Booklet Final Without Cover

8/8/2019 Booklet Final Without Cover

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27 Valuable Life SkillsTheres much more to life than those basic

subjects you learn in schools. Unless you

have an exceptional teacher who is willing

to break out of the mold, you are not

learning the crucial things you need to

succeed in life.

Ask your parents... When they got out of

high school, did they know everything they

needed in order to survive in life, let alone

succeed? In fact, many of them screwed up

their early adult lives because they didnt

know those skills.

You might say learning these lessons

through experience is part of life. But its

also possible to prepare a bit before you go

out on our own

Money

Spend less than what you earn / have Put aside some money regularly from

your allowance, pocket money, earnings,

gifts as savings

Learn how banks work, how to write acheque, transact online

How is investing different from saving?How to do it well?

How to shop around to get a good deal, tocompare between products of different

prices and quality, to make things last

and not waste.

Learn how to avoid getting into toomuch debt, and how to use a credit card

responsibly. This may be a life changing

learning for you and avoid a host of

troubles later in life.

Plan for definite life events likemarriage, higher education, retirement

etc. starting early

How to be responsible with charity andsharing money?

Thinking

Start questioning. And seek answers.Think critically.

Read not just your text books butexplore the wonderful imaginative

world out there through books. Find out

about stuff in the world through the

Internet, and learn how to evaluate

what you read for credibility, logic,

factualness.

Success Things may be screwed up, but they can

be changed for the better. Find solutions

instead of complaints. Block out

negative self-thinking and approach

everything positively.

Learn that motivation is the key toachieving a goal. Take your parents,teachers and friends help to set for

yourself small achievable goals. Stick on

till you get there. This will become a

practice.

This is a problem we all deal with -procrastination or postponing what you

do now to sometime later. Set aside time

for being lazy and having fun. But when

theres something to do get yourself to

do it immediately


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If you can find a subject that you arecrazy about, like science, music or art

and pursue to learn more and do more

you are more likely to be successful in

doing it rather than doing something

because your friends or cousins are

doing it or after all you have to do

something in life.

Social

Avoid competition You may besurprised at this one. But competitive

mindsets result in back-stabbing,

undercutting, feelings of resentment,

lower self esteem etc. You are more

likely to be successful if you help others

to be successful, and trust me theyll

help you in return. Learn cooperation

and teamwork before competition.

Learn how to empathize with others, putyourself in their shoes, try to

understand them, and to help them end

their suffering. You will feel good about

yourself, surely!

Listen Great communicators are greatlisteners. Many adults dont have this

critical skill. Learn how to truly listen to

someone, to understand what theyre

saying, before rushing into giving your

opinion or solution.

Learn to converse with everyone in sucha way that you can connect with them

easily. Conversation skills can be

developed and are very important for

success at work & life.

Practical

Learn how mechanical things,automobiles work, how the engine

works, what might break down, and how

its fixed should be taught to both boys

and girls (that should be obvious, but I

had to say it).

How to fix things around the house andkeep things maintained. Plumbing,

electricity, heating and cooling,

painting, roofing, lawn all that stuff. The

tools and skills necessary to do just the

basic maintenance and repairs. And how

to know when to call a professional.

Learn to do laundry, to clean a houseproperly, to keep the house clean anduncluttered, to have a weekly and

monthly cleaning routine. Actually this

can be a lot of fun and a way to exhibit

your creativity.

Keep paperwork organized, things intheir place, keep a to-do list, set

routines, focus on the important tasks.

Happiness

Think about the present this day, thisminute, this second is a gift. Thinking

and worrying about the future and the

past takes away the happiness in life. Be

happy!

Enjoy life, small things matter a lot.Resolve to enjoy them.

Having a purpose in life is extremelyimportant. This could be difficult at your

age but seek it. Try to get yourself areason to live life.

A close friendship or relation with yourimmediate circle of family or friends is

very important and will be an anchor in

your life. Develop strong relationships

with your parents and siblings. Once you

are on your own you may not find the

time to do this. And this will also ensure

that you make a nice close knit family

for yourself when you are ready for it.

This is a extract from an article that appeared

in www.zenhabits.com.


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The Joy of Whitewashing- Adapted from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

It was a nice sunny Saturday morning and Tom had planned to run up the Cardill Hill and

relax in the green moist grass, sing along with the birds and enjoy the fresh blossoms. But,

that was not to be

Tom appeared on the sidewalk with a bucket of whitewash and a long-handled brush. He

surveyed the fence, and all gladness left him and a deep melancholy settled down upon his

spirit. Thirty yards of board fence nine feet high. Life to him seemed hollow, and existence

but a burden. He dipped his brush and passed it along the topmost plank.

Jim came skipping out at the gate with a tin pail, and singing Buffalo Gals. He had to bring

pails of water from the town pump and that had always been hateful work in Toms eyes.

