Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Photography
"How to select a digital camera" by Anil Page 4
Food Corner
"Mutton in white kurma" by Sanuraj Page 7
Story
"Love Letters Part 1" Page 8
Poetry
"The Dawn" by Shalini Page 9
"Cocoon" by George Page 10
Thoughts
"Wings" by Raj Page 11
Health
"Eating Right" by Sanuraj Page 12
Photographs
"Celebrity Sightings" Page 13
"July Photo Contest - Beauty" Page 15
Architecture
"Basic Vastu" by Sree Page 16
Country
Patriotic Songs by Sanuraj Page 17
2
Chirakukal - the wings of change
It gives me great pleasure to inform you that we, Kerala Community, one of the
most happening communities on Orkut, are introducing a new online digital
magazine. I am sure that this venture will add another feather to our community,
as it will help to further strengthen our good relationship and friendship in the
community. The idea of the magazine sprouted just a few days ago and today
we have come up with the fruit. Thanks to Anil Raghavan and Gopan, who are
the brain and center of inspiration behind this venture. The responses from the
KC members and the support they offered were awesome and this inspired us to
take it further from discussions.
As an icing on the cake, it is for sure that the launching of the first issue of our e-
Magazine will make a mark in KC history, as it is happening when our nation
celebrates its 62nd anniversary of independence. Therefore, as a tribute to our
brave immortal martyrs who dedicated their entire life to save our motherland,
let us dedicate this first issue to them.
We believe that this magazine will give an opportunity for all our community
members to showcase their creative skills such as writing, photography,
painting, etc. Also, we anticipate that all our members will make use of this
opportunity through their valuable contributions.
Last but not least, I thank all the members and the team e-Mag who helped us to
make this magazine a reality. I wish all the members a happy reading and hope
that your valuable feedback will help us to make this magazine better and better!
Ajish Anand
Editor
3
Photography
You know what is absurd? The ridiculously high number of digital camera models
available in the market these days. Back in the days, there were hardly 10 models to
choose from. Now, every major manufacturer has twice that many models. It has hence,
become tougher and tougher to make sense of what is important, and what is merely
hype.
Before you look for a new digital camera, please answer these questions honestly
1. Will I need to print photos in big sizes (8"x10" is considered a normal size)?
2. Do I really need the complexity of a Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) model?
3. Am I really interested in learning and mastering photography?
4. How much can I really afford?
5. Do I realize that SLR photography can be an expensive hobby?
If you have answered the above questions honestly, you will have come to a conclusion
without much confusion, about whether you really need a complex DSLR, lenses and the
associated costs, or whether you need an advanced Point-and-Shoot (P&S) because you
do wish to learn photography, and master the process, but without having to spend deep,
or whether all you are looking for is a compact P&S, to take photos of friends, family and
an occasional flower or bee or a sunset.
4
Photography
Types of Cameras
Advanced P&S
Digital SLR
5
Photography
Pixel Density How many pixels the sensor has, per square 25 to 35 for compact P&S
centimetre. The higher this number, the less 25 to 35 for advanced P&S
efficient the sensor will be, for low-light 6 or less for DSLR
photography
Optical Zoom The only kind of zoom that is really useful. 3 to 5x for compact P&S
Ignore the digital zoom specification. You can 5 to 12x for advanced P&S
crop out part of the image later on your computer. Depends on the lenses
Aperture Aperture refers to the size of the lens opening For serious photographers,
Priority & during an exposure, while shutter speed refers to any model you buy should
Shutter Priority the duration of that exposure. Together, these two have at least these two
variables control most of the qualities and feel of controls.
a photograph.
ISO This setting controls how fast the sensor should Manual ISO control is a
capture an image. Using signal amplification, at must, if you wish to learn
higher ISO values, the camera can still capture a how to control this setting
decent image even in low light, but with more in different lighting
and more noise in the image as the ISO number conditions
goes higher and higher.
6
Food Corner
Ingredients Instructions
7
Story
Love Letters
Part 1
It was an ordinary morning, and I for one, was happy. My brain was on overdrive, the last two
projects had become exceedingly stressful, what with some key members of our team having been
laid off due to lack of funds, and the rest of us having to pick up the slack. Normally, I would
relax by thinking of very horrible things I would do to my boss if I got him alone in a dark alley
back in my home country, mouth several words that have been banned from television for
decades, and then my brain would let me know I was happy once again. But, now I had no need
for any such mortal means of catharsis.
