LET OUR VALUES EMERGE - UAE Exchange · feasible. He kept on riding and whipping the horse to go...

Volume 17 | Issue 2 | May 2017LET OUR VALUES EMERGE

Package Inclusions : Return Airfare02 nights at Pattaya02 nights at BangkokDaily BreakfastsAlcazar ShowCCoral Island tour with LunchHalf day Bangkok City tourSafari world marine park tour with LunchAll transfers and tours as per the itinerary

*Conditions Apply

Our Services : Foreign Exchange | Air Ticketing/Tours | Gold Loan

Thailand - (04 N/ 05 D )

*Fixed Departure -Ex- Cochin

Departure Date: 29 June & 07 July 2017

Plan your Holiday with Us !

Do not litter.Keep your surrounding clean.

3Xpressions - May 2017

May 2017 Volume 17

Issue 02

INSIDE

08 Tips from Zonal head

09 Message from Divisional Head

10 News Clippings

12 Financial News

13 Updated News

14 Awards

18

IN EVERY ISSUE

04 Editorial

05 Communiqué from our MD

06 CPO Writes

07 Note from Travel Head

TRAVEL SPOTS

24 HEALTH TIPS

15 Life Style

16 Days to Remember

17 Thoughts for May

20 Feature

21 Amazing Reality

22 Inspiring Stories

23 Travel World

25 Learn Good English

26 Hues of India

27 Feedback My Scribbles

28 Delicious Flavours

29 Photo Contest

30 Picture Gallery

31 Wedding Bells/Cartoon

by Benson K J, AO Creative communication

‘Early to BEd aND Early to rISE

Sikkim

a long time ago, there was an Emperor who gave a very attractive offer to his most loyal

horseman. The Emperor assured him that the horseman will be given the area of land he could ride and cover on his horse back, but the quantity of land to be covered was the horseman’s choice.

Sure enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and rode as fast as possible to cover the maximum area feasible. He kept on riding and whipping the horse to go faster and traverse the largest. When he was hungry or tired, he did not stop because he wanted to cover the maximum area.

There came to a point when he had covered a substantial area of land but he and his horse were exhausted and close to death. He then asked himself, ‘Why did I push myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am close to death and I only need a very small area for me to be buried in.’

Rewind and look back to our life’s journey. We strive very hard uncompromisingly to make more money, to gain authority, appreciation, wealth and assets, not realizing we often

EditorialEbby AbrahamEditor-in-Chief

CorrespondentDurai Raj R

May 2017 Volume 17

Issue 02

4 Xpressions - May 2017

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Life’s Journey

neglect our health, family, especially the beautiful phases of our children, forget to appreciate and enjoy nature and its beauty, rusting the hobbies and little things we loved to do, even forgetting our Creator. Ultimately, the day we realize what we have missed out, there will not be enough time to turn back.

Wake up! The world around us is what we ask for through our thoughts, actions and attitudes.

The values we look for and expect are what shape us. Expect the very best, in every moment, with every thought, every action, and it will happen but beware! Life is fragile and short and not to be taken for granted. It is like the two sides of a coin, on one side we have our career which require strenuous effort while on the other side dreams and aspirations. Both the sides of the coin are equally important and no coin is valid with one side. So is our life. Live life to the fullest, and ensure that it is balanced and you enjoy every moment bearing in mind we can never go back to the days gone by.

‘A man is but the product of his thoughts, what he thinks, he becomes’ – Mahatma Ganadhi

“Life is fragile and short and not to be taken for granted. It is like the two sides of a coin, on one side we have our career which require strenuous effort while on the other side dreams and aspirations”


Communiqué from our MDV George AntonyManaging Director

Dear Colleagues,I was invited as Chief Guest to give a talk at BNI Kochi Chapter about my success and growth story. I was recollecting my past to pen down few points to share with the crowd, even though I am not 100% perfect. I thought of sharing a brief of these points through Xpressions. Most of them are simple basics, but the magnitude of its adoption varies. While researching in Google and YouTube about successful people, I could find same traits with these successful personalities.

Integrity: Majority of the people come with highest level of integrity. Major population hold highest level of integrity. If we are low at this, depending on the magnitude, it will be affecting life or work in some way and failure will be knocking at our door steps. Always try to keep away from situations and circumstances that drag to integrity issues. This is the major ingredient in life which if controlled helps to keep our head straight. Be bold and confident and take ample time to think properly. But today we keep hearing about corruptions and wrong doings in every sphere that is quite hurting and disappointing. I think this trait has to be developed from home and school.

Loyalty: Loyalty gives longevity both in

personal and official life. The more we are loyal from within ourselves and to whatever we are doing, the more we will be rewarded in the long term, it is nature’s policy. Loyalty should not be for personal gain or fame.

For people who are loyal to the core, success will come either through money, position, happiness, relationship or a combination of all and it cannot be blocked. Loyalty to our body is about maintaining good health, loyalty to relationships for better friendship and love and loyalty to work leads to better understanding from seniors.

Quality: There are many who works hard but gain fewer results. Such people are not much bothered about the end results or how it impacts others. Quality means how others are satisfied or how others perceive our work. People who are concerned about improving the quality of what they do will make many corrections. They will make self course corrections, process changes, improve skills, acquire new knowledge and take self bold decisions.

Here is where I get worried when I see customer complaints of various service issues. We have seen more customers in restaurants with good quality, whereas other locations with less quality remain

empty. For long term sustenance quality at its best is a must.

Self-initiative without personal gains: When we are at the peak of all the above, reward and recognition does not matter much. Self Satisfaction of giving your best gives you better happiness. At this level we start creating our own peaks and we are in auto- pilot mode which in turn brings rewards and recognitions. At this state of mind, we spend hours on work or hobby, considering it as a pleasure. You might start working early morning to late night enjoying every moment even without knowing when the time passes by. But if you are not happy with the work, you will just wait for the time to pass.

Desperately self-challenged: When we are at the peak of all the above, even a small trigger on your performance or mistakes pointed out by somebody hurts you so much, it desperately triggers/challenges you from within to outperform manifold. This desperation is where speed at work, speed at actions/corrections and speed at decision making come into play.

Those who are not challenged from within are not bothered much on what is happening around them and live in their own reasoning. It is this inner drive of desperation to be on top, which moves few people to become successful and outstanding leaders. All of us should be desperate and carry an inner pressure to grow.

Grabbing Opportunities & risk taking: In our day to day life we meet and talk with many people. We need to keep our eyes and ears open to assimilate the good and positive things and see how we can implement in our life. For me, most of my decisions and course corrections or changes were based on the outcome of meetings, conversations and meditation. A positive frame of mind is required while listening to others and taking it forward in your own stride.

These are all simple basic facts of life which all of us know very well. But still if we can take time and analyse deeply, there is so much to improve. I wish if each of you can take few minutes time to make a self-analysis on all these points and make one drop of correction somewhere, I am sure it will benefit you and the society you live.

Thank you.

Loyalty, Integrity, Quality


CPO Writes

Johnee Praveen RHead – Human Resources

Cleanliness is next to Godliness

“There are many things that can hinder our business productivity and efficiency, but one of the most basic and important of them all is ‘cleanliness’”

Dear ColleaguesGreetings to you!! I would like to discuss

something which is very basic but one of the most important things which plays a big role in the success and failure of our business.

There are many things that can hinder our business productivity and efficiency, but one of the most basic and important of them all is ‘cleanliness’. For some of us, this is not a pressing issue when running our business, keeping the branch office clean at all times, will make our employees more productive, and will keep our customers happy.

An ideal branch office should have the below mentioned basic things taken care off.

1. Welfare facilitiesToilets and hand basins, with soap and towels or a hand-dryer; drinking water; Place to eat meals.

2. Health Good ventilation – a supply of fresh, clean air drawn from outside or a ventilation system; a reasonable working temperature (usually at least 24 degrees); lighting suitable for the work being carried out; enough room space and suitable workstations and seating; a clean workplace with appropriate waste containers.

3. Safety Properly maintain your premises and work equipment which includes all PCs, Fans, Air conditioners, Invertors and Batteries, Mobiles and LAN phones, Cash counting machines, Office vehicles etc.; keep walk ways outside and inside the office free from any obstruction; have windows that can be opened and also cleaned safely;

Benefits of a clean branch office:1. Reduces stressKeeping our branch office clean and organized allows us to reduce our stress levels to the minimum. A clean branch helps us keep the work organized, and is an important aspect to consider improving or maintaining the well-being of staff members.

