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Terrace Photography
Like many, during the long lockdown in India, I had nothing to photograph other than taking the screenshots of video calls. So after the first week, I started taking pictures of the sky from my terrace during my evening walks. I am presenting a few of those photographs here, nothing exceptional, but we need something for a sense of normalcy in these challenging times. Stay Safe!
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World Environment Day 2020 – Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Foundation Pledge
I was asked by the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Foundation for a video byte towards their initiative on the occasion of World Environment Day 2020. I request you to take this online pledge “BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION – TIME FOR NATURE ” under Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Social Forest initiative. This online pledge taking campaign Program is open to all.
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Marangalum Manidhargalum by Smt Santhakumari Sivakadaksham
திருமதி சாந்தகுமாரி சிவகடாட்சம் அவர்கள் எழுதியுள்ள “மரங்களும் மனிதர்களும்” ஒரு சிறுகதைத் தொகுப்பு. “கம்ப்யூட்டர் கிராமம்” கதையில் ஒரு மரத்தை வைத்து அறிவியல் சொல்லியிருப்பார் எழுத்தாளர் திரு சுஜாதா, அதுப் போல இங்கேயுள்ள பத்துக் கதைகள் செய்துள்ளார் நூலாசிரியர் – ஒவ்வொரு கதையும் ஒரு மரத்தை மையமாக வைத்துப் புனையப்பட்டுள்ளது. வெறும் மரத்தைப் பற்றி எழுதினால் அது ஒரு தாவரவியல் பாடமாக மாறி அலுப்புத் தட்டும், அதற்காகவே ஒவ்வொரு மரத்தைச் சுற்றியுள்ள மனிதர்களின் வாழ்க்கையை, அவர்களின் குடும்பத்தின் சுக, துக்கங்களை சுவாரஸ்யமாகக் கலந்துள்ளார். எல்லாக் கதைகளும் அபாரம். ஆனால், ஏனோ பெரும்பாலானக் கதைகளில் ஒரு சோகம் இழையோடுகிறது – அது கதைகளுக்குப் பொருத்தமாகத் தான் இருக்கிறது, ஆனாலும் நம் கண்களை ஈரமாக்குகிறது. முதல் கதை “முருங்கை மரம்” : குமணன்-கற்பகம் ஒரு எடுத்துக்காட்டான தம்பதியினர், குமணன் பல வருடங்களாகவே ஒரு முருங்கை மரத்தை ஆசையாக வளர்க்கிறான், அவன் அம்மாவைக் கூட நம்ப மாட்டான், அவனே தான் அந்த மரத்திற்குத் தண்ணீர் ஊற்றி, பாதுகாத்து வளர்க்கிறான். இப்படி…
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Humans can handle plastics
You have to get rid of them, so you may as well do it intelligently Reading the news that “Norway is recycling 97% of Plastic bottles.“, gives hope that we (humans) can survive and thrive, despite having “stupids” who deny climate change and encourage mindless usage of plastic. I do like Plastics, they are not the villains they are made out to be, they have brought huge benefits to mankind, but we need to apply common-sense in their usage and recycle them to our best ability. We can do simple things, a few of them I had written in the past here, like Reusable Cloth bags, Follow my mom in Reusing…
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Rann Utsav 2019
Gujarat Rann Utsav, Kutch festival, White Desert, Tent City
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Man vs Wild – PM Modi with Bear Grylls
It was telecasted more than a month ago, but I watched the Discovery Channel’s Man vs Wild program only today. In this much-advertised episode, the host Bear Grylls takes the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Mr Narenda Modi on a short walk inside the jungle of Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand. I have been to this park, one of the largest in India and the home to Bengal Tigers and many other wild animals – when we went in the summer of 2015 we were not allowed inside the core jungle and so we saw only birds, monkeys and deers. I watched the show on Netflix India and it…
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Gardens by the Bay, Singapore
Early this week (13 May 2019) when I was in Singapore with family, we went to Gardens by Bay. Gardens by the Bay is a recent attraction added to the tourist map in Singapore. It is a nature park spanning 101 hectares (250 acres) in the Central Region of Singapore, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir. The place is a bit outside the city centre, so you will be better off taking a taxi, you can go by MRT but you need to be ready for a 25 to 30 minutes walk from the nearest train station – I didn’t do my homework so I had to drag my wife and kid…
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Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore
We all have heard of Singapore being called a concrete jungle, it is famous for its malls and shopping and not known for anything natural. I never knew before this week that Singapore had a tropical rainforest and a hill in the city. Last week (12 May 2019) while travelling in Singapore with family, we went to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore – the trek and the park were tranquil and peaceful, and we loved it. Unbelievable such a place exists in Singapore. We went for an easy trek, which was a nice and comfortable trek, about 3 to 5 Kilometres. Remember, to reach there early in the morning to…
