GINGER- TASTY, SPICY AND THERAPEUTIC

Quite a number of overlooked remedies can make a lot of difference in our every day living. Ginger is a well known spice all over the world. Although the tuberous part of the plant commonly used is often referred to as Ginger Root, it is technically not the root. It is the stem- an underground stem. You are probably not interested in the technicality of naming the parts, so I will get to the main point right away. This plant is very useful for so many things, but my emphasis is going to be on those I am familiar with as a long-time user of the plant. For one thing, it is a real luxury to drink ginger tea. I prepare this myself from the plant, and the picture you will see with this post is from a sample I pulled out of my refrigerator.

                            

     You can prepare the tea in one of two ways: you could peel off the papery covering of the tuber, slice it, add it to some quantity of water in a kettle and boil for a few minutes. You can also slice it, sun-dry or oven-dry it and use the dried material as you would the fresh one. The dried one has the advantage of being preserved without a refrigerator for a long time. I usually add oven-dried lemon grass to mine for additional taste. A word of caution though: if you use fresh lemon grass, you may experience a chlorophyll taste, which may kind of spoil the spiciness of the whole brew. Ginger tea is commonly sold in the grocery store, but I prefer making my own from scratch, and it is not tedious at all.
    The spiciness of ginger is not for nothing. It is therapeutic in many ways. It is one of the most unacknowledged cough reliever I can think of. I am often plagued by night coughs. Just when I start to drift off to sleep, this troublesome cough would wake me up. Remember, I don't want to take the sleep-inducing regular cough syrup, since I must go to work in the morning, and I don't want to feel drowsy at work. Ginger is so effective that it stops the cough almost immediately without any side-effect. When I can't be bothered with boiling it, I simply cut a piece and chew it. And it is always "good night" without any cough afterwards. If some people claim its efficacy on sinus problems, I should agree since the respiratory tract parts are connected.
     Ginger is great for relieving stomach congestion too! That is another aspect of it I can also relate to. It relieves bloating almost immediately, and needless to say, this improves appetite. This fantastic plant is also good for relieving inflammation. It remains to be determined how much of it you need to ingest for this to occur. It will depend on what the cause of the inflammation is, and how much ginger you take on a regular basis. This spice, like others related to it, actually improves blood circulation. As we all know, whatever increases blood circulation is also likely to relieve erectile dysfunction, and ginger does!
  As mentioned earlier, I have emphasized those aspects I have benefited from directly, and I can confidently affirm these. It is very practical. However, there are claims that the plant also helps against cancer and high blood sugar. These may be true, but I have no personal evidence.
No one can stop you from trying this plant for simple nuisance ailments. It is your personal adaptation to things.

 

 

SUPER PLANTS AS ANSWERS TO SUPER BUGS

Super bugs are so called because of their resistance to well-known bug killers-antibiotics. The production of antibiotics, originally a natural phenomenon, has been taken to another level by human chemical manipulations. This had to be done because bacteria (the organisms we are referring to as bugs in this context), have developed the ability to survive the presence of these drugs.
In a manner of speaking, the more we develop super drugs, the more super bugs arise. Antibiotics are produced in nature by a wide variety of fungi and bacteria, and are usually effective in killing other bacteria or fungi. When, for any reason, they lose the ability to do so, modifications are made to make up for their ineffectiveness. As a result, the unending hide and seek between humans and bugs continue.
        It would have been fine if we could use the chemicals that kill bugs in our toilets to also kill bugs inside our body, but no one in his right mind would do that, for the simple reason that they are poisonous to us too. But the specific mode of action of antibiotics is also what lends them to being resisted by bacteria that cause diseases. History continues to repeat itself, as the so-called miracle drugs continue to fail us. Obviously, the search for new and more powerful antibiotics is a continuous process. One surprising fact, however, is the focus of the scientific community on finding antibiotics only in soil-dwelling bacteria and fungi. No doubt, the soil is filled with hitherto undiscovered antibiotic producers, and by all means we should go after them. However, I never cease to wonder about the potentials provided by alternative sources of chemicals in green plants, for example garlic.
     I am really dumbfounded about this very strong antimicrobial agent called allicin, which is present in garlic when it is crushed. It has very strong activities against both bacteria and fungi, unlike antibiotics which are usually effective only against a narrow group of organisms. This phytochemical is considered "food". It has virtually no side effect, it is even reputed to kill viruses! It may not be practical to eat as much garlic as would provide therapy against infections. For one thing, you will start to smell like garlic. But the active ingredient has been extensively extracted, deodorized and packaged. It is an over-the-counter oral antibiotic!
     There will probably never be a lot of publicity for this cheap and effective antibiotic. No doctor will ever prescribe it for you, but you owe it to yourself to try it out. This is especially so if you suspect you have an infection for which the doctor refuses to give you an antibiotic, maybe because he thinks you don't really need it, or he suspects there might be some drug interaction with some medications you are taking. I will definitely counsel you to see your doctor for any suspected infection, since doctors are trained in such thing, but garlic is food. While drug interactions are minimal, it is still wise to ask your doctor about it.  I often wonder if many deaths caused by bacterial infections could have been prevented had people given garlic a chance.  One of my many adaptations to life's innumerable variables is the use of garlic pills.
               

