London Part 3 - Out of London trips..

Welcome back :-)
So we saw few attractions in London in our previous posts.Link for your reference.
Part 1 -What to expect?
Part 2 -Part 2 London

Theme parks near London:-

Thorpe park:-
Thorpe Park is a theme park located in Chertsey, Surrey, England.If you love to go on scary rides then this is your place to have fun.Maximum number rides in this theme park are for adults,so which gives you a rough idea how much scary it should be.Nearest station is Chertsey. You get a direct train from Waterloo.

Chessington World of Adventures:-

This is a combination of Zoo, aquarium and rides.So all in one place where kids will have loads of fun and adults too. So many interesting rides with the combination of zoo and aquarium.Nearest station is Chessington south.You have direct trains from waterloo.

Alton Towers:-


This is quite far from London compared to the other two.But one of the best theme parks.you have separate water rides and heavy rides and spa section.You need each day to explore every section.nearest national railway station is Alton

Day trips from London :-

Check out for several day tours from different tour operators like Golden tours,evanevan, premium tour etc...According to your choice you can pick the places.These help you to cover more places in a day with the help of the tour guide.Few of the mostly opted day trips.

Windsor, Stonehenge, Bath
Oxford, Stratford and Warwick Castle.
Leeds Castle, Canterbury and Dover.
Lake District Day trip.(I suggest to take a min. 3 day tour)

Few trip ideas which are out of London which you can plan to cover in three to four days.

Lake District :-

A wonderful scenic place.You will feel you are inn Heaven.Its situated in North west England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes and its mountains. You can take an tour packages, or if you wish to go on your own there is Virgin trains that daily goes to Oxenholm Lake district.This is the stop for lake district.All trains which goes to Edinburgh and Glasgow stops here.Its 2 stops before Glasgow and Edinburgh.Dont miss this place.


Scotland

Four to six days is the maximum you require for Scotland trip.They are several package tours from London.Depending on the days you prefer you can select any of the tour packages.You will cover Glasgow,City of Edinburgh, Loch Ness etc.

Paris

Plan well in advance for a Paris trip.You can go on a weekend too.it takes just three hours to reach Paris from London.Make sure you take the required Visa depending on your nationality. Highlights are Eiffel Tower, Disneyland and a take a boat ride on the River Seine River.

Tips:-

1. If you plan your London trip during summer you have many sports events happening.Few of them are Golf championship,horse racing,Wimbledon championship,Silverstone (car racing).If you are any of these favorite games dont miss the opportunity.I had been to Wimbledon 2010,had wonderful experience.If you book tickets online they are too costly.Just go by evening to Wimbledon and you might have to stand in the Queue for maximum an hour and you get the tickets to enter. You get tickets for less than 15 pounds.People sleep there overnight and Queue up early in the morning and stand the whole day for tickets.So i suggest you to go after 5 in the evening and that will do your job.If you are going by train you need to catch a tube from earl's court and get down at Southfields station which 2 stations before Wimbledon Station.

2.Search for offers and coupon codes in internet before booking any tickets online.You will get much cheaper rates when you book online.

3.Pick and Drop to Heathrow Airport - You have hotel pick ups and drop facilities to and from heathrow airport with much cheaper rates.Its less than half the price that you give to taxi.Here is the link that you need to check for it, http://www.heathrowshuttle.com/

4.Best place for shopping is oxford street,99p stores, all high streets ,specially look for Primark in all high streets.You get everything in a very reasonable price.Also check for sunday markets near your area and you get toy stuffs and electronic items in a cheaper rates.

5.For all cosmetic items, body and both products Superdrug store is the best one.It has lots of branches in all important areas.

Well i hope i have covered all major useful tips and information.Hope everybody get a vague idea of what to expect and how to plan your stay in London.

Have a great Holiday ;-)

London part 2 - Tips on where to do..

