KURSEONG-The Place of White Orchid

KURSEONG  is a hill station and sub-divisional town situated in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India.Situated at an altitude of 1458 mts, Kurseong is about 57 km from From New Jalpaiguri railway station and about 32 km from Darjeeling. The word Kurseong means – the place of White Orchid. Kurseong , is a tiny and bustling hill town, area is only 5.05 sq. Km with about 41'000 inhabitants.

I would certainly say Kurseong is a place worth for a vacation stay.

There are so many sightseeing view points. I would like to mention some of the important and major numbers here.

EAGLE’S CRAG (Durpin Dhara-2 Km) is the Sunrise Point of Kurseong. You can view Himalayan peaks with their golden glow for sunrise. Eagles Crag affords splendid views down the Teesta Valley and the steamy plains to the south.

A small concrete stairway leads up to the garden above. The garden is full of hedges and flowering plantations. There is also a watch tower on one side of the garden. The views of the mountains on the opposite side and also that of the lower plains from here is awesome.

There is a concrete altar here and a Khukri (traditional Nepali knife) placed on it. It serves as a monument which was constructed by the erstwhile DGHC in memory of the Gorkhas who lost their lives in 1988 agitation in the hills.

A large water reservoir here supplies water to Kurseong town. Eagle Craig has always been a favourite place for the local young couples. Being on top of a hill and a bit isolated, this place offers a nice romantic ambience. Eagle Craig is open on all days from morning till sunset. There is no admission fee.

DowHill Park (Deer Park-3Km), on the DowHill Road. you will find yourself between tall pine trees and the sound of nature. The sound of a creek running nearby, birds chirping, the regular hum of the cicadas. It is relatively safe as the locals are friendly and harmless.

Dow Hill park is located on top of Dow Hill. The fenced park itself is quite small. There are hedge and other different kinds of plantations. There is a gazebo in the park where you can sit and relax. There is also a small children playground with swings and slides. The park is open from 10am to 4pm. Closed on Thursdays. A nominal entry fee needs to be paid to enter the park.

In the adjacent forest there is a large fenced area where you can still see some deers. But venturing into the forest is not allowed, you can only look for the deers from outside the fence and often they can be seen moving around, but not in the park.

Makaibari Tea Estate, (4km along Pankhabari Rd south west of town) is a Traditional tea estate which offers insight in its history, the art of tea processing, and its pioneering work in biodynamic practices (demeter certified). You can meet the workers up-close wandering the fields between the 7 villages making up the estate.

GIDDHA PAHAR VIEW POINT (about 4Km) provides panoramic view of Kurseong Town and the plains of Siliguri. Wonderful photo ops for photo enthusiasts. There are some spectacular views to be witnessed from here. It is all green and pure.

If you look towards the Hill Cart Road below, you can see the road winding down side by side with the toy train track. Giddapahar view point is open daily during the day time and there is no entry fee. You can park the car by the road side.

Netaji Subash Chandra Bose Museum is located neareby this view point. It contains various documents and articles related with Netaji Subash Chandra Bose. It was originally a private house purchased in 1922 by Sarat Chandra Bose, the writer and veteran freedom fighter. Later in 1936 Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was confined for couple of months by the British in this Bungalow.

The museum is also known as Netaji Institute for Asian Studies where research and studies are conducted on Himalayan languages, society and culture. The museum is open daily. There is no admission fee. You will be required to take off your shoes before entering the museum. No photography is allowed inside.

Besides there are some another view points also in kurseong.such as:

Dow Hill Forest Museum. Giddapahar Seti Mata Temple, Ambootia Shiv Temple . St. Mary's Hill , Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Museum

Toy Train ride between Kurseong and Darjeeling .

From Kurseong station, you can make a day trip to Darjeeling. One of the best ways to do so is by taking a toy train from Kurseong station. There are two trains every day between Kurseong and Darjeeling. One leaves Kurseong in the morning at 07:00 hrs and the other in the afternoon at 15:00 hrs. Both take about 3 hours to reach Darjeeling. We have followed this route.

The Sachin Era

India is a cricket crazy country and there is a saying in India 'Cricket is my religion and Sachin is my God'. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, the name itself strikes terror in the hearts of bowlers and captains all over the world. He is famously called the Little Master or Master Blaster. This legend and star of Indian cricket was born on April 24, 1973 in Mumbai. He studied in Sharadashram Vidyamandir,a high school in Mumbai, where he began his cricketing career under the guidance of his coach and mentor Mr.Ramakant Achrekar. While at school, his extraordinary batting skills got noticed by the sports circuit. The young boy soon became one of the greats in cricket. Subsequently, he was selected for the Sportster Trophy for boys under 17.

He stepped into international cricket in 1989, playing his first Test against Pakistan. However, his maiden Test century came in England's tour in 1990. Within a month, he played his first debut in the ODI against Pakistan. In the 2003 Cricket World Cup, he made 673 runs in 11 matches which enabled India reach the final. Although Australia won the trophy, Tendulkar was given the “Man of the Tournament Award”. Till the last World Cup, he had played in five World Cups and finally in his Sixth World Cup in 2011, his dream of lifting the Cup came true.

