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Bali Unfurled |
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I always thought 'picture postcard beautiful' was a bit of a cliche - and then I went to Bali. Smoking volcanoes rose from dense forests, lush rice fields undulated down terrace steps and warm azure waves lapped at stunning beaches.
The Balinese are passionate about life and believe in living each moment to the fullest. After my rushed urban life, Bali came as a tranquil haven - I wandered through streets strewn with flower petals and more often than not the locals ...
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Sleeping In The Right Direction Reduces Problems |
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Sleeping In The Right Direction Reduces Problems
Will I marry my girlfriend
Abdul asks,
My name is Abdul Qadir and my date of birth is 1st April 1982. I was born in Bhatkal (Karnataka) at 11.36 am. The direction of my house is in east. I want to know; will I marry my girlfriend I have been having an affair with a girl for more than 17 months. Her name is Paru. I love her very much. Our parents are okay with us getting married but her brothers are not a ...
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Water harvesting via the Internet |
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Let’s say you are bothered about the impending water crisis in India. Despite the enthusiasms of our President and the Hon’ble Supreme Court for it, you are convinced that not only is river water linking a pipe dream or, even if the dream were ever realised, it will not bring water to every hamlet of the country. You are against big dams too: they displace people, serve the wealthy and water for living is a low priority for them. You realise privatizing water is the ultimate crucifixion of the poor and big water schemes need private capital. “Why, oh…
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A white elephant turns pink |
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The story of 153 year old Indian Railways has for long been one of a modern technology gone native. It has been an object of veneration and worshipped, but also indulgently forgiven as subject to karma, like you and me. It is rarely expected to be answerable or accountable. Its losses are stoically dismissed as part of an essential national service. So, if we are now told that the Indian Railways has just become the second most profitable public enterprise after the ONGC, we are likely to be likely to be surprised. How did that happen?
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Merging Individual Finances After Marriage |
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Merging Individual Finances After Marriage
Pros And Cons Of Joint Savings
Embarking on life's journey as a couple, you are filled with innumerable dreams and aspirations. Coupled with this you also have joint responsibilities. Amidst other things it is time to discuss your attitudes to money and share details of your financial life.
To merge or not to merge
There is no universal solution to this question. This depends on each individual's trust and commi ...
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Healthy Modaks and More |
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Healthy Modaks and More
Recipes For Ganesh Chaturthi
Here are some traditional recipes for Ganesh Chaturthi, albeit with a healthy twist. Not only are these recipes great for offering as prasadam to the deity, but taste awesome too!
Coconut Modaks
Ingredients
For Dough
2 cups rice flour
1 tsp sugar substitute (Equal, Sugar Free etc)
1 tsp sunflower oil
Pinch of salt
2 cups water
For Filling
4 cups coconut (desiccated or fresh ...
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Who will I marry - A British or an Indian |
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Who will I marry - A British or an Indian
Black magic
Rajesh asks,
My name is Rajesh and date of birth is 24th August 1974. I was born in Mumbai at 2.30 am. The door of my house opens in the east. I live in a joint family with my parents and brothers. I had a love marriage. We both loved each other very much. But due to some family problems, we had disputes and got divorced. Even after our divorce, we continued to meet. She is upset with me over some pa ...
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Budgeting For Newly Weds |
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Budgeting For Newly Weds
Now that you've tied the knot and the euphoria of your wedding and honeymoon is over, it's time to sit down and have a good money talk with your spouse.
Couples need to talk about money and understand each other's spending styles. As you move from the single to the married status, your life requires adequate financial planning, which begins with proper budgeting.
A good personal budget is like a map that shows your present financial stat ...
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Mind Blowing Mauritius |
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I'm floating face down in a turquoise lagoon as I hear the whirr of steam boats around me, para-sailers hung on orange-red balloons screaming in glee, a vast sky enveloping the mirth. Mauritius has enchanted me. Long beaches, white sand, warm water, lush tropical greenery and an exuberance that comes when cultures mingle. Mauritian cuisine is a blend of European, Indian, Muslim and Chinese and I am in heaven gorging on farats, gateaux piments - sort of chilly bites, and ...
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Amazing Australia |
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I am waiting in a vastly multi ethnic immigration queue. Isn't this Australia I'd expected large lanky men and tall women with white skins and blonde hair, all saying 'Faaasters' in a languid drawl. So much for stereotypes. There are lanky men but the queue largely mills with Koreans, Chinese, people from Hong Kong and the Philippines, Italians and Yugoslavians, Vietnamese and the Greek. I begin to suspect that Australia is going to be pleasantly different from my preco ...
