Biker Chicks Raise Eyebrows!

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November 28, 2012

Author– Apoorva Somaiah

To say “women break into yet another male bastion” is a clichéd statement these days. However, some niches of mainstream society such as bike riding are still male dominated. So much so that men consider their bikes as a female counterpart with statements such as ‘she roars like a beast, man!’ female bikers were always relegated to soft feminine looking autogear scooters that were slower. Surprisingly a lot of women today have taken to bike riding, handling masculine motorbikes such as Enfield Bullet, Bajaj Pulsar, etc. These women are not only passionate but also proud to be different from other girls.

A large number of women from across India are joining the growing tribe of biker chicks. There is a page dedicated to likeminded female bikers on social networking sites such as Facebook. The Bikerni: Association of Female Bikers-India proudly flaunt their quote, “mud for make-up and petrol for perfume!” Their mission is to promote female motorcyclists in India and provide them a platform to connect with other female enthusiasts and improve their skills. The Bikernis also happen to be the first All-Female Motorcyclists Association of India. According to experts, the number of female bikers in India is on the rise, with their percentage going up by 40% since last year.

Sheeja Mathews, an HR professional working in an MNC in Bangalore, bought a Harley-Davidson in 2011. With that, she became the first Indian woman to own this iconic cult motorcycle, thus breaking the stereotype of only tattoo sporting muscular hunks riding the bike.

Biker chicks - Eeshaani riding bullet — Men gaze while Eeshaani rides Enfield Bullet

However, female bike riders are not a recent trend. Sudha R is a passionate biker and an antithesis of a traditional South Indian woman. This 45 year old lecturer of electronics began riding a bike 23 years ago! She also has a story behind it. When her husband was terminally ill, she became the man of the house dropping her daughter off to school in a bike. Sudha now proudly says, “I only ride a bike and nothing else!” Sudha often gets awkward glances from people but she doesn’t bother. “Every time a student buys a new bike, he comes to me and hands over the keys and asks me to go to on a ride” quips Sudha.

biker-chicks-mysore-Shruthi-riding-a-bike — Shruthi on a Yamaha FZ – Courtesy: Tejaswi Ram

Kanchana Ganga, another student from Mysore started riding a bike a year ago. She says that watching reality TV shows such as MTV-Roadies, and Stunt Mania always got her on the edge to ride a bike. My father is my biggest inspiration, Kanchana adds. She first started riding her father’s Yezdi Jawa bike and now owns an avenger which was recently gifted by her parents. Kanchana Ganga says that it is an out-of-the-world feeling to be riding a bike, and she likes all the attention she gets while riding one. Many people who see her riding a bike cannot believe their eyes. Talking about her passion Kanchana asks “why not girls?” Kanchana is happy about the fact that despite the criticisms she faces, her friends are proud of what she does. She says she is extremely positive about her passion and wishes to make it big someday. Kanchana narrates incidents where she is stopped by traffic cops who double check her driving license to see if it is a “with gear” DL, only to send her off with a proud pat on her back.

Biker chicks - Shruthi riding a bike — Kanchana cruises on a Bajaj Avenger

Eeshani Dinesh, a first year degree student of JSS Women’s College in Mysore rode a bike when she was 15. Eeshani started off with a Hero Honda Splendor and says she graduated on to a heavier bike. “I now ride an Enfield Bullet”, Eeshani proudly beams. As a kid Eeshani was always fascinated with automobiles, which explains her current passion. Talking about all the attention she gains, Eeshani says “I get a bit annoyed when people stare at me. Every time someone says something negative I get this challenging feeling to prove them all wrong!”

25-year old Shruthi Aradya who is pursuing her PhD in Mysore started riding a bike when she was 18. She says with a confident smile “I feel it’s almost same as girls wearing jeans these days. I feel every girl should start learning and owning bikes. You might find it difficult initially, but never give up”. She has tried almost every bike and wishes to own a Royal Enfield some day. Another 25-year old Prathiksha Bhat, joined the league recently. “It all started as a hobby, but I just couldn’t stop” says Prathiksha who started riding a bike while pursuing her bachelor’s degree adds with a giggle “The rush and the royal feel I get while riding bike cannot beat anything!”

Gutsy Indian Sports Women

Factfile –
http://www.facebook.com/TheBikerni
http://www.autoplugged.com
http://articles.timesofindia.com

Give Children the Right to Choose their Career

By

Levine Lawrence

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November 13, 2012

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children to choose their own career — Image- Pixabay

They say the most talked about topics in any part of the world are weather and politics! However, if you talk to parents anywhere, then obviously their children’s career would be the most discussed topic. There is no doubt that parents are always preoccupied with the need to plan ahead for their child’s future. Right from the day the child begins to walk, they open a planner in their mind – Which language medium to choose… Which school to join… Which syllabus – State, CBSE, ICSE… What type of hobbies to inculcate – sports, music, dance… and finally, which career to focus on – engineering, medical, management, etc!

