12 Essential Rules to Live More Like a Zen Monk

Very nice article and simple rules to adapt in life !!

12 Essential Rules to Live More Like a Zen Monk

http://zenhabits.net/2008/03/12-essential-rules-to-live-more-like-a-zen-monk/

“We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize.” - Thich Nhat Hanh

I’m not a Zen monk, nor will I ever become one. However, I find great inspiration in the way they try to live their lives: the simplicity of their lives, the concentration and mindfulness of every activity, the calm and peace they find in their days.

You probably don’t want to become a Zen monk either, but you can live your life in a more Zen-like manner by following a few simple rules.

Why live more like a Zen monk? Because who among us can’t use a little more concentration, tranquility, and mindfulness in our lives? Because Zen monks for hundreds of years have devoted their lives to being present in everything they do, to being dedicated and to serving others. Because it serves as an example for our lives, and whether we ever really reach that ideal is not the point.

One of my favorite Zen monks, Thich Nhat Hanh, simplified the rules in just a few words: “Smile, breathe and go slowly.” It doesn’t get any better than that.

However, for those who would like a little more detail, I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve discovered to work very well in my experiments with Zen-like living. I am no Zen master … I am not even a Zen Buddhist. However, I’ve found that there are certain principles that can be applied to any life, no matter what your religious beliefs or what your standard of living.

“Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine.” - Shunryu Suzuki

1. Do one thing at a time. This rule (and some of the others that follow) will be familiar to long-time Zen Habits readers. It’s part of my philosophy, and it’s also a part of the life of a Zen monk: single-task, don’t multi-task. When you’re pouring water, just pour water. When you’re eating, just eat. When you’re bathing, just bathe. Don’t try to knock off a few tasks while eating or bathing. Zen proverb: “When walking, walk. When eating, eat.”
2. Do it slowly and deliberately. You can do one task at a time, but also rush that task. Instead, take your time, and move slowly. Make your actions deliberate, not rushed and random. It takes practice, but it helps you focus on the task.
3. Do it completely. Put your mind completely on the task. Don’t move on to the next task until you’re finished. If, for some reason, you have no choice but to move on to something else, try to at least put away the unfinished task and clean up after yourself. If you prepare a sandwich, don’t start eating it until you’ve put away the stuff you used to prepare it, wiped down the counter, and washed the dishes used for preparation. Then you’re done with that task, and can focus more completely on the next task.
4. Do less. A Zen monk doesn’t lead a lazy life: he wakes early and has a day filled with work. However, he doesn’t have an unending task list either — there are certain things he’s going to do today, an no more. If you do less, you can do those things more slowly, more completely and with more concentration. If you fill your day with tasks, you will be rushing from one thing to the next without stopping to think about what you do.
5. Put space between things. Related to the “Do less” rule, but it’s a way of managing your schedule so that you always have time to complete each task. Don’t schedule things close together — instead, leave room between things on your schedule. That gives you a more relaxed schedule, and leaves space in case one task takes longer than you planned.
6. Develop rituals. Zen monks have rituals for many things they do, from eating to cleaning to meditation. Ritual gives something a sense of importance — if it’s important enough to have a ritual, it’s important enough to be given your entire attention, and to be done slowly and correctly. You don’t have to learn the Zen monk rituals — you can create your own, for the preparation of food, for eating, for cleaning, for what you do before you start your work, for what you do when you wake up and before you go to bed, for what you do just before exercise. Anything you want, really.
7. Designate time for certain things. There are certain times in the day of a Zen monk designated for certain activities. A time for for bathing, a time for work, a time for cleaning, a time for eating. This ensures that those things get done regularly. You can designate time for your own activities, whether that be work or cleaning or exercise or quiet contemplation. If it’s important enough to do regularly, consider designating a time for it.
8. Devote time to sitting. In the life of a Zen monk, sitting meditation (zazen) is one of the most important parts of his day. Each day, there is time designated just for sitting. This meditation is really practice for learning to be present. You can devote time for sitting meditation, or do what I do: I use running as a way to practice being in the moment. You could use any activity in the same way, as long as you do it regularly and practice being present.
9. Smile and serve others. Zen monks spend part of their day in service to others, whether that be other monks in the monastery or people on the outside world. It teaches them humility, and ensures that their lives are not just selfish, but devoted to others. If you’re a parent, it’s likely you already spend at least some time in service to others in your household, and non-parents may already do this too. Similarly, smiling and being kind to others can be a great way to improve the lives of those around you. Also consider volunteering for charity work.
10. Make cleaning and cooking become meditation. Aside from the zazen mentioned above, cooking and cleaning are to of the most exalted parts of a Zen monk’s day. They are both great ways to practice mindfulness, and can be great rituals performed each day. If cooking and cleaning seem like boring chores to you, try doing them as a form of meditation. Put your entire mind into those tasks, concentrate, and do them slowly and completely. It could change your entire day (as well as leave you with a cleaner house).
11. Think about what is necessary. There is little in a Zen monk’s life that isn’t necessary. He doesn’t have a closet full of shoes, or the latest in trendy clothes. He doesn’t have a refrigerator and cabinets full of junk food. He doesn’t have the latest gadgets, cars, televisions, or iPod. He has basic clothing, basic shelter, basic utensils, basic tools, and the most basic food (they eat simple, vegetarian meals consisting usually of rice, miso soup, vegetables, and pickled vegetables). Now, I’m not saying you should live exactly like a Zen monk — I certainly don’t. But it does serve as a reminder that there is much in our lives that aren’t necessary, and it can be useful to give some thought about what we really need, and whether it is important to have all the stuff we have that’s not necessary.
12. Live simply. The corollary of Rule 11 is that if something isn’t necessary, you can probably live without it. And so to live simply is to rid your life of as many of the unnecessary and unessential things as you can, to make room for the essential. Now, what is essential will be different to each person. For me, my family, my writing, my running and my reading are essential. To others, yoga and spending time with close friends might be essential. For others it will be nursing and volunteering and going to church and collecting comic books. There is no law saying what should be essential for you — but you should consider what is most important to your life, and make room for that by eliminating the other less essential things in your life.

“Before enlightenment chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water.” - Wu Li

The Magical Power of Focus

http://zenhabits.net/2008/03/the-magical-power-of-focus/

“Always remember, your focus determines your reality.” - Qui-Gon to Anakin, Star Wars Episode I

The quote above, as cheesy as George Lucas’ writing often is, contains a nugget of Jedi wisdom that I’ve repeatedly found to be true.

Your focus determines your reality.

It’s something we don’t think about much of the time, but give it some consideration now:

• If you wake up in the morning and think about the miserable things you need to do later in the day, you’ll have a miserable day. If you wake up and focus instead on what a wonderful gift your life is, you’ll have a great day.
• If we let our attention jump from one thing to another, we will have a busy, fractured and probably unproductive day. If we focus entirely on one job, we may lose ourselves in that job, and it will not only be the most productive thing we do all day, but it’ll be very enjoyable.
• If we focus on being tired and wanting to veg out in front of the TV, we will get a lot of television watching done. If, however, we focus on being healthy and fit, we will become healthy and fit through exercise and good eating.

This may seem simplistic, but it’s completely true. This is the magical power of focus.

Let’s look at some of the ways you can use focus to improve different aspects of your life.

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought.” - Buddha

Focus on a Goal
In my experience, focus is the most important determination of whether you’ll achieve a goal or stick to creating a new habit. Not self-discipline, not rewards, not sheer willpower, not even motivation (also an important ingredient, however). If you can maintain your focus on a goal or habit, you will more often than not achieve that goal or create that habit.

