Different Kinds Of Magic

Magic is not merely a word, it is a concept that Man has pondered through the ages. Is it black or is it white? Is it dark or is it light? Is it the material that miracles are made of or is it the sparks that fly when you have found that someone special? Yes, magic has remained undefined all these eons and perhaps never will be.

Magic used to be the answer to everything before Science reared its ugly head. Science came like a cock heralding the dawn and thus began the dimishing role of magic in our lives.

During 1943 a son asked his father "Daddy, why does the lightning strike?" and the father replied "Umm.......magic."

Meanwhile in the 1993's, another son asked his daddy "Daddy, why does the lightning strike?" and the father replied "Well......you see, the clouds become highly charged when it rains due to the friction generated when the water droplets rub against the clouds, thus producing a huge potential between the Earth and the sky. When this potential exceeds 30 Megavolts per metre, air's natural insulation breaks and highly charged electrons penetrate it to produce lightning.

What a mouthful! Now do you see how useful magic is? Don't you long for the good old days when your offspring will readily accept the word 'Magic' as an explanation? I guess technology and science make cynics of everybody.

But then again, there are some things that science withall its progress has failed to explain- Miracles for one and love the other. How do some people suffering from terminal diseases like cancer, paralysis and so suddenly say to themselves, "Hey, what am I doing, feeling sorry for myself, wasting away in this wheelchair. I need some magic." They then proceed to heal themselves. Suddenly they are alive and kicking. Hey, Presto! That's incredible! But how? Magic or the power of human will? I don't know but the debate continues.

Is is magic when a spark passes between you and that special someone that you touch? Is it magic when you stare into those liquid pools of radiance that reflect the innocence of a puppy and fell warm all over? Yes, definitely. As Feud tried to differentiate between Man and Woman so did he attempt to define LOVE. Did he fail? Most assuredly. Is it chemistry, scientifically speaking, or is it magic (that's my heart speaking)? Ahh.......let this be the secret of lovers.

Magic and science, science and magic. Both the same, yet worlds apart. Both try to explain, both try to satisfy but which is the wiser. Frankly, to scientists and to-be scientists, don't torture yourselves too much trying to explain and categorize things. Open your heart to the beauty and magic of Mother Earth. It's in the flight of an eagle, majestic andd graceful, it's in the newborn baby whose wonderment is pure and unalloyed. Yes, the magic of this world is for us to experience. Be like the child, peer out through his eyes. Seek to revel and to experience not only to explain and expound for the mysteries of Life are out there waiting, beckoning to be experienced. Tackle life with enthuasism. Smile and the world smiles with you. Sing and the birds shall follow. Most importantly, LIVE, L-O-V-E................!

Somewhere deep inside,

We all still long,

To chase butterflies,

Dance in flowerbeds,

And sing to the stars.

I believe that some magic resides in each and every one of us. The magic to turn yourself dram MR. Nobody to Mr. Somebody.........now that is something. It is in our hands to grasp the key and unlock the magic within us. Only then can we fullfil life's purpose and find joy and contentment in being what we are.

Take time to enjoy the child inside us. Only then shall we experience magic.

" Dedicated to my best friends" from artheen.

Tags: always cool

Hello I am arravinthan and I am also known with the name artheen.

