The Edge: Ranan-Transport Collaboration - India Phase

~ Sunand Prasad, Architect

Ranan and Transport Theatre, UK have been working on a collaborative performance project - The Edge - since February 2011, focussing on human stories emerging from the issues of climate change and migration. Amlan Chaudhuri and Vikram Iyengar visited the UK to work with them in August-September 2011, and Douglas Rintoul (Artistic Director, Transport), Vicky Long (Artistic Collaborator) and Emma Cameron (Producer, Transport) will be in Calcutta in December 2011 to work with Ranan members.

Bijoya Dashami on the Ichhamati

more photos by Antara Das Gupt
The Ichhamati river forms a part of the extensive border between India and Bangladesh. Our first field trip comprised a trip to Hasnabad-Taki on 6 October 2011 – Bijoya Dashami, the last day of the Durga Puja celebrations and the day the idols of Durga and her family are immersed across rivers in Bengal.

Bijoya Dashami is the one day in the year when border patrolling and control by the BSF (Border Security Force) from India and BDR (Bangladesh Rifles) from Bangladesh is relaxed. The river becomes crammed full of boats of all shapes and sizes – some to immerse idols, but most full of revellers from both countries. A day of celebration when this very questionable border blurs.

We had booked a small country boat that could accommodate up to 15 people from Hasnabad Ghat. This proved to be immensely sensible since, when we got to Taki by boat, all one could see along the banks of both countries was a sea of people. There was no way we could have descended to the ghat, let alone got on a boat without a veritable stampede. Hasnabad is on the Katahal river, a small tributary which opens into the Ichhamati as it takes a wide curve between the two countries. Moving upstream along the Ichhamati, India is on the left, Bangladesh on the right.

At about 3pm Hasnabad ghat too wore a festive look. The narrow street was full of people dressed in their best, vendors of all sorts selling paper trumpets, balloons, snacks and Heaven knows what else. The narrow Katakhal was jam-packed with boats flying the Indian tricolour. Bigger launches jostled with smaller country boats as people clambered on for the trip. Our boat was the smallest kind – a country boat built from slats of wood fitted with a noisy motor and manned by two boatmen – or rather one and half, since the one who sat in the prow and occasionally bailed out the water that seeped in was just a boy. A boy with incredible balance, I must add, since he ran nimbly along the narrow edge of the boat to and from the prow all along the journey without once seeming to notice the brown waters inches from his feet.

the view from Hasnabad Ghat - video
The docile Katakhal opened into the expansive Ichhamati as it curved around the Bangladeshi bank. At this point, this finger of Bangladesh strangely has India on both sides of it as the river curves back on itself. Far up stream we could see that the monochromatic waters of the river were suddenly a riot of colours. There – between Taki in India and Sripur in Bangladesh – the river was crowded with boats from both countries crisscrossing between the banks. The banks too were lined with thousands of people. We saw for the first time boats flying the Bangladesh flag – but apart from that, how on earth could we tell each other apart! Zipping through this veritable chaos was the occasional BSF or BDR motorboat and the large stately blue and red launches that connect Bangladesh’s many riverside locations.

A festive atmosphere is nothing new for India, and definitely not for Bengal. But to encounter this in the middle of a river was a different experience altogether. Vessels from the two countries are not allowed to land on the opposite banks, but apart from this it seems an explosion of emotion for both sides. A few smaller idols had descended into boats and were travelling up and down both the banks surveying and being surveyed by people on both sides.  Bangladeshis and Indians shouted and waved at each other from their respective boats throwing flowers and sweets for the other party to catch, traditional dhaak beats merged with the latest film music, and boatmen skilfully avoided each other by a hair’s breath with ease that would make any stuntman envious. Everyone has cell phones – but how does one deal with international roaming in such a situation and on such a border? My phone actually received no signal when we were towards the Indian bank, but had full reception when we were on the Bangladeshi side!

On the Indian side, we spotted people perched atop broken embankments – a reminder that this whimsical river is not always so kind and has the capacity to wreck havoc. As we coasted to the Bangladeshi side, we saw a large pandal set up with music blaring and some local heavyweight trying ineffectually to make announcements about the deep connection between the two countries. And among the mass of people thronging the bank, two families of Durga idols waited patiently for their turn in the immersion rituals. On the Indian bank too larger idols had begun to arrive, and the mother figures gazed at each other from two countries that came together annually on this once day. Perhaps it is only a mother that can bring together sundered siblings, if even for the shortest span of time. It was one of the most emotional and unforgettable experiences to be on that river among those thousands of people: complete strangers, and yet momentarily united in the aura of something larger than our individual selves, something larger that both of our countries, something intrinsically human and not a little divine.

The sun had begun to dip and the scene for the special immersion that Icchamati is known for was set, though the crowds of revellers are cleared from the river before this is allowed to begin in earnest. The idols are taken out to the middle of the river seated on a makeshift bamboo platform supported by two boats. Once in the deep waters, the two boats move away from each puling the raft of bamboos apart. The Goddess descends into the river vertically.

more photos by Antara Das Gupta
As darkness came on, fireworks began manned from an official barge towards the Indian side. Our boatman became anxious: not everything is as joyful and tension-free as it seemed. Apparently, as night falls over the river, the bigger boats purposely push past the small country ones – the kind we were on – in a dangerous game that under cover of darkness can go completely unnoticed by the patrol boats. We managed to avoid several such encouters by the skin of our teeth and dexterity of our boatman. There is complete absence of river traffic discipline of any sort, no one knows what dark shape will loom out from which direction, and by and large none of the boats have any lights. Every year there are accidents. Indeed, the day after the papers carried a report about an Indian boat that was capsized by a Bangladeshi boat. One person was lost in the waters, and his body was found washed up downstream somewhere in Bangladesh only a few days later. Doubly unfortunate is the predominant sense that the bigger Bangladeshi boats target the smaller Indian boats on purpose. People on the Bangladeshi side probably harbour just the opposite feeling.

A border once drawn is not something one can easily wipe away, even though the land and water bear no actual trace of it. When very young, I had once asked my mother why we just didn’t join the partitioned countries back together again. She replied with what I feel is a strong and most unfortunate metaphor. One can join together a piece of broken glass but the cracks will always be visible.

The Sundarbans trip: Bali, Pakhiraloy and Burirdabri (10 to 12 December 2011)

- Vikram Iyengar

fog on the road to Gadkhali
breakfast en route
We set off at 6.30am for Gadkhali via Basanti – three cars meeting at Science City before two Sumos veered off left. Thick fog you could cut with a knife enveloped us, barely letting us see the road before us and only occasionally revealing the surroundings – ponds dotted with pink and white lotuses, houses which moved from concrete into mud constructions, and sudden busy wholesale markets of vegetables and fish. Breakfasted on the local petai paratha at Basanti and finally arrived into Gadkhali at about 10.30am – about an hour late thanks to the fog. We were to spend the day on Bali island visiting schools and villagers with Shri Sukumar Paira, headmaster of Bijoynagar Adarsha Bidya Mandir, who has made Bali his home for the last 33 years. His work has gone far beyond education, involving students, their parents and the larger community in areas and issues of conservation awareness and action, sustainable and alternative livelihoods which are eco-friendly, disaster relief work and much more. The school itself is an example of a holistic education including arts, sports (local games too), work education and nature education as part of the curriculum. From being an island with no schools at all in 1970, Bali now has about 24 schools spanning primary and secondary levels and a respect for education among both parents and children – both boys and girls. Shri Paira did not start the school: he was asked to come in for some time (three months between his BA and MA) by the gentleman who envisioned the school. Those 3 months have now become 33 years.
Shri Sukumar Paira
the Secondary School
the Primary School
Our time at Bali was divided between the primary school in an Adivasi area and the main secondary school – Bijoynagar Adarsha Bidyamandir. At the first stop we met some villagers from the community including a 98-year old farmer, some children who were studying there while their parents worked elsewhere, and the teacher in charge. Conversations ranged from the current condition of agriculture in Bali especially post the Aila cyclone of May 2009 to education and aspirations and much more. The second experience included a long conversation with Shri Sukumar Paira himself touching on a host of experiences and observations, meetings with some students talking about the school Nature Club and their aspirations for the future, conversations with some farmers, and a visit to the newly inaugurated Girls’ Hostel. We then left for out two-night stay at Aponjon, Pakhiralay.

It is impossible to detail out the varied and rich nature of the experiences in a blog piece – and indeed, it would do no justice. Bare facts are one thing, a human experience and engagement is quite another. This evening – 24 hours later – the ten of us sat around and talked about any one thing that we took away from the two days we have spent here – today being a day-long launch trip into the astonishing Sundarbans forests to and from the Burirdabri watchtower which is on the border river of Raimangal, looking across the wide swathe of water at the Khulna district of Bangladesh .

A heavily paraphrased illustration of what and how ten very different individuals remembered and were affected over both these days is perhaps a better evocation of this incredible experience.

(Ranan repertory member, actress and production person, freelance work with children in various schools through music and drama)
“In a conversation I was having with Jo on the launch today, we both thought we would love to visit and stay in one of the villages we were passing – only she was thinking for a week and I was thinking for 24 hours. What am I scared of? Perhaps scared is not the word. I’m not bothered about amenities or the lack of them. But what would I be doing for a week? The complete lack of knowledge about that. I’ve spent time in rural areas with school, but there is a whole gaggle of girls there! What is the experience of just me and the village – that’s both scary and exciting.”

(Producer with Transport Theatre, Stage Manager)
“What really struck me was the huge community that I encountered as I got off the boat at Bali. I don’t know what I was expecting but it wasn’t that. They were all with us when the boat came in, all with us in the beautiful schoolroom, and all with us when we left again. They were together with us the whole time. I felt very supported even though I couldn’t communicate with them directly. I was struck by the generosity of the sharing.”

