TopYaps

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• 6 Easy Ways To Become A Logical Person
• 6 Cultural Differences Between South And North India
• 8 Foods Packed With A Carbohydrate Punch
• 5 Traits That Made Che Guevara An Icon
• 7 Bollywood Actresses Born In Another Country
• 5 Greatest Debaters In Hindu Mythology
• The 8 Mind-blowing Memoirs Ever Written

6 Easy Ways To Become A Logical Person Posted: 22 Nov 2013 09:30 PM PST Thinking with your heart is not always good for you. At times logical thinking can prevent you from making or repeating mistakes that may cost dear in future. It is assumed that people who think with their left brains are logical whereas those thinking with their right brains are more emotional and intuitive.  Some people are born with high deductive ability which they cannot give up even if they try. Logical thinking can be a curse or boon; depending on the situation you are in. Logical thinking can blow off the mist created by emotions to show you the reality and factualness of the situation or people. When you become a logical person, you will be able to differentiate between truth and lies, solve your problems effectively and take right decisions which will benefit you and others. Often, the truth is staring back at us, but we tend to ignore it as we are blinded by our emotions. These are 6 easy ways that can help you think more logically, so that you will be able to look at the world more clearly with right reasoning. 6. Be prepared to handle the truth: Many people stop being logical just because they are afraid to face the truth. Preparing yourself to handle the truth is the first step towards becoming a more logical person.  Beware that truth can be quite painful at times; but there is no reason in living in a false world. Do not ignore facts, data, clues or cause that holds light to truth because you are afraid what it may reveal. Prepare yourself to handle the bitter truth. 5. Ask yourself questions: When you are doing something irrational, stop and ask yourself the question why you are doing it? Look at the action and resulting consequences from all possible angles before moving ahead. Keep aside bias, patronizing and prejudices while making your decisions. Slow down, take deep breaths and be calm. You cannot be logical when you are stressed and running in hurry. Answer your questions honestly, racking your brain for right information. 4. Build formidable defense against emotional blackmail: Not many people like it when you think about them rationally; hence, they are bound to distract you with emotional blackmail or any other defense mechanism they are familiar with. If you are not strong with your own defense against such strategies, you will yield to the pressure sooner or later. Beware of your own defense mechanisms which may have developed over the period. When people try to vague, ask them to be specific and explain exactly what they mean. 3. Hold on to your own beliefs: Do not give in to arguments that show that all people believe in it, so it is true. There was a time when everybody believed that earth was flat and center of the universe, including all the major religions of the world. There is no need for you to accept something as true, just for the reason that you cannot prove it to be wrong. Hold on to your logical thinking and beliefs that come with it, no matter how much pressure others mount on you. Never underestimate the power of intuition and gut-feeling as illogical, as they can be quite reliable at times, especially when they are your own. 2. Work with puzzles: Logical thinking is improved when you work on puzzles like Rubik's cube, which demands deduction of results from all possible angels. The solution for puzzles is often described by the mnemonic SMART, which means the deductions should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bounded. Puzzles and games which involve rational thinking exercise the brain to work on logical thinking. With time thinking logically becomes a habit. 1. Small details are important: Sherlock Holmes said, 'The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes.” The clue to logical thinking lies in being observant and noticing details. If you watch a person closely, you will be amazed to know how easy it to tell a lie from truth. Do not try to change facts so that they fit into your belief system, but build your beliefs on the facts. The trick of observation can be developed through practice and perseverance.   The post 6 Easy Ways To Become A Logical Person appeared first on TopYaps.

