THE INSPIRING STORY OF

 Helen Keller 

     Helen Adams Keller was born on June 27th, 1880, in the small town of Tuscumbia in Alabama, United States of America. She became deaf and blind when she was only 19 months old, after becoming very sick with a very high body temperature. So she could neither hear nor could see. Her mother noticed that something was not right when she didn't respond to the dinner bell or when a hand was waved in front of her face. 

     Although Helen Keller tried to communicate with others, she often screamed and attacked people because she was frustrated. Her family described her as a little monster. 

     No one could help her until she met a teacher named Anne Sullivan, in 1887. Anne Sullivan was also partially blind but was very patient with her until Helen could communicate and knew how to read books using Braille. 

     Braille is a series of raised dots on paper that can be read using fingers. With the help of Anne Sullivan's teachings and Helen's hard work in studying, Helen learnt how to communicate with other people. 

     In 1890, she went to Perkins School for the blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, to learn how to speak. When Helen was 19 years old, she went to study at Radcliffe College of Harvard University. She was the first deaf-blind person to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree. Helen tried to help other disabled people all her life. 

     Helen wrote many books, spoke to people all around the world. She spoke about her life as a disabled person. She was an activist who fought for the rights of women and people with disabilities. Helen Keller lived to the age of 87. In her efforts to bring some social change, she became famous and inspired many people worldwide. 

CELEBRATING LOYALTY AND COMPANIONSHIP

Kukur Tihar / Kukur Puja 

     In Nepal, the five-day-long festival of Diwali is known as 𝐓𝐢𝐡𝐚𝐫 or 𝐘𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐤 and it is celebrated by worshipping animals.

     The first day of Tihar is known as '𝐊𝐚𝐚𝐠 𝐓𝐢𝐡𝐚𝐫' (crow festival). It is celebrated by feeding crows and ravens. The crow symbolises the messenger of Yama Dev(God of death). it is believed that worshipping them can bring good luck.

     '𝐊𝐮𝐤𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐢𝐡𝐚𝐫' or '𝐊𝐮𝐤𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐮𝐣𝐚' falls on the second day of Yamapanchak. On this day, dogs are worshipped with floral garlands and Tilak. After a ceremonial Puja, they are treated to their favourite meals. 

     On the third day, '𝐆𝐚𝐢 𝐏𝐮𝐣𝐚' (cow festival) is observed during the day and the Goddess Laxmi (the Goddess of wealth) is worshipped in the evening for prosperity.

     Day four favours oxen and day five is dedicated to people, with sisters traditionally putting tilaka on their brothers' foreheads in the belief that it will secure a long and happy life.

     Kukur Tihar falls on the second day of the Tihar festival, which is a five-day-long Hindu festival of lights, celebrated in Nepal and by the Nepali diaspora. Kukur Tihar  is an important day of Tihar festival to celebrate the long friendship and loyalty of dogs. People thank dogs for their loyalty and companionship.

     Dogs are considered special in Sanatan Dharma as they are believed to be the messengers of Yama Dev and incarnations of the God Bhairava(a form of Lord Shiva). It is considered a sin to be disrespectful to a dog on this day.

     Kukur Tihar is also known as Khicha puja by Newars. Adorned with colourful garlands made up of marigold flowers and Tilaka, all dogs, including strays, are gently bathed by families and served their favourite food  to acknowledge the cherished bonding between humans and dogs. 

HOW ZIPPERS WORK

Learning about zippers

     When you wear a jacket or close your bag, there is a zip right? This mechanism has become so deeply a part of our everyday life that we often forget that it is actually a machine that was invented long ago! Have you ever stopped by to just think about how zippers work? What is the mechanism behind them?

     Invented in 1917 by Gideon Sundback, a zipper comprises two rows of interlocking teeth, each of which includes a hook and a hollow. Every hook on one of the two tracks of the zipper is intended to latch into a hollow on the other track. The slider which serves as the latching mechanism, is nothing more than a group of wedges. 

     The first principle in use is that of the wedge --- any triangular object that has the ability to apply force perpendicular to it qualifies as a wedge. A wedge pushed between a door and its frame will apply lateral pressure on the door and the frame, simultaneously keeping the door closed. 

     The second principle in use is the hook --- a curved structure with a handle for holding onto anything. 

     If you examine the teeth closely, you will see that similar and spaced exactly the same distance apart from one another. This is important for any zip to work properly. 

     The teeth on the zipper track are made in a way that they can interlock with one another since they are formed like hooks. Each tooth may latch onto the one above it and the one below it with the help of the slider. Each hook is brought together at a certain angle due to the slider. This locks the hook in place before the slider moves forward. 