WHAT TO BREW WITH YOUR COFFEE MAKER? ACTUALLY, IT IS YOUR CHOICE

    One of the darling equipment in the kitchen is the Coffee Maker. There are many brands, designs and colors of this equipment. The first coffee-making equipment I used was a Coffee Percolator. Obviously, it is a bit out of fashion, unless you are going camping and must use a stove-top version of it. Although the principle is the same for both the "percolator" and the "maker", the latter is more efficient than the other in terms of how much drink it extracts out of a given quantity of coffee.
       The goal of this talk is not to compare the percolator with the coffee maker. Actually, they both will work for the point I want to enthusiastically present-the versatility of the Coffee Maker. That it is called a Coffee-Maker is the brainchild of the original inventors, because coffee is a universal drink. It is the drink of those who need the highest degree of alertness. Coffee, despite its known stimulant capacity, is perfectly legal. (No, I will not suggest any illegal brew) But their intention cannot limit my own imagination, once I have purchased the equipment and gotten it to my kitchen.
                                         

        I have used a lot of coffee, both as a student and a worker. Unfortunately, I now have to drastically limit my coffee intake because I have hypertension. I still keep coffee samples of differing potencies in my cabinet, but I hardly use the regular coffee, sometimes use the decaffeinated, and would prefer not to use any. Caffeine makes high blood pressure worse. Can you then imagine why I might want to discard my Coffee Maker? Definitely I will not. I have a lot of other herbs I could use the same gadget to brew, and with excellent results too. You are aware of all the herbs that would rather reduce your blood pressure rather than increase it, and are equally aromatic and tasteful. Here is my list:

                    1. Spearmint
                    2. Peppermint
                    3. Ginger
                    4. Lemon Grass
                    5. Aloe
Excellent brews of these herbs and many others could be obtained using the Coffee-Maker. I am sure the list goes on and on. A word of caution or two though. Not all herbs lend themselves to this type of extraction, and all the above are better brewed coffee-style when they are properly dried up. Sun-drying is preferred, but when not attainable, oven-drying will work well also
     You can obtain a variety of tastes, and you can also brew these herbs alone or in measured combinations. I am experimenting with cayenne at present, and intend to extend the list as time goes on, and as I succeed in getting another brew. I will also put some emphasis on the health benefits of each brew, apart from the taste. These are plants that contain little or no caffeine, but are of immense health benefits in different aspects of our biochemistry. A few of them are available as tea bags, but won't you rather brew something from your garden?
     I think we should take advantage of what our little Coffee-Maker can do, and it will help us adapt to what drinks as we dream them up as substitutes.
            

 

