THE HEAVENLY FRAGRANCE

 Jasmine

      No other flower probably has such a heavenly and easily recognisable, unique fragrance. This makes the small jasmine flower one of the most popular flowers in the world. The name jasmine comes from the Persian word ‘yasmin,’ meaning gift from God, and the flower, undoubtedly Asian in origin, is thought to have originated in the Himalayas in Western China. Some garden historians however believe that Persia, (present day Iran) is where the jasmine originated. Eventually, the fragrant flower crossed the Red Sea into Egypt with travellers as early as1000 B.C, and then migrated to Turkey and Greece.   

     The jasmine, which is the national flower of Indonesia, the Philippines, Syria, Pakistan, Thailand and Japan, is native to the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world. There are over two hundred species of this delicate, star-like flower, and most of them are white, though there are a few varieties that are pale yellow. 

     The jasmine is a climbing shrub that grows to a height of eight to ten feet. It has a slender, delicate stem, and evergreen or deciduous leaves. The plant needs bright sunlight and warmth to flourish. In the 1400’s, the jasmine was considered a ‘royal’ flower, and was planted for the kings of Afghanistan, Nepal, and Persia.

     This beautiful and popular flower is used in a variety of ways in the different lands where it is grown. In the first century AD, Dioscorides, a Greek physician and author of a treatise on medicinal herbs wrote that the Persians used jasmine oil to perfume the air in their banquet halls. Jasmine oil is made in India, Egypt, China, and Morocco, and this oil is used to make incense, perfume, and cosmetics like soaps and shampoos. In Hawaii, the jasmine flower is used to make leis (Hawaiian garlands). In Javanese weddings, this flower is commonly used for hair and dagger decorations for the bride and the groom.

     One of the most important uses of the jasmine is medicinal. This small fragrant flower is considered to be a powerful herb, useful in the treatment of numerous ailments, and is widely used in aromatherapy, and Ayurvedic medicine. In many places, including the United States, jasmine syrup is used to make marshmallows, and the flowers are used in churches along with other altar flowers to make the air fragrant.

     Jasmines are popular as gifts not only because of their wonderful fragrance and beauty, but because they are thought to attract heavenly angels, wealth and health, promote healing, and calm the nerves. They make great gifts for friends and family members, and especially for those who are night owls, as most varieties of this flower tend to unfurl and display their beauty only late at night.

     The coral jasmine, which is the official flower of the state of West Bengal in India, is also used as a source of yellow dye for clothing. Jasmines are also used to make jasmine tea, a kind of delicately scented tea which uses jasmine blossoms for aroma. This tea is a very popular beverage in China, and goes back to the days of the Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD). Since the jasmine is a versatile flower, it can be blended with any type of tea leaves, and is commonly blended with green tea, although white and other jasmine teas exist as well. In China, jasmine tea is traditionally offered as a welcome drink to guests. Jasmine tea is today prized the world over as a health drink, since it is thought to reduce the risk of cancer and high cholesterol.

     On the sacred Mount Athnos in Greece, jasmine is grown and used in incense, which is hand rolled by Byzantine Greek Orthodox monks. Jasmine incense is also used in Greek religious ceremonies and for thanksgiving. In India, the jasmine is often referred to as ‘queen of the night,’ because of the unique and distinct fragrance the flower typically gives off at night.

      The flower’s Sanskit name is ‘Mallika.’ The Latin name for the jasmine shrub is Nyctanthes arbortristis. The nyctanthes refers to the fact that the flowers bloom only at night, and drop to the ground when the sun rises, and arbor-tristis means ‘sad tree,’ referring both to the forlorn look of the flowerless specimen. The jasmine is also the sacred flower of Kama, the Hindu god of love, so jasmines are widely used in wedding rituals and as wedding garlands.

In Thailand, jasmines are considered to be symbolic of a mother’s love; the flower’s pristine white colour is thought to be as pure as the love a mother has for her child. On the12th of August, the birthday of the Queen of Thailand, the people of Thailand celebrate ‘Mother’s Day.’ On this day, jasmines are widely used as decorations in Thailand. The Thai people use garlands sewn with jasmines, called phuang malai as offerings to Buddha or to elders, or as gifts for good luck.