The biggest concern among all parents is whether their children will grow up to do better academically and be successful in their career. This worry constantly looms in the backs of their heads and affects every action the parents undertake.

There are one set of parents who have a simple desire – their child should achieve excellence in academics and get a good career so that it can support them in their old age. A child can make a good a career in any field, however, the problem begins when a parent decides to make her child an engineer or a doctor early in childhood. From then on, every step the child takes must be oriented towards achieving the end goal. The child has to focus on academic studies and sideline everything else. The movie ‘Three Idiots’ vividly illustrates the result of their endeavour – concentrated H2SO4 ne pura bachpan ko jala dala!

There are another set of parents who want their child to be a super achiever in everything. These are the ones who will push their child to centre stage in every get together to perform in front of everyone. Such parents put enormous pressure on their child to score high marks in academics, achieve excellence in sports and in extra-curricular activities as well. With the explosion of reality shows on TV and the internet, parents push their children to excel so that they gain bask in their reflected glory. You might have seen such tiger moms and dads who quarrel with reality show judges to change their judgement about their child’s performance! Obviously, every child is differently skilled and cannot be judged on the same measurement scale.

OK, am I professing that parents should show complete lack of interest in their child’s career… they should not be bothered even when their children go astray… Surely no! When I say over-parenting is dangerous for a child’s growth, I am not advocating under-parenting either! We need to provide the right learning environment, give enough guidance for our children to do the task themselves, and resist from interfering in their daily activities. A simple example would be to help your child to his/her school homework, but not do it yourself!

Madeline Levine, a clinician and the author of “Teach Your Children Well: Parenting for Authentic Success” says, “The central task of growing up is to develop a sense of self that is autonomous, confident and generally in accord with reality. If you treat your walking toddler as if she can’t walk, you diminish her confidence and distort reality. Ditto nightly reviews of homework, repetitive phone calls to “just check if you’re OK” and editing your child’s college application essay. Once your child is capable of doing something, congratulate yourself on a job well done and move on. Continued, unnecessary intervention makes your child feel bad about himself (if he’s young) or angry at you (if he’s a teenager).”

How do we allow children to learn skills by themselves and not push them to do it… simple, allow them to explore rather than teach through books. Eminent educationist Lalitha Appachu trains teachers by conducting workshops on how to make classroom learning fun for children. “A child is a learning machine. A child wants to do things, discover stuff and show it to us. But it’s always the other way round in a class. What do we do in a class? We just want to finish a book cover to cover. With that we also finish the child!”

If a child can excel in any career, how do we know if it has made the right choice… The best way is to allow children to explore all options such as dance, music, sports, science, arts etc. and then let them decide what career suits them the best. For instance, just because everyone else in the school learns to play cricket, that does not mean your child should not try its hand in chess. It is all about the right skills and the interest coming together.

This Children’s Day, let’s take a oath that we will allow our children to grow independently and have the right to choose their career.

– Factfile –
http://www.nytimes.com
http://www.engineeringidiots.com

Top Eco Friendly Stores for Fascinating Collection of Eco-friendly Products

By

Monica Levine

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November 5, 2012

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Green living, organic lifestyle, eco-friendly, environmental degradation, these words were quite unfamiliar to me until I met my environmentalist better half! He never misses a chance to gift an eco-friendly product to friends & relatives to create awareness about them. He attends all types of events including conferences, exhibitions, seminars and anything related to environmental issues. Accompanying him to such events and getting unique eco-friendly gifts built up my understanding about my responsibility towards Mother Earth.

Gradually, I have cultivated a liking for environmentally friendly items. However, I feel commoners like us do not have the right access to such valuable products. Particularly in the Indian context, it is hard to find details of all types of eco-friendly products in one place. So here is my effort to create a directory of green and environmentally friendly products found online. Share your experience with me and let me know if you have come across better products elsewhere.

1. Mother Earth

The Mother Earth chain of stores is one of the best places to find an eclectic collection of organic products. Mother Earth believes in providing earthly products to the eco-conscious consumers. Home decor & furnishings from Puducherry and Varanasi is a wonderful collection of products which would definitely add in charm to your home and will make your home aesthetically beautiful. Fashion and food is an added category featured in mother earth. http://motherearth.co.in/earthfashion

2. Green n Good Store

Maternity & nursing apparel is a soothing rage for upcoming moms who would desire to wear something soft and comfortable during those uncomfortable days is the special feature of Green n Good Store. They also have beautiful range of eco friendly apparels with unique designs for men and women. Some more products – Handicrafts, Candles & Incense, Carpets & Rugs, Clocks, Photo Frames, Trays And Coasters, Ettikopakka Wooden. Green & Good store which promises a better future with their vision- Enabling a Happier and Healthier Future. http://www.greenngood.com/

3. Craftsvilla

Craftsvilla’s artistic wall paintings and spiritual section captures the viewers’ imagination urging them to browse more. And as that we are going to celebrate the festival of holi, Organic Holi colours at affordable prices will make your festival a pleasant experience. http://www.craftsvilla.com/

4. Zilpika

Weaving of the wild grass called Sabaii into innovative home accessories like bread basket, towel basket and roti box is a creation of Zilpika. Baby toys from bamboo and apparel made from organic cotton is also added features of Zilpika. Promising stores which delivers eco- friendly products.

