Tags ‘hand’

The Glamour of Cruising

There was once a time when luxury cruises were solely occupied by the elite, the super wealthy or the retired. Ladies with billowing hats and skirts accompanied by trunks full of finery from all over the globe would board magnificent cruise ship after cruise ship, stopping only to wave a lacy gloved hand to all who watched her chosen vessel depart. No doubt her personal butler or man-servant would help do all the lifting, before she retired to her cabin to dress appropriately for the evening: ball gown and cigarette holder (a la Audrey Hepburn) at the ready – and this time Tiffany would hang luxuriantly around her neck, not merely in the shop window.You can’t deny that cruising isn’t glamorous. Any of the hundreds of brochures will tell you that. Models posing, champagne glass in hand, sunglasses on and bikini body intact, there is a certain air of needing to impress. But if you’re new to cruising this could still be more than a little daunting. These days the attention to attire when cruising has perhaps been broken down into something more manageable. Wardrobes choc-full of designer kit, gold and jewels to bedazzle fellow cruisers need not be the order of the day, but a little elegance can still work wonders. Most cruise companies will advise you of a dress code, and for the vast majority, there is no need for white tie, or even black. Gone are the days when Captains would host dinners for all guests on board under the crystal cut chandeliers. The modern manner is more ‘savvy chic’ than showy.On board though, you’ll likely have at least one formal dinner, requiring a smart outfit. This usually translates to dinner jackets and cocktail dresses, but be rest assured the tiara and tails can be left at home (let’s face it, they’ve been so over-used they’ll be beginning to fall apart, and smart but not shabby is the de rigeur here). Informal dinners will most likely mean jacket minus the tie for men and a dress or trouser with heels for women. During the day of course this changes to a casual air of elegance. But if you’re going to be rock climbing or water-skiing you might want to rethink the Prada.Despite recent political developments, cruising down the Nile on a luxury Egypt holiday is still one of life’s most sought after experiences and the ultimate in cruise travel. This too is possibly one of the fewer destinations where cruising still sits in the ‘Old-school’ bracket rather than ‘Newskool.’ But that still doesn’t have to mean stuffy or tight-lipped. Some cruise ships will encourage participation in colourful Egyptian themed evenings, giving guests the chance to dress in traditional Egyptian clothing, feeling as magnificent as Queen Nefertari, or Tutankhamen himself. And it’s on cruises like these that are often the most interesting – the ship’s decoration itself will likely be a blend of inspiration taken from the Pharaonic influences drawn from Egypt’s cultural heritage over thousands of years. Modern boats reflect their clientele – elegant yet cozy, sophisticated yet homely, replete with friendliness and splendour.Say goodbye to the ‘blue rinse’ cruisers and hello to a newer more dynamic generation of cruise travellers. Action and activity are now the order of the day, over and above the outfit.

Photo

admin

February 18th

Uncategorized

The Difference Between A Civil Law From That Of A Criminal Law

Civil LawCivil law deals with the enforcement of an oral or written contract. This would only mean that a certain entity is often involved in other cases except the commission of a crime. A wrongful act wherein the other party asks for damages is also under the civil law. When we mean civil law, it does not involve any crime. Civil cases often require more work for the lawyer or attorney because they need to gather evidences from different sources.Most of the time, civil cases involve disputes between a person or an organization. A person or an entity who claims on their legal compensation or benefit is often called a plaintiff. On the other hand, the person or organization that the plaintiff requires the damages is often called the defendant, litigants or parties. Usually, the plaintiff often requires the defendant under the rules of law to provide him the respect and legal obligations deemed to them. A defendant is often required to give the plaintiff what is due to them.There are several types of civil law cases, and they include commercial operations, divorce and custody, personal injury and estate planning, bankruptcy, taxes, employment, corporations, workers’ compensation, and contracts. Under the rule of civil law, penalties are often given in a form of order, custody, legal rights, liable for damages, and monetary award to the aggrieved party. It is extremely seldom that the defendants are subject to imprisonment, but in some rare cases, there are imprisonments involved.Criminal LawCriminal law involves crime against people. It includes rape, robbery, murder, assault and kidnapping. In other way, it also includes tax evasion, burglary, larceny, smuggling, shoplifting and other forms of theft. Criminal laws also cover those who use and sell drugs, drunk drivers and other crimes against the law. The penalties given to perpetrators are often in the form of a fine and jail. Most of the cases under the criminal law are often dealt with an order to avoid further harm to society.Under the criminal law, the person who is often accused of a certain crime is often charged with formal accusations for misdemeanor. The person accused is liable at large to the entire state or society and not to the victim alone. In this case, criminal defense attorneys just like a Utah Defense Attorney need to help their clients on their legal proceedings. After the trial and the court already made their decision that the other party is legally proven to commit the crime, then a sentence is clearly given. The sentence given can be in a form of supervision in the community, monetary penalty, imprisonment, or in some cases a combination of those penalties.