6 Cultural Differences Between South And North India Posted: 22 Nov 2013 09:00 PM PST The cultural difference between South and North India is so obvious, that you feel they come belong to two different continents. The divide between North and South India is seen in its culture, traditions, music, dance, geography, and politics. The long sea-coast of the South India has seen the emergence of coastal lifestyle, which is absent in the Northern Hemisphere. Unfortunately, though all of them are the citizens of India, often they look down upon each other. Where South Indians consider Northerners to be proud, and undisciplined, spoiled brats; the Northerners consider people from south to be narrow minded, backward people who do not connect with the rest of the country. Here are the 6 cultural differences between South and North India that stand out bluntly. 6. Racial Origins: North Indians are descendants of the Aryan race; where as the South Indians are descendants of Dravidian race. It was estimated that 72% of Indians are descendants of Aryans whereas 28% are of Dravidians race.  The racial difference is visible in their general appearance. The north Indians are taller, stronger, fairer and heavily built when compared to the South Indians, though this may not hold true for all individuals. Recent research is showing indication that the Aryan and Dravidian divide might be just a myth. The slight difference in physical appearance is attributed to adjustment mechanism the Southerners had to make against hotter climates and greater sunshine. 5. Dressing Styles: There is huge difference in dressing styles of North and South Indians. Whereas the women in north prefer salwar kameez or chudidaar, in south Sari is the preferred attire, especially after marriage. The half- sari which is popular in rural south India is seldom seen in the north. The sparkling white dhoti or colorful lungis, a desired attire of men in south is not popular in northern parts. You have to keep in mind that this dress code is not strictly followed. Every region has a different style in which women wear their saris.   4. Language: Dravidian language, which evolved nearly 5000 years ago, and spoken by more than 200 million people today; is unrelated to languages of other known families like Indo-European. The languages spoken by North Indian people belong to the Indo-Aryan family which is closely related to modern European languages. Another division seen is that the North Indian languages are inflectional in nature whereas the South Indian languages are agglutinative. 3. Music: The classical music of India can be widely divided into Hindustani and Carnatic music which originates from north and south respectively. The Hindustani music is highly influenced by foreign invasion whereas the Carnatic Sangeet exhibits regional influences. Carnatic music is not divided into different styles, where as Hindustani music is divided into different styles of schools known as Gharana. The musical instruments used by musicians also vary. While sitar, sarangi, santoor, and table are very popular in north, mridangam, gottuvadyam, violin, veena and jalatarangam are favored in the south. 2. Dance: It is said that dance of north like Kathak, has been highly influenced by the invasion Muslim rulers, while on the other hand, the dances of south like have maintained their originality. Dance being a form of expression of society, the societal differences are bound to influence them. Though the costumes worn by artists of north and south are different, they are all gorgeously colorful and bright. Some popular dance forms of north are – Kathak, Chhau, Gaudiya Nritya, Odissi and Manipuri. Dances that are popular in south are – Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Mohiniyattam. 1. Food: South Indian food is much spicier and hot than the food served in North India. South Indians consume more rice, while north Indians have wheat as their staple diet. North Indians prepare paratas, chapatti, puri and rotis from wheat flour. Rice is combined with different lentils to prepare dishes like Rice dosas, idlis, vadas and uttapams in south India. Fish and coconut are consumed more by south Indians in comparison to their northern counterparts.  We cannot deny the fact that though different, the delicacies of both North and South India are delicious and famous worldwide. The post 6 Cultural Differences Between South And North India appeared first on TopYaps.

8 Foods Packed With A Carbohydrate Punch Posted: 22 Nov 2013 02:08 AM PST There was a time when fat was blamed for all health problems and the media turned it into a common enemy for those trying to lose weight. Now this crusade has shifted its focus to carbohydrates. There is a lot of hype about low carb diets to lose weight. But this is providing a skewed image to the public about carbohydrates. Yes they are not good for those who are trying to lose weight, but still they can’t eliminate it completely from their diet. For athletes and runners, carbohydrates are the most essential food. Even body builders need carbs along with proteins. The fact is that carbohydrates provide us with an immediate source of energy and when eaten in the right amount and in the right form, they do no harm. Here are 8 foods that are high in carbohydrates and should be part of your diet. 8. Sweet Potatoes: Sweet Potatoes are a great source of energy as they contain very fast acting carbohydrates. This makes them a great pre workout food. They are not very high on calories, rich in carbohydrates and also rich in beta carotene. If you are an endurance athlete then carbohydrates are your fuel and sweet potatoes are a great source of that. 7. Low Fat Yoghurt: Yoghurt is a great food as it contains vitamins, protein, carbohydrates and probiotics that are great for maintaining the stomach fauna. Low fat yoghurts that haven’t been artificially flavored are full of goodness and a great post workout snack as it helps in recovery. Add some bananas to your yoghurt to make a complete snack. 