5. Era Organic

Variety of organic food products from different places of Bangalore can be found at Era Organic. Its vegetable store is well known for its fresh chemical free leafy vegetables. Food products are delivered at your door step through the ‘basket system’. Handicrafts and apparel is an added feature of era organic. http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-stores/india/era-organic.html

6. Legend Bazaar

Books to paintings, handicrafts to antiques, apparel to jewellery everything brought together in Legend Bazaar. Embroidered bags, banana coir bags, jute bags are some of the special features of Legend Bazaar. Valuable prizing and beautiful colour and texture of the products will make you buy gifts for your near and dear ones.

7. Wellnessocean

As the clichéd quote states, “beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder”. However, we still need beauty products to enhance our beauty. So Wellnessocean presents a wide range of natural beauty products which makes you all the more beautiful. Yoga and spa products are the best features of Wellnessocean. Affordable pricing and special gift vouchers pamper you and your dear ones. http://www.wellnessocean.com

8. Farm2Kitchen

Happiness of plucking fresh fruits and vegetables from your back yard and using those organic products to cook food would have been a wonderful feeling which was once shared during our granny’s era. Today, Farm2Kitchen promises to bring the similar natural way of living through there organic products. Ready to eat, diet food, baby food & pregnancy food are some of the unique features of Farm to Kitchen. And when it comes to health, price doesn’t matter! http://www.farm2kitchen.com/index.php/

9. Natural Mantra

Our forefathers led a natural and an organic life, but today we need to search for organic products to help our children lead a natural life. Thankfully, Natural Mantra is one such online shop that will helps you to effortlessly lead a natural life. The portal has brought together a wide range of products ranging from spices to decor to accessories to apparel everything under one name – NaturalMantra.com. Apart from the green angle, Natural Mantra has created a social impact by supporting small scale enterprises, NGOs that work on various causes or uplift farmers and artisans in rural areas. http://www.naturalmantra.com/

Fable of A Fabulous Fabric: Mysore Silk

By

AmbikaNagaraj

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October 29, 2012

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India is renowned for many things exceptional and unique. ‘Saree’ (sari), the sensual traditional costume, is indeed an integral part of this uniqueness. While we can quite proudly say it is the best attire to accentuate a woman’s feminism, the apparel boasts of a history dating back to the 3,000 year old Indus Valley Civilization. Ever since, this lovely costume has been worn by Indian women in diverse styles and sensuous ways, further building on the magical yard’s popularity.

A silk saree takes the pride of place in an Indian woman’s wardrobe due to its luxurious lustre and exquisite design. Among the myriad styles of silk sarees, ‘Mysore Silk’ from Karnataka stands out for its unique weave, smooth texture and minimalist design. Manufactured exclusively by the Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC), these lovely saris are produced at the country’s oldest silk manufacturing unit – the Mysore Silk Weaving Factory at Mysore, Karnataka. Apart from inheriting the legacy of the silk manufacturing from the erstwhile Royal Government of Mysore, the KSIC also enjoys the privilege of being the sole proprietor of the geographical indication for ‘Mysore Silk’ with the certificate of GI patent registration awarded in 2005.

Established exactly a century ago in 1912, by the then Maharaja of Mysore, the Mysore Silk Weaving Factory is the only unit authorised to manufacture this multi-hued fabric out of pure silk and gold zari. Legend has it that the then Maharaja Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV went to Britain for Queen Victoria’s jubilee celebrations was impressed by the machine made silk fabric used by the British royalty. This inspired him to order for 32 power-looms to be imported from Switzerland to begin the earliest known production of machine made silk saree in India. Today, the Mysore Silk Factory produces about 35,000 metres of the pure silk fabric per month and nearly 4,25,000 meters per year, which are turned into numerous beautiful sarees, dress materials, dhotis and more.

Although the exact history of the Mysore Silk saree can be traced back to 1912 AD, its origins can be traced back to 1785 AD, when the first silk cocoons were imported to Mysore. Tipu Sultan – the de-facto ruler of the then Kingdom of Mysore imported silk cocoons from China, with a vision of making Mysore, a leading nation in quality silk production. Only a little less wondrous in comparison the China silk yarn, Mysore silk yarn still stands out in comparison to various other forms of silk fabrics. After the Sultan introduced sericulture in the Kingdom of Mysore, several hybrid silk worm varieties were created which were adapted to Indian climatic conditions. Ever since, sericulture in Karnataka has flourished with the districts of Mysore, Mandya, Chamarajnagar and Bangalore taking the lion share of silk production in the country.