2. Saves timeIf we have ever worked in a dirty office, we know that we were constantly worrying about getting the cleaning done, instead of focusing on work. This makes us waste valuable time and energy just thinking about it, without doing anything about it. Working in a clean office is just the opposite. Keeping our office clean at all times, will increase our capacity of focusing in what really matters, which will lead us to be more productive and save time to carry out other tasks that are required in our business.

3. Improves physical healthOffices have shown to be great sources of bacteria and infections, and if we think about it, our employees and ourselves spend most of their day in the office. Working on an unclean environment will make the perfect combination for our employees to suffer from several illnesses on a regular basis and will increase the use of sick leaves. A periodical office cleaning service, as per our needs will help us provide a healthy environment for our employees and customers.

4. Good first impressionsWhen it comes to making business, appearances matter, and the appearance of a person’s work space, or the overall

appearance of our business, affects the way our customers think about our business. It is by it, that our business will be considered a trustworthy and professional company or not.

5. Improves our mental healthWorking in a clean environment can reduce the stress and take mental load off of us. Working in a clean environment can help us feel happier, more relaxed, focused and satisfied with our work.

Hope the above suggestions have found its place in your hearts. Let’s be passionate of having a clean and vibrant office for the benefit of us, our fellow employees and our valuable customers.


Emerging charm of Travel Brands and Advisors through Mobile Revolution

“The combination of Itinerary and customer data gives customer relevant travel services that are embedded and bookable in their online itinerary with a single click”

Travel Head’s message

SUJITH KUMAR M Head - Travel & Tours, India.

traveller engagement is no longer limited to a single event but it’s a continuous channel of

communication through involvement and curiosity.

The influence of social media and friends and the urge to interact virtually with products and brands in multiple ways is on the increase.

One of the primary sources of travel planning begins with Smartphones and such other devices which have opened possibilities to shape a strong ground in building up business and maintaining constant contacts with updated business offers. (It is estimated that in 2016, there were more than 10 billion mobile devices surpassing the human population). The prevalence of mobile along with new Apps like Google trips have quickly made mobile itineraries ‘a must have’ for Travel Brands.

The shift from Static email confirmations to real time “living Itineraries “with visual and interactive experiences is fundamental to staying engaged with customers before, during and after a trip.

While customer engagement is often the top objective for companies considering Itinerary solutions, unmapped collaborative

itinerary management products also translate to measurable

Productivity improvements and increase in revenue.

Productivity improvements are made possible by automating the consolidation of bookings and content from multiple data points and layering in real time communication and collaboration tools.

Integrations with CRM, GDS and Other itinerary sources add up to significant time savings.

The combination of Itinerary and customer data gives customer relevant travel services that are embedded and bookable in their online itinerary with a single click.

As people travel for Leisure or business, they are seeking the greatest experiences while avoiding as much hassle as possible. Unmapped tourism helps travel and hospitality brands become more agile

and responsive to consumer signals, activating profitable and engaging relationship at all stages along with Travel journey.

If you are easily accessible to your consumers, you can save money, generate incremental revenue, and build stronger brand appreciation. The collaborative nature

of unmapped enable travellers connect to their social channels, making your customers experience with mobile Itineraries more genuine and personalized beyond just their Itinerary logistics.


RETAIL talK

In the current business scenario, competition is high, business approach and methodologies have

changed. How do you perceive present business and business strategies adopted by competitors?

Success of every business depends on how they manage competitors, market trends and find innovative ways to retain customers. An easier way to resist competition is to offer unrealistic customer deals and discounts, aggressive advertisements and celebrity events and brand endorsements. These strategies are very effective for short term impetus, but come with a huge investment and costs. More often, similar strategies lead to business failures as we have realized from the recent past - from Snapdeal to other popular brand fiasco. It is therefore important that we plan our strategies in advance, implement effectively with proper scheduling, and making optimum use of resources in the most efficient manner

. How can we resist competition & retain customers? Customer is the king, without customer business cannot flourish. With high competition it is extremely challenging for us (branch) to get new customers or retain the existing. When the strategy of competitors is the ‘pull strategy’, our company’s strategy is the ‘push strategy’, thus it is our people (Executives) who are our brand Ambassadors. Service is the Key and customer satisfaction is our benchmark. Especially Staffs who handle loans should be extremely customer savvy and require understanding the customer’s necessity as it is their ornaments which are pledged, which are always close to one’s heart with much emotional attachment. Staff should always remember that whoever approaches

us for loans is in financial difficulties, so the customers are to be handled with extreme care & empathy”

How to improve Gold Loan portfolio, can you share any ideas?

The tool to improve our Gold Loan is through our Business promotional activities and Service levels, so that we get repeated and referred customers. Customer retention & Customers through existing customer references are vital to any branch to improve the business.

We are among one of the top zones in GL business. Our success mantra is to focus on small details, which make big difference in business and figures. We have been successful in implementing most of it in our regions/zones and a clear plan of action is followed.

1. Branch should be enhanced copiously with ‘Gold Loan’ information through images inside and outside the branch to create a positive impression on people who pass through our branch or who come into our branch for any other service.

2. Staff should be equipped with good product knowledge and should know the potential of each area with a thorough knowledge of competitor strengths and weaknesses.

3. Basic Business promotional activities to be taken up in a big way wherein people need to understand that the brand UAE Exchange is not just an Exchange Company but also a fortune 500 Multi National Company. Also we need to create a strong sense of belief about our brand in the minds of customers, especially that their ornaments are in safe zone to avail our loan services. Marketing Activities - from placing canopies at crowded places, promo van marketing

with attractive images on the van, early hours marketing at jogging areas (Grounds & Gardens), placing impressive hoardings near our branch areas, near Railway stations or Bus stands etc. can be initiated. In villages or rural areas it will create a good impact, as the area is small and people will unite easily to these promotional activities.

4. Basic marketing activities to be done daily right from outdoor and one to one marketing inside the branch through tele- calling by captivating back the customers using the old data and also taking references from

existing customers will surely give big results. We always forget our existing customers who are our large prospects to bring new customers. Trying and doing some promotional activities like Refer & Win at branch level with small gifts will give fast results.

5. Get connected to all the customers through SMS or telephone on the newly launched schemes from time to time.

6. Once customers come to our branch we need to give the highest levels of service, treat him like a king and try to process the loan as fast as possible.

N.GopiZonal Head-Andhra & TelanganaUAE Exchange ,India

tIpS from Zonal HEad


domestic tourism in India has shown a phenomenal growth during the last couple of years. It is evident

that holidaying is now a must to unwind and to disconnect from the routine of a stressful life. People take such opportunities to enjoy the finer aspect of life. Now it has become an annual ritual for many to enjoy a holiday and release accumulated stress.

It’s always not an easy task to prepare for a holiday since it requires time to plan and money to spend. Now a day’s people start to allocate funds for their next holiday every month. Limiting the budget is another area in which one has to give more importance while planning. Planning and paying individually for each component like airfare, transportation, accommodation, food, drinks and recreational activities of a holiday might be an expensive affair. To know the full cost of a holiday makes it easier for the traveler to stick to a budget without having much worry.

Thus the concept of ‘All inclusive holiday’ gains popularity. With everything included in the price, one does not have to worry about running out of budget. Traveler does not have to lift a finger at any point of time during the trip. Travelers will love the freedom of not bothering about where to go for meals, stay and the like getting more time to concentrate on good time. Another advantage of all inclusive holiday is that a last minute booking can also be accommodated. Like that there would be immense flexibility and can be

tailored to suit expectation of varying age groups. As the concept says all inclusive holiday takes care of all aspects of a trip.

The idea of holidaying has undergone subtle changes during the last couple of years. Beyond sightseeing or shopping it has became a package of experience. Travelers like to go beyond the traditional forts and palaces. The young travelers like more adventure activities like sky diving and water rafting while the mid-aged ones prefer gourmet tours, castles or sightseeing experiences. The lesser known destinations are catching up the attention of these two groups now a day. We could find matured clients requesting for unique activities that are exclusive to the destinations. Middle aged groups are demanding for traditional cooking classes of that particular destination. Young travelers like to learn sky diving, scuba diving etc.

To our amaze Russia is even promoting fighter jet travel, driving a tank, going along with a military truck etc among young and adventurous tourists. I just mentioned it to understand the stretch of choices travelers make these days. There are group of young musicians who used to go around the world to attend music festivals. With the advent of technology customer choices have also changed a lot.