If you can’t maintain your focus, you won’t achieve the goal, unless it’s such an easy goal that it would have happened anyway. It’s that simple.

Why does focus matter so much? Let’s say you decide you want to declutter your house — that’s your goal for this month. So the first day, you’re completely focused on this goal, and you get boxes and trash bags and fill them up with junk. The second day, you’re still focused, and you fill up a bunch more boxes and you’ve cleared most of two rooms with progress on another. This goes on for a few more days, with your focus being on this goal, and lots of progress made.

However, let’s say that a week into your decluttering, you decide you want to become a runner. You are now focused on running, and not only do you go out to jog for a few days, you buy running clothes and a Nike-equipped iPod and read running blogs and magazines. However, you’ve lost your focus on decluttering, and soon you aren’t doing much of it, because your focus is on running. In fact, you’ve added more clutter because you’ve bought all the running equipment and magazines and books.

Meanwhile, I have maintained my focus on decluttering the entire month, and by the end of the month, I have a nice, simplified house. I did it through focus.

This is why I am constantly advocating focusing on only one goal at a time. Having multiple goals spreads out your focus, and makes it less likely that you’ll complete any of the goals. It’s possible, but with a diffused focus, it’s much more difficult.

Even with only one goal, maintaining focus can be difficult. You need to find ways to keep your focus on that goal. Some good examples that work for me:

• Read about your goal as much as possible, on websites and blogs and in books and magazines.
• Post up reminders on your wall, refrigerator, and computer desktop.
• Send yourself reminders using an online calendar or reminder service.
• Tell as many people as possible about it, and post your progress on your blog.
• Have a time each day to work on the goal, with a reminder in your schedule each day.

Maintain your focus on your goal, and you’ve won half the battle in achieving it.

Focus on Now
I’ve written about this before, but focusing on the present can do a lot for you. It helps reduce stress, it helps you enjoy life to the fullest, and it can increase your effectiveness.

Focusing on now, rather than the past (”I can’t believe she said that to me!”) or the future (”what am I going to say in the darn meeting today?”) isn’t easy, and takes a lot of practice. I won’t go into this much here, but read more:

• A Simple Guide to Being Present for the Overworked and Overwhelmed
• 5 Inspirations for Being in the Moment
• Practical Tips to Practice Being Present

Focus on the Task at Hand
Have you ever completely lost yourself in a task, so that the world around you disappears? You lose track of time and are completely caught up in what you’re doing. That’s the popular concept of Flow, and it’s an important ingredient to finding happiness.

Having work and leisure that gets you in this state of flow will almost undoubtedly lead to happiness. People find greatest enjoyment not when they’re passively mindless, but when they’re absorbed in a mindful challenge.

How do you get into flow? Well, it takes a bit of practice, but the first step is to find work that you’re passionate about. Seriously — this is an extremely important step. Find hobbies that you’re passionate about. Turn off the TV — this is the opposite of flow — and get outside and do something that truly engages you.

Next, you need to clear away distractions and focus completely on the task you set before yourself. This is the part that takes a lot of practice. I’ll write more about this later.

Focus on the Positive
One of the key skills I’ve learned is how to be aware of my negative thoughts, and to replace them with positive thoughts. I learned this through quitting smoking and running — there are many times when you feel like giving up, and if you don’t catch these negative thoughts in time, they’ll fester and grow until you actually do give up.

Instead, learn to focus on the positive. Think about how great you feel. Think about how other people have done this, and so can you. Think about how good it will feel when you accomplish what you’re trying to do.

Also learn to see the positive in just about any situation. This results in happiness, in my experience, as you don’t focus on the bad parts of your life, but on the good things. Be thankful for what you’ve been given. More here.

What are your thoughts on focus? Share in the comments.

“We are what we think; as we desire so do we become! By our thoughts, desires, and habits, we either ascend to the full divine dignity of our nature, or we descend to suffer and learn.” - J. Todd Ferrier

If you liked this article, please share it on del.icio.us, StumbleUpon or on Digg. I’d appreciate it. :)

Random thoughts on managing

Random thoughts on managing

• When you are a manager, the people you hire (and the way they perform) reflects on you.
• The mark of a good engineering organization is its ability to deliver products of sufficient quality on time and within budget.
  • fast (time)
  • cheap (budget)
  • good (quality)

Clint Eastwood: 10 Rules A Man Should Live By

Clint Eastwood: 10 Rules A Man Should Live By

My continuing fascination with lists:

1. Call your own shots

2. Be fearless

3. Keep moving

4. Love your job

5. Speak softly

6. Don't be predictable

7. Find a good woman

8. Learn to play the piano

9. You are what you drive

10. Avoid extreme makeovers

16 Rules I Try to Live By

Good inspiring article ...leaves a thought saying what worst can happen you wont die go and achieve what you dream for :)

http://cultivategreatness.com/2008/03/22/16-rules-i-try-to-live-by#more-717

by GoDaddy.com Founder, Bob Parsons
Of all the articles I’ve written for my Blog, this was the most popular. I’ve received many comments from readers saying they felt that part of, or all of, this article has either helped them with either something they were dealing with, or something they wanted to accomplish. Perhaps you will also find it interesting and/or helpful as well.

Late in 2004, I was asked by BizAz Magazine (a local Phoenix magazine) to speak at one of its “Business Beneath The Surface” breakfast meetings. As part of the event, participants have the option of submitting questions to the speakers, which are then answered during the breakfast.

One of the questions directed toward me was, “What advice do you have for someone who is just starting a business?”

I liked Clint Eastwood’s rules.
Also at that time, I happened to pick up a copy of Men’s Journal. Clint Eastwood was on the cover and an article featured 10 items called “Clint’s rules.” I found his rules to be interesting. They were things like, “You are what you drive,” “avoid extreme makeovers,” and things like that. As Clint Eastwood is a pretty easy guy to respect, I thought the whole rule thing was pretty cool. And the more I thought about it, I realized that over the years I had accumulated a number of principles (or rules) that I tried very hard to adhere to — and these rules (in many ways) have become the foundation for whatever successes I’ve had.

So, a few weeks before the meeting, I sat down and started typing — in no particular order — the rules I try to live by. At the breakfast meeting, I read my rules at the end of my presentation. The response was amazing. I was swamped with requests for copies of the rules. An edited list was published in the Arizona Republic newspaper a few days later. I was even called and interviewed by a local radio station about the list.

Since then, some of the rules have been edited, some consolidated, and a few new ones added. Despite those changes, the list of rules I presented that morning are pretty much what appears at the end of this post.

My rules come from the significant life events I’ve experienced. ~Bob Parsons

As I write this, I am now 54 years old, and during my life thus far I suspect that I’ve encountered more significant life events than most people ever dream about. Here’s some information about me:

I grew up in a lower middle class family in Baltimore’s inner city. We were always broke. I’ve earned everything I ever received. Very little was ever given to me.

I’ve been working as long as I can remember. Whether it was delivering or selling newspapers, pumping gas, working in construction or in a factory, I’ve always been making my own money.

And, of course, not all life events are happy ones.
I was stood up to be executed during a robbery of a gas station where I was working when I was 16. To my amazement, my would-be executioner could not muster the nerve to pull the trigger. This saved both of us. I lived, and while he went to jail, he did not go there forever. Even though there were other witnesses to the gas station robbery and assault, and other crimes he and a partner committed, I was the only one who testified against them. They both received major jail sentences.

