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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90813261257307842912022-09-02T20:32:41.246-05:00A Normal LifeAmyEmiliahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-79340476197044373132020-03-21T11:43:00.001-05:002020-03-21T11:43:41.704-05:00At home, day 11Today is day 11 of being at home. My work-from-home setup is fairly solid. I like being able to see the garden, and open the window if the weather isn't too hot, cold, or humid. We have lots of bird feeders so there is almost always activity in the yard. I've been enjoying the garden a lot. The bees have been very active on the tropical sage flowers. They overwintered well and came out early. (Our winter wasn't very pronounced this year.)

Tropical sage in full bloom

Oxalis

Work-from-home setup

AmyEmiliahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-71729495863909833272020-03-18T20:02:00.000-05:002020-03-18T20:02:21.609-05:00Old school friends

We were so young! This is me (in the middle) and Peanut Polley, and Nancy Miller. As I recall, this was in 1976 and the Meyers family was relocating from Hawaii to Laurel, Maryland. We stopped in Yakima to stay overnight with the Polleys. I've know Peanut since I was about 11 or so. Her family were missionaries at IPE, a mission station not too far from IME, Kimpese. We went to school together in Kinshasa at TASOK. That is where I met Nancy Miller, another missionary kid. She went on to work in Malawi at an orphanage, and has lots of kids herself. Peanut is a nurse in Washington, and I ended up in Houston.
AmyEmiliahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-16490311131095441712012-10-14T22:29:00.001-05:002012-10-14T23:06:38.479-05:00Reading

barrowdanny, originally uploaded by AmyEmilia.
Here is an all-time classic photo! My brother Dan - relaxing in a wheelbarrow, holding an umbrella to keep off the rain, and reading. I believe he told me that it was either Swiss Family Robinson, or Robinson Crusoe. Either way, I'm sure the story would be even more gripping when read this way.

We read a lot. After all, there was almost no radio, no television, no mall, and very few other kids to play with at Kivuvu. I read anything and everything, whether I was interested in the subject or not. Reading has been a refuge from the world as well as opening up new vistas.

Our bookshelves were full. The ones I remember right now:

Encyclopedia Britannica – a whole set! I read from entry to entry in order. I did not get all the way through although that was a goal.

Several dictionaries, including the huge heavy one with the most obscure words. We used that one for Scrabble. Dictionaries were frequently consulted in our house, for all kinds of reasons. I also used them as reading material. Whenever there wasn't anything else to read, there was always the dictionary! I still enjoy entomology and love trying to figure out the roots of words.

A set of Fairy books by Andrew Lang, from Dover Children's Classics.

Indaba, my Children by Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa. Truly a must-read in African oral history and story.

Some classic science fiction paperbacks.

A few Cherry Ames stories. I especially remember Cherry Ames, Student Nurse.

Several volumes of Reader's Digest Condensed Books.

I'm sure there were some Bibles and inspirational works, probably also a history book or two. Dad's office had quite a few shelves of medical books.

There were a couple cookbooks that got regular use – the Joy of Cooking, and Betty Crocker's Cooky Book. We had many difficulties with shortages of one thing or another and the Joy of Cooking always came through. I learned to bake from the Cooky Book (although we always spelled it "cookie"). My specialty? Spritz cookies!

One favorite pastime of mine was browsing the most recent Wards and Sears catalogs. I spent many hours furnishing my dream room and outfitting myself with new cool clothes. Those catalogs were really our only contact with fashion. We did get National Geographic magazine once in a while when it didn't get stolen from the post but that wasn't too helpful for current trends.

Once I got to boarding school in Kinshasa, the library at TASOK opened up a much broader world to me. There were hundreds of books, all of which should be read! The librarian gave me a list of books that should be read before college – I think there were about 400 or so – and I methodically read through the entire list of classics before graduation from high school.

In this library I found a GREAT treasure – J.R.R. Tolkien's book The Hobbit. I devoured that book and The Lord of the Rings when it came out in paperback a couple years later during our furlough in 1969. Those characters (particularly Frodo) are part of my psyche.

Another favorite pastime in the TASOK library was reading magazines. There were many back issues of various strange subjects (or at least, strange to be at TASOK!). I know more about horse breeds, horse racing, ballet, farming, and fashion because of some kind soul's donation to the library.