Hello everyone, I am here to talk about myself. Well, nothing really. It is only about the turning point of my life. That is when I was in Standard 6. I was going to two tuition for of course, artheen is always cool. Well, we will start with the story of one tuition first. It was an all-Indian tuition but of course, it means all Hindus. I had great times there. But, there is something there, the girls. There is one girl, I had a crush on her, of course. Well so it happens to be, there was a friend of mine, same school with me at that time. He received a letter from a girl telling that she likes him very much. Apparently my friend too liked her as well. So he accepted it. Cool! But I too wanted to tell the girl I like very much. So this friend of mine, wanted to help me so I too said Ok! buddy... That week, I came to the tuition and I was blocked by hmmm... "my girl" and my friend's girl. Then only did I understood that my friend has asked his girlfriend to tell the girl about me. She was blushing all the way. To me. Wow! It was like a dream came true. I had also wrote a love letter earlier that morning for her. But at that time, I was not even 11 years old and instantenously became very shy. So I ran and ran from them until they can't catch me. When I came to the class, apparently someone had searched my bag thoroughly and had came up with the love letter. As angry was I but I was also glad. She too was so shy and told that she too loved me dearly. I leaped in joy until I reached Pluto and took a U-turn to Earth. Heh!Heh!Heh! Just kidding. But wait there was a catch. She wanted me to come to the girls' toilet so that she can express her love. That gave me the shock of my life. I was just 11 and a girl is calling me to a deserted place alone with another girl and I began to think of many possibilities. So I was on the run. All the time I was running to all the places and they couldn't catch up with me. At last, I wanted to give up running and actually face the situation, danger or not. But she had changed her mind mostly because of my behaviour and of her friend's, I mean my friend's girlfriend's influence. She didn't want me anymore. Now she was the one who ran away from me. The next morning, her mother came to the tuition place. Later I was called by the 'head of department' and was told about the situation. Her mother had handed over the love letter, apparently and I was scolded and sent back to the class. For weeks, I was sad and heart-broken.

Ok! Now we are going to another part of my life. The other tuition was a Science tuition and there are many girls there but only two boys; me and another boy. But of all the girls, only one attracted me the most. Maybe this is what people ought to call 'relationship at first sight/blush'. I was immediately stuck between my feelings. Unsure of what to do and after many weeks of impatience, I went and talked to her. (At that time I was famous for my Science and well until now- I always read Form 3-5 books, mostly for more knowledge and to show off) Exactly, as I wanted to impress her, she started to talk to me. How our friendship started, the details has slipped out of my mind, but the wonderful memories never did. Well, our friendship was quite not like normal, it was a bit over( I mean for me, it was). We were closer even. After the 'other tuition incident' I was too heart-broken and I needed support to get over it which this girl gave me. As time passed on, I began to like this girl (Well, 'like'...). Then there was this day when she was going for a two-days seminar. Never the one to miss the chance, I persuaded my mother to send me with her as well, even though I didn't go there to learn.... There were other people that also came with us. After hard efforts and attempts I managed to sit beside her. It was all too great for me and I was too excited. I and a guy called 'Joshua' was disturbing her the all day, but the end came on that day unexpectingly. On that day was the first time I had learned of her full name with the correct spelling and her father's name. Being the one who never forgets anything, I wrote her full name in my exercise book. That is my first mistake. Then 'Joshua' acquired a new method to tease her. He asked for my book and was gladly given. He was drawing something. Without wasting time, I concentrated more in the girl. Wait, I am getting tired of using the 'girl' so as to tell the truth, her name is Dorothy the girl who is always the 'Indonesian Maid' for me. I was too busy with Dorothy, that I didn't really know what was going on around me. But this Joshua went and drew exactly on the page in which I wrote her name. It all went unnoticed. Two happy days went by happily with she with me and I with her. When I went to school, my book somehow got to Justin's hand. I not aware of what was in the book chased him all over to find out. He slipped out of my sight. I began to become nervous. I loved Dorothy too much to lose her. When I went to tuition, I told her that it wasn't me that drew whatever is it that Joshua had drawn. She understood. The last happy moment of mine was when we two was sitting together in front of Mrs. Basil's house talking to each other. I too had gone to a BM tuition because Dorothy was going there. So when I went there that Friday, everything went wrong. I asked her for the poems which she showed in the seminar. Well, it was my fault that I lied to her that my cousin asked for it. That Saturday, my mother received a mysterious call from someone. She was asked to come to Dorothy's House by her mother. Moments passed by until my mother came home and told me about the drawing. My mother too knew that I draw terribly and I never even got B for Seni. But inspite of the fact that Dorothy's name was written on the paper and my mother who knew exactly my handwriting, she could not talk for me. She also told that I had asked Dorothy to give the poems using my cousin's name. Here I am again, heart-broken, not there was anything left to be broken. I was very disappointed that she didn't even believe me. I thought she too loved me. But I was mistaken. The next week, she told all her friends in the tuition about the drawing. This sorrowed me even more. The girls thought I was a bad boy even though I wasn't. Time went on and we never talked to each other but I never stopped loving her. I got 4B's and 1A for my mid-year examination all because of 'girls'. But then, I pitied my mother who wants me to get 5A's. I studied hard to get 5A's which seemed as easy as ABC before all those incidents happened.