(Ranan repertory and core group member and Administrator, actress and dancer, works in Insurance Sales)
“My day-job involves selling insurance for a company. Gosaba is one of the branch offices under me, and when I went to Bali with my agent, I was also interested in how I could develop business here.
In the classroom at the Secondary School when we spoke to the children about their aspirations, many of them said that they wanted to stay on in the Sundarbans in what they did in the future. An observation made by Sukumar Paira at that point has been haunting me. He said that they are not yet aware of the realities and practicalities of living in the Sundarbans. Once they are faced with that, they may well leave for good.
And my professional self was asking, how can I even think of developing business somewhere as poverty ridden as this in a country where the idea of life insurance hardly exists in rural areas.”

(Dancer, Ranan repertory member, learning to be an actress)
“I went with Romoni – one of the girls I met at the Primary School – to her house nearby. She was affected with polio when she was 8 and is now about 19 years old. She does intricate zari embroidery on saris and gets just about Rs. 200 for each sari even though it can sell at Rs. 5000 or Rs. 6000 in Calcutta shops and up to Rs. 20000 in a branded boutique. That too, she gets paid much after she has done the work. Her mother works harvesting paddy on others’ lands and get paid Rs. 100 per month per family she works for. Her father does not work.
And yet she spoke to me frankly, sang me two songs and pressed me to stay for lunch. As I was leaving both she and her father asked if I could do anything to help them. That was when I felt most helpless – it was a pathetic moment for me.”

(Ranan repertory and core group member, Production Coordinator and Movement Trainer, Actor)
“Yesterday evening after we arrived at Aponjon, I got a call from Sukumar babu asking if everything was ok. He has already helped us so much in organising the day at Bali, there was no need for him to call me after we had left. That touched me a lot.”

(Artistic Director of Transport)
“The classroom in the Secondary School at Bali with the students talking about their dreams and aspirations. The optimism in the midst of so much adversity, even from children who haven’t seen their parents for nine months – parents who work away from home. The people’s stories and careers / jobs that came out of that exchange. What would be the level of optimism and aspirations I a deprived school in Kent? And they were so well-behaved!”

(Ranan repertory and core group member, actress, architect)
“We always think of roots as life-giving, but here I felt they were life-taking. No one decided to be born here, it just happened. And then they are caught. Like when the roots of the mangroves go down, it’s as if the soil starts clutching onto it so they can’t break away. Where would I be today if I had been born here?”

(Artistic Collaborator on The Edge project, actress, producer)
“I see the mangrove tree roots as the place where earth and water meet. Intermeshing, interlocking, connecting – a community working together. Each tree is a symbol of that strength.”

(Captain and sailor)
The drive here, having never been in India before! And the sense of community and family, and their connectivity to their life support system / natural environment. How the community rooted in a place responds together. We speak from an urban perspective – what does a ‘better life’ actually mean?”

(Artistic Director, repertory and core group member of Ranan, dancer, choreographer, theatre director)
“What struck me most on the launch trip into the forests and at the watchtower was the quality of silence, and the quality of listening it demands from you. The quality of stillness. It has a grace and a majesty, a dignity that commands respect. Do we actually take it in at all?”

Sundarbans Moon Journal       -  December 2011
- Dana Roy

(timings are approximates since I was looking at more fascinating things than my watch)

10th December
5ish in the evening: Travelling from Bali Island in a launch we see the red moon before the approaching lunar eclipse. There in that half light on the river I wonder for a second if that red full moon is the disk of the sun. Slow logic tells me it isn’t, the sun had already set leaving long red fingers of twilight across the sky and the low hanging red moon
Song in head: Jersey Thursday
night brought on it’s purple cloak of velvet to the sky, and the gulls were wheeling spinning…”
5:30 pm : Later at Aponjon Hotel it looks slightly less red but very much like a disk of cheese with a warm coloured orange light cast on it. It is slightly higher in the sky. It seems to have developed a five o’clock shadow in one corner of its chin, but it’s so slow that we doubt if the eclipse has actually begun. Funny thing, I can’t actually see many stars, just the evening star right above us.
6pm: It definitely is the eclipse. There is a chunk of the moon missing from the sky. We watch the eclipse, watch the earth’s slow progress across the sky. I think of this silent unstoppable coordinated dance between three giant moving bodies. A dance only fathomable to us by the shadow the earth casts on the moon, by the shadow we cast on the moon. A brief but measurable sense of our cosmic journey. I feel awe.
7 pm: Now it resembles a clove of garlic.
Song in head: “When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie…” clearly awe has left us and we are being a little silly.
What is this obsession with the moon and food? - Cheese, garlic, pizza
8:10 pm: It looks like a thumbnail clipping – at least that is not food.
8:20 pm: If I looked at the sky now for the first time that night without knowing anything about celestial occurrences, I would have instantly thought something had ripped a bright little slit through an inky black blanket that covered the sky. No stars are visible. There is just a rip, a sliver of Heaven glowing through an otherwise impenetrable black. You can easily see how omens and predictions could come about. In the city watching an eclipse, such a thought seems silly, but out in the Sundarbans there is no escaping the leap in your heart when you look up and see something undoubtedly wrong with the sky.
8:30pm: The total eclipse. The part of the moon that had been disappearing into shadow suddenly can be made out, lit only by the corona as the earth completely eclipses the sun from the moon’s point of view. Curiously, the moon does not disappear from the sky like you are led to expect. It gets swallowed by the shadow and when that shadow is fully cast, the moon looks like a very pale imitation of itself. It still is faintly red and oddly, stops looking like a two dimensional disk and looks more spherical, more three dimensional, with a faint shading around the edges that show a depth distinct to a sphere.
9:20 pm After dinner, we looked up to see the moon had emerged quite a bit, cleaner and whiter than I ever remember seeing it before, like it just underwent some ritualistic purification. Certainly it was startling after having grown used to it’s redness all evening. I’m reminded of the Chinese dragon that is said to swallow the moon, or was that a serpent. No, perhaps the serpent is Indian and the dragon is Chinese

11th December
7:45 am: The moon appears again this morning, high-ish in the sky. We are on the river, on a launch wending our way through thick morning fog. I am watching through a window below deck. In the milky whiteness, my mind plays tricks on me again, I think the white disk is the sun struggling to shine through a thick white curtain. Then the boat turns and the real sun reveals itself, perfectly spherical with a soft incandescent glow that you see through the haze that surrounds it. There is no chance of mistaking it for the moon.
Song in head: CSNY’s Cathedral.  Not for the lyric as a whole but for the tune/ movement of music and I suppose random bits of lyric that my unconscious throws at me that seem to fit. The song just mirrors in a different context the emotional responses of the present moment.
After dinner: Rhea and I talk about stories of the Lady in the Moon. The moon looks exactly like it should on the Chinese Full Moon festival. I tell her the Chinese story of the princess of the Heavens trapped on the moon by her father for falling in love with a shepherd on earth, and how the cranes take pity on them one night in the year (the day of the Moon Harvest Festival) and form a walkway across the sky between the earth and the moon with their wings so the lovers can meet for one night.
The Bengalis and Chinese both have a Lady that lives on the Moon, the Romans and Greeks have Diana and Selene of the Moon. It is only the west that seems to talk about the Man in the Moon, some guy whose hair was made of spaghetti according to a kid’s nursery rhyme that flits across my mind. The song is unapologetically thrown out of my head.

12th December
After dinner: We walk along the embankment at night, having switched off our torch. The moon is full, bright and brilliant and lights up the whole landscape. Doug suddenly sings 3 notes of “Moonshadow” pointing out our shadows cast by the moon. Have I ever seen my own moonshadow before? The rest of the song plays in my head as we walk back to Help Tourism. I’ve always loved the song but confronted with my own moonshadow it doesn’t seem to make any sense, even just the music of it doesn’t work in the moment. Must find out what was meant when it was written.

- Amlan Chaudhuri

Be(n)dhechhe Eman-o ghar
ShuNyer upar po(n)jtaa ka're ....
Dhanya dhanya ba'li tare!
[ What  a house He has built in thin air!
But how firmly founded!
Bravo, bravo to him!]

Lalon Shah phokir.

[It's a scary game to watch:
A boat loaded with a river, sails on dry land.
The river's name is the Water of Life.
You can find it in the microcosm.
In a wink of an eye it overflows its banks,
In a wink it dries up, too!]

the title song from Ritwik Ghatak's " The River Called Titas"

Shut up and Listen

Dana Roy

Everywhere you go in the Sundarbans you meet loud tourists shouting at the top of their voices to each other “Eikhaney kichu nei, there is nothing here’. Looking out of the enclosed walkway meant for tourists at the mangroves and the mud they are convinced there is nothing out there worth any attention. Thankfully they leave quickly. The trick that this place teaches you over and over again is to stop filling the space with you and then, ah, and then the Sundarbans offers a feast for the senses.

Take a walk at night with a torch and all you can see are the two steps in front of you lit by torch light. But switch the torch off and suddenly, amazingly you can see clearly right till the horizon lit by the brilliance of the full moon.

Talk, night or day, and all you can hear is yourself and the person next to you. But stop talking and the sound of the waves leap up at you louder than anything before. Listen, and it is not just the waves; you are immediately struck by the depth, density and intensity of sound that you were not even aware of a second ago, such pitches, tones, clicks and rhythms. The deep underlying steady hum of the insects, above that the lower tones of the waves, each wavelet finishing with a gentle high tabla tap, persistent and rhythmic. Over that the plopping of the mudskippers and the staccato clicking of the crabs at your feet. Then both a high pitched and low pitched wind that rustles through the leaves. Above that the myriad calls of birds each with their own musical time, unpredictable like improvised jazz but still the perfect counterpoint to the steadiness below it. And somehow, caught in the center of it all, the peace, that only a rest could bring in the middle of a musical score. Caught in the center of all those tones is silence.