I was with a United States Marine Corps rifle company in Viet Nam for a short while in 1969. As a combat rifleman, I learned several key life lessons that resulted in some of the rules I try to live by. I learned first hand how significant a role “luck” or karma can play in our lives. The rifle company I was assigned to, Delta Company of the 1st Batallion, 26th Marines, operated in the rice paddys of Quang Nam province. We operated on the squad level (7 to 10 of us, depending on casualties), and most every night we left our command post and went several kilometers out into the rice paddys and set up in ambush. While there are many who saw significantly more combat action than me, I did see my share. After 5 or 6 weeks, I was wounded and medevaced to Japan. I returned to Viet Nam several times after that, but came back as a courier of classified documents. Although I requested (at least twice) to return to my old rifle company, the transfer was never approved.

After the Marine Corps, I used the G.I. Bill to attend college, and graduated from the University of Baltimore with a degree in accounting. I attended college mostly at night. After college, I took and passed the CPA exam. I worked only a few years as an accountant. The lion’s share of my career has been spent as an entrepreneur.

I’ve been very lucky when it comes to business.
I started a successful business division for a company called LeaseAmerica. During the four years I was involved with this business, it grew to 84 employees and wrote over $150 million dollars in small office equipment leases. Its success helped redefine how business in that industry is now conducted.

Not long after I started the division for LeaseAmerica, I started a software company in the basement of my house. I started it with the little bit of money I had, and named it Parsons Technology. I owned this business for 10 years, grew it to about 1,000 employees and just shy of $100 million a year in sales. Eventually, we sold Parsons Technology to a company named Intuit. Because my then-wife and I were the only investors, and the company had no debt, we received the entire purchase price.

Shortly after selling Parsons Technology, my wife and I decided to go our separate ways and did the customary “divide everything by two.” I then moved to Arizona and retired for a year. This was a requirement of my deal with Intuit.

Retirement was not for me.
Retirement wasn’t for me, so after the mandatory year passed, and using the money I had from the sale of Parsons Technology, I started a new business. This business eventually became The Go Daddy Group. I started this business from scratch, did it without acquisitions, and developed our own products. In the process, I came spooky close to losing everything I had, and actually made the decision to “lose it all” rather than close Go Daddy. Today, Go Daddy is the world leader in new domain name registrations, and has been cash flow positive since October 2001 (not bad for a dot com). As of this writing, I continue to be the only investor in Go Daddy.

Throughout all of these life events, I came to accumulate a number of rules that I look to in various situations. Some of them I learned the hard way. Others I learned from the study of history. I know they work because I have applied them in both my business and personal life.

And one more thing.
I’ve read many times that original ideas are rare indeed. This is particularly true when it comes to the rules herein. I can’t imagine that any of my rules represent new ideas.

My contribution is that I’ve assembled these ideas, put them to work in my life, and can attest — that more often than not — they hold true.

While I put my 16 rules together in response to a business question, I’ve been told by others that they can be applied to almost any pursuit.

Here are the 16 rules I try to live by:

1. Get and stay out of your comfort zone. I believe that not much happens of any significance when we’re in our comfort zone. I hear people say, “But I’m concerned about security.” My response to that is simple: “Security is for cadavers.”

2. Never give up. Almost nothing works the first time it’s attempted. Just because what you’re doing does not seem to be working, doesn’t mean it won’t work. It just means that it might not work the way you’re doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn’t have an opportunity.

3. When you’re ready to quit, you’re closer than you think. There’s an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: “The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed.”

4. With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be. Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of “undefined consequences.” My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, “Well, Robert, if it doesn’t work, they can’t eat you.”

5. Focus on what you want to have happen. Remember that old saying, “As you think, so shall you be.”

6. Take things a day at a time. No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don’t look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.

7. Always be moving forward. Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.

8. Be quick to decide. Remember what General George S. Patton said: “A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow.”

9. Measure everything of significance. I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched, improves.

10. Anything that is not managed will deteriorate. If you want to uncover problems you don’t know about, take a few moments and look closely at the areas you haven’t examined for a while. I guarantee you problems will be there.

11. Pay attention to your competitors, but pay more attention to what you’re doing. When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far enough into space, looks like a peaceful place.

12. Never let anybody push you around. In our society, with our laws and even playing field, you have just as much right to what you’re doing as anyone else, provided that what you’re doing is legal.

13. Never expect life to be fair. Life isn’t fair. You make your own breaks. You’ll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).

14. Solve your own problems. You’ll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you’ll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of SONY, said it best: “You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others.” There’s also an old Asian saying that I remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: “A wise man keeps his own counsel.”

15. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Lighten up. Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due to luck. None of us are in control as much as we like to think we are.

16. There’s always a reason to smile. Find it. After all, you’re really lucky just to be alive. Life is short. More and more, I agree with my little brother. He always reminds me: “We’re not here for a long time; we’re here for a good time.”

A special word of thanks.
I owe a special thanks to Brian Dunn. When I first wrote these rules down and was thinking about compiling them into a book — that book, like most books I suppose, has been half-done for a while :); — Brian read them and suggested a title. His suggestion was, “They Can’t Eat You.” I like Brian’s suggestion for two reasons: 1. It reminds me of my Dad. I sure miss him; and 2. It’s true. No matter how difficult things get, you’re going to be OK. It’s very important to realize that. Thanks, Brian.

What is Life?

Another take on that eternal question ..

To paraphrase economist Thomas Sowell, Life is all about the allocation of limited resources that have alternative uses.

Interesting. I remember someone used the same statement to explain what management is. Well, when thoughts get generic enough, you can apply them everywhere.

The Loser Decision : EGO

Scott Adams speaks about a past mistake.
He smartly summarizes what to do with one's ego. :-)

It’s an objective fact that life often presents us with choices where the comfortable decision leads nowhere and one that threatens your ego has all the potential in the world.

You need a healthy ego to endure the abuse that comes with any sort of success. The trick is to think of your ego as your goofy best friend who lends moral support but doesn’t know shit.

The Loser Decision

http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/07/the-loser-decis.html

In my mid twenties, when I was a banker, a top executive in the company offered me a job as his personal gopher. I declined because I already had a good job managing a small group of people. Being a gopher seemed like a step backwards. There wasn’t even a raise involved.

The executive went ballistic. He told me I was making the stupidest decision of my career. I laughed to myself, wondering if anyone was dumb enough to think a gopher job was a stepping stone toward becoming a captain of industry.

Another young guy in the division took the gopher job. A year later he was promoted to Assistant Vice President. In three years he made Vice President, thanks to his mentor. Now he probably owns his own bank.

What I didn’t understand at the time, and the executive in my story didn’t mention, was that the gopher job was his way of getting to know me better, and introducing me to the other executives before propelling me up the ranks. My ego clouded my judgment. I wasn’t willing to go from boss to gopher. That’s all I saw in this decision, even though the reality is obvious in retrospect.

Years later, I got a chance to fix that mistake. When Dilbert launched in newspapers, the response was underwhelming. In the early years, it wasn’t a workplace strip. It was about Dilbert’s life in general. He just happened to have a job. I was surprised to learn, via my e-mail, that readers loved the relatively rare comics featuring Dilbert in the office. Personally, I didn’t think those were my best work. My ego told me to do it my way. My readers told me I was wrong.

What the hell do readers know? After all, they aren’t syndicated cartoonists, and I was, albeit in only a few dozen newspapers. But this time, fortunately, I ignored my ego, changed the focus of the strip to workplace humor, and it took off.

Recently I was reminded of this as I watched two young people allow their egos to drive them over career cliffs. I know they feel good about their decisions, just as I did when I turned down the gopher job.

