Winds of change

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Why read the book...

Why read the book when the documentary was so easy to watch. I screened this National Geographic documentary of Guns, Germs and Steel for my students. I really enjoyed the first part so much that I brought it home and carried on with the next two episodes. The book still sits on my shelf, 10% read. It was interesting reading but the font size was just a little too small. Perhaps I will pick up that book soon.

The most endearing part was when Diamond broke down as he was standing in a hospital ward full of children infected with malaria, some of them really sick.

Chokher Bali by Rabindranath Tagore

I managed to finish this book by the Sentinel, Chokher Bali (Sand in the Eye), a couple of weeks ago. Reading Tagore is like sitting under the shade of a tree and counting the leaves in the wind. Add sunflecks that dance on the ground. Sultry.

The story was arrestingly beautiful and the characters so soulful. It was so easy to slip into the minds of the characters once you started reading.

I must get the DVD because Aishwarya Rai is in it...

lovingly

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Originally uploaded by lekowala.

These are the moments that cannot be bought. I am rich (Ladybug's words echo in my ears). The words ring true for me and jen. We've never been materially rich and we just shared how many choices we made in life were the same since our childhood. They were almost always stupid choices, well stupid to most other people. But I guess that is my judgement. In this day and age, less is more and more is less.

A priest once preached that Heaven begins now. I must say that I have had many of these moments where I just felt that the existence we have, thought fleeting, compared to eternity is one where we must treasure enjoy and store... where moths and rust do not destroy.

Gandhi Book by Romain Rolland

Finally finished this book by Romain Rolland, who was described as a "teacher, pacifist and loner". Its taken so long thanks to marking.... &$#$@%^. Finally I am finding some semblance of the tranquil and quiet that was with this short break... but fleetingly. Reading reminds me of saying the Rosary which I used to do on a regular basis despite being an angsty pundeh of an adolescent. I guess its meditative and good for my lousy attention span. But its a tough balance to meet these days. Got two small rowdy kids and a pile of marking to do... and daily as well.


The picture above shows them talking. Gandhi had gone to visit Romain in his home at Switzerland.

Bought this at the Chennai Airport on the way back. The shopkeeper saw me looking at one Gandhi book and before I knew it he brought out a pile of books on him smilingly. Its by Romain Rolland (1924). There's a nice little paragraph at the end refering to India's quest for home rule, probably phrased by Tagore.

"We must emancipate man from the meshes he has woven around him, free him from the organisations of national selfishness. We must persuade the butterfly that the freedom of the sky is better than the shelter of the cocoon. In India, we have no word for "nation". When we loan the word from other people it is not suited to us, for we should ally ourselves with Narayana, the Supreme Being, and our victory will be the victory for God's world...

Now I shall attempt to read Chokker Bali published by Rabindranath Tagore in 1903. I shall be upset if it doesn't get read by the end of the week.

Josh, Sue and Matt

Josh, Sue and Matt
Originally uploaded by lekowala.

Thanks for bringing the fossil over to Singapore! It sure can't beat the Natural History Museum in London but at least it had the wow-factor. The guides were really good and Jen really learnt quite abit and was an earful after that. In my usual unsystematic way of museum walking, I flitted from on exhibit to the next. This pehaps is a measure of its success, that everything could draw my attention equally.

It was awe-inspiring. I only wished that we had a permanent exhibit over here where the museum would grow with its people... wishful thinking in Singapore? It would be educationally ideal. Parents bringing their kids and reading about the exhibits together. I still remember walking inside a leaf and looking at how a chloroplast worked in the NHM. It was like a text book come alive.

7 golden candle-sticks

senna alata
Originally uploaded by lekowala.

Senna alata was once cultivated in the kampung for its medicinal properties. The crushed leaves could be used against ringworms. This plant can really light up the day. Its got such a unique habit and those inflorescences make a show of themselves protruding out handsomely.

Action II

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Originally uploaded by lekowala.

Matt getting into the act as well as he mimics everthing his "ge ge" does.

Showing action

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Originally uploaded by lekowala.

Kids are watching too much power rangers. But they seem to like doing the kungfu moves so much, its quite entertaining

The "warm" glow of fireflies

In Sungei Lebam, Desaru, Joshua held a firefly in his hand. He exclaimed "It was quite warm but it didn't burn my hand".


"Just about 100% of a firefly's light is given off as light.

By comparison, a normal electric bulb gives off only 10% of its energy as light, while 90% is wasted as heat"



Read here for more Firefly Facts

Spider-eating wasp

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Originally uploaded by lekowala.

This spider has been immobilised by the wasp's sting and is going to be eaten alive very slowly perhaps by her larvae. It is interesting to note that the sting is an evolved adaptation of the ovipositor so only female wasp and bees sting.

Picture taken last year at the Macritchie Board Walk after exiting from the Tree-top walk