It was amazing going to Juhu beach. I agree with my friends that should have gone in the evening but never the less I just wanted to go. To walk and meditate with nature's beauty is the best thing a person can do to de stress every problem in his or her life. One amazing thing of reversal of jobs is I saw is there was two shops joined together- In the Pan shop - South Indian was the owner and For Coconuts.....selling - it was a north Indian. This is true India.

When the whole world is in a hurry, here am I just walking with the stillness in my mind and observing nature, waves brushing me, helicopters zooming over my head. Probably you can learn more from nature than anything else. Problems of life are like imprints on sand dunes which get washed away and new creation happens. You cannot run away from life because life catches you on just as you walk away one step away to be saved from waves, still it catches you. More farther way, more force it applies to be with you.

I could see children playing, people swimming, playing cricket and also young couples with sandals and shoes held in their hands. Children have the same innocence wherever you go, after school they will never ask for food, in fact they will ask is chocolates or beverages (Soft drinks). Essence is the same but sophistication has come in more.

While leaving, I could see big hoardings of Mr. Amitabh Bachchan for KBC. I also watched Mr. Bachchan’s bungalow. It is a treat actually to watch the superstar’s bungalow as many people flock outside to take a glimpse of the superstar. Indeed he is a superstar because it is easy to become a star but to keep that stardom on a continued basis you are called Superstar.

Ending this with 2 thoughts in my mind 1) Love and respect yourself first so that other can love and respect you. 2) An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.

Exploring Hawaii Islands

People, Tradition and Culture

If you visit those islands of beauty you will be greeted, welcomed and offered with their traditional beautiful flowers called Lei. You will say “Aloha” to greet them. Can you guess this beautiful culture? Did you say “Hawaiian”, yes? You are correct. It’s the Hawaiian Lei custom, a welcomed celebration to show one’s affection to others. The “Leis” are made up of beautiful flowers, shells, leaves and feathers and as an acceptance of their affection; people wear them over their shoulders. The two official languages of Hawaiian are English and Hawaiian.  Hawaiian Islands are known for their culture and the popular cultures are Luaus and Hula. The Hawaiian Folk music and dance are traditional and popular.  

What are the Hawaiian Islands?

 Hawaiian Islands have a chain of eight major islands known as Hawaii, Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Oahu, Kauai, Nihau and it consists of several islets and atolls. The islands were formed by the volcanic activities of the great undersea volcano called Hawaiian – Emperor Seamount chain. Hawaii Island is the biggest island which was formed with five volcanoes, 2.5 miles above the sea levels. 

Nature of the Island

Hawaiian Islands are often affected by Earth Quakes and Tsunami. Due to its geological characteristics, Earth quakes are caused by the volcano activities and up to 4-5 activities are there, per year. Tsunamis are caused by the earth quakes in the Pacific region. The average temperature of Hawaii Islands is 75º F- 85º F. Summer time is between April and November. 

Hawaii Tourism

People all over the world come to Hawaii throughout the year to enjoy this nature’s beautiful land and environment. Whale watching, walking on Volcano, the beaches, surfing, kayaks are the best attraction of Hawaii Tourism. The USS Arizona National Memorial, Waikiki of Oahu, Haleakala National Park, Waimea Canyon, Kalaupapa National Historical Park, and Kula Kai Cavens are some of the other tourist attractions of these beautiful islands.  Neighbor islands of Hawaii are the best places for tourists who wish to experience the peaceful environment and to relax in the sandy beaches. Locally made Hawaiian products like shampoos, lotions, oils, soaps, etc are the popular “Hawaiian Gifts” to buy.

After much debate on which of the islands should we visit in Hawaii, we zeroed in on Oahu and it was a great choice indeed. Not that the other islands are not worth a trip, but I strongly believe that selecting an island to visit is almost like finding a match. It depends on the kind of people you are and how you define a vacation to be. Each island has something unique to offer and so did Oahu.

I was looking for some place that was a balance between vibrant, touristy and natural, soothing. I hit jackpot with Oahu. With the pulsating strip of the Waikiki beach and the rustic feel of the North shore, dramatic sunsets, blue skies, blue waters, happy people and great weather, this place made me fall in love.

Once in Oahu, I wanted to make sure I could make the most of my trip, so the following read may seem really hectic but that’s how I like it I guess.

After a really long flight to the capital city of Hawaii, Honululu, I took the evening easy. Explored the hotel, got an early dinner and parked myself on a beach chair to experience the Friday evening fireworks at the Hitlon Hawaiian village. It was a balmy evening and the ambience ideal for a great shower of fireworks. What a good beginning!

The first day of the trip began with an early morning hike to the Diamond Head crater for some magnificent views of the Waiki beach. This followed with a visit to the International Market place. Although this place is called “international” it seemed to be packed with local paraphernalia, colorful beads, cane hats, floral printed scarves and sarongs, shells and the works. I closed the day with a relaxing swim in the pool.