THE DAY OF THE UNICORN : HOW I GOT ME A STUMPY HORN

Just a little head butt against the edge of the well in a moment of restlessness, and I got it. I turned, hit my forehead, a little bit to the left, a little pain, some rubbing, and I forgot about it. In my ignorance, I thought it was nothing, and the bump I saw rising would be down by tomorrow. No, it was not to be. I rubbed my head with some ointment, no result.
After a couple of weeks, it dawned on me I would have to carry this new mark around for a while. Well, I was embarrassed about it after a while, and after dozens of curious stares. I decided I would have the doctor take a look at it. He did, and gave me the good and the bad news. The good news: he could take it out; the bad news, it was likely to come back. I chose to have him take it out, hoping that it would never come back. The surgery was short and not so painful. Afterwards, I wore a skull cap that kept the people at work asking questions. I let them talk and wonder. I had other things to worry about.
For a while, I thought I had gotten rid of it, but the ominous prediction of my doctor came true. I grew the "horn" back. The difference is that this time, it had a scar on it. I started feeling that it may me there for quite a while, to put it mildly. I have researched on it a bit, and it seems to be a condition called "lipoma" , the medical term for the accumulation of fat deposits at certain spots. Though it is supposed to be harmless, it makes you wonder what "harm" means. Harmless, when I feel like a Unicorn? It hurts me psychologically, and think that is harm in my estimate. Anyhow, it I relatively harmless when one considers that other types of swellings could be cancerous and all that. I could consider another round of surgery, and hopefully there could be actions I could take so it does not grow back after that.
One thing I hope someone could develop is a topical magic balm that could be rubbed on a swelling like that to make it disappear without surgery. Maybe I could develop one, get a patent for it, and make a lot of money that way! ------ I crack myself up!!!

ACCIDENTS DO HAPPEN: ANOTHER NEED FOR SHORT-TERM ADAPTATION

Some events in life do not lend themselves to human control, and that is why they are called "accidents". I was driving to the post office today to mail a parcel. It was an intersection and I stopped at the traffic light. When I had the green light, and the car in front of my was moving, I moved too. But this guy, came from the right

lane, which should have led him somewhere else to the right (if he had observed the markings on the road and followed the arrows) and scraped my bumper and scratched his car too. We both insisted we were right. He said he was "on his lane" and was going straight. I said " I followed the traffic signs" and was on my lane.This guy looked kind of mean, and we were on the road anyways, so I said I'd call the police, and he said angrily "yes, call the police!" I took a picture of the scene. Neither of us moved from our positions. Luckily, the traffic could still flow around us somewhat.
I called my wife to tell her what happened, and she started driving around to locate us. Eventually, I had to ask her to go home, because the police came and ordered us to move to a parking lot nearby. I had anticipated that and I took the picture of the road and our two cars. It was deathly cold, and the officer encouraged us to keep warm. I tried to, but I did not anticipate being out of my car for any length of time, so I wore a not so thick jacket. The police did their usual routine collecting information from both of us-driver's license, insurance and all that. I was confident I was right; but so was he. He kept on chain-smoking, and I kept on trying to look tough, I really am not, but he is a tough-looking guy, and the police was there anyway :).
Then the verdict : he should not have crossed the solid line from his lane, because his lane led somewhere else. The guy insisted that I was on his lane and that I scratched him. The officer explained to him in details that he had done something illegal by crossing to my side, and made it clear that it was impossible for me to have been the aggressor judging from the positions of our cars when he asked us to move. I guess hearing the word "illegal" kind of sobered this guy down, and he became less argumentative. The scratches on our two vehicles were not so noticeable, but no one likes scratches on their cars.
It is still not clear if I want to pursue this with the insurance companies, but obviously, this guy will pay a little fine to the county today. The police officer gave us each others' information on paper and asked me to go, while he had a hear-to-heart discussion with my new acquaintance. Don't get me wrong, I don't wish him any evil. I am sure he made a mistake- we all do. It just happens to be his turn today. It is just one of life's little adaptations

 

