Small wins, Big changes

THE DANCING LIGHTS

Nature is strange, mysterious and flighty, and it regularly leaves us surprised at the illogical signs of its force. In spite of the fact that you think moving rocks and blood-shaded downpour is a type of joke or wonderful event, science has an elucidation for almost everything. What is the one word that rings a bell when you hear the word light? For me, its sunlight. For you, it could be flashlight and for someone else, it could be a word as peaceful as the moonlight. Personally, I love fairy lights and that too the yellow ones. Talking about yellow, recently I have realized, literally everything in my room is yellow. Not that its awful or something. I mean, after all, yellow is the liveliest color of the rainbow. I also love the color green, may be because it is such a calm color and it often represents growth, peace, harmony and gives us a feeling of serenity. But my favorite color is red. In short, I am in love with colors.

Have you heard of the popular Aurora borealis or sometimes alluded to as the Northern lights? Aurora Borealis offer a spellbinding, emotional, otherworldly presentation that intrigues all who see it. The tones regularly connected with the aurora borealis are pink, green, yellow, blue, violet, and infrequently orange and white. Regularly, when the particles crash into oxygen, yellow and green are created. Connections with nitrogen produce red, violet, and incidentally blue tones. It just amazes me the way this Northern lights work. I have also read that the type of collisions and the altitude also makes a difference to the colors that appear in the sky. These lights may show as a static band of light, or, when the sunlight based flares are especially solid, it appears as a moving drape of ever-changing color. Imagine looking up at green, red and purple lights glimmering across the sky. Dazzling, without a doubt!

If you are wondering when and where to see this intricate work of nature, the best places to see Aurora Borealis are Alaska and northern Canada, however visiting these tremendous, open spans isn't very simple as it seems. Aurora Borealis are consistently present throughout the year, yet winter is typically the best, an ideal time to see them, because of lower levels of light contamination and the unmistakable, fresh air. September, October, March and April are probably the greatest months to see the Aurora borealis. The lights are known to be more splendid and more dynamic for as long as two days after sunspot action is at its most elevated state.

It's no big surprise the aurora borealis have led to the creation of many fables and stories through the ages. In Icelandic legends, they acknowledged that the Northern Lights helped with delivering of young ones, however, pregnant women were not to look directly toward them or their child would be imagined cross-took. In Norway, the Northern Lights were acknowledged to be the spirits of old house guardians moving in the sky and waving at those underneath, while in Greenland, people held oneself repudiating conviction that the lights were the spirits of youths. In 1616, the astronomer Galileo Galilei used the name aurora borealis to depict them, taking the name of the legendary Roman goddess of the dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for wind of the north, Boreas. There are endless different stories and convictions like these.

I wasn’t really thinking about the Northern lights initially while talking about lights and colors but I ended up writing mostly about it. Northern lights also remind me of the famous Starry Night painting by Van Gogh. I don’t know why but it did. Every time I think about the sky, stars and moons, it always makes me feel tiny and it literally scares the shit out of me. But deep down, I have a feeling that one day, I am definitely going to Alaska. I will go up on a mountain path in one of those freezing time of the year. The sky would be clear, with the true starry night and I will catch and capture the beautiful and mysterious dance that is, the Northern lights.

“The sight filled the northern sky; the immensity of it was scarcely conceivable. As if from Heaven itself, great curtains of delicate light hung and trembled. Pale green and rose-pink, and as transparent as the most fragile fabric, and at the bottom edge a profound and fiery crimson like the fires of Hell, they swung and shimmered loosely with more grace than the most skillful dancer.” ~ Philip Pullman

 

Half a bottle

Today, he decided to drink half a bottle.

Sometimes, he feels like throwing an entire bottle down his gullet.

He doesn't seem scared or terrified, like he was the first time.

Now, he was familiar with the process,

He was aware of how it works.

How It somewhat slows down his whole system,

the breathlessness, the heaviness, the restlessness - he always wanted to get rid of them!

