and American Curriculum), The Japanese School of Kuala Lumpur (Japanese Curriculum), The International School of Penang (International Baccalaureate and British Curriculum), Lycée Français de Kuala Lumpur (French Curriculum) amongst others.
Children begin primary schooling at the age of seven for a period of six years. There are two major types of government-operated or government-assisted primary schools. The vernacular schools (Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan) use either Chinese or Tamil as the medium of teaching. Before progressing to the secondary level of education, pupils in Year 6 are required to sit for the Primary School Achievement Test (Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah, UPSR). A programme called First Level Assessment (Penilaian Tahap Satu, PTS) was used to measure the ability of bright pupils, and to allow them to move from Year 3 to 5, skipping Year 4. However, this programme was abolished in 2001.
Secondary education in Malaysia is conducted in secondary schools (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan) for five years. National secondary schools use Malay as the main medium of instruction. The only exceptions are the Mathematics and Science subjects as well as languages other than Malay. At the end of Form Three, which is the third year, students are evaluated in the Lower Secondary Assessment (Penilaian Menengah Rendah, PMR). In the final year of secondary education (Form Five), students will sit for the Malaysian Certificate of Education (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, SPM) examination, which is equivalent to the British Ordinary or 'O' Levels (now referred to as GCSE). The oldest secondary school in Malaysia is Penang Free School. Penang Free School is also the oldest school in South East Asia.
Malaysian national secondary schools are sub-divided into several types, namely National Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan), Religious Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Agama), National-Type Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan) which is also referred as Mission Schools, Technical Schools (Sekolah Menengah Teknik), Residential Schools and Mara Junior Science College (Maktab Rendah Sains MARA).
Mathematics and Science subjects in government primary and secondary schools are taught in English. The main goal for the switch in medium of instruction is to help students overcome the language barrier during their tertiary education in fields such as medicine and engineering.
There are also 60 Chinese Independent High Schools in Malaysia, where most subjects are taught in Chinese. Chinese Independent High Schools are monitored and standardised by the United Chinese School Committees' Association of Malaysia (UCSCAM, more commonly referred to by its Chinese name, Dong Zong), however, unlike government schools, every independent school is free to make its own decisions. Studying in independent schools takes 6 years to complete, divided into Junior Level (3 years) and Senior Level (3 years). Students will sit for a standardised test conducted by UCSCAM, which is known as the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) in Junior Middle 3 (equivalent to PMR) and Senior Middle 3 (equivalent to A level). A number of independent schools conduct classes in Malay and English in addition to Chinese, enabling the students to sit for the PMR and SPM as well.
Students who wish to enter public universities must complete an additional 18 months of secondary schooling in Form Six and sit for the Malaysian Higher School Certificate (Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia, STPM); equivalent to the British Advanced or 'A' levels.
As for tertiary education, there are public universities such as University of Malaya, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan and Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. In addition, five international reputable universities have set up their branch campuses in Malaysia since 1998. A branch campus can be seen as an ‘off-shore campus’ of the foreign university, which offers the same courses and awards as the main campus. Both local and international students can acquire these identical foreign qualifications in Malaysia at a lower fee. The foreign university branch campuses in Malaysia are: Monash University Malaysia Campus, Curtin University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus and University of Abertay Dundee.
Students also have the option of enrolling in private tertiary institutions after secondary studies. Most institutions have educational links with overseas universities especially in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Malaysian students abroad study mostly in the UK, United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore and Japan.
In addition to the Malaysian National Curriculum, Malaysia has many international schools. International schools offer students the opportunity to study the curriculum of another country. These schools mainly cater to the growing expatriate population in the country. International schools include: the Australian International School, Malaysia (Australian curriculum), The Alice Smith School (British Curriculum), elc International school (British Curriculum), The Garden International School (British Curriculum), Lodge International School (British Curriculum), The International School of Kuala Lumpur (International Baccalaureate and American Curriculum), The Japanese School of Kuala Lumpur (Japanese Curriculum), The International School of Penang (International Baccalaureate and British Curriculum), Lycée Français de Kuala Lumpur (French Curriculum) amongst others.
Deepavali - Festival of Lights
The word deepavali in Sanskrit means bine arrayed of lights that stands for victory of brightness over darkness. As the knowledge of Sanskrit diminished, the name was popularly modified to Diwali, especially in northern India. The word "Divali/Diwali" is a corruption of the Sanskrit word "Deepavali" (also transliterated as "Dipavali"). Deep/dip means "light of the dharma", and avali means "a continuous line". The more literal translation is "rows of clay lamps".
