What is love actually?
  nuances of ego. Human ego wants a relationship; this feeling comes from the mind. Love that is more than infatuation. It’s totally related to heart. Let your heart replace your mind and start loving your partner truly. Relationships are intended to be the most striking part of human life, but regrettably it is the most intricate one. In solitary word, the ground is ego. “Give me some personal space”, “Please let me breathe”, “Stop this nonsense, I can’t take it anymore”, “Stop doubting me”, “The call was waiting whom were you talking with?”, “What the heck do you think of yourself?” and  so on. These sentences are natural when you get provoked by your partner. We are all ego-driven to some extent, so let’s acknowledge it and embrace that we need to separate the ego to cultivate and maintain a truly amazing relationship with someone. People think it is macho to use ego to get what they want. It’s probably the reason why some people are very successful, but they end up losing a fair bit in terms of respect outside work. Ego really blinds a lot of people and we have this ME, ME, ME culture. Had they’ve slowed down a bit and gone for a softer way  to handle things, it would have been better. Partners might feel much better. We’d be happy to sacrifice comfort for the greater good and longevity of a relationship. The best way to think of your ego is to remember the old Tom and Jerry cartoons. Remember the little devil that would appear? Well, think of the little devil on the left shoulder as your ego. The angel on the right shoulder is what you need to listen to!  Brush that dirt off your shoulder. Nothing will ruin a relationship (even the best of relationships) more quickly than ego. Oppose the enticement to defend yourself: Think about the number of times you’ve fought with a significant other and whenever things get a little heated, you start to defend yourself. All you hear is you being attacked, and you immediately go into “defending yourself” mode. Do you know that when you defend yourself in a fight, what’s really happening is your ego is defending itself? It also means that you’ve stopped listening to the other person. If someone tells you that they don’t like the way you’ve been acting lately, why not hear them out instead of defending yourself? It will almost always create a much better outcome. An ego-free relationship will have a nourishing, benevolent influence on every other  relationship. Its influence and positivity will prevent the birth of any ego. So guys throw a dart on your calendar when you go on a romantic date. Make your partner feel special. Love unconditionally. Live life to the fullest by a spirit of sacrifice. “Real happiness lies in making others happy.”Don’t be fake; the realistic ego is very important. Try to look out of the frame and fulfill the expectations of your partner, get adjusted in some situations. Leave your ego and let the relationship win. You will be the happiest person on earth! - S Ratna kumari, associate professor Human development specialist Faculty of home Science Image: Flickr1, Link2, Link3, Flickr: Link4, Link5, Link6, Source: The Hans India, I do, I do, I do! British couple celebrate their love with 22 wedding ceremonies around the world and have EIGHT more still to go 
Rose petals and romance aboard an old ship in Costa Rica, left, and in Peru, right, where the couple say the ceremony was the most emotional, touching and beautiful
It is meant to be the happiest day of your life. So Alex Pelling, 32, and Lisa Grant, 30, must be having an extremely happy year. The East Yorkshire couple have been travelling the world since last summer and celebrating their love for each other by having 22 wedding ceremonies in different countries - and they still have eight to go. What's more, the pair say they are now more in love than ever. So far they have been hitched among dolphins in Hawaii, dressed as vampires in LA, on an island in Honduras, in a crayfish-riddled lake in Michigan, in a vineyard in Quebec, on the beach in Mexico, on horseback in Banff and in 15 other locations around Central, South and North America. Speaking to MailOnline, the couple - who have known each other for 11 years and been dating for six - said: 'The idea came as we looked for a place to get married before we left our lives behind to travel around the world for two years. 'The wedding opportunities offered to us in the UK did not suit what we wanted, so we decided to look for the perfect place to wed while we travelled. 'After a glass of wine or two the idea grew, and we made a decision to have a small ceremony in every country we visited, with the local cultures and traditions in mind. 'At the end of our trip (which we have just extended to three years) we will choose our favourite place to officially "tie the knot"!' Ever since their first wedding in Manchester (which Alex organised as a surprise for Lisa), the couple have kept an online blog about the travels, and professional photographers have helped document the trip. Anyone who wishes to attend one of their ceremonies can request an invitation on their blog. To fund the trip Alex and Lisa and sold both the car repair shop Alex owned and their home. Sticking to a strict weekly budget they have been travelling and living in their 25-year-old Dodge campervan, called Peggy, which has cut out any costs for accommodation. Alex said: 'The budget is very tight but we are managing. Our biggest cost is fuel, obviously, and we do a weekly shop at local markets to reducing our living costs. 'And of course we could not even begin to afford to throw a wedding every other week if it was not for the generosity of the photographers, suppliers, families and people we meet on our journey. 'Everyone helps us for free or a minimal cost as they want to help us spread the love and to be a part of our adventure!' When asked about any problems they have encountered along the way, the couple say making repairs to Peggy has been the biggest hurdle. 'Making repairs to Peggy has been our biggest hurdle,' they said. 'We bought her in Canada and have covered over 55,000km so far. We have only had minimal problems but they have been difficult to solve with the language barriers! 'With regards to the wedding side of the journey, everyone has been so accommodating and we have had very few obstacles, only once were we turned away for a ceremony for not having commited to the same religious beliefs as the local church. 'And even then the church invited us to attend mass and dedicated that evenings prayers to us and our travels and commitments to each other.' The couple say their Peru wedding was 'the most emotional, touching and stunningly beautiful; and therefore probably their favourite, and that one of the trickiest to organise was in Belize, where they wanted to hold a ceremony in the Toledo district with help from local Mayan people, but where a week-long torrential downpour and a photographer stuck 600km away hampered proceedings. 'We were about ready to give up when the sun came out just in time for the wedding! It was a beautiful day and we learned such an important lesson about the things we take for granted!' Luckily, the couple say the only unpleasant wedding guests they have had have been 'a thousand banana spiders in Honduras on the island of Utila, and maybe a couple of smelly drunk fishermen in Chile'. Even more luckily, they say they are still as much in love as they were when their adventure began. 'And probably more so! We are together 24 hours a day, seven days a week and live in a van. We arrange weddings, share the driving, split the blog workload and take it turns to make each other breakfast in bed every day. 'If there is anything that makes you know you are meant to be together it is surviving this trip without a single argument. We still get nervous before every single ceremony!' Alex and Lisa are running a competition with Zankyou and Unicef to fly two people out to their final destination wedding. To enter, visit their blog www.2people1life.com, In Guatemala the couple are dressed in the colourful clothes as they are blessed. They say that they are still as much in love now as they were when the adventure began. Source: Travelfwd+, Kareena Kapoor-Saif Ali Khan Love Story in Kareena's Words: Kareena in an
interview to Hello! India, for its latest issue has finally put an end to the world’s curiosity about how Saif Ali Khan, her live-in boyfriend of five years and husband-to-be, uttered the three magic words to her. “Actually, he never really said it… he isn’t that romantic,” says Kareena So, did she just move in one fine day even though her boyfriend hadn’t declared his feelings officially? “Nooooo, not like that! We’d been dating for a couple of months, and he said, “Look… I’m not 25 years old, you know. I can’t keep dropping you home every night. So, he came and met my mother and told her, “She’s my woman, I want to spend the rest of my life with her. We want to live together…’ My mom was pretty cool about it. I just got my stuff together and that was it. No fuss.” The ultimate sign of commitment came when Saif got her name tattooed prominently on his arm, says Kareena “It means far more to me than a piece of paper. What bigger commitment can a man make than that? I have never doubted Saif…” Actor Kareena Kapoor recalls the moment when she fell in love with beau Saif Ali Khan. “We were in Ladakh to shoot Tashan. I had just broken up with Shahid Kapoor. Even though I had met Saif socially, we hadn’t spoken much. When I spotted him near the hotel pool, he was tanning on a lounge chair, clad in just jeans. I told my friend, “Oh my God… he’s so hot!” After our first shot, we chatted and he made me laugh a lot. I hope it always stays that way. Today, we are best friends. I hope marriage only adds to what we share,” she said. Ask her about ripples in their domestic heaven and she says, “He sleeps too much! Also, he takes much longer to get ready than I do. I wait for him patiently." And what bugs Saif about her? “He yells ‘Put away that damn phone…’ as I am constantly BBM-ing. Other than this, we don’t really argue or fight,” admits Bebo. Saif dons the apron while Bebo sips wine and waits for his masterpiece. She admits he’s the better cook. Although the actors are slated to get married on October 16, Kareena says they have lived together as husband and wife for five years. “We both knew this was going to be a commitment for life. In fact, we check into hotels as Mr and Mrs Khan. We want the wedding to be really small. Just our close friends and family. After the small signing ceremony, we’ll get into our jeans and ganjis and chill out!” Kareena-Saif Love Story, Saif Ali Khan-Kareena Kapoor Love Story, Kareena-Saif Romance story, Image: photobucket.com, Source: Latest News, Kidnap Victim Elizabeth Smart's Fairy Tale Wedding Details: Surrounded by family and friends, a jubilant Elizabeth Smart marries Matthew Gilmour in a beautiful Hawaiian paradise just a month after the two were engaged. The 24-year-old kidnap survivor shares details of her romance with her Scottish Prince Charming, her dress, and their big day exclusively in this week's issue of PEOPLE. This fairy-tale ending could not have been foreseen 10 years ago, when Smart, just 14, was kidnapped from her bedroom in Salt Lake City. Miraculously rescued nine months later, she grew into a confident young woman who bravely faced down her captor in court and vowed not only to forgive him, but to move on with her own life despite her horrific ordeal. And now that same young woman – who works as a child-abuse advocate – inspires her friends and family as she enters this bright new chapter of her life. "It's who she is now that is the important thing," her new mother-in-law, Kay Gilmour, 49, tells PEOPLE. "She's a most gracious, very brave, very strong young woman." Healing and happiness are so intertwined for Smart that she chose to celebrate her wedding in the place she visited in 2003 during her recovery from her kidnapping, when the then-traumatized teen was first reunited with her family. "Oahu is a very special place for me, very different than what I was used to," Smart tells PEOPLE. "I guess you could say it was kind of a refuge." Perhaps as much of a relief to Smart was Gilmour's saying he had never heard of her when the two met in Paris in January 2009. "I got to know her as she truly is," says Gilmour, 22, from Aberdeen, Scotland. Both were in France to perform their Mormon missions, and a quiet friendship quickly sparked. "The thing that attracted me the most to her – at the beginning and now – is how confident she is, especially considering everything she has been through," he says. "As soon as we were together, I felt he was my best friend," Smart tells PEOPLE. "I couldn't imagine life without him." A few months later Gilmour asked her to marry him, and the two began to plan a summer wedding in Salt Lake City, where he plans to attend college. They moved up the date to escape intense interest from the media and plan a larger party back in Utah in the spring. Once they changed their plans, the race was on for a dress, and after trying on "just about every dress in Utah," Smart scored a coveted appointment slot – and a gown – at New York's historic Kleinfeld's bridal salon while on a weekend trip with a girlfriend. She had the white, dotted tulle Alita Graham retrofitted with lace sleeves and a sweetheart neckline to conform to Mormon standards for her temple wedding ceremony. Happily finalizing the remaining details for the reception with the Turtle Bay Resort, she flew from Salt Lake City with her parents, Ed and Lois, 54, and Gilmour two days early. On the morning of her wedding day, Smart looked every bit the radiant – and ready – bride. Her younger sister Mary Katherine, 19, at her side, Smart calmly snacked on dried mangoes as her family helped her fix her hair and makeup and put on her dress. Gilmour, wearing the kilt of his late father, Stewart (who died of cancer in 2008), was driven to the Laie Hawaii Temple by his uncle Neville Henderson, who assured him, "Your father is going to be here in spirit." After the ceremony, witnessed only by the immediate family and a few friends, they returned to Turtle Bay Resort for a luncheon with the entire wedding party of family and friends (including Smart's siblings Charles, 25; Andrew, 21; and William, 14). Source: Starpulse.com, David Cameron shares tips for happy marriage: David Cameron has revealed