In the other tuition I liked another girl, and started to call her and know a lot about her. Then I told her that I love her. She didn't want to have boyfriends now and I respected her decisions. What use are girlfriends and boyfriends when you are so young and cannot marry each other. Later, I told her that I want to be just friends and didn't call her again after that because I didn't want her concentration on her studies to falter.

I wanted to rekindle my relationship with Dorothy. Many letters I gave to achieve this but nothing happened. Then one day, I told Joshua to confess his mistakes so that I will be free of all charges. He did confess by writing a letter. After so many times thinking of killing him for starting all this, I forgived him at last. I was sure that he didn't do it purposely. When the letter got to Dorothy, she sent Justin to investigate. Wow! The great Sherlock Holmes went to interview Joshua. His one and only question was that who told him to write the letter so he told the truth. But it didn't cross anyone's mind to even ask wheter it is all true or not. Pity me again. After that I didn't write any more letters but I was told to deliver messages from few friends of mine telling that they love Dorothy. Just imagine that! I still loved Dorothy and I am supposed to do all those things. Her friend told me that Dorothy was too sad and failed her examination. She was also scolded by her father. She was the reason I almost failed my UPSR and still pitied her but the blame was on me again. She told the teacher and the teacher advised me not to disturb her again whereas at that time the letter she got was actually from Thevaa. The teacher thought me as a bad boy ruining all my reputation as being a good boy. Then one day, her friend told me that at last Dorothy has forgived me. For me after all that has happened to me, Dorothy doesn't even have the right to apologize and yet for me to forgive her but I am always kind so I could have. But when she told a word like that, all the feelings that I had for Dorothy just disappeared. I could never forgive her. She couldn't give me back the past two years and yet she couldn't make her friends realize the truth. But, well I forgive her, I do.

Why is this happening to me alone? Why does the god have to be so cruel to me?

Whoever reading this, all I want to say that all this is a true story. I don't really expect anyone to understand my situation and my feelings because even those nearest to me failed to understand me. Behind every smile of mine, there is pure pain which I will always endure throughout my life. I am very sorry if my story has affected the readers in any ways and I hope that what happened to me will never happen to anyone ever again.

Current Mood: sad

There was a time when people thought intelligence was the ability to see relationship and to think. Those who did well in universities were considered as intelligent and those who didn’t were not clever.

What society failed to understand was that universities and their perception of intelligence relied a lot on oral or written explanations (language skills) and this favoured a certain portion of students.

            ‘Unfortunately’, a way was found to measure IQ and though it served as a rough guide, it was not a good measurement of intelligence. If your score was below 100, forget about making it in life-or so they said. Those who scored well in the IQ tests were given better jobs but it was soon found out that IQ tests depended too much on language. They also found out that if you were middle class with a certain kind of culture, you would do better than those not from that background because of the way the questions were asked.

            Today, thinking is more liberal and fair. Those who are slow in studies are not considered stupid (because no longer does high IQ mean clever and low IQ equal stupid). People are now said to have different kinds of intelligence. Is there more than one type of intelligence? Yes, educationists would have you believe.

            Today, nine types of intelligences are recognized: Verbal-linguistic, Logical-mathematical, Visual-spatial, Body-kinesthetic, Musical-ryhthmic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Awareness of Nature and Interdependence.

            Earlier, those who didn’t understand explanations were considered slow. Now we know they could have had different IQs. Those with Verbal-linguistic IQ do well when they read or when language is used to explain things. Logical-mathematical people like logical, scientific explanations and proof. Some people quickly catch on when you show them diagrams and pictures (Visual-spatial).

            Most of us learn best when we actively do things (Body-kinesthetic). Some people can remember a rhyme or a tune they listen to only once. (Musical-rhythmic). Such people can work well with music in the background but some parents don’t understand this - how can anyone learn with music blaring in the background?.