Photo

admin

February 17th

Uncategorized

The Difference Between Stress And Anxiety

Contrary to popular belief, there is a difference between stress and anxiety. Stress comes from the pressures we feel in life, as we are pushed by work or any other task that puts undue pressure on our minds and body, adrenaline is released, extended stay of the hormone causes depression, a rise in the blood pressure and other negative changes and effects. One of these negative effects is anxiety. With anxiety, fear overcomes all emotions accompanied by worry and apprehension, making a person a recluse and a bagful of jitters. Other symptoms are chest pains, dizziness, and shortness of breath and panic attacks.

Stress is caused by an existing stress-causing factor or stressor. Anxiety is stress that continues after that stressor is gone. Stress can come from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, nervous, or even anxious. What is stressful to one person is not necessarily stressful to another. Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension or fear and is almost always accompanied by feelings of impending doom. The source of this uneasiness is not always known or recognized, which can add to the distress you feel. Stress is the way our bodies and minds react to something which upsets our normal balance in life; an example of stress is the response we feel when we are frightened or threatened. During stressful events our adrenal glands release adrenaline, a hormone which activates our body’s defense mechanisms causing our hearts to pound, blood pressure to rise, muscles to tense, and the pupils of our eyes to dilate. A principal indication of increased stress is an escalation in your pulse rate; however, a normal pulse rate doesn’t necessarily mean you aren’t stressed. Constant aches and pains, palpitations, anxiety, chronic fatigue, crying, over or under- eating, frequent infections, and a decrease in your sexual desire are signs you may notice which indicate you may be under stress. Of course, every time we are under stress, we do not react to such an extreme and we are not always under such great duress or fear every time we are confronted with a stressful situation. Some people are more susceptible than others to stress; for some, even ordinary daily decisions seem insurmountable. Deciding what to have for dinner or what to buy at the store, is a seemingly, monumental dilemma for them. On the other hand, there are those people, who seem to thrive under stress by becoming highly productive being driven by the force of pressure. Research shows women with children have higher levels of stress related hormones in their blood than women without children. Does this mean women without children don’t experience stress? Absolutely not! It means that women without children may not experience stress as often or to the same degree which women with children do. This means for women with children, it’s particularly important to schedule time for yourself; you will be in a better frame of mind to help your children and meet the daily challenge of being a parent, once your stress level is reduced. Anxiety, on the other hand, is a feeling of unease. Everybody experiences it when faced with a stressful situation, for example before an exam or an interview, or during a worrying time such as illness. It is normal to feel anxious when facing something difficult or dangerous and mild anxiety can be a positive and useful experience. However, for many people, anxiety interferes with normal life. Excessive anxiety is often associated with other psychiatric conditions, such as depression. Anxiety is considered abnormal when it is very prolonged or severe, it happens in the absence of a stressful event, or it is interfering with everyday activities such as going to work. The physical symptoms of anxiety are caused by the brain sending messages to parts of the body to prepare for the “fight or flight” response. The heart, lungs and other parts of the body work faster. The brain also releases stress hormones, including adrenaline. Common indicators of excessive anxiety include: · Diarrhea · Dry mouth · Rapid heartbeat or palpitations · Insomnia · Irritability or anger · Inability to concentrate · Fear of being “crazy” · Feeling unreal and not in control of your actions which is called depersonalization Anxiety can be brought on in many ways. Obviously, the presence of stress in your life can make you have anxious thoughts. Many people who suffer from anxiety disorders occupy their minds with excessive worry. This can be worry about anything from health matters to job problems to world issues. Certain drugs, both recreational and medicinal, can also lead to symptoms of anxiety due to either side effects or withdrawal from the drug. Such drugs include caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, cold remedies, and decongestants, bronchodilators for asthma, tricyclic antidepressants, cocaine, amphetamines, diet pills, ADHD medications, and thyroid medications. A poor diet can also contribute to stress or anxiety — for example, low levels of vitamin B12. Performance anxiety is related to specific situations, like taking a test or making a presentation in public. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a stress disorder that develops after a traumatic event like war, physical or sexual assault, or a natural disaster. In very rare cases, a tumor of the adrenal gland (pheochromocytoma) may be the cause of anxiety. This happens because of an overproduction of hormones responsible for the feelings and symptoms of anxiety. While anxiety may seem a bit scary, what’s even scarier is that excessive anxiety and stress can lead to depression. Suffering from depression can be a lifelong struggle as I well know, but the good news is that all of this is manageable! Learn about definition of stress and how to deal with stress at the Health And Nutrition site.