Deepavali celebrated on the day Narakasura, an evil demon who created havoc, killed by Lord Krishna's wife Satyabhama. This happened in the Dwapar Yuga during this time of Lord Krishna's avatar. In another version, the demon was killed by Lord Krishna (Lord krishna provokes his wife Satyabhama to kill Narakasura by pretending to be injured by the demon. Narakasura can only be killed by his mother, Satyabhama) himself. Before Narakasura's death, he requested a boon from his mother, Satyabhama (believed to be an Avatar of Bhudevi - Narakasura' mother), that everyone should celebrate his death with colorful light.
While Deepavali is popularly known as the "festival of lights", the most significant spiritual meaning is "the awareness of the inner light".
Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Deepavali is the celebration of this Inner Light, in particular the knowing of which outshines all darkness (removes all obstacles and dispels all ignorance), awakening the individual to one's true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With the realization of the Atman comes universal compassion, love, and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings Ananda (Inner Joy or Peace).
Diwali celebrates this through festive fireworks, lights, flowers, sharing of sweets, and worship. While the story behind Deepavali varies from region to region, the essence is the same - to rejoice in the Inner Light (Atman) or the underlying reality of all things (Brahman).
Deepavali celebrated on the day Narakasura, an evil demon who created havoc, killed by Lord Krishna's wife Satyabhama. This happened in the Dwapar Yuga during this time of Lord Krishna's avatar. In another version, the demon was killed by Lord Krishna (Lord krishna provokes his wife Satyabhama to kill Narakasura by pretending to be injured by the demon. Narakasura can only be killed by his mother, Satyabhama) himself. Before Narakasura's death, he requested a boon from his mother, Satyabhama (believed to be an Avatar of Bhudevi - Narakasura' mother), that everyone should celebrate his death with colorful light.
While Deepavali is popularly known as the "festival of lights", the most significant spiritual meaning is "the awareness of the inner light".
Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Deepavali is the celebration of this Inner Light, in particular the knowing of which outshines all darkness (removes all obstacles and dispels all ignorance), awakening the individual to one's true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With the realization of the Atman comes universal compassion, love, and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings Ananda (Inner Joy or Peace).
Diwali celebrates this through festive fireworks, lights, flowers, sharing of sweets, and worship. While the story behind Deepavali varies from region to region, the essence is the same - to rejoice in the Inner Light (Atman) or the underlying reality of all things (Brahman).
Taj Mahal- The Symbol of Love
It's a monument, the only one, where perhaps, ever inch of the edifice, from one corner to the other, expresses the beauty of Mumtaz Mahal. Mughal emperor's Shah Jahan's intense feelings and warmheartedness can be felt at the very first instant as you arrive here to fix your gaze upon one of the most phenomenal structures in the world. The splendid love story begins in 1612, when a Persian princess Arjumand Bano married Shah Jahan (then prince Khurram), the fifth Mughal emperor. Arjumand Bano, who later became known as Mumtaz Mahal (the Chosen of the Palace), was a second wife to the emperor. Both a companion and an advisor, the queen followed the emperor on his journeys and military expeditions. Such was the effect of the queen on his emperor-husband that Shah Jahan was inspired to perform acts of charity and benevolence all throughout his life.
The love story took a serious turn when, on a campaign at Burhanpur with her husband, Mumtaz Mahal took his last breath giving birth to their 14th child. So heartbroken was the emperor that the whole court went into mourning for a span of over two years. It is said that, within a few months after the queen's death, the hair and beard of the king had turned white. And Shah Jahan was recklessly determined on building a monument in his consort's loving memory that the world had never seen.
The dead body of the queen was brought to Agra and buried in a garden on the banks of river Yamuna. A group of the finest architects was assembled to devise a plan for erecting the tomb. Eventually, Ustad Isa, a Persian architect, was called upon to design the structure. The master architect along with his pupil Ustad Ahmad began the construction of the edifice. The dome, however, was fashioned by Ismail Khan. A total of 20,000 labourers from across the country and the world were employed to work for 22 years continuously. Finest of the marbles were procured from the district of Markana near Jodhpur. Precious and semi precious stones were brought from far off places. Later, the mausoleum was provided with luxuriant furnishings.