Today, impressed by the luxuriant fabric and to keep the charm of the graceful Mysore Silk, scion of the Royal family of Mysore, Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wodiyar has taken up the promotion of this elegant fabric under the brand name – Royal Silk of Mysore. The scion himself is the acknowledged designer of this royal brand. These royal masterpieces, can be purchased in the showroom inside the Mysore Palace complex where the rich collections are showcased.

What Makes Mysore Silk so ‘extra ordinary’?

The Mysore Silk sarees are luxuriant, uniquely minimalistic, elegant and continue to stand out with all these qualities though machine made! The sarees have plain single colour base fabric of 100% pure silk blended with a narrow strip of gold zari border at both ends. Each saree of 5.5 metres ends with a large ‘pallu’ with exquisite design and a blouse piece material. The sarees manufactured come in varieties to suit the customer tastes viz: Crepe-de-chine, Georgette, Zari printed crepe silk sarees, semi crepe sarees. The sarees come in nearly 300 different colours, which are either printed or dyed and in 115 vivid design combinations. The main body or the base fabric is surprisingly plain which really stands out amid all the flowery elaborate designs found on other Indian sarees.

Such is its quality that when rightly preserved, Mysore Silk sarees can be maintained to appear like the brand new ones even after decades. Thus, it has grown out to be a unique brand in itself, attracting connoisseurs from not just across the nation bout from all through the globe. Travelers visiting Mysore from abroad as well as other parts of India make sure to pay a visit to the factory that manufactures Mysore Silk. It is worthwhile to pay a visit to the Mysore Silk Factory, if you wish to witness the beauty of this magical fabric being made with all its wonderful aspects!

Centenary celebrations

This year happens to be the most special year in the history of Mysore Silk – For, starting from 1912 to 2012, it has ruled the world of silk fabrics, completing an entire century successfully!

KSIC has introduced ‘fusion label’, a nano-technology hot press which makes counterfeiting impossible. This initiative is on the lines taken by Silk Mark Organisation of India of the Union ministry of textiles, which has also taken a decision to introduce the fusion labels.

Also Read: Mulberry Magic from Mysore

Factfile –
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Mulberry Magic from Mysore

By

AmbikaNagaraj

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October 22, 2012

1

Mysore silk saree

Silk … The very name of the luxurious fabric renowned for its elegance reminds us of an elegant look and the wondrous feel that one gets to experience when felt against the skin. All renowned for the exquisite quality and the graceful look that it promises to provide, apparels made out of this lovely fabric are something every woman on earth desires to own. And In India, which happens to be the world’s second largest consumer of the fabric after China, Silk sarees (saris) (affiliate link) are attires that richly adorn every woman’s wardrobe.

Kancheevaram, Banarasi, Bandhni, Tanchoi, Assami, Paithani – the Indian subcontinent offers an immense variety of sarees, each one of them known for a distinctive style of weave and design. Among the variety of Indian silk sarees, ‘Mysore Silk’ from the cultural capital of Karnataka holds a pride of place. Mysore Silk sarees are made of a specific variety of silk that happens to be one of world’s finest silk fabrics. The drapes are woven out of power-looms which ensure the enchanting Mysore silk sarees always lustrous, teeming with a wondrous sheen and feel that is extremely comfortable against the skin.

Available in myriad beautiful and vibrant hues, unlike most other Indian sarees that are mostly hand woven, Mysore Silk is actually twinned in machines out of pure silk yarns that that happen to be one of the best silks produced in the world today .

Owning a Mysore Silk Saree is a tradition!

Such is the beauty and exquisiteness of Mysore Silk that in Karnataka and neighbouring states, owning a it is customary for every south Indian woman. She tends to feel her wardrobe is incomplete without one of this vibrant six yards of magic! I remember growing up watching my mother, grandmother and aunts gracefully wrap themselves up in the lovely Mysore silk on almost every special occasion.

In Mysore, we can say, it is a kind of tradition for every woman to own a Mysore silk saree. Although quite expensive in comparison to other silk saree varieties, every girl will ensure she’ll purchase one, at least during the time of her wedding. Reason: All for the softness, elegance and comfort it offers. Though simple and seldom available with extensive prints, they gracefully standout when kept aside all other silk varieties with just a simple ‘pure gold’ zari, thus becoming extremely exclusive. Guess it’s probably because of all these special qualities, most women both young and the elderly in Karnataka and especially Mysore can be found encapsulated in these vibrant Mysore Silk sarees during all the wedding and festivities.

Modern women are shunning silk sarees since their heavy drapery restricts flexibility in their daily professional lives. Today, most women find silk sarees to be extremely thick, heavy, and difficult to carry off. They would rather prefer wearing costumes such as ghaghras and salwars over sarees even at special occasions such as weddings. However, once a girl sees a Mysore Silk saree, she is surely be pleasantly surprised, thanks to the lightness, minimalistic design, comfort and also the elegance it promises to offer!