“Every individual has his own style, his own way of presenting himself on and off the filed”, says Tendulkar. There are no apparent weaknesses in Sachin’s game. He has his own style and own way. He can score all around the wicket, off both front foot and back foot. He can tackle any kind of bowler.His technique is impeccable and he is very professional in his approach and has made the highest runs in a single calendar year. He packs tremendous power and strength into his short, stocky frame and his ability to time the ball is exemplary. He has been consistent, aggressive, physically fit and most importantly, always down to earth.

He has been improving on his excellence every day. He has been hitting Fifties, Centuries, Double Centuries consistently in all forms of the game. If you have observed his game nowadays, you might have noticed, many a time he steps out of crease and if bowlers try to confuse him by bowling bouncers or off stump, one can easily discern that in that situation also, he places the ball in gaps and that is really awesome. He runs in between the wickets like a Cheetah.

Sachin Tendulkar is considered one of the complete batsmen ever. He has all the shots in the book. Also, he is unarguably the biggest crowd puller and icon of the game. There were times in Indian households, when Sachin Tendulkar used to get out, people used to turn off their Television sets.Sachin has enthralled his legions of fans with many a great innings in more than twenty years that he has played cricket. But it is not just Sachin's willow that has enthralled cricket fans the world over, he has also made telling contributions with the ball.

Recognised by Sir Donald Bradman  as his modern incarnation, Tendulkar has a skill a genius which only a handful has possessed. It was not a skill that he was simply born with, but one which was developed by his intelligence and an infinite capacity for taking pains. If there is a secret, it is that Tendulkar has the keenest of cricket minds he learns every lesson, picks up every cue, and dominates the opposing attack sooner or later. In fact, he enjoys devouring bowlers of the opposition the most.

In 1988/ 1989, he scored 100 not-out in his first first-class match, for Bombay against Gujarat. At 15 years and 232 days he was the youngest to score a century on debut. He is, in fact, the only player to score a century while making his Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and Irani Trophy debut.

Some other highlights of Tendulkar's cricket career include highest number of Test centuries (51). He has played Test Cricket on 89 different grounds. He holds the record for the fastest to score 10, 000 runs in the history of Test Cricket along with Brian Lara (in 195 innings). Wisden named Tendulkar one of the Cricketers of the Year in 1997, the first calendar year in which he scored 1,000 Test runs. Tendulkar also holds the record for scoring 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year. He is the first cricketer to cross l0,000-run mark in ODIs. He is the first cricketer to have ever scored 200 in ODI. He has scored highest ODI centuries (49). He is the only player to have over 100 innings of 50+ runs. He has the highest individual score among any batsmen in the world.

He has been honoured with many prestigious awards including Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, Arjuna Award and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest sporting honour. Sachin Tendulkar has become the youngest and  the first sportsperson to be conferred the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award. The Prime Minister's Office made the announcement hours after Tendulkar brought down the curtains on a 24-year international career in this month, when he retired from Test cricket after his 200th game, played at the Wankhede Stadium against the West Indies in November 15.

Sachin Tendulkar is undoubtedly an outstanding cricketer - a living legend who has inspired millions across the globe. During the last 24 years, Tendulkar has played cricket across the world and won laurels for our country. He has been a true ambassador of India in the world of sports. His achievements in cricket are unparalleled, the records set by him unmatched, and the spirit of sportsmanship displayed by him exemplary. That he has been honoured to recognise his extraordinary brilliance and performance of highest order  in the field of sports world.

Today, Sachin Tendulkar is the most admired cricketer in the world. He is a role model. He is passionate about his game. He enjoys every moment of his profession. His dedication, hard world, and sincerity make him achieve success consistently and so he is not only successful in his career, but he is at the top in his profession also. Still he is down to earth. He respects his game, country and his fans. He is very much honest and loyal to cricket, country, his family and his fans. His fame, popularity never make him complacent. Every Indian should be proud of him. Every Indian should be proud of him. None of the batsmen can replace him and no words can express his amazing talent, power and achievement.

Though Sachin Tendulkar left cricket, the Sachin Era will never end as long as Cricket lives on Earth.

TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION KILLS CREATIVITY

There is a very hot debate whether technology is killing creativity or not. With people getting dependent on the services & other gadgets it is seen that it greatly affecting creativity.

Student should not rely too much on technology, but treat it as "a tool, like a pencil''. From an ethical perspective and in terms of shaping the mind it can be very dangerous. They consider anything is possible, because they know the use of digital technology. Then they lose their own effort, the pleasure of discovery, the pleasure of fatigue, the pleasure of mistakes.

Education has to guarantee that student can use all their senses, to read, to play, and to create.Digital technology could benefit student if they required movement, or interaction with other children or adults. But overuse could result in "unhealthy weight and a lack of social skills''.

Students are finding it difficult to persist at tasks because of the immediate nature of technology. Student don't have that experience of persisting in a task, to research, to plan, to imagine and to dream of ideas. They want answers and they need it now. But using pen and paper sometimes does help children to think logically about what they are doing.