Persian carpets and gold lamps embellished the interior of the Taj. Two silver gates, that were set up at the entrance, were taken away by Suraj Mal in 1764. Amir Husein Ali Khan looted the sheet of pearls that covered the stone coffins. It is said, that after the completion of the construction, when emperor Shah Jahan viewed the Taj, he ordered his men to cut off the right hand of the master architect Ustad Isa, so the later may not be able to erect such a stately and imposing edifice again in his life. There's another legend that says Shah Jahan was contemplating to build yet another Taj Mahal across the river in black marble.
The love story took a serious turn when, on a campaign at Burhanpur with her husband, Mumtaz Mahal took his last breath giving birth to their 14th child. So heartbroken was the emperor that the whole court went into mourning for a span of over two years. It is said that, within a few months after the queen's death, the hair and beard of the king had turned white. And Shah Jahan was recklessly determined on building a monument in his consort's loving memory that the world had never seen.
The dead body of the queen was brought to Agra and buried in a garden on the banks of river Yamuna. A group of the finest architects was assembled to devise a plan for erecting the tomb. Eventually, Ustad Isa, a Persian architect, was called upon to design the structure. The master architect along with his pupil Ustad Ahmad began the construction of the edifice. The dome, however, was fashioned by Ismail Khan. A total of 20,000 labourers from across the country and the world were employed to work for 22 years continuously. Finest of the marbles were procured from the district of Markana near Jodhpur. Precious and semi precious stones were brought from far off places. Later, the mausoleum was provided with luxuriant furnishings.
Persian carpets and gold lamps embellished the interior of the Taj. Two silver gates, that were set up at the entrance, were taken away by Suraj Mal in 1764. Amir Husein Ali Khan looted the sheet of pearls that covered the stone coffins. It is said, that after the completion of the construction, when emperor Shah Jahan viewed the Taj, he ordered his men to cut off the right hand of the master architect Ustad Isa, so the later may not be able to erect such a stately and imposing edifice again in his life. There's another legend that says Shah Jahan was contemplating to build yet another Taj Mahal across the river in black marble.
Tare Zameen Par - A Review
Taare Zameen Par (English Translation: Stars on the Surface of the Earth or Stars on the Ground) is a 2007 award-winning directed by Aamir Khan and produced by Aamir Khan Productions. Taare Zameen Par tells the story of eight year old Ishaan (Darsheel Safary) who suffers greatly until a teacher Aamir Khan identifies him as dyslexic. Both commercially and critically acclaimed, Taare Zameen Par won the 2008 Filmfare Best Movie Award as well as a number of other Filmfare and Star Screen Awards. It was declared tax free by the Government of Delhi. The Walt Disney Company has bought the home video rights for distribution of an international edition DVD for future release in North America, the United Kingdom, and Australia. This is "the first time an international studio has bought the video rights of an Indian film."
Ishaan Awasthi (Darsheel Safary) is an eight-year old boy who hates school. Every subject is difficult for him and he perpetually fails his exams. He also lacks motor coordination skills and finds it difficult to throw a ball in a straight line. Rather than help him, his teachers and classmates subject him to constant acts of public humiliation. At the same time, Ishaan's internal world is rich with wonders that no one else seems to appreciate:magical lands filled with color and animated animals.
It is no better at home. His father (Vipin Sharma) is a successful and busy executive who expects the best from his boys. His mother (Tisca Chopra) is a housewife who is perpetually frustrated by her inability to help Ishaan excel. Ishaan's elder brother Yohaan (Sachet Engineer) is a successful scholar/athlete, a fact which Ishaan is constantly reminded of. After discovering that Ishaan bunked school (in addition to having poor grades), his parents send him to boarding school to be 'disciplined'.
Life at the boarding school does not help Ishaan to excel, despite being befriended by Rajan (Tanay Cheda). Instead, he sinks into a perpetual state of fear and depression as he now has to contend with the added trauma of separation from his family. This changes, however, when a new temporary art teacher "Nikumbh Sir" (Aamir Khan) joins Ishaan's boarding school. Nikumbh, with his characteristic teaching style that is markedly different that his strict predecessor, soon becomes popular among the students. He begins to notice that Ishaan is unhappy and a non-contributor to activities in the class (despite creating an atmosphere in the class that actively seeks contribution from the students). Disturbed, Nikumbh begins to review Ishaan's past work and determines that all of his "failures" are actually reflective of dyslexia.