But today, it seemed a better thing to do than whitewash the fence. There was company at

the pump, boys and girls played and quarreled and it wouldnt take more than an hour to

finish the task.

Tom called out to Jim, Ill fetch the water if youll whitewash the fence a bit.

Jim shook his head and said, Cant Tom. You do the whitewashing, I fetch water.

Tom offered to give him gifts - marvels and white alleys and Jim began to waver.

He put down his pail, took the white alley and just then Aunt Polly made an appearance at

the door. Jim took off flying down the street with his pail and Tom whitewashed with vigor.

But Toms energy did not last. He began to think of the fun he had planned for this day, and

his sorrows multiplied.

He got out his worldly wealth and examined it bits of toys, marbles, and trash; enough to

buy an exchange of work, maybe, but not half enough to buy so much as half an hour of

pure freedom. So he returned his straitened means to his pocket, and gave up the idea of

trying to buy the boys. At this dark and hopeless moment an inspiration burst upon him!

Nothing less than a great, magnificent inspiration!

He took up his brush and went back to work. Ben Rogers, whose ridicule Tom had been

dreading hoved in sight. Ben came hopping and skipping and eating an apple. Tom went on

whitewashing paid no attention to Ben and the steamboat he pretended to be driving. Ben

stared a moment and then said: Hey you ! What are you doing on a Saturday money?

No answer. Tom surveyed his last touch with the eye of an artist, then he gave his brush

another gentle sweep and surveyed the result, as before. Ben ranged up alongside of him.

Toms mouth watered for the apple, but he stuck to his work. Ben said: Hello, old chap, you

got to work, hey?

Tom wheeled suddenly and said: Why, its you, Ben! I wasnt noticing.

Ben said, Im going in a-swimming. Dont you wish you could? But of course youd rather

work wouldnt you?

Tom contemplated the boy a bit, and said: What do you call work? Tom resumed his

whitewashing, and said carelessly: Well, maybe it is, and maybe it aint. All I know, is, it

suits Tom Sawyer.


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Oh come on, now, you dont mean to say that you like it? The brush continued to move.

Like it? Well, I dont see why I shouldnt. Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence

every day?

That put the thing in a new light. Ben stopped nibbling his apple. Tom swept his brush

daintily back and forth stepped back to note the effect added a touch here and there

criticised the effect again Ben watching every move and getting more and more

interested, more and more absorbed. Presently he said: Say, Tom, let me whitewash a

little.

Tom considered, was about to consent; but he altered his mind: No no I cant, Ben. You

see, Aunt Pollys awful particular about this fence right here on the street, you know but

if it was the back fence I wouldnt mind and she wouldnt. Yes, shes awful particular about

this fence; its got to be done very careful; I

am sure there isnt one boy in a thousand,

maybe two thousand, that can do it the way

its got to be done.

No is that so? Oh come, now lemme, just

try. Only just a little Id let you, if you was

me, Tom.

Ben, Id like to, honestly, but Aunt Polly

well, Jim wanted to do it, but she wouldnt let

him; Sid wanted to do it, and she wouldnt let

Sid. Now dont you see how Im fixed? If you

were to tackle this fence and anything was to

happen to it

Oh, shucks, Ill be just as careful. Now lemme

try. Say Ill give you the core of my apple.

Well, here No, Ben, now dont. Im afraid

Ill give you all of it the apple, sure!

Tom gave up the brush with reluctance in his

face, but alacrity in his heart. And while the

late steamer Big Ben worked and sweated in

the sun, the retired artist sat on a barrel in the shade close by, dangled his legs, munchedhis apple, and planned the slaughter of more innocents. There was no lack of material; boys

happened along every little while; they came to jeer, but remained to whitewash.

By the time Ben was fagged out, Tom had traded the next chance to Billy Fisher for a kite,

in good repair; and when he played out, Johnny Miller bought in for a dead rat and a string

to swing it with and so on, and so on, hour after hour. And when the middle of the

afternoon came, from being a poor poverty-stricken boy in the morning, Tom was literally

rolling in wealth. He had besides the things before mentioned, twelve marbles,part of a

jews-harp, a piece of blue bottle-glass to look through, a spool cannon, a key that wouldnt

unlock anything, a fragment of chalk, a glass stopper of a decanter, a tin soldier, a couple of

tadpoles, six fire-crackers, a kitten with only one eye, a brass door-knob, a dog-collar but

no dog the handle of a knife, four pieces of orange-peel, and a dilapidated old window sash.


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He had had a nice, good, idle time all the while plenty of company and the fence had

three coats of whitewash on it! If he hadnt run out of whitewash he would have

bankrupted every boy in the village.

Tom said to himself that it was not such a hollow world, after all. He had discovered a great

law of human action, without knowing it namely, that in order to make a man or a boy

covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain.

How To Be A SmartConsumer

Follow These Steps on Every Purchase You Make

Before Making A Purchase:

Compare prices. Advertised pricesavings can often be misleading. Check

other prices for the same product or

service available elsewhere.