     When opening the zip, the teeth are once again angled so they may be released while the slider moves in the other direction and wedge during the slide actually pushes the teeth apart. As the force applied by a wedge is always perpendicular to it, as we already learned, the slider forces the zip's teeth sideways even as it descends.

RECORDING DAILY WEATHER

 Weather forecasting

     Weather forecasting has been a significant part of traditions in all civilisations for thousands of years.

Origin: In 1831, a naval officer named Robert FitzRoy came up with the idea of predicting the weather. Deeply troubled with loss of life due to unpredictable, extreme weather, he was determined to set up an office in London where he used some basic equipment such as the barometer, nautical charts and recorded patterns to predict the weather. As the telegraph network expanded in the 1830s, FitzRoy could gather idea from different coasts at his London office. 

If he thought a storm was approaching, he immediately released a warning telegraph to the concerned port where a drum was raised to alarm the sailors. The first ever daily weather forecast was published in The Times newspaper on August 1, 1861.

Method of forecasting weather: Meteorology is the study of weather and the atmosphere. A Meteorologist is a person who studies weather patterns and predicts Earth’s atmospheric phenomena. Meteorologists gather information about the weather from satellites, balloons and other instruments. They use powerful computers to analyse the collected data and then draw weather maps to forecast the weather. 

Importance: Weather forecasting forewarns people about future weather conditions. It also warns people about other weather hazards such as thunderstorms, hurricanes and heavy rainfall. Thus far, accurate weather predictions have been able to save the lives of many.

How precise are they: After technological advancements, the weather forecast stations today are well equipped to provide advanced warnings of severe weather, but they aren't always accurate. Accurate weather forecasting requires a lot of observational data collected from thousands of weather stations across the globe. Also it is tough to predict the weather, which constantly changes at a quick pace.

DO YOU KNOW

 Why bananas are curved?

     Bananas have a unique curve shape due to a phenomenon called Negative Geotropism. In simpler terms, bananas grow against the force of gravity. The reason for this curvature is a survival strategy employed by the banana plant. As the banana fruit begins to develop, it grows towards sunlight, which usually comes from above the canopy of leaves of the plant. This upward growth against gravity causes the banana to curve naturally, giving its distinctive shape. The curvature also protects the growing fruit from getting too much sunlight, which can be damaging. So, the curve of the banana is not just an interesting quirk; it’s the result of an ingenious adaptation in nature.

TO REDUCE STRESS AND TENSION

 Live with a sense of humour

     A court jester went too far one day and insulted his king, who then became so enraged that he ordered the jester to be executed. The court begged the king to have mercy on this man who had served him for so many years. The king relented only enough to give the jester a choice as to how he would like to die of old age."

     The jester's sense of humour saved his neck. We may take our cue from this. We may not necessarily confront a situation where our wit should save us from execution or death, but are all sure to face some trying moments in our lives. Here, a positive attitude and sense of humour could possibly come to our aid. We don't necessarily have to be funny to have a sense of humour; we need only to see the lighter side of things.

     It is difficult to get on with people who lack this God-given gift. They may make scenes, cut ridiculous figures and cause their own alienation in society. On the other hand, a good sense of humour can save situations. It also reduces stress and tension, helps cope with pain, wins friends, improves health and diffuses difficult states of affairs. 

     Most people won't do something because of the fear of failure or of looking silly. A tinge of humour can help overcome such reservations and inhibitions that hold us back. It is a great way of keeping ourselves happy. See things positively and add a flavour of humour into everything you experince.

14 NOVEMBER CHILDREN'S DAY

 The children of today, The India of tomorrow..!

“Children are like buds in a garden and should be carefully and lovingly nurtured, as they are the future of the nation and the citizens of tomorrow.” ---Jawaharlal Nehru

     In India, Children's Day is celebrated on the 14th November that marks the birth anniversary of legendary freedom fighter and independent India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

     He was a true friend of children. His love for children was the same as his love for red rose. He loved children and kept them dear to his heart. Therefore children called him ‘Chacha Nehru’.

     On this day we all need to remember to renew our commitment to the words of Nehru and learn to live by his thoughts and dreams.

     Nehru was a great statesman, idealist and dreamer. He has written many books including ‘The Discovery of India’, ‘Glimpses of World History’, Letters From A Father To His Daughter’.

     When he became the Prime Minister, his first priority was to give good education to children and youth. He brought a revolution in the field of academics in India, and was involved in establishing All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the Indian Institutes of Technology, the Indian Institutes of Management and the National Institutes of Technology.

     The future of the country depends upon the present children. If they do not develop in a proper way, the country’s future will be ruined.

   We all need to remember the words of Jawaharlal Nehru, “The children of today will make the India of tomorrow. The way we bring them up will determine the future of the country.”

     Therefore children should work hard to bring his dream into reality and help to build strong nation to make our country a better place to live in.

Happy Children’s Day!