 the secret to his successful marriage to wife of 16 years, Samantha. The British PM, 46, said resolving a row before bed time is the key to wedded bliss. And he said that despite his day job of running the country, his missus, 41, still likes him to share kitchen duties when he gets home. “Don’t go to bed on an argument, and share the cooking,” the Sun quoted Cameron as saying. Mr Cameron had previously declared how he can remember the details of his wedding night “minute by minute”. The PM said the couple keep their romance going with a weekly “date night” either at home or in an Italian restaurant. The couple have three children - Nancy, eight, Arthur, six, and two-year-old Florence. Son Ivan, who had cerebral palsy and severe epilepsy, died at the age of six. Image: flickr.com, Source: Indian Express, Flowers really are the way to a woman’s heart, say experts: London: Women are far more  likely to find a man attractive and accept a date with a stranger if they are in the presence of colourful flowers, a new study has shown. The associations between flowers and romance are so strong that the man doesn’t even have to buy a bunch of flowers himself. Nicolas Gueguen, a psychologist at the University of South Brittany, also found that just a pot of daffodils on a nearby table or a splash of colour from the garden will soften the female heart. In one study, Gueguen asked 46 female student volunteers to sit in a room on their own and watch a video of a man talking about himself. Half the students watched the video in a room brightened up with three vases of flowers – a mix of roses, daisies and marigolds. The rest sat in an identical room without flowers. When they had watched the video in the room decorated with pots of flowers, they rated the man as more attractive and were more willing to go on a date with him. In a second study, the same experiment was repeated with 122 single women aged from 18 top 20. This time after they had watched the video, they were led into a room and told to sit down where a man was waiting. The women were told he was a fellow student taking part in the experiment, but in reality he was an actor, recruited by the scientists. When the pair were left alone the man was instructed to talk for five minutes about the experiment and then ask the woman on a date. Image: photobucket.com, Source: Indian Express, Winter romance for newly-weds in Harbin: Eighteen couples from across the world 
have decided to brave the freezing temperatures in Harbin, to say "I do" en-masse. It's an annual tradition at the Ice and Snow Festival, but what's the attraction of a winter wedding? Making a commitment. Sub-zero temperatures didn't stop 18 couples from getting together to tie the knot. In fact, it made the event even more special. Gao Xiaoyu, bride, said, "It was winter when we first met. The ice wedding gives us a chance to remember our first date." With a giant snow sculpture as the backdrop, newly-weds step up to the stage to accept the blessings from relatives and friends. Li Feng, groom, said, "I'm a vocal teacher. And my wife used to practice singing in her spare time. Similar interests put us together. Our friendship blossomed into romantic love." Taking vows and swearing their love for one another, the excitement of the occasion is evident. The local government-organized group wedding is one of the highlights of the ice and snow festival in Harbin. For the couples, marriage is a commitment to love and support each other. Doing it in a unique ice city makes the event one they will never forget. Source: China.org.cn, Man to give wife million roses on Women's Day: Based on a romantic pop hit from Soviet times, a
Kazakh man has ordered one million red roses for his wife on International Women's Day that will be observed on Thursday. The man had a spat with his wife and sought to make up to her, according to the Express-K.kz news website. The order for one million Dutch-grown roses was placed with a florist in Kyzylorda city in Kazakhstan and is to be delivered on Thursday. Local prices for roses on International Women's Day ranged from 500 to 2,000 Tenge ($3 to $13) per flower, which means the one-million order could cost the caring husband between $3 million and $13 million. The 'Million Roses' song was popularised by Soviet pop diva Alla Pugacheva in 1982. The song, which tells a story of an artist trying to win a woman's heart through the gift of flowers, sold over six million copies as a single. Image: flickr.com, Source: Asian Age, Valentine’s Day History, Traditions, Facts &
Figures: By Marina Kosareva: Hello and Happy each Valentine’s Day! If you are single I know you feel like switching me off right about now but don’t be in a rush. This is not going to be a lovey-dovey programme. I’m going to take a look at this romantic holiday and investigate how it all began and why we are all forced to feel guilty bad about it one way or another. If you are one of those people who can’t wait for this day to come you’re probably wondering what guilt has to do with it, let me explain. So if you are single, all this day does is point out the fact that you have no one special in your life, right? That’s the way it works. If you happen to like someone you might expect them to give you something as a sign that they are into you. So you spend your day wondering and in the end you might not get anything. That doesn't necessarily mean that guy or girl doesn’t like you. It could mean that they don’t like this holiday. And this brings me to the reason why even those who do have someone special in their life, sometimes feel guilty about Valentine’s Day as well. There are so many men and women out there who hate the fact that they have to show and prove their affection on one particular day of the year. They don’t like the fact that it’s becoming increasingly commercialized and that they’re being forced to buy all these little chocolates and teddy bears in the shape of heart. You know what I’m talking about. All the stores fill their shelves in red merchandise with “I love you” blasting in every corner. Don’t worry if you’re one of the romantic types, I’m not here to destroy your Valentine’s Day. I just want to give you both sides here. So imagine a girl who’s had no one on Valentine’s Day for a year or two or more, and the all of a sudden she happens to be with someone on this day. But the guy she’s with is not into the holiday. So again she gets nothing. That makes her feel bad and the guy feel bad as well. This actually happened to me before. For about three years I always managed to find myself single on this holiday. Then one year, I thought finally I’m not going to feel like an outcast on Valentine’s Day. Well, guess what? My boyfriend hated Valentine’s Day. So when he came home from work that evening like nothing ever happened, I was looking at him like, come on what are we doing, where are we going. You know expecting that he had planned a romantic evening somewhere. You know what I got? A tempurpedic pillow pillow that we had discussed about buying for a long time and he just happened to pass by a store and get it. It didn't even have anything to do with Valentine’s Day. Needless to say it was the most unromantic gift I had ever received on this day. Then when I told him about how it was Valentine’s Day and couples normally do this and that he told me how felt about it and then felt guilty that I was disappointed. So all of a sudden this day that’s supposed to be all about romance and happiness became very sad. And by the way, if it wasn’t Valentine’s Day we would’ve had a great evening. Isn’t that ironic? In any case I decided to forget what this day means and he decided to organize romantic events for this occasion because it meant something to me. So now he plans and buys me stuff and I don’t. I’m just kidding of course. Oh and another point I want to make here is about expectations. All the women I know have their hopes up for what they’re going to get or what they will do on this day. If by any chance they don’t get what they expected somewhere deep inside they are disappointed. No isn’t that just terrible? I don’t know about you but I think this day is just made for disaster. OK don’t turn off the radio, I’m done ranting about it. Now I will actually talk about how the whole Valentine’s Day thing started. I actually never researched it so I was very curious to find out myself. I want to know who’s responsible for this romance madness and how it became an international extravaganza with so many products and events dedicated to it. So let’s begin our exploration. Saint Valentine’s day is named after early Christian martyrs. We don’t know who exactly because there were many men named Valentine back in those days. The day was established by Pope Gelasius I in 500 AD. Back then, people honored two Valentines and those were the Valentine of Rome and the Valentine of Terni. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia there was another martyr named Valentine but not much is known about him. And of course then the day had nothing to do with love or romance. It was just a name day. In 1969 when the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints was revised, Saint Valentine’s Day was removed and transferred to local and national calendars. That was because the Church didn’t have enough information about the person it was named after. The only place that still celebrates this day in the traditional sense is Balzan which is in Malta. And that’s because they claim to have found relics of the saint. Traditionalist Catholics are also said to follow in their lead. Now, if we are talking about legends then there are two versions of the story. One says that Saint Valentine was being persecuted for being a Christian. Before his execution he performed a miracle by healing the blind daughter of his jailer. According to American Greetings there was a twist to that legend. They claim that before Valentine was executed, he wrote the first "valentine" card and that was to the girl he healed. He addressed her as his beloved and signed "from your Valentine". Another twist to this legend claims Valentine was a priest who disagreed with a law ordering young men to remain single and performed secret marriage ceremonies for them. If we look at time periods in terms of months, in the ancient Athenian calendar, mid-January to mid-February was dedicated to the sacred marriage of Zeus and Hera and was known as gamelion. In Ancient Rome, February 13th through the 15th was considered a period of fertility known as Lupercalia.If we talk about facts here, the first association of St. Valentine’s Day with romance was made by English poet Geoffrey Chaucer. He wrote a poem in honor of the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia. It said, "For this was Saint Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate." Unfortunately, in terms of romance and birds mating this didn’t make sense because experts say that the middle of February is an unlikely months for birds to be mating in England. In any case, in 1797 a British publisher created The Young Man’s Valentine Writer which had verses for those incapable of writing romantic poems to their loved ones. They became extremelypopular and the rest of course is history. Hallmark claims that more than 140 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged each year and more than half of those are purchased in the six days leading up to the holiday. Now that’s Hallmark research but in general about a billion Valentine's Day cards are said to be exchanged in the US each year. It’s also one the largest seasonal card-sending occasions of the year, next to Christmas. Women are said to purchase 85% of all the cards which is hardly surprising. I haven’t met many men who like to talk or write about their emotions at length. And if you do a get a card sometimes it’s empty which kind of defeats the purpose, but anyway. Apparently most of these cards are given to teachers, then children, following that we have mothers, then wives and finally romantic partners and pets. Yes even pets get to feel special on Valentine’s Day. I think that’s ridiculous. At least give them a special food or something. You know something they can appreciate. I must say I was surprised to hear that teachers and children get more cards than wives and significant others. Parents actually get 1 out of every 5 cards. Looking at this in a global perspective, over 50 million roses are given for Valentine's Day each year. Now who do you think buys most of the flowers, men or women? This is no srprise really. 73% are bought by men and the rest by women. Men also buy most of the candy. By the way Richard Cadbury was the one who invented the first Valentine’s Day candy box. And that was in the late 1800s. Oh and check this out. Apparently the Italian city of Verona, famous for being the homeland of Romeo and Juliet’s romance, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every Valentine's Day. I can’t help but wonder who sends these letters. It can’t be small children because they wouldn’t be reading Shakespeare at such a young age. And as far as anyone else goes, why do that? I don’t get it. And that’s our round up of interesting facts about Valentine’s day. I don’t know about you but personally I’ve learned a lot of new things about this holiday. I almost feel like a Valentine’s Day expert now. It’s amazing how it all started so simply and exploded into this super crazy shopping extravaganza. I looked at some of the cards that were made in the mid 1980s and they are so simple, yet it’s clear that a lot of thought went into them. They are super detailed and have embellishments on them. Now our cards are all aimed at creating some sort of an effect. And that’s usually to shock you or make you laugh. I definitely think that there was more meaning in this day before. Here in Russia this holiday is of course celebrated like in most parts of the world. We have events organized at various clubs and bars. The shops are all decked out in ‘Be By Valentine’ type of stuff. As far as other countries go, there are many which celebrate this holiday on different dates and have slightly different names for it but the principle is always the same more or less. There is one place I want to talk about in particular though and that’s because I found something they do quite funny. So apparently in South Korea if you got nothing on the 14th of February or the 14th of March which is another extension of their version of this holiday then you go and eat. Yeap, if you got no presents then you should go to a Chinese restaurant, eat black noodles and mourn your single life. Mourn your single life? That’s a bit harsh don’t you think. Now that’s exactly what I was talking about earlier. All this day does is making people feel guilty all the time. Anyway let’s move on and take a look at countries where Valentine’s Day is being met with a lot of harsh criticism. First we have India. Even though the holiday is becoming extremely popular over there Hindu and Islamic traditionalists call it a cultural contamination from the West. They have asked their followers to boycott the holiday as well as any form of so-called ‘public admission of love’ as they are and again I quote alien to Indian culture. In 2002 and 2008 religious police in Saudi Arabia, managed to ban the sale of all Valentine's Day items, instructing shop workers to remove all red items. That’s because they said the day is considered a Christian holiday. And guess what happened next? A black market appeared selling roses and wrapping paper. I swear I think I’ve heard it all today. Black market for caviar is one thing but for wrapping paper? Let’s move on to Pakistan where Valentine’s day is becoming increasingly popular but there are people trying to put an end to it. Apparently a political party is calling for it to be banned. Over in Iran, this holiday is seen as anything but representative of Islamic culture. Conservatives have been criticizing it for years. Actually this year the Iranian printing works owners' union banned the printing and distribution of any goods promoting the holiday. That includes cards, teddy bears and everything else along those lines. But we’re not perfect either. In the Belgorod region here in Russia the local government has also banned the holiday. Shops cannot sell special merchandise, venues cannot host events dedicated to the holiday. Officials claim tit promotes temporary affections rather than true love, and therefore contradicts Russia's traditional culture and morals. Image: Photobucket, Source: Voice of Russia, A very French 'Roméo & Juliette': French musicals are quite distinct from Broadway or West
The French musical "Roméo & Juliette" will land in Shanghai on December 22 for a 16-day holiday run at Shanghai Culture Square, the city's new musical theater venue on Yongjia Road.
