சாருக்கு நெய் முறுவலா ஒரு தோசை !!!

சாருக்கு நெய் முறுவலா ஒரு தோசை !!!

 

People earn and live to eat !  - everyone of us loves to eat delicious foods ! – nowadays, the mantra is ‘eat healthy’ – stay healthy.  The woman in picture  standing along Rajasthan Royal’s Riyan Parag is Krushmi Chheda, whose insta page, among others describes her as an International Tennis player.

 

In recent times, in every health related place, there is ‘Dietician” -   an expert in identifying and treating disease-related malnutrition and in conducting medical nutrition therapy,   designing an enteral tube feeding regimen.  They help in balancing what we eat and suggesting what we should take more, and less. In the United Kingdom, dietitian is a 'protected title', meaning identifying yourself as a dietitian without appropriate education and registration is prohibited by law. 

19 days of January have passed by -  as the New Year 2025 approached, many people made resolutions.  That perhaps included :  being in time, waking up early, eating healthier, spending more time with loved ones, exercising regularly, early morning walks, reading books, reducing time on social media, keeping away from Insta, FB, WA or at least reducing time spent on these, smiling, being courteous to people, helping out people, visiting relatives, .. .. ..  and more !!  

But sadly, the truth could well be in these 20 days, between 60 – 75% of these resolutions made have been forgotten – New Year resolutions fall flat much before trees shed their leaves.   

To a friend, a Dietician suggested – stop ordering two or three dosas especially when lured with varieties, this friend struck to the advice – found out a new hotel and is ordering only one ‘special dosa’ seen here !!

 

Krushmi Chheda’s web puts her to be  MSc, Sports & health sciences from UK; MSc Clinical Nutrition & certified Pilates   Instructor, Australia – she has worked with IPL teams including KKR & RR 

So what have you ordered for lunch now ! as you read this

 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
20.1.2025 @ 1.30 noon.

  

the big black ant !! ~ Camponotus japonicus ?

Ants, may need no introduction !  small black ones considered harmless, red ones that bite and then .. .. the big black ones -  ‘Big Black Ant’ – ever seen them this close ?

 

எறும்புகள் !  -  நாம் அதிகமாக காணும், கருப்பு நிற சிறிய, வரிசை வரிசையாக செல்வனவற்றை பிள்ளையார் எறும்புகள் என்று அழைப்பர்.  இந்த வகை எறும்புகள் மிகச் சிறியவை. தீங்கற்றவை.  ஒரே வரிசையில் தங்கள் மோப்ப திறமையால் ஊர்ந்து செல்லும்.    சிறிய உடலின் ஒட்டுமொத்த சக்தியையும் திரட்டித் தன்னைவிட உருவத்தில் மூன்று மடங்கு பெரிய உணவையும் இழுத்து செல்ல வல்லன.  

எறும்புகள் கிடைக்கும் உணவை தங்கள் சிறு கூட்டில் சேமித்து வைக்கும்.  ”கழுதை தேய்ந்து கட்டெறும்பு ஆனது” என்று ஒரு  பழமொழி. சோம்பேறியாக எந்த வேலையும் செய்யாமல், உள்ளதை செலவழித்து வந்தால், கழுதை சுமக்கும் கொதியின் அளவிலிருந்த செல்வமானது, தேய்ந்து, மெல்ல மெல்லக் குறைந்து கட்டெறும்பு ஆவதை போல  சிறுத்து குறைந்து விடும், என பொருள் கொள்ளலாம்.

 

Camponotus japonicus, commonly known as the Japanese carpenter ant, is a species of ant native to eastern Asia. It is black, and one of the largest ants. A nest has about ten to thousands of individuals, and it can be a pest when it enters households or protects aphids. There are several subspecies of this ant in different areas of Asia.

 

The queen is black, but has microscopic brown hair protruding from the thorax and abdomen. They are 17 millimeters long. Before mating, the queen has four transparent brown wings supported by brown veins. The 12-millimeter-long male has a longer and straighter antennae and a slimmer body. Unlike the workers, both the queen and the male has three ocelli. 

Here is one photographed in my terrace on my plants.  Interesting !!

 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
20.1.2025 

with divine singer Veeramani dhasan

 

*பக்தி பாடல்களை வெகு சிறப்பாக பாடி பக்தர்களை கவரும்  பரவச குரலோன்*  40 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு மேலாக, திருவேங்கடவன், பெருமாள், ஐயப்பன், அம்மன் பாடல்களை அற்புதமாக பன்னாட்டு மேடைகளில் பாடிவரும் எங்கள் அன்பு அண்ணன்  திரு வீரமணிதாசன் அவர்களுடன் -  பால்ய நண்பன் பேரளை ரவிசுந்தர் சஷ்டியப்த பூர்த்தி விழாவில் இன்று(19.1.2025) காலை .

Happiness is no(w)here

Happy  !!  gripping Pongal Test match ! Chepauk stadium C stadium was packed – a boy emerged carrying some juice sachets – shrill loud voice from top – ‘Appy – anAppy’ [Happy – unhappy] (man having juice happy, others staring at him not so happy) – the Crowd burst into laughter !!

 

What was your New Year wish list and how much do you pamper your kids ! – sure, many of us have ‘list of to do’ and that includes ‘many things you want to buy !’ – may be Merc Benz !!  or a valuable diamond ring !!  - heard of ‘Missing tile syndrome !!’ 

Happiness is a state of mind -  primarily  a mental or emotional state of well-being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy; though some Philosophers often define happiness in terms of living a good life, or flourishing, rather than simply as an emotion.  There are simple persons in life, who live life as it is ~ taking things as they come… reads simple, but too difficult to follow !!  For many life is full of expectations, it is unending long ‘wishlist’…there are so many things that we desire to have ~ and many a times wish that we have, what others do not have…  

Some important parts of life are tied mainly to age, such as schooling, employment and health. Others depend more on what is going on in society and the world.  There are bound to be inequalities, more so on the financial front but that has nothing to do with happiness.  

Read in a  thought provoking book   ‘The Geometry of Wealth’ , author Brian Portnoy observes: “Does money buy happiness? The answer to that question can be summarised as Yes, Not really, It depends." 

Intuitively none of us like ambiguous answers like this, but here, it successfully illustrates the complexity inherent in the question. After all, what is happiness? Money can definitely alleviate poverty. It can put a roof over your head, food on the table, warmth, clothing and medical support. Once our basic needs are meet, money’s impact on our happiness has progressively less impact. If you’re a CEO on 3000 crore company, a 5 per cent pay rise isn’t going to move the happiness dial for you enormously.   The recurring theme of movies seem to be that : ‘rich men are not happy ! ~ poor man are !!;  rich men cannot sleep well in luxury beds; poor man, after a hard day’s work can sleep on floor mat !!  ~  tinseldom clichés ~ and we hear from them people who make crores, the listeners are those daily wage earners and commoners who struggle to make their ends meet and yet, we believe in ‘rich ain’t happy’.

Saw happiness in close quarters, this beautiful kid playing merrily with things around  - even as his parents were busy spreading their wares in a temple festival, few miles away from the metropolis.

 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
17.1.2025.