Check whether you can return apurchased item if you are dissatisfied?

If so, under what conditions? If you

sign a contract, can you cancel it if you

are unhappy with the services? If so, is

there a penalty? Read your warranty. Is your warranty

clear and specific? Do you know if it

includes workmanship, labor and

materials? How long does it last? Can

the company cancel your warranty

under certain conditions?

Get all understandings in writing.Quite simply, oral promises do not hold

up. If someone promises yousomething, he or she should be willing

to put it in writing.

Check on the company's reliability.Ask for customer references. Utilize

word of mouth recommendations.

Check for product comparison reports.

Don't be pressured. Use careful anddeliberate judgment in all purchases.

Think about potential problems whichcan arise after your purchase. Do not

buy until you are satisfied with all

answers to your questions.

After Your Purchase

Follow proper use and careinstructions for products.

Inspectall

delivered

products

immediat

ely.Inspect

repairs or

services

after all

work has been completed.

If trouble develops, report it to thecompany immediately. Confirm your

report of the trouble to the company by

letter. Include names of people you

spoke to, times, dates and otherrelevant information. Retain a copy of

the letter.

Keep all written information, bills,warranty cards and other documents

relating to your purchase safely.

This article was published in www.puttre.com


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7 Life Lessons I learnt fromBasketball

Sports in general, are a great metaphor for

life. There is a strong correlation between

playing sports and success. Simply put,

people who play sports (even as a hobby)

are very likely to be successful in life as

well. Why is that? Because there are

similarities between the two. And learnings

from sport, if applied to life, can lead to

success.

The following article is edited from

www.essentiallifeskills.net. The author has

drawn parallels between basketball and

life.

1.Learn and master the fundamentals of

the game.

Before you can play the game of basketball

you must learn the basics or the

fundamentals - how to play the game, how

to pass, to dribble, run the court and shoot

the ball. You have to develop the necessary

skills to play at an acceptable level.

Lesson:

In life you must also learn the basics. You

must establish what it (life) is, what it

means to you and want you from it. You

must then develop the requisite skills and

strategies for attaining it.

2.Be prepared both mentally and

physically.

Elite athletes know that you can't function

optimally or win games if you're not

prepared both mentally and physically.

You must be in great physical shape to

withstand a long, grueling and demanding

basketball season. Equally important, you

must have mental fitness. Mental fitness

includes a positive, willing and winning

mindset. One without the other will not win

games.

Lesson:

Being prepared mentally and physically is

equally essential in life.

3.Be unselfish and a team player.

Basketball is a team sport, which means it

requires contribution and co-operation

from every member in order to play well

and win. Everyone must focus, work

together and fulfill their individual role forthe common good of the team.

As great a player that Michael Jordan was,

he did not win any championships until he

learned to involve his teammates by

trusting them and distributing the

ball. Even in a sport where individual

greatness is in large part measured by

winning a championship ring, personal

glory does not get the job done.

Lesson:

So it is with life. Contribute, co-operate and

share.

4.Be alert and aware. Anticipate the

play.

The greatest players in basketball have all

been credited for having extraordinary

court vision and awareness. Larry Bird,

Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and othergreat players knew exactly where

everyone was on the court, the players'

tendencies, and which plays would work

against the different teams. The ability to

anticipate and be ready for a play made

them active, rather than reactive, players

in a game. It's one of the factors that

separates the great players from good

players.


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Lesson:

Being conscious and aware in life sets the

stage for achievement.

5.If the plays aren't working, re-adjust

the game plan.

Every great basketball player knows that

when your plays aren't working you have

to adjust, and then adjust some more. The

varying strengths and styles of different

opponents require different tactics. You

have to be able to withstand and respond

to, whichever attack an opponent comes at

you with.

Lesson:

Life presents us with many challenges forwhich we must adjust our game plan.

6.Never give up on the play. Persevere.

Another characteristic common to the

brilliance of Larry, Magic and Michael was

that they never gave up on a play. When

they missed shots they would be the ones

to retrieve their own rebounds, dive for

loose balls, outwit defenders, and make

every last second count (many times itdid). They were willing to do the small

things that the statistics didn't reflect.

Many a dagger was thrust into an

opponent's heart when the outcome of the

game seemed a foregone conclusion. Why?

Because they never gave up. Not on the

play, not on the game, not on themselves!

Lesson:

Persevere. Never, ever, ever give up.

7.Win more games than you lose, but

accept both victory and defeat

graciously.

No matter what sport you play, you can't

win every game. In a 7 game championship

series, two evenly matched teams often

win only one more game than they've lost.

It takes blood, sweat and tears to win a

championship. If you give it everythingyou've got, no matter what the outcome,

you can walk away with your head held

high. Learn what it takes to win and come

back and try again. Larry, Magic and

Michael before they won, lost many, many

games and championships. They had to

learn to accept defeat before they

understood what it took to win.

