“Life is short, but there is always time enough for courtesy.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, poet 03POLISH YOUR SKILLS

When at the airport,and in the plane Reach on time. Bad traffic is not an ex-cuse to reach late, and then asking otherpassengers to give you way for the board-ing pass so that you can rush for the se-curity check. Certain areas at the airport are no-pho-tography zones. Don’t hide and click self-ies there. Rules are there for a reason.

It’s understandable that you are excited about the vacation but don’t runamok on the flight as it’s inconvenientfor other passengers. Also, don’t take pictures of the airline staff without their permission.If you are really keen on getting yourpictures with them, request politelyand don’t ask again if they say ‘NO’. Respect co-travellers’ private spaceon the plane. Don’t speak loudly or tryto chit-chat with fellow passengers, whodon’t show any interest in interactingwith you. Many like their time alonein flights – do respect their privacy. Please don’t take out your cabin luggage the moment the plane lands.Also, do not stand at the aisle and blockother people sitting in middle or win-dow seats, just to rush out of the planeearly; apart from being excedeeinglyrude, you come across as not-so-smartwhen you do this.

Arecent incident inBali, Indonesia,where an Indianfamily was caught

trying to sneak out hotelgoods — hair dryers, towelsand other daily use articles— has brought the focus backon a contentious issue – trav-el etiquette. While some rulesmay vary, there are some com-plete no-nos. Here are somebasic doS and don’ts that mustalways be followed...

When you reach the hotelDon’t keep calling the hotel staff forevery little errand. You can manage some on your own. They haveto attend to all clients, not just you. It’s best to reach on time for break-fast buffet/dinner rather than reach-ing late and then trying to haggle withwaiters or hotel staff for a meal.

Don’t treat the hotel room asyour private property. Checkwith your parents/elders ifyou are confused about whatto use from the room, wash-rooms, fridge etc. Also, youare not allowed to take any-thing, which isn’t your proper-ty from any hotel rooms any-where. Period!

Must-do for travel* Travel (inside flight/bus/tram) isnot the time to engage in any sortof personal grooming, such as nailclipping, hair brushing, etc.* Learn a bit about the cultureand history of the place so thatyou don’t appear clueless. Therest you can learn while being atthe destination.* Brush up on the cuisine and dining customs of the place

MIND YOUR MANNERS

When out for shopping/eating outDon’t fight with your siblings orbully your parents to buy you thisor that in public. If you need any-thing (gifts, clothes, etc.), convey itpolitely to your elders. Respect queues in eateries. Don’trush ahead of the person who is before you. It’s totally uncivlised be-haviour that’ll give a bad name toyour country. Being loud in a restaurant is notokay. Talk softly and also treat waiters and helpers with respect.

When on public tours Don’t listen to loud music on thetour bus. Obstructing the way withheavy luggage is inappropriate. Culture/food tours start at a stipulated time, and every activity pro-ceeds accordingly. Be on time insteadof expecting tour buses to wait for you. Respect the decorum of art galleries and museums. Art is for appreciation and not to flaunt to theworld. Refrain from taking selfies at the museum.

ADAPTED FROM TIMES LIFE

wellness anxiety?Do you have

Are you always thinkingabout your next meal?Does a party invitationor holiday plan make

you anxious? Do you punish your-self with extreme workouts if youhave had an indulgent meal? Isyour necessary family time get-ting compromised because of yourmorning fitness regimen? If theanswer is yes, then you have whathealth experts are calling: “wellness anxiety”.

Stop obsessingHealthy living is not just abouthow clean eating or being active;it’s also about peace of mind andliving a lifestyle that gives youtrue freedom. Be conscious of the

thin line between being a fitnessenthusiast and a fitness freak.Crossing the line adds a lot ofmental anxiety. It may also undoall the good exercise has done toyou so far as stress wreaks havocon your body and elevates corti-sol levels (linked with every healthissue – from weight gain to hor-monal imbalance and more).

Slow downThere are many among us who donot even allow time for their bod-ies to heal or recover from a flu oran injury. They simply wouldn’tskip their fitness regimen – thistakes a heavy toll on the bodythough people don’t realise it un-less it’s too late. Being sick is our

body’s way of asking us to slowdown. One must honour that. Ourbody cares for only one thing –survival – and it will do everythingto help you survive. Just remem-ber that falling immunity is yourbody’s survival strategy: it’s warn-ing you to slow down lest you burnout completely.

Learn to unwindWhen swamped with work, it’sokay to skip your scheduled work-out. Not every day is going to bethe same. Instead of living in de-nial by being on the treadmill, dosomething that truly helps you un-wind – relaxing music, meetingfriends or just sleeping early.

TNN

Live in balance andnever follow an extremepath, come what may

Competeonly withyourself

Reduce time spent onsocial media or with peoplewho make you feel badabout yourself

Set realistic goals andbreak them down into

doable actions

Don’t overcommit

Perfection is overrated.Focus on progress

Never chase your goals.Whatever you do, do it withfaith. Overall, stay happy

MANAGE WELLNESS ANXIETY

INTROSPECTION

Q I have a friend who refuses to leave after gettogethers at my place. She doesn’t even take the

hint when I suggest she should leave. Is there a way toask her to leave without sounding impolite?

