LARGEST IN AIR AND SEA

The transportation of people and cargo has come a long way over the last 100 years and it is really amazing to see how the technology has advanced.  If more than 500 people have to be transported from one place to another we thought it is possible only by Sea.  With the advent of large aircraft like A 380 it is possible for 500 people to be transported in Air.

The vastness of the sky and sea is really mind boggling and hence even these so called large Ship and Aircraft looks very small when they are in operation.  A very slight change in the wind speed or pressure in the air causes turbulence in the Aircraft.  A slight change in the current in the sea causes huge impact on some of the largest vessels that are sailing in mid sea.

The quest for understanding the nature and to use the natural resources has been very interesting and has kept several thousands of scientists busy throughout the year for the last several decades.

Largest in Air:

A 380 is the largest passenger aircraft which was first put to commercial use by Singapore Airlines in October 2007.  It is an aircraft made by Airbus costing around 300 Million Euros.  It has a wide body with double deck and is powered by four engines.  It has a seating capacity of 525 passenger in the three class configuration (Economy, Business and First Class) and can take upto 853 passengers in all economy class configuration.  I have seen the aircraft in Dubai Airport and also seen the take off several times and it is really a stunning wonder in air.  This aircraft is being used by Emirates Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and Qantas.

Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental is the longest passenger aircraft and is built by Boeing.  This aircraft is pitched directly in competition with A 380 and Boeing claims that this aircraft is fuel efficient and consumes 11 percent less fuel per passenger as compared to A 380.  747-8 Intercontinental can carry upto 467 passengers in a typical three class configuration in double deck.


Largest in Sea:

Emma Maersk is the largest Container Ship every built.  She along with the seven other sister ships are the largest container vessels currently in use.   She can transport goods across the pacific ocean in 5 days.  She is 397 meters (1,302 ft) long and reach maximum cruise speed of 31 knots.  She has the capacity to hold 11,000 containers of 20 foot equivalent units (TEU) or around 15,000 TEU depending on the definition.  This vessel can reach 4 days before a typical container ship on a China to California voyage.  She has been built in five sections and the sections were floated together and then welded.  The command bridge is higher than a ten storey building and has 11 cargo crane rigs that can operate simultaneously unloading the entire ship in less than 2 hours.  The crew is only 13 people!


MS Allure of the Seas is the largest passenger ship ever constructed.  She is 362 meters long and is just 50 millimeters longer than "Oasis of the Seas".  There are 16 passenger decks which can carry upto 5,400 passengers on double occupacny.  There are 2,384 crew members on board this vessel to maintain and run her as the largest vessel in Sea.  She has 2 deck dance hall, ice skating rink and a theatre with 1,380 seats.  The ship is built with 54,000 tonnes of steel only for the Hull.  She weighs approximately 100,000 tonnes and has a gross tonnage of 225,282.


The travel experience that we are getting both in Air and Sea has been improving a great deal over the years and the focus seems to be on giving the customers a far better experience on each occasion.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
24th November 2012

UNDERGROUND CITY - MONTREAL

The Underground City in Downtown Montreal is being used by an estimated 500,000 people everyday during winter.  This the world's largest underground complex spread across 12 square kilometers.  It covers more than 32 kilometers of tunnels connecting seven metro stations, two commuter train stations, a regional bus terminal, Bell Centre Amphitheatre, shopping malls, apartment buildings, hotels, condominiums, banks, offices, museums and universities.

There are more than 120 exterior access points to the underground city.  This is an impressive achievement for urban developers and town planners.  This is the biggest network of tunnels which are all properly linked and hence they renamed this underground city as "RESO" in 2004.  "RESO" is a french word and it means Network.  The network of tunnels connecting various buildings, universities, college, offices and apartment blocks began in 1962 and over the years has grown to be the largest known underground city.  During winter when it is extremely cold outside in Montreal people prefer to stay within the Underground City to stay warm all the time.  The underground city has become a major tourist attraction in Montreal.