There can be no doubt in such an intricate orchestra of sound that the Sundarbans are full of life. Listening to all that life it is incredible to believe anyone could think “eikhaney kichu nei”. All anyone needs to do is shut up and listen.

BURIRDABRI: Sunday, 11 December 2011

- Vikram Iyengar

I am sitting in the prow of a small launch in the Sundarbans. It is 2.30pm and we have just about ten minutes ago turned into a wide river – which I think is the Jhilla – from the Burirdabri Khal. The waters are falling. The tide is receding revealing more and more of the land they submerge, more and more of the contours of the narrow creeks they flood, more and more of the network of mangrove roots that hold up the trees in a tangled and interconnected mesh of precarious support. The waters are calmer now, with gentle ripples – the strongest being the waves our launch kicks back as it glides sedately forward. The surface reflects floating impressions of what lines the banks – a myriad shades of green and brown that will defy the colour palette of the most inventive painter. And as one moves away from the bank in this vast expanse of water that is only one of the many rivers that we have experienced since yesterday, it reflects the blue-grey milkiness of the sky – a depth below reflecting a depth above. To my left the sun has begun its journey into the earth, and the waters there shine silver as they catch the light, play with it, throw it up momently in little celebratory crests of gold and subside once again, seemingly at peace.  Yes, the tide is receding, but as the sun warms my left shoulder I remember this morning when it was engaged in conflict with the thick fog that swirled up from the rising waters, only managing to imbue the mists with a greyness of intangibility. The air was damp, the stiff breeze had a chilly bite to it, and the sun only appeared as a suffocated pale disc, looking more like the moon than its powerful self. But in moments when the fog let down its guard and a bundle of rays managed to get through, the waters shone like burnished gold, delighted in the promise of a warmth to come. It was all magical then, it is all magical now.

As I sit here enveloped in this world all around me – the river stretching out before my eyes, a dense green bank to my right, a long, low shadow of a bank far to my left broken unevenly by the silhouettes of treetops, and the blue cloudless sky above turning into a blinding white where the sun is – I feel alone, but not lonely. I feel a oneness. I feel I belong, I feel an acceptance by this place which moves and humbles me. And more than anything I feel my smallness, but do not feel slighted by that. I feel the generosity of this landscape but can only imagine its power. I feel grateful, I feel Grace, I feel peace, I feel Majesty. I feel everyone I love and have loved and lost around me, I feel them with and within me in this place, space and moment. Amazingly, I do not feel their absence. It’s as if this – where I am and what is being given to me with quiet, sombre dignity – is a burden too beautiful and precious for me to bear on my own. They are in this landscape, in this suspended moment that extends into eternity – helping me experience it, helping me articulate it, helping me remember it, and remember them.

I am in the midst of a gift truly offered, truly given – a pureness that knows no motive other than making the planet I call my home a more beautiful, a more awe-inspiring place. People look and pray for miracles all the time. Here is one, and we don’t see it.

First days...

-Lav Kanoi

by Ruchira Das
floating down the Chituri forest
We were going down the river on the boat, when suddenly from the forest nearby we heard something which sounded like the cacaphony of birds - when they come back to their nests in the evening - but this was broad daylight ! - could it be monkeys chattering then? but there wasn't even one to be seen!

Later we realised it's only the echo of the boat's motor from the forest- that marvel of nature had taken that mechanical drone and turned it into a natural sound of its own!

Doug - Day 1

- by Shataf Figar

Today was the first day of the much awaited 2 week long workshop with Douglas. The day started with some text reading. We picked up a text from The Hungry Tide. Took the first line from it and worked on it with a new technique. "in our legends it is said that a goddess's descent from the heavens would have split the earth had the lord not tamed her torrents by tying it to his ash smeared locks". We looked at each word in isolation and then built an action for each word. Once this was done we spent time individually working on identifying the action to the word one by one. Then we got into a circle and read the text out with their respective actions one at a time. We then gave the lines more fluidity by going all the way. The objective was to let each come alive and live in the present moment. Not assuming what the next words coming up were. We were told not to attach our feeling but to look at it the way the author of the text wrote it. The muscular movement in the brain, face and gestures were to be recorded and then collectively put together for the final reading. The connectedness with each word was also very important. THEN WE ASKED THE QUESTION WHY? WHY DO I WANT TO SAY THIs?

The next exercise was a focus and connectedness game. Using the name, ball and touch. The smoothness of the game was focused upon. Being connected to everyone on stage and a smooth progression was highlighted. We formed a circle and created a pattern of flow with names. Once this pattern was created we passed the ball around to form another link. We played with these two in togetherness. Once this pattern was successfully taking shape we were asked to form another pattern or link by touching people on their shoulder and taking their place while the other person went and touched another person. Finally we put all these three different pattern together and tried to achieve smoothness while performing this exercise. What we speak, what we do and how we react.

Then we played GO, which was all about keeping the rhythm in place. One person in the center with the ball starts passing it to other people creating a rhythm. Once this process is on any other member could say Go to the person in the center and he would have to move away letting the person who said go to take centre stage while continuing the rhythm. The idea was to maintain the rhythm on stage and not disrupt it. Any wrong move or any change in rhythm will disrupt the others presence on stage.

Next was the chair exercise: 8 chairs and 7 people. The person who was walking had to be stopped from sitting on that one empty chair. All connected to the right movements and staying connected with the actors on stage.

Finally the day ended with some movement exercise with focus on breathing and connection of the breath to the movement. Lessen it and build it up. It was to first to be able to connect to the music and then allow the breath to connect to the music. And make the movement small and large. This was a challenge for me as I had taken the wrong start by sitting on the floor. It was the most exhaustive exercise and it left us sweating and warmed us up on the cold winter evening.

Some thoughts...

Sundarbans - where truly nothing is waiting yet it awaits

- what exists there and what exists no more, only a sense captured,
through my lenses
- a being there, settling..unsettling, seized and held within, through my senses

(a bit of Sundarbans - where truly nothing is waiting yet it awaits.
- and a poem by Pablo Neruda)

You will remember that leaping stream
where sweet aromas rose and trembled,
and sometimes a bird, wearing water
and slowness, its winter feathers.

You will remember those gifts from the earth:
indelible scents, gold clay,
weeds in the thicket and crazy roots,
magical thorns like swords.

You'll remember the bouquet you picked,
shadows and silent water,
bouquet like a foam-covered stone.

That time was like never, and like always.
So we go there, where nothing is waiting;
we find everything waiting there.

- Dana Roy

Re-reading the post Shut up and Listen, it strikes me that I have not at all been able to capture how one’s senses seem to reach out into the world. Just as your eyes find the horizon when you are out in the open, just as the moonlight lights up all of that great distance into the beyond, just as you look into the horizon and somehow you are present there at the far end of where your eyes take you, so too you discover a horizon of sound.

Photo: Shataf Figar
Let me try and explain better. If you stop, shut your eyes and listen in a place like the Sundarbans, your ears first take in the sounds closest to you, waves, fiddler crabs, mudskippers then your sense of hearing seems to expand till you hear things maybe five feet away, a bird perhaps, or a frog, then it expands further to take in more that surrounds you, adding to the symphony. You ears steadily seem to take you further and further away from the place you are standing. There is no measurable way to know how far you have heard, and sounds do get fainter and fainter till you can just about make out that that is as far as you can hear. How far your horizon of sound is, will never truly be known, not in the terms with which you can measure a horizon of sight. It is also a horizon that you will never experience in a piece of music no matter how complex, because it does not exist, the instruments are finite and there is nothing beyond.

How far can your ears take you?  I am reminded of a discussion during our workshops about what it feels like to be underwater, and the quality of sound under water. I remember floating in the sea just off Pattaya, listening under water. The sounds are alien, unidentifiable because of the lack of language to express them, yet they are distinct even through the quality that water gives them. Sound travels further in water.  How far does it take you? How far away in the ocean is what you hear? One thinks of the great whales that communicate to each other over enormous distances. The connectivity and connectedness of it. I wonder about the bamboo game. And the connectedness of it. How each actor is connected to every other actor in the space, through nothing but bamboo sticks held between them by the tip of one finger on each hand.
When you remember the kinds of listening you experience in the natural places of the world you know that the world is connected. It is the same quality of listening that is required of you in the bamboo game. It is as if the Earth has been playing that game for millions of years and has become so good at it, so adept that the patterns are organic and complex. Actually it is the other way around, we attempt in the bamboo game to replicate the organic quality of the living Earth.

Photo: Shataf Figar
And I wonder what happens if an outside impulse is introduced. So if the world is so connected what happens if humanity provides a push from the outside. How does the world adjust? What happens when there are more external pushes. How long does it take to break the connectedness? How long before a bamboo falls?

Photo: Shataf Figar
Or is it that the Earth adjusts. Millions of years of connection, each organism connected to another, each wave connected with another, cannot just be broken, but the ripples of an outside impulse are seen coursing through the connections. How do we plug in again to this constant communication, how do we shut up and listen? How do we connect, spiritually, personally, collectively, consciously? And it will need a disciplined consciousness, because currently we are shouting so loudly that there is not a chance of listening.

In the bamboo game when you are listening and connected, it is not hard to know what you have to do. It is not a revolutionary change that you bring about in others, or yourself, it’s but a slight shift of gears, not even that. It is subtler than that. It is a listening, through your ears, neck, back, a listening through your body. How do we do find that quality of listening in our relationship with the Earth? What new horizon will be opened up to us then?

- by Shataf Figar

Photo: Emma Cameron
The workshop with Douglas so far has helped me refine my performance as an actor. Each day I wish for the clock to travel to 4pm as fast as possible so that we can start our workshop. I am like a little kid waiting with my bags packed to enter a space that focuses on the word refinement. Refinement of the skills that we possess.