So here we are in the second part of our London journey. Those who have not read my first part, here is the link to it.

http://alluneedandwant.blogspot.com/2010/07/london-what-to-expectespecially-for.html

With the information i gathered and based upon my choice i have put together below the best three attractions you can find in each different categories.

Castles
England is famous for their castles. There are number of castles in and around London. If you are a castle lover then you have a plenty of them. For people who want to just have a feel of the castle then here are three important beautiful castles in and near London.

Windsor castle: - 
It is one of the principal official residences of the British monarch, held in trust by The Queen as Sovereign for her successors and the Nation.

You have several day tours to windsor combined with few other attractions are arranged from London which we will see later. You can choose any of them. For the castle lovers who want to spend a whole day in windsor castle, you can get there by train. Your destination station will be windsor and Eton central. You have a direct train from London Waterloo(54 min) and london Paddington (34 min) station. Reach the nearest station from your place with the help of the tube map and get towards Windsor. Windsor is exactly behind the Heathrow airport terminal 5.


Hampton Court Palace:-

This is often referred as Hampton Court. It is located in South west London. You have 12 acre of gardens. The gardens are the particular feature in this.Check out for the flower shows during summer.


Tower of London:-

This is one of the stop in the original tour of London which is mentioned in my previous post. If you could not cover on that, then catch the tube and head to Tower hill tube station (0.1 miles)
Beaches
Brighton :-

It is located East sussex which is the south coast of Great Britain. This is one of my favourite place. Lovely happenening place specialy during summer. You will relax,enjoy and love the place. Dont forget to carry your sunscreen lotion. You have direct trains from Milton Keynes, London Victoria, Bedford, London Bridge and Gatwick Airport.


Isle of White:-

You have number of beaches here. You can get to anyone of them according to your wish.You need to reach Portsmouth and from there you need to catch a ferry according the beach you have selected. Direct train is available from Waterloo, Paddington stations to Pourtsmouth.


Bournemouth:-

Bournemouth's location on the south coast of England has made it a popular destination for tourists. You have direct trains from Reading.


Museums & Galleries
London is a place for history lovers. There are huge number of museums and galleries to look for. I have just named three which everyone will love to visit.
Buckingham palace:-

Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality. Its only open during the summer. You can see the Royal collection of the Queen and the state rooms.


National Gallery:-

This one is for the art lovers. Collection of Paintings by different artisits.So much to see for people who love drawing. It is located in Trafalgar square. This is the place were you will start your original tour London. Its one of the happening place and lots of events and activities takes place throughout the year.


Greenwich:-

You often come across GMT which is Greenwich Mean Time. It is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. It is located in South London. So you can check out for the Royal observatory and the history behind them. Also you can get to see the Greenwich meridian line which separates east and west hemispheres. You can see people standing by placing one leg in east and another in west hemisphere posing for a camera shot. I did it too ;) You can have a view of the Greenwich park while walking towards the observatory. One of the old and Refreshing park.The nearest tube station is cutty sark, or else you can get into a bus which goes to north greenwich. Also you can use the Thames river cruise to get here.


Parks and Gardens
I have already mentioned about Greenwich park, so i am not repeating it.
Hyde park and Kensington garden:-

They are two different parks merged. You can get to see and enjoy lots of fun filling events like Horse riding, swimming, boating, cycling etc. Also in Hyde park you can see the Diana memorial fountain.Its actually 10 to 15 mins walkable distance from central London.The nearest tube station is Marble arch.


Kew garden:-

It is the Royal botanical garden located in South west London. It is one of them listed in world heritage sites.You can look for the Botanical glasshouses, Treetop walkway, sackler crossing, waterlily house.Nearest tube station is Kew gardens.


Regent's park:-

Another lovely park which contains beautiful sceneries. It is the largest area for sports in Central London. Its famous for its rose garden.Also you can look for boat house,queens garden, open air theater, London zoo. You have free walking tours. Walkable distance from central London. Nearest tube station is Regent's park.


To be continued....
In my next post will cover theme parks, day tours, shopping, weekend trips and the must visit places..