Related Articles –
health, bipolar, dimentia, stress, mental disorder, mental, disorder, mind, bipolar disorder, health and nutrition, bipolar symptoms, what is bipolar,

Email this Article to a Friend!
Receive Articles like this one direct to your email box!Subscribe for free today!

Photo

admin

February 17th

Uncategorized

Top 10 Tips for Successful DivorceFamily Law Declaration Drafting

Here are ten tips to bear in mind as you prepare to draft a declaration in a family law proceeding:1. Tell the TruthA declaration is a written statement made under penalty of perjury. Perjury is a Class B Felony in Washington State, and is but one serious potential repercussion to making a false statement to a court of law. Civil Rule 11 also mandates both truthfulness in statements, and a reasonable inquiry by a declarant to ensure that statements made are in fact true. Perhaps most commonly, it is simply a matter of credibility. A single dishonest statement, once discovered, will shatter your credibility with the opposing party and attorney, and the tribunal. Tell the truth, and skip the grief.2. Know Your AudienceAs with any writing or speaking, it is important to remember who you are talking to. In the area of family law, declarations most often end up in the hands of Court Commissioners. These court-appointed judicial officers manage extremely busy case loads, often hearing hundreds of cases a day. They’ve “seen it all” in a general sense, but at the same time seldom do they have more than a few minutes to review any specific case and form an initial impression before the case proceeds to argument. Going into a hearing, they will only know what you have told them via your declarations. Commissioners and Judges appreciate succinct, specific factual explanations that are relevant to the legal issues at hand.3. Organize for EffectGiven the limited time a Judge or Commissioner will have to review what you write, organization is critical. Break down the facts you need to get across to your reader by legal issue. For example, in a typical divorce case at the temporary order hearing stage, you may need to address parenting, substance abuse, domestic violence, child support, maintenance (or alimony), and property use. Each of these issues carries its own legal standards and requirements, but your only job in drafting a declaration is to establish the factual requirements to meet those legal standards. Outline the topics you’ll discuss before writing anything specific. Use topic headings and sub-headings to indicate which legal issue you are discussing. Some issues are best organized from the most recent events and then backwards – especially when seeking protective or restraining orders -while others should start at the beginning of the story. By following a consistent organization method, you’ll help the trier of fact understand your situation.4. Be SpecificColloquially, we are all used to making generalizations and over-statements in our everyday speech. In a declaration, such language can be self-defeating. Judges and Commissioners can only make factual determinations based on specific incidents, and only a set of specific incidents can establish a pattern or course of conduct. Sentences that begin with words like “he always…” or “she used to…” are not helpful to the tribunal, and often hamper your credibility. Stick to specific facts and incidents, and only after laying out a clear set of them refer to it as a pattern that someone “always” or “often” follows. Even if you can only recall a rough time-frame in which an event happened, it is useful and more credible to relay it.5. Stay RelevantBeing organized and specific are critical elements to a successful declaration, but staying on point and relevant to the issues at hand is just as important. You don’t need to state the law, but it is helpful to be mindful of the law that will be applied to your case. In any given paragraph, state only those facts that will help the court decide the issue you are addressing. Avoid the temptation to tie everything together, or to wander into other problems or grievances, as your reader may choose to skip reading if she can’t understand why you’re jumping topics. Also, many Washington counties, including King, Pierce and Snohomish, have set page limits for the sum of declarations each side can submit. This necessitates careful use of the space you have.6. Don’t Argue With the Opposing SideIn family law more than any other area of law, it is easy to get dragged into a fruitless ‘he said – she said’ battle. Unfortunately, at some point during a contested family law proceeding, you must expect the opposing party or attorney to say something you find either insulting or untrue, or both. It’s important to refute incorrect factual assertions in a responsive declaration, but it’s equally important to avoid the pitfalls of a ‘blame game,’ or to make unfounded accusations yourself. Washington is a ‘no fault’ divorce state, and issues like marital infidelity or failing to fulfill promises are only relevant at all if they affect parenting. Moreover, Judges and Commissioners often have to split the difference in making these quick factual determinations, and if you’ve spent your page limit refuting what the other side has said about you, the trier is likely to come away believing at least some of it was true. Focus on asserting your own relevant facts to establish your credibility, and drive the narrative rather than reacting to the other side’s version of it.7. Write Naturally; Make It Easy to ReadWhile Judges and Commissioners are skilled at reading through to people’s intent, and aim to apply justice evenly to folks from all walks of life, they are still human. If you include grammar or spelling mistakes in your declaration, it may distract from an important point you are making. If it’s bad enough, it may make your declaration unreadable. That said, it is also important to write naturally to the way you speak. Nothing is more distracting, or quickly set down, than a misguided attempt to write in ‘legalese.’ Even lawyers can sound silly by writing a few too many ‘hereinafter’s.’ Try to write something you would enjoy, or at least could tolerate reading. Start your paragraphs and sentences with signals as to where you are going, and keep your paragraphs brief to break up the page. A well-written declaration is one that is easy to read, and vice versa.8. Put Emotion AsideFamily law invokes some very emotional reactions from the parties involved, and often even the attorneys. Family law issues happen most often when people are at their worst, most distressed or troubled. Realize before you even start that rehashing a history of past abuses or neglects is likely to stir these emotions further, and prepare yourself. Write calmly, and remember the Judge or Commissioner isn’t going to share your visceral, emotional reactions no matter how well you express them. Present the facts, and allow them to correct the situation as best they can. Pleas for justice appear theatric, just as pleas for mercy can seem desperate. If establishing a parenting plan is an issue, strong expressions of emotion may even reflect poorly on your ability to be a stable, secure parent.9. Draft, and Draft AgainAfter you write your first draft, step back and take a break, perhaps even sleep on it. Come back to it with a fresh frame of mind, and read through. Changes and additions that will improve your declaration will practically jump off the page. All accomplished writers learn to re-write, over and over again. Even a second draft will vastly improve the quality, structure and overall effectiveness of your declaration.10. Seek HelpHaving another set of eyes look over your declaration is even more important than re-drafting, and the two usually go hand-in-hand. If you hire an attorney, they will want to re-draft what you have written. Some will even start writing it for you. In my practice, I prefer that my clients and witnesses create the initial drafts of their declarations, whether it is through one comprehensive attempt, or a series of emails back and forth. Your facts are what drive your case, and you know them better than anyone else! Declarations crafted solely by attorneys are formulaic and obvious, and seldom accomplish anything. If you cannot hire an attorney, consider seeking help from a paralegal, legal aid clinic, or court facilitator. Even a friend who you know to be a good writer will probably improve your declaration in some way.http://www.tlclawco.com/Our Seattle Divorce Lawyers practice in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties. We handle cases with litigants residing in Seattle, Ballard, Capital Hill, Mercer Island, Tacoma, Everett, Lynnwood, Bellevue, Kirkland, Issaquah, Sammamish, Redmond, Federal Way, Tukwila, Renton, Kent and other surrounding Washington state locations.