Back to the photo for a moment: check out that wheelbarrow! The steel wheel looks home-made to me. Also, I love the broken rib on the umbrella, carefully placed so that the rain wouldn't fall on Dan's book – only his back. In the background, you can see the church, which looks freshly painted. There are young mango and avocado trees planted along the semi-circular drive that passed the church and our "front" door. Actually, we used the door on the other side of the house much more, and considered that our front door.AmyEmiliahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-76907629732499254332012-10-13T21:39:00.001-05:002012-10-13T21:57:52.660-05:00The Bangu and the Vampa

Bangu in early morning mist, originally uploaded by AmyEmilia.
The missionary houses (and the church) at Kivuvu were, and still are located at the top of a small hill. Our views from the hill were beautiful, and the location was more likely to experience breezes too. We also had many thunderstorms and the hill seemed to attract lightning. (In a later post about storms, I'll tell the story of the Night the Lightning Bolt Struck the Church.) One of the things that contributed to the view was the silhouette of the Bangu, an uplifted plateau that was just to the southwest of us.

I don't think I ever heard another name for the formation. The slopes are very steep, and there are several waterfalls including one we called the Vampa, with pools of beautifully cool water. The photo – taken early in the rainy season I'd say, from the color of the lamb's tail grass in the foreground – is a somewhat romantic view of the mountain, with fog sliding off the slopes.

The top of the Bangu was much less populated than the area around is, and consequently much more forested. There were rumors of large antelope up there, a lion, perhaps even an elephant. Who knows? I only went to the top twice, once on foot and once by Land Rover. Dad had a survey trip (in which he and several staff members from Kivuvu and IME would go to a village and look over the population for leprosy) and the family went along. What I remember most about that trip was the wonder that the local kids showed when they saw my little sister, blond and pale-skinned as she was. They had never seen a little white kid!

As I said earlier, there were waterfalls to be visited. Getting to the Vampa was quite a hike. First we had to drive to the edge of the river. That took maybe 30-45 minutes. We had to take all food and water with us, as the water was not to be trusted for drinking. The next stage was to cross the river, which was maybe 30 feet across. There was a narrow foot bridge that required climbing up a handmade ladder made from small tree trunks with narrow planks fastened to them at uneven intervals. Once up the ladder, then there was the bridge. About two planks wide, with guide/hand-holds made of vine, it made for an interesting crossing. Sometimes a plank was missing; sometimes the vines were not sturdy. The brown water of the river was only about 10 feet below and looked most uninviting. At the other end of the bridge a similar ladder allowed you back down to the ground, which was best done by "walking" down it like steps, instead of turning around as you might normally expect.

My favorite part of the walk to the Vampa was the mango forest. Someone had planted hundreds of mango trees in a grid – who knows when or why. The project was long abandoned but it made for nice shady walking with a path that rolled up and down the humps made by the tree roots. I think of it as being dark and cool and mysterious, smelling of ripe and rotting mango – and full of snakes.

The Vampa falls were designated as the lower and upper falls. The lower falls were a much shorter trip – maybe an hour walk from the river. Scrambling over the rocks and playing in the clear, cold water was fun. The valley rang with our shouts and laughter as we jumped from the edge of a cascade into the pool below, or slid down the smooth rock slide to the bottom of the upper falls. Swimming here was a relief from the heat and humidity of the rainy season and we relished it!

Once, Garcia (our gardener, previously mentioned here) and Pedro, our houseboy, went with my brother George and I for the strenuous hike to the very top of the plateau. I do not recall who else was with us. What I do remember is the struggle to get up the steep rocky path – I was never the most athletic or fit kid – and even worse, the trip down. My knees were water, my thighs on fire. A brutal hike. On that same trip, I fell on the final ladder, putting my leg between the slats and deeply bruising my shin. Garcia and Pedro started laughing as I started to tear up and though I knew why, it still felt cruel. (One was supposed to laugh at pain or fear, to keep the bad spirits away.) I had a knot on that shin for years afterwards.

On another occasion, I was walking with Dr. and Mrs. Frazier, running up and down the small hummocks in the path. Serious miscalculation caused me to land on my left knee resulting in a deep jagged gash. It took weeks to heal. That scar still reminds me to pay attention on uneven ground!AmyEmiliahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-55675995343859867042012-10-09T22:56:00.000-05:002012-10-09T22:56:03.378-05:00HatsThis post is mostly about the continuing presence of Congo in our family life. I spent the most formative years of my childhood in Africa – from age 5 to age 17, with a couple years of furlough back at a place in the States called "home" that never was actually home. Little bits of Congo are scattered all over my life, underpinning my decisions, coloring my outlook. Surely everyone's childhood stays with them in such ways. I still carry a poem in my wallet that I wrote while suffering severe homesickness during a Stateside furlough… "home, I long to go home, back to the Congo". Africa truly never leaves the soul.