He now knew how it settles his troubling mind.

How it makes reality a better place not to live.

So he took a full - deep breath.

With the easing breath, 

he felt it entering his blood 

and travelling through his synapses, 

it reaches his heart.

He could sense it getting into his lungs and finally his brain, the ultimate target.

He may have begun hallucinating now.

Is he? Already?

There comes the extreme drowsiness, nausea,

making him feel at ease and happier and so much lighter.

That's what he longed and ached for -

the limit languor, the sickness.

A complete state of euphoria!!

Is he asleep? His eyes are closed, though. Is anything even real anymore?

Seeing and hearing things that don’t exist

talking about things that do not make sense.

Everything goes dark,

He's covered in his own vomit.

He wanted to live,

but he might not.

For all I know, He was sinking and all he wanted was an escape.

Skin pierced, veins penetrated, water splashed

But his body starts rejecting his dear life

 time's up.

It worked. Half a bottle didn't go in vain!!

He had a reason, there's always a reason underneath.

Feeling heart break for the first time?

A broken friendship?

A broken love?

Deception?

failed marriage??

Toxic parents?

Loneliness?

Betrayal?

What's been chewing you inside?

you tell me, what brings you here?

La la lullaby

I wish, I die peacefully in my sleep tonight.

So tomorrow morning, when the sun rises in the east

I dont have to rise once more.

So that, Everything is done for once and all.

Tonight, when I close my eyes and rest,

I wish i get shipped to some alternate universe.

or just hang in the space.

i want to feel the consistent dread of not wanting to die when you are so near to passing on.

Tonight, When I finally close my eyes.

I need it to be the last time.

i want to remember everything and everyone I've ever laid my eyes on.

to be honest, I don't think I will miss anyone. I just dont love anyone anymore.

Tonight, when I go to bed and not wake up in the morning,

it would be such a treat to the ears, listening to the people say, she went in her sleep. 

Oh!! What a peaceful and dreamlike death!

To do list

wake up early, before 8.

Make your bed.

Stop scrolling.

start reading.

Do not miss people too much, most of them are jerks anyway.

sleep early, at least try to.

eat good food, eat at least.

Stop being cranky. Nobody likes it.

write everyday, even if it's just a sentence.

Don't be sad all the time. It's hard for everyone.

work out, just sweat it off.

Stay occupied (at least try)

Survive, you are not alone in this.

Don't die!!

Life as you like it.

 

It feels like like getting what you have always wished and realizing you have been wanting the wrong thing all throughout. 

It is a mixed feeling. 

I am happy yet my throat stifles each time I attempt to chuckle a bit.

And when I am sad, I need to sob hysterically yet my tears won’t fall that easily. 

I have a feeling that I am reviled and that I am cursed, a curse that I, no matter what in life, would always be sad and would consistently be pitiful. 

I cannot think of a worse curse than being dismal for a lifetime. 

I mean, life is the only thing that is in any way important right. 

But what’s the use of a life, where you can't appreciate and praise the little triumphs, little joys and the feeling of being alive.

I am definitely cursed.

What are you?

What are you? Some unreal mix of facts and fantasies? Nothing lasts forever, and forever is indeed a very long time, But I wouldn't mind if this feeling lasts forever. Momentary expectations never hurt or does it? I feel the Universe is in peace as long as everything is ephemeral. It's funny how we are so scared of obligations, isn't it?

But for you, I guess it's different and better. Well, at least I think so.

SO, this other day, I tried describing you - but words didn't do any justice. So then I tried - UNICORN! Magical, impeccable, UNREAL. 

Is it easy to let go of things which were never really yours in the first place? I think in our heads, everything is possible. You and me - POSSIBLE. Maybe, somewhere in a parallel universe, our love story is possible. And in that universe, I had be the one you fall for, our minds will be free of chaos, our hearts all detangled and sorted. We'll break free from all the complex strings of life. I'll not be afraid of taking chances anymore. I'll tell you what all I love and have ever loved and you'll listen to me with all your patience. We'll dance and groove to the songs I choose, go through all the changing seasons together. Your hands even though slightly bigger than mine, would fit perfectly. We'll read books, get drunk and tell our stories without any regrets. We'll ascend to places of our dreams and do jobs we love. 