London - What to expect...Especially For people visiting for holiday

People from all parts of the world would love to visit London at some point of time. I would like to cover few things which the trip adviser, things to do section does not cover. So here we go....

I would say if you are on holiday visit to London, then i would prefer you to plan during the summer time in London, so that you could go places and also you get a long hours bright day which helps you to cover lot of places before dark. So the summer here starts from April middle till September every year.

Important Note:-
 Dont think it is summer, so you could have your suitcase full of minis which are long waiting in your cupboards. You may also need the jackets , umbrella , shawls etc...You will need them for sure. So have atleast one set of them. If you are not taking my words, then be ready to spend in pounds for the same as one of my cousin did ;)

OK lets start with sight seeing..No no.. before that,how will you reach your hotel?? Once you reach the Heathrow airport, if you have your friends an relatives to pick u up, then well and good. If not and if you are staying in any hotels and especially in central London, You have a direct train from terminal 5 to central London. If you are very tired after your flight journey and cant wait to buy tickets,then catch a taxi which will cost you apprrox 80 pounds to central london.

Basic essentials :-

Once you unpack your things,you will want to buy your basic essentials  for your stay like milk, water, Kellogg,sim card top up, creams etc.So where to get them? Check for a store called Sainsbury's. You have lot more chains like Asda, Tesco, Morrisons etc... But i feel Sainsbury's is more reachable  It has lots of branches all over UK (Like Ralfes in U.S and Nilgiris in India). Open your laptop, connect to internet and go to google maps. Put in your hotel address and search for Sainsbury's, here we go...So get your stuffs there and get settled.So before starting your sight seeing you need to buy one thing which is very very useful in UK. Its nothing but the Oyster card. This a card which you can use it in both bus and train. Unlike in U.S here in Uk the public transportation is awesome. In U.S you  have to have a personl vehicle to go around places,even if you are there for few months. But in London you have 24hrs bus and train services, which is great. So get on to the nearest tube station and get an oyster card, as well pick up a London connection rail services map. To get more information about oyster card , train and bus services between any two desired locations the below link will be useful.

www.tfl.gov.uk

All Set to Rock...

Now you are all set to Explore London. First thing that strike everyone when they think of London is the River Thames, London eye, Big Ben. So to start your Holiday in london by exploring The attractions in London. You have several london sight seeing tours available and arranged by different companies. The one i went is the Original tour London.An open top bus with a tour guide,or you have an option of having an audio guide with 8 different languages of your choice. It covers all major attractions and the best part of this is you have a hop on hop off facility in between the tours. Also you have a free Thames river cruise. You can book you tickets online anywhere around the world and it is valid for 6 months. Once you start your tour by getting into the open top bus it is valid for 24hrs. This tour wiill cover all major attractions in London. To get more info about the original tour click this www.theoriginaltour.com

Will give you few tips and information about areas you must cover in and around london in my next post..To Be Continued...

Apple Iphone 4 Features in detial

Iphone 4 is soooo much more than just another new product.This will have a lasting impact on the way we actually connect to each other.

In 2007 iphone reinvented the phone, 2008 iphone 3G got faster reaching networking and revoutionary applications store. In 2009 iphone 3gs was twice as faster and brought new features like video recording. For 2010 iphone 4 is the biggest leap forward since the original iphone.

Introducing the amazing iphone 4 with retina display and for brining video calling to the world.This is called as fase time and it will change the way we communicate for ever.

Facetime.

The face time call is incredible. It is all about connecting people.You call them and as well as you can see them.Also It switches from front camera to back camera,so you can show someone what you are actuallu seeing at that point of call. Another one important feature as it is very easy to handle, as your phone you can chat anytime with anyone using WIFI.

Retina display.

Iphone 4 has the highest resolution display ever built in a phone.It has 326 pixels per inch, you get four times pixels as before.As a result instead of fusiness in individual pixels you get a smooth continous shapes. You have somthing that looks to your eyes like a printed page in ur hand which is very clear.