Lesson:

So it is with life. Everything will not always

go your way. There will be both losses and

wins. If you give everything your best shot

and learn the lessons along the way, you

will come out a winner.

Important

TelephoneNumbers

ServicePhone Numb

ers

Police 100

Traffic Police 103

Unified Emergency number (for

fire, police and ambulance)108

Fire Control 101

Ambulance of Fire Services Dept. 102

Child Line 1098

Women Help Line 1091

Lions Blood Bank 1910

Apollo Ambulance 1066

Electricity Fuse Off Call

Management1912

Chennai Corporation Complaints 25384670

Railways General Enquiry 131

Reservation Enquiry 132

General Enquiry (Egmore) 135

Automated Flight Information 142

Source:


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Self Defense TipsDue to their physical limitations and lack of awareness, children and teenagers are

especially vulnerable to threatening situations. Most children are trained to obey adults

and will not protect themselves in the face of harm, but there are techniques that may helpcreate a moment to escape or delay harm.

Observe people around you and notice what those people are doing. Notice who is payingattention to you.

Seek opportunities to escape a threateningsituation. Run away and find help as soon as

there is a chance.

Attacks should be simple and focused on thevulnerable and weak areas of the body. Pokingthe eyes, punching and kicking the groin,

bending and twisting the fingers, and striking

the throat and neck are all good options, but

these techniques should only be used if there

are no other options and real danger seems to

be unavoidable.

Strike with hard body parts, using the back ofthe head to strike a persons face, elbow the

throat and face, and heel-kick the groin.

React aggressively and loudly during an attack situation. Scream while wriggling, hittingand kicking. This can startle someone who expected to have an easy victim as well as

bring outside attention to the situation.

Attend regular self defense training. Practice at home with elders using playingtechniques and surprise attacks such as bear hugs and wrist grabbing.

This article has been adapted from www.ehow.com.

Tell a man there are 300 billion stars in the universe and he'll believe you. Tell him abench has wet paint on it and he'll have to touch it to be sure. ~Murphy's Law

It's frustrating when you know all the answers, but nobody bothers to ask you the

questions. ~Author Unknown


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First Aid TipsWhat is first aid?

If your friend has an accident then the firstperson there will be the first aider or the

person who will help her until others get

there.

First aid is about using your commonsense

in ways that will keep your friend safe

without doing harm to her.

Its a great idea for older children and

adults to do a first aid course so that you

know what to do to help others.

At school, all teachers and other staff will

know what to do; in other places ask an

adult to help.

In case of an accident

Here is something to help you remember

what to do if you are the only person

around and your friend has been hurt

badly.

D.R.A.B.C.D

The letters

stand for

D = Danger

R = Response

A = Airway

B = Breathing

C = CPR

Danger

Before you do anything to help yourfriend make sure that it is safe for you to

help her.

If it is safe for you but your friend is in adangerous place, like the middle of the

road if she has fallen off her bike, then

get her to move to a safer place.

If you have to move her yourself, moveher by dragging her by both ankles -

slowly and carefully to the side of the

road.

If her legs are injured you may have topull her by her elbows or wrists with her

hands above her head. Go slowly so that

you don't bang her head.

Never move an unconscious person whomay have a bad injury (like being hit by

a car or falling from a tree) unless there

is no other way of keeping her safe.

NEVER stand out in the road trying tomake cars stop. This is very dangerous.

Send someone for help if you can.Response

Call out to your friend. Tap her face or shoulder gently if she

seems to be asleep.

Ask her what happened. Ask her where she hurts. If she doesn't answer or move she couldbe unconscious. If she is unconscious and lying on her

back she may need to be turned onto her

side to make sure that she can breathe

well.

Send someone to get help or dial 108foran ambulance.

Airway

Tilt her head back to open her airway.Look and feel if anything is in your


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friend's mouth and scoop it out with

your

middle

fingers.

Turn

your

friend

onto her

side

into the

recovery position.

Do this very carefully and slowly so thatyou do not cause any other injury.

Breathing

Check to see if she is breathing. You can do this by watching or feeling

her lower chest to see if it is moving up

and down.

You can check by putting your ear closeto her face, so that you can feel or listen

to find out if there is air coming out of

her mouth.

What if your friend is not breathing?

You need to start C.P.R.

CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation)

You should not try this unless you have

been trained to do so. Send for the

ambulance. Call 108.

While you are waiting for the ambulance:

Check tosee if

there is a

pulse.

Feel theside of

your

friend's neck.

Or find the pulse in her wrist If you can feel her pulse then count it for

one minute so that you can letambulance officers know of any

changes.

Keep calm. Talk quietly to your friend. Get

help if you can. If no-one is around stay

with her until someone comes along.

If Bleeding

Heavy or major bleeding

If your friend is bleeding a lot, the first step

for you as a first-aider is to stop the

bleeding.

Get your friend to press hard on thatplace with her hand.

Press hard with your hand on the woundif your friend is not able to stop the

bleeding herself.