The last week focused a lot on coordination, movements, space, energy, relationship with the other performers on stage, being aware of each other, what you say, what you do and how you move.  And of course the 2 day trip to Nimpith and Kaikhali in the Sundarbans. It was all about Exploration. Exploring the space internally and externally.

Some of the exercises that have really been helpful and have stayed with me are the Bamboo exercise, 3rd force exercises, Impulse exercise, Chorus exercise and the rhythm and movement exercises.

Photo: Emma Cameron
The Bamboo exercise helped me in creating patterns and movements with my body that I had never imagined I could. Responding to each other’s energy in the right measure so that the stick could balance and at the same time being aware of what everybody is doing. Giving and receiving the exact amount of energy. Leading and being led. We started this exercise in groups of 4 and then broke it down to pairs. Once in pairs after a few minutes the bamboo stick was removed and we had to imagine the stick still there and maintain the fluidity of movements. Then the distance between the pair was divided into half. The focus was on receiving and giving of energy, fluidity of movements and creating interesting structures. Vikram's   addition of the text of "All you who sleep tonight" made the movement much more interesting and gave us a lot to play with.

Photo: Emma Cameron
The impulse exercise displayed some really fluid movements. The idea was of how movements would happen when the body is suspended in water  or the sea. A lifeless body. Anubha was brilliant at this exercise and her moves were telling a story by itself. A wonderful sight that shall remain with me. Connecting with each and every part of the body and letting it flow by the forces of the current.

Photo: Emma Cameron
The chorus exercise created some fun and entertainment for the audience. In a group we had to follow what the leader did. And every time we turned sides the leader would change. Some really interesting sightings were made by our audience. It also showed how easy is it to break away from the performance of a group. When this happens it is clearly visible that there is a disconnect between performers on stage. We were asked to perform on simple topics like life in the Sundarbans, life in Kolkata and life in Bollywood. This has been recorded by Vikram and I am waiting to see what fools we made of ourselves.

Can't wait for this week to begin. Waiting for it to be 4pm so that my packed bag and I can enter the space that I loved the most.

That is what learning is

Debosmita Roychowdhury

“That is what learning is. You suddenly understand something you’ve understood all your life but in a NEW WAY” …….

Yes, definitely this workshop had been a great learning experience for me. The 2 week long workshop with Transport team made me think about the vastness about theatre, dance….. Actually about the ART...rather I should say the inter connection between different fields of ARTs.
We‘ve done some exercises which were about concentration, awareness, group work etc.  All of those were too good but I personally like “chorus”, “impulse” and “force”.
We were given different subjects to research on and the researches revealed many unknown facts.

Really a lot of thanks to  Douglas and his team for giving us such a great opportunity to work with TRANSPORT.

Questions from within

Debashree Bhattacharya

I attended four sessions of the workshop with the intention to observe and learn, and use my experience in my career as a dancer, teacher and choreographer. Little did I realise that it would go much deeper and shake me from the roots of my being.

I learnt quite a few things after observing and performing the ‘Bamboo exercise’, ‘the Chorus’ and ‘Drowning piece’, that Douglas had made us do during the workshop. All these exercises provided me with reference points for the future.

Pic: Emma Cameron
Bamboo Exercise
energy flow, energy transformation, patterns, designs, exploring levels, awareness, connection, concentration

togetherness, connection, alertness, presence of mind, focus, awareness

Drowning Piece
stillness, surrender, peaceful, flow, balance

The above exercises were really a learning experience for me.

Kaikhali – on the banks of the river Matla, 21 December, 9.30pm

the Matla river at Kaikhali (Pic: Shataf Figar)
A star-studded sky. Pitch Dark. Sounds of lapping water. SILENCE. It was an eerie, uncanny silence. Felt both peaceful and uneasy at the same time. Can’t explain why. In this context, I would like to mention about the Chorus piece that was created on 29 December. I was unable to hold back my tears that day. Moments from the lives of the people of Sundarbans, each wrapped up in a situation – their sorrows, their joys, their SIMPLICITY, their immense wealth and dire poverty, their innocence and experiences, their regrets and their celebration – all found expression through chorus. And never in my life have I ever thought that ’12 beats’ could become so monotonous as well as eerie and uneasy. Suddenly I was hit by many questions from within.

What’s my role as an artist? My responsibility? Am I committed only to my dance form, a tradition hundreds of years old? What’s the larger picture of which my dance is only a small part?
What’s the truth? About my art? About myself? Where do I search to find myself?
(If I am sounding like a philosopher, I am sorry, but it came straight from my heart.)

Pic: Shataf Figar
In the monotony of 12 beats, Anubha had screamed ‘Bachao’. Save me. Us? From whom? From myself?  Who is the protector and who the survivor? Where do I place myself?

‘Bachao’ still echoes in my ears and my heart.


Dueling Sabre ― Italian School

Italian Dueling Sabre, “Pecoraro model”, close-up of hilt.
Italian Dueling Sabre, “Pecoraro model”.

The Italian school of sabre is based on the dueling sabre, not the military sabre. Its foundation is the study and practice of the molinelli, which are types of circular cuts. There are two schools, which may be generally divided, into northern and southern. The southern school emphasizes the execution of the molinelli, with the wrist as the axis of rotation, while the northern school emphasizes the elbow as its axis. As is typical of the Italian schools, the guard position is relatively low.

The sabre taught is the northern system that adheres to the teachings of its founder Maestro Giuseppe Radaelli and his pupil Maestro Luigi Barbasetti.


Patrick Henry Speech

October 10, 2017
By ryanorr999 BRONZE, Astin, Texas
ryanorr999 BRONZE, Astin, Texas
3 articles 0 photos 0 comments

No matter how passionate Patrick Henry gets, he stays respectful throughout the whole speech. His very first sentence talks about how highly he thinks of the patriotism of the men who spoke before him. He says how he doesn’t want to disrespect anyone else’s opinion that think differently. He almost has a regretful tone in how he talks about and feels about presenting this question. By being respectful and regretful, everyone else in the room is more open-minded to his opinion, therefore becoming more impressionable. He says that it’s too important and urgent to disregard it any longer and that he cares so much that he will take whatever anguish of spirit it may cost. A big turning point in the beginning of the essay is when he says,” I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom and slavery.

In the beginning of the third paragraph, he uses a metaphor to express that his reasons come from experience. The metaphor is,” I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided; and that is the lamp of experience.” He is saying that his choices and beliefs are only influenced by the experience he has. He also ask lots of rhetorical questions like,” Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation.” These rhetorical questions build up the audience’s questionability of the England government and whether or not they should fight for freedom or stay with England. In the fourth paragraph is when Patrick Henry really becomes influential and motivational about fighting for freedom. He says,” Will it be the next week, or the next year?” He uses parallelism in the words “will” and “shall” to continue to ask rhetorical questions that spark indecisiveness in the opposing men. He ends the paragraph with,” The war is inevitable and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.” I think this really builds up the intensity in the room and helps to progress to his final statement. Lastly he says,” I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” This statement is widely known and is a very strong statement and it really show his passion for this subject.

This idealistic thinking that Patrick Henry thinks that America should fight back and fight for their freedom and what they believe may be the thinking behind the current day posters. Protesters today are fighting for their freedom and what they believe. Personally, I don’t believe in the protests, but I believe Patrick Henry’s speech may be ideas behind the current day protests.

Similar Articles

This article has 0 comments.

MacMillan Books

Aspiring Writer? Take Our Online Course!


Rachel in Uganda

Hi everyone!

My name is Rachel and I am doing a double major in Human Biology and Anthropology at the University of Toronto, St. George campus. You would agree with me that travelling to a place you have never been before makes you anxious and excited at the same time? I am thrilled to get this opportunity to travel to Uganda this summer where I will be working with the Children of Hope Uganda (COHU) organization as an intern for 3 months. COHU is a non-profit organization working towards empowering the war-affected youths in Northern Uganda. I have volunteered with COHU for about 2 years now and worked closely with the founder of the organization, Lorna Pitcher, who stirred a great zeal and inspiration in me to visit Lira, Uganda, the hallmark of all the COHU projects.

I strongly believe that every human being came into existence because there is a purpose they need to serve in this rapidly-developing interconnected world community. I see in every human being an innate potential to soar to the highest heights of their dreams in life. It is true that due to unforeseen tragedies such as war, drought and disease epidemics, one can lose hope, energy, determination and motivation to tap into one`s potentials. However, I am grateful for COHU and many other organizations/groups that always stand for humanity. More than 1100 lives of young people have been hugely impacted, transformed and empowered by COHU, through the advocacy for education and initiatives promoting acquisition of self-reliance and entrepreneurial skills. Having had a similar life experience, I feel strongly connected to all the youths and children in Northern Uganda, whom I would happily consider my brothers and sisters.

I am deeply passionate about serving the human kind in all possible ways; a dream I have always had since my childhood. This experience will not only expose me to new life challenges and experiences, but also will challenge my capabilities and facilitate my personal growth. All this will ultimately equip and shape me into a reliable global citizen who can serve humanity with unwavering compassion and deep understanding.

Finally, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Lorna and Katie for their tremendous amount of support and for always being there to respond to my numerous questions. Many thanks to Dr. Oswald, the IDS department, Tasha and everyone who rendered me help!

I am happy to be a QE scholar, looking forward to life-changing experiences!

Mwebale! (Thank you)


Virtual CISO

Cybersecurity solutions that fit your budget

A data breach is any unauthorized acquisition or release of, or access to, information, with usually exposes the information to an untrusted environment. Cybersecurity has become a top tier risk for the US and multinational organizations. It is a matter of time before a determined hacker will penetrate your organization's system and successfully exfiltrate some data.