Optical Lamination :-

Another important feature which adds to sharpness and clarity is the optical laminiation.It is a very precise technical process that laminate  cover glass to display and eliminates light refraction. So much hard work is put into this ultra high resolution display which gives the ultra visual clarity.

On top of all these ips technology and LED back light help to get most vivd experience in evreything we do.

Display in Iphone 4 is brilliant.It shows more detail ever seen in any device.Text is also perfect.


(940 * 640 pixels) - 4 times more pixels than 3GS
800 : 1 Contrast ratio - (4 times more than 3 GS )

Multitasking :-

Iphone 4 enables us to do multitasking and it quickly swtiches between applications.It is evrything exactly as u liked it.We can easily organise them and find them with a touch. You have to just drag and drop. Automatically it creates a new folder also intrestingly a suitable name to the folder.Mail on iphone 4  is incredible. You can see all your mails in  multiple accout in a single unified inbox. It forms a thread and also helps us to view messages easily of one particular topic.

Pictures taken in 5 megapixel camera which is mind blowing.You will have led flash so u can take a snap in low light too. Camera captures 25p high definition video. It not only captures, you can edit immediately using your Iphone.It is very user friendly. But behind there is intense technology involved.

A4 processor

A4 processor chip is a custom designed and its remarkable.It gives tremendous speed in a really small chip.Only thing which you find big is the battery.

All New Design :- 


Iphone 4 is 9.3 mm thick which is 24% thinner than the previous one.This is thinnest smart phone on the planet.

It is smaller and thinner.New stainless steell,incredibly strong steel frame which funtions as antenna and also as a primary structure.Custom glass which is 30 times harder used both front and bag.

Finally all the hard work , Quality, advance technology becomes relevant only when u hold it in your hand :-)
So you can start ordering online by June 24th if you are in U.S , Germany , Uk , France & Japan.



Cost :-
Two varieties :- Assuming 1 $ = Rs 45


1. 16GB Apple iPhone4 - 199$ = Rs 8955
2. 32GB Apple iPhone 4 - 299 $ = Rs 13455


Enjoy !

Sri Abirami Amman Temple Thirukadaiyur

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: Sri Amirtha kadesvarar temple is located in Thirukadiyur which is near Mayiladuthurai in Nagappatinam district in the state of Tamilnadu, India. It is around twenty kilometers from Mayiladuthurai. It is situated in the chidambaram- Nagappatinam East Coast Road.

HISTORY OF THE TEMPLE: There are a few temples that are well known for the Lord and his Consort and Tirukkadaiyur is one among them.


The Amritaghateswarar - Abirami Temple of Tirukkadaiyur is associated with the legends of Markandeya and Abirami patter. When devas and Asuras churned parkadal to get Amirtham , they forgot to Worship Lord Ganesa (Sri vinayagayar), Lord Ganesa stole the pot of Amirtham and kept at Thirukadiyur, it is believed that the Sivalingam in this temple is made of Amirtha Kudam . Since the pot of Amirtham was hidden here, the lord Ganesa is called "Kailavarna pilliyar". 

Markandeya, son of sage Mrikanduwas predicted to live for only 16 years. As advised by his father, Markandeya worshipped Amritaghateswarar in Tirukkadaiyur, bringing the water from Ganges through an underground passage to the temple. On the destined day, Yama appeared with his noose, kala paasa . Markandeya sought refuge in the Lord and embraced the Siva Lingam. The Lord warned Yama not to touch Markandeya as he was under his protection. Yama did not listen and threw the noose that bound Markandeya and the Lingam together. Angered by this act of rashness, the Lord kicked him with the left leg and held him under his left foot, making him inactive. Markandeya was blessed with Ever sixteen . Abirami patter has sung 100 hymns about Goddess Abirami. This is called Abirami Anthathi. The last word of previous song will be the first word of the next song. It is known as Andhathi in Tamil poetric literature.