LIGHT AND DARK CYCLES IN AND AROUND US

 I have recently purchased a set of window curtains for my room. This material is capable of blocking sunlight from entering the room during the day, giving you a night-like feeling. I have always complained about the short day length in winter, now I have these light-blockers to add to the length of the night -at least in my room. I got thinking about how much more I have been sleeping lately, and asked myself if it could be due to my new curtains. Obviously, darkness aids more sleep, and light makes it less.
On the other hand, being an outdoor person, who is interested in gardening a lot, I usually feel bad in winter, and I have diagnosed myself with Seasonal Affective Disorder, which ironically has a matching acronym of SAD. This winter, there has been less snow so far in this part of the world, and that has reduced the SADness to a minimum. However, I started to consider the length of days in different parts of the world. The fact that some people live in cities where it could be dark for up to 67 days continuously without any day seems extremely fascinating to me. Even though they get compensated in summer, it is a mystery to think of how they get adapted to it all. No doubt, they must have some adaptive mechanisms which is absent from those of us who live in the intermediate zones.
It is a known fact that humans, just like many other organisms, have a biological time clock, which drives our circadian rhythm.  The body's rhythm is known to be driven by cycles of dark and light periods. Even plants have their own rhythm, which causes them to flower at certain day lengths.
Those who travel from one time zone in the world to another experience fatigue and change in sleep pattern  when they reach their destinations usually because their rhythm is interfered with.
Back to the extreme parts of the world, like Barrow in Alaska. I am forced to wonder what life is like in winter. I will like to really talk to someone who lives there about how they go to work, sleep and conduct every day activities in winter! Right here in Wisconsin, I sleep a lot more in winter and tend to feel that the days  are just too short in winter. Obviously my biological time clock is kind of reset during this period of the year.
Then there is the issue of being a non-24. Meaning that the biological time clocks of many individuals are not perfectly set to conform to the 24- hour period of the normal day. In conclusion, I think the biological clock could go ahead and reset itself, while I sleep when I could  and play as much as time would permit when the opportunity is available.

THE BITTER TASTE OF BITTER-LEAF

Ignorance, they say, is bliss. But viewing this statement in another context, we need to ask "ignorance of what?" The ignorance of "see no evil, and hear no evil" may seem like bliss on one hand, but even that could be dangerous in itself. I make bold to say that because, knowing certain types of evil, or seeing them could help you run away from them in good time. I feel very strongly about the message I am trying to get across, because it could be useful for a lot of people who need it, and who are adventurous enough to try it out.
I was diagnosed with diabetes some six or so years ago. I started taking a battery of medications, and life changed for me dramatically. The change I am talking about is not the need to poke myself with a needle to draw blood and check the amount of unused sugar there. I am talking about the side effects the medications caused-three of them. I started to get constipated all the time. I lost my appetite and food started to be unappealing to me. Being an adventurous soul, I started to read about some possible alternatives. I did not stop taking my medications, mind you. I just added some things I got information about. As luck would have it, one of them was some plant material which I had known to be used as food in Africa- bitter leaf. It is an evergreen shrub normally planted behind houses and harvested as needed in tropical and sub-tropical climates. I found that it also could survive in colder parts of the world.
Bitter leaf is bitter, make no mistake about it. When used as food, it is squeezed and washed to remove most of the bitterness. Using it as medicine for diabetes, however, does not require the squeezing and washing, otherwise you lose most of the "medicine". I considered in my heart that I would use the dried leaves. They dry very easily in the sun or in the oven. I obtained the dried leaves, crushed them and fed them into my coffee maker :)  Don't forget that coffee is also bitter, if you choose to drink it "black, no sugar and no milk" style. That is exactly what I did. I have been drinking this stuff for a few weeks no, and it has worked like a charm!  I brew it coffee-style too. Maybe not as dark as most coffee brands, but it is not roasted. I have not even evaluated how good it is for diabetes, but I made a discovery, or maybe not a discovery if you consider that some people already might have known about it. This stuff is really good for arthritis and INFLAMMATIONS. Swellings in my joints have healed dramatically!
I find it difficult to keep this to myself. My APETITE has become very healthy, and I find myself licking my lips again at the thought of food :). I hope to get more and drink this on a regular basis. What is more, I am so adapted to the taste now, and there is a very nicely sweet aftertaste to it. In my consideration, it tastes better than coffee.