End productions; they tend to be more impressionistic and emotional, with more emphasis on the music itself than on exposition of the story. Since it premiered in Paris in 2001, the French "Roméo & Juliette" based on Shakespeare's play has been performed in 16 countries and in 12 languages, watched by more than 5 million people. Musical theater is in its infancy in China, though it's catching on. The construction of Shanghai Culture Square attests to the high expectations for musical theater in China. Most musicals are foreign imports of hit shows, a couple, such as "Mamma Mia!" and "Cats," have been translated into idiomatic Chinese and given Chinese touches. Both were very successful in first-tier cities such as Shanghai and Beijing and both are touring nationally. So far, only a few original Chinese musicals have been staged. Fei Yuanhong, artistic director of Shanghai Culture Square, says the French "Roméo & Juliette" is very French and was imported because it's quite different from Broadway and West End productions. It's staged in 18th-19th century French costume. "The culture of the French people is very unique. It's perceptual and romantic," Fei says. "French musicals place more emphasis on the music than the drama itself, so they are really great to listen to." The language tends to be more flowery and emotional and sometimes characters step out of character and make observations about what's happening in the play. This "Roméo & Juliette" will have Chinese subtitles, but the story is so universally famous that there should be no problem understanding. "You see a lot of original plays on Broadway and the West End, but many French musicals are adapted from famous stories. So you can dive into the plot line when the music starts," Fei says. The score by Gerard Presgurvic contains songs in diverse styles. Some are famous and topped the French billboard when the musical premiered a decade ago, such as "Aimer" ("Love") and "Les Rois du Monde" ("Kings of this world"). Together with the dances and often impressionistic stage design, the French shows provide a fresh experience for local audience, according to Fei. However, introducing foreign musicals is just one way to promote musical theater in China. United Asia Live Entertainment introduced Chinese versions of two Broadway musicals, "Cats" and "Mamma Mia!" Last year "Mamma Mia!" was staged in 190 shows in six cities - Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Wuhan and Xi'an - and selling 85 million yuan (US$13.6 million) in tickets. It is now touring more second-tier cities. "Cats" was a big success at Shanghai Grand Theater from August to October this year. Today it celebrates its 100th show in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, and moves on to Beijing. The investment in the Chinese "Mamma Mia!" was around 70 million yuan and for "Cats" it was 70 to 80 million yuan, according to Ma Chengcheng, vice manager of marketing for United Asia Live Entertainment. The box office for "Cats" was more than 32 million yuan in Shanghai and attendance was more than 90 percent, considered a huge success. Localizing the Chinese-language musicals helps tell the story, making the story and lyrics easier to understand. In the Shanghai version of "Cats," which is set in a junk yard, familiar props are used, such as "Xinhua Zidian," the best-selling Chinese language dictionary, mooncake boxes and Shanghai car license plates. "And for the performances, we added Shanghai dialect and will have some Cantonese when performing in Guangzhou," Ma says. A well-developed musical market includes regular performances, repertory theater, brand loyalty, touring casts and related industries, such as themed merchandize. Last year, Shanghai Culture Square imported the French musical "Notre-Dame de Paris," and Fei says tickets for "Roméo & Juliette" are selling better than those for "Notre Dame." "The market for musicals is developing and getting bigger, but it will take quite some time for the market to mature and for watching musicals to become a lifestyle," Fei says. On the journey of expanding the musical market in China, United Asia Live Entertainment's ultimate goal is to create original Chinese musical productions, says Ma. "Next year we may try to make some small-scale original musicals ... (but) it still needs original creations to support the Chinese musical industry," he said. Source: China.org.cn, Age no bar for Delhi divas: “40s is the new
30s,” agrees socialite Tanisha Mohan, and she supports Hollywood actress Cameron Diaz when she says that she feels better and content in her 40s than she did in her mid-20s. Irrespective of the Hollywood and India divide, what Diaz said holds true if we notice the pretty faces in Delhi circuit. Women, well above their 40s, dress up in expensive designer brands and look so comfortable in their skin that they seem to give a tough competition to the younger lot. A businesswoman, Ramola Bachchan, in her late 40s, does not mind experimenting with her style and is confident about trying out dresses of different lengths. “It is so because I am confident to wear what I want. I don’t need to dress up like a mother or a grandmother if I am in certain age. Everyone wants to look smart and stylish and wear what works for them,” says Ramola. A constant face in the party circuit, Tanisha Mohan is known for her labels and confidence with which she carries them. “20s is the time when you are struggling and trying to find your hood. In 30s, you are still settling down but by the time you reach 40s, you are comfortable in your skin, and know what you are and what you want in life. All this gives you the confidence to do things your way. Women are changing in the way they used to be earlier. They have time to pamper themselves, manage multiple things, work-out for the best body type and have the confidence and the guts to do stuff they want,” justifies Tanisha. Designer Rina Dhaka says changes come with time and age. “Experience and life gives you the confidence, which makes you look best in your 40s. Sometime back I dug out an image of myself shot by Prabuddha Dasgupta when I was 22 and tell you the least, I was shocked looking at the image. Though I had everything from success to money, family support and a man who loved me, but I looked miserable due to lack of confidence. Now that I have crossed all the barriers and everything in life is sorted, I feel as if I am in my 20s. 40s is the age when women have attitude, happiness, fitness and confidence, so they look the best,” says Rina. Make-up artist Meenakshi Dutt says there is no need to stop. “There is nothing called old age now. Why should we stop putting make-up, dressing up or going out? Life is all about us, our personality and the way we want to live,” says Meenakshi, who strongly advocates that age is just number. Tanisha adds, “I have seen many women in their 40s looking absolutely fabulous and girls in their 20s looking not too pleasant. Everything depends on your confidence”.Image: flickr.com, Source: The Asian Age, Salman Khan and his beautiful women: He's
hot, he's sexy and women across the globe swoon over him. Yeh, we are talking about Bollywood star Salman Khan. Many call him a bad boy, a 'woman beater', yet he's the hunk and the best for all the females. Salman Khan has entertained us with his various avatars for decades now. Call him a lover boy, a comedian or an action hero, Sallu bhai blooms in each of his roles. Today, he's one of the most successful actors of the industry. But, we feel that the credit for his success should also go to those actresses, who have worked with Salman in various films. Salman romanced several actresses onscreen. We are here to treat you with the pictures of few of his onscreen women. Whom do you think looks the best with Sallu onscreen? Source: Salman Khan, A Cute Love Story Of Husband And Wife:
There was a husband who Daily sent his wife a rose, When he was out of town. 1 day he died, Still his wife received a rose, Every day………She was shocked…She asked the florist…He told her…That her husband had paid Advance for her whole life…..“love someone in such a way that it remains forever….”Source: Article, Wedding
bells for five Bollywood beauties: Marriage is no more a roadblock for Bollywood beauties and this year five actresses, including reigning queens Kareena Kapoor and Vidya Balan, tied the knot with thier long-time beaus. Genelia D'Souza, Esha Deol and Lisa Ray too joined the bandwagon. Also, it has been a welcome change to see actresses doing everything traditionally - either within their homes or at temples. IANS gives you a lowdown on Bollywood actresses' weddings of the year: (1) Kareena Kapoor: Bollywood 'heroine' Kareena shut gossip-mongers when she sealed her four-year-old relationship with actor Saif Ali Khan Oct 16. The revelry was as big and fat as one would've expected, but there is no doubt that it turned out to be a well-guarded event. Whether it was a pre-wedding rooftop bash, a simple registered marriage affair, a 'nikaah' ceremony at various venues or their grand 'Walima' (reception) in the national capital - Saifeena gave a fairy tale effect to their romance - with the privacy they rightfully deserved. "(2) Vidya Balan: "Ooh la la" girl Vidya Balan's nuptials with Disney UTV managing director Siddharth Roy Kapoor turned out to be another classic case in point for a celebrity's "private affair". Attended by close friends and family members, the Dec 14 wedding in Mumbai was as simple as it could be - weaving together both - Siddharth's Punjabi and Vidya's Tamil traditions. (3) Genelia D'Souza: Genelia and Riteish Deshmukh set out on their Bollywood journey together with "Tujhe Meri Kasam" in 2003. Who knew that would be the start of a life-long journey for them. One of Bollywood's cutest real life couples, they managed to keep tight-lipped about their relationship for almost eight years. They had a Maharashtrian-style wedding Feb 3, followed by a simple church wedding. Their wedding reception, of course, was attended by almost the entire Mumbai film fraternity. (4) Esha Deol: Esha Deol married her businessman beau Bharat Takhtani June 29 in a traditional south Indian ceremony, complete with women in classy Kanjivarams, at Mumbai's Iskcon temple. A Krishna devotee, Esha preferred to keep her nuptials low-key, though a star-studded mehndi took place a day earlier and a reception followed a day after their wedding. (5) Lisa Ray: Indo-Canadian actress Lisa Rey exchanged wedding vows Oct 20 with management consultant Jason Dehni in California's Napa Valley, where they had also got engaged. Lisa had said in an interview that they wrote their own vows and only exchanged garlands as that's how her father wanted it. She chose only Indian designers to craft her trousseau for her special day - she wore a gown by Wendell Rodricks, and later changed into a Satya Paul sari. Source: News Track India, Love story against military background: By Evelina Guretskaya: Russian film-makers have set themselves a serious task of producing a film dedicated to Russian heroes of the war of 1812 against Napoleon’s France. Director Anton Sivers’ film crew is making a film called ‘Vasilisa Kozhina’. The Russian President has announced this year to be a Russian History Year. The war against Napoleon which ended 200 years ago with Russia’s victory and the expulsion of the French troops from Russia’s territory, followed by the liberation of the European countries invaded by Napoleon, is one of the most dramatic pages of our history. The whole world knows about these historic events from Leo Tolstoy’s great novel War and Peace which has been translated into dozens of languages. The film version of this book made by outstanding director Sergey Bondarchuk in 1969 won an Oscar and was shown on film screens all over the world. However, even such a large-scale film epic could not tell of all the heroes of the war of 1812. Vasilisa Kozhina is one of those heroes and her life story is a separate episode of the war against the French invaders, which, nevertheless, explains a lot about the nature of Russian people who rose to resist the invaders. Vasilisa Kozhina was a Russian serf, the wife of a village elder in the Smolensk Region in the west of Russia. Napoleon’s troops invaded Russia through that region and later retreated over that land fleeing from the Russian army commanded by Mikhail Kutuzov. Legend has it that when the Smolensk lands were occupied in August 1812 the French killed Vasilisa Kozhina’s husband. Vasilisa, the mother of five children, decided to take her revenge on the enemy and formed a resistance detachment which mostly consisted of widows and teenagers armed with village tools, such as pitchforks, scythes and axes. They decoyed enemy soldiers into an ambush and took them prisoner, so as to pass them to the Russian troops later. However, the film ‘Vasilisa Kozhina’ is not just a reconstruction of historical events, it is a fiction film, so there are a lot of invented episodes in it, producer of the film Yuri Sapronov said in his interview with The Voice of Russia. – This film is a love story which takes place against the war background. Vasilisa is a serf and her new love is a nobleman, Ivan Rokotov. Their love has no future but true love does not even fear wars. The original film script described Vasilisa Kozhina’s love for a French officer but later the authors wrote a new plot, which is not so dramatic. As for Vasilisa’s struggle against the invaders, it is known for certain that not only Commander of the Russian army Mikhail Kutuzov but also Emperor Alexander I was aware of it. After the war she was awarded with a silver medal and 500 roubles. The film crew hope that the film will be shown in Russian cinemas at the end of the year. Source: Voice of Russia, Women chose taller 
men as partners: A new study on heterosexual couples, reportedly the first of its kind, finds that when it comes to height preferences, both genders prefer a man to be taller than his female partner, but not too much taller. Researchers from Groningen University in the Netherlands analyzed data based on the Millennium Cohort Study of parents of almost 19,000 babies born in the UK in 2000. They found that in more than nine out of ten couples, the man was taller than the woman. Differences in height were on average about 14cm. A previous 1980 study of US and UK couples found that in only one out of 720 couples was the female taller than the male. Because women are on average shorter than men, chance predicts that the occurrence of couples in which the female is taller is two out of 100, 14 times higher than the findings observed in that study, wrote the Dutch researchers. But researchers note that while women prefer tall men, they don't want them too tall. Couples in which the male was more than 25cm taller than the woman were rarer than expected by chance. Interestingly, women prefered larger height differences than men, but tall women and short men prefered smaller height differences, while short women and tall men prefered larger differences. The findings were published yesterday in the journal Public Library of Science (PLoS) One. Past research has also found that taller men are more likely to be married and tend to have more children than shorter men. Image: flickr.com, Source: Hindustan Times
