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  World Wetlands Day 2 February 2022 In 2018, when my former crush and I had opened our conversation on Tinder, I hadn’t answered directly in which town I lived. Instead, I gave him the exact latitude and longitude of my neighbourhood and told him that my building was very close to salt pans. He loved the answer and replied that this was the first time that he’d received coordinates and he’d have to think wherein the radius of his Tinder search salt pans lay. The wetlands of Vasai attract migratory birds and cattle find fodder. These quagmires are under threat because on these lands some people want to construct a chic city with factories, entertainment zones, education centres, modern apartments etc. This green zone is the rainwater sink of our town. Save our wetlands. A civilization that destroys wetlands that host a whole range of biodiversity isn’t civilized. You’ll see flamingoes, white ibis and storks here. Migratory birds from far off lands rest their weary wings. Ca...

  January 2022 recap Bad ·       I was ill at the beginning of the year, it may have been Omicron. Good ·       I am a lot better now. ·       I watched films by Satyajit Ray. ·       I drank colourful mocktails. ·       I went for walks. ·       I’ve started reading books again. ·       I’m having a fun time reading about new cultures and festivals. #january2022, #januaryrecap, #satyajitray, #mocktails, #walks, #reading, #newcultures, #festivals, #januaryover, #expectingfebruary https://pixabay.com/photos/books-students-library-university-1281581/  

  Coconut mocktails In January, I sipped on a variety of coconut mocktails added with the fruit juices of lemon, strawberry, pomegranate, pineapple and orange. The chef was Mashi. Benefits of coconut water 1.            Low in sugar, it’s a healthier alternative to artificially sweetened energy drinks to hydrate you. 2.            Being high in potassium, it helps to lower high pressure in hypertensive people. 3.            However, don’t drink too much of it as it can hike your potassium levels too much, and low pressure is harmful as well. 4.            Being low in calories, it is a healthy refreshment, unlike soft drinks that are laden with empty calories. 5.            Being more than 90% water, it’s free of the harmf...

  Chinese New Year traditions 1.         Homes are cleaned spic and span by the midnight of the new year. 2.         Since the Tang Dynasty, the Door Gods have been the entrance guardians. 3.         They appear in pairs facing one another. 4.         As these gods are believed to ward off evil and invite good luck, their pictures are put on the doors to protect the home in the year to come. 5.           People pray during this season at temples, they light incense and invoke the gods for blessings. 6.         People drape themselves in bright red clothes, avoiding black and white colours. 7.         Some good present ideas are red envelopes with money, plants, fruits and candies. 8.       ...

  Chinese New Year food 1.               Traditionally select dishes match New Year’s Eve dinner as they supposedly usher good fortune in the year to come. 2.               This food is cooked and served during the 16-day festival season. 3.               Fish is a surplus to the dinner, thereby symbolizing better prosperity. 4.               Steaming is the form of preparing the fish. 5.               Dumplings are chopped vegetables or minced meat, wrapped with fine elastic dough sheaths. 6.               As they look like money pouches, they are believed to make homes jingle with coin...

  The Great Race This isn’t a tale as old as time. This sweet story is older than time. It happened before the Chinese calendar came into being, predating the endearing story-telling session opening ‘once upon a time’. The Jade Emperor was worried that he didn’t have the inkling of how old he was. He thought of devising a method to calculate the years that passed by. Thirteen animals came to help him. The sharp thinking rat, hard-working ox, the agile tiger and rabbit, gorgeous dragon, wily snake, gentle and modest goat and horse, prancing monkey, etc, participated in a race. Their order of hitting the finishing line determined the sequence of the years. A heartwarming story concludes how and why these animals completed the race successfully in the order of rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. Each year that heralded spring in China was the year of an animal. In a cycle of a dozen years, every animal got its chance. Wait, didn...

  Folktale: How the Chinese New Year originated 1.          Once upon a time, a monster named Nián roamed China. 2.          This long-headed and sharp-horned monster lived in the depths of the sea almost throughout the year. 3.          It annually rose from the sea on New Year’s Eve to feast on human beings and village farm animals. 4.          People futilely kept food outside their homes to shoo away the gigantic creature. 5.          The villagers hid in the mountains to avoid its claws and fangs. 6.          A wise senior citizen who visited the village provided a solution for this. 7.          This brave man didn’t seek refuge in the peaks above. 8.      ...