It is very crucial for any successful business to understand what customer really wants. But imagine if we could go a level

“It is very crucial for any successful business to understand what customer really wants. But imagine if we could go a level further, how their expectations can be better met”

further, how their expectations can be better met. There could be a huge change in how travelers select their destinations, consume travel services and their purchasing decisions. Technological changes shall surely play a vital role in designing these. Travel brands who can really tackle these challenges shall be best placed in the coming days.

Message from Divisional Head

Ratheesh VRHead-Inbound & Domestic Tours

Changing Holiday Habits


NEWS ClIppINGS

Kasaragod Branch - Write a Letter to Customer!

Remember the times you used letters to communicate? Kasargod branch had found time to write

personalised letters in local language to their old customers welcoming them to do transactions with the branch. They have focused on promoting GL and tour to the potential customers who have not done a transaction for quite a long time. Such letters are sure to attract due attention from the recipients.

Setting a rare record in the Indian film industry, Dr B.R. Shetty, UAE-based billionaire businessman and philanthropist, is investing Rs1,000 crore ($150 million, Dh550 million) to produce India’s biggest ever motion picture, ’The Mahabharata’.

This magnum opus is being directed by noted ad man and advertising film maker V.A. Shrikumar Menon. ’The Mahabharata’ will be produced in two parts and is scheduled to go on floor by September 2018 for a release in early 2020. The second part of the film will be released within 90 days of the first part. The film will be shot primarily in English, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu and will be dubbed into major Indian languages and leading foreign languages. The film will be a coming together of the crème de la crème of Indian and global cinema in terms of its cast and crew.

Dr. B R Shetty, founder and chairman of UAE Exchange and NMC Healthcare, said, “The Mahabharata is an epic of all epics. This movie will be a true ’Make in India’ made for the world. The Mahabharata mesmerizes as well as brings focus on life and living. I am confident that this film will be adapted in over 100 languages and reach over 3 billion people across the world.” Dr Shetty added.

Dr B R Shetty to spend Dh 550 m on India’s biggest movie

As severe summer is steaming and scorching people, Peddapalli branch of UAE Exchange India felt

that they should come out with some social activity to quench the thirst of the public who are passersby en route their branch. They installed a shamiyana and provided cool water to the pedestrians, at the same time did some marketing in connection with the services of the company. Mr L Rajaiah, municipal chairman inaugurated the activity in the presence of a few counsellors, ZH Mr N Gopi, shop owners, and customers.

The Municipal chairman appreciated the social activities of the branch and advised them to support the authorities in keeping the town clean and green. Talking to the press our ZH briefed about our company’s social initiatives especially in government schools.

Beat the heat - Peddappilli - CSR

Our planet earth is really a wonderful place. Water in plenty has earned it the name - the Blue Planet. The Earth is an energetic

ecosystem, where life in different forms is throbbing. Hence it is the duty of human beings to protect the environment and create ideal conditions for life. The Branch head and staff from Alappuzha branch of UAE Exchange India, distributed tree saplings by convening a meeting of their loyal customers on April 22 to recollect the importance of world Earth Day.

A meeting of the customers along with health check up camp was conducted in

connection with the 15th Anniversary celebrations of Nizamabad branch. The health check was done under the supervision and participation of SSK Super Specialty Hospital. General health and vision check were done freely for the customers.

The chief guest of the meeting Dr Prabhu Kumar Challagali and guest Dr Vinay Kumar spoke about maintaining general heath during severe summer. Many customers appreciated the initiative taken by the branch.

World Earth Day - Alappuzha branch - CSR

Health Camp at Nizamabad


NEWS ClIppINGS

UAE Exchange India associates with Thomas Cook for Prepaid Travel Card

The leading financial enterprise UAE Exchange India has joined hands with reputed travel company

Thomas Cook for promoting prepaid Travel card.

The new association facilitates foreign travelers & students pursuing abroad study programmes to meet their travel requisites.

Vedaranyam Temple Marketing

Vedaranyeswar Temple being the most famous temple in Vedaranyam had its festival in

April. Temple fest which is an important part of celebration had participation of thousands. Vedaranyam branch team had set up Umbrella marketing and free buttermilk distribution to the crowd which gathered their attention. This helped to enhance brand awareness and our service to the mass.

Personality Development Program for BHs of Andhra Zone

Personality Development Program for BHs of Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Nizamabad regions was

conducted In April. Mr R J Praveen, CPO as the chief guest, in his speech advised the branch heads to work with dedication and commitment and improve business. Mr N. Gopi, ZH also addressed the branch heads. Mr Vinayak Apte, retired AGM of SBH, also faculty of Staff training centre, provided excellent inputs all through the training programme.

The topics covered were Team Building, Personal Behaviour, Communication, Selling Skills, Customer Service etc. All the participants actively took part in the sessions.

Karnataka – Puttur-Post Office Marketing

Branch opted for a marketing activity focusing Head post office, Puttur which has good number of visitors

every day. Initially, branch called for a collective meeting of Head post office staffs and introduced our brand and its products. Domestic packages at attractive rates were offered to the office staff which made them interested. Customers enquired about loan and insurance services. After the meeting, branch team continued marketing to the customers who visited the post office.

Nedumangad Branch -NHM – Asha Workers Training

Self-help groups are emerging and strengthening in various parts of the nation, with women being the major

part of the SHG’s. Nedumangad branch team had come to know about NHM Asha workers meeting happening in town which had participation of 300+ Asha workers. Based on the special request, branch team was provided a session to introduce our brand and services. The team received good response from the gathering with positive enquiries for gold loan, PAN and passport applications etc. Marketing materials were distributed to all assembled.


FINANCIAL NEWS

IndIan Expats fEEl low as rupEE hItS NEW hIGh

Indian expats are downcast after the rupee rose to a 21 month high against the dollar. It is expected to

stay at current levels or surge further as the country’s economy remains positive and foreign investment grows. The currency rose by 15 paise to close at 64.11 against dollar. The previous was in August 10, 2015 when it fetched 63.87 to the dollar.

Some Indian residents in the UAE can afford to hold on to their dirhams while others have monthly commitments back home. Many have loans to pay off and bills for their families, which mean they have to shell out more dirhams to meet expenses.

“Many Indians are now delaying remittances, hoping for a better rate so that they can send higher amounts” said Mr V Sudhir Kumar Shetty, President, UAE Exchange. “There is a possibility that the rising rupee might make Indian exports more expensive. From a remittance perspective, the Indian Diaspora (including GCC) will find that their usual remittances buy fewer rupees back home. The rupee’s strength reflects India’s current economic growth, political stability, and attractiveness as a destination for foreign direct investment flows” he added.

Source: khaleej Times

...........................................................................

pEtrol, DIESEl prICES ChaNG-ES EvEry day from may 1 In IndIa

Petrol and diesel prices will change every day from May 1st in sync with international

rates, much like what happens in most advanced markets.

State-owned fuel retailers Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL), which own over 95 per cent of nearly 58,000 petrol pumps in the country, will launch a pilot for daily price revision in five select cities from May 1 and gradually extend it to all over the country.

“Ultimately, we will be driving towards market linked rates on a daily basis at all pumps across the country,” IOC Chairman B Ashok told PTI. A pilot for daily revision of petrol and diesel price will be first implemented in Puducherry, Vizag in Andhra Pradesh, Udaipur in Rajasthan, Jamshedpur in Jharkhand and Chandigarh, he said.

State fuel retailers currently revise rates on 1st and 16th of every month based on average international price of the fuel in the preceding fortnight and currency exchange rate. Instead of using fortnightly average, pump rates will reflect daily movement in international oil prices and rupee- US dollar fluctuations.

Daily price change will remove the big leaps in rates that need to be effected at the end of the fortnight and consumer will be more aligned to market dynamics. While petrol price was freed from government control in June 2010, diesel rates were deregulated in October 2014. Technically, oil companies have freedom to revise rates but often they have been guided by political considerations.

Petrol price was last revised downward by Rs 3.77 a litre on April and diesel rates were cut by Rs 2.91. This was the first revision in two-and-half-months as oil firms did not change prices during assembly elections in five states, including Uttar Pradesh and Punjab............................................................................

amaZon gEts a WallEt lICENSE IN INDIa

Amazon India has received permission to run a wallet license in India, becoming

one of the 84 companies authorised by the Reserve Bank of India to operate payment licenses. The license has been given to “Amazon Online Distribution Services Private Limited”. The license was issued to Amazon on the 22nd of March 2017, and is valid till the 31st of March 2022. The wallet will probably be linked to Amazon Pay, which Amazon introduced in India last December, although then it was seen as a rebranding of its gift cards business.