Photo

admin

February 16th

Uncategorized

The Twelve Basic Principles Of Negotiation – Numbers 7 to 12

This is the second article in a two part series on the principles of negotiation. If you don’t have access to the first part article then you will find it on my blog.

7. Use your strengths and manage your weaknesses

In every negotiation each party has strengths and weaknesses. If one party held all the cards then it would not be a negotiation, they would simply be dictating the terms.

Be aware of your strengths and how you can best use them and be aware of your weaknesses and know how to manage them. Part of managing your weaknesses is to disguise them as strengths wherever possible.

Strength in a negotiation comes from things like willingness to walk away, low perceived need, no or low time constraints or having something that the other party needs but can’t easily get elsewhere.

Weakness comes from strong need for what the other party is offering, short time constraints, or low need on the part of the other party.

8. Respond rather than react

A reaction implies that it is a reflex and doesn’t involve thought or strategy. Skilled negotiators try to get their opponents reacting.

Responding on the other hand is keeping your control and not doing anything that is not a thoughtful application of your strategy.

If you have the habit of reacting then it is very easy for a skilled negotiator to manipulate you during the negotiation.

9. Attract rather than chase

It is very difficult for you to win a negotiation if you are doing the chasing. The idea is to make your proposals in such a way that they draw the other party toward your desired result. This is achieved by a combination of having a good offer and presenting it with good negotiation skills.

10. Break complicated issues into simple elements and then negotiate the elements.

The human brain can only process so much information in one bite. If you are involved in a complex negotiation it will be better to break it down into several components and negotiate them as separate issues.

Some negotiators have, as a strength, the ability to mentally hold large amounts of information and they will try to keep the negotiation complicated. If this is not your strength then don’t fall into this trap.

11. Know when to negotiate concepts and when to negotiate details

There are times when the details are extremely important but there are other times when they are just a distraction. Develop the skill of being able to see the difference.

It also may be a good strategy in many negotiations to gain agreement on a general concept first and then move on to negotiate the details.

12. Have a system to look after the details

Negotiations by their nature are generally verbal. Once the negotiation is over it is important to get the agreement into writing and signed as soon as possible.

The simplest way to achieve this is to already have a system in place, before the negotiation even starts. For a salesman this could be accomplished by having an official order form. For a complicated big business negotiation it may mean handing over to your legal department.

