A Thekkady Easter

/ Douglas Bruce / Leave a comment

The dawn of my Easter Holiday experience in Kerala started with this unique communion bread served with Molasses sauce to represent the wine. The beautiful church nearby the resort was filled beyond capacity but I fully enjoyed the Sunday service together with other worshippers standing across the street. There I stood, not understanding any of the words (the service was in Malayalam) but following all the rituals with the same sense of peace as in my own church in Accra, Ghana.

After a good lunch and the sleep of the blessed I had my road to “Emmaus” experience by going on the 3 hour Green Walk in the Periyar Tiger Reserve with one of the naturalist guides. Continue reading →

Is Giving the Secret to Getting Ahead?

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From this week’s Sunday New York Times an article by Susan Dominus in which the:

organizational psychologist Adam Grant argues that the key to hyperefficiency is tirelessly helping others. Continue reading →

Aihole Temples – Karnataka

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Photo Credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

Photo Credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

Aihole was the capital of the Chalukyan Kings, who between the 4th and 6th century A.D began experimenting with the idea of constructing temples with stone blocks. Aihole has over 125 temples, all intricately carved and rich in detail. Durga temple has a semicircular apse and a sanctum, encircled by a richly carved colonnaded passageway. Durga temple is roofed in the usual flat Early Western Chalukyan manner. The niches in the circumambulatory  passage around the sanctum are filled with statues; notable among them are splendid images of Durga and Shiva. Continue reading →

Shopping Shifts

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Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) is a description, a name, a trend we have mentioned plenty of times in so many words, but not previously using this acronmyn. If you have not already seen it, you can expect to see it more now.  We appreciate its blog, which you can sign up for by clicking through from this article in it (click the LOHAS banner image in this post):

…In the improving but not yet booming economy of 2013, Patricia Aburdene, author of the New York Times bestseller “Megatrends 2000” and most recently “Conscious Money” (Atria Publishing; $16 paperback), predicts priorities and values will play a bigger role in shaping spending decisions. Continue reading →

Nature Books: Birds

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9780810996137

Looking through this publisher‘s catalogue, we see they give attention to a wide variety of charismatic flora and fauna.  For example, this book (click the image above to go to the source):

Birds of the World: 365 Days gives this perennially popular subject the 365 treatment: ornithologist and conservationist Philippe J. Dubois presents a “day in the life” of a year’s worth of species from five continents. The stunning images of birds in action, taken by some of the best avian photographers in the world, illustrate the text beautifully. Continue reading →

Kerala Cities – Ernakulam (Kochi)

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Photo Credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

Photo Credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

Known as the commercial capital of Kerala, Ernakulam is the one of the largest cities in the state. Ernakulam refers to the eastern part of the twin cities Ernakulam-Kochi. Alive and throbbing with people, shopping centers, cinemas, hotels, offices, plush buildings, and restaurants; the factors that come together to create the quintessential city life can be experienced here with an International Airport an hour away. Ernakulam is the only city in Kerala where one can experience the conveniences of an urban lifestyle that is now increasingly prevalent in the larger cities of India, in addition to the criss-crossing backwaters that make the area famous. Continue reading →

Natalie Angier Strikes Again

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We used the terminology natural born killers too soon. Apparently these unassuming creatures are the real efficient ones. And, like cats, disguised as gracefully admirable, and often unnoticed. In today’s New York Times Science section there is a story by one of our favorite science writers:

Science Times: April 2, 2013

New research suggests that dragonflies may well be the most brutally effective hunters in the animal kingdom. Continue reading →

Salamanders Announce Arrival of Spring in Ithaca

/ Seth Inman / 2 Comments

Spotted Salamander by Brian Magnier

Last night, at forty-odd degrees Fahrenheit and under a light drizzle, the salamanders of Ithaca’s Bull Pasture Pond signalled that spring has come. Before I explain, let me tell you a little bit about salamanders:

“The Americas have far more kinds of salamanders than all the rest of the world put together,” the Conant and Collins Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians reads in its introductory passage to the order Caudata. Species in eastern and central North America range from barely two inches to nearly four feet long, and some species are practically fully aquatic while others prefer only damp environments. Most of them are active at night and hide during the day, which is an easy way to differentiate them from lizards (except for the gecko family of lizards, which is primarily nocturnal). Other key differences are that lizards have scales on their bodies and claws on their toes, while salamanders have smooth or warty skin (just look at the slime in these photos) and no claws.