Users can store money in a wallet via a single transaction (which will require the 2nd factor of authentication), and then purchase products without a need for further authentication. A one-click payment option doesn’t work in India, without a wallet. Amazon also offers customers faster refunds with Amazon Pay, within 24 hours. Storing money in the wallet will help Amazon ensure that the money is spend on Amazon directly, and also allows it to offer cashbacks on purchases, to wallets. ...........................................................................

Xpressions - May 2017 13

UPDATED NEWS BullEtIN

The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA) came into effect

from Monday, May 1, 2016. The act was passed by parliament last year and given time till May 1, 2017, to formulate and notify rules for the functioning of the regulator.

According to RERA, each state and Union territory will have its own regulator and set of rules to govern the functioning of the regulator. RERA seeks to address issues like delays, price, quality of construction, title and other changes.

Delays in projects are the biggest issue faced by buyers. The reasons are many and the impact is huge. The reasons include diversion of funds to other projects, changes in regulations by authorities, the environment ministry, national green tribunal etc and other bodies like those involved in infrastructure development and governing transport. In many places, land acquisition becomes an issue. Errant builders often sell projects to investors without the approval of plans, unauthorised increase in FAR, bad quality of construction, projects stuck in litigation etc.

Key provisions of RERA1. The promoter of a real estate

development firm has to maintain a separate escrow account for each of their projects. A minimum 70 per cent of the money from investors and buyers will have to be deposited. This money can only be used for the construction of the project and the cost borne towards the land.

2. To provide clarity to buyers, developers will have to keep them informed of their other ongoing projects.

3. RERA requires builders to submit the original approved plans for their ongoing projects and the alterations that they made later. They also have

to furnish details of revenue collected from allottees, how the funds were utilised, the timeline for construction, completion, and delivery that will need to be certified by an Engineer/Architect/practicing Chartered Accountant.

4. It will be the responsibility of each state regulator to register real estate projects and real estate agents operating in their state under RERA. The details of all registered projects will be put up on a website for public access.

5. RERA talks about the quality of construction in projects. Over the last few years, buyers have protested about poor of flats. The regulator will ensure protection to buyers in this matter for five years from the date of possession. If any issue is highlighted by buyers in front of the regulator in this period including in quality of construction and the provision of services, the developer will have to rectify the same in a matter of 30 days.

6. Developers can’t invite, advertise, sell, offer, market or book any plot, apartment, house, building, investment in projects, without first registering it with the regulatory authority. Furthermore, after registration, all the advertisement inviting investment will have to bear the unique RERA registration number. The registration no. will be provided project-wise.

7. After registering the project, developers will have to furnish details

of their financial statements, legal title deed and supporting documents.

8. If the promoter defaults on delivery within the agreed deadline, they will be required to return the entire money invested by the buyers along with the pre agreed interest rate mentioned in the contract based on the model contract given by RERA.

9. If the buyer chooses not to take the money back, the builder will have to pay monthly interest on each delay month to the buyer till they get delivery.

10. After developers register with the regulator, a page will be created for the builder on the regulatory authority’s website. The developer will be given login credentials using which it will upload all the information regarding the registered projects on the regulator’s website. The number, type of apartments, plots and projects and their completion status will be updated at a maximum quarterly basis.

To add further security to buyers, RERA mandates that developers can’t ask more than 10 per cent of the property’s cost as an advanced payment booking amount before actually signing a registered sale agreement.

The regulator will have the power to fine and imprison errant builders based on a case by case basis. The imprisonment can go up to a period of three years for a project.

rEal EstatE rEgulatIon act

Zone Branch Employee Channel Total StarsAndhra Pradesh Nellore Vadlapudi Balakrishna Retail 13

Central Kerala Edappal Vipin Retail 14

East India Motihari Manjeet KumarGowsami Retail 18

Karnataka Suratkal Abdul Sawad Alternate 14

North India Jagraon Harjit Singh Alternate 11

North Kerala Cherpulassery Renjith M Wholesale 15

South Kerala Nagercoil Dimala Andrew Retail 15

Tamil Nadu North Villupuram R Shoba Wholesale 13

Tamil Nadu South Madurai Ebrahim Emthiyas Sheriff M Wholesale 11

West India I Mumabi - Bandra Khan Shakeel Wholesale 13

West India II Rajkot Heena Hiteshbhai Ambavi Retail 12

AWARDS

HR aWarDS

Regional Stars

STAR TOPPER OF MARCH 2017Zone Branch Employee Channel Total StarsWest India Mumbai-Borivali Shweta Verma* Retail 14

UAE Exchange India won Golden Peacock Award for 2 consecutive years. This financial year has marked a good start for the company by winning Golden Peacock Innovative Product/Service Award 2017 for mobile app XPay Cash Wallet. The prestigious award was received by Mr. Jos Babu, CIO and National Head - Digital, UAE Exchange India from His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Hon’ble Cabinet Minister of Culture & Knowledge Development, Govt. of UAE and His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman and Chief Executive, The Emirates Airline & Group and Chairman, Dubai World at the vivid function held at The Grand Hyatt Bur, Dubai on April 19th 2017.

Mr. V George Antony, Managing Director, UAE Exchange India, shared, “We aim to adopt simple paradigm shifts that could create a mammoth effect to the services for all echelons. Each innovation draws us closer to the rural and urban population that still remains untouched with e-payment facilities.”

Golden Peacock InnovatIve Product award for Xpay CaSh WallEt

* Achieved above 80% of individual target

Hr QuotEsFinancial resources may be the life blood of a company, but Human Resources are the brains – Rob Silzer & Ben Dowell

If the reputation of a company is its face, the talent brand is its Heart and soul - Hank Stringer & R Rueff



LIFE StylE

Listen to the body. The body is not our enemy; when the body is saying something, do

accordingly, because the body has wisdom of its own. “Don’t disturb it, Eat with full awareness, and then you will never eat more and less.”

More is as bad as less. Nature wants you to be balanced, don’t go to extremes.

Eat well; enjoy it greatly, if you don’t enjoy your food you will have to eat more to compensate. If you enjoy your food you will eat less, if you eat slowly, tasting every bit of it, chewing well, you are completely absorbed into it. The tongue becomes dull only in illness; when you have a fever, the tongue becomes dull. When you are healthy the tongue is sensitive; alive, throbbing, pulsates with energy. Eat well, taste well; taste is divine.

All other senses of the body are equally important, sense of touch to enjoy nature by feeling the warmth, texture etc. Appreciate the beauty of nature and all around us. Make optimum use of all the senses but never kill them. Our body is the divine gift of God, delicate and beautiful, making everything in it wonderful. We are ungrateful to our creator when we are careless about our body.

Just as God has created a harmony

between the eyes and everything given to us in this colorful world, God has given taste; we have not created it and we cannot meddle with it.

Extreme behaviour’s are neurotic. Thus there are two types of neurotics about food: 1. those who go on eating without listening to the cry of the body to ‘Stop’. 2. The other variety are those who ignore the cry of the body ‘I am hungry’. Neither are religious, both are neurotic; instead there should be a balance between the two. Never go to the extreme as it will create anxieties. When you eat too much there is anxiety because the body is burdened. When you don’t eat enough then there is anxiety because the body is hungry. A person should know where to stop which come out of awareness, not out of a teaching on how much to eat.

Somebody is very thin and somebody is very fat, and if decided on an average of ‘three chapattis’, it may not suite everyone. So no rigid rules. Listen to your body: everyone has a different body, different types of energy and different types of involvement. For example, If somebody is a professor; he does not exert much energy as far as his body is concerned. He will not need much food, and he will need a particular kind of food but if somebody is a

Art of Eating...

labourer; he will need more food, and a different kind of food. Now a rigid principle is going to be dangerous and so there is no universal rule.

Every day of your life is different from every other day. The whole day if you had rested, you may not need much food but a whole day if you had been in the garden digging, you may need much food. We should be alert and should be capable of listening to what the body is saying, Go according to the requirement of the body.

Neither is the body the master, nor is the body the slave; the body is your friend -- befriend your body. The one who goes on eating too much and the one who goes on dieting are both in the same trap. They are both deaf; they don’t listen to what the body is saying.”

Rajesh M CHead, Risk Monitoring (Mr Rajesh MC is the holder of Diploma in Acupuncture Science (DASc))

(Continued from April edition)


DAYS TO rEmEmBEr

‘Love your neighbour as yourself ’ is a popular commandment of the

Bible. The question is our level of understanding about loving our neighbour for which we need to first understand our love for our self.