6. Blueberries: Berries of any type are good for your health but blueberries are especially great. They are a great source of carbohydrates and fiber and some good vitamins. The blue color comes from a dye which is known to be a memory enhancer. They also have the highest oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) of any fruit and readily destroy the free radicals in the body. 5. Bananas: Bananas contain loads of potassium and carbohydrates. They contain natural sugars and are easy to digest. This makes them a great snack pre, during or post workout. You can even add them to your yoghurt or oats to combine the effects of two great foods. And best of all each banana comes in its own biodegradable packing. 4. Oats: Oats, especially the old type of rolled oats are great for health. The new highly processed and artificially flavored oats aren’t that good but the old kind are very healthy. It is the best breakfast which is rich in fiber and also gives a carbohydrate boost to give you energy for the rest of the day. They also contain vitamins and zinc. Oats should really be the breakfast of choice for most people. 3. Brown Rice: Brown rice is rice that hasn’t been polished and refined. This makes it rich in fiber vitamins and mineral. It is healthier than white rice and a great source of carbohydrates. Brown rice provides a long lasting source of carbohydrates as it digests slowly and provides energy for a long time. It is a good choice as a meal during the day. 2. Whole Wheat Pasta: Pasta is a great source of long lasting carbohydrates and that’s why it is the meal of choice for athletes. You combine it with a protein and it becomes the complete meal. Whole wheat pasta is healthier than normal pasta and provides more nutrition and doesn’t lead to too much fat storage. It will provide you with energy for most of the day. 1. Whole Grain Bread: Bread is a staple of almost all diets and has been blamed for causing obesity. But too much of everything is bad. When consumed in moderation bread can provide a good carbohydrate source to fuel your day. Whole grain bread contains the same amount of carbohydrate as refined grain bread but is more nutritious and contains fiber, vitamins and minerals. So you should always prefer whole grain bread or brown bread over normal white one. But even whole grain breads contain added sugar and so don’t overuse bread in your daily diet. The post 8 Foods Packed With A Carbohydrate Punch appeared first on TopYaps.

5 Traits That Made Che Guevara An Icon Posted: 22 Nov 2013 12:55 AM PST Once Ernesto Che Guevara had said, "Whenever death may surprise us, let it be welcome if our battle cry has reached even one receptive ear and another hand reaches out to take up our arms". Little he must have realized during his lifetime, that he would become an iconic symbol of counterculture all over the globe, which has made him the most glamorous and influential revolutionaries of 20th century. Though he had zero tolerance for people who stood in his way; sending execution squads to hunt down the unfaithful, he has been hero to many who look up to him. The iconic image of Che, with his disheveled hair falling in the style of rock-star and flowing from a starred black beret has adorned hundreds of products from T-shirts, posters, hats, key chains, flags, berets, backpacks, wall clocks, bikinis, personal tattoos, and many more. Unfortunately, not many youth know the reason why they idolize Che Guevara or consider him an iconic hero. Here is the list of 5 genuine traits that made Che Guevara an icon and a worldwide emblem for a wide range of causes. 5. Fighting for countries not his own: Che Guevara is considered a modern day saint by many people that see him as a man who risked and finally gave his life to fight for a cause in different countries like Cuba and Bolivia that were not his own. The social inequalities due to monopolization and imperialism of economy by the selfish few appalled him. He was highly driven by his moral and ideology, rather than money or power to bring equality. In parts of La Higuera, the people pray to him as “Saint Ernesto,” although his sainthood is not acknowledged by the Vatican. 4. Fighting against land Monopoly: Che Guevara fought against people who monopolized the land for their personal gains. He is responsible for increasing land reform laws throughout many regions. The reformation initiated by Che Guevara allowed the breaking of large landholdings to be redistributed among the peasants especially under the agrarian reforms laws introduced in Cuba. He brought down drastically the number of people who were monopolizing land for satisfying their greed. 3. Improving literacy rate among poor: Che Guevara, who was an enthusiastic and eclectic reader, led the literary campaign to increase the literacy rate Cuba successfully. He realized that lack of literacy and education was holding back the progress of the country, especially of the peasants. He influenced the Cuban government to build schools to educate the poor and the peasant class. Under his guidance, the Cuba's literacy rate shot up to 96%, which is the highest ever the country has seen. 2. Putting ideals before ambitions: Che Guevara could have settled into his career as a doctor, but he chose to fight for ideals which were formed during his famous trip through poor regions of South America. From a medical student, he transformed into a soldier to fight for the cause of poor and oppressed. Fidel and Raul Castro saw the leadership and reformative potential in Guevara and included him in their fight. His purging of Cuba has earned him the title 'The Butcher of La Cabaña'. 1. Believe what you see: In the book 'The Motorcycle Diaries', Che Guevara has strongly expressed his willingness to fight and die for the poor and unification of Latin America. Hailing from an upper middle class family, as a 23 year old medical student, Che Guevara undertook a nine month journey of more than 5000 miles across South America. He was motivated with an ambition to know the continent not just from books, but from personal experience. The journey transformed Guevara as he got to witness the exploitation, persecutions and ostracizing the downtrodden. His ideology was based on the truth he had seen and not on what he read or heard from others. This makes him stand apart from other revolutionaries. The post 5 Traits That Made Che Guevara An Icon appeared first on TopYaps.

