Unusual sights and sounds!

Going by today's newspapers, I thought I must keep you updated about the unusual sights and sounds, that were on offer, around the world. The events need not have taken place yesterday itself but suffice to know that all of them have been recent happenings. So, without much ado, here I go:-

 (a) When Sheep Took Over.

       Sheep replaced traffic on the streets of Madrid, yesterday, as shepherds steered their flocks
       through the heart of the Spanish capital, following ancient migration routes. The annual event,
       which began in 1994, allows shepherds to exercise their right to use traditional routes to migrate
       their livestock from northern Spain to more southerly pastures for winter grazing.

  (b) Lady Gaga's Tweet in Sanskrit.

        Pop star Lady Gaga, who is recovering from a nasty fall she suffered during a concert in Las
        Vegas, surprised her Indian fans when she tweeted in Sanskrit, "Lokah Samastah Sukhino
        Bhavantu", yesterday. It translates to "May all beings everywhere be free and happy". The
        tweet has, since, gone viral.

  (c) Compensation to Passengers.

        For the first time in over 150-year history of Indian Railways, the country's biggest public
        sector will pay a compensation of Rs.250/- each to passengers who'd traveled on board the
        Lucknow-New Delhi Tejas Express for an arrival delay of over two hours on Saturday. The
        train was delayed in both the directions because of the derailment of the Krishak Express in
        Lucknow Junction yard on Friday night. There were 451 passengers on board the train from
        Lucknow and another 500, who took the train from New Delhi. To make up for the delay,
        passengers were served extra tea, lunch and refreshments with "Sorry for delay' stickers on the
        packets.

  (d) Costly Vote.

        For the voters of Kakkathuruthu island of Alappuzha district, in Kerala, surrounded by
        Vembanadu backwaters, casting votes is a costly affair. Each voter needs to spend Rs.110/-
        to exercise their franchise as the island does not have a polling booth. The voters have to cross
        the lake and hire an autorickshaw to reach their polling station. The island has over 700 voters.
        The island, which figured in the must-visit list of National Geographic magazine in 2016, lacks
        basic amenities like good roads and potable water. To build a bridge, for connectivity, with the
        mainland has been a long-pending demand of the islanders!


Tailpiece.

It was a wet day to begin with. Lekha had gone to the Mammiyoor Siva kshetram for her weekly tryst through pouring rain. A lot of water had collected within a short period around the temple's gate throwing traffic out of control, she said on return. 

Illegal Indian migrants to the west.

Last Thursday, Mexico put 311 Indians, who had entered the country to cross over to the US, on a flight back to New Delhi. Each of them had paid agents between Rs.25 lakhs and Rs.30 lakhs to get to the US, just as thousands of others have done in the past. How do illegal migrants get there? What are the routes they follow? What happens if they are caught?

Here is Manpreet Singh's case study:-

  A 30-year-old from Punjab's Hoshiarpur, he decided to go west illegally in 2014. His family
  borrowed Rs.26 lakhs to give an agent. He was one of 30 from Punjab being trafficked into US. He
  flew from Dubai to Russia before being taken to Ecuador. There he had to stay for two months.
  From Ecuador, the group was flown to Gautemala, where they spent nights in a forest.

  Some of the travel to Mexico - the last stop before the crossing into the US - was done in vehicles,
  for the last two hours, the group went on foot to avoid border patrols. In Mexico, the group split up
  and Manpreet ended up in the home of a local policeman, which was a safe haven for illegal
  migrants. The house was locked from the outside so that neighbours and authorities wouldn't know
  that there were occupants. He spent a month and a half there.

  Then, one morning, they were taken separately to cross the border to Texas. But Manpreet got
  caught by the police. Nine months later, in Jul '15, he was deported to India.

Refugee or illegal migrant?

 * It's often assumed that there's a clear line between those who are fleeing persecution, identified as
    refugees and those identified as illegal migrants.

 * But in reality, before being recognised as a refugee, most people have had to cross an international
    border. They may well have been unable to obtain visas to do this and so may have moved
    irregularly.

 * Some people have to leave their homes for other reasons, such as loss of land from rising seas or
    economic collapse, which means they could not stay put but might not qualify for recognition as
    refugees under the 1951 Refugee Convention.