Keep in mind that the longer the time between the negotiation and the signing of the formal agreement the more likely it will be that the negotiation will reopen.

Negotiation is not a skill that you can master in five minutes, but these twelve basic principles are a good place to start.

James Delrojo would like to help you by giving you his
ebook “Unleash the Success Power of Your Mind”
(valued at $27) completely FREE.
Go to http://www.YourSuccessMind.com

Photo

admin

February 14th

Uncategorized

The Little-known Shadow Play in China

China is a traditional civilization country. If you travel to China you can share many special things, especially the local arts. Many old people will recommend the shadow play which has many Chinese local features. It is like that the foreigners are willing to show their oil paintings art. -Ĺ“Shadow puppet-Âť is the general description of shadow play and figures shadow play. Chinese shadow play art is a particular art, which is the clever combination of Chinese unique folk arts and crafts and traditional opera. Shadow play is a form of drama that uses a white curtain to let audiences to watch the lamp shadow of puppet man’s performances. But the puppet man and props scenes are leathers, which folk artists make them by hand, tool engraving and painting, so we call it shadow puppet. And shadow play has light performing equipment; it also has beautiful and rich vocal music and exciting and moving performing.

Additionally, shadow play plays an important role in the development of arts and culture at home and abroad. A number of types of drama are derived from vocal music of the various shadow plays. That the principle of the screen performing Chinese shadow play and the performing arts measures of shadow play, play a leading role to the invention of modern film and the development of modern film arts. Maybe it looks very easy or simple but there is a high demand to the technique of performing of the performers. A performer not only can control three or four shadow men by him, but can cooperate closely with incidental music and take into account the narration and vocal music. So we say if you want have high performing skill of shadow play, you should learn hard with a excellent teacher and accumulate a large number of actual performance experience. Thus, it is hard to from a troupe of shadow play finally. Because of this, there are few shadow play troupes in the whole of China. And it is concentrated in the more poor mountainous regions and rural areas. Such performances and dissemination channels apparently cannot let shadow play into cities, and even the world.

Related Articles –
Shadow, Play,

Email this Article to a Friend!
Receive Articles like this one direct to your email box!Subscribe for free today!

Photo

admin

February 10th

Uncategorized

Things to Consider Upon Buying Weber Gas BBQ Grills

The gas BBQ grills manufacture by Weber-Stephen gas grill models offers state of the art grilling technologies that make a lazy summer afternoon air filled with the mouthwatering aroma of grilled meat and vegetables. With Weber gas BBQ grills, you can create quality grilled foods with topnotch taste. There are countless ways in cooking grilled food with any grill. But when it comes to durability and grilling functionalities, Weber gas BBQ grills are on the top of list. With a wide range of categories and forms to choose from, Weber provides you with the gas BBQ grill of your preference.

If you go online and look for Weber gas BBQ grills, there will be countless categories offered and forms offered. If you are in an actual grilling shop to buy a grill for your backyard, you can try out bigger models that come with much larger cooking and warming surface areas an average of three to four burners, and supplementary grilling tools and accessories.

On the other hand, you can also get a smaller Weber gas BBQ grill, most especially if you are just living by yourself or you are often on a travel and might want to take the grill with you. There are also portable Weber gas BBQ grills available that are compact enough to fit in a car trunk without sacrificing its grilling capabilities.

One good thing about Weber gas BBQ grills is that disregarding the category or the form of the grill you get, state of the art grilling technologies are guaranteed for each Weber grilling unit. All models have sophisticated ignition systems, heat regulation system and safety devices to ensure both convenient and safe cooking experience with Weber products.

Other components featured by Weber gas BBQ grills are the type of materials in which each part is made with. The cart chassis and the burners are all made from tough chrome steel. The bowl and cooking grates are coated with enameled steel and porcelain. The foundation is made out from nylon and glass. The handles are heat-proof. And the regulators are made of heat-resistant and fail-safe mechanisms. And all of these form a quality grilling unit.
Lastly, Weber gas BBQ grills also come with a various tools and accessories, such as casters, cooking guides, holders, accurate built-in thermometers, auxiliary lights, and more. And whether if you are just a casual griller or a professional cook, Weber gas BBQ grills can make your summer grilling afternoons more delightful.

Photo

admin

February 10th

Uncategorized

THE PROPOSAL Short Fiction – A Love Story

THE PROPOSAL

Short Fiction – A Love Story

By

VIKRAM KARVE

I look at myself in the full-length mirror.

 

I like what I see.

 

Yes. I am beautiful, very beautiful, very very beautiful indeed!

 

No doubt about it. I always was a great beauty.

They say that a beautiful woman often has a tragic life.

Does tragedy always come from being a great beauty?