7 Bollywood Actresses Born In Another Country Posted: 21 Nov 2013 11:47 PM PST It is surprising how many of Bollywood actresses are foreigners. It has become a fashionable trend to cast actresses born in another country. It doesn’t matter if they can hardly speak Hindi or that they can’t even act, as long as they are hot and from another country. The Indian audience just associates foreigners with being more exotic and beautiful. The way directors have been casting foreign heroines it seems like there are no beautiful women left in India. Of course this isn’t the case, but who can explain this to bollywood directors and producers who stick to whatever trend seems to be working. Although there are many foreign actresses in bollywood today let’s look at some of the more successful ones who have made it in bollywood despite being born in another country. 7. Deepika Padukone: You must be thinking what Deepika Padukone, one of the most adored bikini babes of India, is doing on this list as she isn’t a foreigner. But the fact is that she wasn’t born in India. She was born in Copenhagen, Denmark while her father, Prakash Padukone, was on a badminton training session there. She spent her first 11 months in that country before her family moved back to India. So technically she is a foreigner and she has done very well in bollywood and has become one of the leading ladies of Indian cinema. 6. Helen: The first foreign actress to appear in Hindi films was Helen Jairag Richardson. She was born in Burma in 1938 to an Anglo Indian father and a Burmese mother. Maybe because of her foreign origins she was able to play the role of a sexy seductress with ease and credibility. She appeared in over 100 movies mainly as a dancer and singer and that must make her the first item girl of bollywood as well. 5. Nargis Fakhri: Nargis Fakhri was born in Queens, New York. Her father is Pakistani while her mother is Czech. She was a model in New York and participated in America’s Next Top Model in 2004. She made her bollywood debut with Rockstar for which she had to learn Hindi. Imtiaz Ali has a prejudice for foreign born actresses for some reason and Nargis was the beneficiary of that. She is trying to solidify her career and was appreciated for her recent role in Madras Café. 4. Giselli Monteiro: They say Brazilians and Indians look very similar and Giselli Monteiro proved that when she played a quiet Punjabi girl in Imtiaz Ali’s Love Aaj Kal. She was born in Brazil and is a model and now an actress in bollywood. She had auditioned for a the role of Jo, a foreigner, but she was chosen as Harleen Kaur and pulled it off very impressively. Her lines had to be dubbed but she managed to look very Punjabi indeed. 3. Yana Gupta: Yana Gupta was born as Jana Synkova in Czech Republic. She travelled to Japan to become a model and later came to India. She married Satyakam Gupta and relocated to Pune and became Yana Gupta. She continued to model and made her bollywood debut in an item song in Dum. She has since done many item numbers and small appearances in bollywood movies and also participated in Fear Factor. 2. Jacqueline Fernandes: Jacqueline Fernandes is from Sri Lanka. She belongs to Sri Lankan and Malaysian origins through her parents. She was born in Sri Lanka and brought up in Bahrain. She was a model and became Miss Sri Lanka Universe in 2006. She made her debut in Aladin and later did Jane Kaha Se Aayi Hai but her success began with Muder 2. She received critical acclaim for that role. Her movies Housefull 2 and Race 2 have also been successful and established her as a promising leading lady of bollywood. 1. Katrina Kaif: Of course when you talk about foreign actresses making it big in bollywood, none compares to the success achieved by Katrina Kaif. She was born as Katrina Turquotte in Hong Kong to a Kashmiri father and British mother. She started her career as a model and made her bollywood debut with Boom which was a big failure. But Katrina didn’t give up and stared in many successful movies. She was ridiculed for her bad Hindi at first and her voice was dubbed over in many movies. But she slowly improved her Hindi and her acting and received critical acclaim for movies such as Rajneeti. Today she is the most commercially successful heroine of bollywood.   The post 7 Bollywood Actresses Born In Another Country appeared first on TopYaps.