Majorities in most immigrant destination countries, surveyed by Pew Research Centre, support the deportation of people who are in their countries illegally.


Tailpiece.

Rema and Padmakumar were ready to return to Thrippunithura soon after breakfast. I'd dropped them at the Private Bus Stand from where they got a bus to Vyttila, almost immediately. They'd called up, soon after lunchtime, to tell us about their arrival at home.

The rain, soon after tea time, was heavy but stopped after about two hours.

Some interesting tidbits!

1. The dwarfing of Mount Everest!

    While a section of scientists claim that the snow cap atop Mount Everest is thinning because of
    changing climate, bringing down the peak's "net altitude", others are of the opinion that there has
    not been enough study and it is highly unlikely that Everest will be denuded of its snow/ice cover
    in the foreseeable future. The height of Mount Everest is 8,848 mts(29,029 ft) which includes the
    depth of the snow cap atop the peak. The thickness of the snow has been decreasing and as a
    result, the net altitude of Everest is changing.according to glaciologist, Anil Kulkarni of Divecha
    Centre for Climate Change., Indian Institute of Science. During the driest/warmest period of the
    year, the peak has lost up to a metre in the past one and a half decades. Here are certain other
    interesting factors:-

        (a) Some scientists claim the area's plate tectonics are adding to the height and moving the
              summit north-eastwards.
        (b) India's northward movement compresses the Himalayas and raises Everest by 3-4 mm/year.
        (c) Earthquakes lower the height a little, say geologists.
        (d) The 2015 earthquake decreased the peak's height by about 1 cm, according to geologist,
              Roger Bilham.
        (e) Errors occur while assessing mean sea level.

    A remeasured altitude of Mount Everest is likely to be announced by May '20. A team from
    Nepal has reached the summit to measure its height.

2. Monkeys outperform human beings!

    Monkeys exhibit more cognitive flexibility than humans when it comes to exploring more efficient
    options to solving problems, according to a study. It illustrates how humans can suffer from
    learned biases that can lead us to make inefficient decisions and miss opportunities.

    Through trial and error using a computer, monkeys and humans had to follow a pattern by pushing
    a striped square then a dotted square and then, when it appeared, a triangle to achieve to achieve
    the goal and receive a reward. Wrong results got a time out and no reward. After the strategy was
    learned, subsequent trials presented the triangle option immediately without having to push the
    patterned squares in sequence. The monkeys quickly used the shortcut while 61% of the humans
    didn't. About 70% of the monkeys used the shortcut the first time it was available compared to
    only one human.


Tailpiece.

It was like any other Saturday with plenty of power interruptions. Wonder whether it's due to the
work being undertaken in the new house under construction? It's restored rather quickly, that's why!
Padmakumar and Rema arrived a trifle after 1700 hrs from Palakkad and so, it was an active evening subsequently.
   

Is this because of the Malayalees' craze for gold?

The Customs department, which raided 23 places in Thrissur on Wednesday and seized 123 kg of gold suspected to be smuggled into the state, said yesterday that it had intelligence that over 250 kg of the precious metal would come to Thrissur before Diwali.

The operation which started in July-end with collection of intelligence on the movement of couriers carrying smuggled gold from Madras and Trichy to gold traders in Thrissur concluded on Wednesday morning by striking exactly on the premises where the smuggled gold was kept. The carriers used to travel in groups of 5 to 10 members and used to get Rs.3,000/- for smuggling a kg of gold; carried them as cut pieces, crude ornaments and biscuits.

So, where and how does the gold come from?

Origin of smuggled gold

  * Gulf countries.
  * Bangkok.
  * Sri Lanka.
  * Malaysia and
  * Singapore.

How smuggled gold enters Kerala market

Gold reaches India via airports, sea landings, border smuggling and smuggling through container ships. Customs officers say that the latest trend is that gold is smuggled to exchange hubs in Kerala like Thrissur through public transport like trains, interstate buses, passenger buses, etc.

Which are the exchange hubs?

Customs officers who made Wednesday's seizure say that carriers used to shuttle between Thrissur, Trichy and Madras. The gold is suspected to be processed and resold from here. The exact link between the origin and destination of the smuggled gold is yet to be identified. Koduvally in Kozhikode, is also a similar destination.