Adapting to Hair Loss

     Going from having a full head of hair to balding or bald, is quite a significant life change. The degree and time for each person differ. Some folks are lucky to not have to worry about this for ever, but many people must go through it no matter what. I have not yet met someone who said "See, I am so bald now, and I am enjoying it so much" If you do, please let me know, and I will learn a lesson in human psychology. Some people just let it slide, while many more try desperately to reverse or disguise it.
My take is, most people would reverse it if they could. There are so many types of baldness I have seen, but I think the most common is male pattern baldness. The fancy name "alopecia" is used for this condition very often. Baldness has been attributed to the male hormone testosterone being converted to a derivate called DHT short for Dihydro-testosterone, which causes hair loss It is believed to be controlled by genetics, but who cares. Some form of baldness also occur in women.
    Attempts to combat baldness takes various form, but we all must admit that it is quite a change when your Rain Forest turns into a savannah grassland, and later an outright desert. It is believed that trying to combat baldness in the earlier stages is likely to produce more results than leaving it to progress to an advanced stage, which makes sense. However, depending on the size of your pocket, more desperate solutions do exist even at the advanced stage, like outright hair graft. To my mind, that will probably be embarrassing for someone who has been known and loved all the while as a bald person. Imaging someone you have known for a long time appearing after what seemed to be a vacation break( actually a hair transplant break), with a full head of hair. I will suggest moving to another part of the country after a hair transplant. :). Brief suggestion: maybe try a toupee
Maybe a slower hair-growth process may be great, but how? Many products are available, which many have used successfully to regrow hair, but they are supposed to be continued for life. If discontinued, the hair will stop growing or the grown hair gets lost again. I have also read about some natural solutions. Aloe has been touted as a natural alternative for hair regrowth, but it is not only messy, it colors the head kind of funny. Another simple natural alternative  I have read about is Apple Cider Vinegar. Many people swear by its efficacy. Coconut oil and blackstrap molasses have also been suggested extensively. There must be some truth to some of these, but results may depend on persistence and long term use. Definitely results will vary with individuals, even if these simple household materials work as reported. A trial will convince you.
Maybe it is not even worth all the trouble. The desire to try and bring your tuft back or not is a personal thing. Some changes are probably better embraced. Just a personal point of view.
"

YOU CAN RUN, YOU CAN HIDE, BUT TECHNOLOGY WILL STILL FIND YOU

If you want to play the victim of emerging technology, it is up to you to do so, but no one will look your way. No one is going to listen to your whining about how "things have changed!" Feel free to hold on to the old ways of doing things, and see how much you get left behind in this age when technology is emerging daily at the speed of light. If you are confronted with the challenge of changing technology, then face it squarely with determination, and be willing to adapt, in this case, by learning. The type of learning we are talking about here is a continuous one, because those who introduce new technologies owe their living, not only to basic technology, but to the changes they bring about on a daily basis. You cannot use a smartphone for six months (with almost daily updates), before a new one comes on the scene.
Honestly, some of the changes we witness are quite desirable and necessary to keep pace with the competiveness of the present age. Some, to my mind are quite unnecessary.  Let us first discuss  about the required. adaptations. If you were born into something, you require minimal adaptation to it, since you simply grow up using it.  Members of the younger generation cannot figure out what is so hard in operating computerized equipment, since they grew up with "a mouse in their hands". Did I say a mouse? Who uses the mouse these days, when you can just touch the screen to do all you need to do. (Who knows when those things will start being controlled with the mind?)  For folks who have put some decades behind them, it is a matter of learning to adapt to what life has brought theire way. This is where "Nature and Nurture" come in. For some people, it is relatively easier to learn, for others, it is really tough. For me, it is somewhere in-between. I have tried to analyze why this is so, and I have come to the conclusion that, while I could be a good learner, I am hampered by my preconceptions. If I think this is what a command on the computer should be, I operate along that line. Unfortunately, I am the one who must follow the language of the computer, the computer cannot, and will not follow mine.
The pace at which life moves in this computer age is astonishing- and everything moves together with it: bill payment, purchasing an airline ticket, buying everyday articles, corresponding with your mortgage company, and the list goes on and on, have become technology-based.
It is just tedious to keep the old pace in such an environment. If you are a teacher, it is almost insane to cope with your work without heavy dependence on technology. You will need  video clips, PowerPoint slides, electronic illustrations, corresponding with students and keeping your grades are all based on the use of computers. Your reluctance to apply technology to your trade will not diminish the amount of work you are assigned, because your assignments, no matter what you think, are based on the fact that these gadgets are available. A particular pace of work is expected because of it. Age is not excuse- one has to adapt or, simply adapt.
                              

Please Can You Say That Again?

You probably don't like repeating yourself, and maybe you are not used to it. If this is the case, then you probably have been living in the same part of the world all your life. Talking to folks in other regions of this great planet will make you believe in adaptations, and in this case, a very quick one.
It could be funny, it could be very sad, or it could occupy any other feeling or emotion in between the two depending on the circumstances. I mean when you are engaged in what you consider a very serious conversation, and your audience don't seem to get a great percentage of what you are saying.

