Hawaii’s Carnivorous caterpillar that camouflages itself with the surroundings.
Archive for November, 2011
For most people, Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what we’ve been given and savor the scents of crisp autumn days and pumpkin pie. For me, it’s a little more complicated 🙂
One November afternoon when my daughter was in kindergarten, I picked her up after school. She bobbed out to the car and crawled into the back seat.
“What did you do today?” I asked. She couldn’t wait to tell me.
“We learned that boys are different from girls”, she chirped.
Looking into the rearview mirror, I could just see the top of her head.
“My teacher told us that boys have a thing the girls don’t”, she added.
“Well, yes they do..” I said cautiously.
I couldn’t think of anything else to say, so we were quiet for a moment. Then she piped up again. “That’s how girls know that boys are boys”, she said. “They see that thing that hangs down and they know that he is a boy.”
I mentally calculated the distance home. Our five-minute commute already felt like an hour.
“Did you know that when the boys see a girl they puff up ? ”
My palms were beginning to sweat. “Um…well…”
I was still searching for something new to say, to change the subject, when she asked, “Why do the girls like the boys to have those things ? ”
Well I didn’t know what to say. I mean, what woman hasn’t asked herself that question at least once?
“Oh, well…um…” I stammered.
She didn’t wait for my answer. She had her own. “It’s cause it moves when they walk and then the girls see that and that’s when they know they are boys and that’s when they like them. Then the boy sees the girl and he puffs up, and then the girl knows he likes her, too. And then they get married. And then they get cooked.”
That last part confused me a bit, but on the whole I thought she had a pretty good grasp on things.
As soon as we got home and I pulled into the garage, she hopped out of the car, fishing something out of her school bag.
“I drew a picture”, she said. “Do you want to see ? ”
I wasn’t sure I did, but I looked at it anyway. I had to sit down.
There, all puffed up so to speak, looking mighty attractive for the ladies, was a crayon drawing of a great big Tom Turkey. His snood, the thing that hangs down over his beak, the thing that female turkeys find so irresistible, was magnificent. His tail feathers were standing tall and proud.
She was a little offended that I laughed so hard at her drawing, and I laughed until I cried. But when I told her I loved it – and I did – she got over her pique.
That was the end of that, for her anyway. But I’m not so lucky.
Every year I remember that conversation.
And to be honest, I haven’t looked at a turkey, or a man, the same way since. 😀
Did you know that hamsters can be good in fighting? Watch how this hamster defends himself from a bunch of students in Russia.
He was a young boy who lived with his elderly Mother. His mother wanted him to learn how to play the piano because she longed to hear her son play for her. She sent her son to a piano teacher who took Robby in, under her guidance. However, there was one small problem. Because Robby was not musically inclined and therefore was very slow in Learning. The teacher did not have much faith in the boy because of his Weakness. The mother was very enthusiastic and every week she would send Robby to the teacher. One day Robby stopped attending the piano lessons. The teacher thought that he had given up and in fact she was quite pleased since she did not give much hope to Robby.
Not long after, the piano teacher was given the task to organize a piano concert in town. She sent out circulars to invite the Students and public to attend the event. Suddenly, she received a call from Robby who offered to take part in the concert. The teacher told Robby that he was not good enough and that he was no longer a student since he had stopped coming for lessons. Robby begged her to give him a chance and promised that he would not let her down. Finally, she gave in and she put him to play last, hoping that he will Change his mind at the last minute. When the big day came, the hall was packed and the children gave their best performance.
Finally, it was Robby’s turn to play and as his name was announced, he walked in. He was not in proper attire and his hair was not properly groomed. The teacher was really nervous since Robby’s performance could spoil the whole evening’s brilliant performance. As Robby started playing, the crowd became silent and was amazed at the skill of this little boy. In fact, he gave the best performance of the evening. At the end of his presentation the crowd and the piano teacher gave him a standing ovation. The crowd asked Robby how he managed to play so brilliantly. With a microphone in front of him, he said, “I was not able to attend the weekly piano lessons as there was no one to send me because my Mother was sick with cancer. She just passed away this morning and I wanted her to hear me play. You see, this is the first time she is able to hear me play because when she was alive she was deaf and now I know, she is listening to me. I have to play my best for her!”
This is indeed a touching story of love and excellence. When you have a Passion and a reason to do something, you will surely excel. You may not be Talented or gifted but if you have a strong enough reason to do something, you will be able to tap into your inner God given potential.
Justin Beiber, just watch out !!
Ohh lady, I am in love with you. You’re Awesome !! Spectacular performance !! \m/
Am sure everyone has heard about the Angry Birds game available on Apple’s iOS and other Android applications. Here’s what happens when you take an open Angry Bird challenge 🙂
Ankur Sharma
The Sun Smiles ........ 