With winter round the corner across the globe every one wants to find a warm place and if you are a resident of a cold city then it is good to be in underground area which provides the necessary warmth and controlled temperature.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
17th November 2012

FIREWORKS - SOKKABAANAM

I WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY DEEPAVALI.

Whenever we think of Deepavali we immediately think of four things: Sweets, New Dresses, Lights and Fireworks.  The most attractive of the four is the Fireworks.

I roll back in my memory lane to the early 1970s when we were living in Car Street in Triplicane.  The fireworks will start at around 2 a.m. in the morning and will continue through the day till about 10 p.m. in the night.

We used to go and drop some of the crackers in the "Sokkabaanam" specially created near the Temple Tank.  All of us used to assemble near Parthasarathy Swami Temple in the evening and when the Uthsavamurthy starts his visit around the Maada Veethi the Sokkabaanam will be fired.  All sorts of crackers will be in that Sokkabanam and it will be a great treat to watch it.  Sokkabaanam is actually a community celebration when all people in the community come together and celebrate with fireworks at one place.

Nowadays when the Perumal is coming around the Maada veethi at each house along the streets they burst crackers and it is a real treat to watch it.  Whenever I am in Chennai for Deepavali I dont miss this treat in th evening in Triplicane.

Nowadays there are fireworks in the sky and most of the people prefer to buy these wonderful crackers which go up about 200 feet and then burst into different shapes, forms and it is wonderful to see those designs in the sky.

In Dubai we get to see excellent fireworks during Eid and DSF.  Enjoy the festive mood with celebrations and ensure safety of everyone when you are celebrating with fireworks.

T.P.Anand

Dubai, U.A.E.

13th November 2012

COLONIAL COUSINS

The colonial cousins gave a wonderful album in 1996 and became a rage all over India overnight.  Hariharan has been around in the Music Industry for a long time but really became a super singer only after the release of the album "Colonial Cousins".

The pick of the album and my favourite song is "Krishna Nee Begane Baaro".  The fusion of the classical carnatic music with the western style was done very well and was very soothing to hear.



Hariharan has sung thousands of songs for all the leading composers like A.R.Rahman, Ilayaraja and others over the last two decades.  He is an expert in Hindustani, Carnatic, Ghazals and typical light music and has a very unique voice.  The Colonial Cousins is somehow in my mind the first recall whenever I think of Hariharan.  It reached the masses very well and was completely different at that time particularly because of the fusion and blend of classical.



Hariharan and Leslie Lewis have done two more albums and have also tuned the music for two films.  I wish they had contributed lot more to the music industry as a team.

Watch the magic in the song below:



Long live Hariharan & Leslie.  Look forward to some more albums from you guys on the lines of the 1996 wonder.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
10th November 2012

LOW BACK PAIN

"Lumbago" is the medical term for "Low Back Pain".  After Headache the second most common ailment that is found across the globe is "Low Back Pain" (LBP).  More than 80% of the people get affected by LBP at some stage or the other in their lives.  This is mostly related to our work and can be acute or subacute or chronic.  Even if you are not working but just sitting in front of the Television set you could get LBP.

I was driving around 100 kms a day and started having LBP.  I realised it was due to the bucket seat in my car and changed the Car.  I got relieved from the pain immediately when I changed the car.

The cause of LBP is strain or sprain in the muscles and soft tissues of the back.  Working continuously on the desk can cause LBP.  Lifting heavy things can also cause LBP.  The sitting posture is important to avoid low back pain especially for people who are doing desk work throughout the day.
 
In the olden days we used to do prostration in the temples and whenever we meet elderly people to take their blessings.  The prostration is by itself a very good exercise for the lower back.

I found a nice video on the Cat Cow position for exercising the lower back and get relief from LBP.  Watch this video:



Some people live with Lower Back Pain as if it is part of the day to day life.  There is a permanent cure for LBP and there is no need to endure the pain life long.  Keep fit and stay happy.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
4th November 2012