It is the duty of every parent to train our children to first love our self and our neighbour. An act of give and take which is a quality imbibed from families, peer groups and extended groups. The sincere movement of ‘Anti-Terrorism’ starts from the base – family, school & society.

Anti – Terrorism Day is observed every year on 21st May to commemorate the death of Rajiv Gandhi followed by a pledge taking ceremony and related activities to affirm that any type of terrorism will be axed from the society. Our former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was made a victim to the designs of terrorists in 1991, May 21st. The Day is observed to generate awareness in the country among all sections of people, about the danger of terrorism and violence and its effect on the people, society and the country as a whole.

Debates, discussions, symposia,

seminars, lectures, etc. are held in schools, colleges and universities on the dangers of terrorism and violence, every year on this occasion. Many NGOs, social and cultural organizations also organize their own programs to highlight the ill effects of violence and terrorism. Anti-terrorism/anti-violence oath is taken in all Government offices, public sector undertakings and other public institutions.

Terrorism in India is not new, but it has increased very quickly in the last few years. The partition of societies on the basis of religion, faith and community has sown seeds of hatred, violence, terrorism, separatism and communal divide and will continue its growth for a long time unless a harness is set to curb such activities. Though it has been condemned and denounced by leaders in international forums, it is increasing by leaps and bounds and is in evidence everywhere. Terrorists and extremists use all sorts of weapons and strategies to terrorize their adversaries. They explode bombs, use rifles, hand-grenades, rockets, ransack houses, loot banks and establishments, destroy religious places, kidnap people,

highjack buses and planes, indulge in arson and rape and do not spare even children.

Consequently, the world is becoming a totally unsafe, insecure, dangerous and fearful place to live in. This ruthless chain of action and reaction, full of horrifying violence, is much too dangerous to be ignored or taken lightly. Terrorism, violence, bloodshed, and killings, etc. have become the order of the day. They indulge in all sorts of anti-social and anti- government activities to achieve their narrow, sectarian and unholy aims. Sometimes, the terrorists may have very good objectives but then they resort to violence as they are unable to participate in the democratic process because of their various inherent weaknesses.

Buckle up to unite and wean away this epidemic from our society through our younger generations. Let this day of memory be an extra step to root out this disastrous disease.

Mahatma Gandhi has rightly said “My religion is based on truth and non-violence”.

THOUGHTS for may

“Everyone is born with an instinct of success, and ability to make it, but only

the ones who think out of the box succeed.” - Unarine Ramaru

Thinking out of the box or thinking beyond the box is a phrase which explains creative thinking, unconventional thinking, or thinking from a new perspective by those who think differently. Thinking outside the box would mean that you let your creativity flow, explore your horizons and are not confined by anything be it rules or the established order of working/thinking.

On the other hand, thinking inside the box would mean that you limit yourself to the established order and do not tend to think or work beyond a set pattern or norm.

In a small Italian town, hundreds of years ago, a small business owner owed a large sum of money to a loan-shark. The loan-shark was a very old, unattractive looking guy that just so happened to fancy the business owner’s daughter.

He decided to offer the businessman a deal that would completely wipe out the debt he owed him. However, the catch was that he would only wipe out the debt if he could marry the businessman’s daughter. Needless to say, this proposal was met with a look of disgust.

The loan-shark said that he would place two pebbles into a bag, one white and one black. The daughter would then have to reach into the bag and pick out a pebble. If it was black, the debt would be wiped, but the loan-shark would then marry her. If it was white, the debt would also be wiped, but the daughter wouldn’t have to marry the loan-shark.

Standing on a pebble strewn path

in the businessman’s garden, the loan-shark bent over and picked up two pebbles. Whilst he was picking them up, the daughter noticed that he’d picked up two black pebbles and placed them both into the bag. He then asked the daughter to reach into the bag and pick one.

The daughter naturally had three choices as to what she could have done:

1. Refuse to pick a pebble from the bag.

2. Take both pebbles out of the bag and expose the loan-shark for cheating.

3. Pick a pebble from the bag fully well knowing it was black and sacrifice herself for her father’s freedom.

She drew out a pebble from the bag, and before looking at it ‘accidentally’ dropped it into the midst of the other pebbles. She said to the loan-shark;

“OH, HOW CLUMSY OF ME. NEVER MIND, IF YOU LOOK INTO THE BAG FOR THE ONE THAT IS LEFT, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TELL WHICH PEBBLE I PICKED.”

The pebble left in the bag is obviously black, and seeing as the loan-shark didn’t want to be exposed, he had to play along as if the pebble the daughter dropped was white, and clear her father’s debt.

Moral of the story: It’s always possible to overcome a tough situation through out of the box thinking, and not surrender to the only options you think you have to choose from. It is possible with those who are prepared to go an extra mile.

Creative thinking



Sikkim is the most unexplored and mystical places, located in the north-eastern region of India.

Bound by the majestic Himalayas with the gushing River Teesta crisscrossing the entire stretch of the land, Sikkim in North East India is one of the best tourist places in India to uncover. The fact that it is relatively unexplored makes it all the more appealing for discerning travellers and one of the top destinations for summer holidays in India.

Location & Size: Sikkim is the least populous and second smallest among the Indian states. A part of the Eastern Himalaya, Sikkim is notable for its biodiversity, including alpine and subtropical climates, as well as being a host to Kanchenjunga, the highest peak in India and third highest on Earth. Sikkim’s capital and largest city is Gangtok.

History: The Kingdom of Sikkim was founded on the Silk Road by the Namgyal dynasty in the 17th century. It was ruled by a Buddhist priest-king known as the Chogyal, it became a princely state of British India in 1890. After the People’s Republic of China invaded Tibet, Sikkim continued its protectorate status with the dominion and republic of India. It enjoyed the highest literacy rate and per capita income among Himalayan states. In

1975, the Indian military deposed the Sikkim’s monarchy. A referendum in 1975 led to Sikkim joining India as its 22nd state. Little is known about Sikkim’s ancient history, beyond the fact that its original inhabitants were the Lepcha. The earliest historical mention of Sikkim is a record of the passage of the Buddhist saint Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, through the land in the 8th century. The Guru is reported to have blessed the land, introduced Buddhism.

Environment: Sikkim accounts for the largest share of cardamom production in India, and is the world’s second largest producer of the spice after Guatemala. It is the most organic farming state in India. It is also among India’s most environmentally conscious states, having banned plastic water bottles and Styrofoam products.

Flora & Fauna: Sikkim is situated in an ecological hotspot of the lower Himalayas, one of only three among the ecoregions of India. The forested regions of the state exhibit a diverse range of fauna and flora. Owing to its altitudinal gradation, the state has a wide variety of plants, from tropical species to temperate, alpine and tundra ones, and is perhaps one of the few regions to exhibit such a diversity within such a small area. Nearly 81

per cent of the area of Sikkim comes under the administration of its forest department.

The fauna of Sikkim include the snow leopard, musk deer, Himalayan tahr, red panda, Himalayan marmot, Himalayan serow, Himalayan goral, muntjac, common langur, Asian black bear, clouded leopard, marbled cat, leopard cat, dhole, Tibetan wolf, hog badger, binturong, and Himalayan jungle cat. Among the animals more commonly found in the alpine zone are yaks, mainly reared for their milk, meat, and as a beast of burden

Food: Noodle-based dishes such as thukpa, chowmein, thanthuk, fakthu, gyathuk and wonton are common in Sikkim. Momos – steamed dumplings filled with vegetables, buffalo meat or pork and served with soup – are a popular snack

Tourism: There are innumerable opportunities for all kind of travelers when it comes to things to do and places to visit in Sikkim. There are Buddhist Monasteries, cascading waterfalls, unexplored caves, gushing rapids, Himalayan trekking trails, high altitude lakes and lush valleys to be explored that makes Sikkim an ideal destination for family holidays, adventure trip and honeymoon tours in India.

The picturesque valleys laden

TRAVEL SpotS

SikkimCredit : Greg Hume, wiki commonsCredit: Kurt Stuber, wiki commons

with over 200 species of orchids and rhododendron forests and relatively mild treks into pristine Himalayan ranges and the stunning Kanchendzonga makes Sikkim alluring as a popular honeymoon destination in India especially during Summer. At Ravangla where the only tea estate of Sikkim is located, honeymooners could found a blissful escape surrounded in shroud of greenery lorded over by the mighty Kunchendzonga peak.

