Progressive Woman

Tourism Goa - Resorts, Beaches and Carnival

2006-06-04T09:12:00.000-07:00

Here i am, this time i would be covering my favorite topic - the tourism. This time i shall be covering Goa. Internationally renowned for its beaches, Goa is visited by hundreds of thousands of foreign and domestic tourists each year. Goa is one of the states of India, located on western coast side with Panaji as its capital. The Western Ghats, which form most of eastern Goa, have been internationally recognised as one of the biodiversity hotspots of the world.

In the February 1999 issue of the National Geographic Magazine, Goa was compared with the Amazon and Congo basins for its rich tropical biodiversity.

I have been to Goa before but this time it was special. It was the first time after my
marriage that i was vacationing with my husband. We had been planning and saving for this vacation since one year. Fortunately, in India the flights have become quite cheaper and well within the reach of a common man. We got flight for unbelievable price of 10$, though in advance of three months time from the date of travel. But this will give you pretty good idea of how affordable it is to fly in India. While our flight was taking off, we happen to see the U.S president's air force one as the same day, he was visiting Hyderabad, where i am based.

Best Time to visit Goa - October to May

The flight took ~2 hours and here we are at Goa's sole airport – the Dabolim Airport. It is a small airport and hard to believe it handles such a large traffic. Well, it was a bright sunny day of march and as expected Goa was little humid. We were just thinking of how to reach our resort, just then a lady from the Goa department of tourism asked us if she can help us in any manner. It seemed like she read our mind and the dilema we were in, she arranged us an air conditioned taxi at reasonable rate. On the way, both sides of road are covered with coconut trees, it is a different experience to see low traffic on the roads. It took us 45 minutes to reach our resort which was in North of Goa, and just next to the beach, vagator. Oh, i forgot to mention, Goa has plenty of beaches to suit your type, of which Anjana, Calangutta, Wagah beaches are quite famous. While beaches on the north are quite busy, the one in the south Goa are pretty quite. Since i love more lively beaches, we booked resort in this area. I was lucky to get an exclusive cottage just touching the beach. I felt like the breeze and sound of waves coming from beach is welcoming us in Goa.

Goa is India's richest state with a GDP per capita one and a half times that of the country as a whole, and one of its fastest growth rates: 8.23% (yearly average 1990-2000). Tourism is Goa's primary industry: it handles 12%[4] of all foreign tourist arrivals in India.

A unique form of transport in Goa is the yellow-and-black two-wheeler Motorcycle taxi, operated by drivers who are locally called "pilots". These vehicles transport a single pillion rider, at fares that are usually negotiated prior or after the journey. In some places in Goa, there are river crossings which are serviced by the ferry boats, operated by the river navigation departments. To roam around on the beaches, my husband hired a motor bike which we get on rent as low as $5 per day; it gives you lot of flexibility and saves some money as well. On our very first day we were just getting impatient to touch the beach. It was the evening time and it was amazing to see the sun to setting down. Here, we could find people from different states of India, some on honeymoon, some with college mates, some with family but with one common aim - chilling down here in Goa. The day ended with dinner at resort with dishes, and delicacies of Goa.

Food - Rice with fish curry is the staple diet in Goa. Goa is renowned for its rich variety of fish dishes cooked with elaborate recipes.

The next day, resort people called us for a sea ride to see the dolphins which are found at some distance from the shores. The boat took us to a spot in the middle of the sea, from where we could see the dolphins moving in groups but hard to catch on camera being more agile. After this, we were taken to a small island known for sea birds habitation. It was at some distance from the shore and water was completely transparent. We spent sometime there catching these birds on the camera and then came back to resort. Today we got the opportunity to meet other couples in the resort who took the boat ride with us.

In the evening we all jointly hired a MUV and headed to see the old Goa, which is house to couple of good places with historic backgroud. Among these were the chruch, museum, a temple, and a point from where you can look at most of the coast of the city. The church has beautiful interior and very soothing, peaceful from inside.