Question "Hey, did you take that course with professor Peabody?" 
 Answer (or another question)    "Oh, what cause?"

 Question   " Did you obtain the source we discussed yesterday?"

  Answer (or another question) "Eeem....... yes, yes, the sauce? Oh, I' m so sorry, yes, I got the source.

I am sure there must be some Universities that have courses in "Global Accents and Mispronunciations" If not, that is a potential area for course development in the languages. When I first immigrated into the United States, my first job interview was for a teaching position. I had just spent two months in the country, and it was my very first time here. My hosts, being from the same country as I, had no problem understanding me, and I had no problem understanding them either. The interview was a different kettle of fish though. To make matters worse, I was to be interviewed by phone! There were two concerns- whether I will understand he questions, and the second one, if they will understand my answers :) ............ I needed the job!
I prayed. One thing was, I knew there was an underlying problem of mutually understanding each other's accents. I listened as if my life depended on it, and I spoke as distinctly and deliberately as I ever had in my entire life. Remember, this was a teaching job  Maybe you will like to hear how that story ended: I got the job, and  I have lived and learned happily ever after. I have to----- I teach for a living :) Not that I will every get it a hundred percent. Hey, I manage to get myself understood...most of the time. It is okay with me when someone says "You have an accent" Or "Where did you come from originally?"  I know what that means!. It is a mild way of saying the former. But I don't like people calling my accent "thick", now that's not fair- It makes feel unlearned. Sometimes, I have heard people actually say they like my accent. I'd say "oh, thank you!" I hope they meant it.

 Within the same country, large or small,  accents often differ from one place to another. In fact, it is quite easy for those who are well traveled, even within the United States to pinpoint the exact place a person is from if he speaks a few sentences. The slangs, the use of words and the accent, especially, is a good indicator of this.

WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD!!!!!

The neighborhood you live in is an important part of your life. It could mean the difference between peace and turbulence, tranquility and chaos, love or hatred (of your neighbors, that is). In fact, the three most important things the real estate professionals ask you  to consider when buying or renting a house is - location, location and location. No matter how beautiful or well laid out your home is, the matter of its location is obviously very crucial. Just close your eyes and think of living in a place where there is a crime or two every day.
If the police siren is always wailing in your neighborhood every day, then to grab a good shut-eye may be tough. Well, that is if you are not used to it. I used to live in a "cool" neighborhood about fifteen or so years ago, and it came a point when I stopped "hearing" the siren. That was the least of my worries, because one day, I was in the kitchen, and bullets actually were cutting leaves off a tree, right near the window behind the kitchen. Talk of a dose of adrenaline there. There, we even had very strict rules on what time of the night we must all be indoor and all that.
In a more specific way, neighborhoods, even when they are peaceful,  need to have "good neighbors". That is a huge bonus indeed. I remember when I first moved to my present neighborhood, all my neighbors were fantastic in making me feel welcome. Their enthusiasm in receiving me to the neighborhood was obvious in all the various helps they rendered. They shoveled snow for me, they helped me to get adapted to the new environment. The only one who did not like me was one of my neighbors' dog :). This guy would bark like crazy when he saw me, and run threateningly in my direction. I have not had the chance of asking him why he did not like me, but I think he knows me now. The owner would assure me " he ain't gonna do you nuthin". --- Well, he did me nuthin and I am glad about that.
I have now been here for about ten years, and I have received three next door neighbors since then. They have all been quite easy to adapt to. There are some things you don't ever adapt to though.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/crime/2015/12/gun_deaths_map_how_many_people_have_died_or_been_injured_in_shootings_around.html

           How do you adapt to new neighbors, and how do you adapt to new neighborhoods?