DIVINESS OF THE TEMPLE:Thirugana sambandar, Navukarasar and Sundarar have sung devotional songs, hymns about this temple, this temple faces West Side. It is believed that Sri Abirami Devi was evolved here from the meditation power of Sri Mahavishnu. Among sixty-three Nayanmars, Kungilinayanar and Karinayanar performed siva thondu and attained Moksha (mukthi) here. Images in the temple depict the Lord with a raised forefinger, warning Yama . The mark of the kala paasa is visible on the Lingam. With Yama being rendered inactive, there were no deaths on earth. 

As nature should have its way, the Kala-samhara-moorthi, the other name by which Amritaghateswarar is known - Lord Siva brought God Yama to life. It is here that the significance of 'kicking with the left leg' is spoken about.Had he desired to quell Yama forever, He would have held him under his right leg - as in the case of Muyalaka . The very fact that he used his left leg points to the fact that he intended it as a punishment for an act of rashness and not otherwise. 

AUSPICIOUS TIMES: The worship services are offered six times a day in the temple. Almost every day dawns with one celebration or other, as hundreds of pilgrims throng the temple to celebrate their 60th or 80th birthdays.celebration of 60th and 80th birth days (birth star) called as Sashti Aptha poorthi and Sathabishekam respectively is held very auspicious by the people as their longevity will increase.

The annual 'Brahmotsavam' is celebrated in the month of Chithirai (April-May); the 'Shankhabishekam' celebrated in the month of Kartikai (November-December) is also of great importance here. Few other festivals being celebrated over here include Navaratri and 'Aadi Pooram' . POOJAS TO BE PERFORMED FOR: It is believed that Lord Siva dimnished Kalan (Yaman) in Thirukadiyur. So Lord Siva in Thirukadiyur is called Mritunga jaya murthi . 

Devotees completing 59 years and starting sixty have to perform Ukira ratha Santhi ; completing sixty years and starting sixties have to perform Sashtiyapatha purthi . Completing sixty-nine years and starting seventy have to perform Beema ratha santhi. Starting eighty has to perform Sathabishekham and Ayusha homam. According to astrology devotees can perform Mrutinji jaya homam.



Ref :- Pariharam.com

Apple Ipad - Images and Features...

                             Home Screen

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                                 Keynotes - Helps in Preparing Presentation using graphic styles, elegantly designed themes, stunning animations and effects, and powerful new features designed just for iPad.

                              Maps

                                  Notes

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Balanced Diet

Tips For Balanced Diet 

You must be aware of your body’s vitamin and mineral requirements as well as the nutritional values of the food choices you make prior to selecting a daily food menu. To ensure that you are following a balanced diet, make sure that:

1. Your food choices originate from the five main food groups viz. fruits, vegetables, cereals and pulses, dairy, poultry, fish and meat products.
2. Since our body requires over 40 nutrients including vitamins, minerals, water, protein, carbohydrates and fats; it is important that we eat a variety of foods especially within vegetables and across the food groups. For example while vegetables like capsicum provide us with Vitamin C, spinach is rich in iron; both foods from the same food group but catering to different nutritional needs.
3. Your diet ensures that your Body Mass Index (BMI) is within the recommended range.
4. You follow low fat recipes, eating foods that are low in saturated and trans fat.
5. Sugar, oil and alcoholic beverage consumption is restricted.
6. Your food has low sodium content

The means used to grow, store and prepare food also plays an important in enhancing or depleting the nutritional value of the food. 

The human body requires various types of nutrients in order to keep the body healthy and fit. These nutrients should be taken appropriately in our diet. The diet that we follow should be balanced. Balanced diet is a diet, which provides all the nutrients needed by the body in correct proportions.

This means that it should contain all the types of nutrients in the required quantities. Each meal should contain sources of carbohydrates (such as cereals), proteins (such as pulses), fats (such as cooking oil), vitamins and minerals (such as variety of vegetables).

