tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45665218828366809002024-03-14T01:50:38.369+05:30The Jumbled Mumblingsof Dhaval MomayaDhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-82689983419672953142014-05-21T21:16:00.002+05:302014-05-21T21:21:37.122+05:30Desk EvolutionBelow are a series of pictures depicting the evolution of my trading desk since 2010. Started out messy with 3 computers/3 screens, went to the other extreme with just a single 12" laptop, am now comfortably settled with this dual-monitor setup. One window has a journal, trading platform, and skype while the larger screen has charts that I cycle through. I think I shall eventually end up adding another monitor soon for more charts and less scrolling. So much for simplicity. Meh.<br />
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The goal is to get to something like this and not be lost. :-)<br />
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<br />Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-12962934936005759202014-05-21T04:16:00.001+05:302014-05-21T04:16:35.299+05:30Nolan tributes Coppola<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Has anyone caught Christopher Nolan's tribute to The Godfather II in the scene where Bruce meets Falcone? Local mob boss (Fanucci and Falcone), restaurant, light-coloured suit, young punk in wool overcoat, all check!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></span>Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-10571821243907809232014-05-06T14:26:00.000+05:302014-05-06T14:26:10.439+05:30The different types of "maal"The Adventures of Dhingu continued...<br /><br />The day began auspiciously enough with a clear, crisp morning. Tuesday, the 10th of November 2009. Not a weekend, not a holiday, no festivals, nothing. I was expecting the Ramnagar bus to be empty. Especially since I was leaving at eleven in the morning. I walked the 300m down to the temple where the Marchula main road met the dirt road leading up to Camp. I began my 2km walk to Mohaan knowing that with my abysmal luck the bus would've probably left, but no, I heard a bus approaching. It was, indeed, the right bus, and it was, indeed, empty! Phew!<br />
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Safely deposited at Ramnagar (I saw a jackal on the way!), I now tried to find the right bus that would take me to Kaladhungi. Things would've been easier if the buses had signs saying where they were headed, but the local way to do it was to go to every bus and ask where it was headed. If it was headed the way you were headed, you were in luck. After a bit of asking around, I was directed to a green mini-bus that looked like it had seen better days a long, long time ago. Probably 1969. I hopped on board and bought myself a ticket to Kaladhungi, Jim Corbett's home for most of the year. Inside the bus were lots of local movie posters with names like, "Saali meri Seema" and "Teri Yaad Aayegi" and more such interesting names. Anyhow, back to important things; the seats were too small for me, and I had to sit with my feet sticking out into the passage area, causing everyone who crossed to trip over and send curses my way.<br />
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Kaladhungi arrived quickly enough (thankfully), and I changed buses for Nainital. The bus struggled up the ghats to Nainital, covering 60km in a little over 3 hours. Nainital revealed itself to be quite a nice and unhurried town-city if one discounted the tourists. I had lots of recommendations for awesome food in Nainital and headed straight to highly recommended Sakley's for some pastries. I ordered their eggless pastry which on that day was a vanilla-chocolate double-decker with chocolate cream and cardamom. It was quite okay, nothing to rave about, nothing to complain about. Perhaps it was their egg-full stuff that was worth raving about? Next, I walked the Mall road up and down and then up again and returned to Sakley's via Thandi sadak. It is quite <i>thandi</i> and a great place for birds (feathered and non-feathered, both kinds being very friendly). Saw my first Wallcreeper here!<br />
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So, another bit of info I had from friends was this particular place in Nainital where the weed was exceptional. Though not someone who indulged regularly, but being the man of fine taste that I was, I had to check this out to see if this was indeed true. I followed the directions I had been given and ended up in a dump of a provision store run by two dirty men. I had been instructed to ask for "maal", so I asked the one who seemed to be in charge, "<i>maal hain, kya?</i>" He nodded and beckoned me to follow which I was immediately uncomfortable with. I mean, who acts so suspicious selling only weed? He walked into a nearby house, and I followed him into the sitting room thinking that would be where he would hide the stash. He then went into a bedroom. I stayed in the living room. He came out immediately and was surprised I didn't follow him in. I protested and he said, "<i>koi baat nahi, andar aao.</i>" Being the first rate idiot that I am, I went inside. There was a young woman sitting on the bed, dressed in a blouse and a thin white skirt. My brain was still processing all this when the shopkeeper said, "<i>1500, theek hain na?</i>" I looked at him, then the woman on the bed, then back at him and ran out and away from the house stumbling and mumbling, hot in the face and all. Some of my "friends" were having a great laugh, I was sure.Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-35795491323151698702014-04-20T15:27:00.000+05:302014-04-20T15:27:13.383+05:30HoroscopeIn the winter of 2009, I used to work as a guide in Corbett at a safari lodge. It was a small lodge with nine employees and a max capacity of 24 guests, give or take. The lodge was neatly tucked out of the way in a 6-house village with no electricity and forests on all sides. All employees save for me and another naturalist were local. Prakash was one such 20-year-old who was being trained by us to ID birds and speak English with guests. He could also drive, so we were keen to send him out on safari too. We felt it would be great if he could stay in touch with the guests after they'd left (most guests end up becoming good friends with their guides), so I was helping him open his first email account outside the kitchen. We were hunched over the computer, filling in all his data for the registration process. I was asking him his DoB and other details, and then for the security question, asked him where he was born. Rinku (chef's assistant) and Pooranji (accountant) who overheard us, both asked, "Kundli bana rahe hain, kya?" They know what online matrimony is but don't know what email is.<br />
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Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-42563413919122862572012-08-27T22:54:00.003+05:302013-05-03T14:02:35.216+05:30Save Our Snakes<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The following appears in the Annual Directory of the neighbourhood of Kovai Gardens Association in Kovaipudur, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.</span></div>
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Sankes are some of the most gorgeous creatures of the natural world and have taken millions of years to evolve and fill their ecological niche. It would be a disaster for humans if snakes are brought to the point of extinction despite all the scientific and ethical reasons for their conservation. Snakes form an integral part of our ecosystem—both as predator and prey—and have a very important role to play in pest control. The media are happy to publicise and sensationalise cases of snakebite but tend to ignore the larger picture: that snakes are a major factor in keeping agricultural pests (especially rodents) at bay. The alternate to eating food that is riddled with toxic chemicals and pesticides is to leave these magnificient creatures alone and let them perform their natural duties and work as nature intended.<br />
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Snakes are found everywhere: in the forests and deserts, in villages, in towns and cities, in water and on land. Some snakes like the ornate flying snake of Asia have even conquered the domain of the sky: gliding from tree to tree! The only reason we don't see them so often is that they do an amazing job staying out of our way. The occasional times we do cross paths, it is best to stay as far away as possible without causing them any distress and let them remove themselves to safety. They want to avoid confrontation even more than you do: imagine encountering someone more than 5 feet tall when you're relegated to crawling a few millimetres off the ground. Snakes bite only as a last resort, for their personal safety, so it does well for us to go about our daily activities with some consideration for the reptiles that share our lives: do not put your hands and feet into nooks, crannies, under rocks and bushes, or other places you can't see into, and always watch where you are treading when you walk, especially so in the dark. Simple, isn't it?<br />