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E-Book: A Tale Of Romance
E-Book: Story Collection
Nothing beats a child's smile when it comes to true happiness: A
leading English Newspaper of Australia 'Daily Telegraph' has reported that according to the latest survey, Australians derive true happiness by simply looking at their children's smile. According to Daily Telegraph, an exclusive survey has found that Australians are a happy bunch overall, thanks largely to their children, loving partners and good
per cent, ranked spending time with friends highly. About 14 per cent said their jobs made them "extremely happy" while 7.7 per cent said that getting rid of their boss would improve their mood. '63.1 per cent respondents said more money might make them even happier while some said extra holidays and rest of them asserted to better health', the Daily Telegraph reported. Almost 70 per cent considered themselves happy people but opinions were evenly divided when it came to whether married or unmarried people were happier or which gender was more cheerful. 44 per cent asserted that money could buy happiness, 45 percent said it couldn't and 11.1 per cent were undecided. For 54.4 per cent of people those little bundles of joy are just that, while 45.6 per cent said childless people were happier. Baby boomers were believed to be the happiest age group. Source: Newstrack India, A twist in the fairy tale: Fables by Bill Willingham: A little something for folks who believe that
 good stories shouldn’t end at Happily Ever After... So, Prince Charming kissed Snow White, waking her from her stupor. And they rode into the sunset, even as the seven dwarves waved farewell — tears of happiness streaming down their faces. *And just in time, the Woodsman barged into the cabin, saving Little Red Riding Hood from the Big Bad Wolf. After slaying the mean animal, he escorted the girl back to the village, where she was reunited with her mother and father. Okay... and then what? You know these fairy tales can’t possibly end where they do, and ‘happily ever after’ just doesn’t cover it. There has to be more — probably somebody’s hiding something here. Well, if you ever felt like this after reading a chapter from your book of fairy tales, Bill Willingham’s Fables could be just the thing for you. Published by DC Comics’ s Vertigo imprint, it is something that tries to connect all the dots that traditional folklore has left missing, at times even blurring the lines between good and evil to achieve its goal. Featuring a rich starcast from fairy tales across the globe, it repaints every picture in a different light and gives actual human traits to non-complex characters that are no better than — forgive the uncouth expression — cardboard cut-outs. Okay, the story so far. Long after the Big Bad Wolf tries to make a meal out of Red Riding Hood and Snow White rides into the sunset with Prince Charming, the Homelands are invaded by the forces of the Adversary. However, the Fables had never really bothered to socialise among themselves until then, and are — therefore — unable to put up a united opposition. Realising that all is lost, they flee to the Mundane world (that’s ours, by the way) and set up a clandestine community in New York called Fabletown. In their new place of habitation, the members of this community have to follow certain rules — the first being that as they are supposed to keep themselves hidden from the human population, the use any kind of attention-drawing magic is forbidden. Secondly, as all the Fables have been granted amnesty from crimes committed back in the Homelands, they are forbidden to bring up ghosts from the past. Consequently, many of the ‘bad’ characters turn good. Strangely enough, the protagonist of the series turns out to be the Big Bad Wolf aka Bigby, while others like Goldilocks and Hansen become the bad ‘uns. The comic series starts off as a simple murder mystery, with Bigby (Sheriff of Fabletown) trying to find the person who has supposedly killed Rose Red, sister of Snow White, who is known more for her Promiscuity than any fairy tale exploit. As the story unravels, you realise that there is more to the mystery than what meets the eye. Later, the tales become more fantastic even as the Adversary begins launching attack after attack on Fabletown, and its members are forced to retaliate. Along the way, the community finds unlikely heroes in Boy Blue and the Frog Prince, and — among other developments — Miss Muffet becomes Mrs Spider and Geppeto is revealed to be a big bad man. Among the other characters featured in Fables are Prince Charming, Jack Horner of the Beanstalk, the evil Sher Khan of The Jungle Book, and the three pigs from Animal Farm. While Fables is quite an interesting read, one requires an open mind to enjoy it to the hilt. And, as the ‘Mature Readers’ label on its covers suggests, the series — like most graphic novels — deals with adult themes on certain occasions, and you have to be over 17 to check it out. A bummer, I know, but this one’s worth the wait! Source: Article, Poodle on wheels becomes internet hit: A two-legged 
poodle in Xining in northwest China's Qinghai Province has become a hit on the Web after its owner invented a wheechair for the dog to help it walk again. The pet animal lost both of its forelegs in a car accident when it was four months old in May. Three months later, the chocolate poodle can enjoy a dog's life again by running, walking and even climbing stairs with its two wheels. Its owner, Chen Hongle, created the wheelchair using parts of an old suitcase and toys. To make it more comfortable and safe, Chen upgraded the chair with a chest protector, two seat-belts, a bell and a small lamp. The pooch lost its legs after they were crushed by a car. The legs became rotten because Chanel's previous owners left it at home for more than ten days without treatment. This led to the amputation of its legs. The family abandoned the two-legged friend in Xinang Jiawang Animal Hospital. Chen who works at the hospital decided to take care of the dog. Chen said he was not a dog-lover but Chanel is now part of his family. He posts videos of Chanel on the Internet, which has made the dog popular among Chinese netizens and Xining residents. Source. Your mom is so social,
she’s on Facebook and Pinterest right now. By Sarah Mitroff: To get us excited for Mother’s Day this Sunday, research firm Nielsen has released a few stats on the online habits of American moms. Facebook ranks number one for moms in the U.S., something that comes as no shock to the thousands of kids embarrassed by their parent’s status updates. In March 2012, three out of four moms visited the social network, which adds up to 27.9 million mothers. Fifty percent of moms are using social networks through their mobile phones, compared to only 37 percent of women in general. Perhaps they are trying to keep up with their kids’ antics at all times. Moms also make up a substantial percentage of bloggers. One in three bloggers are mothers, and 52 percent have children under the age of 18. Pinterest is another hot website for this market, with 4.9 million moms flocking to the site in March. Mothers are also 61 percent more likely to visit Pinterest than the average American. Considering the site is overflowing with pictures of home decor, recipes, and fashion, it makes perfect sense that millions of mothers are behind all those pins. Check out the infographic below for more details, and don’t forget to wish your mom, or the awesome person who raised you, a happy Mother’s Day. Mom and kid with laptops image via Source: VentureBeat. Man to give wife million roses on Women's Day:
Moscow: Based on a romantic pop hit from Soviet times, a Kazakh man has ordered one million red roses for his wife on International Women's Day that will be observed on Thursday. The man had a spat with his wife and sought to make up to her, according to the Express-K.kz news website. The order for one million Dutch-grown roses was placed with a florist in Kyzylorda city in Kazakhstan and is to be delivered on Thursday. Local prices for roses on International Women's Day ranged from 500 to 2,000 Tenge ($3 to $13) per flower, which means the one-million order could cost the caring husband between $3 million and $13 million. The 'Million Roses' song was popularised by Soviet pop diva Alla Pugacheva in 1982. The song, which tells a story of an artist trying to win a woman's heart through the gift of flowers, sold over six million copies as a single. Source: Asian Age, A Kiss from a Strange Girl Saved a Suicide Boy's Life in Shenzhen China: By Cheng-Ming, You must have heard of stories
 that someone falls in love at a kiss, but what about saving one's life at a kiss? It is reported that several days ago, such a scene just happened in the crowd, on a pedestrian overpass in Shenzhen, China, which was breathtaking and romantic. The videos of the scene on the net caused greatly attention, and the story's heroine, Liu Wenxiu, also showed up. On June 11, a boy stood at the edge of the overpass and claimed to kill himself with a knife on his neck. The crowds tried to discourage but failed. Then a girl appeared. The boy was only 16 years old and lost his mother in his childhood. Then his father married another woman, who treated him so bad, took all of his father's money and ran away. He couldn't help feeling homeless. Liu said that she ever felt hopeless, like the boy did, but had come through. And she hoped the boy could cheer up. Hence, she decided to pull him back. The police stopped her to get close as the boy was holding a sharp knife. Desperate for saving a life, she lied that she is the boy's girlfriend, which made her admitted to get close enough to talk face to face with the boy. While listening to the boy's story, she was reminded her own personal life and she couldn't help crying. Then she unexpectedly kissed the boy's lips to help the boy regain confidence in life. Saving a young life with a most precious kiss from her, Liu felt great happiness. Liu comes from Bengbu, Anhui Province. She is now only 19 years old and a waitress in a local hotel in Shenzhen. "When I was to kiss him, I did not think much and simply wanted to appease his emotions to stop him being out of control and making irrational moves. I was not scared that he would pull me down, because firemen were standing at my back. Then they suddenly rushed forward and rescued him. I didn't think about that! And of course, I felt I'd been a little crazy after that. But fortunately he was saved his life, anyway."Liu said. Source, The Lion  Hugs. This dude reared the lion above since it was a cub. Then when the cub grew older, the guy had to let him out into the wild in Africa because, well, it was getting too big. 10 years later, the guy decided to return to Africa to meet his best friend. And immediately, the lion recognized him and jumped to hug him. Source: Article.Most Fattest Lady of the History is Going to Marry a Chef: the woman who 
is bidding to be the fattest in the world arranges a marriage of convenience. Supersized mother of two children and a model for SSBBW (supersized big beautiful women)
websites Susanne Evan, 33, has once claimed that she has a goal to become the fattest woman in the history. It seems now that she is about to reach her aim very quickly,
because Evan, who presently weighs a bit more than 342 kg (756 lb.) has recently revealed that she is engaged to marry a chef. Susanne’s fiancé Parker Clack
loves cooking for her and woman says that their marriage was arranged in
heaven.The couple has met over the Internet and now lives together with the woman’s
two teenage sons at Susanne’s house in Arizona. On her way to the desired 729 kg (1610 lb.) of body weight Ms. Evan disregards the warnings of medical experts, who
provided examples of people dying of morbid obesity. Source: Sensei Fun and Knowledge. How Can the Dead Get Married - Ghost Marriage: By:
Imogen Heap - International musician, Grammy award-winning music engineer and unofficial holder of the fastest word per minute speaking count on the planet met Chris Fitzsimmons to talk about her two latest technology projects, The Listening Chair and The Gloves.
normally find itself on the pages of InAVate, but when I was offered the opportunity to meet Imogen Heap to talk about a couple of exciting projects relating to the use of gesture recognition, interactivity and audiovisual technologies it was hard to refuse. I caught up with her in the members’ lounge of the Royal Festival Hall in London, where she somewhat shame-facedly confessed that she had a Grammy Award for best engineered album for her third record Ellipse. Why is she shame faced? “I’ve never really though of myself as an engineer, so I was a bit shocked to get my Grammy for sound engineering. I feel slightly embarrassed about it because if anyone asks me technical questions about compression ratios, microphone patterns, plug-ins, names of gear etc, and I often reply, ‘I don’t really know, I just put the same microphone on everything, twiddle some knobs on my Avalon 737 until it ends up sounding OK, then play some more with it in the computer. It's all rather spontaneous and messy.” And yet this creative dynamo, whose brain and conversation leap around like a crazed concert pianist, is responsible for a pair of engineering projects which demonstrate her ability make ideas a reality and succeed in bringing her and her audience closer than most artists will ever achieve. The first of these is known as The Listening Chair, which was conceived to source ideas for a track on her latest and (still unreleased album). It was intended to find out if there was a song out there that people felt was still yet to be written and toured various locations to gather input from the public. “The idea was for this record was that it would get me out of the studio, so each song is project based. Each has a theme or an event or a collaboration, or a different country that I’m going
On its travels the chair has been to Sydney Opera House, Southbank Centre London, Aldebrugh Music and the TED Global event in Edinburgh conference centre, before returning to London to the Royal Albert Hall, where the song called “The Listening Chair” was performed as part of Eric Whitacre’s Prom.