I don’t know whether this is universally true, but certainly, I have had a very tragic life. But I will not tell you too much about it right now and spoil my mood.  Now I will look into the mirror and admire myself, my exquisite body.

 

Not many women close to forty can stand in front of a mirror with so much pride and assurance. A woman in full bloom. I admire my perfect body; almost fall in love with my own body. Like Narcissus.

 

Suddenly I experience a tremor of anxiety as I see the first signs of the process of ageing. Infinitesimal. Almost indiscernible.  But indisputable.

 

Two minute furrows on my forehead, the slight coarsening of the skin below the eyes, the almost unnoticeable heaviness of the abdomen with its suggestion of fold….

 

I can easily cover them up. With make-up. And the right dress. But for how long can I wear a mask?

 

Time is running out for me. Sameer could be my last chance. I’m already regretting that I had put the matter so lightly the last time we had met, and before that. Tonight is my probably my last chance – I have to go in for the kill.

 

Love Trap.

What a phrase to use.

 

But that’s exactly what I’m going to do – ensnare Sameer in my Love Trap and move in for the kill.

 

Like a predator.

 

For the first time in my life I would use my beauty to my advantage, not to be taken advantage of – like it happened all these years. 

I was just 19, a fresh graduate wondering what to do in life, when my elder sister Nisha died in childbirth, leaving behind a newborn girl and a young heartbroken husband, Ashok.

 

We, my mother and I, went to stay with Ashok in Mumbai to nurse the baby girl and after a few months named her Smita – as she was a cheerful smiling baby.

From time to time, especially on weekends, my father, who was still working at that time, would come over from Pune, and I could see that he was getting quite irritable having to stay separate from his long-married wife though he didn’t say it.

 

One day Ashok proposed to me – actually he asked my mother for my hand in marriage.

 

My mother was overjoyed. She put lovingly her hand on my arm, looked into my eyes and said, “Ashok loves you, wants to marry you. He’s still young, only 27. He needs a wife. And Smita needs a mother.”

 

“Yes, Smita needs a mother,” I said tightly holding the baby wondering what would happen to the hapless baby is Ashok remarried someone else.

 

My mother spoke to my father. He agreed – to him it seemed quite a logical thing to do and maybe he was relieved that his much-married wife would be coming back to live with him.

 

So I got married to Ashok and I put on hold all my immediate dreams of higher studies, a career.

 

How should I describe my marriage?

 

No expectations, no disappointments, no role-ambiguity, a cordial relationship, a happy family, a blissful marriage – at least from the outside.

 

Children? Our children. Ashok’s and mine.

 

It just didn’t happen. With Nisha’s death, a little something in him had died. He must have loved her very much, intensely.

 

I accepted the situation with grace and tried to focus on being a good wife and a doting mother. As Smita grew older Ashok encouraged me to study, do an MBA, and start a career.

 

Ashok was married to his job. Things were fine, till one evening Ashok came home and broke the news that he had been passed over for promotion.

 

Ashok was shattered. He had worked sincerely, slogged hard, given his life for his career. He had remained loyal to his company without getting loyalty in return.

 

He felt terribly betrayed. For Ashok, after Nisha had gone, his career meant everything, and he just couldn’t take it, being sidelined in his career, having to work under his erstwhile juniors.

 

He just could not cope with this setback, so he tried to find solace in alcohol.

Within months he slipped into the abyss of alcoholism.

From a workaholic he became an alcoholic, bitter, cynical, and one day my world disintegrated. 

Ashok died in a car accident, driving home drunk.

 

I wish he had died in some better way.

 

So after eight years of marriage I found myself at the age of 27 with an 8 year old Smita, the light of my life, single, but not helpless as I was doing quite well in my career as a bank executive.

 

And now, Smita was 20, already working in my bank, and doing her MBA in the evenings, earning and learning, and I was so proud of her.

 

And then I fell in love – for the first time in my life I had fallen in love.

 

Let me tell you about it.

 

I still remember the day Sameer breezed into my office announcing that he would be working with me. “Hi, Nalini, I am Sameer, your new Deputy,” he announced superciliously, sitting down and lighting a cigarette.

 

“Put off that cigarette!” I shouted, “And don’t you dare come into my office unless I call you.

 

“Hey, Sweetie, you look red hot sexy when you are angry. My wife is going to be real jealous when I tell her how stunning my boss is,” he laughed mischievously.

 

“She won’t, when you tell her that your boss is a thirty five year old widow with college going daughter,” I retorted in anger and stormed out of my office to protest against his appointment for which I had not been consulted.

 

“Sameer is a genius,” my boss said, “the directors head-hunted him and managed to lure him over from our biggest rival with great difficulty. He’s going to rejuvenate your department…”

 

I got the message. This new man was a threat, and if I wasn’t careful it wouldn’t be surprising if he didn’t leap frog over me or even ease me out.