Evidently, Mysore Silk retains its popularity among younger women too! And our elders indeed knew it best! So next time, in case you find someone in a Kannadiga wedding wearing a sober looking plain saree, do go and ask if it’s Mysore Silk. Ask if you can feel it. And if it is the same bewitching drape, you’ll surely say, “Yes, it indeed is a few yards of magic”, the minute you feel it.

Also Read: Fable of A Fabulous Fabric: Mysore Silk

Factfile –
http://www.fibre2fashion.com
indianweddingsaree.jimdo.com

A Hitchhiker’s Guide to New Delhi Culture

By

Cindu

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October 9, 2012

1

^{_{Children cope with Delhi winter – Courtesy: Live India news}}

Our wanderlust woman, Cindu Chandrasekharan ended up in Nai Dilli during one of her numerous stints as an FM radio RJ. Being a hardcore Sillycon city citizen, she had to be treated for a severe bout of culture shock! Please read her travails to fit into the capital’s culture and comment on the best point about being in New Delhi:

I’m a Banglorean in Delhi. So what does a true Bangalorean do in Delhi?
1. Wonder why she is so far away from home. Leaving the Deccan plateau or the cities of the south for the north is not a recommended practice or a convenient set up. Chennai, Hyderabad or even Kochi is fine..but Delhi?

2. Think about the uncles, aunties, “bosses” -usually riding the ricks- she chose to trade for the unclejis, antyjis and bhaiyajies. (A cycle rickshaw is an entirely new experience!)

3. Keep wondering how many Bangalores can fit between East and West Delhi.

4. Be constantly amused at how women wear jeans and a hand full of red bangles without feeling self conscious or even slightly apologetic.

5. Be constantly laughed at for saying “Chumma” instead of “Just like that”.

^{India Gate Delhi – Koshy Koshy}

6. Be amazed at how food is not just comfort or business but is the most common religion.

7. Marvel at the bargaining ability of the general public. From 1000 to 500, from 400 to 100, from 50 to 20, from 10 to 6… It’s amazing. World’s best negotiators probably grew up in Delhi.

8. Go wow wow wow at the amount and variety of food available on the streets.

9. Realize with a song on her lips that t-shirts for 30 bucks in no longer a joke.

10. Wonder why ka-kha, ba-bha, ga-gha, is such a serious thing.

11. Keep shaking her head in disbelief at the spellings and an average delhite’s general ability
to construct a sentence.

12. Be ever so grateful that she went to a school where they used the Wren and Martin and cared to teach how ‘contact’ is pronounced.

13. Be convinced that 15 years of Hindi education was probably not enough for her to speak in Hindi without attracting looks of amusement and disgust.

14. Find it strange that there is chaat masala added to everything including orange juice.

Aloo Chaat – Image Source

15. Have her eyes pop out of her face, touch the ground briefly when a chief guest at an event says “thanks for the mammaries” instead of memories.

16. In winter -for the uninitiated a bangalorean wears a sweater when the temperature dips any lower than 23 degrees- wonders why she is there, in the first place. Assuming she has her reasons…then freeze…sorry sneeze to death. Get laughed at for wearing three layers of woolens over her clothes and never be courageous enough to mention the thermals that lay beneath.

17. Realises that Delhi is not particularly warm –
– When it is more revealing than relieving to use the loo
– When showers are no longer looked forward to
– When you don’t even catch people’s attention when you declare loudly that you haven’t showered in 2 days
– When every woman you are talking to has taken up knitting to complement breathing
– When you truly understand how the comforter got its name
– When you Wake up at 2 pm and wonder whether you should have breakfast or lunch

18. Understand that festivals herald the change in weather. It gets cold, damn cold after Guru Nanak Jayanti. It gets warm, ditch the euphemism, bloody hot after Holi. People make sure that you don’t forget them by repeatedly doing a countdown to these significant days. What she realizes is that when they say something about the weather which is not comforting, they are damn accurate.

19. Stand surprised when the South Indian Rasam receives a standing ovation and slurpy praises at anytime of the day.

20. Be amazed at how anything can be home delivered from vegetables to medicines to bills to massages to ice creams… even long after the pubs in Bangalore have shut.

21. Find it odd that milk is sold by the kilo (kilo? what happened to the good old measure of a litre?)

22. As an after thought, realize that pretty young boys (who should ideally not open their mouths for the sake of their glam quotient) can’t be slotted because a boy in Delhi has to either be a beta or a bhaiyya.

Nai Dilli culture - rickshaw pullers — Rickshaw pullers at dawn – Courtesy: Focus Photoblog

23. Be called a Madrasi even though she has never been to Chennai, even though she tries using an India political map to show where Madras was and where Bangalore is. But then again who cares because it’s convenient to call anyone from the south of India a madrasi. It’s almost like having India’s own America, refusal to understand geography, generalization, politics, assuming the big brother position, bad accents, even worse spellings to name a few common traits.