But the reverie passed quickly and it has left me all embarrassed. I have finally managed to convince myself that there's no such thing as unicorn or a different universe. All I have is this universe. Just this universe!

You can't imagine smells, can you?

You happened, didn't you?

Will I keep asking this forever, were you ever here?

DOGS

Dogs are good. They are loyal. They are beautiful. They are humanity’s best friends. Everybody loves dogs. Dogs sure are so much popular, maybe it is because of their cute and adorable faces. Their lovable countenances and joyful behavior fill our lives with such delight, yet we often don’t realize that there's really various advantages of having a dog in one’s life. Since I was a little girl, I have always been fond of animals, especially dogs. When I was in my 4^th standard, my father brought home a Doberman. As much as I can remember, he was the most beautiful dog – tall, muscular with a sleek and shiny coat. Sadly, we lost him in 2009. Now we have two Desi Dogs, namely Big Rocky and Small Rocky.

Big Rocky (Brown) and Small Rocky (Black)

The United States has the largest number of dogs with almost 89.7 million dogs. For each four individuals, there is one dog! In fact, in certain families there are more dogs than children making them a vital member of the family. In the United States alone, almost forty-three million households own at least one dog. Yes, dogs are popular in the US! Running for the second position is Brazil. Brazil has fifty-two million dogs. It is because the pet market in Brazil is one of the best on earth with a turnover of eighteen billion dollars. Although China is famous for its Yulin festival, it also has one of the largest dog populations–both pets and strays.

The Irish Wolfhound
(Picture Credit: Getty Images)

According to The American Kennel Club, there are 195 breeds of dogs with two new dog breeds ushered in 2020, namely the Barbet and the Dogo Argentino. These breeds of dogs look very different from one another. Some dogs are huge and giant like the Irish Wolfhound. They can get up to 32 to 35 inches tall at the shoulder and can weigh almost 200 pounds. But the irony here is, they are super friendly. Despite its huge size, it is seldom discovered to be damaging in the house or riotous, which is because the variety is for the most part quiet, shrewd, and reserved. Well, other dogs are small and tiny like the Chihuahuas.

A tiny chihuahua
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/chihuahua/

These are really small dogs especially compared to the Wolfhound. But do not fall for their size. Even though these six–9 inches’ tall dogs are known for their teensy size and big round eyes, they have this sassy and bossy personality that sure knows how to make their presence known.

Another very interesting dog breed is the Dalmatian. They are known for their white coat and black spots. One fun fact is that the Dalmatian puppies are completely white when they are born and their black spots appear only when they are four weeks old. You must already be familiar with Disney’s 101 Dalmatians, in which a villainess named Cruella De Vil, wants to buy all the Dalmatian she can discover to transform them into fur garments. What a wicked lady!

A Dalmatian puppy napping on bed
(Picture Credit: Matty  Anderson/EyeEm/Getty Images)

Now let’s talk about the most grumpy — looking dog, Yes, you guessed it right–Pugs! Pugs come under the category of ‘companion dogs’. They are a very small dog with a cute, wrinkly face. Their motto is the Latin expression "multum in parvo" (meaning a lot in a little). Pugs have acquired fame in the UK during recent years, with yearly enrollment numbers ascending from around 5.7 thousand in 2010 to 10.8 thousand in 2017. In 2019, this number dropped to 6,751.