On his day off, Nikumbh visits Ishaan's parents and asks to review more of his work. He is also stunned by the sophistication of Ishaan's paintings. Nikumbh tells Ishaan's parents that Ishaan is a bright child who processes information differently than the other children in class. He describes dyslexia to them and clarifies that this is a neurological condition which is not a sign of low intelligence. He also tells them he can provide extra tutoring which will help Ishaan succeed.To support this argument, Nikumbh highlights Ishaan's artistic ability as demonstrated by his many paintings and creative works-of-art. In order to make his point, Nikumbh demands that Ishaan's father read a box with Japanese text. When Mr. Awasthi states that he cannot read the text, Nikhumbh reprimands him. In doing so, Nikhumbh demonstrates to them what Ishaan struggles with on a daily basis.
When he returns to the school, Nikumbh brings up the topic of dyslexia one day in class and offers a list of famous people who are considered dyslexic: Albert Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci, Walt Disney, Agatha Christie, Thomas Edison, Pablo Picasso, and actor Abhishek Bachchan. As the students are leaving the classroom Nikumbh asks Ishaan to stay back. At that time Nikumbh reveals that he has experienced the same difficulties with dyslexia. Nikumbh also conveys the same information to the principal of the school and asks if he can act as a tutor for Ishaan. After gaining the Principal's assent, Nikumbh then proceeds to teach Ishaan using remedial techniques developed by specialists in the area of dyslexia. Ishaan soon develops interest in language and mathematical skills and his grades improve. Towards the end of the year, Nikumbh organizes an art fair for staff and students alike. The competition is judged by Lalita Lajmi (who portrays herself in the movie). Ishaan, with his strikingly creative style is declared the winner, while his teacher, Nikumbh (who paints Ishaan's portrait) is declared the runner up.
When Ishaan's parents meet his teachers on the last day of school, they are speechless over the changes in him as he has improved in all of his subjects. Before leaving for the holidays, Ishaan runs to hug his teacher. The film ends with a freeze frame shot of Ishaan being tossed in the air by Nikumbh as if he were flying.
This is the movie with the theme every child is special. The movie definitely will make evryone's tears fall down when thay watch it. I enjoyed the very much and here I shared the movie with everyone.
Ishaan Awasthi (Darsheel Safary) is an eight-year old boy who hates school. Every subject is difficult for him and he perpetually fails his exams. He also lacks motor coordination skills and finds it difficult to throw a ball in a straight line. Rather than help him, his teachers and classmates subject him to constant acts of public humiliation. At the same time, Ishaan's internal world is rich with wonders that no one else seems to appreciate:magical lands filled with color and animated animals.
It is no better at home. His father (Vipin Sharma) is a successful and busy executive who expects the best from his boys. His mother (Tisca Chopra) is a housewife who is perpetually frustrated by her inability to help Ishaan excel. Ishaan's elder brother Yohaan (Sachet Engineer) is a successful scholar/athlete, a fact which Ishaan is constantly reminded of. After discovering that Ishaan bunked school (in addition to having poor grades), his parents send him to boarding school to be 'disciplined'.
Life at the boarding school does not help Ishaan to excel, despite being befriended by Rajan (Tanay Cheda). Instead, he sinks into a perpetual state of fear and depression as he now has to contend with the added trauma of separation from his family. This changes, however, when a new temporary art teacher "Nikumbh Sir" (Aamir Khan) joins Ishaan's boarding school. Nikumbh, with his characteristic teaching style that is markedly different that his strict predecessor, soon becomes popular among the students. He begins to notice that Ishaan is unhappy and a non-contributor to activities in the class (despite creating an atmosphere in the class that actively seeks contribution from the students). Disturbed, Nikumbh begins to review Ishaan's past work and determines that all of his "failures" are actually reflective of dyslexia.
On his day off, Nikumbh visits Ishaan's parents and asks to review more of his work. He is also stunned by the sophistication of Ishaan's paintings. Nikumbh tells Ishaan's parents that Ishaan is a bright child who processes information differently than the other children in class. He describes dyslexia to them and clarifies that this is a neurological condition which is not a sign of low intelligence. He also tells them he can provide extra tutoring which will help Ishaan succeed.To support this argument, Nikumbh highlights Ishaan's artistic ability as demonstrated by his many paintings and creative works-of-art. In order to make his point, Nikumbh demands that Ishaan's father read a box with Japanese text. When Mr. Awasthi states that he cannot read the text, Nikhumbh reprimands him. In doing so, Nikhumbh demonstrates to them what Ishaan struggles with on a daily basis.