Cover your hand if you can (with a gloveor clean plastic bag), and

press hard on the wound

with your hand. If you cant

find anything to cover your

hand, still try to stop the

bleeding by pressing hard

with your hand on the

wound. Get a clean pad of material like

paper towels, clean tissues, a clean

hanky (ironing will have killed any

germs), scarf, tea towel or even your

jumper, take away the hand which is

stopping the bleeding and use the pad to

press hard on the wound.

Try to lift up the part of the body that isbleeding to slow down the bleeding.

[Dont lift it up if it hurts too much. Ifthere are broken bones this could really

hurt your friend.] You can get your

friend to hold up the injured arm or if

its her leg you could lift her feet and

rest them on your knees.

Put another pad on top of the first if theblood is coming through.(Dont take the

first pad away.)

When bleeding stops,keep the pad onand use a bandage to hold it in place.

GET HELP.


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Send one of the people around you to gethelp, so that you can stay with your

friend. Use a mobile phone if you have

one

Talk to your friend all the time tellingher what you are doing. Then she wont

be scared.

Keep your friend warm. If she seems to go to sleep she may be

unconscious - start DRABC.

If there is light or minor bleeding

With a small cut or a wound that is not

bleeding much there are three important

steps for you to take. Wash the wound with water, (putting it

under a

running

tap can

be a good

way of

cleaning

it).

Try to getany dirt out of it using water with soap

or a bit of disinfectant. Use cotton wool,

clean tissues or paper towels or clean

cloth.

Cover the wound with a clean dressing.If you cannot get the dirt out, you will need

to see a doctor as dirt inside a wound can

cause an infection.

Some kids feel really scared when they see

their own blood so keep telling your friend

what you are doing and not to be afraid.

Objects in wounds

Sometimes kids can hurt themselves by

falling onto something that sticks into

them.Like a piece of broken glass.

Dont pull out the glass or whatever elsethat is stuck in the wound.

You can stop heavy bleeding by:

Pressing around the wound but not on it. Putting a pad of clean material around

the object and bandaging it in place.

Getting help from a doctor or nurse.Always talk to an injured friend and ask

her to move her body by herself if she can.

How would you like someone to grab your

sore arm or leg and hold it up in the air

without any warning? OUCH!

Nosebleeds

Some people often have nosebleeds and

they know how to deal with them.

If you, or your friend, dont normally have

nose bleeds then here is what you do.

Sit with your head forward, lookingdown at the ground.

Pinch the soft part of the nose togetherfor about ten minutes.

Putting a cold pack, or ice in a cloth onthe back of the neck and forehead can

help sometimes, but it is not usually

needed.

When it stops, clean up the mess (putthe blood stained tissues into a bin

yourself, so that others dont have to

handl

e

your

blood

).

Yournose

will probably feel blocked with blood,

and you will want to blow the blood out.

Try not to sniff or blow your nose for at

least 30 minutes.

If it doesnt stop, keep pinching the softpart of the nose together. Get some more

ice or a colder cold pack and hold it on

for another 10 minutes


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Sucking a piece of ice may help [and atleast it helps take the taste of blood out

of your mouth].

Get help if the nose is still bleeding after20 minutes

The most important thing to remember

about first aid is that you have to keep

yourself safe. Always look out for danger

and send for help as soon as possible. Justbeing there for your friend will make her

feel better and you will be able to say what

has happened when an adult or the

ambulance people come along..and that

will be very helpful."

First Aid Kit

A well-stocked first-aid kit, kept within

easy reach, is a necessity in every home.

Having supplies gathered ahead of time

will help you handle an emergency at a

moment's notice. You should keep one first-

aid kit in your home and one in each

car. Also be sure to bring a first-aid kit on

family vacations.

You can purchase a first aid kit atdrugstores or a local Red Cross office, or

make one of your own. If you decide to

make one, choose containers for your kits

that are roomy, durable, easy to carry, andsimple to open. Plastic tackle boxes or

containers for storing art supplies are

ideal, since they're lightweight, have

handles, and offer a lot of space.

After you've stocked your first-aid kits:

Read the entire first-aid manual so you'llunderstand how to use the contents of

your kits.

Store first-aid kits in places that are outof children's reach but easily accessible

for adults.

Check the kits regularly. Replacemissing items or medicines that may

have expired.

Check the flashlight batteries to makesure they work.

If you're flying, be sure to pack the first-aid

kit in your checked luggage. Many of the

items wont be permitted in your cabin

bags.