A grumpy-looking pug
https://wallpapercave.com/funny-pug-wallpaper

If you ask me about my most favorite breed, it would be the Siberian huskies. Siberian huskies are incredible dogs. They are loyal, brave, intelligent and though little mischievous, they can be very affectionate with a human counterpart. They are one of the most wolf-like and the fourth oldest dogs in the world. They can have two different eye colors, which is something known as heterochromia. They have a unique capacity for vocalization. As most of you may have already seen videos of huskies talking, singing and even whining, there is no doubt that the husky is a particularly talkative dog and can produce a large variety of sounds.

A portrait from 'Eight Below'
https://outdoordogworld.com/husky-dog-movies/

Huskies also work as sled dogs transporting food and supplies from one place to the another. In the movie "Eight Below", starring Paul Walker, it recounts the heart-rending story of eight dogs (two Alaskan Malamutes and six Siberian Huskies) left tied outside an exploration station. Each actor-dog had help from other dogs that performed stunts and pulled sleds in the movie.

Labrador Retrievers
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/labrador-retriever/

Now, talking about popularity, the breed that tops the list according to the American Kennel Club, is the Labrador Retriever. The world absolutely loves Labrador retriever. These extremely friendly, active and outgoing dogs are, from Newfoundland. Originally, they procured their keep as fishers' assistants: pulling nets, getting ropes, and recovering fish from the North Atlantic. As their name already says, these dogs are pretty good at retrieving and conveying objects. Their high perseverance is a major assistance for individuals experiencing portability issues. Their affectionate nature makes them great for people who have been diagnosed with depression and other mental health issues. With their snappy reasoning nature, they can play out many undertakings such as alert against intruders and find support in crisis.

Moving over exotic huskies and Dalmatians, let's take a look at our very own Indian dogs who, accept it or not, are seldom ignored and abandoned. We have so many Indian dog breeds, each with distinct features, unique histories, and traits, but we barely know anything about them. Most of these breeds are quite unheard of let alone seen by most of the people in India. Most of you won't even believe me when I say, that more than 10 Indian dog breeds are on the brink of extinction. Some of the endangered breeds are the Himalayan Mastiff, the Asiatic/Indian Wild Dogs, and the Kashmiri Sheepdog.

The Himalayan Mastiffs
https://in.pinterest.com/arebel8/himalayan-mastiff-dogs/

The Himalayan Mastiffs, also known as Himalayan guard dogs or the Indigenous Mastiff are quiet and adoring dogs and are generally mean to satisfy their owners. They are mostly solitary dogs but they surely love the company of humans. It is said that an adult male Himalayan Mastiff is well — equipped for bringing down two wolves.

The Indian/Asiatic wild dog, also known as dholes or the red fox dog has quite a resemblance with a red fox. They mostly dwell in the deciduous, evergreen and alpine steppes. Though India has the highest number of this breed, less than 3000 fully matured Asiatic wild dogs are left in the wild. 

The Asiatic Wild dog
Picture credit: DeviantArt

The Kashmiri sheepdog or the Bakarwal Dog is an indigenous breed of Himalayan origin that are native to the higher altitudes of Jammu and Kashmir.

 The Kashmiri Sheepdog
https://medium.com/@rathor.saeed786

Unlike most dogs, these breeds are vegetarians. They are viewed as among the most extraordinary and rarest of herding dogs. They have two-fold coat, with the external coat being normal or long. They have solid height, solid legs, and a very bushy tail. The head is enormous with brilliant, adjusted eyes, hanging ears, and a wide muzzle. 

The world of dogs is just amazing. They have been to space which most of us haven't. They herd livestock, help trackers and hunters, monitor homes, and perform rescue operations. Some breeds even guide the visually impaired. Dogs are happy animals. They help to reduce stress, anxiety and a sense of loneliness. They can improve a person’s well being. They make humans happy. I don't know, dogs are just too good to be true.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SNAKE WINE

© HADCO

Wine is a fermented juice made by harvesting, crushing, and slowly fermenting fruits like plums, watermelons, peaches, blackberries, grapefruits, pears, pineapples, etc. The whole process of winemaking is known as vinification. Wine has been a mainstream drink of humankind for quite a long time now. Our attachment to this beverage originates from the awesome taste, its nutritious properties, and not to mention its inebriating effects. The oldest winery was founded in ancient Armenia and since then wine has managed to colonize the world except for Antarctica.