     In Cambodia, jasmines are used as sacred offerings to the Buddha, and jasmine buds and flowers are also used in decorative displays for temples, festivals, holidays, and weddings. Monks add jasmines to holy water, which is used for blessings.

 Do you know?

* When Vasco da Gama returned from his travels in the sixteenth century, he brought home a small, fragrant, white jasmine plant from the Far East.

* Mysore mallige, a variety of jasmine mostly grown in and around Mysore in the state of Karnataka was a favourite flower of the Wodeyars, erstwhile rulers of Mysore. They used it extensively during their spectacular Dassera celebrations every year.

* Jasmines are the favourite flowers of Nobel Laureate and celebrated Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi. She often wears them in her hair, and did so during her recent visit to India.

DO YOU KNOW

 How The Medicines Identify The Pain?

     When we swallow a pain reliever (either as a liquid or a pill), do we have to tell it to go to the region of pain? Nope! The medicine in a pain reliever doesn't go directly to whatever part of the body is hurting. Instead, pain relievers work by going everywhere. After swallowing a pain reliever, it goes to stomach where it's digested and absorbed into bloodstream. Once it gets into blood, the medicine travels throughout the whole body. When cells in the body become injured or damaged, they release a chemical called “prostaglandin”, which is very sensitive to nerve endings. When they sense a release of prostaglandin, nerve endings transmit a message through the nervous system to your brain, telling it where and how much an area of the body hurts. Pain relievers work — all throughout the body — by preventing injured cells from releasing prostaglandin. When cells stop releasing prostaglandin, the nervous system stops sending pain messages to the brain and the brain stops receiving pain messages and we stop feeling pain.

THE FORGOTTEN GENIUS

Nikola Tesla

     Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American engineer and inventor who is highly regarded in the energy history for his development of Alternating Current (AC) electrical systems. He also made extraordinary contributions in the fields of Electromagnetism and Wireless Radio Communications. 

     Nikola Tesla was born in the Croatian town of Smiljan (Austrian Empire) in 1856 to a priest father. He studied electrical engineering at the Austrian Polytechnic in Graz and later attended the Charles Ferdinand University in Prague.  

     Unfortunately, his father died early, and he had to leave the university after completing only one term. Tesla accepted a job under Tivadar Puskás in a Budapest telegraph company in 1880. He was later promoted the post of a to chief electrician and later engineer for the company. He then moved to Paris to work for the Continental Edison Company as an engineer. After moving to New York, United States, Tesla worked for Thomas Alva Edison, but the two did not get along well. He started working with George Westinghouse in 1885. There, he devised an electrical distribution system that employed the Alternating Current (AC).

Contributions & Achievements:Tesla made public the first successful wireless energy transfer to power electronic devices in 1891. Probably Tesla’s most important contribution to energy history is the use of Alternating Current (AC). The Westinghouse Electric Company was the first to implement this technology by lighting the World Colombian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. It proved to be a more efficient and effective method as compared to the direct current (DC) system of Edison to transport electricity in a grid. The technology quickly became the basis for most of the modern electricity distribution systems.        

     Besides the AC system, Tesla helped in the development of generators and turbine design. The earliest demonstration fluorescent lighting was also his accomplishment. Nikola Tesla continued his research work on electricity generation and turbine design in his later life. Even at 81, he claimed to have completed a ‘dynamic theory of gravity’ – something which was never published. He died in New York City of a heart thrombus in January 1943. He was 86 years old.

Biography in detail:

Birth of a child of light: A bright boy was born on a dark, stormy day in the Smiljan town of present-day Croatia — on July 10, 1856. According to family legend, the midwife claimed, the boy would be a child of darkness. To which, his mother replied, “No. He will be a child of light.” In that moment, Nikola Tesla’s mother, Duka Mandic, had predicted his future, as he would go on to bring light to the entire world. His mother had given him a lot more than a life; he also inherited a photographic memory and a love for innovation from her. She would often spend her spare time inventing household gadgets. His father, a priest, insisted that Nikola follow in his footsteps. But, the boy wanted to become an engineer instead, and so he did.

An Extraordinary Mind: From an early age, Nikola demonstrated incredible intelligence. He could memorise entire books, store logarithmic tables in his brain, and perform calculus in his mind. He even spoke eight languages. 