So what does all that have to do with hats? I'll show you! We have two very broad-brimmed hats made of some kind of fiber, with a few purple bands decorating the weave. These hats were acquired at some point in Kivuvu – possibly brought to the back door by a vendor. There often was someone at the back door, with live mice in woven traps for our pet mongoose, or carvings, or vegetables, a giant stalk of bananas, or… hats. The hats made for wonderful child portraits. Here, my little sister Sara gives us such a beautiful smile!

Next, my brother Dan, a bit more thoughtful:

 And finally, my brother George and his fellow adventurer Tommy, determined!

Note the slingshot around George's neck, the dirt and scrapes on both boys, the general lack of decent footwear. These guys were heading out to the wild bush! The big hat was all part of the package.
Forty years later, more or less, our family was together again for a Thanksgiving celebration at my sister's place. The Congo hats came out again, to be savored and played with. I took a deep sniff of the brim, and thought I smelled a bit of Congo still in the fibers. Those hats traveled with us from Congo to Hawaii to Pennsylvania to Maryland, and are part of our family heritage. They may not last another forty years, but I'm glad we still have them now.

Sara is still has her charming smile,

George still has a slingshot at the ready,

Dan is still pensive.

But we still get goofy,

and hide behind the brim,

with smiles all around.

The next generation likes the hats too!

I'm so glad we have each other to share those memories. When we get together it is so much fun to tell the stories, to hear new tales, to remember the good times and the bad. Our family was hardly perfect - still isn't - but that shared experience means so much to me. No one else knows quite what it was like to be us, then.

AmyEmiliahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-35458419380496583972012-10-08T14:50:00.001-05:002012-10-08T15:26:29.319-05:00Flying ants

termites flying, originally uploaded by AmyEmilia.
The rainy season at Kivuvu was eagerly anticipated, and the annual flight of termites confirmed that the rains had truly come. These termites lived in great colonies underground and in mounds. When a good soaking rain came, the insects would begin to come up out of the ground and begin their mating flight. Our proximity to the cattle ranch probably helped, because there were a great many established termite mounds in the fields behind the house. Sometimes the flights were just a few insects, sometimes thousands. Although we did try to fool the termites by saturating the ground with the hose, they didn't fall for the trick very often.

When wispy columns wavered in the afternoon light, we would spring into action. Flying ants, as we called them, are very good eating! A large bag or net was placed over the exit hole, and as many as possible were captured.Next, we carefully disengaged them from the netting, and pulled the wings off the ones who had not already shed their wings when caught. Wings are not very tasty.

The more adventurous among us would eat them raw and alive (my brothers liked to do this) but the rest of us would take the catch to Pedro (our houseboy) to fry them. Hot, salty, crispy, they were deliciously savory! Our diet was fairly low in protein and fat, which is probably why they tasted so good. They might compare in flavor to the fattest, crispiest part of bacon.

I'm so glad that my dad took time to document this annual event. It looks to me as though these were taken in about 1971 or 1972, since Sara is maybe 5 in the picture. I don't remember her having braids very often so it's nice to see those!

AmyEmiliahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-55436735260474971922012-10-06T20:57:00.001-05:002012-10-06T21:11:41.902-05:00playing in the mud

playing in the mud, originally uploaded by AmyEmilia.
Entertainment at Kivuvu was generally self-created. There was no TV, no radio, no telephone. No electricity during daylight hours. One favorite pastime was playing with the water hose. Looks like my brothers and sister made a cool little construction here! Since the surrounding landscape looks rather brown, I conclude that this was the dry season, and probably not the best use of our somewhat limited water.

Behind my brother is a young tree, one of several chaulmoogra trees that my father planted. I believe he brought the seeds from India. Chaulmoogra oil was one of the pre-sulfone treatments for leprosy, and Dad wanted to test the idea out again. I wonder if they are still growing?

In the foreground is a flamboyant tree which was partially caged with chicken wire, and served as a home for one of our pet vervet monkeys.