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Out of the over 270 species of snakes in India, the bite of only 4 of these is deadly to humans, yet snakes continue to be violently persecuted in most parts of our country. Despite being the symbol of the Hindu god Shiva, it seems that most of us are happy to worship the idol and kill the first live snake we see. Another reason to avoid killing snakes is to stay out of legal trouble. Snakes are protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and warrant a non-bailable arrest. Depending on the species of snake killed, one will be sentenced by the Schedule under which it comes under. For example, in the eyes of the law, killing a python is equal to having killed/hunted a tiger or elephant, all of which are protected by their Schedule I classification.<br />
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If you do encounter a snake within the confines of your home or workplace, don't try to chase/beat/scare/kill it. A majority of snake bites occur during these times. Call your local snake rescue expert (or the fire department/police) who can safely capture the snake and release or relocate it into its natural habitat.<br />
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Those living in and around Kovaipudur can call Arthur Steele at 934 483 3274, S.R.J. Arul at 934 410 1111 or Dhaval Momaya at 989 444 3871.<br />
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Those living in and around rest of Coimbatore can call K. Ratish at 978 733 2814 or Sabri at 951 992 6729.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Compiled by Dhaval Momaya, N. Lakshminarayan (WCS India) and Arthur Steele.</span></span>Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-23699752244456025302012-06-04T21:10:00.000+05:302012-06-04T21:10:53.348+05:30Just spent the last two hours on the phone trying to convince two dozen veterinarians to euthanise a stray dog hit by a car and most of them said that was "not possible" point blank and hung up. None were willing even if I agreed to pay a premium on their fee and offered to pick them up and drop them back. Frustration was growing into anger. One of the vets could make out my displeasure despite my best efforts at being polite, so he justified his refusal by saying he didn't work with strays because they weren't vaccinated and he didn't want to "catch anything" in case he got bitten. He advised me to stay clear of strays too. Watch out animal lovers of Coimbatore: veterinary whores abound.Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-15273835946706595352012-04-25T15:36:00.002+05:302012-04-25T15:36:48.250+05:30Venom<br />
I was walking the dog this evening, in the wilderness outside my village where the land is gently undulating and covered with knee-length grass with rows of thorny scrub in the depressions. The weather was great for a walk; the sun mildly shining through a curtain of thin cloud. As I walked, I could smell the fragrance of tulsi as my feet crushed some plants that were spread out among the grass. The resident locals of the village and neighbouring villages had already collected most of the year's wild tulsi harvest in February, but these were new saplings that had come up with the summer showers, I imagine.<br />
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It was nearly dusk when the dog suddenly jumped backwards and pricked up her ears, her nose to the ground, twitching away trying to smell the life out of something that was obscured to me. As I tried to get closer to see better she kept pushing me away and growling at whatever it is she was looking at. I finally managed to pull her back and hold her and saw that she had stumbled across a small Russell's viper (Daboia russelli) lying quietly in the grass. Such are the times when I mentally slap my forehead for being too lazy to bring the camera out on the walks, but the point I want to drive home in this little essay is that time and again, I've witnessed my dog being defensive when she encounters a live venomous snake. This has previously happened four times with Russell's vipers in our yard at home, more than half a dozen times with the spectacled cobras (again, in our yard) and once with a saw-scaled viper that we encountered on a similar walk years ago. On occasions when she finds a live non-venomous snake (she's managed to find three wolf snakes, two green vine snakes, countless rat snakes, and once, even a cat snake), she merely attracts our attention to the snake and goes her way doing what she was originally doing. No growling, no ears upright, no straight tail, nothing. (She even let a green vine snake live in our curry leaf tree for a whole year after pointing it out to us.) I wonder how she knows the venomous ones from the non-venomous. Can she smell the venom in their venom sacs? I sure would love to know.<br />Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-66171166597843182122011-11-04T13:24:00.000+05:302011-11-04T13:25:18.061+05:30Morning in the Mountains<br />
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It's been just about five years now since I shot this picture in the Siruvani hills of Coimbatore. I've put it up on my flickr stream, my website, various online photography fora and whatnots, but no one has ever noticed it. No one has ever said, "Woah, wait a minute, I know that from somewhere." I guess nature/landscape photographers today don't know their art history like they used to. Or that this was a lousy execution at trying to copy a great romantic landscape painting. Meh. Anyway, on its fifth anniversary, here is why I personally like it.<br />
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<b>Caspar Friedrich: Morning in the Mountains (1821-23?)</b></div>Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-77265922156733614852011-08-01T01:20:00.004+05:302011-08-01T01:34:37.152+05:30Form over Content? Blasphemy! (?)<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I followed a friend's link to <a href="http://blakeandrews.blogspot.com/2011/07/survey-says.html">this page</a> on Blake Andrews' blog and was a little miffed that the winner of the Form vs Content poll (in a photograph) was, in fact, form. Iconic images of our times immediately jumped to my mind (man blocking tank in Tiananmen, little Vietnamese girl running from her village being napalm'd, the recent picture of a couple kissing during the Vancouver riots, McCurry's Afghan girl, ...), but before I could mentally send a flurry of vile words in some of the choicest language I know to all the voters, my brain hammered sense into me. The above pictures, iconic though they may be, aren't 'great' images. When it comes to the great, the buck stops at <a href="http://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCQQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FHenri_Cartier-Bresson&ei=x6w1TrTAKc2qrAeaqfGoCw&usg=AFQjCNGYhmXwHq-03D0WgWJDL6cOoL5ecQ&sig2=VLwrCGjN79_qI2t1LXVuzA">Monsieur Cartier-Bresson</a>. Aquila from 1952; Behind St. Lazare station, Paris; Brasserie Lipp 1969; are all 'everyday' images with only the photographer's composition elevating them to greatness. Even many of Ansel Adams' works are these 'everyday' images (Jeffrey's Pine and Church in Mexico come to mind immediately).</div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Continuing with this train of thought, I realised that painters can get away with getting truly captivating scenes of everyday sights whereas photographers have to work quite hard at finding that something 'extra' that really catapults the image. (Of course, painters do have the harder job in the first place by nature of their work.) I can't find a finer example of this than Johannes Vermeer's "Street in Delft". A true masterpiece which in photograph form would simply be relegated to the 'good' pile. I would put Albrecht Durer's "Large Turf", Vermeer's (again) "View of Delft" and Correggio's "Portrait of a Man" in the same pile as masterpieces with no amazing/awesome/stupendous shit happening in them. I'm sure I could come up with a tonne of other stuff that support the form argument if I cared to run more web searches, but I don't, so there.</div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiG583a23toRB8DOnetGIJb6wSdZWAxa8W1D7fMxl2pBkTUsrjFOPdZZSSRqkftUmEL82_1REV_pv26Hzhbr8di-NzRO3voHHqKO56-cE6pPDtburF-jq77D8LyxGq0DZ-fO4MqWJkVeSD/s1600/Johannes+Vermeer+van+Delft+street+in+delft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiG583a23toRB8DOnetGIJb6wSdZWAxa8W1D7fMxl2pBkTUsrjFOPdZZSSRqkftUmEL82_1REV_pv26Hzhbr8di-NzRO3voHHqKO56-cE6pPDtburF-jq77D8LyxGq0DZ-fO4MqWJkVeSD/s320/Johannes+Vermeer+van+Delft+street+in+delft.