I’ve come to call this ego-driven behavior the “loser decision.” I don’t mean it as an insult. It’s an objective fact that life often presents us with choices where the comfortable decision leads nowhere and one that threatens your ego has all the potential in the world.

You need a healthy ego to endure the abuse that comes with any sort of success. The trick is to think of your ego as your goofy best friend who lends moral support but doesn’t know shit.

Has your ego ever driven you off a cliff?

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Top Ten Tips - Making a Good Cup of Tea

Thats way i make tea :) have stopped using sugar in tea for last 2 years

Tip Dude is British, so Tip Dude makes tea. Tip Dude is British, so Tip Dude knows how to make tea. Tip Dude is British, so Tip Dude is addicted to tea. Here is how Tip Dude makes his tea:

(By the way, since this is British tea we’re talking about, this tip does not apply to green tea, chai, or Indian spiced tea.)

• Use a Mug Or Tea Pot - Tea belongs in a mug, or a tea pot. Use proper equipment. Do not make tea in a glass, a jug, a coffee maker or an iced tea maker.
• Use Proper Tea Bag Or Proper Tea Leaves - Assam tea is good. English Breakfast or Irish Breakfast is good, as well. Do not buy overpriced tea. Tea bags should cost about 4-8 cents per bag. You can only tell if a teabag is any good by drinking it. Just because it says “Captain’s Stash” or has a brand name doesn’t mean it is actually better tea. Tetley’s British Blend is good, as is PG Tips. As a rule, if the tea is weak, it is bad. Us Brits call that the dog’s piss. You shouldn’t be able to see through the brewed tea if you put it into a glass (it should look very dark brown).
• Use Freshly Boiled Water - Tea needs really hot water to bring out all the flavor. Bring water to a rolling boil on the stove. Microwaving water for making tea is not recommended, since it doesn’t make the tea taste as good - but if you must microwave, put the teabag in the mug, then put cold water on top of the teabag, and then microwave the entire thing.
• Make Tea At Proper Times - Tea is consumed at 11 a.m. on the dot and again at 3 p.m. on the dot. Put the kettle on 15 minutes before tea is due. Tea should already be brewing five minutes before it is due to be served.
• Allow Tea To Brew Properly - Tea needs about three to five minutes to brew properly. After you have poured the hot water on the tea, be patient and wait for the tea to infuse.
• Use A Tea Strainer If You Use Loose Leaf Tea - Strainers are basically a sphere of very fine wire mesh with an opening. You put leaf tea in there, and put the whole strainer in boiling water. The strainer functions like a tea bag. You jiggle the strainer around to get the water flowing tea leaves, making for a better brew.
• Use A Tea Cosy - If you are using a tea pot, you should always put the tea cosy around it as soon as you finish pouring the hot water in the pot. That way the water can remain hot while the tea is brewing. If you wish, you could warm the pot first, before putting in any tea leaves.
• Get An Electric Kettle - These are great. They save energy, and they boil water really fast - usually within about five minutes. You can get them at Target.com. That allows you to minimize the time it takes to go from zero to tea.
• Do Not Use Sugar - If the tea is good, it shouldn’t require sugar or honey to sweeten it. If you need to use sugar in tea to make it drinkable, change your teabag. Also, use milk in tea. Generally, whole milk is good, but if you want, you can use 2 percent milk also. Do not use nonfat milk. And if you don’t like milk in tea, then you should try a different tea bag, or brew the tea for longer.
• Serve Tea Hot - The optimal temperature for tea is a matter of taste, but generally tea should be served piping hot, but not burning to the tongue. If it is too cold, microwave it to get it up to the proper temperature - and be more careful with putting that tea cosy back on the pot!

Top Ten Tips - Creating A Resume

Top Ten Tips - Creating A Resume

By Tip Diva

Creating a resume is probably the second most painful part of a job search (the actual interview being the first!) But making one doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are some steps to make resume creation easier:

• Find A Template - If you’re not that efficient with a word processor, find a template online to help you. ResumeTemplates.org has ones separated by job title, or you can even find some within your word processor’s template files.
• Know Your Length - Know how long your resume can go. Most industries prefer one-page resumes, but more creative industries may allow two pages. Ask a guidance counselor, ask someone in the field or Google to find the correct resume length. And stick to this length - no more, no less.
• Include Your Contact Information - If you don’t include your contact information, how is the employer going to contact you? Resumes without an address, phone number and e-mail address tend to go straight into the wastebasket. And make sure you have a mature e-mail address - sexygurl2008@youremail.com is not professional. You can create a free e-mail address (try using your first and last name) at Gmail, Yahoo! or Hotmail.
• Include An Objective - One of the biggest mistakes a job applicant makes on a resume is not including an objective. ResumeTemplates.org sums it up nicely: “By not choosing what job you want to do, you start your resume off on the wrong foot. Why? You force the employer to read it all the way through to figure out what kind of job you’re suited for. You create more work for your busy reader. This is the last thing you want to do!” The site also has a great page on other resume mistakes to avoid.
• Herald Your Achievements - Just jotting down a job description is not going to get you anywhere. Instead of writing, “I sold groceries,” try “I helped XYZ Store increase its sales by 200 percent in 2007.” Make sure that you communicate your achievements and talents!
• Don’t Lie - Employers have ways of finding out your true education and past employment. Don’t lie, because there’s a good chance that your fibs will come back and bite you in the butt.
• Don’t Get Creative - Keep the resume simple: one-inch margins; a simple, legible font like Times New Roman or Arial; and not too many bullets, lines and decorations. You want a resume that an employer can read quickly. There’s no need for hot pink lettering, Comic Sans MS or frilly paper.
• Proofread - Read over your resume for any errors, especially spelling and grammatical mistakes. Read it again. Also have a friend read it, if you so choose. Spell checkers are not infallible.
• Use Nice Paper - Resumes call for heavier stock, not run-of-the-mill white computer paper. Tip Diva prefers Southworth’s Connoisseur Collection, which is affordable, yet looks professional.
• Create Different Resume Formats - Don’t just have a resume saved in a word processor format. Also save it in HTML and PDF, which are two highly-requested formats when submitting your resume electronically. You can save as HTML through your word processor, and use a free program like PrimoPDF for PDF files. And make sure to back-up all your copies - e-mail them to yourself or burn them to CD.

Be Your Real True Self

by Yehuda Berg

Most of us aren’t 100% real. We are too afraid to show our true colors, to unfurl the flag of our true thoughts and emotions. We think people would run away screaming if they saw what we really looked like. Or we think they would fire us, drop us, hate us, judge us, tell others, or worse if we spoke from the heart.

Life is too short to waste it being fake.

Today, find the true grit needed to be who you are. Say what’s on your mind. Let your true face speak. The more you accept who you are – and share it with others – the less energy you will need to spend on hiding.

Indian techies are worst paid; is that so?

Source: Indian techies are worst paid; is that so?

October 22, 2007

Indian media is abuzz with the news that Indian techies are lowest paid. Unfortunately the media is too busy in printing the news first before analyzing it!

As per Mercer Survey of IT Managers’ average salary position is as follows

USA $ 107 K
UK $ 118 K
Canada $ 93 K
Denmark $ 123 K

The corresponding figures for “low cost” nations are

India $ 25 K
Philippines$ 22 K
Vietnam $ 15 K

Average salary for professionals (not managers) is as follows

USA $ 60 K
UK $ 64 K
Canada $ 57 K
Denmark $ 70 K

The corresponding figures for “low cost” nations are

India $ 10 K
Philippines$ 8 K
Vietnam $ 6 K

The media mixed up managers’ salary with professionals’ salary.