24. Wonder why people would go driving 5 kms to drink a milk shake that’s not really a milk shake but flavoured milk. It takes all kinds I guess. (btw, it tastes awful)

25. Also feel kicked about going to Nirula’s to have a hot chocolate fudge, even though she may not really like it. It comes with a formidable reputation. A delhiite who does not approve of it is yet to be made.

26. Realize that she will never get used to the amount of filth on the roads. The world transforms into an open-air washroom, the roads turn in to a giant bin and street corners turn into XL sized urinals.

27. Get friends and family coming from Bangalore to get her biryani from Nagarjuna. Yeah. True story!

– Fact file –
http://muffledmusing.blogspot.in
http://www.thedelhiwalla.com

Animal Inspirations – Part I

By

Levine Lawrence

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October 8, 2012

1

We human beings tend to praise ourselves for our ingenuity and adaptability by which we have become the most dominating species in the world. Whenever a question is asked about who is the most intelligent animal in the universe, we pat ourselves on our backs. However, it would be appropriate to check if other animals on this planet are innovative as well. Just when I was wondering if animals are indeed smarter than us, I happened to hear a lecture given by Tata Sons Director, R Gopalakrishnan at a management institute in Bangalore way back in 2004. That was when I first heard someone talk about animals inspiring humans. I was really touched that someone in the world of business management, who does not deal with animals in his daily job, spoke of animal ingenuity. Here is a collection of inspiring stories of animal ingenuity which is just a tip of the iceberg for us humans to discover.

Blue tit and the Robin

Blue Tits pecking milk bottles – National Geographic

In England, in the early 20th Century, milk was regularly delivered to the doorstep of each house in milk bottles. However, these bottles had no cap and birds had an easy access to the cream which settled on the top. Two different species of British garden birds, the blue tits and red robins, learned to siphon up cream from the bottles and tap this new, rich food source. After the First World War, the UK dairy distributors introduced aluminium foil caps on their milk bottles. However, occasionally a blue tit would find its way to the cream by pecking repeatedly at the bottle cap. By the early 1950s, the entire blue tit population of the country had learned how to pierce the aluminium foil. This extraordinary institutional learning process happened because of one major factor – blue tits are communal birds that move from garden to garden in flocks, particularly during harsh winter when their food is scarce. However, the robins are territorial birds who do not allow another bird to enter their territory. So even though an individual robin learns how to pierce the cap of a milk bottle, its knowledge never gets passed to the rest of its species. Moral of the story – this is why birds of the same feather need to flock together!

Paper inventors

Wasp Paper

Who first invented paper on Earth? The Chinese or the Egyptians… What about water resistant paper… who invented that? Don’t bother, before both of these human civilizations invent paper, humble insects such as paper wasps invented paper, that water resistant one! Whoever has been bitten by wasps would not dare to call them humble! However, their aggressive defense mechanism seems to have outshone their nest building capabilities. Paper wasps are the members of the vespid subfamily, Polistinae, which gather fiber from dead wood and plant stems, mix it with saliva and use it to construct water-resistant hexagonal shaped nests made of gray or brown papery material. Their chitin-like saliva is primarily protein with high proline content. When mixed with the cellulose, it dries quickly and irreversibly to a water insoluble, water repellant surface. So human beings wake up and invent a water resistant paper which is biodegradable as well!

Master camouflager

Camouflaging sea spider – Courtesy: Shutterstock

In nature, many animals create camouflages to escape from their predators or stalk their prey. Most of these camouflages are body modifications and colour mimicry of their surroundings. In fact a large number of species have survived in the nature due to their camouflaging ability. The sea spider is the most fascinating among them since it tries to mimic nature by actually wearing camouflage dress! Just like those army commandos who paint their faces and decorate their helmets during jungle warfare. Check the images captured from a video to see the sea spider emerge from its camouflage!

Heat up your enemy

Hornet stuck inside a bee heat ball – Courtesy: Smithsonian Mag

Honey bees are one of the most chronicled insects in history due to their industriousness. Human societies have tried to mimic the social hierarchy of honey bees, but we all know the results! There is another interesting defence mechanism evolved by honeybees which shows that a well coordinated action by a group of individuals can produce amazing results. A handful of Asian giant hornets can easily defeat the uncoordinated defences of a honey bee colony, but the Japanese honey bee (Apis cerana japonica) has evolved an effective strategy.