This article is adapted from an article that appeared onwww.cyh.com, the Child Health and You website.

first-aid manual

sterile gauze pads of

different sizes

adhesive tape

adhesive bandages inseveral sizes

elastic bandage

a splint

antiseptic wipes

soap

antibiotic ointment

antiseptic solution (like

hydrogen peroxide)

hydrocortisone cream (1%)

acetaminophen and

ibuprofen

extra prescriptionmedications (if the family is

going on vacation)

tweezers

sharp scissors

safety pins

disposable instant cold

packs

calamine lotion

alcohol wipes or ethyl

alcohol

thermometer

plastic non-latex gloves (atleast 2 pairs)

flashlight and extra

batteries

a blanket

mouthpiece for

administering CPR (can be

obtained from your local

Red Cross

What youll need in a first aid kit


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Information

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Map of Chennai

Fun Facts about Chennai

The Cooum River running across Chennai was being used for watertransportation in its earlier days.

The city is now called the Detroit of India due to its automobile industryproducing over 40% of the country's auto parts and vehicles.

Chennai is Indias fourth largest city and ranks among the fifty most populouscities in the world (#35).

Marina Beach is the second longest beach in the world, after Copacabana Beach inRio de Janeiro.

The Vandalur Zoo in Chennai is the First Zoo (1855) in India and one of thelargest in South Asia.


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Story

Page 14

The Monkey King in theMangrove

In a forest glade, by the side of River Ganges, high on the mountains there lived about

eighty thousand monkeys along with their giant monkey king. And by the side of the clear

gushing water stood a tall shady tree bearing big beautiful juicy golden fruits commonly

called mangoes.

All the monkeys just loved these mangoes and ate them off almost as soon as they had

ripened. Their wise giant king had warned them not to let a single juicy fruit fall into the

river. Because if the current carried even one of these fruits down the river to the land

where the men lived, they would surely come in search of this delicious fruit and destroy

the peace in the land of the monkeys.

It so happened that a branch of this tree hung low over the river and a mango that was

hidden behind an ant's nest ripened and fell off without anyone's knowledge. It was taken

down south by the rapid flow of the river and reached the city of Benaras.

One fine morning when King Brahmadutta of Benaras was bathing in the river a bright

yellow fruit came floating in the water. The King examined the fruit carefully, cut the

mango and tasted a slice. It was simply delicious. He shared the rest of it with his ministers

and Queen who loved its divine flavour.

A few days passed, but the King could not get this exotic fruit out of his mind. He could not

work; rest or sleep for want of some more. Finally he could bear it no longer and set sail insearch of it. He organised a fleet of rafts and sailed up the river accompanied by his men

and a few fishermen.

Many days and many nights went by and they passed many valleys until they finally came

to the one where the mango tree stood. Mission accomplished, the King was delighted and

began enjoying the mangoes to his heart's content. As night fell the King lay down to sleep

under the mango tree, faithfully guarded by his soldiers.

In the middle of the night when the guards had dozed off to sleep, the monkeys came and

finished off all the mangoes that were left on the tree. The King awoke with all the noise

and ordered his guards to shoot at the monkeys so that they could feast on monkey fleshalong with the mangoes.

On hearing this, the monkeys trembled with fear and escaped to inform their King. The

king promised to save all his people and came up with a plan.

The monkey king climbed up the tree and swung across the river with the help of a branch.

He found a bamboo shoot which he measured and cut carefully, and tied one end of it

around his waist. The other end he tied around a tree trunk. He then leapt back to on a rock

on the other side of the river with the bamboo shoots carefully tied acting as a bridge.

But alas he could not tie the other end of the bridge to the rock as it was a huge rock and so

he sat clinging to the rock with the bamboo bridge handing from his waist. He ordered all

the monkeys to cross over and escape to the other side of the river while he held on to the


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Story/Article

Page 15

rock. In this way, eighty thousand monkeys climbed over his back one by one and made it

to safety.

But the monkey king who bore the weight of the bridge on his waist was exhausted and

finally collapsed into the water.

King Brahmadutta, who had been awake for awhile, had observed this whole episode. He

felt extremely sorry for the monkey king

and asked his men to lift him to the ground.

He then had him gently bathed and

wrapped in a soft yellow cloth and asked

him why he had sacrificed himself for his

tribe. The great monkey answered that as

he was their guide and chief, they were his

children and it was his sacred duty to

protect them. He had absolutely no regrets

as he had ensured their safety. Saying this

the monkey king died at peace with himself.

King Brahmadutta had learnt a great deal

that day. He ordered his men to organise a

funeral fit for a King. He then built a shrine in the monkey king's memory where he offered

flowers and lit candles and incense. The king realized that a great leader always puts his

people before himself.

Adapted from the Jataka tales

A Balanced Diet


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Story

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will be at the party or they won't. I'm

brutal when people attempt to lie to me by

using the word try. Do they think I don't

know they are really telegraphing to the

world they have no intention of doing it

but they want me to give them brownie

points for pretended effort? You willnever hear the words "I'll try" come out of

my mouth unless I'm teaching this

concept in a seminar.

If you "try" and do something, your

unconscious mind has permission not to

succeed. If I truly can't make a decision I

will tell the truth. "Sorry John. I'm not

sure if I will be at your party or not. I've

got an outstanding commitment. If that

falls through, I will be here. Otherwise, Iwill not. Thanks for the invite."