5 Greatest Debaters In Hindu Mythology Posted: 21 Nov 2013 11:46 PM PST Hindu mythology is a body of many traditional narratives comprising of Hinduism contained in the Sanskrit literature. Some of the epics that form the basis of Hindu mythology include the Vedas, Puranas, Mahabharata and Ramayana. There are many other works of ITIHASS that also form the part of the mythology, most notable of these is the Bhagavata Purana, which claims the status of the fifth Veda. Given the richness and the vastness of the Hindu mythology, it is considered that greatest mythologies in the world. There have been many great scholars and orators in the Hindu mythology, we have read and learnt about them, but there has been very little insight on some of the finest debaters in Hindu mythology. Taking the advantage of the void, we have compiled a list of 5 of the greatest debaters in Hindu mythology. 5. Durvasa Rishi: Durvasa was an ancient sage, who is believed to be born of Shiva's anger. Given the significance of his birth Durvasa has a very irascible nature. He was very grumpy about things and therefore always ended up in a discussion with everyone for every little thing. Borg to Atri and Anasuya, the incarnation of Lord Shiva, Durvasa was also very short tempered. Due to his temperament and debating attitude, Durvasa was received with great reverence whereever he went, both by the Devas and the humans alike. Ambaraisha and Lakshman were the biggest sufferers of Durvasa's curse. 4. Parshuram: Parshuram revered as the sixth avatar of Vishnu was a descendant of Brahma and was a student of Lord Shiva. Born to Renuka and saptrishi Jamadagni, Parshurama was considered as the reliever of earth from burdens by exterminating the sinful and irreligious kings whi were wasting the resources and neglecting the duties their throne demanded from them. Parshuram played very important roles in Mahabharata and Ramayana; he was the guru (mentor) of Bhisham pitama, Dronachrya and Karna. His extremist nature and short tempered attitude made Prashurama a very authoritative figure. He did not let any man or Deva stand in front of him when he would speak. A great orator, Prashurama was an invincible debater and one of the greatest worriers of all time. 3. Vidur: Vidur, according to the epic Mahabharata as half-brother to the kings Dhritarashtra and Pandu of Hastinapur, he was an incarnation of god of death – Yama. Being raised and educated by Bhishma himself as the half-brother of the princes, he was not offered the throne of Hastinapur because he was not of the royal blood. In addition to being one of the most central characters of Mahabharata, Vidur was the most intelligent characters. His intellect was praised by Bhishma and it made him one of the most revered in the entire kingdom. Given his oratory skills he was feared by everyone and he was respected as the most confidential advisor to the Pandavas. With his warnings, Pandavas escaped death on many occasions. 2. Ashtavakra: Ashtavakra has been mentioned in the Hindu scriptures as one of the most learned sages. Born with eight deformities, the sage is revered as the author of the Aṣṭavakra Gita or the Astavarkra Samhita, which was authored as a treatise to instruct Raja Janaka about self. King Janak and sage Yajanvalkya were the Ashtavakra's deciples. When he was in the womb, Ashtavakra's mother would attend sage Uddalaka's Veda classes. Ashtavakra in the womb had become familiar with pronunciations of every syllable so well that he corrected Uddalaka's best student Kahola on eight occasions of his pronunciations from within the womb. The agitated Kahola cursed the unborn child to be born with eight deformities on the body. 1. Naradmuni: Narada or Naradmuni is a prominent Vedic sage who has been an eminent part of Ramayana and the Bhagavata Purana. Narada is considered as the most travelled sage with the great ability to visit any distant world or realm. Naradmuni is considered as the first journalist on Earth; this made him a great orator and debater capable of even altering Lord Vishnu's views. Narada is considered as a pure glorified soul by Vishnu enthusiasts. Narada is also known to glorify Vishnu with his devotional songs singing mind-gripping names Hari and Narayana.   The post 5 Greatest Debaters In Hindu Mythology appeared first on TopYaps.

