Event: Lanch of Bushra Collection by Shubhashini Ornamentals at Buzzaria

This Saturday was unlike many other in Delhi. For all the jewelry lovers in town we were to be presented with the colors of the festive season as they begin soon with Eid and Rakshabandhan coming up, in our accessories reflecting joy and happiness. This was the theme on which was designed the Bushra collection by none other than the very talented designer Akassh K Aggarwal. Bushra the word in Arabic means "good news or omen", a perfect name for the season that has just begun. 

As you would see in the pictures below this collection has a very fine design using the filigree motif technique on the bright gold and silver, has light weight metal sheet work embossed with flora and fauna all of which makes it come alive. 

So here is a photographic journey into the Bushra Collection. The collection has in majority mostly earrings and neckpieces, also a few bracelets. Since I am an earring person I have been biased and taken single shots of the ones I loved the most. Which one did you love the most? Tell us in the comments below?

The event was graced by gorgeous ladies of Delhi including Neelima Azeem. You too can grab this collection at Buzzaria, Lado Sarai, New Delhi. For regular updates about their activities you can connect with them on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Buzzaria/info?tab=overview

I also got an amazing gift from the organizers and I loved it. Isn't it just aesthetic?

I thank Akassh K Aggarwal and Nidhi Gupta for very warm hospitality.

Outlier 2: Sneha Lata Saikia - Preserving Culture Deliciously

The outlier in this feature, Sneha Lata Saikia (lovingly known as Sneha)  is unique as she is mostly found around something we all love “good food”. She however has walked a mile further into preserving and spreading love for her land “the north east”, a comparatively lesser known part of our country with some of the most unique dishes and cooking styles. Sneha leads a one woman army to tell you about it tastefully, by actually making you taste it to remember it and her excellent cooking skills ensure you want more. Her food for now is only for the fortunate few in Delhi who are able to make it to her showcase pop-up events in association with a few restaurants. However if you approach her in her popular facebook group The Kitchen Affair or in person and ask her about any dish she will answer you in detail about it with delight. 

So allow us to educate you and ignite the hunger for the north eastern food with Sneha...

Q: Sneha tell us a little bit about yourself and your life so far?

A:  I belong to an Assamese family with a Army background and raised with equal rights along with my brothers. As my dad was in Indian Army, I have got the privilege to travel various places and learn different cultures. I am professionally a fashion designer but a food lover by soul which is slowly leading me to the food world to research and establish myself related to food. 

Q: What is the definition of “food” for you?

A:  Definition of food for me is simply to satisfy the soul "Atma tripti" in hindi. 

Q: When did you learn to cook and what was the first dish you made?

A:  Although I was never encouraged to learn cooking but a food lover inside me used to compel me to learn cooking and try new dishes. I haven’t got any formal training in cooking, I have just learned by watching people and Television shows . My first cooking was when i was in class 7, I had baked a cake on a stove . My dad who never liked me to enter in kitchen, was most proud at that moment. That was my first cooking dish, but I never cooked after that till the age of 17. At 17 I cooked a complete meal for 30 people and that too on my own birthday. 

Q: You are active on various food events and also run a food-centric group. So tell us how it all began?

A:  After joining social media, I joined many food groups and I always got attracted to people who loved food. Fashion or other discussions never attracted me. But I felt people were ignorant with entire Northeastern region. For some Assam means some other country. So I thought why not organizing food events showcasing my cuisine. Instead of arguing with people, I found this is best way to convey or educate people about cuisines of Northeast India.

Q: When and how did the idea of preserving culture with cuisine come to you?

A: Same reason, gave me a thought to showcase our culture. I do not want to show any fusion food of my region,as people are still ignorant of our cuisine, so better to show them authentic food of our region .

Q: How has the journey been so far? (Would love you to elaborate on the good and bad both here)

 A: My journey in this food world is very interesting. I got mix people, some of them are now my very close friends who are always ready to help me to showcase or talk about my cuisine. Some tried to pull me down as I do not reside in Assam and their verdict is how can i showcase an authentic cuisine living outside the region. My word for such criticism is "you can live outside Assam but you cannot leave Assam from your soul.” Whenever I go back home, I travel to village to village to learn different tribe's cuisine. 