     Tesla had the ability to see visions in his head. And eventually, through these visions, he would perceive his inventions in such detail that he did not even have to draw them out on a piece of paper.

Finding Passion: At the age of 19, he went to the Polytechnic Institute at Graz in Austria, to study electrical engineering. He quickly became a star student. 

     Here, he was fascinated by the mysterious phenomenon of electricity and was curious to know more. Unfortunately, he became addicted to gambling and dropped out of school. But, he never stopped yearning for knowledge. 

     Tesla moved to Budapest to work as an electrician at a telephone exchange. One day, while walking around a park, a vision came to him. He drew a diagram on the dirt with a stick – it was of a motor to generate electricity using Alternating Current. It would be the greatest invention that would change the world.

The Edison Era: In 1882, Tesla went to Paris to work for the Continental Edison Company. At first, he simply installed indoor lighting, but his managers recognised his talent and gave him more complicated projects. 

     Soon, he was designing dynamos and motors and travelling across Europe to fix problems in other branches. In 1884, he was offered a job at Edison Machine Works in New York, where he worked with Thomas Edison. 

     Tesla worked on electric inventions under Edison, including an arc lighting system, which was never implemented. Edison said to him, “I have had many hard-working assistants but you take the cake.” 

     Tesla and Edison often disagreed over how electricity should be contained and delivered. Edison preferred Direct Current (DC), while Tesla felt strongly about Alternating Current (AC). They eventually became rivals, and Tesla quit Edison’s company.

An Entrepreneurial Sprint: In 1885, Tesla formed his own company – Tesla Electric Light and Manufacturing. But, his business partners did not want to continue investing in his ideas. They took the company’s intellectual property and shut it down, which left him penniless. 

     After losing his company, he had to dig ditches for $2 a day to survive. He felt that his knowledge about science and technology had gone to waste. But, his mind never stopped innovating.

A Turn of Fortunes: In a stroke of genius, Tesla invented his induction motor that ran on Alternating Current, in 1887. The motor was the most efficient way of converting electricity into mechanical energy. 

     George Westinghouse, who was in the electric business, took an interest in his invention and realised it was just what he needed to compete against Edison. 

     Tesla finally earned some wealth when he licensed his patent to Westinghouse for $60,000 and received a steady stream of stock royalties. Westinghouse also hired him as a consultant at Westinghouse Electric & Light Manufacturing Co. for $2000 a month.

The War of the Currents: In the late 1880s, the rivalry between Westinghouse and Edison grew intense. Edison tried multiple ways to discredit the Alternating Current system, but wasn’t completely successful. Edison’s entire business was based on Direct Current, meanwhile, Tesla’s Alternating Current showed more promise for larger electrical projects. 

     Westinghouse and Tesla won the war when they secured a contract to light up the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Tesla helped the fair illuminate more light bulbs than could be found in the entire city of Chicago. The 27 million people who attended had witnessed without a doubt that AC would power the future. 

     Next, the duo built the world’s first AC power plant at Niagara Falls. Their hydroelectric power was a massive success and helped light up Buffalo, New York.

Choosing Friendship Over Fame: Westinghouse eventually ran out of money and went into $10 million in debt. Out of desperation to save his company, he asked Tesla if his royalties could be reduced. 

     In an act of compassion, Tesla ripped up his contract. He was simply grateful to his friend for believing in him when no one else did. 

     Tesla willingly walked away from $12 million in royalties. Today, this would have been worth over $3oo million. He might have even become the world’s first billionaire and the wealthiest person on the planet. 

     As compensation for using his AC patents forever, Tesla received $216,000, which he used to set up laboratories in New York.

The Golden Era of Inventions: Thus began a period of many inventions. Tesla held over 300 patents in his lifetime. 

     In 1891, he invented his most well-known invention – the Tesla Coil. This device could produce large amounts of high voltage electricity. 

     With his technology, he invented many things, including an early version of neon lighting. He also invented the Tesla Turbine, a bladeless turbine for vehicles. 

     By experimenting with radiation, he pioneered X-ray technology. 

     In 1989, he built one of the first remote controls. He used it to control a miniature boat in Madison Square Garden, New York. It was so ahead of its time that people thought he was using magic to make it move. 