I recently found out that wine can be made with much more than just fruit and that weird ingredients are being used in wine making. Out of all the unusual wine ingredients, snake definitely tops the list. Snake wine is a strong alcoholic beverage created by mixing an entire snake in rice wine or grain liquor. I mean, how awful and creepy is that. A snake? Why can’t someone just drink a regular grape wine?

Well, the beverage was first recorded to have been devoured in China during the Western Zhou dynasty. According to the customs of China, snakes are believed to have significant therapeutic and invigorative properties. They are even believed to increase masculinity and treat ailments such as farsightedness, balding, back pain, and rheumatism. Although the tradition was started hundreds of years ago (1046–771 BC), it is still pretty much alive in 21st century China, some parts of Brazil, and other South-east Asian countries such as India(Goa), Vietnam, Japan (Okinawa).

So snake wine is categorized based on whether an entire snake or some parts of a snake are used in winemaking. Steeped is the one where alcohol is set up by putting a whole snake sometimes while still alive, inside a container of rice wine or some other sort of grain liquor. It is then left to soak for months so that the essence and venom from the snake is properly infused into the liquor. Usually the snakes get some company as sometimes other smaller snakes and scorpions are added as well. Once in a while, spices or herbs such as ginseng and wolfberries are added to enhance the flavor. The other type is mixed snake wine, where a live snake is freshly killed by slicing its belly and the body liquids of the snake are mixed at once with alcohol and devoured promptly as a shot.

https://heartforanimals.com/2015/12/snake-wine-bizarre-sex-aid/

The type of snakes used for winemaking are generally non venomous such as yellow–spotted keelbacks, which are stretched and pulled to make it take the shape of a hooded cobra. In case of venomous snakes, the proteins in the venom are denatured by alcohol, rendering the effects of the venom, making it harmless. The snakes are typically stored in some alluringly formed glass containers and lined on a side of the road close to some farmer markets and tourist hotspot, where they are sold as souvenirs. Among all the places selling snake wines, the Mekong Delta in Vietnam and the outskirts of Luang Prabang in Laos are the ones that are highly involved in the business.

Snake wine being sold as souvenirs
https://in.pinterest.com/pin/144115256797165064/

 But the question is, is it really necessary?

In the name of snake wine trade, a huge  number of snakes are murdered each year, drowned and injected in liquor to make a refreshment of questionable therapeutic advantages. Isn’t the whole process just cruel and remorseless? Suffocating the animals in liquor must have caused some level of enduring even to a creature like snake. Doesn’t it sound ethically off-base to use snakes as a cash producing business? Cobras, which are the most commonly used snakes are listed as vulnerable in the IUCN list. Some people falsely believe that it has medicinal values and others like the peculiarity factor. Yet, truly, it is just barbarous and cruel. 

It also possesses some potential hazards to humans. Though it is extremely rare, snakes can stay alive in the jars for months due to a process called hibernation. In 2013, there was an incident of a woman bitten by a snake that was kept in an improperly sealed jar for the last three months. Also, if the snakes are not properly cleaned before infusing with the alcohol, there is chances of parasite growth such as salmonella.

Snake wine may certainly sound fascinating and curious to some people. But it is clearly exploitation of snakes. Do you understand the importance of snakes in maintaining an ecosystem? A decline in snake population can have unintended outcomes such as increase in rodent population, which can in turn harm rice crops. We should refrain from buying these products and any other similar products, knowing the unverified medicinal use claims and the amount of unnecessary suffering it causes to these creatures. Though the snake wine industry is quite prominent with a large part of the market dependent on tourists, it has received less attention than other dealings such as pet, meat, and skin trades. Despite the booming industry and widespread commercialization, there is still a general lack of knowledge and awareness, which makes the hype surrounding snake wine nearly non–existent.