Attackers innovate rapidly at little expense, harnessing sophisticated cyber weapons, sharing techniques and renting access to corporate networks to lee sophisticated cybercriminals. The effective Cyberdefense has evolved into a sophisticated risk-management task different from traditional compliance, pushing organizations to keep up with a rapidly changing threat landscape, rather than a checklist regulatory requirements.


The ancient Greek word ‘psyche’, is defined as ‘soul’ and it’s also the Greek word for butterfly. The idea of transition playing heavily in their mythology… first, a moth literally transforms into a butterfly, a physical event from youth to adulthood. And second, the soul’s carried by the butterfly which eventually seeks passage into the underworld… the transition from life to death, a metaphysical event. However, we know that we are born, die and are born again each day into our authentic self and the butterfly and its attributes are the perfect metaphor for change.                                                                     Continue reading Papillon

The Road To Anjou

To be happy is to know where we should be on the path even with pain, in effect living from the still-point of our eternal flame. This is where we grow, step-by-step closer to the Grail… JC

At times the refusal of the journey is the most important part of the path, a turning point that can never be rescinded. The Continue reading The Road To Anjou

The Incredible Shrinking Man

I always associate the Creator with the wind. On windy nights the chimes hanging on the front porch ring out as the Architect of the universe is making sure I know she’s about, tending to what’s needed. In this same vein I hear the train in the distance, God again. It is these opportune moments that dance with my senses. The smallness, the subtleness of life and how huge that smallness is. Think of the Earth and its inhabitants as compared to the universe; how minute we are but it is this smallness in stature that is phenomenal when you consider the detailed information we already know and are learning about the cosmos.
Continue reading The Incredible Shrinking Man


Putin summed up the talks with Rouhani

RIA Novosti

Talks with President of Iran Hassan Rouhani took place in a businesslike and constructive atmosphere, said the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin following the meeting.

“The talks with President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani, who is in Russia on an official visit, were held in a businesslike and constructive atmosphere. Just made a comprehensive joint statement, signed, as you saw, a solid package of intergovernmental, interdepartmental and corporate documents. Thus, it is safe to say that relations between Russia and Iran are indeed friendly, respectful nature,” said Putin.

Rouhani is in Russia on 27 and 28 March at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.


Total Number of words made out of Soaves = 31

Soaves is an acceptable word in Scrabble with 9 points. Soaves is an accepted word in Word with Friends having 10 points. Soaves is a 6 letter medium Word starting with S and ending with S. Below are Total 31 words made out of this word.

5 letter Words made out of soaves

1). saves 2). vases 3). oaves 4). soave 5). oases

4 letter Words made out of soaves

1). ossa 2). save 3). voes 4). seas 5). vase 6). oses 7). aves 8). avos

3 letter Words made out of soaves

1). oes 2). voe 3). ass 4). vas 5). ave 6). avo 7). sea 8). sae 9). ova 10). ess 11). ose

2 letter Words made out of soaves

1). es 2). os 3). as 4). oe 5). so 6). ae

Scrabble finderAnagram FinderCrossword Solver

Note There are 3 vowel letters and 3 consonant letters in the word soaves. S is 19th, O is 15th, A is 1st, V is 22th, E is 5th, Letter of Alphabet series.


Ad Hoc Announcements

Ad hoc announcements are notifications from the company that are intended to reach all shareholders at the same time. Pursuant to Art. 17 MAR, Aurubis is obligated to immediately publish any company news that could potentially lead to a significant influence on the share price.


Vampire Pop Strategy is an electronic/poprock duo formed in 2006 in Bologna, Italy.
Their debut release is the EP "New Boys In Utah Beach" (2007 - The Family label) and immediately their style is associated to historical british music movements like synth pop, glam, new wave, shoegaze.
Vampire Pop Strategy members are the brothers Francesco and Marco Leoci, they start this project after some experience in an alternative rock band, visual arts and sound design.
After some years spent performing in clubs and some festival and working on new tracks, comes the second EP " Mid Dim" (2011 - Skpmz label) confirming their style but with more complex developments.
Windows Of Suburbia (2013 - The Office Records) is their first album: eccentric british mood conveyed in retro-synthetic melodies.


Immigration is likely to remain an overarching theme in European politics. And for a long time yet. It was at the heart of the UK referendum campaign (although this concerned mostly intra-EU migration), and it is set to dominate French and German elections next year (focusing on immigration from outside Europe). In the summer of 2015 Angela Merkel predicted that migration and asylum would “in the future preoccupy” Europe “much, much more” than financial issues have done. One year on, there is little reason to dispute this.

A record 3,800 people have perished in the Mediterranean since the beginning of this year, according to the United Nations. Europe may have closed off the Aegean and Balkan routes, but more people are drowning than ever before in the central Mediterranean desperately trying to reach Italy.

The migration issue has shaped political discourse in Europe, and is likely to continue to shape it. On one side are liberal internationalists attached to fundamental asylum principles or to the dream of a borderless world; on the other are xenophobic fence-builders who see migration as a modern version of barbaric invasions threatening culture and civilisation. The latter, alas, tend to hold sway.

One of the collateral damages of post-truth politics is that not only the present gets distorted – the past gets rewritten as well. Racist videos online depict fantasies of Europe “before” and “after” migration. “Before” is depicted with orderly scenes of 1950s streets, shops and parks where an all-white population strolls or plays happily. “After” is groups of dark-faced men attacking women, rioting against the police, shouting “Allahu Akbar”.

The essential narrative of bigots is that our European world is collapsing under the onslaught of mass arrivals from cultures that we cannot possibly mingle with. In France, a theory called the “great replacement” has spread to large parts of the right and certainly the far-right. It states that, as a result of immigration, the nation’s core population is set to be replaced by non-European outsiders who will wreck the country’s identity. There are also echoes of this in Germany’s Pegida movement, whose full name is “Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the west”.

Debunking these myths can be hard work. Hatred and passions overtake rational approaches and documented facts get swept away. It is even harder when Europe’s long history of almost constant population movement and mixing of cultures is ignored, untaught or forgotten. For example, it’s often said that the arrival of Arabs and Muslims in France started when post-second world war reconstruction efforts required a new labour force, or after Algeria became independent in 1962. Yet Algerians (especially from Kabylie) have been in France for at least a century. The French historian Benjamin Stora says the real challenge of immigration is “the challenge of knowing the other” – and it goes both ways.

The 2015 refugee crisis has held up a mirror to Europeans: it’s forced them to ask themselves who they are, how they define themselves and their actions. The 1.3 million people who reached the continent last year represented only 0.2% of the EU’s total population. It should have been manageable. Germany alone took in roughly 800,000. That’s equivalent to 1% of its own population, and is the same number it absorbed in 1992 when people fled the Balkan wars and ethnic Germans left the former Soviet Union..

If there was a crisis in 2015, it had less to do with the refugees – who knew what they were fleeing and where they wanted to go – and much more to do more with European governments and societies who did not all step up to the plate. In fact, Europe isn’t confronted with a refugee and migrant crisis. It’s the refugees and migrants who are confronted with a crisis of Europe. The scandal is that, in the Mediterranean, they have been paying with their lives.

Demographers point out that the pivotal migration year for Europe was 2014. That’s when Europe for the first time surpassed the US as a destination for immigrants, according to the French demographer François Héran. Around 1.9 million legal immigrants came to the EU (population 508 million) and 1 million to the US (population 319 million). With that, the European ratio became 3.7 legal immigrants per 1,000 inhabitants, while the US’s was 3.1. This is the new, transformative reality many Europeans have yet to acknowledge.

Historically, Europe exported its population, whether to distant colonial possessions for conquest and domination, or to the New World as a consequence of poverty, persecution or war. Now, it has become the foremost magnet and refuge for those who seek safety and a better life. We are simply much richer and more stable than many other parts of the world.

And our diversity is set to grow, but not in the “great replacement” scenario. Europe needs immigration as an injection of youth and dynamism if in the decades to come it wants to address its workforce and pension problems.

Europeans were once the huddled masses on boats reaching Ellis Island, in New York, or Pier 21 in Halifax, Canada’s gateway for immigrants – both now museums. I visited Pier 21 a few years ago, and spent some time looking at pictures of Hungarian refugees who had fled the repression of the 1956 Budapest uprising and celebrated their arrival. Perhaps Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s self-avowedly “illiberal” prime minister, who shuns refugees, should take a look. Perhaps other European politicians should too.

Canada and the US are countries whose creation derived from the movement of people to faraway shores; European nations are rooted otherwise. But Europe could draw inspiration from the capacity to form a positive narrative that embraces migration instead of treating it mainly as a threat. Europe, as the new continent of immigration, will increasingly need that narrative.


venerdì 11 maggio 2018

La pratica dello Yoga durante il digiuno di Ramadan

Ramadan is just around the corner and I, like many others, have started planning ahead to be able to keep up my physical yoga practice while fasting for several hours a day! I often get asked if I continue my regular yoga practice while fasting? If I continue to teach during Ramadan? What kind of asanas do I practice and how do I keep up with the regular routine?
My answer is Yes! I practice and I teach Yoga during Ramadan. I also modify my practice and make adjustments accordingly. I am happy to share my thoughts on the practice of yoga while fasting, relevance of fasting in yoga, and how you can adapt your practice accordingly.
If you have fasted before, you have probably experienced some of the overall health benefits of fasting, such as improved cardiovascular health, weight management, decrease in blood sugar, boost in immune system, etc. But if you are new to yoga then you are probably wondering whether continuing to practice on a completely empty stomach is safe or risky!
“The goal of fasting is inner unity.” Thomas Merton
As you may already be aware, fasting is an age-old concept and is common in many cultural and religious traditions, including the yogic culture. It is one of many forms of tapasya and is known to bring physical, mental and spiritual renewal. Regardless of which type of fasting you may choose, the practice of abstaining from the material consumption of food or drink, for a certain period of time, can purify your body and mind.  Thus its an integral part of all major religions of the world, such as Ramadan in Islam, Navratri in Hinduism, and Lent in Christianity, among many more.
One thing that all these different types of fasting have in common is that their goal is not just the act of refraining from food and materialistic pleasures, but to help you achieve a pure state of consciousness. Such practices help promote sattva (purity) and reduce rajas (passion, confusion) and tamas (darkness, chaos). Therefore, fasting may include but not be limited to actions such as keeping one’s body and surroundings clean, abstaining from acts like gossiping or lying, and making special efforts to control our negative emotions such as a cranky mood or anger.