Day hikes in Sikkim in lush valleys of Himalayas are especially favored by the visitors on a family holiday. The easy to moderate hikes that could be undertaken even by elderly and children passes through bucolic surroundings and wooded hills dotted with rhododendron forests and giant magnolia trees punctuate the deep verdant cove. One of the top places to visit in Sikkim also includes Tsogmo Lake, a high altitude lake with towering Himalayas in the backdrop.

The lake remains frozen during winters but one could still visit it and enjoy hot sip of tea and momos on the frozen lake. Yet another important lake to visit in Sikkim is the Gurudongmar Lake. Don’t miss out on visiting Gurudwara Nanak Lama Sahib and nearby Buddhist shrine when you visit Gurudongmar Lake considered one of the holiest site in Sikkim.

For adventure lover, rowing down the Teesta River in rapids varying from grade 1 to 4 offers an adrenaline pumping experience. For more pro rafters, the extreme rapids of Rangeet River that flows through Sikkim and Kalimpong offers challenging stretches of rapids.

If you like to soar like an eagle, then visit Sikkim in the month of October and November which is the ideal time for paragliding in Sikkim. Bright sunny sky and favorable weather makes it ideal time for paragliding and it is also when the annual paragliding festival is held in Gangtok, capital city of Sikkim.

Religious and cultural interactions: one could visit Rumtek Monastery,

one of the most important centers of Tibetan Buddhism and a repository of ancient and medieval artifacts. Rumtek Monastery also happens to be the official seat of the Karmapa Lama. Yet another important place to study Tibetan Buddhism is the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology in Gangtok.

Geography: The state of Sikkim is characterised by mountainous terrain, almost the entire state is hilly, with an elevation ranging from 280 metres to 8,586 metres. The summit of Kangchenjunga—the world’s third-highest peak—is the state’s highest point, situated on the border between Sikkim and Nepal. The land is unfit for agriculture because of the rocky, precipitous slopes. However, some hill slopes have been converted into terrace farms. Numerous snow-fed streams have carved out river valleys combining into the major Teesta River and its tributary. About a third of the state is heavily forested. The Himalayan Mountains surround the northern, eastern and western borders of Sikkim.

The opening of the Nathu La pass on 6 July 2006, connecting Lhasa, Tibet, to India, was billed as a boon for Sikkim’s economy. Trade through the pass remains hampered by Sikkim’s limited infrastructure and government restrictions in both India and China, though the volume of traded goods has been steadily increasing

Transport: As of 2015, the closest operational airport to Sikkim is Bagdogra Airport, near the town of Siliguri in West Bengal. The airport is located about 124 km from Gangtok, and frequent buses connect the two. A daily helicopter service run by the Sikkim Helicopter Service connects Gangtok to Bagdogra; operates only once a day, and can carry four people. The Gangtok helipad is the only civilian helipad in the state.

Sikkim lacks significant railway infrastructure. The closest major railway stations are Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri in neighbouring West Bengal. However, the New Sikkim Railway Project has been launched to connect the town of Rangpo in Sikkim with Sevoke on the West Bengal border.

National Highway 31A and National Highway 31 link Siliguri to Gangtok. Sikkim National Transport runs bus and truck services. Privately run bus, tourist taxi and jeep services operate throughout Sikkim, and also connect it to Siliguri. A branch of the highway from Melli connects western Sikkim. Towns in southern and western Sikkim are connected to the hill stations of Kalimpong and Darjeeling in northern West Bengal. The state is furthermore connected to Tibet by the mountain pass of Nathu La.

Credit: Albert Kok, wiki commonsCredit: Abhijit Kar Gupta, wiki commons


“If you like to soar like an eagle, then visit Sikkim in the month of October and November which is the ideal time for paragliding in Sikkim”

Xpressions - May 201720

FEATURE

Theme: “Families, education and well-being”

As a response to changing social and economic structures, the United Nations had proclaimed 1994 as the International year for families. This was a necessity to stabilize and create awareness on the dangers involved through broken families and lack of values all-round the globe. The International Day of Families, on May 15, is an occasion to reflect on the work started during 1994 and to celebrate the importance of families, people, societies and cultures around the world. It has been held every year since 1995.

This year’s observance of the International Day of Families focuses on the role of families and family-oriented policies in promoting education and overall well-being of their members. In particular, the Day is to raise awareness of the role of families in promoting early childhood education and lifelong learning opportunities for children and youth.

The Day will highlight the importance of all caregivers in families, be it parents, grandparents or siblings and the importance of parental education for the welfare of children. It will focus on good practices to enable work-family

balance and to assist parents in their educational and care giving roles. Good practices from the private sector in support of working parents, as well as youth and older persons in the workplace will also be highlighted.

The Day also aims to discuss the importance of ‘knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development’

Here is a very simple conversation between a pencil and an eraser

Pencil: I’m sorry.Eraser: For what?Pencil: I’m sorry; you get hurt

because of me. Whenever I make a mistake, you’re always there to erase it. But as you make my mistakes vanish, you lose a part of yourself and get smaller and smaller each time.

Eraser: That’s true, but I don’t really mind. You see, I was made to do this, I was made to help you whenever you do something wrong, even though one day I know I’ll be gone. I’m

actually happy with my job. So please, stop worrying, I will not be happy if I see you sad.

International day of families is a celebration at the global level but how many of us are genuine in our behaviour to our parents. Our Parents are just like the eraser, and children are the pencils. They’re always there for their children, cleaning up their mistakes irrespective of their age till death makes them depart. Sometimes along the way they get hurt and become smaller. They may not be strong in their decision nor are they not independent as it was in the past years. It is not lack of knowledge about the new-gen trends but they are going back to a stage of helplessness which we often call the second child-hood or sometimes they purposefully lag back to allow their children grow. Watching from a distance is a pleasure for any parent.

Some little thought to check how we had been reciprocating to our loving parents who had been an eraser all through their life pruning us to what we are today is significant. Let LOVE and KINDNESS be our motto on this family day. Also teach the upcoming generations to bind in unity and affection.

tHE IntErnatIonal day of famIlIEs

AMAZING rEalIty

A snow roller is a rare weather-related marvel in which large snowballs are formed

naturally as chunks of snow are blown along the ground by wind, picking up all types of stones, sand particles and such materials along its way. Its size varies, they can be as small as a tennis ball, but they can also be bigger than a car.

Since the inner layers are weak and get blown off by wind, the cylindrical shape with its hollow gives an appearance of a doughnut or a Swiss role. They are often pretty and astonishing and often called Snow Doughnuts for its shape.

The following conditions are needed for snow rollers to form:

• There must be a relatively thin surface layer of wet, loose snow.

• A temperature closer to the melting point of ice.

• An underlying surface to which the thin surface layer of wet snow will not stick.

• Strong wind to move the snow rollers, but not strong enough to blow

them apart.• Gravity can move the snow rollers.

For example when a snowball, such as those that will fall from a tree or cliff, lands on a steep hill and begins to roll down the hill.

Found mostly in the open prairies of North America and some remote regions of Northern Europe, snow doughnuts might look like icy man-made structures, but these tyre-shaped curiosities are entirely natural. They’re very rarely seen because the number of weather conditions that need to be just right for them to form. The weather has to be bright and sunny enough for the surface layer to be wet and lose, but not so warm that it starts melting away.

It’s tough for them to get big, though, because the snow needs to have just the right amount of elasticity, and due to their hollow shape, a newly formed snow doughnut can be easily blown away and destroyed if the wind is too strong. According to meteorologists and weather forecasters, rarely a Snow

doughnut is formed and still rarely it could be as big as a car.

“Mike Stanford, who has worked as an avalanche forecaster and control technician at the Washington State Department of Transportation for more than 30 years, says he’s never seen a snow doughnut too large.

Though in some countries they are called Snow Rollers, the term Snow Roller also applies to a horse-drawn implement used in the mid to late 19th century to pack snow. It was mainly used in areas with high snow accumulation for access for horses and horse-drawn sleighs or wagons equipped with skis or runners. The implement was essentially, a large, very wide, wooden wheel, weighed down with stone or concrete.


Snow doughnuts

Xpressions - May 201722

INSPIRING StorIES

There was a very wealthy man who was bothered by severe eye pain. He consulted many physicians and

was being treated by several doctors. He did not stop consulting a galaxy of medical experts; he consumed heavy loads of drugs and underwent hundreds of injections. But the ache persisted with more vigour than before.