 

“I’m sorry Ma’am, I didn’t know the culture was so formal out here,” Sameer was contrite when I returned; “I’ll maintain decorum in future.”

 

“It’s okay,” I said, and began to tell him about our work.

 

Sameer was extremely intelligent, knowledgeable, supportive, open, sincere, affable and great to work with, but initially I kept my distance, treated him with forced geniality, tinged with wariness.

 

It was only during his painful divorce with his wife living in Delhi, the seeds of which seemed to have been sown much earlier and maybe the reason why he had relocated to Mumbai, that is when we became close and I often lent him my shoulder to cry on.

 

It was inevitable that we fell in love – lonely buddies with a thirst for life, soul-mates, attracted to each other, office-spouses who now needed to become real spouses.

 

Normally a man is supposed to make the first move, and I waited for Sameer to propose, but maybe he was shy, being seven years my junior. But I had waited long enough, maybe he too had waited long enough, and…I shuddered to think…if I lost him…I was thirty nine…Sameer was my last chance…my only love…soon my daughter Smita would go away too…I didn’t want to live the rest of my life like a loveless lonely maid.

 

I looked at the wall-clock. 7:30. Sameer would he here any time now to take me out for dinner. 

Normally we take Smita out with us too, but tonight I had insist that only the two of us, Sameer and me, would go, and surprisingly Smita doesn’t protest.

 

I put on the final touches of make-up, generously dabbed on my favourite perfume.

 

The door-bell rang. “Mummy, Sameer is here,” I heard Smita yelling.

 

I gave myself a final look in the mirror – I looked really gorgeous – yes, truly stunning, dressed to kill; I couldn’t have titivated better than this.

 

“Wow!” Smita said with delightful surprise in her eyes, “You look dashing!”

 

Sameer looked at me mesmerized.

 

He desperately tried to stop his eyes rove all over my body, even to places they it would be considered naughty.

 

“Hey, what’s with you two? Aren’t you going to go out fast and let me enjoy my TV and popcorn?” Smita teased.

 

Soon we were driving on Marine Drive towards our favourite restaurant, the best place for an unhurried romantic dinner.

 

“It’s a beautiful evening. Let’s sit by the sea,” Sameer said spontaneously, slowing down the car.

 

“I’d love to,” I said.

 

We sat close to each other on the parapet, facing the placid waters of the Arabian Sea, the lights of the ships in the distance, the twinkling stars in the clear sky above us, the sea breeze pure, refreshing.

 

“I want to say something…” Sameer hesitated.

 

“Say it!” I urged him.

 

“I wanted to ask…” he faltered.

 

“Ask. Please ask me,” I beseeched him.

 

Sameer looked at me, into my eyes, and said, “I want ask your permission to marry Smita. We love each other. We want to get married. I told her to tell you but Smita said I must ask you. She’ll do as you say…I promise I’ll keep her happy…” 

Sameer kept on speaking but his voice trailed off and his words did not register as my mind went blank…

 

 

 

THE PROPOSAL

Short Fiction – A Love Story

By

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2010

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

Photo

admin

February 8th

Uncategorized

The Growing Potential of Online communities

The cutting edge in technology has enabled cross-cultural communications with online communities gaining prevalence among the masses. The mediums which have been exploited to attract the online users are forums, blogs, podcasts, message boards, wikis and vlogs. The social networking sites which have promoted the growth of online communities and have gained the utmost attention are Orkut, MySpace and Facebook apart from the other social media clubs like SEMPO and DFWIMA. This has obviously led to the advantage of marketing experts to reap revenues out of the online conversions by adopting a definite strategy on one hand while on the other hand the increasing level of interaction between the users for knowledge, information sharing and to seek entertainment. The segment inherently attached to these networking sites is the today’s generation youngsters who share opinions and their experiences by building up the online community. No doubt that the use of words in a spoken form has been translated into a written textual form and these texts have occupied space in the online communities. Building an online community requires tools and one of the tools which has replaced the traditional tools of communities is the latest Web 2.0 application which is considered as the most vibrant and potent tool today to build an online community. While building up the online community, extremely fine methods are taken into account in order to increase the participation of these community members. Also called as e-community or virtual community, the online community offers the following benefits: · Reduced costs of conducting meetings and other costs such as print materials to be sent as letters. · Enables faster reach across the wide sections of society. · Enables a larger customer base and also generates leads in the form of new target audience on a daily basis. · Manifests the database of the participants or members on an immediate and regular basis and accessibility of these centralized data to all the members. One starts wondering why this kind of community has not been utilized by the NGOs who can work out innumerable solutions to reach the underprivileged and the downtrodden. When there are communities from educationists to the musicians and the music lovers across multiple societies, the growth should been much faster. The users on the online communities create and share videos, seek web boards to have multiplayer online games, but all these are just restricted to entertainment and knowledge sharing uptil now.