The building in the background is the small church we had at Kivuvu. A simple building of concrete block, corrugated roofing, and breeze-block walls. There is also a small grey construction in between that looks like an outhouse but in fact was the night watchman's station. We always had a night watchman or sentry while we lived there. I can remember watching him walk by the house swinging his kerosene lantern and singing softly. Always made me feel a little safer! AmyEmiliahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-49270339777547159402012-10-04T12:56:00.001-05:002012-10-04T13:06:49.613-05:00Gardening at Kivuvu

kivuvu garden 3, originally uploaded by AmyEmilia.
My dad is a talented gardener, and he really got to exercise those talents at Kivuvu. Our garden was the source of most daily vegetables. Grocery stores were non-existent, and although peddlers did bring vegetables to the back door it was on an irregular basis. Here is a shot of our garden, in about 1967, two years after we arrived. It looks to me as though Dad took it by standing on the washblock and putting the camera up over his head. That's my sister Sara touring the garden with Jeremiah, the black cat. (He was named after the prophet Jeremiah in the Bible, because of his continual lamentations. A very talkative cat! Sometime I'll have to tell you the story about the end of Jeremiah – it's not a happy end.)

Our climate in Kivuvu was hot and wet during the rainy season, and dry and cool during shivu, the dry season. This photo was definitely taken during the rainy season, since I see the endive and collards (?) are bolting. The rainy season was slightly longer than the dry season, running from October through May. During that season we could expect daytime temperatures in the upper 90's and nighttime temperatures in the 70's. Skies were blue, with lots of puffy white clouds. Rain came in the form of huge thunderstorms. Since the station was on a hill, lightning strikes often accompanied these storms. (A particularly dramatic lightning storm will be written up soon!)

The dry season ran from June through September. Daytime temperatures were in the 70's, and nighttime temperatures could drop as low as the high 50's. During the dry season there was no rain whatsoever, although because of the continuous presence of grey, low hanging clouds you would expect rain. As the season advanced, the dust would get thicker and the well-water became muddier.

Gardening was quite different in the two seasons. The rain and heat of the rainy season meant that tomatoes and peppers and eggplant did very well. You can see lettuce and endive in the garden, but those would be hold-overs from the dry season garden, when cool weather crops did better. Late lettuce was always so bitter due to the heat. Pineapples also grew well. In a large field off to the right, we sometimes grew peanuts, sweet potatoes and field corn.

Off in the distance you can see the profile of the Bangu mountain. In between us and the Bangu was a cattle ranch full of half-wild cows with dangerous horns, and other wildlife. Most of the big animals were long gone from this part of Congo – the biggest might be a small antelope. Lots of snakes and mongooses, field rats and pythons, large and small birds of all kinds. The fields were burned off annually to control the regrowth of the forest and promote good grazing for the cattle.

Fortunately for the Meyers table, we had help with our garden. The main gardener was Garcia, an Angolan refugee who was a cool dude as well as a good worker. You can see that he took good care of the garden! Dad and Mom instructed him on how the garden should be maintained, and he did a great job of keeping it up.AmyEmiliahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-75535173565229899502012-10-03T12:42:00.001-05:002012-10-03T12:59:36.054-05:00Driving to Jacques Foret

driving in the sugar fields, originally uploaded by AmyEmilia.
For a change of pace, let's head out to the sugarcane plantation near Lukala, maybe 20-30 miles from Kivuvu. Lukala also had the ONLY cement factory in Bas-Congo, if not in the entire country. And we often got bread from there (leading to the family joke that Lukala bread was hard as a rock). I also remember touring the sugar factory, and seeing the great vats of molasses.

The reason we were driving through these tall canes was to get to a wonderful place called Jacques Foret, a spring-fed pond with incredibly clear water and a spooky cave. I only made it out there a couple times, since this qualified as both a big time commitment for my parents as well as a hassle to get permission to cross the fields. The road wasn't bad as I recall, but obviously the view was restricted and those sharp-edges leaves cut the arms of the unwary who left the windows open.

But Jacques Foret was well worth the effort, as you can see. The water was crystal clear, cold, and deep. A few fallen trees floating in the water provided a place to hang on. The cave (no photos, unfortunately) was flooded most of the way in, and did have bones in it. I can't quite trust my memory on if they were human but they may have been. Certainly this area would have been well-known to the local folks for its wonderful water.

Dad had fewer reservations about us swimming in this water since it was fast-flowing. In stagnant water there was always the risk of schistosomiasis (sleeping sickness or bilharzia). Oddly, I don't remember any mosquito population here, but I'm sure there were some.