What's the loss to the exchequer?

The customs duty on gold is 12.5%. Adding 3% GST to it, 15.5% of the value is supposed to reach the government exchequer as taxes and smuggling denies this revenue to the government.

How it affects the customer?

Sources say that the ornaments are sold at cheaper rates by decreasing by decreasing making charges. Customs officers say that the duty saved through smuggling, most probably, becomes the profit of those in the industry who use smuggled gold.

Sea landings

* Smuggling in various vessels to the Tamilnadu coast.
* Smuggling using container ships.

Border smuggling

Gold smuggled in through borders of neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and China are later transported to various states.

Carriers

* Mostly youth.
* Each one carries a kilo of gold.
* They use public transport and travel in small groups.

Note. Courtesy ToI.


Tailpiece.

Attended the late Vinod Kumar Vasudev and Sujatha's daughter, Parvathy's wedding at the Hotel Devaragam auditorium that commenced at 0630 hrs with the 'thaalikettu' at the temple, attended by the close family members. We'd fetched up at a half past 8. Met Vinod's elder sister and her husband. MS Mohan Nair-Asha, Padmasenan-Sujatha, KS Venugopal, KN Mohandas, Chacko Ipe-Sara and self-Lekha had attended from among our classmates. It was a well conducted function with the right amount of pomp and show. Here's wishing Vignesh and Parvathy a very happy and long married life and everything that they wish for in their life together!

KS Venugopal(413) came home for dinner. It was nice to hear him on various things!

Scientific standards to ascertain beauty?

The "Golden Ratio of Beauty Phi", defines beauty in accordance with classic Greek calculations. Measurements of facial proportions are done going by standards that Greek scholars applied while trying to define beauty with scientific formula.

23-year-old Supermodel Bella Khair Hadid, born on 09 Oct '96 in Washington DC, reared in Los Angeles and a resident of New York City is this year's winner.

According to the "Golden Ratio Measurements", Bella has a face that is 94. 35% perfect.

Scientists determining the most beautiful woman on the planet according to the "Golden Ratio of Beauty Phi Standards" have picked the Victoria's Secret model's face as the one that comes closest to perfection!

Vital Statistics.

    * Parents - Real Estate Developer Mohammed Hadid (Palestinian) is the father and former model
       Yolanda Hadid (Dutch) is her mother.
    * Is an American Model. Commenced modeling from 16 years of age.
    * Has an older sister and a younger brother.

Modeling Information.

    * Height                                 5' 9".
    * Hair                                     Brown, Blonde(Natural).
    * Eye colour                           Blue-Green.

Other Information.

    * Currently, Ambassador of Dior makeup.
    * Wants to take up Fashion Photography as a career once she is done modeling.

The others, in the reckoning, fared as given below:-

    * Pop diva Beyonce Knowles finished second and her face is 92.44% perfect.
    * Actress Amber Heard came third and her face is 91.85% perfect.
    * Pop star Areana Grande was fourth and her face is 91.81% perfect.

Tailpiece.

A bright day to start with. A quick flit to town to fetch sundries. My classmates Venugopal(413) and Mohan(278) have fetched up for attending the late Vasu's(415) daughter, Parvathy's wedding tomorrow. Chacko Ipe(433) has said that he will fetch up tomorrow morning.

A murder most foul.

We'd got up this morning to the sad news about a ghastly murder, that had taken place during the early morning hours of yesterday morning.

KK Manoharan, all of 68 yrs, had left his HP Petrol Pump at Moonnupeedika in Kaipamangalam, around 0115 hrs yesterday. The CCTV visuals, retrieved from the pump, show him leaving in his car to his home which is just 10 minutes away. He did not reach home even after 0130 hrs. So his daughter had called on his mobile phone twice but nobody picked up the call. On her third attempt, a stranger answered the phone call and said, "Sir is sleeping" and disconnected the call. After waiting till 0200 hrs, his family members reached the petrol pump looking for him. The employees told them that he'd left about 45' earlier. As there was no sign of him, the family members filed a missing complaint at the Kaipamangalam police station.