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="265" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Johannes Vermeer Van Delft - </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Street in Delft</i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Can you picture yourself caught staring at the brick-work if this were a photograph?</span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Damn, I wish I could paint like that.</div></div>Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-68275573122669735652011-05-28T15:01:00.000+05:302011-05-28T15:01:12.954+05:30Temple elephantsI first saw an elephant at age seven. It was a temple elephant (from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perur">Perur</a> temple) that was taken house to house, and it was visiting ours. The idea was to donate some money to the temple, give the elephant a banana or sugarcane, and receive the blessings of lord Ganesha. I was a little scared but was mostly astounded by the animal's size, and I still remember looking into her eyes and wondering what she was thinking. When she dropped a load of dung right outside our gates, all the village kids immediately set upon trampling it with their bare feet because it was said to increase your intelligence! My next interaction with another temple elephant happened much later in Vellore during 2008. I handed her a banana and a five-rupee coin. She ate the banana and stretched out her trunk to hand the coin over to her mahout. When the mahout reached out to take the coin from her, she swiped it back. She did this three more times before the mahout lost his patience and shouted at her, and then she obliged.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEfqSmsaxQp02v8Xkh2owGFRYIYFQEvTCJacOdxZA2itFe2Xh0gTAiPCGUW9xtfaalztpkNvrfonioBfN_OGsitaHKq7aPK5QB6IF7L_DxZmD3voQlJDj5QrZLbnU9HxYh3E6ZyeviYOc/s1600/elefun+day.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEfqSmsaxQp02v8Xkh2owGFRYIYFQEvTCJacOdxZA2itFe2Xh0gTAiPCGUW9xtfaalztpkNvrfonioBfN_OGsitaHKq7aPK5QB6IF7L_DxZmD3voQlJDj5QrZLbnU9HxYh3E6ZyeviYOc/s320/elefun+day.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-3036221724976020212011-05-02T21:45:00.002+05:302011-05-02T22:17:57.619+05:30Packing for multi-day hikesLots of folk have shown interest in the way I pack and have switched to a similar style with personal changes. For future seekers of backpacking wisdom, I thought I'd write a few lines (very considerate of me, no?). Nothing I have to say is "mine" so to speak: it has all been amalgamated from veteran hikers, backpacking.net boards and the weirdos at Red Chilli Adventure in Rishikesh (running for cover).<br />
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Packing is always about sorting and compartmentalisation. When on a hike, you need to pack so that things that are most essential for survival are on you as much as possible so that you can survive with some level of comfort in case you lose most of your gear. (Simple, no? ;) Without further ado, here's the deal.<br />
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* My pockets have two folding pocket knives (one for rough work, one with a sharp blade, a Photon flashlight and a flattened and shortened roll of toilet paper wrapped in plastic (great to use as a bandage, tinder to start fire in the wet, napkin and you know what else).<br />
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* Hip-pouch: Bic lighter (I can't have enough of these: they light up even after being dunked underwater for a few hours!), 1xAAA-torch, map, one sachet of Electral and P&S camera go into a hip-pouch looped through my belt. That way all this stuff goes where I go. Always.<br />
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* Waist pouch: contains notepad+pencil, compass, 2xAA torch, 3xAAA headlamp, water-proof firestarting kit (basically a film cannister with camphor, matches and striker), hand sanitizer, a small tape measure, more sachets of Electral, energy bars, extra pair of shoelaces, band-aids, 2 days' worth of essential medicines and an extra pair of prescription glasses. I like these tinted so they double as sunglasses.<br />
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* Daypack: My daypack is a 14-litre backpack that has lots of water bottles (I like to re-use soda bottles: they don't weigh much and don't cost much), 1-litre aluminium mug (to boil water/make tea/coffee/instant noodles), machete, sun hat, wool cap, gloves and jacket/poncho, clean underwear and hand-towel in a tupperware box (for waterproofing), first-aid kit, (use a different kit for daily medicines if you need them) and 600g of instant noodles. Daypack goes into big backpack.<br />
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* Big backpack: A generic 70-litre internal frame backpack. Carries the daypack, 10C sleeping bag (with warm and dry clothes on I've been comfortable sleeping in -6 C with this; pretty sure it'll go colder still with a hot water bottle inside and/or a liner), sleeping pad (gets tied outside the backpack if I'm carrying a tent), 2.5L aluminium cookpot with handle, woodstove, spatula, 1L steel thermos flask, change of clothes if preferred, a small repair kit (multitool, duct-tape, hot-melt glue), more water, food, some paracord, toiletries, floaters and a bath towel. (The last three are on the outside pockets for easy reach in case, like me, you like stopping for a dip at streams/lakes en route. I have a carabiner attached to a D-ring on the main straps so I can attach my main wide-mouth "drinking water bottle" to it.<br />
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Now, when it comes to backpacking food, I love rice (150g per person per meal YMMV). One can have only so many meals of instant noodles. Rice is easy to carry, easy to cook, makes a tasty and nutritious meal, is cheap, I could go on and on. Some cooking oil, a few veggies and you're all set. Among the veggies I carry, I'm partial to carrots, potatoes and onions because they have little water content hence are light to carry and they keep for quite a few days. I have another little tupperware box that has small film cannisters with spices and other condiments. Cashew nuts and groundnuts are also good to carry - both as a snack and to add to rice or other dishes. Dehydrated dessicated coconut is another thing that I love to carry.<br />
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Snacks carried are usually groundnut chikkis (kadlai burfi: toffees made with groundnuts and jaggery). Biscuits leave me dehydrated and thirsty. Dehydrated fruit is also great.<br />
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As far as possible, I like to cook on a small open fire. Despite all the claims from manufacturers of ultralight cooking gear, wood is usually the most eco-friendly method of cooking and personal heating even. Add a couple of green twigs into the fire and the smoke will also drive insects away. Not to mention the food tastes great. Except if you're hiking above the treeline, I don't see why one should ever have to use a manufactured fuel to cook with. The inputs and energies needed for its making and transportation are way more than a few twigs and fallen branches needed to run a small woodstove or fire-in-a-pit. All rules regarding responsible use of fire apply here. If you don't know, look it up. And use common sense.<br />
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Now, all you folks from the western world will be wondering about my water purification method. It's boiling. Doesn't cost anything, doesn't weigh anything. :)<br />
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Weight of Daypack + Backpack (with food) for a 6-day hike is usually around 16 kg. I usually carry at least 6L of water for the first day so it comes to around 22 kg. All that without much being spent on "ultralight" hiking gear.Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-60443121317450842822010-09-03T20:11:00.004+05:302010-09-03T20:23:21.118+05:30Whose lake is it anyway?<div><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: left; ">Coimbatore, the third largest city of Tamil Nadu is situated on the banks of the river Noyyal and has a network of natural and man-made wetlands interconnected to each other and the river Noyyal dating back to 1200 AD. Some of these are under the authority of the Public Works Department, while 8 lakes that fall under the Coimbatore Corporation limits have recently been leased by the Coimbatore Municipal Corporation from the PWD. Traditionally, these lakes were sources of fresh water for domestic and agricultural use but in recent years due to rapid urbanisation they are being used only by marginalised people living in the vicinity for domestic use, as grazing grounds for subsistence herders, by farmers for irrigation seasonally and also for fishing. They still play a very important role in regulating the water levels in the Noyyal and preventing floods during excess rains in the city apart from underground aquifier recharge. Due to the unregulated and unsustainable extraction of groundwater in the city in recent years, their roles as water-table rechargers is one of the most important today. These wetlands and their drains are also serving as ad-hoc sewage drains (untreated domestic and industrial effluents) resulting in moderate to heavy pollution levels.