Colourful river

A Post from Anil Ajoba:

The Most Colourful River In The World

The river shown in the photographs above is the CARISTALES, which is located near the town of La Macarena in Colombia , South America .

This river is world famous for its colourful display n has been called "THE RIVER THAT RAN AWAY TO PARADISE ". This is the most beautiful river in the world and the only river of five colours.

During Colombia 's wet season, the water flows fast and deep, obscuring the bottom of the river and denying the mosses and algae that call the river home the sun that they need. During the dry season there is not enough water to support the dazzling array of life in the river. But during a brief span between the wet and dry seasons, when the water level is just right, the many varieties of algae and moss bloom in a dazzling display of colours. Blotches of amarillo , blue, green, black and red - and a thousand shades in between - coat the river.

The part of the river where the colourful blooms occur is quite isolated and is not accessible by road. Adventurous tourists can now fly into La Macarena and then make their way to to the river site on foot as part of guided tours. The site was effectively closed to tourists for several years because of guerrilla activity in the region along with concerns about the impact of unregulated tourist traffic. However, the site was re-opened to visitors in 2009.

From Lata aaji

Dear Children

These days we meet once a month and I miss you every single day after that; however some of you meet me on the blog and that makes me happy. How happy !! you would know only when you grow old like me.

These days I often like to think about the things that make me happy. The pleasures I enjoyed have changed from time to time.But the things that made me happy have somehow remained more or less constant. What makes me happy? Priority wise it is children and children of any age. I love flowers, fragrances, stars, moon, ocean. The list is unending. It is easier to say what makes me unhappy. Anything that makes someone else unhappy or makes the person experience some kind of exploitation makes me unhappy

One of my most favourite things is poetry. Songs too make me feel happy. I often like to share some of the things with you. Just yesterday, Anilajoba and I enjoyed some of the old english songs of our times. One of them was " Just the way you are" by Billy Joel. I remembered an anecdote about the song. Bill's mother loved him immensely when he was a small baby. Bill used to go out of his way to please her and make her happy. To that she would always say " I love you just as you are" You need not bother to change at all for that. You are as beautiful as one could ever be and I love you from the bottom of my heart. Bill grew up with these words.


Later when he started writing songs he wrote

JUST THE WAY YOU ARE



Don't go changing, to try and please me
You never let me down before
Don't imagine you're too familiar
And I don't see you anymore
I wouldn't leave you in times of trouble
We never could have come this far
I took the good times, I'll take the bad times
I'll take you just the way you are

Don't go trying some new fashion
Don't change the color of your hair
You always have my unspoken passion
Although I might not seem to care

I don't want clever conversation
I never want to work that hard
I just want someone that I can talk to
I want you just the way you are.

I need to know that you will always be
The same old someone that I knew
What will it take till you believe in me
The way that I believe in you.

I said I love you and that's forever
And this I promise from the heart
I could not love you any better
I love you just the way you are.

Here is the song composed by him
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ounJsqomcv8

Lots of love

Lata aaji

stages of red pierrot

first stage of cacoon

the final product

cacoon

caterpillar

Recently we had 8 caterpillars who made their cacoons. One of them died because of unknown causes. But the rest lived to turn into butterflies. I glimsped only 3 as i had school and other activities. The last couple of butterflies were the ones which I photographed. first stage after the egg hatches is the caterpillar which goes into the leaf and starts eating the leaf. Tired of eating the caterpillar goes into a deep sleep in a cover around it called a cacoon. After the cacoon turns black the cacoon turns black and after a day or two a lovely the a small life comes out.

Proposed programmes for July / August 2011

Hi folks !

Guess what ….

While I just read Aniruddha expressing his feelings on rains…do it today and now “KAL HO NA HO !”

So here are two suggestions :

With monsoon in its full swing… we can also let loose ourselves for few of hours on two occasions.

1. How about a Monsoon football match ?? on a beach..

31st July, Sunday at 3.30 pm, venue - Juhu beach. ( exact spot will be notified later ).. let us all get togather and let loose the Bhutia, Pele and Messi in us.

Even if any one of us have not played earlier, there is always a first time and we will have proper guidance provided for by our own Pele… "Karan Thakur"
In case, if we don’t know, Karan has been playing football since his childhood and has represented his institution in various games.

AND, for those who feel, Football is not their cup of tea, they could try themselves with other sporting activities as well.. This means, all in all ( Parents and teenagers ) of the teenager shibir group are welcome to join and enjoy the Sunday ‘s sporting event.

Shortly Karan Thakur via a separate post will update the details of the logistics and games. All are requested to confirm your participation on 24th July in the shibir for necessary arrangements.

2. A city walk….Jungle pher fatka .. A walk around the greens in the company of learned experts who will share their knowledge about the greenery that exist in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park on 7th August , Sunday at 8.00 am.

This tour is being coordinated by Nulkar family. They will, via a separate post explain the details of same. All are requested to confirm their participation on 24th July in the shibir for necessary arrangements.