to. So instead of having to say no as I'm making my record I find a way to connect these opportunities to a song. This approach has taken me trekking in the Himalayas, spending six weeks in Hangzhou, China and helped to bring a neglected Georgian walled garden back to life in the village where I live. “I find that the more I think differently and the more more people I get involved, the ideas that come across, the more different angles present themselves. Often it can be just something so tiny that everyone else things is so insignificant that completely changes the direction of the song. So opening up the floodgates has generated much more insight.” The resulting song, inspired by 100's of people sharing their thoughts from the Listening Chair, sparked Imogen to write about the phases of life as different age groups were focused on similar topics. It's written a cappella with the intention that it can be added to over time, one minute representing 7 years of life. But what about the chair itself? The idea is pretty simple: People sit in the chair and tell Imogen what song they feel hasn't yet been written, not just by her but in general. “I wanted the sitter to have an immersive experience. To almost be cocooned, to enable them to switch off for a brief moment from the distractions around us. I feel myself that when I’m trying to blog, or listen to music or watch video there’s always stuff going on around me. I wanted to create a calm space where people could think and drift. So they wouldn’t feel inhibited or embarrassed.” Lacking the time or money to build something from scratch Imogen bought the nearest thing to what she wanted – a black and white egg chair – from eBay. A call to friend and technical wizard Moritz Waldemeyer for advice lead to him agreeing to project manage The Listening Chair. “He spoke to Middlesex University and got the Students involved there as well. My brief to Moritz was that I wanted a touch screen interface, a video camera, speakers with volume control and a microphone embedded in it. The tech details of the gear we used came through a few discussions with Graeme (Harrison, Biamp’s VP of marketing), and we arrived at a Samsung tablet as the interface, a Beyerdynamic microphone to record and then they built a base underneath to hide all the processing.” The equipment hidden in the base includes a Biamp AudiaFLEX which does all the audio processing and amplification. The chair also uses Tannoy loudspeakers to play back music to the listener. “It’s very comfortable, and you can sit in it and listen to the five tracks off the album that have already been recorded, or watch some videos as well as record your message. I pop up on the screen and talk you through that process and the whole thing takes about five or ten minutes. The user interface software was written by Justyn Butler and designed by Andy Carne and myself.” The second project, known as The Gloves, was born out of Heap’s desire to break down barriers between herself, her gear and her audience. “There are some incredible artists out there like Tim Exile and Beardyman, who are huge inspirations to me. Kings of performance in song and improvisation with their music and tech. I wanted to become fluid like them and I wanted to be free to move about on stage while doing it. "The dream is to be able to somehow shape sound directly from what's coming out my head. Now with the gloves, I'm beginning to be able to do this now by having so much more power, literally in my hands to move sound around, combined with my position on the stage floor, so that the music changes depending on where I am on the stage, how fast I move and what shapes I pull etc. "So much of the performance in electronic music is unseen. The disappointment in seeing a concert for an artist I love but they just look like they're doing their emails on stage. I use a lot of gear on stage and often the audience are left scratching their heads as it's not clear what I'm doing outside of playing acoustic instruments or singing. Cameras don't really cut it either as often the action that you're doing, doesn't connect with the sound you're making or effecting. “Over the years I've tried to solve the problem of needing to be stuck at 'base station' when looping, effecting, playing virtual instruments etc but never quite being fully satisfied with the set up with the lack of time to develop a truly bespoke set up and used off the shelf gear. It's about wanting to get out of the smoke screen and be able to express through gesture what I’m doing so that intuitively the audience would understand. So instead of, when I want to record my voice, me walking over to whatever a keyboard and pressing a note 'clicking in record', I wanted to be able to capture that with gestures. Cutting out the 'middle men' of gear. “I’d accumulated more and more gear trying become less and less tethered to one place. In the end I ended up with this ridiculously expensive touring rig because there’s so much gear to have enough power and versatility on stage, having different setups here and there. “The pointer towards a pair of gloves was when I started taping lapel microphones to my wrists, connected to wireless packs, so that whenever I’m playing wine glasses, mbira etc or drums even, it picks it up without the need for me to be in one place or have multiple microphones dotted about. “The second pointer was during a visit to the MIT Media Lab after seeing Ellie Jessop's VAMP. In one gesture of pinching her fingers together to 'capture a grain of her voice while singing, that was it, I knew what I had to do. So now, with the help of a team of 6 technical wizards, software programmers, digital music fiends and university academics we are making them.” The devices themselves contain a variety of motion sensors designed to allow Imogen to capture every movement and gesture and translate it into changes to the music. On top of that the system uses a Kinect sensor to map Imogen’s position on stage and make even more changes to the kind of electronic instrument she’s playing or the intensity of the music. “One of the special things here using the Kinect for instance is I can create a musical relationship with the audience in setting musical parameters, mapped to my proximity with the audience. Perhaps the music becomes more intimate sounding when I'm closer or more intense when farther away,” she adds. “There is huge load of work we are now doing on our software user interface. The link between myself and the music program I'm using which is mainly Ableton for now. “It feels as though the gloves need to have a life outside of me and perhaps outside of music too, especially in connecting them to live visuals on stage. There’s been a bit of a shift now in the focus of our team as I've been trying to carry it all this time but things are getting behind as I return focus to my album. We are looking for another member to the team, a full time project manager to help us progress and get the gloves to the next level.” Heap concludes: “I’m not hyper techie myself but I’m aware of what technology is out there and what it can do for me. I always thought making things like The Gloves and The Listening Chair were for other people to do but they are now as much a part of my everyday as music making. I've so lucky to be working with such fantastically talented people in so many different fields now. These are exciting times! Source: Article. People more concerned about ‘looking good’ than
‘intelligent’: Most people care about looking good on social networks like Facebook than seeming intelligent, according to a new survey. A survey by an American multinational company looked at social media habits and found that looking as good as possible on Facebook profile pages is the main priority of 56 per cent people. More than half Britons admitted they want to be more like their 'social media personas' than their real selves. Women carefully hand-pick flattering pictures of themselves to post, while men craft their personalities around intelligence and courageous behaviour. Social media users from the Middle East and the rest of Europe were far more concerned about appearing intelligent when posting online. Sixty-one per cent of people from these regions said they wanted to seem intellectual when sharing content and views across social media, the survey said. The most common reason for indulging in such 'social lies' was finding love or friendship, given by 51 per cent of women and 40 per cent of men. Impressing other people and covering up insecurities also rated highly as reasons, but nearly half (48 per cent) believe posts that are 'just too good to be true' generally are, the survey by Intel found. Ninety-one per cent agreed that there are some topics which have no place on social websites. Eighty-five per cent also felt that people share information that's better left unsaid, while over 70 per cent have felt uncomfortable about friends' posts about them. Swearing topped the annoying habit chart 57 per cent of respondents said they would unsubscribe from repeat offenders closely followed by boring posts and explicit and inappropriate pictures. Source: Indian Express. It's official: Mr Perfect does not exist: ANI, London: Most women rank their partner as only 69 percent perfect,  a new poll has found. Accordingto the poll of 2,000 women commissioned by Remington, not even one woman was found to be completely happy with her man. When asked what would make the perfect man, a good personality came top, followed by a sense of humour and looks. “The average guy may not be able to compete with the image of a David Beckham, but there are still a number of small changes they can do to make a big difference,” the Daily Mail quoted Nikki McReynolds, the marketing director for Remington as saying. When asked about the imperfections in men, failing to make an effort with their partner’s friends, criticising their driving and the inability to multi-task were included in a list of 20 common shortfalls Other male failings included leaving the toilet door open, watching too much sport and poor personal grooming. “It seems women are quite realistic on what they look for from their partner. “While they might happily overlook a few common flaws, there are certain behaviours that men just won’t get away with,” she said. Leaving out nail clippings, growing a scruffy beard or being too much of a mummy’s boy are other sure fire ways to guarantee ‘imperfection’. Source: Indian Express, For men, cheating 
runs in the family: A study has revealed that cheating really does run in the family, at least as far as men are concerned. A team of Czech scientists carried out the study that confirmed the old adage 'like father like son’. They concluded that while men and women both had affairs, men were more likely to stray if their fathers had been unfaithful as they were growing up, reports the Daily Mail. According to researcher Jan Havlicek, boys grew up by observing the world around them what was appropriate and what they could get away with. Their father was an obvious example to follow for good or for bad. The scientists, based at Charles University in Prague recruited 86 couples for the research. They found that whether or not a man was satisfied and happy in his main relationship had no effect on the likelihood that he would stray. Men usually have affairs because they want sex and a greater number of sexual partners, not because they are fed up with their wives, he said. The results were presented at conference of the European Human Behaviour and Evolution Association. Source: Article, British doctor may have fathered more than 600 children: By Michael Cook: A British doctor may have fathered more than 600 children by using his own sperm in his London fertility clinic. Toronto film-maker Barry Stevens has researched records of women treated by Dr Bertold Wiesner, and found that two-thirds of offspring conceived through the clinic were his children. Estimates of how many children he fathered range from 200 to 1,000. Dr Wiesner and his wife Mary Barton ran their clinic from the early 1940s until the mid-1960s, offering sperm from intelligent stock to the spouses of infertile middle and upper-class men. Their work was notorious at the time – so much so that it was once denounced in the House of Lords as “the work of Beelzebub”. Dr Barton told a 1959 government forum on artificial insemination: “I matched race, colouring and stature and all donors were drawn from intelligent stock. I wouldn’t take a donor unless he was, if anything, a little above average. If you are going to do it [create a child] deliberately, you have got to put the standards rather higher than normal.” At the time it was thought that the sperm came from several of Dr Wiesner’s contacts, but it now seems that he supplied it when there was a shortage. It was already known that one of the donors, Derek Richter, a neuro-chemist, had fathered more than 100 of the clinic's children. Mrs Barton later destroyed many of the medical records, meaning most of those conceived there have no idea of their true family history and blood ties. One of the men who discovered that Dr Wiesner was his biological father, David Gollancz, told the Daily Mail, that he opposed sperm donor anonymity and wanted to see the name of sperm or egg donors placed on birth certificates. “Most recipient parents don’t tell their children they are conceived this way, meaning they would never know to search for a donor father. People have a right to know about their own history,” he said. Source: BioEdge, I was Hitler's food taster, says woman: London: Margot Woelk, now a 95-year-old woman,
Hitler and his mistress Eva Braun. It has been claimed the dictator was a dedicated vegetarian
says she was the "food taster" of Adolf Hitler for more than two years, and had to taste the dictator's food to ensure it was not poisoned. Woelk ate fresh fruit and vegetables including asparagus, peppers and peas, and was one of a dozen women Hitler used to protect himself at his Eastern front headquarters, also known as the "Wolf's Lair", the Daily Mail reported. She was taken there in 1942 when evacuated from Berlin to Gross Partsch -- Parcz in modern-day Poland. Her husband had then gone for fighting. "Of course, I was afraid. If the food had been poisoned, I would not be here today. We were forced to eat it, we had no choice," she said. "Between 11 and 12 o'clock, we had to