With most of India’s professionals in 20s, the salary levels are low; the costs are much lower too. That is precisely our competitive advantage; if we can combine it with higher quality, we can grow much more in global software outsourcing business.

It is true in every OTHER profession, not in IT alone!

$ 10 K for a person in 20’s is a lot of money in India and the fact that there are 2.5 million such people in India is to be celebrated.

Economists and policy planners use “purchase parity” that links income to costs and raw salaries are never to be compared. An entry-level secretary in USA will earn about $ 10K; does any secretary in India get such a salary?

Such comparison of “apples & oranges” can lead to distortion and undue criticism (often without thinking) particularly from communists!

Sachin Tendulkar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5Fsnv6wHJo

Greatness of genius explained :) if u ever had a doubt on sachin's greatness this would help you clear it

Incresing Reading speed

Incresing Reading speed

I foung the following article for increasing the speed. Read it !!

The Internet is a new continent where the maps are constantly changing. What was a small stream becomes a roaring river. What was a desert becomes a lush green valley.

To keep up with the changing landscape of the Internet you must read. And the best place to read about new developments on the Internet is in Newsletters or Ezines.

But you may not be reading efficiently.

Did you know that most of us use only 4% to 10% of our mental abilities?

Speed reading is not just about reading faster; it's about learning to use much more of the extraordinary powers of the Mind.

When you read, are you aware of an inner voice that follows the words as your eyes move across the page or the computer screen? This inner voice is called 'subvocalization'. You probably experience it as a slight movement in the tongue or throat region. As long as you subvocalize, you limit your reading to the speed of normal speech, to about 300 w.p.m.

The Mind is capable of thinking much faster than that. So when you subvocalize, you're literally holding back your mind. Try this exercise:

As you read, count to yourself, silently, from one to ten. Or, repeat the sound 'Eee', 'Eee', 'Eee'. It will be impossible to do this at the same time as subvocalizing, so this is an excellent way of
breaking the habit of subvocalization.

As you do this exercise, you'll become aware that you're no longer processing the words in the tongue/throat region but in an area called 'thought stream' that you experience in the top of your head.

Thought stream moves much faster than subvocalization. And that's why people who subvocalize often have comprehension problems.

There's a mismatch between reading speed and thinking speed. The Mind is constantly racing ahead of the inner voice and so it gets bored. You experience this as an inability to hold your
attention on what you're reading. You have to back-skip words, or read the same line twice.

As your reading speed catches up with your thinking speed, reading becomes much less tiring and your comprehension improves.

Once you've got a feeling for reading in 'thought stream', the next thing to do is speed up your eye movements. This will also help break the habit of sub-vocalization, since your eyes will be moving
faster than you can possibly subvocalize.

Your eyes move across the written page in a series of quick jumps. Between each jump there's a stop lasting a fraction of second, called a 'fixation'. The fixation is when the eye actually takes in the written word.

The untrained eye takes about a quarter of a second at each fixation, and takes in 2 or 3 words per fixation.

By speeding up you eye movements, you'll learn to make fewer fixations per line and take in more words per fixation.

Try this exercise:

If you use a glass 'anti-glare' screen, draw 2 vertical lines in felt-tip, 5 cms apart, so that you have a strip 5 cms wide located over the middle of the text you are reading.

Now move your eyes in a 'Z' pattern down this central strip, at a speed faster slightly faster than is comfortable.

Because your Mind is not reading each word, it is forced to 'fill in the gaps'. This engages much more of the Mind, since it has to build associations and patterns in the written material. This in turn
leads to greater comprehension and increased memory of what was read.

This technique takes advantage of the fact that much of written English is highly redundant; a lot of words can be skipped without any loss of meaning.

When your eyes move down a central strip of the text, you also engage much more of your peripheral vision. And that in turn brings the right hemisphere of the brain into the reading process. You make much more use of the right-brain's ability to synthesize and build relationships within the material.

So speed reading is not just about reading faster; it also allows you to access much more of the brain and thereby increases your comprehension and creativity.

Some more on Incresing reading speed

As our eyes move across the page they make a series of jerky movements. Whenever they come to rest on a word that is called a fixation. Most people fixate once on each word across a line of print.
In order to make our speed increase we must take in more words with each fixation, rather than make our eyes move faster.
1. Try to avoid focusing on every word, but rather look at groups of 2 to 3 words. For instance, this sentence could be grouped in this manner: for instance / this sentence / could be grouped / in this manner
2. Work on vocabulary improvement. Familiarize yourself with new words so you don't get stuck on them when you read them again.
3. If you find yourself moving your lips when reading, force yourself to read faster by following (1.) above so that you can no longer move your lips.
4. Read more! 15 minutes a day of reading an average size novel equals 18 books a year at an average reading speed!
5. Determine your purpose before reading. If you only need main ideas, then allow yourself to skim the material. Don't feel you must read very word.
6. Spend a few minutes a day reading at a faster than comfortable rate (about 2 to 3 times faster than your normal speed). Use your hand or an index card to guide your eyes down the page. Then time yourself reading a few pages at your normal speed. You'll find that often your normal reading speed will increase after your skimming practice.
7. If you have poor concentration when reading, practice reading for only 5 - 10 minutes at a time and gradually increase this time.
8. There are several books on increasing reading speed available in most bookstores. If you are serious about increasing your rate you may want to work systematically through one of these books.

Eat right during exams

STAY FIT

Eat right during exams

Many children neglect their diet and health during exams to a point of harming themselves and in turn perform badly. Some don’t drink enough water and skip meals, which leads to weakness. While some tend to overeat, munch on fatty foods like fried snacks or sweets, and drink aerated drinks through the day. This, compounded with exam tension, takes a toll on their bodies.
Drinking 2-3 litres of clean, plain water is said to hydrate the mind and body and this improves concentration and the ability to work with numbers. Skipping meals results in a drop in haemoglobin levels because of which children are unable to concentrate, are forgetful and constantly fall asleep.
Ensure that your child eats all three meals every day. Skipping meals affects the metabolism.
Breakfast can be a bowl of cereal and milk, ragi porridge and milk, whole wheat bread, egg and milk, idli sambar and milk, etc. Then they can snack on fruits if hungry before lunch. Lunch too must be balanced with either rotis, dal and sabji or rice, sambar and porrial. Curds and fresh salad make the meal complete.
At tea time, avoid giving children fried snacks or sweets. Foods rich in fat and sugar take longer to digest and makes them drowsy and lethargic. A glass of milk and a couple of slices of toast and jam or honey or green chutney makes for an ideal snack at tea time.
Dinner should be a light, very healthy meal. Rice is not advisable at night, as wheat items have more fibre and much more vitamins and minerals, which ups the metabolism and keeps children fresh to study late into the night. If they feel like having something in the middle of the night, fruits or milk/buttermilk are safest.
And when on a break from books, involve them in some physical activities instead of sitting in front of the TV or computer. It helps de-stress, pumps up endorphines (positive hormones) and reenergises the mind and heart.
stayfit@indiatimes.com

gmat good links

http://beatthegmat.blogspot.com/2005/08/ursulas-debriefing.html
http://outbeat-the-gmat.blogspot.com/2007/04/guide-to-buy-gmat-books-and-preparation.html

if you the material it should be enough

again these are highly recommended books for GMAT

1. The Official Guide for GMAT Review, 11th Edition
2. Kaplan GMAT, 2008 Edition: Premier Program (Kaplan Gmat (Book & CD-Rom))
3. Sentence Correction GMAT Preparation Guide (Manhattan Gmat Prep) this you can get online pdf and read from here