The body was found around 0700 hrs by the early morning walkers at Mammiyoor, near the Little Flower College - our backyard, literally - nearly 40 km from Kaipamangalam. He was found lying face downwards with his hands crossed behind his back. The doctor who conducted his post mortem said that he had died of strangulation.

It is understood, from the preliminary investigations done by the police, that three local youth had chased Manoharan's car on a two-wheeler and hit his car from behind and in the bargain, one of them was thrown off the vehicle. Manoharan had stopped his car to inquire about the accident when he was overpowered by the youth. When he tried to escape by shouting out, one of the miscreants had clamped his mouth shut which ultimately saw his end, due to smothering.

The miscreants dumped the body enroute during their get away and the police had later retrieved the ill fated car from the Angadippuram Railway Station in Malappuram. The miscreants have since been taken into police custody. Reportedly, they abducted Manoharan to rob him of the cash collection of Rs.5 Lakhs collected at the pump, which the owner had left behind in the petrol pump office!

After working in the gulf for about 35 years, he'd set up this petrol pump in 2007 and on returning from abroad two years later, he'd become active with the running of the bunk.

RIP Manoharan. This world is full of nasty people. My heartfelt condolences to your family. Here's wishing that your near and dear ones have the strength to tide over their loss.


Tailpiece.

The onset of the north east monsoon has begun in right earnest. The tell tale thundershowers in the evening, accompanied by thunder and lightning, was the highlight of the day causing a massive power outage. Viewing the television was out and therefore, Lekha and I had a lot of time to talk!   

The Leaking Bucket.

* You wake up early morning trying to do your Pooja/Path/Yoga but your mind is elsewhere and
   before you know it, you're done with it without being mindful of it. (A leaking bucket)

* You are very kind to outsiders/people in general and speak with them gently but with your own
   family you're always harsh/rude. (A leaking bucket)

* You honour and treat your guests well but when they leave, you gossip about them and talk about
   their flaws. (A leaking bucket)

* You try to read as much religious books, listen to Satsang/Keertan, participate in social services/
   Seva but you swear, insult, curse daily. (A leaking bucket)

* You help others but you're doing it to gain something in return from them and not doing those acts
   of kindness selflessly. (A leaking bucket)

* You slander other devout persons out of hatred, spite when your views do not meet one another,
   (A leaking bucket)

* You look down on the others and feel more superior than them, judging their level of knowledge
   upon religion based on external appearance.

We struggle to fill our Jeevans (the bucket) with the 'kamaayi' of religious knowledge (the water), hoping it will retain inside but it is leaked by the many flaws (the holes) that we commit daily.

      *                               *                                 *

A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg

If you have ever wondered how the days of the week were named, here's the scoop. The ancient people named them after gods and well, a goddess.

Sunday is named after the sun and Monday after the moon. After that things are not so obvious.

Tuesday is after Tiw, the Germanic god of war and the sky. His Roman equivalent is Mars, hence in Spanish Tuesday is martes, in French mardi.

For Wednesday, we can thank Germanic god Woden (Scandinavian Odin). Roman equivalent is Mercury.

Thursday is Thor's day, the Germanic god of thunder. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter.

Friday! We forgot there are females too. Let's name a day after a goddess, after all. Friday is named after the Germanic goddess Frigga, wife of Odin whom we met on Wednesday. She's also known as Freya. The Roman equivalent is Venus.

Saturday is obviously named after Saturn, the Roman god.

Many terms in the English language are named after days of the week, for example, Monday morning quarterback. Here's another one.

Friday face.

PRONUNCIATION: (FRY-day fays)


MEANING:
noun: A glum expression or a person with such an expression.

ETYMOLOGY:
From the time when Fridays were days of fasting. Earliest documented use : 1052.

NOTES:
Today, most people look forward to Fridays (TGIF: Thank God It's Friday), but it wasn't always so.
These days Friday means the weekend is near, but back when religion ran day-to-day life, in some religions a Friday was marked as a day of fasting or at least abstaining from meat. Hence, a Friday came to be associated with a gloomy face.

USAGE:
"I see ya got your Friday face on, looking gloomy".
Luca Di Fulvio; The Boy Who Granted Dreams; Bastei;2015.

Note. Source : Adapted.


Tailpiece.

An unusually quiet day. Annie had taken an off for the day.