Going to Higher Heights

 

 

 In general, moving to higher heights is a desirable change for the vast majority of people. It is the natural instinct to want to be "on top". Perhaps, this is why animals as well as humans want to be up there in everything. Everyone will like to be the "head of the pack", in a manner of speaking. Sometimes, this gives rise to a lot of struggle, some of them becoming quite violent. I have seen animals fight almost to death in order to banish competitions as the head of their territory.
This is quite obvious among humans too!  Depending on the position, the "fight" could take different forms. Sometimes it is political "fight", in which case there are verbal debates and other forms of verbal exchanges.... It is just natural. At other times, it could be other forms of competition. I have witnessed some very violent political oppositions, which involved human lives!! In places of work, I have observed different types of tactics to get people down because of rivalry.
          I wonder how much physical heights fascinates humans also. No doubt, going higher physically has its fascinations. Mountain climbers will be able to tell us more about how they feel at higher heights. Actually, other competitive sports are no different, since everyone wants to be "on top.
   Being on top must need some form of adaption. Higher physical heights have less air, so those up there need to be adapted to it. It makes me think of  very high buildings and those who live on the top floor ( I won't. since I am scared of physical heights). One advantage of being up there, whether having an office space there or an apartment is that you will be able to see much of the city. It must be a great feeling to be so high up
  
 Would you like to live on top of very high buildings?

ARE FRIENDSHIPS FOREVER?

Relationships keep this life going; or maybe not. It is a matter of opinions and also a personal matter, but humans are definitely social beings. We congregate everywhere: in our places of work, our homes, church gatherings and so on. Along the line, friends are made, and many of them last for a long, long time. You really become identified with quite a few, and you then name them "friends".
Unlike friends many of your relatives are near to you because they just have to be, due to shared relationships and other family factors. I have been amused when I hear a father say " I will disown my child" because of this or that. Depending on how you look a it, you may agree that it is possible to disown your child, father, mother or sibling for one reason or another. I am of the opinion that since you never chose them to be your relatives in the first instance, you are not in the position to reverse it. Blood, they say, is thicker than water

What do you think?

Friendships on the other hand can be made or broken. But wait! Why would you want to break such a precious thing as friendship? It seems there are many factors involved. Human elements play the most part. It is said that " A friend in need is a friend indeed". This sounds so true, in that a friend who is there for you in time of need has proved a point-----he or she is ready to help when help is truly needed. But a paradox is equally possible here, what of a friend who deserts because you are no longer in need, and through no fault of yours
                           A bit difficulty to figure out- don't you think?

WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO EAT!!!!
Being diagnosed with one of the "big ones" is a depressing thing. As if life is not complex enough all by itself, as you work, plan this and that, cope with the nitty-gritty of dealing with people and all that.
You are told you have diabetes! Then the counselling sessions start, and you have to visit the dietician. The nice woman tries to be as casual as possible, as if being diagnosed with diabetes is just another minor irritation. Maybe to her, it is an everyday thing, since diabetics, young, old and not so old visit her office every day. But to you, it is life-changing thing.
She gives you some papers of how to measure your calories, and coaches you on how to poke yourself to draw blood to measure your blood's sugar content. She gives you a list of all those things you should not eat so much of, and the nice, sugarless things you should now eat more of.
Now, that is great! There are worse fates, and one could adapt to eating certain things, if only to stay alive.
The only problem: you were also diagnosed with high blood pressure previous to that, and your diet now is quite at odds with the previous one. Stay away from high carbohydrate foods------ Then, it was Stay away from high cholesterol foods. You are now left with a bunch of flatulence-inducing funny tasting delicacies
Welcome to the world of adaptations
           Fifty medicines a day
                 One hundred dos and don'ts
                      One thousand bathroom visits
                              Two thousand doctor's visits
But you are lucky sir. You can keep your nice little life and hope for the best. Common, adapt!!!!

You don't have to guess. You will find the type of food eaten in some parts of Africa on the link below
http://www.amazon.com/What-Africans-Eat-Traditional-Traditions/dp/1432761927/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1449637337&sr=8-2&keywords=Toye+Ekunsanmi

When it is no longer a party- be ready for another life adaptation

 

Remember those days when you were all by yourself- the happy-go-lucky loner. Then you get some company- you get married, and you start being fruitful and are multiplying. There is the wife- the queen, and you- the king of your small kingdom-your own very household...............and you get all sweetly "daddied-up".
Sir, don't get used to it so much, rather be prepared for another round of life adaptation. It will surely come. Depending on how well spaced-out your children are, it will come upon you in a few years, or over a period of maybe, ten years if you are lucky. One after the other, they will go off to college, and the best you can hope for are the phone calls. For me, it has been coming quite gradually, and as the "baby" prepares to go to college in less than one year from now, I have myself thinking of what it will all look like. I am psyching myself up real good-telling myself it will be okay.
My approach to an empty nest? Yeah! A good excuse to sell the large house which at one point housed six, but will soon be housing two, one of them part-time, as my wife works most nights.
It will probably not be too bad, or so I think. Especially when you think about how much better it will be than your condition at the beginning of this narration. (See the first line)
After all said and done, your wife will still be there, and the children are still likely to come home from time to time.
Cheers :)