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Can Vaastu help me find Mr Right |
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Can Vaastu help me find Mr Right
Marriage on the cards
Rakhi asks,
My name is Rakhi and my date of birth is 7th August 1979. I was born at 2.05 am in Ghaziabad. My house is facing south and my room is on the top floor. When will I get married
Dear Rakhi,
You will get married in late 2008.You should chant planet Jupiter and sleep in the north west corner of your house for early results.
Financially unstable
Aalok Ku ...
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Travel Insurance: Don't Leave Home Without It |
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Travel Insurance: Don't Leave Home Without It
Whether you travel frequently for work or pleasure, or you're taking that once in a lifetime vacation; do make sure you have adequate travel insurance. The consequences of not having travel insurance can be disastrous indeed. Let's take a look how.
After saving for nearly four years, Meghna and Vivek finally had enough money saved for their dream vacation to the US. Their itinerary included 6 cities, covering the East Coa ...
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Honeymooning In Exotic Rio! |
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Honeymooning In Exotic Rio!
Shaaditimes travels to exotic Rio with one of our readers on her honeymoon! Here's a first hand honeymooner's diary of their experience of Brazil.
My newly married husband and I had such diverse expectations from our honeymoon that at one point I thought we'd have to go our separate ways! He wanted to go to an exotic locale, someplace 'wild and wonderful' as he put it. I was hell bent on having a romantic beach honeymoon.
Thankful ...
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To Fast Or Not To Fast |
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To Fast Or Not To Fast
Tasty Recipes For Shravana
The holy month of Shravana is upon us, bringing with it days of fasting. So, whether you're fasting the entire duration of the month, or simply the 4 Somvaars (Mondays), here are some delectable recipes that will turn your fast into a feast!
Kacche Kele Ki Curry (Curry of Green Bananas)
Ingredients
2 green bananas (unripe)
1 green chilli, chopped
1 tsp coriander leaves, chopped
1 tbsp curd
1 ...
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Life Insurance - A Safety Net For Newly Weds |
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Life Insurance - A Safety Net For Newly Weds
You are all set to start a wonderful life together, a life which is full of opportunities and dreams waiting to be fulfilled. An insurance policy might be very low on your priorities of romance but it is imperative given the unforeseen future.
Why life insurance
Life is uncertain. Rarely do the young think about death or believe that they can die. However, to ensure that your loved one doesn't have to worry about fin ...
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Jantar Mantar: India’s Sphinx |
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Although in its judgment of April 17,2006, the Supreme Court has not stopped construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam, Medha Patkar and her humble-folk friends, who fasted for twenty days, have scored significant victories. The Court has given just 3 months to the involved states to comply with letter and spirit of true rehabilitation of ousted people; or, it’d order stoppage of construction. A report by ministers of the Central Government has damned official statements and given credence to Medha Patkar’s claim of several years that relief and rehabilitation were a sham. Above all, Medha’s struggle of…
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The Temptation Of Tawang |
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The Temptation Of Tawang
Honeymooning with a Shaaditimes couple
Verdant forests sheltering thousands of rare species and five hundred types of orchids, milky white snow laden mountain peaks, rivers and streams creating natural waterfalls, lakes on mountaintop valleys and colourful tribes with their curious social customs all collectively make Arunachal Pradesh an experience straight from heaven.
A couple burdened with the daily hustle and bustle of life, starting a ...
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A miracle rice |
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How seductive are those emerald green fields of the Indian countryside, with waving paddy shoots modulated by even little breezes. The acres of water in which they stand tempt you to linger and inhale the cool heady smell. Sorry to intrude, but your rice field is causing good-sized environmental violence. A kilo of rice on your table needs 5,000 litres of water to grow. And the rice plant produces a lot of methane, which is a greenhouse gas. The good news is we may be on the threshold of being able to grow…
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RTI - a tactical retreat by the government |
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Yesterday the government responded to rising anger and decided not to move the infamous amendment to the RTI Act - ‘for now’. The victory that activists are celebrating is misplaced given that the Evil Empire has only slunk away to recover; but the moment is nevertheless a watershed in India’s public life because of the way people organised themselves at home and abroad, marshalled technology to raise the decibel level, enthused RTI pioneers to lead on and finally humbled a sneaky state. The issue at hand was the attempt to emasculate the young RTI Act, already…
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Novel energy options |
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As petroleum inches unstoppably towards $100 a barrel and global warming is a widely shared experience, it is nice to know there are solutions for a future without either of these. Here is a round-up of some options for Indian researchers and experimenters to get started on. These developments are from overseas and are worth our attention. The appeal of biodiesel is well known but there are concerns that when land use is changed to produce liquid fuel, food production may suffer and famines ensue. Tree based oils -as against those derived from field crops- do…
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Their home is a school every evening |
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Every evening between 4 and 8 O’clock, Kamalam, Kannan and their little son surrender their house to 150 children who swarm to it. The house becomes Bharatiyar Evening School. A sign on the house proclaims the name and adds: “No Fees”. It’s a pleasant lower middle class street in Chennai’s Tiruvanmiyur area. The rented house has four rooms that the family lives in when it’s not a school. Children are from poorer households nearby. Teachers are modestly paid professionals or are volunteers. Kamalam and Kannan are also teachers.