My predominant memories of this oasis are coolness, and peace, and a bit of edginess about the cave. I'd love to go back and see if it has changed in the last 40 years! AmyEmiliahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-69854067325023569812012-10-02T13:05:00.001-05:002012-10-02T13:16:05.107-05:00Schoolhouse at IME, Kimpese

Schoolhouse at IME, originally uploaded by AmyEmilia.
This schoolhouse was at the nearby "big" mission, Institut Médical Evangélique. A large teaching hospital, the mission was then staffed by many different groups, as well as local folks. (It still functions today! Here is one link.) Our mission, Kivuvu, was located about 20 minutes away. The ride to school was often courtesy of Jean, who drove what she called a "dustbin" – a Citroën 2CV "Deux-Chaveaux". The dustbin was a fun car to travel in since it bounced and jounced mightily over the dirt roads.

Many of the mission families had little kids, and so there was a tiny little school for mission kids established. The school taught grades K-5 in English and we had several different nationalities there. I only went for one year (1965-66) before I was sent up to Kinshasa to the American School, to begin 6th grade, although my younger brothers were able to stay. My teacher for that one year was Elizabeth Frazier, wife of one of the staff doctors. Her sons Tim (my age) and Tom (younger) were also in the school. I don't remember that we had the grades segregated, so it probably functioned the same way as the traditional one-room schoolhouse in the States functioned. While one grade was taught, the rest either worked on their studies or if caught up, listened to the lesson.

I remember NOTHING of the lessons except confusion during math. I skipped over 4th grade and never properly learned my times tables. To this day, my math skills are more intuitive than literal!

As I recall the building consisted of two rooms, with concrete block walls, corrugated tin roof, and mahogany desks, chairs, and doors. Mahogany was the furniture wood of choice, and all the furniture was made right there at IME. Those chairs were heavy! Note also the papaya tree (we called them pie-pies) growing by the side of the building.

Once the school put on a show for the parents, and one of the spectacles was a rendition of St. George and the Dragon. What remains in my mind is the wonderful green dragon costume that my mother made for me, as well as the applause when my dragon head was cut off (it was attached by snaps) by St. George. There is a delightful photo somewhere in the archives that shows my brother reciting the poem "They That Go Down To the Sea in Ships" by Sir Walter Scott, as his part of the show.AmyEmiliahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-20879118094033415252012-10-01T12:53:00.001-05:002012-10-01T13:01:31.389-05:00Welcome to Kivuvu - September 1965

Welcome to Kivuvu - September 1965, originally uploaded by AmyEmilia.
"Soyez les bien venus". Roughly translated by my now very rusty French, this sign reads: "They are the welcome ones". This sign was erected to celebrate and welcome the Meyers family to Kivuvu. Kivuvu means "place of hope" in Kikongo, as I recall. My father is a doctor, and this little mission station housed the leprosarium. Fortunately for the patients, my dad's specialty is leprosy and tropical disease.

We would live here at Kivuvu until 1973, with a furlough back to the States in 1969 (just in time to watch the moon landing!). Looking at the photo, I remember how desolate and bleak Kivuvu looked when we got there. Of course it was the very end of dry season, which didn't help. By the time we left in June of 1973 there would be rows of mango and oil palm trees lining the roads, and flowers too.

The house behind us was for Edna and Jean, two single missionaries from England. Edna was a nurse, and Jean a teacher. I learned a lot from both of them, and especially enjoyed their holiday celebrations. Edna's marzipan Christmas cake was wonderful! You can see that Edna and Jean were newly arrived as well, although I don't remember when they came. There are packing crates to the left, and those wouldn't have stayed out for long. Further to the left is their rabbit house. The rabbits were an experiment doomed to fail. Once the python population discovered these bite-sized snacks, they were constantly stopping by.

Our house was of similar concrete block and corrugated tin roof construction, and is located off-screen and to the right. I'll post another photo later.AmyEmiliahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-73193043027433077522012-06-26T10:18:00.002-05:002012-06-26T10:18:39.688-05:00Quote of the dayAwesome quote of the day:

"If our language doesn't have clear meanings and accurate meanings, you can't think clearly. If you can't think clearly, you have no ability to evaluate or influence what happens. So the distortions of our language help make us helpless."
Gene Sharp

AmyEmiliahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-30451149262473177452012-04-21T00:02:00.000-05:002012-04-21T00:02:57.028-05:00This blog is quiet, but I'm not!I'm absolutely terrible at blogging, and have proved it to myself yet again. So much time online, and yet somehow almost none of it gets here! I'm hardly a social butterfly, but social media eats up a lot of time. What would it be like if I actually was gregarious!

So... you can find me on Pinterist, my most recent obsession. Or Dreamstime, where I post my photographs for sale. Or Facebook of course! My Flickr photostream is not as active as it used to be, but that is where the best travel shots do get posted.