Had this been for the betterment of society by the online groups through creating fund-raisers, it would have worked wonders. There are some religious groups who have created the social communities for their own interests around the world but they have not explored or realized the effectiveness of the online communities. No doubt, the online communities have put off the technical barriers which was there before 1990. When these communities were being built up, expertise was required and the interest also needed to be generated among the ethnic groups. Never did anybody imagine that online community will grow up to such an extent that even the not so geeks can make use of it. AOL and Yahoo were the sites which gave rise to the groups formed under the online community with much less technical know-how. Most of the IT pro organizations have developed their communities to facilitate the wide gamut of knowledge sharing and enable success in business. The online users can also have an access to the latest newsletters, latest product updates, new technology by participating on a shared platform. One can seek professional as well as personal growth by becoming a member of online community. What more, you can talk, create, blog, listen to music and play by actively participating in these online communities. From strangers to friends every thing has been possible. The marketers have realized the importance and are making all efforts to reap the rewards on a commercial basis. Yahoo who created a special portal for the fandom of brands suggests the growing potential of these communities. These online communities have also brought relationship marketing to the fore.

Related Articles –
Reduced cost, faster reach, customer base, centralized data.,

Email this Article to a Friend!
Receive Articles like this one direct to your email box!Subscribe for free today!

Photo

admin

February 8th

Uncategorized

The Growing Potential of Online communities

The cutting edge in technology has enabled cross-cultural communications with online communities gaining prevalence among the masses. The mediums which have been exploited to attract the online users are forums, blogs, podcasts, message boards, wikis and vlogs. The social networking sites which have promoted the growth of online communities and have gained the utmost attention are Orkut, MySpace and Facebook apart from the other social media clubs like SEMPO and DFWIMA. This has obviously led to the advantage of marketing experts to reap revenues out of the online conversions by adopting a definite strategy on one hand while on the other hand the increasing level of interaction between the users for knowledge, information sharing and to seek entertainment. The segment inherently attached to these networking sites is the today’s generation youngsters who share opinions and their experiences by building up the online community. No doubt that the use of words in a spoken form has been translated into a written textual form and these texts have occupied space in the online communities. Building an online community requires tools and one of the tools which has replaced the traditional tools of communities is the latest Web 2.0 application which is considered as the most vibrant and potent tool today to build an online community. While building up the online community, extremely fine methods are taken into account in order to increase the participation of these community members. Also called as e-community or virtual community, the online community offers the following benefits: · Reduced costs of conducting meetings and other costs such as print materials to be sent as letters. · Enables faster reach across the wide sections of society. · Enables a larger customer base and also generates leads in the form of new target audience on a daily basis. · Manifests the database of the participants or members on an immediate and regular basis and accessibility of these centralized data to all the members. One starts wondering why this kind of community has not been utilized by the NGOs who can work out innumerable solutions to reach the underprivileged and the downtrodden. When there are communities from educationists to the musicians and the music lovers across multiple societies, the growth should been much faster. The users on the online communities create and share videos, seek web boards to have multiplayer online games, but all these are just restricted to entertainment and knowledge sharing uptil now.

Had this been for the betterment of society by the online groups through creating fund-raisers, it would have worked wonders. There are some religious groups who have created the social communities for their own interests around the world but they have not explored or realized the effectiveness of the online communities. No doubt, the online communities have put off the technical barriers which was there before 1990. When these communities were being built up, expertise was required and the interest also needed to be generated among the ethnic groups. Never did anybody imagine that online community will grow up to such an extent that even the not so geeks can make use of it. AOL and Yahoo were the sites which gave rise to the groups formed under the online community with much less technical know-how. Most of the IT pro organizations have developed their communities to facilitate the wide gamut of knowledge sharing and enable success in business. The online users can also have an access to the latest newsletters, latest product updates, new technology by participating on a shared platform. One can seek professional as well as personal growth by becoming a member of online community. What more, you can talk, create, blog, listen to music and play by actively participating in these online communities. From strangers to friends every thing has been possible. The marketers have realized the importance and are making all efforts to reap the rewards on a commercial basis. Yahoo who created a special portal for the fandom of brands suggests the growing potential of these communities. These online communities have also brought relationship marketing to the fore.

Related Articles –
Reduced cost, faster reach, customer base, centralized data.,

Email this Article to a Friend!
Receive Articles like this one direct to your email box!Subscribe for free today!

Photo

admin

February 8th

Uncategorized
line
February 2012
M T W T F S S
« Jan    
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
272829