The 8 Mind-blowing Memoirs Ever Written Posted: 21 Nov 2013 08:32 PM PST A memoir is perhaps the easiest (and greatest) medium for an individual to set forth their life in black and white and let the world go through it. Though countless authors have done it till date, there are only a few whose masterworks never went unnoticed. Listed below are 8 memoirs that blow readers' minds! 8. Darkness visible (1990): Author: William Styron Already labeled as one of the best memoir topics to write on, Darkness Visible is Styron's life journey focusing mainly on his grave depression in life and a marvelous recovery later on. The story begins with the author flying to Paris in 1985 and how his mental health deteriorates during the trip. Styron attributes his depression very much to excessive use of alcohol and makes the story an extensive study on despair, its causes and effects. 7. And All is Said (2012): Author: Zareer Masani "And all is said: Memoir of a Home Divided" is a compelling and riveting narrative of the true account of two powerful personalities, their destined love, and later estrangement. Minoo Masani and Shakuntala Srivastava, parents of Zareer Masani belonged to completely different backgrounds, which gave rise to conflicts in their married life. Zareer created the story from the many diaries and letters of his parents and put forth their lives. 6. I Know Why the Bird Sings (1969): Author: Maya Angelou The memoir is an inspiring autobiography of Maya Angelou, an African-American poet and writer. Readers see her rise bravely from a victim of racism and discrimination to a competent woman, and this is what makes the work a long-established classic. Angelou attempts to represent and speak for American black girls and successfully does it through the memoir! 5. Speak, Memory (1951): Author: Vladimir Nabokov The memoir is a detailed account of Nabokov's childhood and the time of his life before his family immigrated to the US in the year 1940. The book helps one clearly understand the symbols and themes that made up the author's mind when he wrote it. As usual, Nabokov makes the most of his excellent writing abilities and devastating prose in the memoir to reach his readers. Initially Nabokov wanted to publish the book with the title 'Speak, Mnemosyne' but had to change his mind as his publisher feared that the public would not be interested in a book with a title so difficult to pronounce. 4. The Year of Magical Thinking (2005): Author: Joan Didion Joan Didion writes about the heartbreaking death of John Gregory, her husband, in her memoir that was published in the year 2005. In The Year of Magical Thinking, the author came up with the description of the year following her husband's death and the work was immediately highly praised as a classic book based on real-life mourning. This masterpiece of writing about a dear person's loss won the National Book Award for Nonfiction in the year 2005. 3. The Liars' Club (1995): Author: Mary Karr In 1995 when the memoir was published, the public was amazed to read something that could be tragic, funny, and terrifying at the same time. Only The Liars' Club could be the perfect medium for Marry Karr to walk all us through her unfortunate childhood. The title of the book best suits Mary's father and his good-for-nothing fellows who would skip work at the factory and gather to drink! 2. Maus (1991): Author: Art Spiegelman A graphic novel by Art Spiegelman, the book demonstrates the author asking his father's experience as a Polish Jew who had survived the holocaust. This amazing piece of work that is more of a comic work secured remarkable success because of different human races being symbolically depicted by different animals (Germans by cats, Jews by Mice etc.). The memoir won a Pulitzer Prize as the first ever graphic novel later in 1992. 1. The Diary of a Young Girl (1947): Author: Anne Frank The Diary of a Young Girl is basically a collection of writings by Anne Frank, fully based on her real life experience. While in hiding throughout the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands with her family, Anne wrote down what she went through bit by bit in the diary gifted to her on her 13th birthday. She died of typhus in a camp after her family was apprehended in the year 1944 and Miep Gies, the lady who hid Anne and her family gave the diary to Anne's Father. Originally named 'Kitty' by Anne herself, the book was later published under the title 'Het Achterhuis.' The post The 8 Mind-blowing Memoirs Ever Written appeared first on TopYaps.

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