taste the food, and only after all 15 of us had tried it was it was driven to the headquarters by the SS." "It was all vegetarian, the most delicious fresh things, from asparagus to peppers and peas, served with rice, and salads. It was all arranged on one plate, just as it was served to him," she said. Woelk does not recall tasting any meat, fish or drinks. There was always an hour's delay before Hitler ate his meal so that effects of any poison in the food could be seen in the women. Woelk had to report every day, but was only used when Hitler's personal train was in the station. She lived with her mother-in-law outside the headquarters until an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Hitler's life by Claus von Stauffenberg in July 1944. She was then confined to a school building. When Hitler abandoned the lair in November 1944, an officer helped the woman escape to Berlin. Woelk said she believes the other tasters were shot by the advancing Russians. In 1946, she was reunited with her husband who she had presumed dead. The couple lived together until he died in 1990, the daily said. Source: News-Bullet. Flowers really are the way to a woman’s heart, say experts: London: Women are far more likely to find a man attractive and accept a date with a stranger if they are in the presence of colourful flowers, a new study has shown. The associations between flowers and romance are so strong that the man doesn’t even have to buy a bunch of flowers himself. Nicolas Gueguen, a psychologist at the University of South Brittany, also found that just a pot of daffodils on a nearby table or a splash of colour from the garden will soften the female heart. In one study, Gueguen asked 46 female student volunteers to sit in a room on their own and watch a video of a man talking about himself. Half the students watched the video in a room brightened up with three vases of flowers – a mix of roses, daisies and marigolds. The rest sat in an identical room without flowers. When they had watched the video in the room decorated with pots of flowers, they rated the man as more attractive and were more willing to go on a date with him. In a second study, the same experiment was repeated with 122 single women aged from 18 top 20. This time after they had watched the video, they were led into a room and told to sit down where a man was waiting. The women were told he was a fellow student taking part in the experiment, but in reality he was an actor, recruited by the scientists. When the pair were left alone the man was instructed to talk for five minutes about the experiment and then ask the woman on a date. Source: Article, First child more memorable than first kiss for women: Washington: You might think of your first kiss as a life-changing moment, but your perception may change after having your first child. A new British survey has found that having a first child topped the list for women’s most memorable experiences while the first kiss came in seventh, reports the Daily Mail. In the study, over 2,000 people across the UK were asked to rate their top 15 firsts, from getting drunk to having a mid life crisis, and reveal the age at which the event occurred. For men, the most momentous occasion was getting married, according to the poll. It confirmed teenage years as the most challenging period, while people seem to be happiest in their twenties. Late teenage years were highlighted as the most difficult, with the majority of the British public losing their virginity at 18, then suffering their first heartbreak at 20, as well as leaving home. However by 54, after suffering a mid-life crisis, things seem to get better as the first grandchild arrives greeted by retirement. The poll was conducted to mark the release of virtual-life computer game ‘The Sims 3: Generations’. ANI Source: Zeenews. Sushmita Sen  enjoys her role of a mother: Former Miss Universe and actress Sushmita Sen tells it has been a "daunting task" to juggle between her role as a mother and as a businesswoman. "Right now I am wearing many hats -- from being a mother to running 'I Am She' and putting my film production company together. It has been a daunting task," Sushmita told at an event. Sushmita is the founder of I Am She, a national beauty pageant, started in 2010, which sends its winner to Miss Universe and Miss Asia Pacific pageants. Indore-based girl Himangini Singh Yadu, who represented India at the Miss Asia Pacific 2012, won the international title, leaving the actress extremely proud. In the meantime, her production plans are on hold. "My film 'Jhansi Ki Rani' has been put on hold. I can make that film only when I get the right kind of budget. It is a film that has been storyboarded and locked," further added the 36-year-old, who has adopted two daughters - Renee and Alisah. Source: Article. A big cuddle from Mum... just like 25 years ago-Woman who was first UK baby to have heart transplant celebrates anniversary of historic surgery: 
Mother Carol cuddles her daughter while in hospital for her transplant (left). Miss Davidson-Olley has just been picked to represent Great Britain at the World Transplant Games in Durban, South Africa in July next year
The UK's first ever successful baby heart transplant survivor has celebrated the 25th anniversary of her operation. Kaylee Davidson-Olley made medical history when she had the transplant aged just four months on October 14, 1987 at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle. Since then 112 children in the UK under the age have received new hearts. Miss Davidson-Olley said: ‘I can’t believe I am fit and healthy 25 years after my heart transplant. I feel overwhelmed, excited and very emotional. ‘This was only
Kaylee Davidson-Olley, pictured with her mother Carol, has celebrated her 25th anniversary of becoming the UK's first ever successful baby heart transplant. She was just four months oldwhen the had the operation at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle.
made possible because of the generosity of a family who made that important decision about organ donation, a decision that saved my life. Without that family discussing organ donation, I simply wouldn’t be here.’ The 25-year-old balances studying at college with a busy athletics schedule, has just been picked to represent Great Britain at the World Transplant Games in Durban, South Africa in July next year. She added: ‘I hope that my own story and that of all the children at this special event will encourage others to be involved, if only to just talk about organ donation with their family.’ This week there are six babies on the organ donor register awaiting new hearts and two children have already died this year whilst waiting for organs. At the 25th anniversary of the first successful baby heart transplant held today, Miss Davidson-Olley was joined by medical experts from around the world and more than 30 people who since have had the operation as babies. Dr Richard Kirk, a consultant paediatric cardiologist at Freeman Hospital, said: ‘The 25th anniversary of Kaylee’s operation is a celebration of both her life, the skills of the medical team who have looked after her and Kaylee and her family’s determination to make the most of the gift of life from her donor. Source: Travelfwd+, Lonesome in Delhi? Floh floats hope: Have all your friends been taken and are you wondering if you'll ever find someone to grow old with? Shove despair out of that office window. Come October 14 and Delhi will discover a unique way of finding a soul mate. But Floh has been around since over a year in India. We were quite intrigued by the concept of Floh so we’d caught up with Siddharth Mangharam, CEO, Floh in March. Read full interview here. A quick insight - Floh is a platform for singles looking to meet likeminded people in a safe environment. More importantly it's an "invitation only network" and not a dating or matrimonial site. Launched in May 2011, Siddharth along with his wife Simran launched Floh in Bangalore. Now the plan is to go national, slowly. And the team decided to stop at Delhi first. The October 14 event is sold out. What's in store for the group of 20-25 people who are zeroed in on to meet up this Sunday? Floh's blog declares: "We have a totally unique line up of experiences for Delhi starting with a spectacular Vintage and Classic Car event exclusively for Floh members, right in front of the Qutab Minar. This has been organised in arrangement with the Heritage Motoring Society of India and the line-up features Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Cadillac, Buick and many more classic cars in addition to a collection of pre-WW II motorcycles. Members will not only get to see these beauties but will be offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance to actually ride in them!" The good news is that more events will follow in the coming weeks in Delhi. I met the helmsman again before their startup jives into the second phase. It had to be asked, why Delhi? "We are most excited about Delhi, even more than Mumbai because the problem is more acute in Delhi. Bangalore is laid back and Mumbai is more chilled out but if you don't have a clique in Delhi one doesn't know how to go about it." I ask Siddharth how Floh will help Delhiites find likeminded people. He tells me the three ways in which his idea can help people who are single but don't quite know how to go about exploring options. He avers that Floh saves times (no sifting through data), is more real (you meet people in person) and he says that his research shows that parents are loving the concept. So can anyone and everyone in Delhi play? Not quite and Siddharth is unequivocally insistent about this. "Education background is very important, we are speaking to a very specific educated urban audience. Most of our folks will have Masters degree and they'll be well-travelled." I insinuate if Floh is elitist but he dispels the cloud. "That's just a business call, it's a market that we understand well and it's a need that's not being served. It's not as if we don't acknowledge other segments but we're not going there. Frankly we don't have the wherewithal to handle that and there are other players who are addressing that. If you look at a matrimonial site, they would go to a tier 3 city and cater to everyone." Still keen to undersatnd if lack of class or money can diminish right of admission for a Delhiite. "It isn't elitist in the sense that one needs to be super wealthy but I would say that it is selective based on your taste and exposure and where your mind is oriented towards. Some of our events are even Rs. 500 - for example a Heritage Walk event- would include a full breakfast." How do group dynamics work? Siddharth said that contrary to our presumption men are lone rangers joining the group alone and women on the other hand come in groups, finding strength in number. Since last I met him, out of curiosity I ask him, if Floh is now a money-making venture. He answers in the affirmative. It's now a team of 8 in all with 3 founders. Is there a prototype anywhere for Floh? He says there isn't any anology in the West for what they are doing at Floh. But is Delhi, is India truly ready for the concept? Take the poll and tell us. Source: http:/www.hindustantimes.com, Teenager, 16, enjoys her first prom after a series of operations to correct her face shape and give her a smile:
Pretty in pink: Katie Meehan, 16, has enjoyed her first school prom after a lifetime of operations to give her a smile
A teenage girl who was born with a severely disfigured face was the belle of the ball at her first school prom after a lifetime of operations to give her a stunning smile. Katie Meehan, 16, was born with cystic hygroma, a condition where fluid forms a mass on the head and neck, which left her with a mis-shapen face and an enlarged tongue. Doctors feared Katie, from Fellgate, Jarrow, would never talk and £60,000 was raised by well-wishers for a series of operations to change her life. Katie wore a pink dress to celebrate the end of school with her friends from St Joseph’s RC Comprehensive School at a prom at the Hilton Hotel in Gateshead. Her mother, Dawn McIntyre, 49, who waved her off said: 'Katie looked absolutely beautiful, it was such a proud moment for the family and I. 'When you look back to how she was when she was a little baby, to now, the transformation is amazing. She just looked stunning. She’s come such a long
 Gown: Katie wore a stunning pink dress to celebrate the end of school with her friends from St Joseph’s RC Comprehensive School’s at a prom at the Hilton Hotel in Gateshead
way.' Katie's condition was also life-threatening as whenever she contracted a cold or infection her face would swell to twice its normal size, potentially meaning her airways could close and she could stop breathing. Katie had her first operation in 2000 at Guys and St Thomas’s Hospital in London carried out by Professor Ian Jackson. Her left
 Brave: Katie was born with cystic hygroma, where fluid forms a mass on the head and neck. The condition left her with a mis-shapen face and an enlarged tongue
cheek and tongue were cut open during the five-hour surgery, and cysts were removed. In spring 2001 she had her second at the Portland Hospital in London, and two years later, she had a third operation.Although Professor Jackson has now retired, Katie still needs one more operation to her tongue and the lower inside of her mouth.
 Surgery: In 2000 Katie's left cheek and tongue were cut open during the five-hour surgery, and cysts were removed. In spring 2001 she had her second at the Portland Hospital in London, andtwo years later, she had a third operation
Dawn said: 'We’re not dashing in to it. Katie is a happy and confident girl, so there’s no rush. 'We’re going to concentrate on her education first, because this time we will be able to get surgery on the NHS, and while that’s great, we will have to start at the beginning with scans, as the NHS doesn’t have any medical records. 'We will always be grateful to the community for all of their help over the years, and we now feel like they are part of our family because so many people ask how she’s doing.' Katie, who is
 Although her surgeon has now retired, Katie still needs one more operation to her tongue and the lower inside of her mouth.