     He even experimented with and demonstrated wireless lighting. But, he never received backing for his idea. 

     The Tesla Coil helped him send and receive radio signals. He believed that wireless technology could one day power the globe. The visionary that he was, he devoted his time and research to this project. 

     He had invented the technology for the radio, or as he called it, wireless telegraphy.

When Tragedy Struck: Tesla was finally getting ready to broadcast his first radio signal, when disaster struck. In 1895, a fire broke out in his New York lab and years of his research and equipment went up in flames. 

     Two years after the incident, Tesla applied for a patent for his radio. At the same time, Guglielmo Marconi, an Italian entrepreneur was also working on the radio. 

     In 1901, Marconi was able to send the world’s first transatlantic radio message. But, he had used 17 of Tesla’s patents to do it. The US patent office awarded Marconi the patent for the invention of the radio, and he even won the Nobel Prize in Physics. 

     Tesla was furious and sued Marconi claiming infringement on his patents. The case dragged on for years and only settled in Tesla’s favour after his death. Things went downhill for Tesla after the Radio incident.

The Final Attempts: Tesla was passionate about introducing wireless communication to the world. He believed that his system could not only distribute electricity around the globe, but also help the world communicate with only a tiny device. 

     He built a large wireless transmission station in New York called the Wardenclyffe tower to give life to his theory. Unfortunately, he did not find anyone to invest in his idea. He had no choice but to abandon his dream project in 1905. 

     Once again, Tesla was well ahead of his time. 

In 1933, he was out of money, and went to live in the New Yorker hotel, which was paid for by his friend, Westinghouse. A decade later, he died penniless in the same hotel. 

     Despite his defeats, Tesla had not stopped innovating in his mind, even towards the end. He said that he had invented a motor powered by cosmic rays, which could run for 500 years. He claimed to have built a machine to photograph thoughts. And, also mentioned that he invented a “peace ray” that could bring down 10,000 aeroplanes at 200 miles. 

     Although he was thought to be a “mad scientist”, he promised to show the world his inventions in due time, but never could.

Remembering a Remarkable Man: Nikola Tesla was one of the greatest inventors of all time. But, he failed in many of his ventures because he was not a capitalist. He did not make the decisions that a typical person with a business mind would. 

     He was not concerned about wealth; rather, he was always in the pursuit of science for humanity. This conviction is also probably why he is not as well-remembered as the other great scientists that we know of. 

     Tesla wanted to change the world, and whether he knew it or not, he did. His story, full of ups and downs, leaves us wondering — if he was given the right resources and shown a little faith, where would the world be today?

DANCE OF THE ENCHANTRESS

Mohiniattam

 Introduction: Mohiniattam is the elegant, lyrical classical dance of Kerala, prevailing for centuries and is normally performed by women. The dance movements symbolise the exquisite swaying of the palm trees of Kerala. It is the dance of the enchantress and not the dance of the seductress as misunderstood by many. It is based on the lasya concept of dancing, a feminine, graceful style of dancing, initiated by goddess Parvati.

Stories of Mohiniattam’s origin: According to Hindu mythology and varied sacred texts, there are various references to the word Mohini and the evolution of Mohiniattam. During Amruta Manthan (churning of the ocean in search of the nectar of immortality), in a tussle between the devas (gods) and asuras (demons), the demons were about to snatch the pot of nectar, but Lord Vishnu appeared as a beautiful damsel, Mohini, and took away the pot of nectar. Hence, Mohini is referred to as the beautiful woman of enchantment. 

The word Mohini is derived from the words mohit and moham. 

Another popular story is that of the demon Bhasmasura, an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. Due to his penance, the Lord granted him the boons that he wanted. Bhasmasura asked for the boon that on whosoever’s head he kept his hand, that person would perish. The boon was granted and the excited demon wanted to try it on Lord Shiva himself. Shiva ran for his life and met Lord Vishnu who told him not to worry. Lord Vishnu appeared to the demon as the beautiful and enchanting Mohini. The demon was completely enchanted by her beauty and proposed marriage. Vishnu agreed on the condition that Bhasmasura dance with her. The demon started to dance with Mohini in great excitement and in the process placed his hand on his own head and perished!