Any suggestions for adaptations to an empty nest?  :)

AGEING WITH DIGNITY

I think the only reason most people accept old age is because it will happen anyway, no matter what. But growing old (let's call it what it is), should be more than just accepting the inevitable. The older years should be thoroughly cherished and enjoyed. To think otherwise is to deprive oneself of the joy of the golden years.

No doubt, changes in health conditions which often accompany old age, could be a damper if you do not have good health care. Poor health should, by itself, not necessarily be something you cannot tackle or deal with to a large extent. Most of the health situations could be brought under control if you do not regard them as a given. They are not.

Phenomena like hair loss, wrinkles, arthritis, to name a few could take over an ageing persons psyche and create negative feelings. My take on these is - change what you can, and actually enjoy the ones you can't. If you grow white hairs and you like them, have fun with them. If you don't like them, dye them. I won't wear a head covering, being a male. I think those are fine for the big girls  :).

Don't forget, if you children are no longer around, just call them with one of those devices that will show their images to you and yours to them. Maybe they will see how old you are getting and come visit. LOL.
More than anything else, enjoy your free time, even if you seem to have too much of it. Put your experience and creativity to work!

Traveling- a form of change
Are you planning to travel, or are you on your way to an exotic destination? You probably are looking for a kind of change.
                  A change from your daily routine
                             A change from your immediate environment
                                       A change from the kind of people you are used to
                                                  A change of climate
                                                           A change from what you eat everyday
 No matter whether you seek it yourself or you it is imposed on you by circumstances, you still need to adapt yourself to these changes. Think of having to eat stuff that seem to be right of a fairy tale or a science fiction You still want to act like a Roman when you are in Rome, otherwise, what will be the point in the change you actively sought?
 Enjoying your situations and adapting to them is part of life. In fact, it may mark the difference between having fun and complaining about changes.  Your mind should be prepared to accept your new environment for what it is...........................
With a mind prepared for changes........Have fun!

Seasonal Changes and Personal Adaptations

No matter what part of this planet you inhabit, changes in season must be an annual feature. It is more dramatic in certain parts of the world, and less dramatic in others. If you live in the tropical and sub-tropical zones, seasonal variations may be limited to dry and wet seasons, with the accompanying temperature changes, which are far from being drastic. I never had a real preference for either when I lived there. It would rain cags and dogs at certain times, and it is very dry and dusty at the other end of the spectrum.

Changes in seasons are much more dramatic in the temperate regions where I now reside. Spring, summer, fall and winter are just so distinct and you can really feel it. My favorite is spring.... I love plants and gardening. Summer is too warm for my liking, but not to be compared with fall. Why do I not like fall so much? Well, that is when the plants start to lose their leaves, and fall heralds the coming of winter :(   Old man winter, when the days and short and the nights are long

My adaptations to winter? Well, what do you do when it is cold....... ? Just chill :). It is a lot easier to work at academic stuff in winter, so I just immerse myself in work. Hopefully, the kids show up for the holidays.

Changes are inevitable
Changes must happen, and they do. I want to use this blog to discuss changes that happen in everyday life. Some we like, and some we don't. Some of the topics discussed will include
1. Changes in location- as immigrants, of which I am one

2. Changes in marital status. Hopefully, if you are not married, you may want to, and if you are married you stay so

3. Changes in job status. Getting a new employment, and hopefully, not being booted out of one

4. Changes in health status. How do people cope with changes in health

5. Changes in age! Hey, if you are young, you must grow old. The reverse never occurs :)
And many, many other changes which do occur or must occur.

Changes
              Changes
                             Changes

What are the reactions of people to changes? How do you handle changes?
                             Do you do so passively or actively?
                                          Positively or negatively?


This blog will address these and other questions in more details as time goes on. Join me!