Day 2 began with excitement. I was going snorkeling for the first time! Yippee :)!!

A pickup from my hotel to Hanuma Bay (world famous as a great snorkeling site), the snorkeling gear and a ride back was part of the 15$ package. Snorkeling is a must do activity for all water lovers. For those few hours you can cut yourself from the rest of the earth and go be a guest at sea. The gorgeous corals and variety of sea life that you experience viewing left me wanting for more. It’s tiring but a very engaging experience. It’s one of those activities which you can do on your own and even if you don’t know how to swim, you could stand and duck your head into the water to take a peek in.

One water activity lead to another and jetski it was! Sitting on that water machine and zooming into infinity, with the waves giving you a good bump now and then and with the cool sea breeze spraying water lightly on your face was an experience worth re-living.

After a much eventful day, gorged on some delicious thai lettuce wraps and a  walk by the waiki beach.

I had day three to pay my visits to the historical Pearl Habor site in Pearl city after which a long bus ride to Dole Plantation. Due to some film shooting section of the Pearl Habour museum were shut so I escaped the huge crowds and wound up pretty early from there. The dole Plantation is famous for its world known maze and its pineapple plantation. My food escape for the day was continuing my bus journey in search of the famous Giovani’s shrimp truck. They are known for their shrimp scampi, fresh prawns tossed in lots of butter and garlic and served over 2 mounts of rice. Simple yet delectable J

My last day at Oahu was spent at the Polynesian cultural center. A must visit. It is a center runs by the students of Hawaii in effort to collect money for further education. They put up a wonderful show entertaining the crowds all day. They had mini shows that educated tourists about the culture, food, history, dances and people of Polynesia. In the evening I attended an authentic Luau which was part of the package. A Luau traditionally was all about the “Feast” where the pig (Kalua I believe) would be roasted in an earthen pit called imuu for hours before the feast began. The feast is accompanied with some traditional hula dance performances. The more commercial Luau’s have fire dancers too. My trip to the PCC and to Oahu was marked by the spectacular show in an open Arena called Ha- The breath of life.

Although I tried to cover a lot into my short trip, there were plenty of things still there to do. One can spend the entire time just doing water activities or pretty much just lazing on the beaches across North Shore soaking in the sun and nature’s beauty and still feel overwhelmed.

Overall it was a great trip and I took back wonderful memories hoping to come back for more.

Maldives Island vanishes

A tiny uninhabited island, one of the 1190 which constitute the republic of Maldives has reportedly disappeared into the sea, raising speculation among scientists about the onset of global warming.

Satellite pictures indicate the disappearance of a tiny island measuring a few kilometers in area, Western media said.

The islands constituting Maldives rise barely two to four meters above sea level. Various scientific studies had identified the Maldives and Bangladesh as the most prone to flooding due to predicted rise in sea –level caused by one or two degree Celsius increase in the earth means temperature.

Less than 12 of Maldives islands are inhabited by people. Appearance or disappearance of land masses in the sea is not an unusual phenomenon. Few years ago, there small islands appeared in the Bay of Bengal off Calcutta. Special interest: however, the Maldives case has aroused considerable curiosity among scientists due to the predicted vulnerability of the islands to minute changes in the global weather system.

Further, the Maldives already face serious environmental degradation, mainly because of the high population density on the few inhabited islands. Small islands (with areas less than 100 Sq. km.) with high population density of about 10,000 people per Sq. km. exist in the world. But the Maldives capital Male is an extreme case with a population density of more than 30,000 people per Sq. km.

Have you ever collected rain water?

My friends used to collect rain water in buckets and the water was put to good use. Collecting water during the June showers, especially after facing server water shortage especially after facing severe water shortage all summer, was a thrilling experience.

My adventure with rainwater never stopped there. While teaching at a camp in the Maldives I saw rainwater harvesting.

What is rainwater harvesting?

It is a method of collecting rainwater for domestic purposes.

The Maldives is an archipelago in southern Asia made up of group of 1190 islands. The islands receive rainfall from the North East Monsoon and the South West Monsoon. The rains are unpredictable and there is no fresh water available. It is difficult to get ground water and it is not fit for drink. The people have been taught to set up a good system of rainwater harvesting.

Each newly built house is fitted with slopping roofs made of corrugated iron. This is ideal for collecting rainwater. Gutters are nailed to the base of the roof and sealed off at one end. The other end of the gutter has a pipe that leads to a huge tank made of cement. The pipe is extended in such a way as to deliver the water into the tank. The tank has a tap at its base. Some houses have a system for locking the tap.

Once the tank in the house where I lived ran dry. I did not have worry. The camp rooms Shad plenty of water all through the year. Can you guess why?

The area of the camp room roof being extremely large, the amount of water collected is greater. After a long dry spell one night there was a heavy downpour. I was delighted because that meant that my tank was filling up.