People respect honesty. So remove the

word "try" from your vocabulary.

My dad also told me that psychologists

claim it takes seventeen positive

statements to offset one negative

statement. I have no idea if it is true, but

the logic holds true. It might take up to

seventeen compliments to offset the

emotional damage of one harsh criticism.

These are concepts that are especially

useful when raising children.

Ask yourself how many compliments you

give yourself daily versus how many

criticisms. Heck, I know you are talking to

yourself all day long. We all have internal

voices that give us direction.

So, are you giving yourself the 17:1 ratio

or are you shortchanging yourself with

toxic self-talk like, " I'm fat. Nobody willlike me. I'll try this diet. I'm not good

enough. I'm so stupid. I'm broke, etc. etc."

If our parents can set a lifetime of

programming with one wrong statement,

imagine the kind of programming you are

doing on a daily basis with your own

internal dialogue.

Here is a list of Toxic Vocabulary words.

Notice when you or other people use

them.

But: Negates any words that are stated

before it.

Try: Presupposes failure.

If: Presupposes that you may not.

Might: It does nothing definite. It leaves

options for your listener..

Would Have: Past tense that draws

attention to things that didn't actuallyhappen.

Should Have: Past tense that draws

attention to things that didn't actually

happen (and implies guilt.)

Could Have: Past tense that draws

attention to things that didn't actually

happen but the person tries to take credit

as if it did happen.

Can't/Don't: These words force thelistener to focus on exactly the opposite of

what you want. This is a classic mistake

that parents and coaches make without

knowing the damage of this linguistic

error.

Examples:

Toxic phrase: "Don't drop the ball!"

Likely result: Drops the ball

Better language: "Catch the ball!"

Toxic phrase: "You shouldn't watch somuch television."

Likely result: Watches more television.

Better language: "I read too much

television makes people stupid. You might

find yourself turning that TV off and

picking up one of those books more often!"

Exercise: Take a moment to write down

all the phrases you use on a daily basis or

any Toxic self-talk that you have noticed

yourself using. Write these phrases down

so you will begin to catch yourself as they

occur and change them.

My Dear friends. Don't get so nervous be

positive, confidant, realistic and energetic

in your plan and action. You remember

you are going to be top among all others

and most capable to handle all odds. So

you must have patience and trust on you.

I love India and proud to be Indian.

This is an excerpt of a speech by Dr.APJAbdul Kalam, former President of India.


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Tips

Page 18

Oho and the Buck FarmLong long ago, people lived in forests and hunted for a living. The men would go out in

search of animals and birds and hunt them. The women would cook them, they would all

eat together, make merry and live happily. Sometimes, if they were lucky, they would getsome deer that were both tasty and the skin could be sold in the market for a good price. So

the deer was the most favorite animal to be hunted in the forest.

In this forest lived a young man called Oho. He lived with his old parents Aaha and Hehe.

Aaha, the father was a great hunter when he was young and he used to take his little son

Oho to the forest to hunt. Oho learnt the art early and was a good hunter himself, good-

natured man and a smart fellow. These days, Aaha the father has become old and he does

not go out hunting anymore. Now only Oho goes hunting and Aaha and Hehe are dependent

on Oho. Life was getting difficult for them.

One evening Oho sat beneath the tree and thought about his father and worried whether he

would also depend on his children in his old age. He wanted to be independent and

respected when he got old, but did not know how. He kept thinking about it through the

night.

Oho spent a sleepless night, got up early and went to hunt the

next day. He was lucky that day. He brought home two bucks.

He caught two live bucks meaning two male deer, which

generally is a cause of celebration and enjoyment in the Oho

household. Hehe was thrilled and just when she was about to kill

the bucks and cook them, Oho stopped her. He asked his mother

to cook just one buck. He fed the other buck well and tied it in

the backyard.

Next day again, he left early and brought back two does two

female deers. That day both Hehe and Aaha insisted that they

call over their relatives for feast to celebrate, but Oho did not

agree. He asked his mother to cook just one doe and he fed the other one and tied it to the

backyard.

Oho realized that if he left home early, he could have a good day and so he made it a

practice to go out to hunt before everybody else. He did this for the next few months. He

would work hard and hunt till late in the evening and bring back one animal for dinner and

one more for the farm. He would lovingly feed them, clean them, let them graze in the

nearby land, but bring them back to his back yard in the night and tie them up.

Aaha and Heehee were perplexed, they did not know why he was doing this. They were

growing older and Oho also was getting old and tired. They wanted him to find a nice girl,

get married and settle down. They kept asking him what he would do with all these bucksand does and other animals without using them now. But Oho knew what he was doing. He

had a small farm nearby and took good care of his animals.


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Story

Page 19

The deers in the farm grew to be healthy animals and they gave birth to new little fawns.

These fawns would grow again into healthy young deers who would make more babies. In a

few years he had a big farm with animals of different kinds.