When a hornet approaches a Japanese honey beehive, she emits specific pheromonal hunting signals. When the bee guards posted at the beehive’s entrance detect these pheromones, they fiercely shake their abdomens known as ‘shimmering behaviour’ to warn others. Some of the worker bees exit the nest and wait outside. When the hornet moves in to attack, these bees surround it, forming a ‘hot defensive bee ball’. As many as 500 bees gang up to form a tight ball around the attacker. The heat from their vibrating wings and the carbon dioxide they respire proves a deadly combination. While the bees can tolerate heat up to 50 °C, the hornet cannot survive above the critical temperature of 46 °C. Some bees do die along with the intruder, but by killing the hornet scout they prevent it from summoning reinforcements that would wipe out the entire colony! Ah! Those Japanese!

Read Animal Inspirations – part II

– Factfile –
http://www.nationalgeographicstock.com
http://www.abc.net.au
http://footage.shutterstock.com
http://en.wikipedia.org

7 Must Have Things in A Traveler’s Backpack

By

Caleidoscope

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October 6, 2012

0

Must Have Things in A Traveler’s Backpack

Every year new gears and gadgets are arrived for travel freaks in the market. A quick surf on Amazon about “travel” will make you purchase at least 12 to 15 items. But believe us, not all of them are actually required on your trip. At the start, some items may even look cool but you’ll never be going to use them. To make things simple for you we have brought 7 of the most important things that a traveler should have in his backpack. So keep reading the article below and get accustomed to them.

1. Handpresso

Handpresso is a compact, hand pump espresso machine. Traveling is really very much incomplete without brewed coffee and that is the place where this machine is useful. You just need to pump it 25 to 30 times, include boiling water and a unit of your preferred espresso and voilà, you have the ideal mug of coffee. Travelers who are at a tight budget can save a lot of their money using this rather than buying coffee from shops every day. Just think about it in this way. The cost of a large latte at Starbucks is around $3.65. Now, you can easily get a bag full of ground coffee at just $4.50 which can be used to make 30 to 40 cups of coffee very easily. You can also try adding milk to it. Thus you are saving a lot of your money. If you are ordering a large latte from Starbucks daily then by using it you can save like $105 each month. The only disadvantage of this instrument is that it’s a bit heavy, around 800 grams. But still, it’s a worthy item to take while traveling.

2. Zipper Cubes

Zipper cubes are moderately little containers made from fabric, generally in a rectangular shape. These cubes are used especially in packing clothes. You can also pack other items like an electric toothbrush, ointments, medicines, etc. They are small, compact and durable. You can keep several of them into your backpack, suitcase or a carry-on bag. They keep your backpack sorted out and guarantee that everything is compacted down with the goal that you can pack more in it. These cubes are available in different shapes and sizes, some are rectangles, squares or even square tubes. Some provide additional zippers for extra compression, and some come with two-sided zips, which can be used to keep dirty and clean clothes separately. Thus, choose the zipper cubes according to your needs.

3. Tablet, pen, and paper

It’s a very true thing that while traveling we enjoy getting connected with our families and friends. We like to talk to them about our travel, we like to show them our traveling pics and a lot more. The best thing that one can go with is a Tablet. Not only you can stay connected with your loved ones but you can also surf for any kind of information if needed on the Internet. You can also get updated with all the fresh news as well as can get a good option for entertainment whenever needed. One of the most important advantages of having a laptop is that it occupies significantly less room in your pack and won’t burden you. Today we have options like Microsoft Surface and iPad Pro which allows us to get connectivity of a full laptop. In addition to a tablet, one should also have a notebook and some pens in the bag. While traveling you may need to write down important info regarding your journey and these will be very much useful.

4. Toiletry bag

Make it simple for yourself after arriving at your planned destination by packing a friendly toiletry bag with conditioner, aspirin, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, facial wipes, and required hand creams. You’ll have the option to remain crisp without any issues all through your movements. A supportive tip for first-time travelers – put resources into some refillable jugs to ensure you don’t surpass the approved portable size for fluids. The best option available in the market is silicon bottles. These are adaptable for your carry-on and let you press every piece out of the bottle, which is constantly valuable when you’re out and about.

5. Universal Power strip

Now, this is one of the most important items that need to get included in your backpack. As a traveler, you have many devices like Tablet, smartphones, or even laptops with you. But what will happen if they are dead? This is the worst nightmare that one can dream about. If you want to stay connected then you need to keep all your gadgets recharged or they are of no use to you. These days it is also very hard to find a power outlet in the airport (those who are working and are free). Thus it is good to have a universal power strip that will take out this issue.

6. Travel Mug

A handy and helpful item that every travel freak should have is a watertight travel mug. This can be used not only for hot beverages but it can serve a container for storing water. If it’s empty then you can also use it for keeping fragile items like jewelry and sunglasses. One thing that should always be ensured is that the water which you are storing in it is drinkable. This is critical if you plan on wandering out into the wild.

7. Tote or Sac for shopping

This item will prove to be very much helpful for grocery shopping while traveling. You can also abstain from paying for sacks at the sales register. You can utilize it to isolate your filthy garments from the tidy ones, fleet market purchases or even a day at the seashore. It’s really an amazing investment.