I had seen you, not once, but several times in the past few days. The very first time I met you,
you had messed up your make up. In fact, you looked funny, goofy even. But, your eyes still
shone and the way you moved your beautiful hands and the way your shiny black tresses bounced
around, shining some of the sunlight into my eyes, kindling a fire in me, gave me hope of a
brighter tomorrow, of days filled with bountiful joy, endless nights where we both sit under starry
skies, and whisper the sweet nothings that lovers are supposed to whisper.
I realize that I am not man enough to tell you all this eye-to-eye, heart-to-heart, because I am not
willing to take the risk of rejection, because there will be no more life in me, if I hear that word
from your lips. I fear, that my heart will be too weak to ever recover from such a punishment,
that hell will seem more peaceful to me. No heady brew will be able to console me, no words
will be able to heal my wounds, no druid's potion will ever revive me. So, kindly pardon my fear,
my dearest, for I love you as much as the moon loves the night, and the birds love the sky and the
dying fish loves the wave that washes it back into the sea. I am that dying fish, and I am waiting
for that wave to help me back to my feet, help give all my dreams wings and make my love for
you eternal and real.
For the present, my sweetheart, I am compelled to take in your glorious beauty from the shadows,
melting away into the crowd the moment your gaze falls in my direction, fearing that you might
catch on and demand an explanation for always following you, for always sending you flowers
anonymously, and for the lengthy prose that I have penned and sealed and slipped your way, with
tiny bits of my heart thrown in. Please believe me, when I tell you that you are everything dreams
are made of, and one day, the dream will come to life, for me and you and we will share all our
joy, all our sorrow and all the pain this life has to offer. And I assure you, we will smile through
the pain, comfort each other and share every single tear drop together.
Lovingly yours,
8
Poetry
"The Dawn"
Shalini
9
Poetry
"Cocoon"
George Varghese
10
Thoughts
"Wings"
The context sets my thinking go wild....
Looking at the fluttering birds........flying high......Few claim this to be the sign of
independence......
But isn't this a quest for survival......
I asked the eagle 'yeah are your wings fluttering cos you are independent'
'No I am hungry and I am eyeing my prey from here'......from high there in the sky...
Flying, fluttering the wings, aren't the birds looking for their survival...for a living and to die
another day not today.
If they aren't and if it is the sign of independence.........looking at the millions who hang on
the doorways of Mumbai suburban lifeline trains.....I wished they too had wings....
But they do flutter running and panting and breaking through the million fellow men and as
if it's the order of the day and they don't complain......
Aamchi Mumbaikars are very proud of their days order....
So do we assume they are independent?
The Other day the girl who came to me for an interview form a bold strong Punjabi
household said she had to report at home everyday after office late by eight......
I did wish she had wings......So that she could flutter and be independent...
But birds do return to their abode at night and flutter only in broad day light.They too has an
order.
So do we tag as independence...
Wings and fluttering high in the sky isn't the sign of independence.
It is the quest to survive, quest to survive with a difference.
Every morning is a beginning....a new ray of hope.....a fresh start to the dreams and that life
that lays ahead....
Flutter your wings and get set to fly...
11
Health
Eating Right
Sanuraj
Dr. Ivan from Bahrain talks to Sanu about healthy, nutritious food.
Nutritious Meals
Eat nutritious food that you enjoy. Eat three or more pieces of fresh fruit and salad each
day. Avoid large meals. When you consume five to six small, healthy meals every day,
your body needs more calories to break down the food, thereby helping the body
metabolism.
Sit down and eat slowly as it gives your body time to release the enzymes that tell your
brain you’ve had enough. The slower you eat, the sooner you will be satisfied. Cut back
on your salt intake. The body requires only ½ to 1 teaspoonful of salt per day. Excess salt
consumption can cause water retention and high blood pressure. Don’t overeat if you are
stressed out. Avoid eating as an antidote to emotional pain. Whether it is alcohol, drugs or
food, excess of any kind leads to weight gain. This, in turn, triggers off higher stress
levels, and becomes a vicious cycle.
Hydration
Keep yourself hydrated, Eat foods with water content, such as water melon, oranges,
pineapple, tomatoes and cucumber. Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water per day.