Q: What are the peculiarities for the north eastern food that you love the most?

A: I won’t use the word peculiarity for my food. Northeastern food is fresh, healthy and flavorful. We add flavors with herbs which is healthy. Even WHO has declared our cuisine as most healthy food of India. I love the flavor of fresh bamboo shoots in curries. The tanginess of roselle leaves in meat or any veg curry, the bitter vegetables which purifies blood. 

Q: What are the dishes you love to cook?

A:  It is very difficult for me to pinpoint one dish which is my favorite to cook. But I find Masor tenga (tangy fish curry) very quick to cook.  

Q: Where can one find your recipes and taste your food next?

A: I post my recipes in my food group - The Kitchen Affair and you can relish my food on my pop up events. I had recently organized a Bihu special menu pop up on 24th of April '2016. I am planning to organize another one as soon as I get my ingredients from home, as I get my ingredients from back home. 

Q: Do you plan to go full-fledged into having your own restaurant or doing these events in other cities?

A:  I have no plans for opening up a restaurant but I am planning to go to different cities showcasing my cuisine. I have got an offer from Bangalore. I am working on it.  Sometimes people ask me where can they order my food, so this is encouraging me to start catering on demand. I still want to maintain it as my hobby.

Q: Five dishes from the north east one must try in their life time?

A: Oh I cannot limit my list to five, but here are the dishes one shouldn’t miss out on in life:

a) Sunga t diya Mangxo ( any kind of meat cooked in hollow bamboo ) .  Assam 
b) Eromba - Manipur 
c) Pork chutney- Tripura 
d) Jadoh - Meghalaya 
e) Bai - Mizoram ( Boiled veg, meat and rice ) 
f) Dry fish chutney ( Arunachal ) 
g) Pork with Anishi ( Nagaland ) 
h) Gya Thuk ( Sikkim)

Q: What are your other interests and hobbies?

A: My other interest is to make interesting concoctions with spirits and Northeast ingredients. I love listening to music and travelling. 

Q: What is Sneha’s philosophy in life?

A:  My philosophy in life is to respect human beings. No one is superior. You learn every day and on every step. 

Thanks a lot Sneha for your time and educating us about food. I am sure after reading this article we would be successful in breaking atleast the barrier of "unknown" when it coes to cuisine of North east. 

Sneha: It was a pleasure. 

If you are a foodie I am sure this is just the beginning of your journey in exploring the North east through the delicious route.

Note: Pictures courtesy - Snehalata Saikia. All the dishes in this article are cooked and clicked by her. 

A Glimpse into the Future of Green Technologies: From Algal Biofuel to Smart Recycling System

We, the humans call planet earth home. On one hand since the earliest civilizations we have loved and even worshiped it calling it "mother" - in essence the bearer, on the other its our greed which has plundered and polluted it to a point where it needs serious thought and more importantly action, if we do not wish to suffer the likes of fate humans in the movie interstellar did. Remember what professor John Brand tells Cooper? "We are not meant to save the planet, we are meant to leave it!" To prevent this very situation, inspired by the survival instincts deep rooted in our genomes, humans have begun on a trajectory from taking baby steps to using paper to plastic bags, using recycled paper, water, etc to bigger ones like developing alternate green energy sources, reaching an extent where recently having a day dedicated to educating more people to conserving nature, World Environment Day (WED).

                                        Image Courtesy: Intersteller

It is celebrated on 5th June to spread global awareness and increase sensitivity towards the environmental problems. The history of WED takes back to 1972, when it was established by United Nations General Assembly, on the day that United Nations Conference on the Human Environment began in the Stockholm Conference. Today WED is celebrated globally in more than 175 countries every year. Every year this day brings back the fear and responsibility in us to innovate ways which help us sustain longer, importantly without causing ore damage to the planet. This WED we went searching for  the major innovations in sustainable innovations which can save us all. 

                                   Image Courtesy: www.dekhnews.com
Over the last 20 years, there have been 1.2 million granted patents and published patent applications for green technology across the globe. Ideas like creating fuel from sources as diverse as marine algae, extracting gold from waste and intelligent monitoring of trash are no longer a science fiction. Likewise there are so many astounding innovation and technological development happening around the globe. Though it is unlikely that any one of these innovations is “silver bullet” solution; but the brighter side of the picture is that inventors and corporations alike are focusing inventive efforts on improving and increasing green technologies. 

