Interesting Facts

Warm Regard, Sara Pandian

A Tale of Two Seas

Sitting in the Geography class in school, I remember how fascinated I was when we were being taught all about the Dead Sea. As you probably recall, the Dead Sea is really a Lake, not a sea (and as my Geography teacher pointed out, if you understood that, it would guarantee 4 marks in the term paper!) Its so high in salt content that the human body can float easily. You can almost lie down and read a book! The salt in the Dead Sea is as high as 35% - almost 10 times the normal ocean water. And all that saltiness has meant that there is no life at all in the Dead Sea. No fish. No vegetation. No sea animals. Nothing lives in the Dead sea.  

And hence the name: Dead Sea.

While the Dead Sea has remained etched in my memory, I don't seem to recall learning about the Sea of Galilee in my school Geography lesson.  So when I heard about the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea and the tale of the two seas - I was intrigued. Turns out that the Sea of Galilee is just north of the Dead Sea. Both the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea receive their water from river Jordan. And yet, they are very, very different.

Unlike the Dead Sea, the Sea of Galilee is pretty, resplendent with rich, colorful marine life. There are lots of plants. And lots of fish too. In fact, the sea of Galilee is home to over twenty different types of fishes. Same region, same source of water, and yet while one sea is full of life, the other is dead. How come?

Here apparently is why. 

The River Jordan flows into the Sea of Galilee and then flows out. The water simply passes through the Sea of Galilee in and then out - and that keeps the Sea healthy and vibrant, teeming with marine life.

But the Dead Sea is so far below the mean sea level, that it has no outlet. The water flows in from the river Jordan, but does not flow out.  There are no outlet streams. It is estimated that over a million tons of water evaporate from the Dead Sea every day. Leaving it salty. Too full of minerals. And unfit for any marine life.

The Dead Sea takes water from the River Jordan, and holds it. It does not give. Result? No life at all.

Think about it.

Life is not just about getting. Its about giving. We all need to be a bit like the Sea of Galilee. We are fortunate to get wealth, knowledge, love and respect. But if we don't learn to give, we could all end up like the Dead Sea. The love and the respect, the wealth and the knowledge could all evaporate. Like the water in the Dead Sea.

If we get the Dead Sea mentality of merely taking in more water, more money, more everything the results can be disastrous. Good idea to make sure that in the sea of your own life, you have outlets. Many outlets.

For love and wealth - and everything else that you get in your life. Make sure you don't just get, you give too. Open the taps. And you'll open the floodgates to happiness. 

Make that a habit. To share. To give.

And experience life. Experience the magic! 

Warm Regard, Sara Pandian

He crafts miniature machines, enters Guinness Book

A Nagpur-based engineer has earned a name for himself in the Guinness Book of Records for developing and designing miniature machines, steam engines and models of luxury motor cars, including world-class Mercedes Benz.

Iqbal Ahmed initially hired a mechanic in his early days to operate a lathe machine and then gradually acquired knowledge and began successfully running the lathe to make miniature models of vintage cars and engines, which has brought him global recognition.

In 2001, the 50-something engineer created a one-inch steam engine and sent his entry into the Guinness Book of World Records, but it was rejected saying they have a record of steam engine whose size is less than one inch.

Undeterred he continued to make tiny models. In 2004, fame came calling when the government permitted him to visit NAMES show in Detroit, where he went to the Antique Steam and Gas Engine museum.




Ahmed later participated in the Sherline Mechanic's contest and won both first and second prize with his Sherline milling machine 5400 and Sherline milling machine 4000 at Vista in California that year itself.





Continuing his efforts, he created a stationary steam engine of 6.8 mm length (0.267 inch) which this time earned him a place in the record books in 2007. This model can be placed on a thumbnail.

Recently, luxury car manufacturer Mercedes India chief Peter Honegg was in Nagpur in connection with the launch of their show room in the city.

Ahmed, on the basis of photographs, created a three-wheel Mercedes Benz Motorwagen of 1886 (the first model of the luxury car whose rear wheels had spokes) and wowed Honegg.

Warm Regard, Sara Pandian

Man has 39 wives, nearly 100 children

GUWAHATI, India (Reuters) – The more, the merrier is certainly true for Ziona Chana, a 66-year-old man in India's remote northeast who has 39 wives, 94 children and 33 grandchildren -- and wouldn't mind having more.

They all live in a four storied building with 100 rooms in a mountainous village in Mizoram state, sharing borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh, media reports said.

"I once married 10 women in one year," he was quoted as saying.

His wives share a dormitory near Ziona's private bedroom and locals said he likes to have seven or eight of them by his side at all times.

The sons and their wives, and all their children, live in different rooms in the same building, but share a common kitchen.

The wives take turns cooking, while his daughters clean the house and do washing. The men do outdoor jobs like farming and taking care of livestock.

The family, all 167 of them, consumes around 91 kg (200 pounds) of rice and more than 59 kg (130 pounds) of potatoes a day. They are supported by their own resources and occasional donations from followers.

"Even today, I am ready to expand my family and willing to go to any extent to marry," Ziona said.

"I have so many people to care (for) and look after, and I consider myself a lucky man."

Ziona met his oldest wife, who is three years older than he is, when he was 17.

He heads a local Christian religious sect, called the "Chana," which allows polygamy. Formed in June 1942, the sect believes it will soon be ruling the world with Christ and has a membership of around 400 families.

(Reporting by Biswajyoti Das, editing by Elaine Lies)

Warm Regard, Sara Pandian