Outstanding teaching, education content, and instructional design, in combination with personalized learning tools, will address this issue. Teachers can do even more of what they do best: motivate, provide individualized instruction, provoke discussion, and encourage critical thinking. Meanwhile, personalized learning tools facilitated by innovations in technology can ensure that high-quality and highly relevant content is delivered to each student in the most effective way, allowing every learner to master fundamental skills more efficiently and freeing up time for deeper learning, creative thinking, and tinkering . Those that are struggling with a given subject can quickly get back on track and gain confidence; meanwhile, those that are already excelling can extend themselves to new heights.

Success will not come easily. It will require plenty of hard work and dedication by everyone in the education eco-system, including students. But by using technology and data to inform and tailor instruction, and placing a high value on the best instructors, we can better equip more young learners to not just keep up, but to break through.

Creative people don’t follow the crowds; they seek out the blank spots on the map. Creative people wander through faraway and forgotten traditions and then integrate marginal perspectives back to the mainstream. Instead of being fastest around the tracks everybody knows, creative people move adaptively through wildernesses nobody knows.

Students have to jump through ever-more demanding, pre-assigned academic hoops. Instead of developing a passion for one subject, they’re rewarded for becoming professional students, getting great grades across all subjects, regardless of their intrinsic interests. Instead of wandering across strange domains, they have to prudentially apportion their time, making productive use of each hour.

Certainly giving people credit for originality, encouraging it, and giving kids some way of reflecting on whether these new ideas are more effective than existing ideas is a powerful pedagogy.” Nevertheless, putting a label or a grade on creativity is an entirely different problem, and one without a distinct solution. “The regime of standardized testing has led us all to believe that if you can’t count it… it doesn’t count,” .

The technological advances have definitely equipped us to deal with life more efficiently. But unfortunately our thinking capacity and mind power is reduced in our pursuit to master the use of the technology. Today a average person cannot do with his calculator even in small mathematical calculations. I am sure most of us find our grandparents handle numbers much better than us. If only we could strike the ideal balance between using technology and depending on it. The mobiles, internet and all this innovations can make a huge positive difference to our lives, provided we strike the ideal balance.

Technology in education kills creativity, stifles imagination, and destroys curiosity. It is too standardized.  It reduces students to test-taking-machines.  It forgets connections between intellect and feeling.  It neglects the imagination.  It doesn't permit people to make mistakes.  It forgets that sometimes the most important things in life -- love and trust and hope -- are vague.  It confuses clarity with wisdom. 

Overdependence on anything is not good. At this point, it do kill creativity, when we are over dependent but if we use technology in a constructive way. It becomes a symbol of creativity.


For a creative guy, technology becomes a tool !

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Troubleshoot of "Access is Denied" for File Sharing Violation

"Access is Denied" error message when you try to open a folder

To resolve this issue, you must turn off Simple File Sharing, and then take ownership of the folder:

1.                Turn off Simple File Sharing:

a.        Click Start, and then click My Computer.

b.        On the Tools menu, click Folder Options, and then click the View tab.

c. Under Advanced Settings, click to clear the Use simple file sharing (Recommended) check box, and then click OK.

2.                Right-click the folder that you want to take ownership of, and then click Properties.

3.                Click the Security tab, and then click OK on the Security message, if one appears.

4.                Click Advanced, and then click the Owner tab.

5.                In the Name list, click your user name, Administrator if you are logged in as Administrator, or click the Administrators group. 

If you want to take ownership of the contents of that folder, click to select the Replace owner on sub containers and objects check box.

6.                Click OK. 

You may receive the following error message, where Folder is the name of the folder that you want to take ownership of:

You do not have permission to read the contents of directory Folder. Do you want to replace the directory permissions with permissions granting you Full Control? All permissions will be replaced if you press Yes.

7.                Click Yes.

8.                Click OK, and then reapply the permissions and security settings that you want for the folder and the folder contents.

 

Fixing sharing violation or file may be in use errors

Note that getting the Access is Denied message can be caused by a sharing violation, so if the above method did not work, try the following. You can download and install a free program called Unlocker that will allow you to right-click on the file or folder in question and see all of the processes that currently hold a lock.

If the program finds any locks, you’ll get a window as shown below where you can either kill the process or Unlock all of the processes.Also, you can choose an action from the drop down menu, which includes Copy, Move, Delete and Rename for a locked file. The program is very useful when you get these types of error messages:

·                                 Cannot delete file: Error 5 Access is denied

·                                 There has been a sharing violation

·                                 The source or destination file may be in use

·                                 The file is in use by another program or user

·                                 Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is not currently in use

Program is very light weight and does not take up very many resources at all. Works pretty well, but of course I was not able to test every situation! Like I said above, if you’ve been denied access manually by someone, you will not be able to get into that folder or file unless you are given permissions from an Administrator!

I would recommend uninstalling "any" HP software first, then download and install the latest driver from HPs site. You could could also try running the installer with all startup apps disabled incase there is some conflicting software. You can do this by typing in "msconfig" from start > run. Once open select "selective startup" then uncheck "load startup items". If you resort to this be sure you have uninstalled all HP software first as some HP software does run at startup. Also be sure to re-enable the startup items after troubleshooting.