Without further ado, here is a brief snapshot of four recent innovations to cover major domain of green technology that are worth keeping an eye on.

Algae fueling our car and planes

Globally, the demand for energy is increasing at exponential rate especially in developing countries such as in China and India. Additionally, the increased release of greenhouse gases (GHG) due to continued combustion of fossil fuels is creating serious threat to the environment. Biofuel emerged as a potential alternate for reducing world dependence on fossil fuel, but Biofuel have their limitations like availability of land.

Microalgae proposed for carbon sequestration, emerges as a viable option by producing fuel like biodiesel as a by-product. They are promoted as ideal third generation biofuel feedstock, because of their rapid growth rate, greenhouse gas fixation ability by balancing net zero emission and high production capacity of lipids. Further, they do not compete with food or feed crops, and can be grown on barren land and saline water. The major challenge, however, has been the high cost of recovering the oil from the algae prior to converting it into biodiesel.

There are many known extraction methods reported such as solvent extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, ultrasonic extraction, and mechanical pressing; however the downside is that they require longer extraction times, large volumes of solvents, and are energy- and cost-intensive. In comparison to vegetable oils that can be extracted by mechanically crushing the oil seeds from various crops followed by a solvent extraction, recovering oil from algal cells is limited by its rigid cell wall structure.

To address the above mentioned concern, here the inventor (U.S. Patent No. 8858657) used microwave-assisted extraction or extractive trans-esterification as the microwaves has the ability to penetrate through the cell wall structure, making it an efficient method for oils and lipids recovery. This invention provides a single-step supercritical alcohol process for simultaneous extraction and trans-esterification of wet algal biomass into biodiesel.

Solar energy recycling greenhouse gases
As far as alternative, renewable forms of energy are concerned, solar energy collection for the generation of electricity is one of the hot areas of research. Further it does not disrupt or create any threat for our ecosystem, the way oil and some other energy sources might. It does not cause greenhouse gases, air or water pollution. Different countries have prepared their solar energy policies for reducing dependence on fossil fuel and increasing renewable solar energy production. However, solar cell technologies are undesirably complex and expensive. 

Herein, the inventor Yong Lee of Seoul (U.S. Patent Application No. 20140102439) has developed a way to cut down on the complexity of generating energy through solar means utilizing greenhouse gases, which normally we consider to be pollution. This describes an apparatus consisting of a sealed compartment through which flows a greenhouse gas, in this case sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), a waste industrial gas that creates a very intense greenhouse effect. When this pipe of SF6 is exposed to sunlight, it heat-up to increase the temperature of the gas without electrical power and can applicable for the use of hot water supply and heating.

The advancement of technology also made intelligent monitoring of trash a reality, which can reduce the efforts of the garbage disposal companies to control every single recycling bin. Only the bins that are full will be emptied. Not only this smart trash bins automatically segregate and manage our trash but also send collection data to a central monitoring server.

Smart recycling system: Intelligent monitoring of our trash

To target the waste generated in public places, recycling systems typically rely on the strategic placement of bins for recyclable waste around facilities. Advanced recycling systems for the monitoring of recycling bins exist which use electronic sensors to report recycling events to a central monitoring facility, but the cost of purchasing and installing a system capable of monitoring an entire campus can be cost-prohibitive.                                         

This patent application (U.S. Patent Application No. 20140074298), filed by the University of Georgia Research Foundation in September 2013, would protect a smart recycling system capable of being retrofitted to existing recycling bins. The system includes a housing mounted to a recycling bin that uses sensors that can monitor for recycling events, such as when a person inserts a can or bottle into a receptacle. Further the sensors measure the level of recyclables deposited in a given recycling bin and report the measurements back to a central monitoring and data collection server. Visual feedback, such as a light display in the shape of a “smiley face,” could be provided to individuals to inform them that a proper recyclable has been inserted or the deposit of a non-recyclable.

Electronic waste management: Getting precious metals from throw away batteries

E-waste or electronic waste refers to old electrical and electronic equipment that have reached the end of their life. E-waste contains numerous toxins, which if not disposed in an appropriate manner can cause environmental pollution and health hazards. However, the brighter side is e-waste also contains metals and rare earths which can be recovered and reused. Thereby, proper e-waste management would ensure the extraction of metals from e-waste while the toxins are disposed with proper measures.