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Anthropogenic uses apart, these lakes are also used by resident and migratory birds throughout the year. Large congregations (>300 individuals) of Threatened birds like the Spot-billed Pelican and Near Threatened birds like the Painted Stork regularly use these lakes for feeding, breeding, roosting and nesting. A study conducted jointly by researchers from SACON, Bharathiar University and PSG College of Arts and Science from June 2004 to September 2006 reports 116 species of birds using the Singanallur Tank alone.</p><p class="MsoNormal">In a public meeting held on 14th August 2010 at the Coimbatore Collectorate with attendance of the Mayor of Coimbatore Corporation, District Collector of Coimbatore and Commissioner - Coimbatore Corporation, a presentation was made by Scott Wilson India Pvt Ltd and Almondz Global Securities Ltd that proposed privatisation of the eight lakes that fall in the city limits (Narsampathy, Krishnampathy, Selvampathy, Kumaraswamy, Selvachinthamani, Coimbatore big tank, Valankulam and Singanallur) along with a rejuvenation proposal. Also proposed under this Build-Operate-Transfer scheme are construction projects like urban health resorts and spas, food courts, water theme parks, aquarium, planetarium, bird park, etc., in and around the wetlands.</p><p class="MsoNormal">It is questionable in the first place for the Corporation to even consider privatisation of a common public resource that is essential to the livelihood of many marginalised people. It also seems ill-advised to hand over the 'rejuvenation' and maintenance of these wetlands - crucial wildlife habitat and ecologically fragile and valuable areas - to a private corporation with no history of such successful projects without any public or governmental checks and balances. Some of the proposed 'rejuvenation' activities include draining, dredging and desilting of the wetlands to increase water storage capacities. This will destroy the aquatic fauna and flora, disturb the migratory birds and result in the transformation of the wetland from an ecosystem to a sterile water storage tank. Furthermore, the large construction projects proposed will have to rely on huge footfalls to be commercially viable, well beyond the carrying capacity of these wetlands, putting immense pressure on the ecosystem and the biodiversity it harbours and will contribute to irreversible damage, not just in terms of ecology, but even economy as the two are one and the same.</p></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROUkndLj_4bCbOTHmdsC61DVROCPyjAuJ3Oll4LHgAkpl5OZ10u2xLfpe_k0SF4jU1SUPWjS8pZwngkP1PEYvE9XsinEvltcOFIfzKbushHAPyBW6pDig6qlmR23sennORb4UWAHHaeIJ/s1600/1890680497_3e2c1f53a9_o.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROUkndLj_4bCbOTHmdsC61DVROCPyjAuJ3Oll4LHgAkpl5OZ10u2xLfpe_k0SF4jU1SUPWjS8pZwngkP1PEYvE9XsinEvltcOFIfzKbushHAPyBW6pDig6qlmR23sennORb4UWAHHaeIJ/s400/1890680497_3e2c1f53a9_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512699996063619954" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIlFabUcmrSlFmlnya9x3-PDsCvGapf6IwhzkAnfOZeRnHg7tC-Pfkvh9IBr11ft4TZqj0rp3ka25EHKySzC2XokTqq5tzJTBZYbnBWNJdprAMMlDur16fiKZVOUbhc54TQIedZ2SxtSHp/s1600/5404811_c4a9bf5212_o.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIlFabUcmrSlFmlnya9x3-PDsCvGapf6IwhzkAnfOZeRnHg7tC-Pfkvh9IBr11ft4TZqj0rp3ka25EHKySzC2XokTqq5tzJTBZYbnBWNJdprAMMlDur16fiKZVOUbhc54TQIedZ2SxtSHp/s400/5404811_c4a9bf5212_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512699987354765874" /></a>Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-76157786648363689862010-09-03T02:59:00.005+05:302010-09-03T03:16:19.057+05:30Tanks, Lakes and Wetlands of Coimbatore City<div>Just a Google map outlining Coimbatore's water bodies: artificial and natural. I used to treat the wetlands of Coimbatore simply as places one had to go to watch water birds. That view has changed and different feelings have emerged since it came to light in a public meeting that our dear city administration is planning to auction off the rights to eight of our lakes to private corporations who will do all they can to sterilise the lakes of all life and then charge the good citizens of Coimbatore (and others who happen to drop by) an entry fee to see the 'beautiful' bird park (just one of the mega construction projects they've proposed) <i>after</i> they've driven away all the natural, wild, migratory and threatened bird life from them (to say nothing of the plants, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, insects, spiders and small mammals). If only I could huff and puff and blow them away.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJHOIA08z5JtiIi54ApABKtsuv3Lb0frXWLCxjkBdFt2Qarww9nUsu99Q9fiemYslwVwsX6iEE08x-TOO-WEaRJhjJNhT0Q38B-wPuI6ZX4mpU-9OVaY-qAh9HDzbXfKWlH3i29rVOy55B/s1600/tanks_lakes_and_wetlands_of_coimbatore_city.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 272px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJHOIA08z5JtiIi54ApABKtsuv3Lb0frXWLCxjkBdFt2Qarww9nUsu99Q9fiemYslwVwsX6iEE08x-TOO-WEaRJhjJNhT0Q38B-wPuI6ZX4mpU-9OVaY-qAh9HDzbXfKWlH3i29rVOy55B/s400/tanks_lakes_and_wetlands_of_coimbatore_city.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512433844513081442" /></a><br />No rights reserved. Share and share alike.Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-52902584136831245692010-05-07T00:45:00.005+05:302010-05-09T22:31:25.206+05:30Do you like the thing that holds you back?Would you like to be on a leash, for instance? (BDSM jokes apart!). Isn't it amazing how human society and its norms change the behaviour of animals—dogs especially? Everyone's come across the dog who is overjoyed on seeing its 'owner' reach for the leash: that could only mean it's walky time! The leash, made for the very purpose of restricting freedom of movement, sends a dog into a fit of joy and hard tail-wagging because it means freedom from the restricted environs of its home. But while the dog is free to do what it wants to at home, on the leash its movement is quite restricted and dependent on the person in control of that leash. Yet, it chooses the leash over freedom at home. So do we. Governments, institutions and the society at large, almost always give individuals the leash treatment. One step forward and five back. Some petty allowances here and there in exchange for taking away some really important rights. And we're usually happy and thankful for this.Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-19208216544113875632010-01-15T13:27:00.005+05:302012-04-25T15:33:05.563+05:30Come, join the SPBA!Have you noticed, that ever since the economic liberalisation in the nineties, slowly but surely, public toilets in India have gone from the "Indian" style to western ceramic potty affairs. I think us Indians are great at aping all the bad things from the west and ignoring all the good things they have to offer. Bad thing: Western toilets. Good thing: If you're gonna have western toilets, you might as well have toilet paper. But, no. We just refuse to use toilet paper (spicy food?). Result: The public loos are sloshed floor to ceiling with water and so are the toilet seats as a result of the mug-and-water method. All this water is a dirt magnet with people walking in and out from all sorts of places with all sorts of stuff stuck to their footwear soles. When you really have to go, you're left debating whether to brave holding on or face the dirty loos. A great solution to this paper vs water problem would be a bum gun. Bum guns are the best invention ever in the history of humankind after fire, wheels and running water. Such a simble solution, but no takers. Come, help in the ridding of this social evil by joining the <b>Society for the Propagation of Bum gun Adoption</b>. It's a noble cause, and your karma shall be given positive credits, redeemable not only in your afterlife, but every time you use a public loo.Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-41411229329410298292010-01-07T12:08:00.000+05:302010-01-07T12:10:16.930+05:30A bright and shiny winter's day!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryxgWuEeHQXAzQA9uAywjDg-ETQskMOL5KJ_O9924x0fQ8QLp4UegvL5ImXIxsJF9Wss6B_z-geWz4rCaUt8oakaPdqFjUOkANDR_trPx6FNDFg1JlFtb5xacg6b4sjODEq_26E15qY-h/s1600-h/DSC_2828.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryxgWuEeHQXAzQA9uAywjDg-ETQskMOL5KJ_O9924x0fQ8QLp4UegvL5ImXIxsJF9Wss6B_z-geWz4rCaUt8oakaPdqFjUOkANDR_trPx6FNDFg1JlFtb5xacg6b4sjODEq_26E15qY-h/s400/DSC_2828.