One day he sat and counted his animals. He made some calculations and declared to his

parents that he would not go out to hunt anymore. He found a nice young girl, got married

and had babies. He took care of his farm and grew his farm. The animals in his farm fed him

with meat, skin and milk regularly - sufficient enough for himself and his family.

Thus Oho planned smartly, set aside a portion of his earnings regularly, built a little farm

and took care of the animals in it and when he grew old the farm had enough animals to

feed him even though he did not go out hunting every day. He and his family lived a happy

and independent life. They shared their wealth and happiness with all other people in the

society.

It is from this story probably that the words buck and dough is used in the place of money

even today. Have you heard people say, How many bucks is that? This cost me 100

bucks or Do you have any dough on you meaning do you have any money??

This story was developed by Dhanashiksha Educational Ventures, an associate of Hands On Life Skills

Academy and is used in stories told in their sessions to teach children about money.

Do your friends fight to keep you in their

team? Are you the most valuable person in

any group activity done together? Are you

a good team player? Find out

Assume you have a team and are working

together on a project. Honestly, answer

how close the statements below describe

your character. Give yourself scores as

given : 1 - Not at all true, 2- Not True, 3 -Sometimes True, 4 - True, 5-True

1. I respect my team members, and believe they aregood at their job

2. My team members get enough changes to showcasetheir skills, knowledge, and abilities.

3. I dont insist on them always doing what I do. I am okif they do something else but that should help the

group

4. All my team mates share responsibility for thesuccess or failure of all that we do it is not always

me

5. When we do well we celebrate and have a party6. When we make mistakes, I try to find out what went

wrong and how to correct it rather than, who made

the mistake

7. My team mates think that we always do interesting,challenging and exciting work together

8. My team mates approach me all the time to helpthem with the work assigned to them

9. When my team mates want help, I immediately helpeven if my work suffers

10.My team mates can trust me and share theirproblems and issues with me.

Add up your scores. If you have

40 - 50 You must have a great team! Good going

30 - 39There may be some areas for improvement.

Take feedback from your friends and work

on them

20 - 29

It's time to take a deeper look! You might

want to change a bit in your attitude

towards others if you want to be part of the

team in future

19 andbelow

You may do your work by yourself and do a

good job. But when it comes to working asteams, nobody wants you.

Are you a team player?


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Tips

Staying safe onlineYouve probably learned a long list of

important safety and privacy lessons

already: Look both ways before crossingthe street; dont talk to strangers.

Social networking sites have added a new

factor to the friends of friends equation.

By providing information about yourself

and using blogs, chat rooms, email, or

instant messaging, you can communicate,

either within a limited community, or with

the world at large. But while the sites can

increase your circle of friends, they also

can increase your exposure to people who

have less-than-friendly intentions. Youve

heard the stories about people who were

stalked by someone they met online, had

their identity stolen, or had their computer

hacked.

Tips for Staying Safe Online

Think about how different sites workbefore deciding to join a site. Some sites

will allow only a defined community of

users to access posted content; others

allow anyone and everyone to view

postings. Think about keeping some control over

the information you post. Consider

restricting access to your page to a

select group of people, like your friends

from school, your club, your team, your

community groups, or your family.

Keep your information to yourself. Dontpost your full name, Social Security

number, address, phone number, or

bank and credit card account numbers

and dont post other peoplesinformation, either. Be cautious about

posting information that could be used

to identify you or locate you offline. This

could include the name of your school,

clubs, and where you hang out.

Make sure your screen name doesnt saytoo much about you. Dont use your

name, age, or your hometown. Even if

you think your screen name makes you

anonymous, it doesnt take a genius to

combine clues to figure out who you areand where you can be found.

Post only information that you are

comfortable with others seeing and

knowing about you. Many people can

see your page, including your parents,your teachers, the police, the college you

might want to apply to next year, or the

job you might want to apply for in five

years. Remember that once you post

information online, you cant take it

back. Even if you delete the information

from a site, older versions exist on other

peoples computers.

Consider not posting your photo. It canbe altered and broadcast in ways youmay not be happy about. If you do post

one, ask yourself whether its one your

mom would display in the living room.

Flirting withstrangers

online could

have serious

consequence

s. Because

some people

lie aboutwho they

really are,

you never really know who youre

dealing with.

Be wary if a new online friend wants tomeet you in person. Before you decide to

meet someone, do your research: Ask

whether any of your friends know the

person, and see what background you

can dig up through online search

engines. If you decide to meet them, be

smart about it: Meet in a public place,

during the day, with friends you trust.

Tell an adult or a responsible sibling

where youre going, and when you

expect to be back.

Trust your gut if you have suspicions. If

you feel threatened by someone or

uncomfortable because of something

online, tell an adult you trust and report it

to the police and the social networking site.

You could end up preventing someone else

from becoming a victim.

Adapted from the website of the Federal Trade

Commission, www.ftc.gov

Documents

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