Continue reading →

Nick Cave And Grand Central Station’s 100th Birthday

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This has captured our attention, and will not let go. Why?  Maybe it is because the artist’s name (but definitely not his work) is identical to that of another non-mainstream artist who, according to the most widely used search engines, is alot more well-known.  But that cannot be all there is to it. For some it could be the strong memory of Grand Central Station and the seeming incongruity of its use as a stage, even on the occasion of a birthday party.  For others it may be as simple as a question.  What are those costumes?  A post in on the New Yorker‘s website explains:

…Cave, who was born in Missouri, in 1959, and is based in Chicago, where he serves as director of the Art Institute’s graduate fashion program, has been producing Soundsuits—which can be displayed as inert sculptures, or can be worn, often by their creator, “activated” to produce a variety of noises—for nearly twenty years. He has made Soundsuits from an array of found materials including dryer lint, sequins, sweaters, socks, buttons, feathers, human hair, and vintage toys. His first Soundsuit was made of twigs, in reaction to the beating of Rodney King. Continue reading →

Traditional Kerala Houses

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traditional house

traditional house

Traditionally the architecture of Kerala has been of a humble scale, an ensemble of simplicity and elegance tailored to suit the climate and culture of the state. The low walls, sloping roofs and projecting eaves of ancient houses were built for protection against heavy rains and intense heat. The architecture of Kerala tells many stories; the way its structures have been designed not only speaks about the artistic and technical capabilities of the craftsmen, but also about the progression and evolution of its society. Continue reading →

Eyes Of Other Animals (#2 Of 2)

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Thanks to The Atlantic‘s Alexis Madrigal, we have some coverage of this topic that we had honestly never thought about, but which makes total sense now that we have some information about it.  Eyes matter in ways more than just the obvious practical:
Unless you are an avid scuba diver, when you think of scallops, you probably think of linguine and garlic more than oceans and shells. That’s because we only eat the muscle of the scallop: You never see them in context.

Chaya Kada – Traditional Tea Stalls

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Photo Credits: Shanavas

Photo Credits: Shanavas

Tea stalls are an integral part of Kerala’s culture. These tiny restaurants offers a chance to enjoy traditional tea and Kerala snacks in authentic style. It has become something of a national pastime to enjoy conversation and a cup of chai masala or black tea at the end of the day. Parippu vada (lentil fritters), Ulli vada (onion fritters), and Pazham pori (banana fritters) are the most popular snacks enjoyed at tea stalls. Continue reading →

Holi, Incredibly Colorful India

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For those of us non-Indians living in this colorful place, thanks to the Atlantic Monthly‘s decision to publish these photographs on its website.  That way, when we write home to family and friends, they will not have to just take our word for it.  The will see: India is incredible.

 

Eyes Of Other Animals (#1 of 2)

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The charisma of whales is normally associated with their size, their ancient history, their apparently gentle approach to life. But it is not only those; the eyes have a role to play in why we love these creatures, among others (more on which in a subsequent post). Thanks to Alex Madrigal and The Atlantic for their attention to this topic:

Both humans and whales are mammals, so our eyes are derived from a common ancestor. Not only can we look at whales and they can look back at us, but we know enough about optics to infer their eyes’ capabilities from their anatomy. Animal eyes can be imagined as technological systems evolved with biological materials.

“We will make the fairly bold claim that it is sensible to approach eyes in essentially the same way that an optical engineer might evaluate a new video camera,” write Michael Land and Dan-Eric Nilsson, the authors of the Oxford University Press treatment of our topic, Animal Eyes.

Their eyes capture light in ways we can understand. Their eyes have a focal length. Their eyes have a maximum resolution.

So, what does the world look like to a whale? Continue reading →

Kindi – Traditional Kerala Water Vessel

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Kandi

Kindi

The Kindi is integral to all rituals and ceremonies in Kerala. The spouted vessel is made out of  bronze (odu), and is mainly used for Hindu’s Poojas. In Kerala each and every household keeps a kindi for special occasions. Continue reading →