DEAD BODIES PRESERVED BY EGYPTIANS

 Mummies

A mummy is the body of a person that has been preserved by artificial means after death. The Egyptians used to make mummies out of dead people because they believed in life after death. They had a firm belief that after passing away, they would make a journey to another world where they would lead a new life. They believed that they would need their bodies intact in the afterlife.

Mummification: Mummification was a long and complicated process and it took about 70 days to completely convert a body into a mummy. The priest in-charge used to commence the ceremony and wear a mask of a jackal representing the god Anubis. The body was embalmed with scented lotions and chemicals at first and then covered with wraps of linen. Once the body was completely covered, it was placed in a massive stone coffin known as sarcophagus. In the Egyptian religion, the body had to be preserved in order for the soul or 'Ba' of the person to unite with the 'Ba' of that person in the afterlife.

Egyptian Mummies facts and History: Ancient Egyptians were buried with their valuables, general belongings and even food. Artists were especially called to paint the tomb walls with the major scenes from the dead person's life. Many mummies were buried with carved wooden figures of slaves. It was believed that the carved figures would magically come to life in the land of the dead. However, for famous kings, even real servants and slaves were buried in the tomb with their mummies.

Not all Egyptians got the privilege of getting their bodies mummified. Mummification was an expensive process and only the rich people could avail this facility. The bodies of the people from the poor section of the society were just wrapped in cloth and buried in the dry ground.

After life: Over the past few thousand years, many of the Egyptian mummies have been destroyed for various reasons. Some were burned for fuel, some were ground into powder to make magical concoctions, and some were destroyed by treasurehunters and robbers.

Curation: Today, most of the mummies are open for public display in museums around the world. The most famous mummies are those of the ancient Pharaohs like Tutenkhamen and Rameses. A great deal of precaution was taken by the scientists while studying them and most of the investigation was done by using CAT scan and X-Ray machines.

Myths and rumours about Mummies: Mummies have also been linked with a number of myths. The most famous mummy believed to have special powers and cast a curse is that of king Tutenkhamen. When Tutenkhamen's tomb was first discovered, a message in ancient hieroglyphics was also found, written on its entrance. Translated, the message said, “Death shall come on swift wings to the person who disturbs the peace of the Emperor”. This frightful message started several rumours saying that there was a curse on King Tut's tomb.

A few months after the tomb was opened, a British Lord became ill from a mosquito bite. He was present when they had opened the tomb. A few months later, he died. Rumour said a mark similar to the mosquito bite was found in the exact same position on King Tut's cheek. Howard Carter, the man who discovered King Tut's tomb, lived to be sixty-five. He died of natural causes. He did not believe in any curse.

But there are several cases of illness and death linked to the opening of ancient tombs and opening of the mummy cases. Archaeologists have also found out certain poisonous plant molds in the ancient tombs. Maybe, this is what is responsible for the scary reputation of the tombs and mummies. Today, when archaeologists go to explore tombs, they wear masks to protect themselves from these dangerous plant molds.

Perhaps the rumours of the curse were deliberately spread as a part of ancient tactics to prevent the robbers from fiddling around with and stealing from the mummies. Whatever the truth may be, Hollywood will continue to have a great deal of fun with the 'mummy's curse'.

THE STORY OF THE MAN WHO NEVER GAVE UP ON HIS DREAMS

 Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson)

        Rowan Atkinson was born in a middle-class family and suffered terribly as a child because of his stuttering. He was also teased and bullied at school because of his looks. His bullies thought he looked like an alien because of which he became a very shy, withdrawn kid who didn’t have many friends.

     Admitted to Oxford University during his days, he started falling in love with acting but couldn’t perform due to his speaking disorder. He got his master’s degree in electrical engineering before appearing in any movie or TV show. After getting his degree, he decided to pursue his dream and become an actor, so he enrolled in a comedy group, but again, his stammering got in the way.

     A lot of TV shows rejected him, and he felt devastated but despite many rejections, he never stopped believing in himself. He had a great passion for making people laugh and knew that he was very good at it. He started focusing more and more on his original comedy sketches and soon realised that he could speak fluently whenever he played some character. He found a way to overcome his stuttering and he also used that as an inspiration for his acting. While studying for his master’s Rowan Atkinson co-created the strange and surreal character known as Mr. Bean.

     He had success with other shows, Mr. Bean made him globally famous and despite all the obstacles, he faced because of his looks and his speaking disorder, he proved that even without a heroic body or a Hollywood face, you can become one of the most loved and respected actors in the world. 

This is the motivational success story of Rowan Atkinson. It’s so inspiring because it teaches us that to be successful in life, the most important things are passion, hard work, dedication and never giving up attitude, without caring about our feelings and weaknesses.