12
Photographs
Celebrity Sightings
Sanuraj
Isha Koppikar in Bahrain
Sanuraj
Jayachandran in Bahrain
13
Photographs
Celebrity Sightings
Sanuraj
Samritha in Bahrain
Sanuraj
Isha Koppikar in Bahrain
14
Photographs
Krishnanunni's entry won the July photo contest. The theme was "Beauty". His entry
gathered 21 votes. Vikas's entry was second with 14 votes. Congratulation to
Krishnanunni for winning as well as capturing this surreal image.
The KC Photo Contest runs monthly. A theme is announced at the beginning of the
month, and each member can enter upto three photos. These photos can be replaced with
others as many times as desired, until the deadline. Once the deadline has passed, three
judges will pick the Final 5 or 6 or 7 photos, depending on the quality of the entries we
receive each month. After this, members select the winner from the above list of finalists,
in a one-week poll. The winning photographer's name will be added to the Kerala
Community profile description, until the next month's winner has been selected, and will
also be included in the subsequent month's e-magazine.
15
Architecture
Basic Vastu
Sree
Entrance door
should face East or North, east being the preferred choice. If
neither of these is a possibility, then west is also considered
fine, but South is a no-no.
Pooja room
north east as this is considered the most auspicious place.
Kitchen
south east corner of the house. Second option would be north
east.
Master bedroom
south west corner of the house. With blue as the preferred
colour. Second option would be North West.
Yourself
Your head should rest towards south preferably
Staircase
should always be in clock wise direction
Water tank
Over head tank should be on the south western corner
16
Country
Patriotic Songs
Sanuraj
India’s glorious musical heritage has been tapped by poets, patriots and film makers to
create some truly undying gems ….KRN Swamy talks to Sanuraj about the patriotic
songs of India….
It’s the time of the year , when everything is in tricolour, including your music !
Chances are patriotic songs wafting from the neighbourhood club or school could be
your wake-up call , whether or not you gather for that ritual unfurling of the national
flag on Independence Day morning.
On Aug 14 , 1947 , just before the country’s tryst with destiny , members of the Indian
Constituent assembly listened in rapt attention as eminent freedom fighter Sucheta
Kripalani sang the first verses of three patriotic songs..- Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s
‘Vande mataram’ , Mohammed Iqbal’s ‘Sare Jahan se Accha’ and Rabindranath
Tagore’s ‘Jana Gana Mana ‘ The new nation’s leaders chose ‘Jana Gana Mana ‘ as the
National Anthem in 1950 not just for its beauty but for practical reasons too- musical
experts opined that ‘Vande Mataram’ could not be played by bands ! Additionally ‘Jana
Gana Mana ‘ enjoyed an international reputation . It had been greatly appreciated in
the United Nations at NewYork where it was first played as an orchestral arrangement
in 1947 . Many said that it was superior to most National anthems of the world.
Of ‘Sare Jahan se Accha’ , Mahatma Gandhi wrote “ I was overwhelmed when I read
Dr.Iqbal’s poem “Hindustan Hamara”. I must have sung it at least a hundred times in
Yervada Jail. Its words are so sweet and echo in my ears as I write this”.
According to eminent historians , the most important lines in this poem are “ Mazhab
Nahi Sikhata , Apas Main Bair Rakhna , Hindi Hain Hum , Vatan Hain Hindustan
Hamara “ Which translate as follows : “ No religion teaches us to be opposed to each
other . We all are Indians and our motherland is INDIA.”
17
Thank You
gratitude to Gopan, Ajish, Krishna, Nikesh, Jose, Sanuraj, George, Shalini, Raj
and Sree for helping us create this e-Magazine. Without your help, this would
not have been possible. Thanks especially to Gopan for his untiring work in
creating the blog, enabling private chats between editors, and for collecting
wonderful community.
I would also like to request all the KC members to create and send as many
articles, photographs, poems and anything else you think is worth including in
future issues of the e-Mag. We hope we will have your continued cooperation
And last, but not least, thank you all for making KC one of the better
Anil Raghavan
18
Chirakukal
Kerala Community e-Magazine
Editor
Ajish
Design Team
Krishna, Nikesh, Gopan, Ajish, Jose, Anil
Compiled by
Anil Raghavan