Culture - Goa has two World Heritage Sites: the Bom Jesus Basilica and a few designated convents. The Basilica holds the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier, regarded by many Catholics as the patron saint of Goa. Once every decade, the body is taken down for veneration and for public viewing. The last such event was conducted in 2004.

After watching all these places, we all felt the urge to have our great indian food and it was not an effort to find some of the good restaurents with indian cuisine. In the evening we went for the cruise and later in the night we tried our hands in a casino. Interestingly, Goa is the only place in India, where betting and gambling is legal. We were naive to casino and ended up loosing couple of bucks, but it was good fun at the end of the day.

Music - Goa a part of India since 1961, had been ruled since the 16th century by Portugal, and has thus had historically closer connections with Western classical and popular music than the rest of India. Over the centuries, indigenous Goan music was combined with European music, particularly that of Portugal.

Next day, we went to Anjana beach, quite crowded and live till late hours. Here you can shop for anything from wine to clothing, we also did some shopping. It has some tattoo shops and some great restaurents. Most of the restaurents here have DJs and coming here in the evening paints entirely different picture.

Next day, which was the final day of my stay here, we spent some early morning time saying adieu to our new friends and then we headed to beach for the last time and these few moments we enjoyed the most, playing with waves and walking along the beach.

February heralds the carnival at Goa. For three days and nights, the streets come alive with colour. The Carnival is a truly Goan celebration, it has a Portuguese flavour with continuous singing, dancing, loud music, lots to eat, floats and processions.

I missed the carnival that takes place in February, which is quite famous, Still for me It is a heaven!
One can indulge in lot of activities in Goa. If you love water sports nothing like it, you can also do para-sailing, para-gliding. It was really such a fun and we left Goa hoping to make it again soon. If you are planning for Goa then i wish you "Happy vacations!".

Quote of the week:
World is in details | unknown

Pregnancy & Birth - Preserve your new born baby's cord blood stem cells

2006-05-28T04:05:00.000-07:00

Being pregnant is an altogether different but pleasant experience. Of course, every parent wants the best for their child. And now science gives you the ability to secure the future wellness of your child and other family members. The solution - Umbilical cord blood banking.

What is cord blood?

Cord blood, which is also called "placental blood," is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta following birth and after the cord is cut. Stems cells are what make cord blood valuable.

What Are Stem Cells?

Stem cells are the body's "master" cells because they create all other tissues, organs, and systems in the body. The ability of cord blood stem cells to differentiate, or change into other types of cells in the body is a new discovery that holds significant promise for improving the treatment of some of the most common diseases. The stem cells can easily transform into:

Red Blood Cells, which carry oxygen to all the cells in the body
White Blood Cells, which fight infection
Platelets, which aid in clotting in the event of injury

Sources, where stem cells are commonly found:

Umbilical Cord Blood
Bone Marrow
Peripheral Blood (the blood that circulates through your body)

Like donated bone marrow, stem cells from umbilical cord blood can be used to treat various genetic disorders like leukemia and certain cancers, heart disease, stroke, and Alzheimer's. But Cord blood is a richer source of stem cells than bone marrow, with nearly 10 times as many blood-producing cells, so fewer cord blood cells are needed for a successful transplantation.

Cord blood also has advantages over adult stem cells. Cord blood stem cells, unlike adult stem cells, are less likely to contain DNA abnormalities caused by sunlight, toxins and errors in DNA replication during the course of a lifetime. Cord blood stem cells are also less likely to be rejected in transplants.

Where Do Stem Cells Come From?

Following the birth of a baby, the umbilical cord is cut and usually discarded, along with the placenta. However, medical research has shown that the blood that is retrieved from the umbilical cord is a rich source of stem cells. Stem cells are generic cells that can develop into specialized cells such as a brain cell, a red blood cell, or a muscle cell. Freezing these cells essentially stops the clock and prevents aging and damage that may occur to the cells later in life.

When are stem cells used?

When patients suffering from a disease such as leukemia undergo successful treatment with radiation or chemotherapy to destroy the cancer cells alive in their body, the radiation and chemotherapy treatments not only destroy the cancer cells, rather, in the process; they may also destroy the patient's healthy cells and bone marrow.