Moral of the story: 

No one is born perfect. Don’t be afraid. People can accomplish amazing things every day in spite of their weaknesses and failures. So go and do the best you can in this life. 

A STORY WORTH YOUR TIME

 Six Golden Eggs 

A young girl asked her grandfather,

"Papa, what can you teach me that can be useful in my life?" 

The grandfather thought for a long time, and then he said,

"I think I have a powerful life lesson to teach you. But before that, you have to do something that will get everyone's attention, something huge." 

The girl asked pleasantly,

"Something like what, Papa?"

The grandfather paused for a moment, then whistled,

"You should go around the neighborhood and tell everyone that my ostrich had laid six golden eggs. They would all be surprised to hear it. Then tell them that each egg is worth many millions, and that I would become a multimillionaire by selling them. Tell everyone that soon my life would change forever, and I would become one of the richest person in the society."

The young girl did so without understanding the essence of it. After she came back, she and her grandfather waited all day and into the night, but none of their neighbours showed up at their house to congratulate them and rejoice with them.

The following morning, the grandfather said to the girl,

"Now, you should go back around the neighborhood and tell everyone that during last night, a thief came and destroyed my house, killed my ostrich and stole all the golden eggs. Tell them I've lost everything!"

The girl went out and told the neighbours so. However, after a short while, a shocking number of people crowded at their house. Surprised, the young girl asked her grandfather, 

"Papa, why is it that a lot of people showed up today, but none came yesterday?"

The grandfather smiled and said,

"When people hear good news about you, they stay silent, ignore it and act like nothing happened. But when they hear bad news about you, they spread it like wildfire, and rush to confirm if it is true. People will find it difficult to celebrate your success, but will rush to witness your downfall..." 

At that moment, the grandfather placed an arm around the girl's shoulders, smiled again, and then continued, 

"Now this is the powerful life lesson I've got to teach you... The biggest lie we are told by people around us is that they are happy to see us succeed. The truth is, most people, even close friends and neighbours don't want to see you succeed. When someone realises you're becoming more successful than them, it becomes a threat. Most people genuinely do not like people doing better than them. They become jealous, and deep down inside, they want nothing more than to have that life. However, it is important to remember that you cannot control how others act or how they perceive you. Instead, focus on being the best version of yourself. Stop trying to change them, stop worrying about what they are doing. Set your goals, follow your dreams, listen to your heart, and don't let anyone or anything stop you from achieving your dreams.

5 JUNE

World Environment Day

 

World Environment Day is celebrated on 5 June every year, to create awareness and to take action for the protection of our fragile environment. 

Our environment is facing a number of challenges. We have been exploiting and destroying our ecosystem. The data on environmental destruction is shocking.  Every three seconds, the world loses forest cover the size of a football ground and over the last century, we have destroyed half of our wetlands. As much as 50% of our coral reefs have already been lost. We have started feeling the effects of global warming and climate change. The earth will soon become unlivable for human beings. 

This is why World Environment Day becomes relevant. It focuses on the restoration of the ecosystem. Only healthy ecosystems can help us enhance people’s livelihoods, counteract climate change and stop the collapse of biodiversity. This is the most important issue before humanity today. All of us should be aware of these challenges so that we work towards bringing a change. Let us create maximum awareness and work hard to improve the health of our environment. This is what we should do for ourselves and also for future generations. We should take a pledge to protect our ecosystem and to live a simple, harmless life. 

Each year, World Environment Day has a special theme. This year (2024), the theme is "Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience." It's about bringing back healthy land, preventing deserts from growing, and dealing with water shortages.

DO YOU KNOW

How telecommunication connects the world?

 

Have you ever wondered how you can talk to your friends who live far away? Or how you can send a message to someone on your phone? It’s all thanks to telecommunication. 

When we want to communicate with someone, we use devices like phones, computers and tablets. These devices send and receive messages through the internet, which is a global network of connected computers. The internet helps us send and receive messages, pictures and videos quickly and easily. 

The internet uses special pathways called "server routes" to deliver messages to the right person. It’s like sending a secret message through a network of invisible roads. The internet's advance routing system ensures that messages reach their destination quickly and efficiently. This complex system allows us to communicate with anyone in the world, no matter where they are. 

The magic of telecommunication has made it easier than ever to stay in touch with friends and family, no matter where they are in the world. Whether far or near, we can still communicate with each other. 

MAKE WINNING A HABIT

Motivating words of Vincent Thomas Lombardi

 

The man of goals, Vincent Thomas Lombardi, is widely considered to be the greatest football coach of all times. Throughout his 15 seasons as a coach, his teams never experienced a losing season. He is one of the best coaches in history. The speech titled "No. 1" by Vincent Lombardi serves as a motivational source that can be implemented in both our personal and professional lives.