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423883929571138226" /></a>Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-40572558830973865832009-11-18T09:41:00.000+05:302009-11-18T09:42:35.975+05:30The WABA (Wear A BeArd) FoundationPeople everywhere keep asking me why I have a beard. My extended family, friends I haven't met since high school and even new acquintances, all wonder about it. The answer is I have a beard because most men naturally have a beard! What's so complicated about that to understand? It's just like hair on your head; it's already there, one doesn't have to do anything for it. Why don't people shave their heads as well, as a corollary? The beard, being a great insulator, also keeps my face warm during winters and cool during the heat. It's also totally eco-friendly because it can be maintained simply with a pair of scissors, without having to use and dispose metal and plastic razors. Also, it makes me look wise beyond my years. (I think!) :-)Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-2687545275508065612009-10-03T17:11:00.005+05:302010-08-19T11:47:00.565+05:30Of forest dwellers and such...<div>The talk about 'alternative development' or 'sustainable development' is quite interesting these days. The NGOs that usually make recommendations to governments about what can be done so that rural communities continue to lead their relatively simpler lifestyles that are directly dependent on the wilderness areas around them as a means of promoting the protection of these wilderness areas through stakeholdership will recommend that funds be donated/allotted and/or legislation be passed to secure that community's way of life, and they will lobby for rights to the community over the forest that they are stakeholders of. The point that they miss completely is that even though current stakeholders might be interested in safeguarding their forests and making sure only sustainable quanta of non-timber forest produce (NTFP) is harvested from them, there's no guarantee that future generations who inherit this stakeholdership will do the same. Another moot point is also that if an ad-hoc village committee is in charge of the forest around their village, it is a possibility that bad management decisions can be made with the best of intentions. Unlike the evolved system of centralised and state-owned forest management, village committies will not have access to research and data to base their decisions on (this is not to say the centre doesn't screw up. They do, and big time at that. But there are certain safeguards and corrections can be made with higher intervention). And even if they do manage to set limits to NTFP harvests in the name of sustainability, it is only so that humans can continue to sustainably harvest material with nary a care for the wildlife inhabiting the forest. (A good example would be honey collection from wild beehives in southern India. Even though there are ancient laws passed on from father to son about what kind of hive to harvest and what kind to leave untouched, most of the extractable honey is collected and sold into the free market with little of it left to bears - whose main diet during the nonfruiting season happens to be honey. Bears are also further affected by collection of deadwood. Deadwood is essential for the existence of termites in a forest. Termites feed on the dead and fallen wood and return organic matter back into the soil. Termites also happen to be another major part of bear diet. No deadwood, no termites, no bears. Only a small example.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Beyond all this talk of sustainability, one also forgets about the people concerned. Do they want to continue with their way of living or do they want healthcare, schools, electricity, food and water security, toilets, pukka roofs that don't need to be replaced every year, insurance, access to the internet and telecommunications, news, information and entertainment? Why should someone who has access to (and is a user of) all this make recommendations that basically dictate the absence of these very things from a community of people who happen to be physically and financially far off from these things? Why not ask them what they'd like first? As long as human communities continue to have access to the 'free' market of the open world (most 'tribals' do, only a few like the Jarawas of the Andamans continue to live disconnected from all but the most primitive technology - one reason why their population hasn't exploded like the rest of the world and they can actually be said to be living 'with' nature), continue to change their environment to raise animals and crops, get diseases and need cures, get bitten by snakes and need antivenin, they cannot be given special permissions and rights to the forests they live in. With the little forest we have remaining, we cannot continue to add infrastructure and services into it. People can adapt to a change in lifestyle but animals and the forest cannot. I sit in a coffee shop as I write this, a place where I can buy the cheapest item on the menu and meet with a dozen of my friends until it's closing time and use the internet for free. I can walk down a few blocks into a multiplex and expose myself to a plethora of cinema from various corners of my country and the world. Why would I not want the 'tribal' people to have access to the same if they chose so?</div><div><br /></div><div>Ideally, sustainable societies would not have advanced technology such as computers and the internet, because 'jobs' in sustainable societies would be directly linked to the environment. I can only imagine "technological advancement" being made under capitalism because it calls for bigger, better, faster of everything. But considering where we are currently, it'd be imprudent to call for forest-dwelling peoples to "go back to nature" and avoid what the current world has to offer. Today, the right to internet access is equivalent to the right to information. We cannot keep asking them to be where they are and continue their 'sustainable' (but impoverished and meagre) existence. It would be both, impudent and imprudent of us to ask them to go back to using their traditional systems of medicine for the diseases created by contact with the rest of the world. It would be equally imprudent and impudent to ask them to skip the 'modern' education system and stick to their traditional knowledge, for that would leave future populations at a huge disadvantage versus the rest of the world. What would work best in today's scenario is a system that gives the right to forest dwelling communities to keep ownership of their land (governed by strict land use regulations curbing any commercial activity and/or serious landscape modification) while at the same time providing for them residence and services in nearby towns and cities. It is the only way their children will be brought up at minimal disadvantage vis-a-vis children from towns and cities, while at the same time, exposing them to their homeland (the forests) and making sure they never get alienated from it. This, I think, is much better than the system we use today where we give them 'jobs' in the name of NREGS and other trivial jobs with the hospitality/tourism industry which only makes them reliant on an outsider (a capitalistic outsider!) to continue living in their homeland.</div><div><br /></div><div>Management of the forests, on the other hand, needs to be taken away from the exclusive domain of the Forest Department (Because, seriously, the FD does not consist of conservation biologists or police. The forests need a combination of the two for proper management and protection.) and must be shared by a committee/board consisting of stakeholders (i.e, the people, not corporations), the Forest Department (whose role would be limited to protection) and conservation biologists who would present all management options. No management decisions would be made without hearings, with opinions drawn from peers and public. That would be my ideal forest.</div>Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-12428106066863574682009-10-03T17:09:00.001+05:302009-10-03T17:11:50.044+05:30Tallying pollution<div>When calculating total greenhouse gas emissions of a country, (the majority of which are emitted by industry), the emissions by export oriented industries have to be debited from the emitting country and credited to the countries who are importing these products. Perhaps they should seriously start thinking about the stuff they consume and the quantity in which they do so, these 'developed' nations.</div>Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-70799550333040667942009-10-02T08:44:00.002+05:302009-12-13T22:09:19.889+05:30<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcn2OmgNwc9dyTvuqBHqsPM5BjBM8A1AOTLp6NOxNREfJ12Rammwdip1Dcm-izd6hCQXrulGPvC0PLhTJGZafVkkjASiksaD0R7hJr9eVy3LP-eetxics7NyZbvSuDa5pduBpiPyOiwq9J/s1600-h/in+the+claws+of+the+tiger.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 284px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcn2OmgNwc9dyTvuqBHqsPM5BjBM8A1AOTLp6NOxNREfJ12Rammwdip1Dcm-izd6hCQXrulGPvC0PLhTJGZafVkkjASiksaD0R7hJr9eVy3LP-eetxics7NyZbvSuDa5pduBpiPyOiwq9J/s400/in+the+claws+of+the+tiger.