waiting for her GCSE results, will be staying on at her school to start sixth form, where she will study A-levels in English language, photography, business studies, and philosophy and ethics. She said: 'The prom was fantastic, it was great to see all my friends dressed up and looking lovely. We had a delicious three-course meal too. I couldn’t eat all of it, but I had a good go.'I have one GCSE exam left, and then I’ll just have to wait for the results. Fingers crossed, I’ll get good ones.'Source: Travelfwd, Life all about striking right balance, says
 Shilpa Shetty: She is in a comfortable space - balancing her life as a wife, mother, celebrity and businesswoman. Shilpa Shetty, who is returning to showbiz as a judge of dance reality show "Nach Baliye 5", says so far, she is handling her roles well. Shilpa gave birth to her first child - son Viaan Raj Kundra - in May this year. Is it not tough to leave the little one behind for her shoots? "It's very hard. But life has to move on. I guess life's like that... it's all about striking the right balance," Shilpa said here during the launch of dance reality show "Nach Baliye 5". "I shoot for one day in a week for 'Nach Baliye', and that is also when he comes to the sets. All other meetings and appointments and jobs are adjusted according to his timings. He is nearly seven months now, so I am enjoying it (motherhood)," Shilpa added. The 37-year-old, who had put on post-pregnancy weight, seems to be almost in perfect shape now. Dressed in chic, black shimmer palazzo pants and a trendy cream-coloured top, she used a front bow around her stomach as the perfect camouflage for any extra pounds. Nevertheless, she looked quite charming. Shilpa is looking forward to judge "Nach Baliye 5", which features 11 celebrity couples. She is especially impressed by TV actress Smita Bansal, who delivered a girl in August this year. "What are you asking me? Ask Smita Bansal! She is a perfect example... she is a different level of striking a balance. It's been just a bit over three months that she has delivered, and here she is," said Shilpa, who is enjoying her comeback in front of the camera. On the judges' panel of "Nach Baliye 5", she will be joined by director Sajid Khan and choreographer Terence Lewis. "It feels great to be back to work. I like the medium of television and I am happy that I can now meet my audience through 'Nach Baliye'," Shilpa said. "We have shot one episode, and we had great fun. Sajid creates a laugh riot on the sets, he is so entertaining, and Terence is so sweet. There is a lot of positive energy on the set and I can say with confidence that this will be the best season of 'Nach Baliye'," she said. Shilpa was previously seen on the small screen as a judge on dance reality shows "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 1" and "Zara Nachke Dikha 2". She had also hosted the first season of "Bigg Boss". Image: wikimedia.org, Source: Punjab News Line, Men And Women Respond Differently To Stress: Men and women respond  differently to the same level of stress, a new study has claimed. James Harnsberger and his team from the University of Florida, Gainesville, enrolled the study subjects from community or religious groups who were considered "committed", that is, strongly affiliated with a group identity. They were audio - visually recorded while coached 
by the researchers to vocalize both truthful and deceptive statements with the threat from them that the recordings would be shown to fellow community members for judgment. In some conditions, stress was also induced by the administration
of electric shock at levels calibrated by the individual volunteer, while other stress responses were measured by pulse rate, skin conductance level, pulse rate, and two
self - report scales of perceived discomfort. The researchers found that the male and female subjects responded differently for the same level for stress, with men abiding
by the "tough guy" response. "In male subjects, higher degrees of physiological arousal were under- reported - what you might call a 'tough guy' response," James Harnsberger, the lead researcher, said. "The results were a surprise. We had expected that higher stressors would prompt both increased physiological response and increased self-reported stress levels in all test subjects fairly uniformly for both men and women," he added. (ANI) , Image Fickt Link1, Link2, Link3, Link4, Link5, Source: Daily Protein, Hillary Clinton lauds Putin for saving tigers: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has praised Russia’s President
 
has most of us wishing for more hours in bed. While some of us are merely sad to see the weekend go, there are some others who genuinely have trouble with sleep and energy levels - leaving them lethargic for most of their work days. Many of them might be suffering from Hypersomnia and genuinely feel the need to sleep every few hours due to poor sleeping habits, which ultimately affect work hours and overall performance levels. Here are top 10 ways to fight office lethargy and how you can
 learn to keep sleepiness at bay Be friendly with your coffee machine, but don't get too close. Caffeine stimulates the heart and respiratory systems. But don't be too friendly. Limit your coffee consumption to just two cups a day. Make sure that for every coffee you drink when you are feeling sleepy, you drink two full glasses of water, to help your system replenish what the caffeine takes out. Eat breakfast to keep 
hunger pangs at bay. Office life can wreck your diet decisions if you are are not careful. One of the most common reasons behind our urge to overeat at work is the lack of an adequate breakfast. Skipping breakfast leads to an erratic lifestyle pattern. It's the most important meal of the day, and we end up neglecting it. A good healthy breakfast ensures that you have enough energy supplies, keeping sleepiness
at bay. Try office yoga! Reversed Shoulder Rotation and Thoracic Wave- Inhale as you move your shoulders in an upward and backward direction. Exhale as you move them in a downward and frontward direction. Take deep breaths and keep your neck and spine comfortably straight. Perform 8-10 rotations on each side. Konasana - Stand straight with legs wide apart. Now bend forward from your waist. Try and touch the ground with the tips of your fingers, if possible place both your hands on the ground while standing. Your upper body should be in a straight line. Look ahead by about 3 inches. Perform konasana for 10-30 seconds & breathe normally   throughout the asana. Give it a break: Understand that you are not a superhero. And to add to it, it may do your eyes a whole lot of good too. Stroll around your office corridor once in a while and meet your friends in order to beat office lethargy. Don't go all out and start partying bang in the middle of a work day, but walk up to any colleagues you need to chat with, get your own bottle of water, and give yourself a break from the desk at regular intervals. Your atrophying leg muscles will thank you  for it. Leave the technology out of your bedroom at night. While most are addicted to televisions, music docks and laptops in their bedrooms, keeping so many distractions strewn around your night's sleep space can be detrimental. Why? Because your mind won't be at ease. Constant whirring, flicking, ticking sounds will keep your mind alert and that's not a good recipe for a good snooze. De-stress: Stress  is one of the main reasons that make the limited time that we have for sleeping less productive. Before sleeping try and do something soothing such as reading, talking to your spouse or close friend, taking a long bath or anything that takes your mind away from what's bothering you. It is not that hard after all. A good night's sleep is a sure shot way to ensure you are full of vigour and energy all day long, even  when you at work. Avoid white foods at night: By white foods we mean foods which are white in colour such as white pasta, white sugar, white rice. They are all high in glycemic index, thus leading to a rise in blood sugar levels, lethargy and laziness. Try and eat sweet potatoes and brown rice at night in order to load up on complex carbs and dietary fibre that'll ensure that you wake up feeling energetic and light. Try meditation: This really works. People who meditate, do it in the morning, but meditating for half an hour before bed is also a good idea. This will give you a sound sleeping time and will help you in waking up all fresh and happy in the morning. Studies have suggested that people who sleep a deep 6 to 8 hours of sleep  are less likely to feel sleepy in the afternoon. Visit a sleep specialist: If nothing seems to work, then we advise you to see a sleep specialist as you might just be suffering from sleep apnea or narcolepsy. According to experts, untreated sleep and undiagnosed sleep disorders are main reasons why most workers are always sleepy in the office. A sleep specialist will diagnose and prescribe medication for any  condition that you might be suffering from. Respect your limits: In the end, when nothing works and you feel dog tired, then try and respect it! Walk during your lunch break. For instance, you can take a stroll till the end of the road after you are done eating. And if nothing helps, then it is about time you keep your head down for 10 minutes and take a power nap - this will surely energize you! Source: Daily-Protein, Marilyn Monroe: proto-feminist?: As the 50th  anniversary of Marilyn Monroe's death approaches, Lois Banner argues in this extract from her new book that the star – complex and powerful – had many qualities associated with the women's movement Lois Banner, guardian.co.uk, Saturday 21 July 2012 In one of the most famous photos of the 20th century, Marilyn Monroe stands on a subway grate, trying to hold her skirt down as a gust of wind blows it up, exposing her underpants. The photo was taken in New York on 15 September, 1954, in a photoshoot during the filming of The Seven Year Itch Marilyn is a vision in white, suggesting innocence and purity. Yet she exudes sexuality and transcends it; poses for the male gaze and confronts it. The photoshoot was a publicity stunt, one of the greatest in the history of film. Its time and location were published in New York newspapers; it attracted a crowd of 100 male photographers and 1,500 male spectators, even though it was held in the middle of the night to avoid daytime crowds. Sam Shaw, the stills photographer for the movie, took the famous photo, but the other photographers there shot hundreds of variations.Billy Wilder, the film's director, did 14 takes – pausing between them to let the photographers shoot. Every time Marilyn's skirt blew up, the crowd roared, especially those up front, who could see a dark blotch of pubic hair through her underpants, even though she had put on two pairs to conceal it. The draconian 1934 Motion Picture Production Code forbade such a display. Any sign of pubic hair in photos had to be airbrushed out. The scene in the shoot is naughty, with the phallic subway train, its blast of air, and Marilyn's erotic stance. Yet she is in control. She is the "woman on top," drawing from the metaphor for women's power that runs through Euro-American history. She poses for the male gaze, but she is an unruly woman – the white witch with supernatural powers; the burlesque star in "an upside-down world of enormous, powerful women and powerless, victimised men". In the photo Marilyn is so gorgeous, so glamorous, so incandescent – as her third husband, the writer Arthur Miller, described her – that she seems every inch a star, glorying in her success. She can now defy the people who had mistreated her: her father and mother, who abandoned her; foster parents who abused her; Hollywood patriarchs who regarded her as their toy; even Joe DiMaggio, then her husband, who physically abused her. Present at the shoot, he stalked off in a fury when her skirt billowed up and revealed her underwear. In her only discussion of the shoot – a 1962 interview – she stated that she wasn't thinking about sex when she posed, only about having a good time. "At first it was all innocent and fun," Marilyn said, "but when Billy kept shooting the scene over and over the crowd of men kept on applauding and shouting, 'More, more Marilyn – let's see more." Then Billy brought the camera in close, focusing on her crotch. "What was supposed to be a fun scene turned into a sex scene." With her wry humour, Marilyn added: "I hope all those extra takes are not for your Hollywood friends to enjoy at a private party."Source: Article, The happiest moment of life: dying baby survives after life support shut off 
It was probably the brightest moment of a young parents’ life when their dying from meningitis three-week-old baby started breathing after his life support had been switched off. The child became seriously ill right after the birth and had to be taken to a hospital, where he was resuscitated and diagnosed with meningitis.