            Others learn well when they interact with others in group work, where they socialize (interpersonal), while others are loners who like to think things out for themselves (intrapersonal). Some people are so attached to nature that their learning must be linked to it. Those who lean towards Interdependence are concerned with how we are all interrelated and linked - using plastic bags will somehow affect everything on earth.

            Recognizing these intelligences has made educationists and curriculum writers more aware of the need for different approaches in teaching and learning. This has made many students more comfortable, not to mention, more efficient in learning. So, if you don’t feel intelligent, it’s not that you aren’t; it’s just that you haven’t recognized your type of intelligence.

Little known sleeping facts about animals

Did you know that dolphins sleep with one eye open? One half of their brain is also asleep. Then they switch to the other eye and switch to the other part of the brain and sleep again. This pattern is known as ‘cat-napping’. Dolphins often catnap in between trips to the ocean surface. Dolphins are consious breathers which mean they must go to the surface to breathe every now and then. That is why they cannot afford to sleep totally-otherwise they will drown.

            How would you know if a dolphin is sleeping? If you see it floating gently with an eye open on the ocean surface with very little movement, it is sleeping. Young dolphins sleep by their mother’s side while the mother swims. Mothers will sleep on the move. Male dolphins sleep and swim side by side their partners as well.

            Just like dolphins, birds can also sleep with one eye open. According to researchers, they sleep in this manner to watch out for predators. If large flocks of birds are sleeping, the birds on the outer side of the group keep watch. These birds, like the dolphins, sleep with one half of their brains. Birds sleep in various postures such as standing on the ground or perching on branches and even hanging down like parrots.

            Then there is the snail - the world’s slowest animal. Believe it or not, this animal sleeps for 3 to 4 years. This is common among snails that live in the hot desert. As they sleep through the hot, dry climate, they go without any food.

            Elephants only sleep for 3 to 4 hours a day. They sleep before dawn and during the hottest time of the day. If you see an elephant asleep while standing, it is either the elephant is unwell or the weather is hot. Usually before dawn, they lie down to sleep and often snore. But the young of an elephant would most likely sprawl on the ground, its legs and trunk flung up in the air.

            Seals live on land and in water, but they spend part of their sleep underwater. Every thirty minutes they would surface automatically for air. Harbor seals love to sleep underwater but they stick their faces above the water surface to breathe regularly. Northern elephant seals sleep hundreds of metres underwater. More antonishingly, the grey seal can actually sleep underwater and emerge to the surface to catch a breathe without even waking up!

How different are Men from Women?

( Are they that different )

Apart from phsical attributes, there are some other differences between men and women. Here are some trivial differences which we seldom read about.

            One difference is that more men do not wash their hands after going to the bathroom compared to women. Men reason that their hands look clean and therefore there is no necessity to wash. Such unclean hands can lead to mishaps especially if a person eats or handles food right after going to the toilet. The Food and Drink Federation carried out a research to find out the presence of germs in unwashed hands on a special jelly. When the imprint was tested, it was found out that not only was bacteria there but they actually grew in those unwashed hands. I bet you will notice the gender of the person you buy food from in the near future.

            Who do you think is more likely to be struck by lightning? Data shows that men are more likely to be killed by lightning than women. A report shows that 86% of those killed by lightning are men. The unfortunate ones were playing golf, or working outdoors, or were under trees, or in boats during an electrical storm. Men are exposed and therefore are more likely to be killed by lightning because they spend more time outdoors compared to women.

            Women can smell better than men. Did you know that? Women are more sensitve to many different odours. Studies conducted on the smelling ability of men and women indicate that smell activate a larger part of the brain cells in women than in men. According to psychologists, women can identify even the slightest smell.

            Who do you think hiccups more often, men or women? It is proven that men get hiccups more often than women do. How do hiccups start? They start when there is too little carbon dioxide in the bloodstream or when a person eats too fast. Hiccups are a kind of reminder that actually control breathing. People say that drinking ice water, swallowing three times without inhaling in between, pulling the forefingers, dropping a bunch of cold keys on one’s back, getting a fright or standing on the head can actually stop the hiccups. So, knowing this difference between men and women, you can guess who are likely to be seen standing on their heads.

Current Mood: thoughtful