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Siege of Goa… defeated! |
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Amidst a real estate boom all around, urban folk command market prices for their land. But with rural and public lands, state governments have become high-handed land brokers. A price is fixed for vast tracts of land covering several villages, the state gets it acquisition machinery going, archaic laws are cited to support state action, promise of jobs in manufacturing or tourism are dangled and acquired property is handed over to business houses that wait in the wings with unctuous dignity, and they say, fat bags of bribes. There is a collusion at work between commercial…
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The Charm of Sharm |
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The Charm of Sharm
After seamless transmission through customs, to the hotel and check in, I was slightly afraid that this was going to be a 'travel-brouchuresque' lounging holiday. But why was I afraid of the monotony I hadn't actually taken a relaxing resort holiday before. Sharm El Sheikh, City of Peace, Egypt; sounded great - if I was at least thirty years older maybe. I decided to attack this holiday for all the experiences I could muster.
As we had arrived ...
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Climbing The Great Wall Of China |
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Climbing The Great Wall Of China
Shaaditimes begins its adventure travelling to the New Seven Wonders of the World this August and what better way to kick start the journey that with a visit to our friendly neighbour - The Great Wall of China.
I must admit that I went to China (Beijing to be more specific) with some preconceived ideas about quaint teahouses and old Chinese men sitting outside their little homes and smoking their pipes. But Beijing turned out to be no ...
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Hearth Throb of Bhavana Balsaver |
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Hearth Throb of Bhavana Balsaver
What made you buy this house
I stay at Juhu, in a bungalow. I have 4 big and 10 small dogs. Three years back the only reason for me to buy this bungalow was to accommodate them all. That is why, instead of an apartment I opted for a bungalow. I also wanted a peaceful locality. My bungalow is near Juhu beach. I like open space around me.
Your home is English / ethnic
My house is English. My parents, my brother, my room and my do ...
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Instant recipes |
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Instant recipes
If you have a party at your home and you want to cook something special, here are few mouth-watering recipes that can make your dining table look decorative. The aroma of these delicious recipes will pull your guests towards the table.
Gobi mutter
Ingredients
Cauliflower - 2 cups
Peas - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 1/2 tsp
Diced fresh tomatoes - 2 nos
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Cloves - 4 nos
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Coria ...
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E-ticketing Or Paper Tickets |
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E-ticketing Or Paper Tickets
Which Do You Prefer
Did you know that 75% of all air-tickets sold in India are e-tickets Well, if you're amongst the 25% who prefer paper tickets, you may soon have to change. Read on to know why.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has made it mandatory for all airlines to convert to e-tickets. The original deadline was to be 31st December 2007. However, with airlines all over the world requesting for more time to mak ...
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Don't Let Jet Lag Spoil Your Honeymoon |
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Don't Let Jet Lag Spoil Your Honeymoon
With more and more newlyweds taking off to international shores for their honeymoon, the problem of how to avoid jet lag has become a common one. Here's what you can do to ensure that you don't look like something the cat dragged in after your long flight!
Tips On Avoiding Jet lag
Drink up: On water, that is. At only 15%, the humidity in the aircrafts is very low. In fact, some of the world's driest deserts have humi ...
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Emerging alternate energy breakthroughs |
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Despite their allure, alternate energy systems have really not been able to displace conventional, non-sustainable, polluting or hazardous sources like coal, petroleum or nuclear. Reasons are cost and scalability. Take solar energy. It is estimated that several times the planet’s total energy need arrives from the sun but costs of gathering and effectively storing it are prohibitive. Nanosolar Inc, in California, USA began with a checklist of seven stumbling blocks in the way of solar energy’s success and has in 5 years of work, been ticking them off as overcome. It is now ready for wide…
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The Supreme Court growls |
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In the course of a single month, India’s Supreme Court asserted its suzerainty over ground encroached by politicians. Good news in India, for many years to come, will comprise of reaction to bad status quo, because cleansing the Indian public system is a work in slow progress. Much of that work is being done by the Supreme Court and a growing number of activists. On December 23, 2005 eleven members of Parliament were expelled. They had been found guilty by the Ethics Committee of gross misconduct. This comprised of accepting bribes for asking…
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