His father, a 23-years-old Adam Ellmer, said that the news kept varying all the time and the couple didn’t know what to think or how to feel. "Our boy was on the high dependency ward and doctors said it would go one of two ways. He could stay in the hospital if he got better or would need to go to Sheffield Children's Hospital if he got worse. 10 or 15 minutes later they said he needed to be moved." Doctors admitted they were unable to save baby’s life after two CT scans and the parents had to to take him to a peaceful place to spend final days with their beloved one. But miraculously an infant refused to give up and started breathing without a machine leaving all the family speechless and immobilized for more than 20 minutes. “It was literally the happiest moment of our lives”, said his 20-year-old mother miss Baker describing the moment their child began breathing for himself. “After that, we couldn't wait to come home. It was like bringing him back for the first time all over again”, she added. Boy’s illness has left him deaf in his right ear and with mild cerebral palsy but now aged six months, he is otherwise developing normally. Voice of Russia, Telegraph.co.uk. Source: Voice Of Russia. Ravi Shankar wore oxygen mask for last performance: Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar wore an oxygen mask for his last public performance at the California State University at Long Beach in the US on November four as he was suffering from respiratory problem. "Panditji had his last public performance with an oxygen mask on before a select audience at the Performing Art Centre of the University on November 4 with daughter Anoushka," his one-time secretary and close associate Rabin Pal said. The legendary sitar artiste died today at a hospital in San Diego in the US. "Despite his serious respiratory problem, Panditji hardly refused request for performance. So he had to put on an oxygen mask before the performance," Pal said, adding the California programme had been cancelled thrice earlier due to his poor health condition. Recollecting his last conversation with the Bharat Ratna awardee in November, Pal, who came in contact with him in the city in 1974 and became his close associate, said Panditji had a desire to come to India, particularly Kolkata, this winter to meet his close acquaintances. "He called me expressing his desire to come to India to meet his friends and acquaintances in Kolkata," Pal said. According to Pal, Shankar endorsed his proposal to organise a programme here with artistes who came in close touch with him like noted classical singer Samaresh Chowdhury and eminent sitarist Kartik Seshadri. "Panditji asked me to organise such a programme in which he would be present. But he was not sure whether he would be able to perform there," said Pal. Source: Article, Image, They are the champions: While we hail Mary Kom, spare a thought for the  unsung women athletes in India struggling for two minutes of fame. While we shower petals on Saina Nehwal, spare a thought for the girls at sport camps powerless before coaches and officials. And while we celebrate India's Olympic medal haul, do consider that two of the six were won by the 23 women who made up India's 81-strong contingent. Yet, India's women athletes continue to be less than equal, says senior sports writer Sharda Ugra. All athletes, regardless of gender, face enormous challenges: official and public indifference, lack of funding and pathetic training facilities. But women athletes also fight gender discrimination, sometimes referred to as India's 'dirty little secret'. When two women boxers (one of them a world championship medallist) are asked to serve tea at the National Institute of Sport, when the BCCI disburses Rs. 70 crore to 160 former players and there's not one woman on its list or when 31 women hockey players level sexual harassment charges against their coach, then that dirty little secret is in the open. Everyone listens when Sania Mirza slams the All India Tennis Association's decision to pair her with Leander Paes in the mixed doubles at London without her consent. Everyone listens when Jwala Gutta confirms discrimination against women athletes. But did anyone hear the four teenage girls from the junior wrestling team level sexual harassment charges against their coach in June this year? "We are looking into the matter," was what Sports Authority of India director general Desh Deepak Verma said. And that was that. Who speaks for Asian Games gold medallist Pinki Pramanik who spent 25 days in a male ward in jail following trumped up rape charges? How do we begin to restore her dignity after an MMS of her inconclusive gender test goes viral? Pinki later said she had been given testosterone injections that made her more masculine. Who gave her those injections? We don't even ask. We see the same official abandonment when four women relay players are stripped off their Asian Games gold after failing a dope test. Who gave them the dope? "They have no safety net," says Ugra. Discrimination against women in sport is admittedly worse in Saudi Arabia which prohibits women from competing and sent two women to the Olympics only after threats to ban the kingdom. Even in the West, women earn less, find fewer sponsors and get less media coverage. Mary Kom's own sport, boxing has been a male Olympic preserve until this year in London. To this day, women athletes are asked by federations to wear tighter shorts or skirts to present a more 'aesthetic' appeal. In India, the problem stems from the inordinate power officials wield over athletes, who come mostly from poor families. The coach decides which athlete gets picked for a national training camp or receives a government sponsorship or gets quota allotments in the sports category. It's a power that makes women doubly vulnerable to exploitation. For every high-profile revelation, there are countless unreported stories because the women have no choice but to remain silent, or leave. And washing the coach's dirty clothes, as revealed by Ashwini Nachappa, is often the least of their daily humiliations. But focusing on women is a winning strategy, and not just because there is a connection between women, sport, health, leadership and self-esteem, as pointed out by a UN 2007 report, Women, Gender Equality and Sport. In China, says Minxin Pei in The Indian Express, women have won 60% of all international championships in the last 30 years. In the US, women account for 66% of medals won this Olympics. In India, Saina and Mary have emerged as role models not just because of the bronze in their suitcase but because of their overcoming of adversity. How many of us even knew that Mary, the mother of twin boys, was a five-time world champion? Sania comes from a state that has one of the worst sex ratios and has spoken of how 'lucky' she was to play. It doesn't matter that Tintu Luka returns without a medal, we need to tell our daughters about her remarkable journey - from walking five km a day to go to school to running alongside Caster Semenya and Alysia Johnson Montano. These are women who have overcome challenges of deprivation and of gender. We need to sing their stories not as Olympic champions but as champions for women's rights across the country. Today if thousands of girls can dream of taking ownership of their destinies, they have these pioneers to thank. Namita Bhandare is a Delhi-based writer The views expressed by the author are personal, Image: flickr.com, Source: Hindustan Times, Why Mrs. Obama despises  Oprah Winfrey: Why Mrs. Obama despises Oprah Winfrey The relationship between former friends Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey, possibly the two most powerful female influences on Barack Obama’s presidency, has reached a breaking point, a new book has claimed. The book, The Amateur, written by Edward Klein, the former editor of the New York Times Magazine, portrays the First Lady as jealous of the access and influence the talk show host had over her husband. It also suggests Mrs Obama criticised Winfrey’s weight, the Telegraph reported. Klein has claimed that despite an initially warm relationship, the friendship became fractured soon after Obama’s election victory. According to the book, Valerie Jarrett and Desiree Rogers, advisers to Mrs Obama, became concerned at how close Oprah, whose support for Obama in 2008 was seen as vital, was becoming to the First Family. The book mentions about an alleged disagreement the pair had over Mrs Obama’s childhood obesity campaign. The author has asserted that Oprah had offered to feature the campaign on her television show but was rebuffed by Mrs Obama. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the latest allegations, however a spokesman has earlier said that Klein had made up stories to sell his book. “Nobody in their right mind would believe the nonsense in this one,” a spokesman said, Image Link Blogspot, Source: Hindustan Times, People forget we are  human, not objects, Rosie: Supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley says working in glamour world wasn't always her goal and she grew up feeling very insecure about her body. The 25-year-old beauty, who is one of the most in-demand models in the world, said she still has her insecurities, a media report said. “I grew up very unaware of my body and how I look; that wasn't something anybody thought about. I wasn't quite tall enough either and I hated it to be honest. “There was no individuality, no opportunity to be individuals. I think that people forget your are human and you just become an object,” she said. Talking of her time in New York, Whiteley said, “I was constantly reminded that I wasn't right wherever I went and that was difficult because I'd come from a place where it didn't matter.” Since becoming the face of Burberry and Victoria's Secret and her relationship with actor Jason Statham, her celebrity status has risen. Now, the supermodel turned Hollywood actress and lingerie designer, models designs including Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel and Dior. “I've wanted to design ever since I can remember and I fell into modelling through wanting to design and then, through my modelling career I modelled a lot of lingerie,” she says. Source: Indian Express, An artistic journey from New Delhi
Bharat Singh (R) and his younger sister Gurjinder pose with Bharat's "Prayer for World Peace" placed at their studio in Songzhuang, Beijing [Photo by Zhang Junmian/China.org.cn]
to Beijing: Bharat Singh and his younger sister Gurjinder are busy creating a whale protection-themed statue. Molding of the stainless steel art work" Love", which portrays two dolphines dancing around a mermaid, will be completed at the end of July. "Next month, we will bring it to the Ulsan International Whale Sculpture Exhibition in South Korea," said Bharat from the duo's B&G Art Studio in Songzhuang, Beijing, the largest art zone in both China and the world. "This work depicts the harmonious relations between human and nature, and we hope it can help arouse the public's awareness of wildlife protection," said Bharat, who has lived in Beijing for 13
Gurjinder's "Childhood Dreams" [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
years and is fluent in Chinese. Ulsan will be one of the 60-plus large-scaled art exhibitions Bharat has participated in since the 1990s. The sibling duo's sculpture work, which are mostly bronze figures in the round showcasing the power of love, life, friendship, music and kindness, always easily touch and captivate a large number of spectators when they are unveiled at different sculpture exhibitions around Asia, everywhere from India to China to South Korea to Malaysia. Their works have
Bharat and Gurjinder are busy creating a whale protection-themed statue [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
also been acquired by museums, galleriesand private collectors around the world includingthe U.S., the U.K., Japan, Canada, Spain and the aforementioned Asian countries. Around China, their work has been featured prominently in Beijing, Harbin, Changchun, Datong, Qingdao, Xiamen, Xuzhou and Foshan. From New Delhi to
Bharat's "Waves of Music" [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
Beijing The two promising sculptors, who are also well-versed in oil painting, took similar paths to the art world. Bharat, a fiercely-mustached but gentle man, fell in love with Beijing at first sight when he arrived in 2000 via a Chinese Government Scholarship. Before his journey to China, he graduated from College of Art, Delhi, where he received his BA and MA degrees in fine arts, in 1996 and 1999, respectively. Bharat was the final student of Professor Qian Shaowu, a well-established Chinese sculptor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. Bharat received his Ph.D from the Central Academy this summer. Bharat said that
Bharat's "Sweet Memories" [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
he has always had great interest in both Indian and Chinese cultures, as the two are among the four oldest civilizations in the world. "I think I should draw on the strong points of the two cultures, and I believe, only in the Eastern culture can my artistic creation flourish and bear juicy fruits," said Bharat. "I love India, and I also love China. Beijing is like my second home."Source: China.org.cn, Gurjinder also graduated from College of Art, Delhi, where she received her BFA and MFA degrees, in sculpture, in 2001 and 2004, respectively. She then came to Beijing via Chinese Government
Bharat (L), his professor Qian Shaowu (C) and Gurjinder [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
Scholarship in 2008 after getting her MFA in painting at Jiwaji University. She obtained her third MFA degree from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing this summer, and will start her PH.D research there this September. Like Bharat, Gurjinder fell in love with Chinese culture and is enthralled by the rapid development of Chinese contemporary arts. "I will stay here with Bharat, and create more excellent works to make Chinese cities more beautiful," said Gurjinder, who is also fluent in Chinese. The
Bharat and Gurjinder pose with embassy officers in front of Gurjinder's work at the National Museum of China in Beijing [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
brother and sister lead a colorful life in China. The siblings appeared in the 2011 Chinese hit TV series "Xia Nan Yang," on which Gurjinder played the hostess of a hotel in Malaysia, and Bharat appeared as a guest. Love, yoga and Bharat's "huge bare feet" Bharat, who developed his interest in drawing and art when he was five years old, hopes to be Qian's best student. His sculptures usually depict green figures with a very
Bharat at the set of "Xia Nan Yang" with Chinese actor Zhang Guoli [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
concise and simple outward appearance. Females often have huge bare feet and excessively strong legs, which Bharat said are often used to inspire viewers to dwell on the relations between individuals, between individuals and nature and between individuals and society. The artist believes that the key to all conflicts and social problems is love and virtue. His belief is demonstrated in his works such as "Unlimited
Bharat's "Unlimited Desire" [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
Desire," the "Together" series, "Prayer for World Peace", "Friendship Above All," "Waves of Music" and "Sweet Memories". Explaining how large feet relate to such concepts, Bharat invoked yoga. "The practice of yoga began some 5,000 years ago in India, and we have practiced it since we were kids. In meditation, we feel our bodies become lighter and brisker starting from the feet upwards," said Bharat. Bharat said, "I
Bharat's oil painting "Hope" [Photo by Zhang Junmian/China.org.cn]
like green, because it's the color of nature, and in our traditional culture, human co-exists with nature in a harmonious way." Love, childhood memories and Gurjinder's romantic style In her personal statement, Gurjinder writes: "My art works are always very simple compositions of my memories, dreams and desires. My childhood was filled with countless memorable moments that I would love to relive. By the development of cities, living situations are changed, families are changed, relations are changed. Day by day society is changing and day by day I am missing more and more,
Gurjinder's "Monsoon Days" [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
those beautiful passed days and its wonderful unforgettable moments."Gurjinder said she relives her childhood through her statues, which depict joyful scenes from her past, like as playing with mud, making paper-boats, playing on the swings, family gatherings, picnics and traditional festival celebrations. Source: China.org.cn, Her works, such as "Freedom," "Towards Temple," "Monsoon Days," the "Childhood Memories" series and "Mother's Moon," convey love, warmth and delight of life in an unaffected and idyllic way. They reflect the artist's hopes of preserving traditional cultural values, her pursuit of happiness and her thoughts on the social development that is changing so much in both China and India. She also calls for peace and love in some works such
Gurjinder's "Freedom" [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
as "Goddess of Peace" and "World Peace."Gurjinder's sculpture works are mostly in cuprine, while her paintings feature harmoniously bright colors. She even boldly blends traditional Chinese elements, such as "one-tile" hair style for kids and Chinese "Qipao" into her works. What we want: simple life and better works Bharat and Gurjinder love artistic creation. They hope they will always be able to push creative
Bharat's "Friendship Above All" [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
boundaries and, hopefully, bring joy to others with their art. The brother and sisters duo have never thought that taking art as their life career means an arduous road. They just enjoy it, and may continue work for many hours without any rest. They often forget to eat and go to bed in time when they are engaged in creation. The suffering is worth it, however, when the final work is completed, Gurjinder said, who has
Gurjinder's "Towards Temple" [Photo by Zhang Junmian/China.org.cn]
been suffering back pain from her long hours sitting. Bharat said he believes that artistic works shouldn't be done in a rush and they have never considered mass producing their work. "Artists should always maintain [their] independence and freedom in creation. Those who lose themselves in the market will end up as workman and businessman," said Bharat."What we want is very simple -- Live in a simple way, and create more outstanding statues for different cities in China, as well as in other countries," Bharat said. Source: China.org.cn
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