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388343050366486322" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>Waiting at the Ramnagar railway station for my train to Delhi. I'm in the waiting lounge, facing the door with my back against one wall that has been decorated with a 12x8-foot print of a tiger. (It's very obvious that Corbett is the reason for Ramnagar's current state of finances.) The tiger has me in its claws and it's hard to escape.</div><div><br /></div><div>The toilets for men and women are right next to each other with only 'stree' and 'purush' written in Devnagri script on their doors. If I couldn't read Hindi, it'd not be unlikely to find me walking into the women's loo, only to be chased out by overweight sardarnis brandishing sharp stilettos.</div><div><br /></div>Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-87882044465305287022009-04-25T17:05:00.002+05:302009-04-25T17:07:55.864+05:30Do they want me to register or not?<div>Was trying to register at Mail.com and this is what I got. Tried refreshing the captcha image but it kept spewing out incorrigible ones like this. I'm sure it's a not very subtle way to say they're not accepting new registrations right now.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4Jcy9RO0-xHZ6EQp5_XN_Ot9Sh21uZzh1bg6vBMVBoOuWpFq-wbR4_4XvSe2PDTRA-edCtWDHZyNmt-NGVOh88eSF15Wq3Gq65NO-oO4WxwMX5Fl3MpUv_KlnQAZWM1PyQMI752expqg/s1600-h/captcha.GIF"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4Jcy9RO0-xHZ6EQp5_XN_Ot9Sh21uZzh1bg6vBMVBoOuWpFq-wbR4_4XvSe2PDTRA-edCtWDHZyNmt-NGVOh88eSF15Wq3Gq65NO-oO4WxwMX5Fl3MpUv_KlnQAZWM1PyQMI752expqg/s400/captcha.GIF" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328591497477753858" /></a>Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-50544516377333251802009-04-18T09:16:00.002+05:302009-04-18T09:23:54.935+05:30Of fools and goldIf an alien civilisation were to visit earth and observe our goings on, they'd be quite amused by the fact that all trade and finance on earth happens on the basis of gold - a metal quite useless apart from some limited use in the electronics industry. It's amazing how gold developed as the <span style="font-style: italic;">de rigueur</span> measure of monetary exchange across various peoples all over the globe, all independent of each other. Shouldn't we be elevating the value of something else to the level of gold, something that is much more precious? Say, clean air, clean water, fertile soil, healthy forests and freedom of speech, thought and being?Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-28802687997748615552009-03-08T00:11:00.005+05:302010-03-26T13:04:21.782+05:30Anamalais mammal census trip report<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimqnm9hnHFwtsaRt7XacoixH9l45PCHWY5Gk-SjA1Ff2W-VXyig3nDj4k6Q7qGQ7dIc2H_fRqdlBbby3SbdlrrRu6g3rBo-P_ZWnoRABbUGxSlF8D-f9Fa4Mjce2tQj1e6xEgU-LLa5uwu/s1600-h/DSCN3304.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimqnm9hnHFwtsaRt7XacoixH9l45PCHWY5Gk-SjA1Ff2W-VXyig3nDj4k6Q7qGQ7dIc2H_fRqdlBbby3SbdlrrRu6g3rBo-P_ZWnoRABbUGxSlF8D-f9Fa4Mjce2tQj1e6xEgU-LLa5uwu/s400/DSCN3304.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310518189958616706" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />February/March 2009<br /><br /><a href="http://dmomaya.com/as0209/grasshills_survey_0209.html">http://dmomaya.com/as0209/grasshills_survey_0209.html</a><br /><br />If pictures don't seem to load completely/are blurred, please refresh the page.<br /><br />Comments welcome!Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-74615539066715097632009-02-22T17:30:00.009+05:302009-05-16T20:40:01.669+05:30Shendurney bird census, February 2009Found out quite late about the census, but luckily for me Waders and Warblers of Trivandrum had co-organised this census with the forest department staff, so I got in thanks to Susanth sir. Reached Shendurney close to eight in the evening on Friday, 6th of February 2009. Used the dorm there to sleep overnight and everyone got split up into groups. I got allotted to the Dharbhakulam range of Shendurney WLS. Team members were Rohith, Baiju sir, and Ninad Manjure. We were taken to a range called Rosemala by Jeep from Shendurney early the next morning. The ride was approximately 30km but took nearly 2 hours. The road is an off-road enthusiast's dream come true, river crossings included. Dharbhakulam is about 2.5km from Rosemala but the trek there took nearly 3 hours. It's the closest I've been to climbing nearly vertical.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The forest canopy between Rosemala and Dharbhakulam</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NRPNV4UiFsREsYoWfJo8tp6lbGJHWOxq8Q8d51dD2SdvfcUVjEd0QtNn1_1FNesq-n1wOOeERuw1lh6GDh90qDKhAWTnaXI1Y0zaPRK9pl2peCDwvyMnDPxgw6tDpFQsb-9Qk2ru4BZD/s1600-h/moistdecicanopy.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NRPNV4UiFsREsYoWfJo8tp6lbGJHWOxq8Q8d51dD2SdvfcUVjEd0QtNn1_1FNesq-n1wOOeERuw1lh6GDh90qDKhAWTnaXI1Y0zaPRK9pl2peCDwvyMnDPxgw6tDpFQsb-9Qk2ru4BZD/s400/moistdecicanopy.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305362104195266306" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The accommodation at Dharbhakulam is unmatched. A green tin-sheet shed stands in a 20x20 metre patch of land facing an emerald green lake surrounded by mountains on 3-1/2 sides. You could almost mistake it for a volcanic crater lake. The shed is surrounded by a 10-foot-deep moat. One crosses the moat using a makeshift timber-log bridge. The local guides who assisted us were from Rosemala and were excellent cooks. All meals were vegetarian, made in coconut oil with plenty of grated coconut added. Rice was brown and paraboiled.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Dharbhakulam shed</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6EcubP1-uGiuU7IrVbPmlhpMlf_apM1w_wkE3JrTjSX1fA-gzcg9ec8IpuQ_i67X2svLdf9TU8_9SPoIeLpN0Moy0ADbW0Fgw5eAXwfIMxEVcFEjgY0JhY5RtoMaPdDhj64CuCwWPqjYJ/s1600-h/Dharbhakulam+shed.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6EcubP1-uGiuU7IrVbPmlhpMlf_apM1w_wkE3JrTjSX1fA-gzcg9ec8IpuQ_i67X2svLdf9TU8_9SPoIeLpN0Moy0ADbW0Fgw5eAXwfIMxEVcFEjgY0JhY5RtoMaPdDhj64CuCwWPqjYJ/s400/Dharbhakulam+shed.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305362391484671618" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">View from Dharbhakulam shed</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDmUljud_Y7qLTBhXap_swY0HhHMGl7wbkH0TP4YkpZCtWTe2SVUEm7vkKF8wibm6JKjlW30n0z_IQAbi7JBHUBkzAtcw1ktMzLicjqvHXzikMUr3gUnUdpEaZUqA7f8x2Zoeeav3dwqi/s1600-h/Dharbhakulam+view.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDmUljud_Y7qLTBhXap_swY0HhHMGl7wbkH0TP4YkpZCtWTe2SVUEm7vkKF8wibm6JKjlW30n0z_IQAbi7JBHUBkzAtcw1ktMzLicjqvHXzikMUr3gUnUdpEaZUqA7f8x2Zoeeav3dwqi/s400/Dharbhakulam+view.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305362396602808498" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This was the first time Dhrabhakulam was allotted a place in the census and it felt great to be pioneers, albeit not very big ones. Habitat was a mix of dense evergreen, mixed deciduous and degraded grassland/dry deciduous towards the Tamilnadu side, 3km north-west of the shed. Bird-wise there were no surprises. Of note were plenty of Vernal Hanging Parrots <span style="font-style: italic;">Loriculus vernalis</span> flying about noisily and also plenty of Black-crested Bulbuls <span style="font-style: italic;">Pycnonotus melanicterus gularis</span> (a.k.a. Ruby-throated Bulbul), Malabar Grey Hornbill, Orange-headed Ground Thrush, Malabar Trogon (we spotted a female at very close range), Blue-faced Malkoha <span style="font-style: italic;">Phaenicophaeus viridirostris</span>, Black Eagle, Common Kestrel, Great-eared Nightjar <span style="font-style: italic;">Eurostropodus macrotis</span>, Grey Nightjar <span style="font-style: italic;">Caprimulgus indicus</span>, Blossom-headed Parakeet <span style="font-style: italic;">Psittacula roseata</span>, Emerald Dove, Forest Wagtail <span style="font-style: italic;">Dendronanthus indicus</span>, Tickell's Blue Flycatcher, an unidentified Brown Flycatcher, Shikra <span style="font-style: italic;">Accipiter badius</span>, Black-Shouldered Kite <span style="font-style: italic;">Elanus caeruleus</span> (we spotted a sub-adult flying over a gorge), Booted Warbler <span style="font-style: italic;">Hippolaias caligata</span>, Blyth's Reed Warbler <span style="font-style: italic;">Acrocephalus dumetorum</span>, Little Cormorant, Cattle Egret, White-breasted Waterhen, Greenish Warbler <span style="font-style: italic;">Phyloscopus trochiloides</span>, Edible-nest Swiftlet <span style="font-style: italic;">Collocalia fuciphaga</span>, plenty of Asian Fairy Bluebirds <span style="font-style: italic;">Irena puella</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">m</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">f</span>), Golden-fronted Leafbird <span style="font-style: italic;">Chloropsis aurifons</span>, Grey Junglefowl, Common Iora, Black Drongo, Rufous Babbler <span style="font-style: italic;">Turdoides subrufus</span>, Hill Myna, Common Myna, Puff-throated Babbler <span style="font-style: italic;">Pellorneum ruficeps</span>, Indian Scimitar Babbler <span style="font-style: italic;">Pomatorhinus horsfieldii</span>, Jungle Babbler, White-bellied Blue Flycatcher, Brown Hawk Owl <span style="font-style: italic;">Ninox scutulata</span>, Purple Sunbird, Purple-rumped Sunbird, Little Spiderhunter <span style="font-style: italic;">Arachnothera longirostra</span>, Plain/Nilgiri Flowerpecker (?) and Black-rumped Flameback <span style="font-style: italic;">Dinopium benghalense</span>.