Mohiniattam’s evolution from devadasis: In the temple rituals which prevailed in the 19th century, young teenaged girls were married to the Lord and were known as devadasis or servants of the Lord. They learnt classical music and dance, and performed regularly on social and religious occasions. Four such classical dance styles developed in the devadasi tradition — Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam, Odissi and Manipuri. Bharatanatyam was known as dasi attam or sadir, Mohiniattam as thevadichi attam, Odissi as maharis and Manipuri dancers were known as meibis. Originally, the devadasis were confined to the temples, but slowly they moved on to dancing to the tune of rich zamindars, chieftains and ultimately at the royal courts of kings. But the dancers did not receive royal patronage or protection to keep their sanctity and classical quality. So these dances began to deteriorate and degrade until social reformers like Mahakavi Vallathol and great poets like Rabindranath Tagore intervened to give these dances a new respectability. 

Kerala Kalamandalam: The great poet in Kerala, Mahakavi Vallathol, established Kerala Kalamandalam in 1930 at Cheruthuruthy in central Kerala, to convince people that classical dances are essentially sacred, hence youngsters could learn these dance forms. Kathakali and Mohiniattam were taught in this school of dance in the beginning. The first teacher of Mohiniattam was Kalamandalam Kalyani Kutty Amma, wife of legendary Kathakali artist Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair.This premier centre for performing arts in India has produced several dance professionals and teachers. Kalamandalam Satyabhama, Sugandhi, Nirmala Panikkar and Kalamandalam Kshemavathy are the most senior exponents. Some dancers with religious themes are Gopika Varma of the royal family of Travancore, Shyamala Surendran, Jayaprabha Menon, Ayswaria Warrier, Geeta and Radhika Radhakrishna, Neena Prasad, Pallavi Krishnan, Rachita Ravi and Mythili Anoop.

Dr Kanak Rele’s contributions: Dr Kanak Rele, a non-Malayalee, is the only Mohiniattam dancer to receive the prestigious Padma Bhushan award. After receiving a grant from Ford Foundation, Dr Kanak made a documentary on the three pioneer Mohiniattam exponents, Kalyani Kutty Amma, Chinnamuamma and Kunju Kutty Amma and then evolved her own style with musical support in the traditional Sopanam Sangeetam style composed by Kavalam Narayan Panikkar. Dr Kanak introduced several new choreography styles projecting women empowerment with items like Amba, Draupadi, Kubja and Kalyani based on Tagore’s Chandalika and has given several performances all over the globe. She has written books on Mohiniattam like Bhava Nirupana:Dance Vocabulary etc.

A dance educationist, Dr Kanak established Nalanda Dance Research Centre, known as Nalanda Nritya Kalamahavidyalya, with degrees up to the doctorate level. It has trained several dancers, many of them professionals and teachers like Madhuri Deshmukh, Dimple Nair (Doha, Qatar), Sunanda Nair (USA) and young, brilliant dancers, Saji Nair and Megha Ahire Mohad. 

Technique and music: While Mohiniattam is considered as an offshoot of Bharatanatyam and  Kathakali, the movements are slow, graceful and lyrical, creating a fine visual appeal. While Kalamandalam follows its own bani (style), Dr Kanak’s style has also become immensely popular. Dr Geeta Radhakrishna has written and illustrated an exclusive book Mohiniattam: Adavus and Mudras which is based on Hasta Lakshana Deepika, Natya Sastra, Abhinaya Darpana, Sangeeta Ratnakara and Bharatarnava. 150 adavus (dance units) and 24 mudras (hand gestures) are portrayed. She has also written Mohiniattam: Dance of the Enchantress and other books.

Costumes: The costumes include plain white or off-white such as ivory or cream coloured sari embroidered with bright golden or gold-laced coloured brocade. The dancer wears a fitted choli (blouse) matching the sari, below which at the waist is a golden belt which tucks in the end of the sari, and highlights the waist. In front of the sari, below the belt is a pleated sheet with concentric bands in gold or saffron colours. The dancer wears simple jewellery and no masks, in contrast to Kathakali, the other major classical dance of Kerala.

Music and instruments: The music of Mohiniattam involves various rhythms. There are numerous compositions for a Mohiniattam repertoire, most of whose lyrics are in Manipravalam, a mixture of Sanskrit, Tamil and Malayalam. The musical instruments usually used are Mridangam or Madhalam, Idakka, flute, Veena and Kuzhitalam. The ragas (melody) are rendered in the sopana (steps) style.