http://www.box.net/public/9fdze9qhv1#1:4406145


read some samples which say what is a good way to prep
1.http://beatthegmat.blogspot.com/2005/08/ursulas-debriefing.html
2. http://outbeat-the-gmat.blogspot.com/2007/04/guide-to-buy-gmat-books-and-preparation.html

subscribe to http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/gmat-and-related-discussions/ and there will be many people like u prep and having doubts about studying, which college startergy etc

walk besides the london eye and millenium bridge - feb 12

Had pulav cooked by my fav cook ( wifuuu), decided to have a walk outside office. BTW those who dont know where i am currently. I work in SYmbian london ...google shows it as Southwark, London SE1 8HP
Link:


some pics during my walk, whilst i was constantly singing a song Dev Anand's hum dono 'Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya..' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt15gtRMObU

enjoy the snaps

recipes

Vegetables
Vankaya/Bhaigan fry Potato Gravy (for puri) Dondakaya/Tindora fry
Vankaya tomato/Bhaigan tomato curry Beerakaya paluposi koora Potato fry
Bendakaya/Okra fry Beans fry Goruchikkudu senagapappu/Guvar fry
Vankaya masala (Bhagarabhaigan) Potato Kurma Carrot fry
Capsicum gravy Sorakaya paluposi/Bottlegourd Capsicum fry
Sorakaya/Bottlegourdfry


Vankaya/Bhaiganfry
Ingredients


Brinjals - 6 small
Onions - 1 big
Seasoning - 1 tsp of chenna dal, urad dal, mustard seeds ,pinch of hing 1/2 tsp of jeera, few red chilli pieces and curry leaves
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as required
Chilli powder - 1 tsp (adjust according to taste)
Oil - 3 tbsp
Curry powder - 3 tbsp
Method
Cut brinjals into thin slices lengthwise .
Chop onions into small pieces.
Take a pan, heat the oil and add chenna dal, urad dal, jeera, mustard seeds, red chillies, pinch of hing and curry leaves.
After mustard seeds starts to splutter, add onion and fry until light brown.
Add the cut bhaigan pieces and fry for 5 minutes.
Now add turmeric and salt. Fry for another 10 minutes on medium heat.
After it's almost done add chilli powder and curry powder.
Fry for another 2 minutes and switch off the stove.

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Potato Gravy (for puri)
Note:
For this dish pressure pan is very fast and convenient, though can be cooked in a open vessel.
Ingredients
Potatoes - 3
Onions - 2
Green chillies - 6
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as required
Turmeric - a pinch
Oil 3 tsp
Besan - 1/4 cup
Method
Wash, peel and cut pototoes into small pieces.
Chop onions and green chillies into small pieces.
Heat oil in pressure pan, add onions, green chillies and fry until onions are light brown.
Add potato pieces and saute for 2 minutes.
Add turmeric, salt and chilli powder.
Add about 2 cups of water, close the lid and cook for 3 to 4 whistles.
Pour some water in besan and make as a paste.
Open the pressure pan lid, add the paste and mix well.(this should be warm enough, otherwise there would be raw smell of besan)
This goes very well with puri and chapathi.

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Dondakaya/Tindora fry
Ingredients


Tindora - 1/2 lb
Onions - 1 big
Seasoning - 1 tsp of urad dal, mustard seeds ,pinch of hing 1/2 tsp of jeera, few red chilli pieces and curry leaves
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as required
Chilli powder - 1 tsp (adjust according to taste)
Oil - 3 tbsp
Method
Cut tindora into thin slices or cut it lengthwise and cut into pieces (semicircles).
Chop onions into small pieces.
Take a pan, heat the oil and add urad dal, jeera, mustard seeds, red chillies, pinch of hing and curry leaves.
Add the cut tindora pieces and fry for 5 minutes.
Now add turmeric and salt. Fry for another 10 to 15 minutes on medium heat.
After it's almost done (about 3/4 fried) add the choped onion pieces and fry for another 5 to 8 minutes.
Now add the chilli powder, mix well and take it off the stove.

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Vankaya tomato/Bhaigan tomato
Ingredients
Brinjals - 5 small
Onions - 1 big
Tomatoes - 2 small
Seasoning - 1 tsp of chenna dal, urad dal, mustard seeds ,pinch of hing 1/2 tsp of jeera, few red chilli pieces and curry leaves
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as required
Chilli powder - 1 tsp (adjust according to taste)
Oil - 3 tbsp
Method
Wash and cut brinjals into thin slices lengthwise .
Cut tomatoes into small pieces
Chop onions into small pieces.
Take a pan, heat the oil and add chenna dal, urad dal, jeera, mustard seeds, red chillies, pinch of hing and curry leaves.
After mustard seeds starts to splutter, add onion and fry until light brown.
Add the cut bhaigan pieces and fry for 5 minutes.
Now add turmeric and salt.Saute for a minute.
Add tomato pieces and cook until brinjal is soft and tender.
After it's almost done add chilli powder .
Cook for another 2 minutes and switch off the stove.

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Beerakaya paluposi koora/Ribbedgourd
Ingredients
Beerakaya(Ribbedgourd) - 2 small (about 3 cups of pieces)
Milk - 1 cup (approximately)
Oinion - 1 medium
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt - as required
Seasoning - 1 tsp of chenna dal, urad dal, mustard seeds ,pinch of hing 1/2 tsp of jeera, few red chilli pieces and curry leaves
Oil - 2 tbsp
Method
Peel, wash and cut beerakaya into small pieces.
Also cut onions into small pieces.
Heat oil in a pan and add chenna dal, urad dal, jeera, mustard seeds, red chillies, pinch of hing and curry leaves.
After mustard seeds starts to splutter, add onion and fry until light brown.
Add beerakaya pieces and cook for about 5 minutes and then add salt & turmeric.
Cook for another 10 minutes and add a cup of milk.
Add chilli powder and cook slowly for another 10 minutes or until it becomes thick.

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Potato fry
Ingredients
Potato - 3 big potatoes
Onion - 1 medium sized
Salt - as required
Chilli powder -1 tsp
Turmeric - pinch
Oil - 2 to 3 tbsp
Seasoning - 1 tsp of chenna dal urad dal, mustard seeds ,pinch of hing 1/2 tsp of jeera, few red chilli pieces and curry leaves
Method
Peel the potatoes and wash them.
Cut the potatoes into small pieces and put them in a vessel with water ( this prevents potatoes into turning brown).
Put a non-stick pan on the stove and add oil. After heated add channa dal,urad dal , red chilli pieces, curry leaves, mustard seeds, jeera and a pinch of hing.
When mustard starts to splutter add onions fry until light brown..
Add the potato pieces and fry for 5 minutes. Add salt, turmeric and fry on medium heat until they are cooked and fried.
After potato is fried add chilli powder and just fry for a minute and switch off the stove.

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Bendakaya/Okra fry
Ingredients
Okra - 1/2 lb
Onions - 1 big
Seasoning - 1 tsp of urad dal, mustard seeds ,pinch of hing 1/2 tsp of jeera, few red chilli pieces and curry leaves
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as required
Chilli powder - 1 tsp (adjust according to taste)
Oil - 3 tbsp
Method
Cut Okra/ladiesfinger into thin slices horizontally.
Chop onions into small pieces.
Take a pan, heat the oil and add urad dal, jeera, mustard seeds, red chillies, pinch of hing and curry leaves.
Add the cut okra pieces and fry for 5 minutes.
Now add turmeric and salt. Fry for another 10 to 15 minutes on medium heat.
After it's almost done (about 3/4 fried) add the choped onion pieces and fry for another 5 to 8 minutes.
Now add the chilli powder, mix well and take it off the stove.