Yogic Fasting
Yogic fastings can be of different types, including juice fasts, water fasts, or more severe types of fasting in which the practitioner abstains from the intake of both food and fluids. Fasting can also last anywhere from several hours a day to many days. Generally, anybody in good health can safely do a juice or water fast for 3-5 days without supervision. Longer or more extreme types of fasting may require supervision and I wouldn’t advise undertaking one without consulting your practitioner and making the necessary preparations to ensure that you stay healthy throughout the process.
“In yoga, the ideal break between one meal and the next meal is eight hours. You can manage these kinds of meals even when you are working outside. But a minimum of five hours is a must for everybody. This is because only when your stomach is empty, your excretory system functions properly.” – Sadhguru
Fasting promotes the process of autolysis, which usually begins 24 to 48 hours after you start the fast, and consists of self-digestion and getting rid of diseased, damaged, dead, and dying cells.
Fasting promotes the elimination of toxins from the body, and also provides your digestive system with much needed rest, freeing up the energy that usually goes into the digestion process and redirecting it towards other purposes. Because of this, many people who initially think of fasting as an extenuating ordeal, soon realize that after a while, they feel more energetic than usual.
From a spiritual point of view, fasting can increase your awareness, making it easier to focus and enter a meditative state .
Fasting may also help you develop your willpower; you learn to resist bodily urges, and develop the ability to complete a self-imposed task. When you learn to distance yourself from food and look at it as a mere object, without giving in to your body’s craving for sensory pleasures, you start to realize that you are not this body.
Fasting may also help you gain sensitivity and intuition.

All of the above create the perfect bodily environment for an enhanced yoga practice. You may enjoy more energy than the usual, and also be able to get deeper into some poses (or to perform poses you had never managed before) because your gut is empty. Likewise, your concentration may be improved, helping you turn your attention inward as you breathe in awareness.
Below I have compiled a few tips on how to maintain a satisfactory yoga practice while fasting:

Be mindful of what you eat and drink when you break your fast

While this is probably common sense, it’s not always easy to make a healthy decision when you have been fasting the whole day and are already daydreaming about sunset just so you can break your fast and take a full meal. As a rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to not break the fast with a full meal, instead have a glass of water and perhaps light snacks or fruits. When you do have your main meal, stick to healthy recipes, include plenty of fruits and vegetables, and try to avoid fried foods or sugary sweets. They may taste delicious but they lack essential nutrients and can also make you excessively thirsty. Remember to keep yourself hydrated through the day by drinking water while allowed (especially if your fast is time-restricted, like in Ramadan.)

Asana is not everything

Yoga is not all about physical postures and fasting is a good time to remind yourself that you can practice yoga even without asana practice. While it’s definitely better to keep the body active throughout your fast, there may be times when this is not possible or when you are just not feeling it Depending on how your body is responding, you may choose to keep your asana practice to a minimum while you fast. Instead you can undertake other practices, such as pranayama, seva (selfless service), meditation, or delving deeper in your study of yoga philosophy. This is the perfect time to look inward and build a deeper connection with your spiritual self.

Find a time that works for you

If you’re practicing asana, find a time that works for you.  When you fast, your energy levels will vary through the day. Practice when you feel the energy level is high. You may also want to save some energy in the morning, and dive into a more vigorous practice later in the day, when you’ll have less hours left until you can break your fast.
Personally, during Ramadan, I often prefer to start a little later than I usually would, and  I also change my teaching schedule, which goes down from 6 classes a week to just 3, which I hold in the late afternoon, so by the time the class is over people have just about a couple of hours to go home and get ready to break their fast.

Modify your practice

Because my personal yoga practice is not excessively dynamic, I don’t usually feel the need to modify it during Ramadan. My practice is heavily inspired by the Sivananda sequence, and depending on how I’m feeling, I usually add several more advanced poses. During Ramadan, I stick to the basic sequence, or take it a little further, always with awareness. I have also recently started learning the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Primary Series, which I practice once a week at the moment, but I am unsure if I’ll keep this one up while fasting, as it’s more dynamic than my usual Hatha Yoga practice.
Here are a few suggestions:
A couple of Pranayama (breathing exercises) that you can easily perform while fasting are Diaphragmatic Breathing (Yogic Breathing) to calm your mind whenever you’re feeling scattered or distracted, and Bhramari Pranayama (Bee Breath) if you’re looking to deepen your concentration and prepare for meditation.
If you feel like skipping your regular asana practice, you can go for the short sequence below, which focuses on poses that will promote digestion and help your body detox, complementing your fasting experience. Be sure to hold each pose for at least a few breaths for maximum benefits.
  • A few rounds of the sun salutation helps tone and loosen up the whole body,  You can do just 4-5 rounds followed by a deep and relaxing Savasana, and finish with meditation if you wish. If you still have energy after some sun salutations, you can practice a few more poses.
  • Setu Bandhasana (Bridge pose)
  • Paschimottanasana (Seated forward fold)
  • Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)
  • Balasana (Child’s pose)
  • Ardha matsyendrasana (Seated spinal twist)
  • Shavasana (Corpse pose – relaxation)
I hope that the keys above will help you sustain your practice while you fast and make the most out of the it — happy fasting!

Nessun commento:

Posta un commento


Hi. As a self-employed illustrator, money can sometimes be tight. If you'd like to support my work, the easiest way is to buy something from my shop or commission me to draw something for you. We both win!

However, if you just want to help out a little, you can use the button below to send some cash my way. Donations go towards running this site and making neat things (so more artwork, animations, zines, blog posts etc.). You're not buying me new trainers, I promise.

Thank you so much.


Nanni Moretti

Nanni Moretti was born on the 19th of August, 1953. He lives in Rome, where since he was a kid he devotes himself to his two passions: cinema and water-polo. In 1970 he also played in water-polo first division in Italy, and in the junior National team. In those years he was also very committed in politcs, within the extra-parliament left wing. Once finished high school studies, he sold his stamps collection to buy a super8 cinema camera, using which he started shooting home-made short films with his friends in 1973. His professional movie-making career starts with Ecce bombo (1978). This was also his first nation-wide success, and still a cult-movie for many Italians.

Movie Name Vizyon Tarihi
Oğul Odası — La stanza del figlio 18 May 2001


会議発表用資料 Timing measurement on the laser wakefield accelerated electrons via electro-optic spatial decoding

黄, 開

By introducing the EO spatial decoding technique, we succeeded clocking theelectron beams generated from LWFA. The Coulomb field front was discovered tohave a spherical structure due to plasma shielding and a new temporal mappingrelationship was developed. The injection position of the electron beams wasdiscovered to become closer to the drive laser pulse with increased plasma densityfor Helium gas in the self-injection regime. With superior data attainability andnon-destructive single-shot characteristics, this method could be a candidate aselectron timing monitor for LWFA experiments.

このアイテムのアクセス数：  回


newsdog Facebook

Banking profits shrink

Dawn 2017-12-07 06:52:35

KARACHI: Banking profits declined substantially in July-September, according to the quarterly compendium issued by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Wednesday.

Experts said the decline was mainly due to a major cut in Habib Bank’s bottom line as it paid a heavy penalty to the US banking regulator.

Banks earned a total profit of Rs112 billion in January-September as opposed to Rs139bn a year ago. They earned just Rs22bn in July-September against earnings of Rs41bn in April-June, SBP data showed.

“Banking profits declined because Habib Bank had to pay about Rs22.5bn as penalty to the US regulator and this outflow has been adjusted in the third quarter,” said Samiullah Tariq, director of research at Arif Habib Ltd.

Habib Bank announced in the first week of September that it would pay $225 million to the US regulator and surrendered the licence to carry out banking business in the United States.

Total assets of the banking industry increased to 17.56 trillion at the end of September from Rs17.5tr on June 30.

Advances dropped in the third quarter to Rs6.09tr from Rs6.119tr at the end of June. However, outstanding advances were higher than Rs5.5tr recorded at the end of September 2016.

Advances at the end of the third quarter are always lower than those at the end of the preceding quarter due to seasonal loans, Mr Tariq said. “Advances will rise in the next three months,” he said, adding that the banking industry has been flourishing due to increased economic activities.

Some politicians are painting a gloomy picture of the economy due to uncertainty on the political front. But researchers and analysts foresee economic growth. The SBP predicted in a recent report that the country would witness a 6pc growth rate, highest since 2008.

Researchers said the private-sector credit off-take has increased at a much faster pace than a year ago. Banks would record higher profits next year as a result of enhanced lending to the private sector.

For the first time in 10 years, banks’ lending to the private sector jumped to Rs748bn in 2016-17. Higher economic activities are usually connected with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). But data from many large-scale manufacturing segments indicates that non-CPEC sectors of the economy are also registering growth.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2017


Lydia Sareal

Eladrin wizard

Lydia Sareal is a powerful eladrin wizard of 130 years of age. The crew of the Skystrider has had some run ins with her in the past year that resulted in them not getting along. Despite bad relations with the crew she has never shown direct aggression or malcontent towards them. Due to the evil wizard take over of her hometown of Oldsbek, she had a run in with a wizard who cursed her with the body of a 12 year old. This wizard also happened to be in possession of the the Arcanist’s Compass and so the Skystrider’s away party met up with her to acquire info on him (see Skystrider Session 5 for more info). She is fairly displeased with her current body situation and hands over what info she knows to help them.