Bone marrow is essential for the production of blood cells. If the bone marrow is destroyed, a stem cell transplant becomes necessary. Transplanted stem cells re-populate the bone marrow thereby replenishing the body's supply of cells.

Cord blood stem cells have been found to differentiate into neural cells, which could lead to treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. They have also proven their ability to turn into blood vessel cells, which could some day benefit treatments for heart disease, allowing patients to essentially "grow their own bypass."

Why are doctors turning to cord blood instead of bone marrow?

Easier to match -- higher survival
Bone marrow is difficult to match between the donor and recipient because a perfect match is usually required. Cord blood cells, however, are less mature than in bone marrow and can be successfully used even when there is only a half-match. This means there is more opportunity for transplants between family members when cord blood is used. Overall survival rates for related transplants are found to be more than double that of transplants from unrelated donors.

Immediate availability
Banking cord blood ensures that these stem cells can be immediately available if they are needed for treatment. Early treatment of many illnesses can minimize disease impact.

Less GVHD
Overall, patients who receive cord blood transplants from a relative experience significantly less Graft vs. Host Disease (GVHD), a transplant rejection that is the leading cause of death in stem cell transplant patients.

What is graft vs. host disease (GVHD)?

GVHD is one of the most common and life threatening side effects of a stem cell/bone marrow transplant. GVHD occurs when the transplanted stem cells recognize the recipient's body as foreign, and "reject" it. Cord blood transplants have had a noticeable lack of GVHD because the stem cells from the donor do not need to match the recipient as closely as with bone marrow.

What is HLA matching?

Matching refers to six proteins called Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) that appear on the surface of white blood cells and other tissues in the body. These six HLA points, or loci, determine tissue compatibility between a patient and a donor. Although a perfect match would be best, studies have shown that cord blood transplants are successful, even when only three of the six loci match. With cord blood, the immune cells are less mature than those in bone marrow, and therefore siblings are twice as likely to be able to use each other's cord blood, compared to bone marrow.

The Benefits of Cord Blood Banking

Cord blood stem cells are investment for the whole family. Using a family member's stored stem cells gives the patient a higher probability of finding an exact or acceptable match for their transplantation options. The probability that the stem cells will be an exact HLA type blood match is as follows: 1/1 for the child the stem cells were collected from, 1/2 for mother and father of this child, and 1/4 for a sibling of the child whose stem cells are saved from. Stems cells are also a probable match for other relatives in the child's blood line. Stem cells are more compliant with the body and its ability to accept foreign material in the process of increasing and sustaining healthy cells. The list of diseases which can be treated is growing every year as scientists study this fascinating field.

Diseases treated with stem cell transplantation?

The list below reflects some of the types of diseases that have treatments involving cord blood stem cell transplantation.

Heart Attacks. Doctors have infused stem cells into the damaged heart muscle of numerous heart attack patients to see if the cells would generate new heart tissue and repair the damage. Results are promising.

Coronary Artery Disease. Doctors have infused stem cells in the hearts of patients with clogged arteries. The stem cells helped new blood vessels grow around the blocked arteries, thus improving blood flow to the areas in the heart at risk of damage.

Vascular Disease. Stem cells have been shown to grow new blood vessels around narrowed or damaged arteries in the limbs and restore impaired blood flow.

Nerve and Brain Damage. Researchers have recently shown in a laboratory setting that human stem cells can mature into nerve cells. The implication of this for treating a variety of neurological problems is astounding.

Strokes. Researchers have shown that infusing human stem cells into rats improves brain function after a stroke or traumatic brain injury.

Multiple Sclerosis. Doctors have infused stem cells into patients with MS and have shown mild improvement in their disease.

Diabetes. it is another disease that is affecting more and more people. If stem cells could regenerate new pancreas tissue, millions of people could benefit. Future might hold many more promises.