<br /><br /><br />Snakes spotted were the Malabar Pit Viper <span style="font-style: italic;">Trimeresurus malabaricus</span> and the Nilgiri Keelback <span style="font-style: italic;">Amphiesma beddomei</span>, which was a lifer for me. It's a beautiful snake with dark brown colouration that transluscends to golden brown when backlit. It's the forest equivalent of the Checkered Keelback and is found along forest streams and wet, rocky banks. Diet is mostly toads and is largely terrestrial.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The Beddome's Keelback or Nilgiri Keelback <span style="font-style: italic;">Amphiesma beddomei</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXUrOARza5ePClHnmET-n-f6YQaW1yMxn1SWqSndI2r2DxDGXaVsHCfkZ_RtFznL3-6_3b2Gd5LVEkfLbO5bsbPSRCWMYEif8KgGKSodZdE2vxIeV-MeJYHEMnQZTlRy_lcEpGKjnZqbX/s1600-h/Beddome's+Keelback+2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 247px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXUrOARza5ePClHnmET-n-f6YQaW1yMxn1SWqSndI2r2DxDGXaVsHCfkZ_RtFznL3-6_3b2Gd5LVEkfLbO5bsbPSRCWMYEif8KgGKSodZdE2vxIeV-MeJYHEMnQZTlRy_lcEpGKjnZqbX/s400/Beddome's+Keelback+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305362922164212850" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A. beddomei</span> in a defensive position</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkctEOMOKKpMmHqoleRekd2fnc6qJVxGYqCOtIMI1lh2id2-xMAz1EIkXA2jly4ryTbJTH1z5a-0t2cY_gx3HE0CTnfHud4HA0t44qHajgCjZUDMgCMUlX7W7n39QRZBGO5TTbNwve03a/s1600-h/Beddome's+Keelback.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkctEOMOKKpMmHqoleRekd2fnc6qJVxGYqCOtIMI1lh2id2-xMAz1EIkXA2jly4ryTbJTH1z5a-0t2cY_gx3HE0CTnfHud4HA0t44qHajgCjZUDMgCMUlX7W7n39QRZBGO5TTbNwve03a/s400/Beddome's+Keelback.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305362917316856610" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Backlit body</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfU6b1K7eH02mNT_Qsit0NF2OlzNGiwWWsR17BGPnX1MTICskqMJH43iQw5TSoRA_BUuL7T2FfkB18lWx3AHhvQqQYz5WSrPm_3z431s2VTFOextdjYCyki4JjGK4qJ7oEEBhF3uFk6sOH/s1600-h/Beddome's+Keelback+backlit.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfU6b1K7eH02mNT_Qsit0NF2OlzNGiwWWsR17BGPnX1MTICskqMJH43iQw5TSoRA_BUuL7T2FfkB18lWx3AHhvQqQYz5WSrPm_3z431s2VTFOextdjYCyki4JjGK4qJ7oEEBhF3uFk6sOH/s400/Beddome's+Keelback+backlit.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305362921574345762" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The Nilgiri Keelback moving in habitat</span><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzxzls5Qqu1wsn7dLn6LS0NNbrRoFxt299CB6Z3Xf6WzonIkUqJSWExmJ73YG-YKMf6Bqz0rI--stU11BQs9Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Malabar Pit Viper <span style="font-style: italic;">T. malabaricus</span> on a twig</span><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy9HIGUHLVu7S99cIA_PKAs9ocZA5hbnQpqCsuGCqYyxBjzwZ4GqRtod2c7ranSCjFSULW3Jylj0TF8Shj4OA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /></div><br />Other reptiles spotted were a few sightings of Roux's Forest Lizard <span style="font-style: italic;">Calotes rouxii</span>, plenty of <span style="font-style: italic;">Otocryptis beddomii</span> Kangaroo Lizards in various colourations (see montage below), a <span style="font-style: italic;">Hemidactylus frenatus</span> (Asian House Gecko) in an abandoned house, and an unidentified gecko belonging to the <span style="font-style: italic;">Cnemaspis</span> genus from a patch of forest with dense evergreen cover, ferns and a stream running close by. Plenty of <span style="font-style: italic;">Mabuya</span> skinks too.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Roux's Forest Lizard, <span style="font-style: italic;">Calotes rouxii</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72mHHNemEJZjhzljaUz9NKj8M9IVyOhRv6nyoqo4jdTPwahkUTUYCSnm4wE9ymryH33uUIFBSSj4SiEtE6yz0Qgcx0hyjXMs9QCVahHGbkHOr1bijWZJKlVreee6aW8K4mHN9uCXS78G5/s1600-h/Elliot's+forest+lizard+Calotes+ellioti.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72mHHNemEJZjhzljaUz9NKj8M9IVyOhRv6nyoqo4jdTPwahkUTUYCSnm4wE9ymryH33uUIFBSSj4SiEtE6yz0Qgcx0hyjXMs9QCVahHGbkHOr1bijWZJKlVreee6aW8K4mHN9uCXS78G5/s400/Elliot's+forest+lizard+Calotes+ellioti.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305363794159501570" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Unidentified <span style="font-style: italic;">Cnemaspis</span> gecko</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjheejP2tWlxPtRVkwoSECNPF9yXYWEgAXvsedC7W_Xhk2TLDmtMPasmwNi4rJ5YXhuyMb6ogXi0mk0WrQQpD3svADDnVdNwDcUf6ysvnsaPPwiZ5jJa-9xCXo8wfL7dUFY2MZwNRpEwAxh/s1600-h/gecko2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjheejP2tWlxPtRVkwoSECNPF9yXYWEgAXvsedC7W_Xhk2TLDmtMPasmwNi4rJ5YXhuyMb6ogXi0mk0WrQQpD3svADDnVdNwDcUf6ysvnsaPPwiZ5jJa-9xCXo8wfL7dUFY2MZwNRpEwAxh/s400/gecko2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305363805681590098" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9OQa5BnqCCoDK-sr9pDo3q2W_YgTyav2Th9qdyny_eECDE2GOUnJ0U68peqOvWmSJfkftsPvgPNuBPLUBG-nyQBeiYxLG9KvZuvUBL0fzj2e2djR1QipSw09YQpZgW8MMnJIlWEWFl-HD/s1600-h/gecko3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9OQa5BnqCCoDK-sr9pDo3q2W_YgTyav2Th9qdyny_eECDE2GOUnJ0U68peqOvWmSJfkftsPvgPNuBPLUBG-nyQBeiYxLG9KvZuvUBL0fzj2e2djR1QipSw09YQpZgW8MMnJIlWEWFl-HD/s400/gecko3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305363807378385794" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Closeup of the Kangaroo Lizard <span style="font-style: italic;">O. beddomii</span></span><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyKX0XfYgCAocUX9Q3g9w4_bX3zMWnIBQ2ijhyL8V6OUkeDQQMgRZSHVUWBC4icB_rXywAjbrun_WIXB6SVdQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />O. beddomii</span> for size</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHSEVzwIiouUx_jczqJS6XT1I9xZk2Kj6IcKEX-n4vV93wR5BHGLaIWqrm2ZgmBNlg9sQ7RpbpkHyecJO6TKigblOiJXK7CX9iGglp8FxpaJENzEDuoH_1lQy8dpSLpz5YcU4lGQZuiIu/s1600-h/DSCN3119.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHSEVzwIiouUx_jczqJS6XT1I9xZk2Kj6IcKEX-n4vV93wR5BHGLaIWqrm2ZgmBNlg9sQ7RpbpkHyecJO6TKigblOiJXK7CX9iGglp8FxpaJENzEDuoH_1lQy8dpSLpz5YcU4lGQZuiIu/s400/DSCN3119.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305589908496502674" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;">A montage of different individuals of the Western Ghats Kangaroo Lizard <span style="font-style: italic;">Otocryptis beddomii</span>, also known as the Indian Kangaroo Lizard.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/08/Kangaroo_lizards_of_Shendurney_and_Thenmala.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 512px; height: 575px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/08/Kangaroo_lizards_of_Shendurney_and_Thenmala.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Butterflies we got to see were plenty of Southern Birdwings including a mating pair; Tamil Lacewing; Malabar Rose; Red-spot Duke male basking; a few Clipper sightings; Bamboo Treebrown; Blackvein Sergeant; Suffused, Immaculate and Water Snow Flats; Fulvous Pied Flat; unidentified palm darts; Red Helen; Commander; Cruiser; Tamil Yeoman; Common Albatross; Gram Blue; Angled Pierrot; Common Cerulean; Tiny Grass Blue; Southern Rustic and Common Evening Brown. Common Rose, Blue Tiger, Glassy Tiger, Dark Blue Tiger, Double-branded Crow, Common Crow, et al were also commonly seen.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Gram Blue <span style="font-style: italic;">Euchrysops cnejus</span> mudpuddling</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxfVX_vdfcw3tCQ1g5dEsS9w707sEYrVntr2-rOuRqfZIRWh8uGqgR9or4oGmwyAwZrwBVjcKUqGNviRYEJmA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Tiny Grass Blue <span style="font-style: italic;">Zizula gaika</span></span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCMRWR-9cul9Gssi7PCXkTA9_XhDspf5eAGYFlRwfqgoOmrAzD8OCCs-MmcB4fMpxJl58_J1qtJcjoQc5WESE_P25nKIalUrnPa52JlOVknLUMG482-UJfi6_nhcQq3m88NXN3S123xry/s1600-h/tiny+grass+blue+Zizula+gaika.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCMRWR-9cul9Gssi7PCXkTA9_XhDspf5eAGYFlRwfqgoOmrAzD8OCCs-MmcB4fMpxJl58_J1qtJcjoQc5WESE_P25nKIalUrnPa52JlOVknLUMG482-UJfi6_nhcQq3m88NXN3S123xry/s400/tiny+grass+blue+Zizula+gaika.