A TIME-TESTED LANGUAGE

 Korlai Creole

     INDIA’S myriad languages provide a window into its rich history and culture. One such fascinating language is Korlai Creole ( a hybrid language that becomes the main language in a particular place) spoken by the residents of Korlai, a tiny village on Maharashtra’s west coast. It is a mixture of Portuguese and Marathi. Korlai was colonised by the Portuguese from 1520 to 1740 A.D. And though there has been no contact between the residents of Korlai and the Portuguese after 1740, Korlai Creole continues to function as the primary language of the village. When the people of Korlai came into contact with the Portuguese, most converted to Christianity and adopted their language. Even the local church service was performed in Portuguese. Popularly called Kristy or Nau lin, Korlai Creole gradually began evolving as a separate language from the 16th century. Korlai Christians kept themselves separate from the Hindus and Muslims living in that area, marrying within their own community and religion. 

     Moreover, the village is located on an island and was connected to the mainland only in 1986 when a bridge was built. Besides, Korlai was a self-sustaining village. As a result, Korlai residents were in limited contact with Marathi speakers, leading to the growth and preservation of the unique language. With time, Marathi and even English words crept into Korlai Creole. Marathi became the medium of instruction in schools in 1926, and later, the church at Korlai too began conducting religious ceremonies in it. So, while the younger generation continues to speak in Korlai Creole at home and in their village, they communicate in Marathi in school and outside their community. Interestingly, the village elders still sing hymns and folk songs in the creole language. Although efforts are being made to preserve this vestige of the Portuguese era, the dialect is in real danger of fading away. The only surviving document of Korlai Creole is a book titled Naw Ling Su Istaur (The Story of My Language) by American professor Clancy Clements. A compilation of Korlai’s oral history, comprises 37 folktales which have been transferred from generation to generation.

GET INVOLVED IN CREATIVE ENDEAVOURS

 Do not waste days of your vacation

An elderly carpenter was renowned for working with precision and perfection. When he was asked why he spent so much time on each project, he replied, "I learned long ago that speed should always be secondary to quality workmanship. Years from now, after I'm gone and people inspect what I have made, no one will ask, " How long did this project take? Instead they'll ask who made this?" 

Many of you might now be enjoying your annual summer holidays engaging in different activities. Merit is not in doing so many things, but in doing things of quality. Take care to do whatever you do accurately and diligently. Don't be slipshod in anything you do. Shoddy works won't get anyone's appreciation. Nor will they give you satisfaction. Real happiness is in accomplishing things as faultlessly as possible. A perfectly made thing is more valuable than numerous imperfect things.

The vacation period is an occasion to bring out your dormant talents and sharpen your skills. It is a time to attach yourself with household chores. Join your mother in preparing a dish. Help your father wash his vehicle and clean the compound. Involve in creative endeavours. Never be idle.

As Abraham Lincoln has said, "It's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years."

WORDS WORTH READING

Quotes & Proverbs

Quotes:

* Our business in life is not to get ahead of others, but get ahead of ourselves --- to break our own records, to outstrip our yesterday by our today.

~ Stewart B. Johnson

* It isn't your position that makes you happy or unhappy, its your disposition.

~ O. S. Marden

* It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult. 

~ Seneca

* In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the steam always wins, not through strength but by perseverance.

~ H. Jackson Brown

* It is hard for an empty bag to stand upright.

~ Benjamin Franklin

* The best thing about future is that it comes only one day at a time.

~ Abraham Lincoln

* Don't go through life, grow through life.

~ Eric Butterworth

* Without inspiration the best powers of the mind remain dormant, there is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks.

~ Johann Gottfried Von Herder

 Proverbs

* The hand will not reach out for what the heart does not long for.

* If you have much, give of your wealth; if you have little, give of your heart.

* You can hardly make a friend in a year, but you can easily offend one in an hour.

* He who looks for a friend without a fault will never find one.

* Love can turn the cottage into a golden palace.

* He who is contented is not always rich.

* Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

* A bad workman always blames his tools.

* We never miss the water till the well runs dry.

* He who keeps company with wolves, will learn to howl.