Here are some benefits when cord blood is used instead of bone marrow:

Research has shown that survival rates double when a person's own cord blood or a family member's cord blood is used, compared to using an unrelated donor sample from a public stem cell bank.
Having your own private sample ensures immediate availability of a perfectly matched sample.
While bone marrow can also be a source of stem cells if needed, cord blood stem cells are easier to match for family members, thus increasing the chance that a family member can receive a related stem cell transplant.
Research has shown that patients who receive cord blood stem cell transplants have a smaller chance of rejecting the cells, compared to bone marrow stem cell transplants.

How cord blood is collected and stored

Months before your due date, the cord blood bank sends you a collection kit that contains everything that is needed for the process. The bank also sends your OB or Midwife instructions to make sure he or she knows how to collect the blood. When baby is born, and the umbilical cord is cut, the OB or Midwife collects the blood from the remaining umbilical cord and placenta (not from baby) into a syringe or blood bag. The process takes a few minutes; It can even be collected during a C-section. A family member places the cord blood into the pre-addressed mailing package, and makes one phone call to a medical courier to pick up the kit. Within hours the cord blood is picked up and shipped overnight to the cord blood bank. Once there, it is processed. The stem cells are removed from the cord blood, and it is placed into deep freeze storage. Collecting cord blood is simple, completely safe and non-invasive, and takes very little time.

Hoiw to choose a cord blood bank?

Making the decision to bank our baby's cord blood was easy. Deciding whom we should trust to do the banking is more challenge. Here are some reasons on the basis of which you can decide:

bank has prior transplant experience, this was important to me because if a bank has never used a single sample, how do they know their samples are viable and being stored properly?
bank is accredited, and has a good track record. Why is this important? Many hospitals won't accept units for transplant unless the storage facility is an accredited blood bank.
It is a cord blood bank and not just a middle-man.
Bank is affiliated with some of the well-respected institution. This gives you confidence that they are a professional institution that has a long-term interest in stem cell research and medical applications. It also gives other doctors who are treating their patients with stem cells confidence to know the samples are coming from a reputable institution.
bank is a financially strong company and has been storing cord blood since quite sometime. This is crucial because you want your samples to still be around in 20 years or more.

Storing Cord Blood

The cord blood bank asks the mother to complete a consent form and health history questionnaire and give a small blood sample. Collecting cord blood poses no health risk to the mother or infant donor and no collection is made if there are any complications during delivery.

After the baby's birth, the umbilical cord is clamped, breaking the link between the baby and the placenta. Trained members of staff drain the blood from the umbilical cord and placenta. The blood is usually collected using a needle to draw the blood into a blood bag. The collection usually takes ten minutes or less and it is then sent off for cord blood storage. On average, about three to five fluid ounces are collected from the umbilical cord to produce enough stem cells.

A private bank ensures the cord blood stem cells are available only to the family who preserved the cord blood. The stem cells are an exact match for the baby, and the cells have at least a one in four chance of being an exact match for a sibling.

Some Useful links

Stem cells - cure for paralysis

Cord blood banking FAQ

Future Research

Final note

Deciding whether or not to go ahead with banking your baby's cord blood is a your personal decision and it is also a financial commitment. But parents only have one chance with each child to take advantage of this technology. When choosing where to store your child's cord blood cells, make sure the choice you make is as serious about storing the cord blood cells as you are. You can enroll anytime during your pregnancy, but the earlier you do so, the more time you and your attendant have to receive the collection kit.

Quote of the week:
"Do, or do not. There is no 'try" Yoda (' The Empire Strikes Back')

Who is the targetted audience?

2006-05-27T23:47:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Namaste & Welcome to the blog!

This is the first post from me on this blog. I shall be writing weekly on the matters of interest to comman man in living his/her life with more grace and awareness. The articles will be as diverse as it can get and will cover science, information technology, bio-technology, gadgets, diseases & cures, travel and lifestyle.

The idea is to come up with a blog where you can look up to get useful information which will make significant difference to your life in more than one way.

Closing on a good note - Have wonderful time reading on this blog, i sincerely look back to your feedback on the posts.

Quote of the week:
All men by nature desire knowledge. | Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC), Metaphysics