At last, a monk who was supposed to be an expert in treating such patients was called for by the suffering man. The monk understood his problem and said that for some time he should concentrate only on green colours and not to let his eyes fall on any other colours. It was a strange prescription, but he was desperate and decided to try it.

The millionaire got together a group of painters and purchased barrels of green paint and directed that every object his eye was likely to fall on to be painted green just as the monk had directed. When the

monk came to visit him after few days, the millionaire’s servants ran with buckets of green paint and poured it on him since he was in red dress, lest their master see any other colour and his eye ache would come back.

Hearing this, the monk laughed and said “If only you had purchased a pair of green spectacles, worth just a few dollars, you could have saved these walls and trees and pots and all other articles and also could have saved a large share of his fortune. You cannot paint the world green.”

Let us change our vision and the world will appear accordingly. It is foolish to shape the world, let us shape ourselves first.

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

“As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world – that is the myth of the atomic age – as in being able to remake ourselves.”

Do you sincerely wish to make a change? Surrender your negativity, resentment,

ego and self-destructive tendencies and adopt positivity, empathy, humility, love and compassion for others. Do for others what you expect to receive from them. Thus by viewing your environment with new lenses of thought and emotions and being pro-active to the needs of others will bring about change in yourself which can automatically get extended to your environment reaching you to the change you had strived for.

On the other hand if you try to bring about a change in your environment never ready for any change yourself, holding on to your ego, selfishness, hatred etc. it will only cater to divide things, to find enemies and to create separation, further it may start to create even more problems and conflicts in your life and world.

Be the change yourself and the world will change with you.

cHangIng our vISIoN


TRAVEL WorlD

Planning to visit foreign countries is not a hassle as the difference of language or culture hardly matters

but living abroad requires not only the language but a mindset to adapt to a foreign culture as well, which might be very different-even shocking- from your own culture. Here are some traditions and customs from various countries which may provide you with food for thought!

A bit of research will help us understand there are many more cultural habits which has a meaning than just adapting. For example –burping after a meal to express satisfaction is a practice of Arabic countries.

GERMANY People knock on their table rather than clap to applaud at the end of a master class or a really good meeting. In Beer-land clapping is reserved for theatre and concerts! And talking about beer, if you want to respect German customs, don’t forget to clink glasses and say Prost! Every single time you start a new beverage. Make eye contact to your fellow toasters, otherwise it is said that you will suffer bad sex relations for the next 7 years! Germans are quite organized people but there are times when the reality really doesn’t match the expectation. Join a queue in a German supermarket and see what happens when a new checkout opens. They rush to the new queue! If you are not fast enough maybe you can spend more time than expected waiting in line

SPAINIntroducing and greeting in Spain is interestingly different. Spaniards are well-known for being loud and friendly. While visiting Spain, don’t be surprised if a girl kisses you twice – one each on either cheeks to introduce herself. It’s the Spanish way of saying “Hello!”

FRANCEDo you like cheese? If so, when you stay with French host family prepare to spare some space in your stomach for the dessert, people tend to enjoy a cheese tasting plate accompanied by a good red wine after meals. And remember: if you are drinking a red wine and want to change to white wine, please don’t pour it in the same glass without cleaning it beforehand, if you don’t want to be the laughingstock of the party.

ITALY Italians are very superstitious and for them, nuns and ambulances are associated with death. So if you plan to spend your holidays in ITALY and you bump into one of them, don’t hesitate to bless yourself with the sign of the Cross.

RUSSIAYou will discover that you receive a light stamp if you accidentally step on someone’s foot. Why? The first thought that will come to your mind is that it’s due to revenge. Far from this, Russians do that to avoid future conflict with this person.

INDIAWe never see a couple expressing their love in public. If two men go walking holding hands, it is not a romantic relationship but just a friendship.

ASIAN COUNTRIES Such as China, Korea or Japan, a sign of approval and appreciation of someone’s cooking is to gulp the soup loudly which is often considered rude in most western countries.

JAPANDon’t blow your nose loudly! It is considered very rude. So if you need to clean your nose while you are in the Land of the Rising Sun, do it in private or turn your back to your companions before doing it. Remember to do it quietly to avoid offending anyone.

IRELAND the UK or the US Job seekers remember not to add personal data in your CV (date of birth, sex, marital status or even a profile picture!). Equal opportunity legislation in these countries requires employers to recruit based on merit alone, and emitting these data enables organizations to choose candidates fairly!

To conclude, we are all human beings though our lifestyles are exceptionally diverse. These are just some amazing cultural facts driven by external factors such as religion, idiosyncrasy or even geography, which determine the way people behave in different cultures.

StranGe tradItIonS around the world

HEALTH tIpS


“You might think getting up earlier is just a matter of discipline, but it actually

takes much more than that,” says Julie Morgenstern, time management expert and author of ‘Never Check Email in the Morning. “The truth is your entire ecosystem has been built around sleeping later.”

Any advice is easier said than done and so is early waking to a large number of the populace. To accomplish a big goal, such as launching a new business, writing a novel or starting an exercise regime, productivity experts will often suggest getting up early. You can get a lot done in a quiet house with no distractions or interruptions.

In effect when you start practicing it may not be as easy a game but a hurdle to overcome with determination and will-power. Your success levels will be doubled or tripled in a few days’ time.

Here are six strategies to wake up early.

1. Be ready to change your mentality – It’s time we think differently. Change your mindset because the quality and quantity of work will be superior when

you start a day after a good sleep. Let sleep be the beginning of a day. After a good night’s sleep you are charging up your battery.

2. Prioritize your sleep – Make it a compulsory habit to sleep early. Discern for yourself the hours of sleep required for your body and accordingly adjust your bed timings. This fundamental shift of pattern need preparation from the previous day and it cannot be introduced one fine morning. Initially you might have to break a lot of patterns.

3. Re-arrange your night activities- Dinner time and after dinner activities such as reading should be scheduled early. Eat dinner at least three hours before you plan to sleep. Early dinner also help to sleep well.

4. Organize your morning activity – Make simple steps to plan your activities from morning. If the schedule itself is hectic and too vast, you may not want to even get up from bed. Organize every little equipment needed for the next day- for example set your coffee maker, get your shoes ad things ready the previous day if you intend to go for jogging, tidy your kitchen and working space before

going to bed. Laying a flat plan ahead will be helpful and easy.

5. Switch off electronics – Switch off your computer, television, mobile, WhatsApp, e-reader or any other electronic device which need more concentration and brain drain, at least 90 minutes before planning to sleep. It is as effective as drinking a ‘Red Bull’ before bed which will never help you to sleep. Instead replace it with something relaxing which includes listening to soft music, drawing, preparing meals for the next day etc.

6. Calm your mind and relax your body before bedtime- Develop a pre-bedtime routine allowing your mind and body to relax. Get into the habit of stretching out a bit or taking a leisurely walk in dim light. Confirm your doors are locked. Such a routine will help you fall asleep early and your chances of waking up early are on the increase.

The above techniques may turn out to be very effective if given an attempt without anticipatory judgements.

‘Early to BEd aND Early to rISE’

LEARN GOOD ENGlISh

commonenGlISh errorS


APOSTROPHESIt is rather easy to use Apostrophes once you know how, but one should know how to put them in the right place without committing grammar mistakes. Many people use an apostrophe to form the plural of a word, particularly if the word in question ends in a vowel, which might make the word look strange with an ‘S’ added to make it plural.

Guidelines1. Apostrophes denote possession –

something belonging to something or someone else.

2. To show something that belongs to a person the apostrophe is put before the‘s’. eg. The girl’s dress.

3. But to show something belonging to more than one person the apostrophe has to be applied after the‘s’. Eg The girls’ dresses.

4. Apostrophes are also used to indicate a contracted word. For example, “don’t” uses an apostrophe to indicate that the word is missing the “o” from “do not”.

5. Apostrophes are never used to make a word plural, even when a word is in number form, as in a date. (In the 1990’s is incorrect. The correct usage is ‘In the 1990s’)

ITS/IT’SThere is an exception to the rule about

an apostrophe showing possession as mentioned above and that is the word ‘It’.

Guidelines1. When “It’s” is used it indicates the

short form of “it is”. Eg the car looks new with its new paint.

2. “Its” indicates something belonging to something that isn’t masculine or feminine, but used when we are not talking about a person.

3. Remember that non-living objects can’t really possess something in the way a human can. Eg It’s raining outside

FEWER/LESSMany of us don’t know the difference between “fewer” and “less”. The mistake is using “less” when it is actually meant “fewer”.