One of the major e-waste generated around the world are batteries, which constitutes harmful chemicals, e.g. battery acids, mercury, lead and cadmium, causing deleterious effect on the human body. Improved extraction of cadmium from spent nickel cadmium battery from spent nickel cadmium battery is the focus of CSIR patent application 1687/DEL/2010. The process is particularly useful for the selective cadmium extraction while avoiding the co-extraction of nickel and cobalt. Another Indian patent application 996/MUM/2008 by Sanjiv and Mohan describes a system which could replace galvanic cells and thereby reducing e-waste. Unlike conventional galvanic cells this inventions doesn’t use any chemical (other than water) as a part of the electrolyte solution. These water cells can be connected in series and parallel combinations to generate electricity.

The Authors:

Dr. Sudhanshu Sekhar Das, is an Assistant Manager at Ingenious e-Brain solutions, wherein he handles patent matters directed to life sciences theoretical research ranging from biotechnology, virology, molecular biology to diagnostics, therapeutics and small molecules.

He holds a PhD degree in life science from International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Delhi. He is also the author of numerous scientific publications, blogs and has given a number of presentations both in India and internationally.

Ingenious e-Brain Solutions

Nimi Vashi:  Founder and Editor: Matrix Life Magazine and The Readers Cosmos 

http://matrixlifemagazine.blogspot.in/p/about-me.html

                                                                                      

The Best Curated Content from Youtube.

Youtube has been one of the best internet platforms of our times. Anybody can upload anything and that has just clicked so well with people for there is just no limit to the space available to you to showcase your talent love, passion or hobby. Right fro fab base creations for popular shows like Game Of Thrones to actual short series which are created just for Youtube, one has infact better entertainment options for a speedier life. So here I am going to share everything I have loved watching on Youtube and if there is something you have loved and I have missed which you want me to share with the rest of the world or you are a Youtube junkie and wish to contribute to this section, well tell us in comments below or email us at matrixlife01@gmail.com.


Looking forward to sharing :) :) :). 

Go with Redigo

A car today is much more than being a luxury. It is a necessity but the one that comes with additional requirements like size, safety, comfort, performance etc. With increasing efforts into research and technology in the ever expanding automobile arena every few years some or the other glitches become a thing of the past. Selecting a car therefore isn't easy as everyone in a family has special needs, while the younger generation typically needs style the older ones need comfort and protection. Solving the confusion once and for all there is DATSUN-rediGO which has something for the entire family. 

                                              Ready, Steady, Go with redi-GO

The key features I love are:

1.     Safety: The car has an enclosing of crash proof cabinet and various shock absorbers. The body structure shell is optimized to be rigid and bear severe torsional stress and has better crash performance for which it has been tested. There is one in the seat which will prevent one from lunging forward and one on the steering wheel along with a force absorber balloon which  will prevent the steering wheel from hitting the driver in case of an accident. Often accidents lead to head injury as the head crashes onto the steering wheel. 

Shock Proof Body

                                                        Energy Absorber Baloon 

2.     Size, Space and Comfort: The greatest issues lie in this aspect of acar. Considering the heavy traffic load, people in metro cities just cannot buy a huge car which has to only lie in wait in traffic. One therefore would love to have the comfort of either a small cab or if they have their own car to drive to work every day it can be pop and show but a more practical car. At the same time a middle class family can only afford one car and therefore it cannot be so small that a family cannot fit in.  

                                                          Spacious Interiors 

The internal design of DATSUN-rediGo is made such that is both spacious and comfortable atleast to house four people at a tie. The seats are classy and made of fabric like that used in sports car making it super comfortable and stylish. The internal robust air conditioning feature also ensure that in Delhi’s sweltering summer the car will cool down instantaneously and you would have to wait for hours just to feel the relief of AC in your plush car.

3.     Best Performance in Least Price: Though the official price is only predicted yet, the efficient engine I-SAT which is  799cc. Burn rate of the fuel is  is

25.17 km/L. Therefore you can be on the road with your sweetheart as long as you want without thinking of the pocket. Also the computerized digital display can give you optimization of performance and live fuel tank statistics data. Therefore you can fill the fuel according your needs.