"What it takes to be #1" is a practical guide written by the renowned coach Vincent Lombardi. For all students, business leaders or those who aspire to leadership, it provides a blueprint for success. 

His impressive thoughts... 

According to Vincent Lombardi, "Winning is not a sometime thing. It’s an all time thing. It actually means that you're willing to go longer, work harder, and give more than anyone else. You don't win occasionally.... but you win all the time. Make winning a habit."

Vincent Lombardi's strategical approach to win every time... 

With strong will, he states, "There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game, and that’s first place. It is and always has been a winners zeal to be first in anything they do, and to win, and to win, and to win."

Each time a football player takes the pitch, he must start from the ground up, beginning with the soles of his feet and working his way up to his head. He has to use every inch of himself. 

Some guys play with their heads. That’s O.K. More importantly, you must play with your heart and every fibre of your body." 

Vince's suggestive Organisational Techniques... "Making a football team is similar to managing any other type of organisation such as an army, a political party or a business. The principles remain unchanged. The objective is to emerge victorious by outperforming the opponent. 

It is a fact of life that men have a competitive nature, and the games that are the most competitive tend to attract the most competitive men. The goal is to achieve victory through fair and just means, adhering to the established regulations - but ultimately to emerge as the winner."

His staunch belief... 

"I have faith in the existence of God and in the inherent goodness of humanity. I strongly believe that the most significant moment for any person, where they achieve the highest level of satisfaction, is when they have put in their utmost effort towards a noble purpose and are left drained on the battlefield, having emerged victorious."

MOST EXPENSIVE COFFEE

Kopi Luwak

The world’s most expensive coffee is not one coated with gold shavings or anything conventionally fanciful as one might imagine: in fact, it has a ludicrous source. Kopi Luwak, a famously infamous Indonesian coffee, is this coffee. What makes this coffee so fanciful? It is made from the beans of coffee cherries that have been eaten and excreted by the Asian palm civet!

History of this coffee: The history of Kopi Luwak dates back to the early 18th century. This is when Dutch colonizers introduced coffee cultivation to the Indonesian archipelago, particularly in Sumatra and Java. The native population were tasked with harvesting the beans, but were not coffee drinkers themselves. However due to the low wages paid to them, they were forced to find a way to supplement their income. The Indonesian farmers' solution for this was to collect the droppings of the civet, a small cat-like creature that lived in the coffee plantations and ate ripe coffee cherries. These mammals, the Asian palm civet, excreted coffee beans after eating the cherries, and farmers processed the beans found within them. The locals were also prohibited from harvesting coffee seeds for themselves, so began using civet coffee for local coffee brewing as well. Over time, the unique taste of the coffee produced by this method became highly valued by coffee connoisseurs leading to its rise in popularity. 

But why would people drink poop coffee? Civet cats eat only the best and ripest cherries, which means the harvesters end up with some of the best beans on the plantation. The civet coffee beans are also altered by the enzymes in the digestive system. Passing through the digestive tract, the coffee beans are completely stripped of its fruity exterior, thus ending up ensuring that mold does not occur on the beans and preparing it directly for dry roasting after thorough washing. This process ends up producing a smoother cup of coffee. 

How expensive is it? Kopi Luwak is one of the rarest coffees in the world, partly due to the limited supply, as the process of collecting and processing the beans is time-consuming and labour-intensive. In addition, the unique flavour profile of the coffee, which is said to be smoother and less bitter than traditional coffee, is highly sought after. Hence, Kopi Luwak coffee is 20-60 times more expensive than the average coffee! However, the production of Kopi Luwak coffee has come under the fire due to concerns about animal welfare. Civets in captivity are often force-fed with coffee cherries, thus leading to their health problems as well as a decrease in the quality of coffee. In response to these concerns, some coffee producers have begun to focus on sustainable and ethical production methods. This means the cultivators allow their civets to roam freely and naturally consume the coffee cherries. They also develop systems to ensure that the animals are not mistreated or exploited in the production process. 

How does one drink Kopi Luwak coffee? Kopi Luwak coffee can be consumed both black or with creamer/milk and sugar. However, more sophisticated ways of brewing this coffee include using a French press, a drip coffee maker or a traditional Indonesian coffee pot, Jebena. 

The rich history and unique production process of the Kopi Luwak coffee makes it one of the most sought-after  and expensive coffees in the world. Whether consumed black or with milk and sugar, Kopi Luwak remains a beloved and intriguing coffee that continues to captivate the palates of coffee lovers around the world. In India it is produced in Kodagu (Coorg) district, Karnataka.