Mahesh

Autobiography of a wooden chair

HI FRIENDS!!

This is the first time I am contributing on chequebook.so,if any suggestions about my post, please comment.

AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A WOODEN CHAIR

What do you think of the current state of mine?All those big people (human being they call themselves)are using me for sitting,standing and even sleeping sometimes.One of my friends said that some naughty children jumped over him and now he has a back ache ( a nasty one).

Sorry I forgot to introduce myself as I was deeply concerned by the situation. My name is Om.I have been in this room for years together. Oh!How lovely it was to be in my tree family.My family name is Bamboo.And see where I have landed up now.IN THE DUNGEONS!Let me tell you a brief flashback of my life.About 30 years ago,I was with my huge family in the forest of Kahna.All kinds of friends I had from squirrels to snakes and sparrows.They took shelter under our family.Everyday I could see the gleaming sun shining brilliantly at me and inspiring me to grow.How pleasant those days were! Then something disturbing happened.

It was in the month of July that the rains started.So we would have another generation in a family. I used to talk to my friends and brothers and sisters. On one of the days I was relaxing my arms and legs, When suddenly I heard something unusual to my leaves. It was the sound of one of the big people's machines. Although they passed in their so called cars, these cars were amazingly big than the normal ones. And it was our family they were heading to! Frankly I am very scared of such things. My friends tried to driving it away but in vein. It was now that I realised how fortunate it would be to have a pair of legs and a common language! Alas! Our days were over. And with a 'thud' the gigantic car came crashing into us. A little later we understood that they were to make a highway round there! And so we were taken away along with some centipedes and insects on our bodies. My mom and dad had known about this quite a while back, but they stood very calm. I was seriously upset about the happenings and asked my mom,"Mother, Is it necessary for them to chop us? Are they not sufficient with our relatives being taken away last time?" My mother said calmly,"It would have been sufficient, but their population is increasing and they are also becoming greedy. Our time to serve them with fruits and flowers is over. Now we will have to sacrifice our body also to serve them." I looked at mother anxiously and she smiled back at me.

The car came and stopped at a very huge gate. The watchman opened it and we proceeded. After reaching we were taken out and sent in a big tower like structure. After that I lost my senses for a while. When I returned into myself, I let out to huge cry as my mom & dad were separated from me. It was the worst thing to happen. As I consoled myself, I remembered mother's words. I looked at myself and noticed that I have been compressed with some other strangers of my kind. So we became friends. Then all of us were transferred. We were nailed and joined to some others. And as I gazed at our structure, we were exactly looking like one of those big people's seats which they called as 'chairs'. But we were a bit smaller in size. Then we were taken to a room which was full of chairs. It was a study room for children. Thus I landed up here. Since that day, we have been their seats. Some times I get hurt when someone jumps over me or fells me. Now I have more friends like me than before who were first a nature's part and now taken away.

Well! Thank you my friend for understanding my feelings. Some times I do get depressed at the loss of my mom & dad, But that is alright. Good Bye!!!

Rains

We all would be experiencing rain now.Rain must be annoying with drainage problems,mud everywhere ,traffic and how frustrating it would be when a car goes over water not far from you and you get wet from head to toe.But beside these there also a good side of rain too.Like the small puddles which you loved to make when you were very little.Or the rainbow you would have seen somewhere.But the most important how we still love to dance in rain.So just go outside when its raining and when you have ample time and enjoy every bit of it as we don't know- "KAL HO NA HO"

red pierrot catterpillar/above cacoon

praying mantis

spider

The news i am deliver you is the most wonderful newsfrom my side. We have 9 red pierrot catterpillar on our panfhutti. I exprienced the happiness when the hardwork pays off,with a reward which is in a form of life. Along with this a praying mantis as if the guard for the cacoon settled praying on the vebera plant.

Dear Children,
Here I am again. Now to talk to you about the CD i gave you on Sunday.It contains Mr.Mangesh Padgaonkar's poems.Mr.Mangesh Padgaonkar is a very good and popular poet in marathi.He has tried to express himself in different forms of poetry.

Any creative artist when he wishes to display the beauty of his experiences before us, he has to choose the form of expression.Here the poet has created a sort of musical form to express a small, at times apparently very trivial experience from our day to day life using simple lyrical rhythmic words conveying the human element and the divine beauty in it.He has named this form " Bolgani ". It will remind you of the songs you have heard in the film "My fair lady ".

The initial commentary may appear a bit prolonged to you, you may skip it if you wish.Then you listen to his poems. As you start perceiving the poetrical beauty of these poems,one day you will become curious to understand the poet.Then you listen to the initial narration.

I hope you will enjoy this gift.

Lata Aji

common jay

tailed jay

The one thing i was really surprised about was the why did'nt i post sunset photos when i had them. But anil aajoba on the day of the shibhir insisted on puting some sunset pictures which we always take pleasure to watch. so be ready the ride begins.