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305366374407071522" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Unidentified Flash</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lIgTe_Czbv0wSXfNGjYOFit2HHjvfC5BAb6_EBsPdYP_5fBhLJTg2bf1XhHoIETiZYrMoEZD_4-Zwx2hcsdVGzJK1Iu9ZcEq5PBzRPPGLO2sitZ2MYIrTlY4KDhW0UpNRnTWlS68VHLS/s1600-h/uID+flash.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 292px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lIgTe_Czbv0wSXfNGjYOFit2HHjvfC5BAb6_EBsPdYP_5fBhLJTg2bf1XhHoIETiZYrMoEZD_4-Zwx2hcsdVGzJK1Iu9ZcEq5PBzRPPGLO2sitZ2MYIrTlY4KDhW0UpNRnTWlS68VHLS/s400/uID+flash.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305366368998905266" border="0" /></a><br /><br />An unidentified species of crab was also seen in a shallow, fast stream. Also sighted was a Bottle-green Scorpion, about 15cm in length.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZHUer8y5mYpx4hyphenhyphenG-8dVeqc8Tfp1HGj10i7kxpys3JcXRfPDSO5-KxAyDKrLHOlcnD79edAYdx6UFgchpBWdLnnaY99LHu7BzZOFJRxmIWwaCyv1ms1X8gHCaaJXpQYPzQH0eutZZ8Wf1/s1600-h/Bottle-green+scorpion.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZHUer8y5mYpx4hyphenhyphenG-8dVeqc8Tfp1HGj10i7kxpys3JcXRfPDSO5-KxAyDKrLHOlcnD79edAYdx6UFgchpBWdLnnaY99LHu7BzZOFJRxmIWwaCyv1ms1X8gHCaaJXpQYPzQH0eutZZ8Wf1/s400/Bottle-green+scorpion.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305367341454585010" border="0" /></a><br /><br />One unidentified frog near a marshy pond.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdi93XZnFMMPuxjxrjLBOqs8WSQsNZvA5DGXvlB4Y2vjPZl9HbqulcyfAUJwFDBRbmaHjLVecPzI5dDH9RdbJAdUehPM2xBjd_q_3mWd_saW6yzAbIDX4jRBdGMkLeJiZ9-4osGCWgMCY/s1600-h/DSCN3163.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdi93XZnFMMPuxjxrjLBOqs8WSQsNZvA5DGXvlB4Y2vjPZl9HbqulcyfAUJwFDBRbmaHjLVecPzI5dDH9RdbJAdUehPM2xBjd_q_3mWd_saW6yzAbIDX4jRBdGMkLeJiZ9-4osGCWgMCY/s400/DSCN3163.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305367565070738914" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Baccaurea courtalensis</span><span style=""> (m</span><span style="">ooti pazham</span> in Malayalam). The fruit is edible and is harvested by the Rosemala dwellers.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbE-N03GuhmPG_5wWbECVleoFJP9vKn2AFM6fAGyJ2c52IDFygCqKNeK1JfLSCBKnb-vL5P1rGmk_xFly76cAD_p78E50LbB9K5xvXPugqFCVgRwufhL9WtXBYY8HhOxSUaN0CuByY0ca/s1600-h/mootipazham.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbE-N03GuhmPG_5wWbECVleoFJP9vKn2AFM6fAGyJ2c52IDFygCqKNeK1JfLSCBKnb-vL5P1rGmk_xFly76cAD_p78E50LbB9K5xvXPugqFCVgRwufhL9WtXBYY8HhOxSUaN0CuByY0ca/s400/mootipazham.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305367857646253666" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_JS-HEbPWEGYo_JxABFq0npb_bipNEQ07_uiH82JZUpjzvLDoqHdn7TD_knndIwThc4kIzM7kQ5fFVmxQLRkXCfyRbCCKo37hKzul3DzBkE9CvwE0xaU4MI4xe6PP45h2zzEueLi7Z6Q/s1600-h/mootipazham2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_JS-HEbPWEGYo_JxABFq0npb_bipNEQ07_uiH82JZUpjzvLDoqHdn7TD_knndIwThc4kIzM7kQ5fFVmxQLRkXCfyRbCCKo37hKzul3DzBkE9CvwE0xaU4MI4xe6PP45h2zzEueLi7Z6Q/s400/mootipazham2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305367861040836626" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Unidentified flora:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Hi9r0sL5ekoCyDWEWuatObwAXHzc1E6W6hnm34iw7Mm1b3-q03UC7V-_3vjrA3bJvelG_xwkeIEb5TDI-4NhRedDDwb89r2JK5nqmoPe9Y_I5R-fj0BGn4UwOnaSJKKDs6YcnMTkpOv9/s1600-h/DSCN3155.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Hi9r0sL5ekoCyDWEWuatObwAXHzc1E6W6hnm34iw7Mm1b3-q03UC7V-_3vjrA3bJvelG_xwkeIEb5TDI-4NhRedDDwb89r2JK5nqmoPe9Y_I5R-fj0BGn4UwOnaSJKKDs6YcnMTkpOv9/s400/DSCN3155.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305368151684744210" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Other critters spotted were Red Cotton Stainer bugs, shield bugs, and a species of harvestmen of brown colouration (<span style="font-style: italic;">Opilionidae</span>).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Red Cotton Stainer bugs (nymph)</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhZ7o2H6NeQNLjVZd2IiNqVIQ1_a3bScFMvyhTeTx0SEWhCIgGsNxCwJnPiqaSAsGEHHDJ6Io1ZmU8Kks7MoWl0RSLxFeWq6OrBR0crd3rDQ-uBYDzdyOuYsH3E3oW7NMRCPnHV5QTECb/s1600-h/red+cotton+stainer+bug+nymph.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 296px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhZ7o2H6NeQNLjVZd2IiNqVIQ1_a3bScFMvyhTeTx0SEWhCIgGsNxCwJnPiqaSAsGEHHDJ6Io1ZmU8Kks7MoWl0RSLxFeWq6OrBR0crd3rDQ-uBYDzdyOuYsH3E3oW7NMRCPnHV5QTECb/s400/red+cotton+stainer+bug+nymph.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305368362172682306" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">A Harvestman (class: <span style="font-style: italic;">Arachnida</span> order: <span style="font-style: italic;">Opiliones</span>)</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_sW3B9tREKFkk2gJlvPXI9GUoVfGGVj8hUeW2-sAUD54mOwjM8Pr9UYtlaXwmmAisZyFDfRPxK0_5_reSIWbU8gXuBVCbsvISuk5wZdF1k36e1iXqGzPVooF_lzjSL5qBI6O0zkvDXlz/s1600-h/opilionid.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_sW3B9tREKFkk2gJlvPXI9GUoVfGGVj8hUeW2-sAUD54mOwjM8Pr9UYtlaXwmmAisZyFDfRPxK0_5_reSIWbU8gXuBVCbsvISuk5wZdF1k36e1iXqGzPVooF_lzjSL5qBI6O0zkvDXlz/s400/opilionid.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305368364679400706" border="0" /></a><br /><br />No direct sightings of mammals. Elephant trumpets were heard twice, once from north-east of the shed on the 7th afternoon and from the north-west on the same evening. Dung was found in plenty, but was more than 3 weeks old in all cases. Also spotted scat of a leopard, again older than 4-5 weeks. One spot had been dug up, appearing to be the handiwork of a bear. No signs of wild boar, gaur, spotted deer. Sambar prints were found along a dry rivulet.<br /><br /><br />Misc images:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07nLxMimu_RjgHE26pZ9X9B0tLpLP3XxbbZuTYGx14kEQOiRa52MYpM-Htzl14lISi84N-Z7_Ix2Ozwpjs_V3nUDhivVZgSXPlONoXfTsnYpIq2Y16rG5GBNPDmzFpPYvIFnUuCtM2IBG/s1600-h/DSCN3207.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07nLxMimu_RjgHE26pZ9X9B0tLpLP3XxbbZuTYGx14kEQOiRa52MYpM-Htzl14lISi84N-Z7_Ix2Ozwpjs_V3nUDhivVZgSXPlONoXfTsnYpIq2Y16rG5GBNPDmzFpPYvIFnUuCtM2IBG/s400/DSCN3207.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305370432287592754" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOKIeoeO7Hp0dGqFu-L-itoaJCS88JSNrxd1o63TOOqP9c6sisgYp4lyW6no5vEV1iaCrQFKqQNNF7TGw7n54v1z9GY5fX4eZOvCVF8-XelaE4dAhXQ2YeYfHBDZkxCKu5dCXeKwTDgJR9/s1600-h/DSCN3205.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOKIeoeO7Hp0dGqFu-L-itoaJCS88JSNrxd1o63TOOqP9c6sisgYp4lyW6no5vEV1iaCrQFKqQNNF7TGw7n54v1z9GY5fX4eZOvCVF8-XelaE4dAhXQ2YeYfHBDZkxCKu5dCXeKwTDgJR9/s400/DSCN3205.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305370434011816546" border="0" /></a>Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566521882836680900.post-80931403445506676932009-02-11T05:01:00.005+05:302009-02-11T05:16:52.209+05:30The Continuing Story of Dhingu<span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;">... continued from my older post </span><a style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;" href="http://jumbledmumblings.blogspot.com/2008/11/yarn.html">Yarn</a><span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">soon the sleep over came dhaval and, dhaval's eyes shut. when dhaval wake up all jungle gone. gone. "gone?" you ask. yes, gone. dhaval could'nt explian it. now, how could whole jungle just poof? in it's placing dhaval was middle of desert, with sand and well, sand. now dhaval thinking he in pickle. what he do in desert? but dhaval resuming journey thinking there be different kind of beest in desert. dhaval not thinking about water because dhaval hate washing face. dhaval think it waste of time. soon dhaval meet the desert llama. llama say to dhaval to walk east to go to vilage where there be lotsa beest. dhaval insist he not interested in domestified beasts, he wanna see wild beests. llama scratch his chin where he would have a beard and think for sometime. soon, light in llama head glow and llama say to dhaval to head west, to africa, where wild'beests grew in the thousands. dhaval like the sound of it so headed for nearest vilage. there dhaval mount domestified beest of the desert and make journey to nearest town. there dhaval catch bus (not easy task, but dhaval very great and adept at all things) and head to nearest city. from the nearest city dhaval head to a city far far away and then hop on to sheep (not of desert) to catch the westward wind and sail to africa. dhaval thought it be prudent to read up on the good doctor's writings. dhaval dug into his pack to find book but to his dismay found a copy of dr. zhivago instead. dhaval slap his forehead and tell to himself that next time he not entrust buying book and packing bag to his mother.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;">... to be continued.</span>Dhaval Momayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468155198720316948noreply@blogger.com3