After Brandis was defeated it was discovered by her that while her age has been restored, her arcane power has been drained in it’s place. It is detected too late though and she has been left as a fledgling wizard. Her butler Richard and her investigate this further and make various discoveries as to how Brandis got this spell and where her arcane energy was siphoned off too (see Session 15 for more info).

Lydia Sareal

Heroes of the Sky machvergil Dominion


Many / One

Compiled by JoAnn Kite

SHOW detailed search and navigation | Quotes | References | JoAnn

A History of God, The 4,000 Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam
Karen Armstrong

1 "As we know from the workings of our own minds,…all beings yearn for unity; they long to return to the One…this is not an ascent to an external reality but an interior descent into the depths of the mind."

This body of quotes compiled by JoAnn Kite


What's A Conlang?

Conlangs have been called many things: constructed languages, model languages, articial languages, giant wastes of time, and self-inflicted headaches are among the most common terms. Conlangs can be as complex as real-world languages or as simple as a handful of vocabulary terms and no syntax.

Cyphers are letter-exchangers, trading one letter for another to make a code that may or may not be pronunciable; some cyphers use numbers and symbols as well.

Learn Uhjayi

Learn Uhjayi
Uhjayi is a root-based fictional language that comes with a unique syntax, written script, and pronunciation pattern. You can learn it here with written and audio lessons.

Cypher Translators

Kommu/Dannu Translator
Spoken by the humans on Ykinde.

Eona Translator
Spoken by the Panthera on Ykinde.

Vish Translator
Spoken by the Lupos on Ykinde.

Irdic Translator
Spoken by the Avans on Ykinde.

Alkerian Translator
Spoken by the alkers on Ykinde.


Kinematics and dynamics of machinery solution manual pdf

Kinematics and dynamics of machinery solution manual pdf forward this error screen to 85. This article is about devices designed to perform tasks.

A machine uses power to apply forces and control movement to perform an intended action. Renaissance natural philosophers identified six simple machines which were the elementary devices that put a load into motion, and calculated the ratio of output force to input force, known today as mechanical advantage. Modern machines are complex systems that consist of structural elements, mechanisms and control components and include interfaces for convenient use. The word mechanical comes from the same Greek roots.

However, the Ancient Greeks probably borrowed the word “mekhane” from the ancient Hebrews. A wider meaning of “fabric, structure” is found in classical Latin, but not in Greek usage. This meaning is found in late medieval French, and is adopted from the French into English in the mid-16th century. In the 17th century, the word could also mean a scheme or plot, a meaning now expressed by the derived machination. Machine, or Engine, in Mechanicks, is whatsoever hath Force sufficient either to raise or stop the Motion of a Body Simple Machines are commonly reckoned to be Six in Number, viz. Ballance, Leaver, Pulley, Wheel, Wedge, and Screw Compound Machines, or Engines, are innumerable.

You can help by adding to it. Perhaps the first example of a human made device designed to manage power is the hand axe, made by chipping flint to form a wedge. A wedge is a simple machine that transforms lateral force and movement of the tool into a transverse splitting force and movement of the workpiece. The idea of a simple machine originated with the Greek philosopher Archimedes around the 3rd century BC, who studied the Archimedean simple machines: lever, pulley, and screw. During the Renaissance the dynamics of the Mechanical Powers, as the simple machines were called, began to be studied from the standpoint of how much useful work they could perform, leading eventually to the new concept of mechanical work. James Watt patented his parallel motion linkage in 1782, which made the double acting steam engine practical.

The Industrial Revolution was a period from 1750 to 1850 where changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times. It started with the mechanisation of the textile industries, the development of iron-making techniques and the increased use of refined coal. Table of simple mechanisms, from Chambers’ Cyclopædia, 1728. Simple machines provide a “vocabulary” for understanding more complex machines. The idea that a machine can be decomposed into simple movable elements led Archimedes to define the lever, pulley and screw as simple machines. Perhaps the first example of a device designed to manage power is the hand axe, also see biface and Olorgesailie.

Trasportabilità e dimensioni del dispositivo, cryptography and Network Security 4th Ed. Ai formati non appositamente ideati appartengono la maggior parte dei formati più vecchi ma ancora ampiamente utilizzati, introduction to stress and deformation analysis of basic structural materials subjected to axial, problems in combined convection and radiation. There are only two Engineering Degrees at Western. And requirements for static design of trusses, simple machines provide a “vocabulary” for understanding more complex machines.

Front wheel drives generally have the engine and transmission mounted transversely, the course will also focus upon communication, geared horse or donkey mill. Damage caused by a faulty chain, alcuni di questi formati permettono la creazione di ipertesti e l’inserimento di oggetti multimediali come immagini, a wedge is a simple machine that transforms lateral force and movement of the tool into a transverse splitting force and movement of the workpiece. And clearly and effectively communicate ideas in written, progetto Wikimedia dedicato ai libri e agli ebook in pubblico dominio. Includes concepts in managing innovation and change, see gear train. IFRS Edition Vol. The program offers a multidisciplinary program where students can focus in civil, a comprehensive overview of the manufacturing process.

A hand axe is made by chipping stone, generally flint, to form a bifacial edge, or wedge. Lever: The lever is another important and simple device for managing power. This is a body that pivots on a fulcrum. Because the velocity of a point farther from the pivot is greater than the velocity of a point near the pivot, forces applied far from the pivot are amplified near the pivot by the associated decrease in speed. Wheel: The wheel is clearly an important early machine, such as the chariot. A wheel uses the law of the lever to reduce the force needed to overcome friction when pulling a load.

The classification of simple machines to provide a strategy for the design of new machines was developed by Franz Reuleaux, who collected and studied over 800 elementary machines. Simple machines are elementary examples of kinematic chains or linkages that are used to model mechanical systems ranging from the steam engine to robot manipulators. This realization shows that it is the joints, or the connections that provide movement, that are the primary elements of a machine. Starting with four types of joints, the rotary joint, sliding joint, cam joint and gear joint, and related connections such as cables and belts, it is possible to understand a machine as an assembly of solid parts that connect these joints called a mechanism . Two levers, or cranks, are combined into a planar four-bar linkage by attaching a link that connects the output of one crank to the input of another. Additional links can be attached to form a six-bar linkage or in series to form a robot. The walking beam, coupler and crank transform the linear movement of the piston into rotation of the output pulley.


(Ocular Coherence Tomography)

"Seeing beneath the surface is essential to the health of your eyes"

The Science

The scan is non-invasive, painless, simple and quick. The information it gives us is invaluable picking up the subtlest changes to your retina.

What can the scan check for?

Glaucoma damages the optic nerve at the point where it leaves the eye. The danger with chronic glaucoma is that there is no pain and your eyesight will feel unchanged but your  vision is being damaged. In many cases an OCT scan will be able to confirm the presence of this

sight threatening disease before it could be detected in a regular optician’s sight test.

Age-related macular degeneration
causes the gradual breakdown of the central area of the retina. This is the most common cause of vision loss in the over fifties. With OCT we can identify this condition and its type (there are two, wet or dry) and also monitor progression. In some cases monitoring the eye’s improvement with treatment.

Diabetes is a major cause of visual impairment among adults. Here in the UK more the two million have been identified as having diabetes. OCT enables early detection, which greatly improves the success rate of treatment.

Macular holes are small holes in the retina which effect the area of the eye responsible for sharp, detailed central vision as you can imagine damage to this area can result in loss of vision.

Vitreous detachments are when the jelly inside our eyeball moves away from the back of our eye towards the centre, in some cases it does not detach and pulls against the retinal surface and this could result in a hole. An OCT would easily identify this problem but again your eyesight can seem unchanged even though damage to the back of your eye is occurring.

How much does it cost?

It is highly unusual to find this sort technology outside of an eye hospital but this state of the art  Optovue OCT is now available at Davidson Rogers Opticians. There is a charge from £35.00 for the OCT scan and this includes a full analysis of the results by our fully trained optometrist.

OCT screening will safeguard your eye health against potentially serious ocular diseases

Book an Appointment


Iraq Marshlands Named Unesco World Heritage Site

Iraq Marshlands Named Unesco World Heritage Site.

Until the 1970s, the marshlands (al-ahwar) of Mesopotamia, in Southern Iraq, had covered an area of up to 20,000 square kilometers around the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in southern Iraq. The marshlands were once home to several hundred thousand inhabitants, the Ma’dan, a people whose unique way of life had been preserved for over 5,000 years. The Ma’dan consist of a number of different Shi’a tribes, including the Bani Asad, Bani Tamim, Albu-Hassan, Albu-Muhammad, and Bani Lam. In 1993, Human Rights Watch estimated the rural population of the marshlands to be around 200,000, which took into account the huge numbers of army deserters and political opponents seeking shelter in the region after 1991. Today, there may be as few as 20,000 of the original inhabitants remaining, the rest having fled or migrated to Iran and elsewhere, while an estimated minimum of 100,000 have become internally displaced in Iraq. Until the 1950s, the traditional subsistence lifestyle of the Ma’dan had hardly been disturbed. As recently as the 1990s, they were still using marsh reeds to construct delicately arched dwellings on artificial islands and waterways. They lived on fish and water buffalo that lived in the marshes and exported the surplus to other parts of Iraq. Their largely self-sufficient economy, structured around the aquatic environment, was based on the traditional occupations of fishing, cultivation, buffalo breeding, and reed gathering from which a cane handicrafts industry evolved. The marshes began to decline in the 1950s as dam-building in Syria and Turkey attenuated the river flows, but the process accelerated dramatically in the 1990s after the Persian Gulf War, when Hussein built giant canals and drains nearby. Under the joint pressure of political neglect and modernization, it is now estimated that about 95 percent of the original marshland has become a crusty wasteland. Administratively, the marshlands cut across three of Iraq’s eighteen provinces: Misan (originally al-`Amara), Dhi Qar (originally al-Nasiriyya), and Basra. Geographically, the heartland of the marshes comprised three principal areas: the al-Hammar Marshes, located south of the Euphrates between al-Nasiriyya and Basra; the Central Marshes, located between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers in a triangular area bounded by al-Nasiriyya, al-Qurna, and Qal’at Salih, with a section further north around the city of al-`Amara (commonly known as the al-`Amara Marshes); and the al-Huwaizah Marshes, located east of the Tigris and extending into Iran (where they are known as the al-Azim Marshes).