I will drop by here from time to time, since this is sort of "home" on the web.
AmyEmiliahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-90208345528196932962012-01-02T20:18:00.000-06:002012-01-02T20:18:02.127-06:00Old kitchen resources, and new findsOver the holidays, I've used some old resources and found a couple new ones, so I thought I'd share them here!
1. Microwave potato chips! These are wonderfully crunchy and quick. All I have in the house is Yukon Gold potatos, so I used those. I used my cheese slicer to get uniform thickness on the slices, but it might be just a bit too thick. Very little salt required, and it takes 3 minutes 35 seconds in my Gold Star cheap microwave. I foresee many batches. Be very sure you use parchment paper!
2. Italian Slow Cooker cookbook I've got this on my Kindle Fire (which is great for cookbooks!). Made a great Beef in Barolo, so good the first time, and the leftovers were also wonderful.
3. Italian Classics I've had the paper version of this book for years, and it is my go-to cookbook for authentic, Italian-pleasing recipes. I made the Bolonese Sauce again... I always use the pork country-style ribs instead of the beef.
4. AllRecipes.com Before this holiday season I never spent much time on this site. But wow, what a resource! I especially love the Ingredient Search, which comes in handy when I have run out of eggs, or milk, or want to finish up that last little dab of gorgonzola.

I hope that you all had a wonderful time with your family and friends. We had a fun cruise with my brother and his family (review here ) and a nice quiet time over Christmas and New Years at home.AmyEmiliahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-20221298590860028242011-07-20T22:59:00.001-05:002011-07-20T22:59:08.896-05:00The Parrot of Memory

the parrot of memory, originally uploaded by AmyEmilia.

This little parrot lives on my kitchen window sill. Every time I see him, he reminds me of my grandmother. She had him in a plant as well, although I can't remember if it was in a kitchen window or one of the cactus plants. I love the way the afternoon light makes him glow with memory.
AmyEmiliahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-10424515536712503782011-07-11T20:10:00.002-05:002011-07-11T20:32:43.572-05:00desert elephant - namibia 2002

desert elephant - namibia 2002, originally uploaded by AmyEmilia.

On an all-day game drive in the Skeleton Coast Park, Namibia... we saw quite a few elephants in a sandy river bottom. There was a family group of about 6-7 individuals, but most of them kept farther away. We were so close, could hear the elephant crunching the grass. Spent at least 15 minutes (although it felt MUCH longer) parked about 50 feet away from him. Eventually he became a bit agitated and did a little mock-charge but our guide assured us that we were fine... and of course we were. Seeing the famous desert elephants of the Namib desert was one of my life's ambitions. The game drive had lots of other moments (giraffe, eagle, gemsbok, jackals, impala) but this was easily the most remarkable.

AmyEmiliahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-44855761548601974382011-07-10T22:18:00.002-05:002011-07-10T22:20:11.860-05:00Goat in Himba camp - Namibia 2002

himba goat, originally uploaded by AmyEmilia.
This little kid was curled up under a pile of firewood gathered at a Himba village near the Skeleton Coast. The sun was so hot, and the landscape so desolate. Hard to believe that the Himba make their living herding cattle!

Taken during my visit to Namibia in September 2002.AmyEmiliahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-27891796877199090382011-07-08T20:47:00.000-05:002011-07-08T20:47:05.227-05:00Renaissance time in Italy, for women who want it!Cook, eat, speak (and pray to stay)!!

A fellow blogger is offering what sounds like an awesome opportunity to spend 10 days hanging out with fellow women, learning the language, and reconnecting with yourself. The price is right too, so check it out! AmyEmiliahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-80798724725532912292011-07-04T11:11:00.002-05:002011-07-04T11:28:52.915-05:00Black Witch Moth

Black Witch Moth, originally uploaded by AmyEmilia.
As we were rinsing the sand from our evening beach walk, this moth flew over from the neighbor's house. We have seen them before but they are not common here. The Black Witch Moth (Ascalapha odorata) is, according to Texas Entomology, perhaps the largest insect north of Mexico. This particular speciment is a male, because it does not have a white band running across the wings.

The Black Witch has a somewhat grim set of cultural traditions around it. Apparently it is a harbinger of death in most of Central America. If it enters the house, and there is a sick person in the house, the person will die. Fortunately for us, this guy only made it to the patio. A brighter prospect is the South Texas tradition that says if the moth stays above your door, you will win the lottery! So I guess we should go buy a ticket.