                     Digital Computer: Fuel and Performance Indicator

                                                          I-SAT Engine

  

Where would you test a car in India? I think any town or village road. For that is the true test of its durability and shock protection. On the other hand driving at a good speed on expressway or a mountain range can tell you how much of its maximum performance feature.

Considering all of the above, don't wait, book your redi-Go as it is launched on June 7. You can also buy it on snapdeal. For details visit https://www.datsun.co.in/redi-GO.html

  

Fun. Freedom. Confidence. The ultimate Urban Cross - Datsun redi-GO - the capability of a crossover with the convenience of a hatchback.

My Inspiration ... A Little Child At A Tea Stall

I entered 2015 as an immature teenager, carefree as most in my generation are; but our not so faulty stars had planned a lesson for me. A small yet significant incident with a little boy, younger than half my age that was to change my thought process for life.

I come from that middle-class family where one and only child is treated in luxury. They are provided with everything they need by their parents, who never let the child know how difficult it was for them in the first place. The child is literally spoilt. Here I don't mean people like me, privileged by birth do drugs and all. We are just careless spenders, not realising our money's worth, for it is not earned by us the hard way. But may be after a point the universe conspires with your mother who tells you each time to "save for a rainy day", only to be dismissed by your father, who believed in giving you what his father couldn't give him, at his own cost.

So I think my mother resorted to the Gods to drive some sense into me and they have the canvas of the entire planet to make it happen. So one day one of the millions of Gods my mom prsys to did get interested in me. I believe when he heard my mothers prayers and then looked down at me, he was amused by her problem and would have said " tathastu" ( I grant thou, thy wish). 

At that moment we were at a small new outlet that had recently started near my college campus with friends. Private colleges in India have teachers you don't really need. They are just cassette recorders playing word by word, each textbook word. So we were found mostly outside enjoying our lives, studying only a day before exams which was enough to score decently. There were some good teachers too, but they were like a needle in a hay stack, which meant you had to tolerated four boring lectures and in between was sandwiched a good one. We decided to not eat the sandwich, its place was taken glouriously by samosa and tea- the snack Indian youth can swear by.

I was in the gala company of the former when the God got interested. He set up a little play right there by sending a little boy about 10-12 years old. Funny was the guy above, his dark sense of humor now began its play. The child asked the shopkeeper that he had 50rupees and he wanted to buy something that was filling for both him and his hungry mother. He was also reluctant to spend it all and save some for tomorrow was another day and a stomach though lite needs filling each day. The shopkeeper gave the best options he could. He seemed to have known the child for sometime now. Suddenly the careless me, who wouldn't even care about peoples business that didn't concern me, got interested. The boy kept calculating in his little mind each option provided and setes for two parathas for 40 rupees. I was saddened when the elder gentleman told him it wouldn't be enough for two and the little guy flashed a very gentle, beautiful smile saying , as long as we get food today its a good day.

The God above looked and focussed on me, he started moving me. I went to the counter and asked the boy if I cod but him the meal for today, the boy gently declined saying, he earned his living and didn't want to beg or be dependent. I would give him food for today but tomorrow if he had none or lesser his stomach would want more. It wasn't his capacity to meet those needs, so he will est a full meal the day he earns enough. I was shocked by this answer. The shopkeeper gave him his stuff, he smiled at the packet, happy and proud to have earned his meal for the day, flashed one at me and left. The God now relaxed and would have had a sip of his favourite drink up there still enjoying this show ( I imagine), at that moment on earth, like lightning it struck me.

I suddenly felt ashamed of myself. Here was a ten year old wearing torn, tattered clothes barely covering his body but he had the sense of right. He earned his living, fed himself and looked after his mother. From what the shopkeeper added to his story, after the boy had left he lived at the traffic signal with his ailing mother who was unable to work. The boy worked at a construction site to provide for both. He wod never accept anything extra from the shopkeeper too, who offered many a times except for meals that would go waste. He wod take them for his mother thinking she would be better again, for all he had was her. He worked as much as his little body could, ate little and never took help from ànyone in terms of food for tbe re was another day and he couldn't afford a greedy stomach. 

http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/