Guidelines1. “Fewer” is used to refer to items

that can be counted individually. Eg. Fewer cakes

2. “Less” refers to a commodity, such as rice or oil that can’t be counted individually. Eg. Less oil

ME/MYSELF/IThe matter of how to refer to oneself causes all manner of conundrums, particularly when referring to another person in the same sentence. Here’s

how to remember whether to use “me”, “myself ” or “I”.

Guidelines• When referring to someone else

and yourself, put the other person’s name first in the sentence. Eg ‘Mohan and I are off to cinema’.

• “Me” or “I” could be used by seeing which sounds right. Eg. `Give it to Mohan and me’

• You only use “myself ” if you’ve already used “I”, making you the subject of the sentence. Eg. ‘I will do it myself ’.

i.e. and e.g.These are commonly confused abbreviations, and many people use them incorrectly. However, their uses are not similar.

Guidelines• i.e. means “that is” or “in other

words”. It originates from the Latin words “id est”.

• E.g. means “for example”. It comes from the Latin words “exempli gratia”.

• When writing informally “i.e.” and “e.g.” may be used. It is better to write out the meanings (“for example” or “that is”) in formal documents.


A glittering festival displaying a grand show of stunningly decorated elephants in rows

with amazing parasols (umbrellas) and striking music at the Thekkinkadu Maidan (ground) around the Vadakunnatha (Lord Shiva) temple in Thrissur, Kerala, and every year on Pooram day in the month of medam according to the Malayalam calender, which generally falls in the month of May. Eventually, this year also it was celebrated on 5th May.

HISTORYThrissur Pooram was the brain child of Raja Rama Varma, famously known as Sakthan Thampuran, the Maharaja of Cochin (1790–1805). In 1798, he unified the 10 temples situated around Vadakkunnathan Temple and organised the celebration of Thrissur Pooram as a mass festival.

The pooram starts at the time of Kanimangalam sasthavu procession in the early morning and followed by the procession of other six temples. One of the major events in Thrissur pooram is beating of percussion instruments and a variety of other instruments like trumpets, pipes and cymbals. More

HUES of INDIaThrissur Pooram

than 50 elephants are decorated with accessories such as bells, ornaments etc. It enriches the beauty of elephants and pooram.At the end of the pooram, after the Ilanjithara melam, both Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi groups enter the temple through the western gate and come out through the southern gate and array themselves, face to face in distant places. The two groups in the presence of melam, exchange colourful and crafted umbrellas competitively at the top of the elephants – called Kudamattom, which is eye catching attraction of the pooram. Later all Poorams conclude near western side of the temple. Its secular nature is much noted. Most of the shamiyana works are crafted by Muslim community. The materials for the umbrellas for ‘Kudamattom’ are offered by the churches and their members.

DISPLAY OF FIREWORKSIn Thrissur Pooram, the fireworks are distinct in character, performance, excellence and magnitude. It starts at 3 am and ends after one hour. People come from faraway places to watch this amazing display of pyrotechnics.

There are four major firework displays in Thrissur Pooram. The ‘sample fireworks’ on the day before the Pooram, the colorful sparklers on the Pooram evening, the most impressive event in the early morning hours, and the final fireworks the following noon after the Goddesses bid farewell to each other that mark the end of Pooram.

FAREWELL CEREMONYThe seventh day of Pooram is the last day.It is otherwise known as “Pakal pooram. For the people of Thrissur, Pooram is not only a festival but also a time for hospitality. Farewell Ceremony is last event held at Swaraj Round. Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple and Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple idols are taken from the Swaraj Round to their respective temples mark the end of the Pooram celebrations. The festival ends with display of fireworks.

Despite being a Hindu festival, the Thrissur pooram is attended by different sections of populace of Kerala.

FEEDBaCK


The Manager, UAE Exchange

The UAE Exchange team of Payyanur branch was an excellent Travel and money exchange agent for us and considered our unique needs as they planned our itinerary for our Thailand tour. Every suggestion they made

was excellent, as they considered our budget, time constraint, and personal likes and dislikes. They also provided contact numbers of local representatives in Bangkok and Pattaya and also the contact number of their man in charge of the tour in India. This helped us a lot during the trip.

They also arranged our currency exchange and prepaid visa enabled card for the trip in addition to the hotel booking in Bangkok and Pattaya and flight ticket from Kochi to Bangkok, Bangkok to Singapore and Singapore to Kochi.

We would definitely work with UAE Exchange team again as they made our trip easy and stress free.

Dr Sreekumar K Nayanar, DOMS, MS

apprECIatIoN for Payyanur branch

SCRIBBLES

Sujeesh K VBusiness HeadKasaragod

Selfie(translation of the poem)

Yesterday, once again you were cross B ‘cause I always forget to smileBut have you ever seen the smile that appear on my lips whenever I remember you?Somewhere I missed the smile like a lost umbrella on a shop veranda.Still when I took the ‘selfie’ I realisedI can only smile to myself.


DELICIOUSflavourS

Ingredients Urad Dal (without husk) - one cup Sugar/Jaggery - 3/4 to 1 cupGreen cardamom - 4 to 6 nos.Ghee - 1/4 to 1/2 cup

Sunnundalu are festive delights made in Andhra Pradesh. This sweet is prepared during festivals such as Diwali, Holi and many other Andhra festivals. It is a very healthy and nutritious sweet dish full of protein. This sweet is one of the traditional dishes that are being made since ages. All the ingredients used for the preparation of this sweet are considered to be healthy. The traditional recipe of Urad Dal Ladoo calls for ingredients Urad Dal, Ghee, and Sugar/Jaggery.

MethodWash urad dal twice in water and drain off. Dry it on a cloth and remove excess moisture. Roast the dried urad dal in a pan under medium flame for 20 minutes till it turns deep red emitting a nice aroma. Stir the dal while roasting and take care not to over fry it. Powder sugar and cardamom finely and keep aside. If jaggery is used, grate it and set aside. After the dal is completely cooled, powder it coarse or smooth. Mix powdered sugar and cardamom with powdered dal. If using Jaggery add grated jaggery to powdered dal and blend it well. Heat ghee and mix it slowly with hand in the mixture of dal and sugar.

Shape the mixed ingredients to lemon size balls. Ghee should be just enough to hold the powdered mix together.Store Sunnundalu in an airtight container and it will stay fresh for two weeks.

Preparation time: 10 minutesCooking : 30 minutesServes : 10

Sai BhuvaneswariBranch headVijayawada

Minappa SunnundaluBlack Gram Lentil Sweet

Note Blended black gram powder and sugar could be stored in an air tight container for 1-2 months. Mix melted hot ghee and make Sunnundalu balls whenever required.


PHOTOCoNtESt

• The contest is open to all staff of the company• Entries from June 1st to August 31st will be considered• The entry photos must fall within the contest guidelines in order to be considered• Portrait (vertical) or Landscape (horizontal) are acceptable• A person can submit maximum two photographs• Participants should send the details of the photo. (e.g. camera used, camera settings, telephoto settings, location etc) • Photos already sent or published will not be considered• The size of the photo should be minimum 2 MB• The participants are free to select the location/theme• While sending the entries, confirm that you are the rightful owner of the photo

Photographs should be submitted online only through branch/office email ID. Subject of the mail should be ‘photo contest 17’

The decision of the judges will be finalSend your entries to [email protected]

Feel free to send us your feedback such as suggestions, criticism and appreciations on Xpressions magazine. You may also contribute articles, poems, travelogues, stories, achievements, talent & artworks etc to be published in the magazine. Also send good, printable quality photographs that you have clicked to be selected as cover picture of the magazine. This will help us improve the quality of the magazine. Literary and art contributions of your children and close family members will also be considered for publishing.

Editor

WRITE To US

Cash award for the selected photos 1st Prize - INR 25002nd Prize - INR 12503rd Prize - INR 750


PICTURE GallEry

Click by Adarsh Kumar – TVM Pattom

Click by Anel B Krishna – Alternate, S.Kerala

Click by Sreekuttan - Kothamangalam

Click by Remya Vinod – Cochin Airport

Click by Sreejith M U –AO Audit Click by Abhilash A - Punalur


WEDDING BEllS

Geethu & VaisakhAO Product operations

Shomiya & SamragTellicherry

Sumesh & RevathyPayyanur

Vidhya & KailashMira road Mumbai

Mergin & RohitAO Travel

Arun & MoulyAnchal

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Departure Date: 03rd May 2017

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