Here is a second picture, so you can get some idea of his size. I'd guess this guy is about 6 inches across. AmyEmiliahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-73792205981383267132011-05-12T14:23:00.000-05:002011-05-13T11:45:35.783-05:00Finally, rain in Houston!

What a lovely sight. Hopefully we will get at least an inch or two out of this front. I think we are at least 12 inches below normal rainfall levels.AmyEmiliahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-69265297492417334572011-05-03T15:13:00.000-05:002011-05-03T15:31:05.888-05:00View at La Torretta

Beginning of our company's annual conference. Looks like a nice place!AmyEmiliahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-75230459498335229142011-04-29T22:18:00.002-05:002011-04-29T22:26:39.583-05:00a special day

Today was an extra-special day - and not because of the royal wedding. Today I was privileged to hold a hummingbird in my hand! We were watching tv (yes, it was a program about William and Kate's big day) when suddenly there was a THUNK at the sliding glass doors. Mo was instantly interested, and when I went to find out why, I found there was a stunned hummingbird lying in a tiny heap on the deck. I went outside and carefully picked him up, trying to see if he really was alive.

Soon enough I saw that he was breathing and shaking his shining head back and forth unsteadily. We hoped that if we gave him some sugar water he might revive. I quickly sprinkled some sugar into a small bowl, put a bit of water on it and stirred. Dipping my fingertip into the sweetened water, I hoped that the drop clinging to it would appeal to this little guy. For a few minutes it didn't look too promising - he just kept shaking his head and refusing to drink. Eventually though his tiny little tongue began flickering and he drank quite a bit!

Mo came around to investigate and he began to struggle. So I took him outside, opened my hand, and he made a bee-line for the trees. What a privilege to hold such a quicksilver creature! I am grateful for the gift, and that he recovered.

AmyEmiliahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-86832470258092789712011-04-23T09:01:00.002-05:002011-04-23T09:03:18.742-05:00Wildly sold in Italy...

So I bought this Colomba (Easter bread) at Central Market in Houston, and didn't read the tag until I got it home. They should do a little spell checking before they print out the tag! :) The bread itself is just *okay*, the judgement here is that it may be a bit stale. Too bad because I was hoping for something really special. I guess I will just have to make it myself next year!

We are spending Easter at the beach house. Not completely true - I'm flying to LA for a couple days, leaving tonight. But fortunately I'm coming back here! The island is really packed with tourists coming in from all over Texas and Mexico. We even saw a license plate from Mexico City... a LONG drive to South Padre Island.

Happy Easter to all!

AmyEmiliahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-26224809297350708242011-04-21T12:46:00.000-05:002011-04-21T13:14:56.418-05:00Gotta love Texas!

Took this at the rest stop just south of Riviera, Texas.AmyEmiliahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9081326125730784291.post-75337422091014669272011-04-15T20:55:00.002-05:002011-04-15T21:09:45.256-05:00gardenia (hipstamatic)

gardenia (hipstamatic), originally uploaded by AmyEmilia.
This little gardenia has finally bloomed! We bought at MarchMart two years ago, and it struggled through last year. Now we have four blooms, four buds, and the leaves look healthy. Gardenias are notorious for being finicky, so I can only hope that this one has found its feet.

I used the Hipstamatic app (iPhone) to take this shot. Even the most mundane shot becomes poetic!AmyEmiliahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com


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Southern Kings flyhalf, Demetri Catrakilis described being been called up to the Springbok training squad as being surreal.
Catrakilis is one of eight players who were not part of the first Bok training camp. He will be joining the rest of the team in Durban next week, after the Cheetah's game.
Catrakilis became the first South African in seven years to exceed 100 points in his Super Rugby debut during the game against the Highlanders, and currently boasts 107 points, ranking as the ninth highest point scorer in the overall competition.
He joins just three other fellow South Africans, Morné Steyn (163 points) Pat Lambie (139 points) and Joe Pietersen (125) in Club 100 for the 2013 Super Rugby season, so far.
Last year's Vodacom Cup Player of the Year, follows in the footsteps of DHL Stormers' Peter Grant, who reached 100 points in his debut Super Rugby season in 2006, while Steyn did it in his debut playing for the Vodacom Bulls in 2005.
Catrakilis said he was happy with his form so far this season, but that there was always room for improvement.
"I'm satisfied with what I have done so far, I could always get better and that's what I am looking to do," he said.
Asked about his debut super rugby season with the Southern Kings, Catrakilis said: "I've learnt in life that some things come at the right time, and this came at the right time for me I think and I'm just grateful for the opportunity and had to grab it with both hands."
"It's been really exciting, It is a really nice team, it's a nice union and Port Elizabeth is a really beautiful place."