You may have some other items in your head to include in your backpack but these are 7 of the most important things to have while traveling. These items don’t even weigh much which is another significant point to think about when pressing for an excursion. Hope you will have a happy journey ahead.

Off the Beaten Places Around Bangalore To Make a Short Trip

By

Levine Lawrence

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October 2, 2012

5

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Stuck in our daily drudgery of a 9-6 job in an urban concrete jungle, many of us need to take a big break. Particularly for those who work in the large metro cities in India, the cramped spaces, peak hour traffic, the growing air pollution and filth can become really suffocating. Obviously, we urbanites yearn for a respite from the hustle and bustle of our concrete jungles.

This World Tourism Day, let’s pledge to venture out in the countryside… breathe in the fresh air…bring more greenery into the picture… meet strange people and experience a whole new world out there!

India’s IT capital, Bangalore holds the title of being the most modern and cosmopolitan city in the country. There are few historical or cultural spots worth visiting inside this modern city. However, there are numerous picturesque sightseeing spots around the city. With the help of Google Maps we have created a short day tour circuit of tourist sites within the range of 100 kms around Bangalore.

If you are planning a longer trip, here is a comprehensive list of regular and offbeat tourist spots which you can visit over the weekend. We have made our best efforts to include as much details as possible and update them. However, if you find some errors have crept into this sight-seeing guide, please comment so that we can update it soon.

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Heritage Home Atop a Hill – La Maison

By

Devangini

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September 24, 2012

1

La maison Away from the noise and pollution, the dust and grime, from the ‘city city bang bang’ and all its urban trappings, lies a land of happily ever after. Up in the hills, shrouded in the mist, resides a heritage home on the hills of Kotagiri, nestled between Wellington and Coonoor. La Maison is the home of Anne and Benoit from France. Well, not anymore!

Anne and Benoit first laid their feet on this ground three decades ago and they instantly knew they were at home. La Maison is their labour of love, which is a heritage home dating back to 1857. It is a homestay destination with French influence that doubles up as a boutique hotel. This homely place is open to visitors throughout the year. The couple cook, feed, entertain and most importantly show us how eco-living can be a part of our daily lives.

The view from the verandahs and lounges at La Maison is absolutely spectacular. The pristine white house on top of the Hadathorai hill overlooks the lush tea gardens of Kotagiri, spilling all the way to Wellington, Cunnoor in the Nilgiri Hills (Ooty district in Tamilnadu).

With just four bedrooms, the couple opted to run their show as a private affair with minimum fuss and fanfare. The bedrooms are well appointed and simple. What stands out is the combination of laid back South of France décor – flowy drapes and paintings with pastel colours tapestry and eye catching pieces of furniture taking centre stage – along with the Indian touch of brass pots and Urulis.

La Maison’s heart warming decor is a result of the art restoration work undertaken by Anne and Benoit. They have preserved old crockery, hats, paintings and even put up exhibitions for local artists. Their boutique includes hand-woven shawls procured from various parts of France and India, as well as beautiful drift wood pieces. Anne has even used a stand of umbrellas as showpieces by her treasured piano! But my favourite piece was the hat stand. An elaborate driftwood affair, it starts from the floor and skims the ceiling overhead. With pretty ornaments and hats to decorate it, this hat stand is the welcoming piece in the lobby.

La Maison Heritage Hotel

A homestay is defined by its food quality and the homely food prepared for us was absolutely delicious. While Anne sat at her piano and played for us, we sat around the verandah to eat the beans and baked vegetables – grown right there in the garden.

Energy saving is another major focus for the La Maison couple. They have placed as many sky lights as the place could afford to catch sunlight throughout the day. Further, the open wooden jacuzzi at the edge of the hills, overlooking the tea gardens, is powered by water that flows from a slow heater atop a mud stove and firewood.

The surrounding nursery is shaded by Jacaranda trees with purple flowers that the couple have ‘rescued’ from rotting away on a highway where they had fallen after a harsh storm. The trees were replanted around the lawns for shade. Shade is also a major concern that made Anne and Benoit plan the plantation of trees all around the nursery. This prevents excess use of water since the plants in shade naturally retain water for a longer period. They have also maintained green house filled with used bottles from the pantry, to grow otherwise difficult to find spices and herbs such as rosemary and lavender.

The couple has an innovative way of fertilising plants with egg shells! Yes, they use egg shells as fertilisers. Vermiculture is also an important feature of their elaborate nursery and kitchen garden. Wooden floors have been used throughout the house so as to avoid heating.

A visit to La Maison is a day well spent. Not only do you get to sit in the Jacuzzi and sip wine, your children get hands on lessons in playing with ducks, rabbits and even pigeons. Anne and Benoit engage you throughout your stay and you actually feel like visiting your long lost friends.

To reach this place, you have to make prior booking and take a bus or a car ride from Ooty. The view as you drive along will take your breath away and your days will surely be well spent!