– A Tired Friend

A. We have all had one suchrelative or friend who stayslonger than required. To dealwith such situations, checkthese tips. Say this: If your friendshipwith this person is still a bitformal, suggest an end timeto the lunch or dinner rightfrom the outset. For exam-ple, in the initial invitation,mention that you’ll need to“Wrap things up by 8 p.m.” because of an early-morningcommitment. This will set clear boundaries and your guestswill be mentally prepared to leave early. Say this: Later in the day or evening, when you are ready forthe party to end, stand up and say to your friends, “Let’swrap up now though I wish we could spend more timetogether. But I got to go for my music class early morning.”

BByy SSuunnaaiiiinnaaaa AA HHaakk,, eettiiqquueettttee gguuiiddee

ExpertSPEAK

How can we express differ-ences of opinion graceful-ly? In the Age of Reaction,our primal nature gets thebetter of all of us – a far

cry from the civil times when we couldbe friends, socialise, have differingopinions, and still know which bound-aries not to cross, lest we appear un-civil. Alas, that’s not the case anymore.But here are some ways we can disagree – without being ugly.

Less emotion, more patience Our views are usually based on our

personal experiences and prejudices.When others have ideas that contra-dict our beliefs, it can feel like a per-sonal attack. Resist the tendency tomake it about who’s right and who’swrong. Focus on the facts as you lis-ten objectively and explain yourthoughts. Be patient and put yourpoints with honesty and confidence.

Conflict is inevitableArguments are part of life. Don’t backaway from giving important informa-tion or sharing your views because itgoes against the group consensus. Be

straightforward but convey your opin-ion politely (ideally, with a smile). Avoidfinger pointing.

Focus on the outcomeResearch the topic well and cover allthe angles before taking a firm stand.Avoid getting so attached to winningan argument that you lose sight ofthe objective. Remain calm and referto long-term goals and the bigger picture while you are talking.

Know when to stopIf you think a topic is controversial,and is bound to bring out emotionalresponse, train your mind to keepcalm. Listen to all points of view, andremember that people remembergrace and maturity in the face ofadversity. Maintain your profession-alism and earn the respect of thosearound you – be it home, school, orsocial media. COMPILED BY TEAM NIE

How to disagree andstill remain civil

LIFE SKILLS

It’s not aboutbeing right or

wrong butknowing when

to bow out

Avoidfinger

pointingFocus onthe bigpicture

Be solutionoriented to

manageconflict

Patience is avirtue, especially

when it’s beentested

Don’t be scaredto voice youropinion – with

a smile

MUST SEE

■ HOW DO ANIMALS DO THAT?, ANIMALPLANET, 3.00 PM: Experts examine howhumpback whales leap far out of thewater, why dogs tilt their head andhow spiders shed their own skin.

■ RIVER MONSTERS, DISCOVERY CHAN-NEL, 5.00 PM: A disturbing report fromSoutheast Asia of something in thewater that sliced through a young manis enough to lure Jeremy Wade to theshores of the Mekong.

■ WHACKED OUT SPORTS, HISTORY TV18,7.00 PM: A compilation of jaw-drop-ping sports bloopers featuring crash-es, falls and outrageous sports stuntsbordering on humourous performedby people from around the world.

■ HOW TO?, DISCOVERY SCIENCE, 8.00PM: Experts put the world's most famous diamond to the test and showhow they are formed and if man-madediamonds can fool them.

■ WILD WILD WORLD, NAT GEO WILD, 9.00PM: The hosts venture into the wilder-ness across the globe to study the training that predatory animals endure from the day of their birth.

1741: Danish navigator Vitus JonasBering discovered Alaska.

1828: The first session of RamMohan Roy's Brahmo Samaj was heldin Kolkata (then Calcutta).

1897: Ronals Ross discovered malar-ia parasites in anopheles mosquitowhile working in Presidency GeneralHospital (SSKM Hospital in Kolkata).

1914: German forces occupiedBrussels, Belgium, during World War I.

1917: British Parliament declared thepolicy of gradual realisation ofresponsible government of India.

1940: France fell to the Germansduring World War II.

1944: Rajiv Gandhi, former PM ofIndia (1984-89), was born in Bombay.

1960: USSR recovered two dogs,they were first living organisms toreturn from space.

1979: Charan Singh resigned 23 daysafter he became PM of India.

2010: Last American combat brigadeexited Iraq more than 7 years afterthe US-led invasion began.

2014: BKS Iyengar, Indian yoga advocate, died at 95.

THIS DAY THAT YEARTELEVISION

■ PETE'S DRAGON, &FLIX, 3.00 PM: PeteHealy, an orphan, travels with Grace,a ranger, to search his friend Elliot, agreen dragon with wings, after he disappears from the forest.

■ ERASER, SONY PIX SD, 4.29 PM: John,a marshal with the Witness SecurityProtection Program, tries to protecthimself and Lee Cullen, a witness inan illegal arms deal, after he learnsthat his mentor, a fellow marshal, isa mole.

■ SON OF THE MASK, WB, 7.18 PM: A cartoonist faces a dilemma when hisdog chances upon the mask of Loki.After conceiving an infant son by themagical powers of the mask, he understands just how difficult childraising can be.

■ ANT-MAN, MOVIES NOW, 9.00 PM: Crim-inal Scott gains the ability to shrinkin scale with the help of a futuristicsuit. Now he must rise to the occasionof his superhero status and protecthis secret from unsavoury elements.

MOVIES ON TV

MUST DOAUGUST20, 2019