Hi,
this is Lataaji again.
Every year in the month of March, my chartered accountant sits with my account books to file the income tax returns. He finishes his work in an hour or two. The other day he told me that I was the only doctor whose accounts were so simple to keep. I realised what he meant by ‘simple'. Simple meant trivial or frugal. I told him 'Yes, financially there is nothing much to gain from my work. There is nothing to hide or seek loopholes to reduce the taxable income, but that is not the reason for less work for you. You have less work because transactions occur not in my financial account but mainly in my emotional account.
Believe me, every time I take an inventory of what I have gathered on my way during the year, I feel rich. The richness I could have never imagined! This year something I noticed that really was mind boggling. I realised that my emotional bank account was full with the highest denominations of currency i.e.LOVE. What surprised me more was that even you all parents have also gathered a lot on the way.
So now I have decided to spend a sizable portion of our emotional bank balance. I wish that all parents from teenager children’s' group should join together to start a new programme "MEET ". I expect 4 families (8 parents) to arrange a monthly meet on a Sunday evening for parents. All of you will discuss any two questions from the questionnaire already given to you.everyone will share his/her revelations. Your shortcomings, doggedness are traumatizing your teenage children. Let us all open up before our friends. Let us help one another to overcome our rigidities. That will help us become little more malleable and not fragile. We all need to become more compassionate and caring. I expect to achieve through "MEET".
Bye,
Lata aji

query regarding comments

Problem faced by Meghana : Option of post comment is not working.
I too was unable to post comments for last few days. This is what I did :
After signing in
-Go to Edit Profile on Dashboard
-Then tick on Show my e-mail.
-Then Save Profile
After doing this my comment was accepted.

common palmfly

grey pansy

painted lady

cattle egret

cattle egret (breeding)

hi there! i again got some egrets flying in my photographs. The last 2 photographs are cattle egret.And above them a honeybee and a snap of the watery eyes of gramblue butterfly.

Dear children and parents,
Hi! Today I am very much pleased and happy about the efforts we all are putting in to grow together.We are meeting in the shibir towards the end of this month and have some time at hand till then.
I would like you to see the film 'SOUND OF MUSIC' once again if possible.If not,I request you all to talk about various episodes in the film that depict different aspects of love at home.Facets of love are difficult to define,but can be expressed effectively in a happy family.'Maria'brings in the happiness and the family starts disciplining their love.Each one of them reveals love beautifully.There is love,love,love everywhere in the film.There is measured sacrifice,commitment,forgiveness,gratitude,friendship,acceptance,love for the nature,music and all such good things around.Best of all is the expression of love in togetherness,whether it is in Maria's first home i.e.Seminary or in the Von trapp family.
I expect all of you to chat with each other about these things shown in the film.Enjoy this showcase of love and hope to see you soon.
Love.

Lataaji

i am really sorry in my last post its not pond heron its cattle egret

indian pond heron?

black kite

Here i come again. I reckon it was'nt a good day for all of us. But certainly not for me because it washed away all the plans in my mind. I think the incessant rain left some of its drops behind on my arnelia plant. And a little pause in rainfall gave me all the reasons in the world to take my cam and snap what ever resonable i see. SO it was'nt at all a bad day.

It feels great to be back on chequebook after a space of a month.The fault in the net did not allow me to post anything. So that’s past tense and anybody would like to forget it. There are some photos which I am sharing with you,are taken by my new camera and I would be pleased if you appreciate them with worthy comments. ashy prinia

lesser grass blue

Happy Ruminations – Once Again

Tuesday,31st May2011, A day we will always remember.

During the wonderful three day teenage shibir, Lata Aaji said that, she and Anil Ajoba were to go to Modi Resort for some rest. And that if possible anybody from shibir can join them there. It gives me immense pleasure to say that Milind and I could make it possible on one of the days. I am sure Khaches, and Om Vaknalli who could make it, also share the same feelings.

It was a peaceful day which started at 9 am and lasted till 10.30 pm. Apart from a break of about one hour, Lata Aaji and Anil ajoba shared wonderful memories of their family and friends for the whole day. Their interesting episodes with their great friends and eminent personalities like Pu La, Sunitabai, Mangesh Padgaokar, Borkar, Vasant Bapat, Vinda Karandikar, and Baba Amte and also cricketers like Madhav Apte and Vasu Paranjape, and doctors like Dr.Phadke and Dr.Shrikhande,Advocate Mohan Korde kept us captivated.

The variety of their friends, the relations they shared with the all of them, and people at large, the priority they gave to nurture their relationships, the involvement of Gargee and Adwait in everything that they did, their compassion, never ceases to amaze me.
Needless to say, there were sessions to take a review of shibir. One thing that came up was the lack of compassion and commitment on our part which we need to improve upon.

As an exercise for the next meeting on Sunday 12th June at 3pm, parents are expected to talk to the children about the last teen age shibir and write down what all happened during the shibir.

We really missed those of you who were not present at Modi Resort. I am sure there will be many more such occasions but do try and give these occasions a priority.