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Beans fry
Ingredients
Beans - 1/2 lb
Onion - 1 medium sized
Salt - as required
Chilli powder -1 tsp
Turmeric - pinch
Oil - 2 to 3 tbsp
Curry powder - 3 tbsp
Seasoning - 1 tsp of chenna dal urad dal, mustard seeds ,pinch of hing 1/2 tsp of jeera, few red chilli pieces and curry leaves
Method
Wash beans and cut them into small pieces.
Chop onions into small pieces.
Put a non-stick pan on the stove and add oil. After heated add channa dal,urad dal , red chilli pieces, curry leaves, mustard seeds, jeera and a pinch of hing.
When mustard starts to splutter add onions fry until light brown..
Add the cut beans and fry for 10 minutes. Add salt, turmeric and fry on medium heat until they are cooked and fried.
After beans are fried add chilli powder and just fry for a minute, sprinkle curry powder and switch off the stove.
Note:
Try the same recipe with frozen french cut beans, reduces the cutting time and looks very good.

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Goruchikkudu senagapappu/Guvar fry
Ingredients
Guvar beans/goruchikkudu - 1/2 lb
Chenna dal - 1 cup
Onions - 1
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Salt - as required
Chilli powder - 1 tsp (adjust according to your taste)
Turmeric - a pinch
Oil - 2 tbsp
Seasoning - 1 tsp of mustard seeds ,pinch of hing, 1/2 tsp of jeera, few red chilli pieces and curry leaves
Method
Soak chenna dal for a hour, and cook them adding water until soft.
Cut guvar beans, wash them and cook in water until half done.
You can also put both of them in separate vessels and cook in pressure cooker, but be careful not to overcook them.
Chop onion into small pieces.
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, red chillies, curry leaves, hing, and jeera.
When mustard starts to splutter, add onions and fry until light brown.
Add salt and turmeric.
Drain all the water from guvar beans and add to the onions. Fry for about 10 minutes until it looks fried.
Now add chenna dal to this and fry for another 5 to 8 minutes.
Add chilli powder and stir.
Add grated coconut and fry for 2 more minutes.

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Vankaya masala (Bhagarabhaigan)
Ingredients
Brinjals - 8 small
Onions - 1 medium
Green chillies - 4
Oil - 5 tbsp
For paste:
Onion chopped - 1 cup
Groundnuts - 1/4 cup
Sesame seeds (optional) - 2 tsp
Coconut grated - 1/4 cup
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Cloves - 4
Cinnamon - small piece
Tomato - 1
Tamarind water
Salt - as required
Method
Dry roast peanuts/groundnuts until raw smell is gone, add sesame seeds and coconut in the same pan and fry for 1 to 2 minutes and take away from heat. Keep a lid handy as sesame seeds splitter all around.
Grind all the items under For paste:
Slit the brinjals into four , not fully (keeping the stem intact).
Heat oil in a pan, add green chillies, onions and fry until light brown.
Add brinjals, stir for some time. Pour the ground paste, salt and little water.See the taste and add chilli powder or salt according to taste.
Cover and cook until brinjal are cooked and gravy is thick, stirring once in a while.
Serve hot with fried rice, chapatti or plain rice.

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Potato Kurma
Ingredients
Coming soon

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Carrot fry
Ingredients
Carrots - 3 cups of pieces or grated
Onions - 1 medium
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Seasoning - 1 tsp of chenna dal urad dal, mustard seeds ,pinch of hing 1/2 tsp of jeera, few red chilli pieces and curry leaves
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as required
Chilli powder - 1 tsp (adjust according to taste)
Oil - 3 tbsp
Method
Wash carrots and cut them into small pieces or grate them.
Chop onions into small pieces.
Heat oil in a pan and add chenna dal, urad dal, jeera, mustard seeds, red chillies, pinch of hing and curry leaves.
After mustard seeds starts to splutter, add onion and fry until light brown.
Add carrot and fry for some time. Add salt, turmeric and fry for another 10 minutes.
When carrots look fried and cooked, add chilli powder and 1 cup of grated coconut.
Fry for another 5 minutes and switch off the stove.

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Capsicum gravy
Ingredients
Capsicum - 2 medium
Onions - 2 medium
Peanuts or sesame seeds - 1/4 cup
Coriander seeds - 1/4 cup
Ginger - small piece
Garlic - 4 flakes
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as required
Turmeric - a pinch
Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp (adjust according to your taste)
Oil - 2 tbsp
Method
Wash and cut capsicum into slices, lengthwise.
Chop onion into pieces.
Heat a small pan, dry roast coriander seeds and peanuts(or sesame seeds).
Add half of the onion pieces and fry until raw smell goes.
When cool enough, grind coriander seeds, peanuts(or sesame seeds), onions, ginger, garlic and garam masala.
Heat oil in a pan, add remaining onions and fry until light brown.
Add capsicum pieces and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add salt, turmeric, chilli powder and mix.
Add grounded paste, about 1/2 cup of water and cook until capsicum is soft and gravy thickness.

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Sorakaya paluposi(Bottlegourd)
Ingredients
Sorakaya - 1 small (about 3 cups of pieces)
Milk - 1/2 cup (approximately)
Oinion - 1 medium
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt - as required
Seasoning - 1 tsp of chenna dal, urad dal, mustard seeds ,pinch of hing 1/2 tsp of jeera, few red chilli pieces and curry leaves
Oil - 2 tbsp
Method
Cut sorakaya into small pieces.
Also cut onions into small pieces.
Heat oil in a pan and add chenna dal, urad dal, jeera, mustard seeds, red chillies, pinch of hing and curry leaves.
After mustard seeds starts to splutter, add onion and fry until light brown.
Add sorakaya pieces and cook for about 5 minutes and then add salt & turmeric.
Cook for another 5 minutes and add milk.
Add chilli powder and cook slowly for another 10 to 15 minutes or until it becomes thick.

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Capsicum fry
Ingredients
Capsicum - 2 big or 4 medium
Onions - 1 big
Seasoning - 1 tsp of urad dal, mustard seeds ,pinch of hing 1/2 tsp of jeera, few red chilli pieces and curry leaves
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as required
Chilli powder - 1 tsp (adjust according to taste)
Oil - 3 tbsp
Method
Cut capsicum into small pieces (or cut them lengthwise, but takes more time to fry them.
Chop onions into small pieces.
Take a pan, heat the oil and add urad dal, jeera, mustard seeds, red chillies, pinch of hing and curry leaves.
After mustard seeds starts to splutter, add onion and fry until light brown.
Now add capsicum and fry for 10 minutes.
Add salt, turmeric and fry for another 10 minutes or until done.
Don't cover the pan with lid if you want capsicum to be dry fried, if you do so it gives some water to the capsicum.
Now add chilli powder and sprinkle with some curry powder.
After a minute take it away from the stove.

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Sorakaya fry
Ingredients
Sorakaya - 1 small (about 4 cups of pieces)
Oinion - 1 medium
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt - as required
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Seasoning - 1 tsp of chenna dal, urad dal, mustard seeds ,pinch of hing 1/2 tsp of jeera, few red chilli pieces and curry leaves
Oil - 2 tbsp
Method
Cut sorakaya into small pieces.
Also cut onions into small pieces.
Heat oil in a pan and add chenna dal, urad dal, jeera, mustard seeds, red chillies, pinch of hing and curry leaves.
After mustard seeds starts to splutter, add onion and fry until light brown.
Add sorakaya pieces and cook for about 5 minutes and then add salt & turmeric.
Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, after done add chilli powder and garam masala powder.