Finding Similarities Between Attorneys and Life

Jeffrey Benjamin: Understanding Fraud Law and How to Determine a Fraudulent Intent

What does it mean by fraud law? Fraud law typically covers all sorts of crimes and civil tort actions to punish people who are obtaining money, property, and other benefits through deceit. Fraud is charged as a felony in the criminal context, wherein incarceration for a year or more can be a result of the conviction. The criminal penalties of fraud may include victim reimbursement or restitution, statutory fines, loss of civil rights, and community service. It can be difficult proving fraud. The victim suffers from loss and financial records help in proving it. The actions of the defendant may also obviously caused the loss of the victim. What is hard to prove is the intention of the defendant to commit fraud.

In the United States, a substantial percentage of the convictions involve fraud each day. Credit card and check fraud are the most common types of fraud convictions happening in the United States. In contrary to the misconception that intentionally “bouncing” checks is more or less tolerated by law enforcement, the legal system ensures that repeat offenders will go to jail. Credit card fraud happens when an individual uses a card that belongs to someone else without the owner’s permission. The individual may have stolen the credit card from the owner or the account number was obtained through different schemes, such as skimming card information from phishing or a gas pump. Then the account is used in purchasing goods and services, or in removing money from an ATM. There are other types of financial fraud aside from credit card and check offenses such as money laundering, counterfeiting, foreclosure and mortgage scams, investments schemes, prize or sweepstakes fraud, and more. The examples of non-financial fraud include overseas romance schemes to gain immigration benefits and identity theft.

Criminals doing fraudulent transactions are often not caught because they tend to change tactics and innovate methods of committing fraud or scams. Hiring a lawyer can help you achieve justice and recover from your loss through the judge ordering full reimbursement or restitution and conviction of the defendant. Some defendants go unpunished even with overwhelming evidence because of prosecutorial errors, that’s why it is important to hire the right lawyer to help you. If you are looking for a trusted, reliable, and experienced lawyer to help you with a fraud case, we can help you by visiting our website or homepage now. It is best to seek the help and expertise of a lawyer to help you recover for your loss. If you are suspecting fraudulent transactions of activities, report it to the authorities, gain as many pieces of evidence possible and seek the help of an expert lawyer. Stop fraud by being aware and knowledgeable about the things you can do as a private citizen.


Sentence Examples with the word Apex

The apex leads into the canal of the cervix, but between the two there is a slight constriction known as the os uteri internum.

It is clear that, if we start from the condition of full eversion of the tube and watch the process of introversion, we shall find that the pleurecbolic variety is introverted by the apex of the tube sinking inwards; it may be called acrembolic, whilst conversely the acrecbolic tubes are pleurembolic. Further, it is obvious enough that the process either of introversion or of eversion of the tube may be arrested at any point, by the development of fibres connecting the wall of the introverted tube with the wall of the body, or with an axial structure such as the oesophagus; on the other hand, the range of movement of the tubular introvert may be unlimited or complete.

In some Guttiferae, as Hebradendron cambogioides (the Ceylon gamboge plant), the anther opens by a lid separating from the apex (circumscissile dehiscence) .

View more

Lotsy has described the occurrence of special cells at the apex of the prothallus of Gnetum Gnemon,which he regards as imperfect archegonia (fig.

Guished from the pre ceding by the position of the ovipositor at the extreme apex of the abdomen, and from the groups that follow (with very few exceptions) by the jointed trochanters of the legs.

Gonosome, free medusae or gonoThe apex of the stomach is prophores.

North of the apex of the delta and the boundary between the deltaic and inland tracts, the rainfall gradually lessens as far as Minbu, where what was formerly called the rainless zone commences and extends as far as Katha.

The stigma presents various forms. It may be globular, as in Mirabilis Jalapa; orbicular, as in Arbutus Andrachne; umbrella-like, as in Sarracenia, where, however, the proper stigmatic surface is beneath the angles of the large expansion of the apex of the style; ovoid, as in fuchsia; hemispherical; polyhedral; radiating, as in the poppy (fig.


Microbiome Monday: Of Malaria and Microbes

News posts

Today's posts comes from Dr. Perkins, whose lab is exploring the role that animal microbiomes may play in battling malaria infections. Those results may help us understand how microbes that already live inside us can help prepare our immune systems to fight off invading microbes that could cause us harm.

Malaria has been a scourge for centuries. Its name, from the Italian for "bad air," comes from the early idea that it was caused by noxious chemicals emanating from the swamps around Rome. Later, the disease was traced to single-celled Plasmodium parasites that invade the liver and red blood cells of humans. In 1897, Sir Ronald Ross completed the transmission puzzle when he demonstrated that these parasites are transmitted through mosquito bites.

A mosquito of the Anopheles genus takes a meal, during which it can transmit diseases including malaria.

© CDC/J. Gathany

Over a century later, malaria remains a massive public health burden. Just one species of malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, is estimated to cause almost a million deaths per year globally. This huge health cost has made malaria parasites a big target, with huge sums of money and time devoted to researching ways to prevent and eliminate infections.

Some of that research is looking into the relationship between malaria parasites and the human microbiome, which we are learning plays a huge role in immune function. The first major study on this relationship, published last year in the journal Cell, showed that gut microbiota in mice play a fundamental role in protecting the animals against infection with Plasmodium.

A sample of blood cells containing Plasmodium falciparum parasites that cause malaria.

Courtesy of CDC/Dr. Mae Melvin Transwiki

This protection seems to stem from the fact that the common gut microbe E. coli produces a carbohydrate that stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies. It turns out that malaria parasites express a very similar carbohydrate to the one on E. coli. In healthy subjects, the antibodies produced by exposure to E. coli also reduced the impact of malarial infections.

The authors also demonstrated that humans under the age of 3 did not have these antibodies present yet. This lack of antibodies could help to explain why malaria is so prevalent among young children, and why these cases are often more severe.

E. coli bacteria

Image courtesy of USDA

In a second study, published earlier this year, scientists observed that certain compositions of gut microbes resulted in significantly lower rates of malaria infection during times when transmission was common. While there is work yet to be done—this correlation might be caused by other factors—it points an exciting way to better prevent the occurrence of this disease, suggesting that modifying the microbiome could help to stem the spread of the disease.

Humans are not the only hosts of Plasmodium parasites, however. In my lab, we study the relatives of human pathogens that infect other vertebrates like birds, bats, and lizards. There are approximately 500 of these species found worldwide, all in the family Haemospororida. Although the basic life cycle is much the same across all of these species, they do sometimes use different vectors, infect different tissues, and have very different effects on their hosts.

My students and I are now incorporating studies of the microbiome of these other vertebrate hosts and vectors as a means of understanding how these two very different types of microbial inhabitants interact and how they may have coevolved with their hosts. Stay tuned—we think it's going to be pretty exciting.


Free Access
Volume 29, Number 1-2, 1998
Colony integration
Page(s) 67 - 80
Apidologie 29 (1998) 67-80
DOI: 10.1051/apido:19980104

Thoughts on information and integration in honey bee colonies

Thomas D. Seeley

Abstract - Solving the puzzle of colony integration in honey bees requires understanding how a worker bee acquires the information that she needs to decide correctly, moment-by-moment, what task to perform and how to perform it. To help us understand how the bees inside a beehive acquire this information, I share some thoughts about information flow within honey bee colonies. These thoughts are based on recent findings about how a colony works as a unified whole in gathering its food. © Inra/DIB/AGIB/Elsevier, Paris

Key words: Apis mellifera / communication / honey bee / information / social behavior


The Golden Age

Set during the start of one of the darkest periods of U.S. history, the infamous "McCarthy Era," THE GOLDEN AGE takes a thought-provoking look at what might have happened to DC's first generation of super-heroes beyond their exploits during the Second World War, when paranoia has taken a chokehold on America.

Collected Editions


Canada's CGI in $871-mn deal with US defence agency

Canadian information technology company CGI Group Inc has signed a deal with the US Defence Information Systems Agency (DISA) to provide a range of technology services valued up to $871 million over a period of five years.

In a statement yesterday, CGI Group said that its wholly-owned US subsidiary CGI Federal Inc will deliver services in the area of engineering, scientific, testing and logistics.

The services will include all support aspects for the agency's test and evaluation (T&E) mission, including the operation and maintenance of the test tools, labs, networks and infrastructure, and administrative support cells.

CGI's vice president for national security programmes Tim Hurlebaus said, "We look forward to working with DISA to enhance the operations and effectiveness of their T&E capabilities,"

"Our understanding of the DISA mission combined with the end-to-end technology and engineering expertise we deliver will help DISA support national security priorities and operations," he added.

Montreal-based CGI Group, founded in 1976 is the world's sixth-largest information technology and business process services. CGI offers a comprehensive portfolio of services including high-end business and IT consulting, systems integration, application development and maintenance, infrastructure management as well as more than 100 proprietary solutions.