When he returns to the school, Nikumbh brings up the topic of dyslexia one day in class and offers a list of famous people who are considered dyslexic: Albert Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci, Walt Disney, Agatha Christie, Thomas Edison, Pablo Picasso, and actor Abhishek Bachchan. As the students are leaving the classroom Nikumbh asks Ishaan to stay back. At that time Nikumbh reveals that he has experienced the same difficulties with dyslexia. Nikumbh also conveys the same information to the principal of the school and asks if he can act as a tutor for Ishaan. After gaining the Principal's assent, Nikumbh then proceeds to teach Ishaan using remedial techniques developed by specialists in the area of dyslexia. Ishaan soon develops interest in language and mathematical skills and his grades improve. Towards the end of the year, Nikumbh organizes an art fair for staff and students alike. The competition is judged by Lalita Lajmi (who portrays herself in the movie). Ishaan, with his strikingly creative style is declared the winner, while his teacher, Nikumbh (who paints Ishaan's portrait) is declared the runner up.
When Ishaan's parents meet his teachers on the last day of school, they are speechless over the changes in him as he has improved in all of his subjects. Before leaving for the holidays, Ishaan runs to hug his teacher. The film ends with a freeze frame shot of Ishaan being tossed in the air by Nikumbh as if he were flying.
This is the movie with the theme every child is special. The movie definitely will make evryone's tears fall down when thay watch it. I enjoyed the very much and here I shared the movie with everyone.
Blue
I got to know Blue in my campus. Blue is a very pretty, nice and quite girl. She is very hardworking and clever. I know her well because we stayed in the same dome for last two semesters.
I call her Blue because it is her favourite colour. Her favourite food is chicken rice because she just eat it everytime she go out to eat. Blue has a bad eating habit. She always miss her meals amd sometimes onlly eat bun, cookies and instant noodles. I call her bookworm because we can't see her without a book in her hand. She reads a lot and she reads only her textbook so she scores well in exams.
Blue also one of my best friend but she doesn't like Mitr. It's not that she don't like but her classmates made the situation with their stupid gossips. Blue is quite sensitive to gossips. Even when Mitr and Blue are classmates i have to be their middle person frequently.
I like Blue alot because she is exactly same like my second elder sister, but always think that I don't take her as a friend but she have to know that she is like a sister to me. I hope Blue will achieve all her dreams and change her changing habits.
I call her Blue because it is her favourite colour. Her favourite food is chicken rice because she just eat it everytime she go out to eat. Blue has a bad eating habit. She always miss her meals amd sometimes onlly eat bun, cookies and instant noodles. I call her bookworm because we can't see her without a book in her hand. She reads a lot and she reads only her textbook so she scores well in exams.
Blue also one of my best friend but she doesn't like Mitr. It's not that she don't like but her classmates made the situation with their stupid gossips. Blue is quite sensitive to gossips. Even when Mitr and Blue are classmates i have to be their middle person frequently.
I like Blue alot because she is exactly same like my second elder sister, but always think that I don't take her as a friend but she have to know that she is like a sister to me. I hope Blue will achieve all her dreams and change her changing habits.
Mitr
Mitr is my friend. He is in my best friends list and will be in the list forever. i met him in my campus. Eventhough when we are from the different faculties, he is a good friend for me because we both have a good understanding. He is not reserved type but he is shy type. People have to approach him first but after that he'll be very friendly.
In first semester, people always can see us together but now everything changed because of some gossipps in our campus. Actually Mitr din't tell me the reason why he stopped going out with me but then i knew it's because he don't like the gossips. Fisrt i felt annoyed, angry and sad but as the time pass i become used to it.
Now we both are in third semester and we seldom see each other because we both were busy with our own life and studies but i still missing going out with him. Recently i found that Mitr is quite upset about me because i used to post frindster bulletins using his name and i chat alot, but I just don't understand why he didn't tell me starightforward. anyway i am happy because he cares for me.
I hope my friendship with Mitr would not just stop after our studies but it will continue till end of my life because his friendship is very precious for me and as a good friend i love him always.
In first semester, people always can see us together but now everything changed because of some gossipps in our campus. Actually Mitr din't tell me the reason why he stopped going out with me but then i knew it's because he don't like the gossips. Fisrt i felt annoyed, angry and sad but as the time pass i become used to it.
Now we both are in third semester and we seldom see each other because we both were busy with our own life and studies but i still missing going out with him. Recently i found that Mitr is quite upset about me because i used to post frindster bulletins using his name and i chat alot, but I just don't understand why he didn't tell me starightforward. anyway i am happy because he cares for me.
I hope my friendship with Mitr would not just stop after our studies but it will continue till end of my life because his friendship is very precious for me and as a good friend i love him always.
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