Some of the common foods and their composition are given below:

Food	Carbohydrate	Fat	Protein
Bread (Roti)	52%	3%	9%
Rice (cooked)	23%	0.1%	2.2%
Banana	20%	0.5%	1,0%
Potato	19%	0.1%	2%
Peas	16.7%	0.5%	5.2%
Apples	12.8%	0.5%	0.3%
Cabbage	5.5%	0.3%	1.2%
Spinach (Palak, Saag)	3.2%	0.3%	1.6%
Eggs	0.7%	12%	13%
Milk	4%	4%	4%
Butter	0.4%	81%	0.6%
Cheese	2%	32%	25%
Meat	0	30%	22%
Chicken	0	11%	20%
Fish	0	0.4%	17%

Given below is the recommended daily allowances of energy, proteins and fats:

Group	Body Wt in kg	Net Energy in k Cal	Protein in g	Fat in g
Adult Man	60	2875	60	20
Woman	50	2225	50	20
13-15 yrs Boy	47-48	2450	70	22
Girl	46-47	2060	55	22

In addition, the body also needs fibrous content called the roughage (for digestion) and water. A diet that contains all the above is called a balanced diet.

Balanced diets of moderately active adult Indians

Food	Recommended amounts (g per day)
	Adult Man	Adult Woman
Cereals (rice/wheat)	520	440
Pulses	50	45
Meat/Fish	30	30
Egg	1	1
Milk	200	150
Oil/fats	45	25
Sugar/molasses	35	20
Roots and tubers (potato, etc.)	60	50
Green leafy vegetables (spinach, etc.)	40	100
Other vegetables (cauliflower, etc.)	70	40

Energy requirement

A balanced diet should not only take care of the different types of nutrients but also consider the energy requirements of the individual. This is because different people have different lifestyles and varied nature of work. A man with sedentary habits does not require as much energy as the man who is on his feet for most of the day. The energy requirement is measured in terms of calories. The calorie requirement depends on the age, sex, height, weight, occupation and state of health.

Age	Energy required
5 years	6000 kJ per day
11 years	9000 kJ per day
18 years	11000 kJ per day
Adult (normal work)	9600 kJ per day
Adult (heavy work)	12000 kJ per day
Adult (very heavy work)	16000 kJ per day

A young boy of about 15 years requires more calories or energy than an adult man who does not do heavy work. Similarly, lactating mothers require high energy and high protein diet for good lactation.

High Energy Foods

Here is a handy list of high energy foods which you could attempt to integrate into your daily diet. A high energy food can supply your body with additional energy needed to get through the day.

Vegetables

The list of vegetables which supply your body with high amounts of energy is exhaustive. 

The main foods in the vegetable area which provide high amounts of energy are; sprouts, broccoli, asparagus and spinach.

Nuts

Some nuts are a great energy source and are often very suited to a quick snack. Almonds, peanuts and soy nuts are perfect for this example.

Yogurt

Yogurt is full of vitamin-B, and this vitamin helps your body convert other nutrients into energy. You should not eat excessive amounts of yogurt due to the fat content. You could eat a nut yogurt to mix the yogurt and nut energy foods into one snack.

Eggs

Eggs are a great source of energy, and this food will supply a high amount of protein throughout the working day. Some experts advise not to eat more than three eggs a week, so try to mix your weeks food plan up with other high energy foods.

Orange & Other Fruit Juice

Vitamin C can help to reduce levels of fatigue, which will keep you going all day long. As with many other vitamins, too much vitamin C can be bad for your body, so drink these juices in moderation.

Citrus fruits are also very good in providing vitamin C, a great example of this is the main ingredient in the fairly new lemon detox diet.

Beans & Lentils

Beans and lentils are a great source of potassium and carbohydrates. Kidney beans, lentils, baked beans and many others provide a great source of energy for your body.

Seeds

Sunflower and pumpkin seeds are also a great source of energy for your body. These are great as a stand-alone snack, and also combined with other ingredients in nut bars.