Real GMAT Observations from manhattan

Real GMAT Observations

Real GMAT Observations January 30th, 2008 by TazM As part of our commitment to helping students achieve high scores on the GMAT, we stay on top of the latest configurations of the test. We have compiled very recent reports from real test takers for today's post. We certainly gained some insight into the latest look and feel of the GMAT.Quantitative Our sources reported that the Quantitative section heavily covered algebra. Even many of the more challenging questions were algebra-related. Test takers also encountered many inequalities, second-order equations, and absolute value. One person observed that many of the Problem Solving questions involved "which of the following three statements are true." You might see a few probability questions and one or two combinatorics questions. However, there could be six or seven geometry questions. Also be prepared to tackle challenging coordinate geometry questions.Data Sufficiency questions were prevalent (as high as 40% of 37 questions with some appearing consecutively in a string) in the tests of very high-performing candidates. Verbal Like the Quantitative section, the Verbal section also seemed to be weighted in a particular area. In this case, it was Sentence Correction. One test taker counted 16 Sentence Correction questions, 12 Critical Reasoning, and 13 Reading Comprehension in total.Sentence Correction Sentence fragments and tangled syntax were common issues in the sentence correction questions. Some test takers were actually surprised to see such a high number of those kinds of questions. Many of the Sentence Correction questions were primarily testing idioms, including:X grew "at twice last year's rate" (vs. the incorrect "at twice that of last year's rate" or simply "grew twice last year's rate")"more so than""attested to" (vs. the incorrect "testified of")"such as" vs. "like"There were a few questions in which many of the incorrect answer choices were missing main verbs.These sentences, and others as well, featured highly tangled syntax, with the main verb following a confusing clause in the subject. In one particular case, the sentence as written was incomprehensible and could only be figured out after the student looked at the answer choices. Verb tense and parallelism were other issues that came up often.Critical Reasoning This section did not offer as many surprises. There are some inference questions. One person reported that two questions asked to resolve a paradox.Reading Comprehension Most test takers saw about four Reading Comprehension passages. Most of the passages asked about the main purpose and were quite short. Some topics tested include the likes of savings rates, fossil fuels, civil rights, and dinosaurs. Each passage had three or four questions. Some questions from these sections often seemed like critical reasoning ones, in which they ask what would weaken or strengthen the passage's reasoning or which choice best illustrated a point made in the passage.
Critical Reasoning & Reading Comprehension Tips December 10th, 2007 by TazM Our students have often times come to us for special advice on Critical Reasoning as they found it hard to improve their scores on it. Here are a few special tips:There are additional real GMAT tests for sale on www.mba.com in pdf files. It is about $25 for 3 tests.Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension are the two areas that require inherent skill sets and knowledge. There are limited shortcuts. You need to find the best way you can read fast and comprehend accurately. Locate a LSAT book and do the Critical Reasoning problems from there. They are harder than the GMAT. It will be a good practice. You need to read editorial columns of a top English newspaper on a daily basis to improve your Reading Comprehension.

10 Imaginitive Ways to Pump your Mind for Ideas

source : http://cultivategreatness.com/2008/02/07/10-imaginitive-ways-to-pump-your-mind-for-ideas

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Ever play with Tinkertoys as a kid? This toy where you had wheels with peg holes in it, and wood stems of various sizes in which you could create anything. Well, I ran across this book, Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques, by Michael Michalko, has inspired my creativity… I’m only about 28 pages into it!
He has ten ways to help drive your creative juices. I have paraphrased them for us to use.

1. Set an Idea Quota. - Give your mind a workout every day. Set yourself a n idea quota for a challenge you are working on, such as finve new ideas ever day for a week. you’ll find the first five are the hardest, but these will quickly trigger other ideas. The more ideas you come up with, the greater your chances of coming up with winner. Having an idea quota will force you to actively generate ideas and alternatives rather than waiting for them to occur to you.
2. Get Tone. - Fighter pilots say, “I’ve gone tone” when their radar locks onto a target. That’s the point at which the pilot and plane are totally focus on the target. “Getting tone” in everyday life means paying attention to what’s happening around you.
Ordinarily we do not make the fullest use of our ability to see. We move through life looking at a tremendous quantity of information, objects, and scenes, and yet we look but do not see. Paying attention to the world around you will help you develop the extraordinary capacity to look at mundane things and see the miraculous.
3. Don’t Be a Duke of Habit. - Stretch yourself and take a the road less traveled occasionally. Deliberately program changes into your daily life. Make a list of the things you do by habit. Try driving a different route to work. Change your sleeping hours, Read a different newspaper, Try different recipes. Take a bath instead of a shower. You would be surprised how your mind reacts to new things in this way.
The Brain that doesn’t feed itself, eats itself. -Gore Vidal
4. Feed Your Head. - Leaders are Readers. So are creative people. Lets feed our heads full of amazing information, and have a larger database in which to pull ideas from. Read Magazines on varied subjects. Read Nonfiction. When reading them, practice thinking up solutions for any problems presented in the book, before they reveal it in the book. Think as you read, and take notes. Write in the margins of your book, write in a notebook the ideas you have captured from the book, highlight passages. Also, feel free to OUTLINE a book prior to your reading it, to help you know what you are going to learn. Also, maybe you could outline the book after you read it, without looking at the table of contents.
5. Do a Content Analysis. - Check things out! Do a scan of your junkmail before you throw it away, in fact, put all your junkmail in a big box for about a month, then scan it to see if there are any emerging trends or ideas to be gleamed from it. When you are on the road, scan local newspapers for interesting ideas. Observe popular culture and find out what people are interested in and why they are popular. Attend many business lectures and seminars as you can. Listen to different radio stations every week to get a variety of input.
6. Create a Brain Bank. - I love this idea. Collect and store ideas like a pack rat. Keep a container (coffee can, Tupperware, shoebox, etc) of ideas and idea starters. Begin collecting interesting ads, quotes, designs, pictures,questions, cartoons, doodles and words that might triggers ideas by association.
Each day, remind yourself that you are working on disciplines everyday that making you better and better. - Jim Rohn
When looking for a new idea, shake up your BrainBank and pull out a couple ideas and free associate, you will be pleasantly surprised how this will help you.
7. Be a Travel Junkie. - When you are bored, GET UP AND GO SOMEWHERE! Go to a trade show, a quirky store, an antique shop, museum, or flea market… just go. And when you are there, walk around with an open mind and allow yourself to be DRAWN to something. Once there, use your mind to make a connection to something else in your life, and it may creatively help you solve some problem.
8. Capture your Thoughts. - Record your thoughts, Carry around a little moleskin in your back pocket. Scientists say that we can keep 5-9 ideas actively in our mind, then they float away. We remember some, and some are gone. By, keeping the notebook in your backpocket, you will capture the thought when it is there. Then you can review it, and perhaps your mind may be able to make a better connection with it later on.
9. Think Right. - Consciously work to make your thinking more fluent with your thinking. So, making descriptive lists as a way to capture thought fluency.
10. Keep an Idea Log. - Take a Moleskine or a Composition book, and divide it into sections that you want to captures ideas. Marketing ideas, Home Improvement Ideas, special projects, planning ideas, comedy skits, or whatever you wish to capture.
After you read the book, you may want to consider purchasing the accompanying Thinkpak: A Brainstorming Card Deck which gives you additional exercises to help you tap into your creativity.
Hope this helps you!
Successfully,
Travis Wright