A SUICIDE NOTE

 

13-Jan-2019

It was one of those cold winter nights of January. I vividly remember, tossing and turning I couldn't sleep the whole night. All those weird thoughts Kept constantly running in my head, making me restless and anxious. I couldn't wait for the Morning because I have had everything planned. Meanwhile, series of flashbacks kept flooding my head.

I heard my mother calling me downstairs for dinner. She had made my favorite dish that night. One summer, she fell so sick that I couldn't stop crying but Mama had said, I'm her strong girl and that I have to take care of myself and the family. I realized that day that I owe my mother much more than I love her. She has been the bravest of all. I ended up missing her and her warmth. Maybe she could have driven away all the crazy thoughts just by simply wrapping Her warm hands around me. But she was miles away from my reach and it was Already 2:47am in Delhi, she must have been sound asleep by then.

I hardly slept that night.  I woke up right on time at around 4am. I woke up that morning not having any desire to wake up. The room was darker than usual and the morning was a lot colder. I kept lying on the bed staring at the tiny crevices between the AC and the wall, which was the only source of natural Light in the room, for straight one hour. My roommates were still so deep in Sleep; I could tell by the sound of them breathing. At 6:00, I somehow managed to pull myself out of bed, Brushed my teeth and went for a walk. I returned at seven o'clock only to find them Still on their beds sleeping. I went to washroom, washed my body, got spruced up. I had a lecture to attend at 8:30.

Everything Was decided. It was time to leave. I took a final look at the room including my unaware Roommates who were somewhere lost in their dreamlands. I looked at the walls and thought it was going to be easy. Then my eyes got stuck on this photo frame Which had me and my Baba in it. I called him up and had a very usual Conversation. My sweet Baba, my guardian angel. I wish I had tell him how much I love my superhuman.

I walked to college alone that day with the headphones plugged in. I was listening to Bohemian Rhapsody on loop. After walking a never ending road (it seemed never ending that day), I finally reached. As I entered the gate, I heard chaos from every direction, people running late for classes, girls taking selfies, the gate-keeper shouting at one of the girls as she’d forgotten to bring her Identity card. I stayed standing there for a while, listening to the sounds, taking mental snapshots, absorbing the moment. I recalled my first day in college, tried recollecting bits of memories. To be honest there was nothing much I wanted to remember but a lot to be thankful About that place.

I headed straight to the washroom upstairs. I held my bag down on the tile slab, which was as cold as ice, opened the zip of my bag, took out the box filled with what looked like paracetamol tablets mixed with my anti-allergy tablets. I locked myself up in one of the rooms in the washroom. My entire body was shuddering yet I knew and obviously I needed to do it. I was planning on killing myself by overdosing on pills. I have checked on the internet. Google says 24 paracetamol tablets are enough for killing a living human system.

. . .

When the darkness seeps in and the air slowly touches the skin,

When the fading sun rays fall on my hollowness and takes away all the happiness,

I feel a little dead inside.

I feel like nothing's left in me,

It is one of the many days when I feel like dying a little more

I don't like the Sun and its light anymore.

 

The Ferris Wheel

🌼

Have you ever sat on a Ferris wheel? 

Do you understand what it does? 

It just sits idle and does nothing.

It goes up and down and up and down, goes all over, here and there.

And it goes on like that for like what, eternity?

Except for, if you need it to stop.

It is you or perhaps some guy who just got rejected for the part, 

who chooses whether you need to get back home or go for one more round.

You know what, human beings have the tendency

to make people float in the air far far above the ground.

And the next moment, they will toss you right at the bottom,

Without even giving a warning.

But the thing is,

It's us or me or you who chooses

Whether to take the ride or not.

People all the time cry over spilt milk

The way that you like milk or not, it doesn't actually make a difference. 

Because at the end of the day,

You know it takes both time and energy to clean the mess.

What’s more, all things considered, people are lazy these days.

🌼