subset: commoncrawl


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Payment terms - Online payment accepted.
VIJAY VISHWANATH INDUSTRIES All Rights Reserved.(Terms of Use)
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Can we help?
+33 (0) 4 50 79 08 38
We all speak English and French!Send an emailBook Now
Vous recherchez des Cours d'Anglais? Cliquez-ici.
Morzine is located in the French Alps, 1-hour from Geneva which is easily accessible by air and train from all over the world. From Geneva we can arrange transfers to and from Morzine.
Morzine is a picturesque traditional mountain town which is also a ski resort in the winter and a summer holiday resort in the summer months offering a huge array of sports. A true Savoyard town which is kept very traditional through a strict planning regime. The vibrant and charming town offers great facilities including restaurants, cafés and wine-bars, cinemas, an indoor-outdoor swimming pool complex, tennis courts, an ice-rink and too many activities to name! Click here to read about Morzine & Morzine's history.
Winter: Morzine is a ski resort in the winter months (December – April) so it can be as cold as -10° but we get a lot of sunshine too and the mountain sun is very warming! We don't get a lot of grey drizzly days but it does snow regularly in the winter which makes the town look very pretty.
Summer: in the summer temperatures range from 25°-35°C but it can be colder first thing in the morning and in the evenings, so you will always need a light jacket. We get a lot of sunshine and the occasional thunderstorm!
Spring/autumn (April/May & October/November) : like everywhere in Europe, the weather in the spring and autumn is more changeable. Temperatures range from 0°-20°C. The sun is strong and warm when it is out, but we also have some colder days too.
Morzine is a small town so most places are accessible by foot. However there are free buses around the town plus a bus that links Morzine with the surrounding villages which costs 1.50€ per journey.
If you plan on driving in France during your stay and live outside of the EU, you should bring an International driving licence with you or a certified translation of your original licence.
You should bring a pen, notebook and a dictionary (optional). All course materials are provided. We offer free wi-fi access and a self-study area in the school.
In the winter, you need boots with a grip to avoid slipping on snow/ice, a warm coat, gloves, scarf and hat.
In the summer, you need lightweight clothes, a jumper and/or jacket for the evenings, a waterproof.
People in Morzine don't tend to dress very smartly so casual clothes are fine for all occasions unless you want to wear something smarter to go out in the evening but this is optional. There are many outdoor activities on offer so we advise students to bring a pair of trainers.
For all seasons the sun can be strong so it is advisable to wear sunscreen if you are going to be out in the sun for long periods of time. You should bring swimwear if you wish to use the swimming pool complex and board shorts aren't allowed for men (speedos or lycra-style swim shorts only as is the French tradition).
On your first day, or before your arrival if appropriate, you will be asked to carry out an evaluation so that we can place you in the group that is correct for your level. We will also discuss your needs and objectives for the course and advise if necessary on course options. If at any time you feel that you have been placed in the wrong group, please talk to your teacher. At your first lesson you will be given your course materials and your login for our online multimedia centre.
We offer cultural and sporting activities in addition to our French Courses and you will find information about these on our website, Facebook page and on our school noticeboard. Or ask any member of staff!
Please click here to read our terms and conditions
Vous recherchez des Cours d'Anglais? Cliquez-ici.


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Aliyah is 21 and lives in Bradford, West Yorkshire with her son Yasser, who is 20 months old. "Whenever I start to get depressed about it all, I just look at my baby and I remember that at least I've got him" she smiles, nursing him on her lap.
Yasser's father, who Aliyah married when she was just 18, returned to his native Yemen shortly after the birth of their son. She has a fractured relationship with her mother, but it's a work in progress. "We were extremely close while I was growing up," Aliyah recalls. "Losing my relationship with my mum was the worst thing of all, but we are trying really hard to get things back on track. She wants to be a grandmother to my baby. She has suggested we all take a family holiday, but I'm too scared to get a passport for Yasser in case his father's family try to kidnap him and take him to Asia."
Aliyah – who used to be called Alexandra - met Yasser's father, Nadheer*, online when she was 17. She was completing her A-Levels and had been conditionally offered a position studying pharmaceuticals at the University of Nottingham. Despite coming from a white, Christian, middle-class family, Bradford's high Asian population provided her with a rich understanding of other religions and cultures. "Out of the eight of us in my friendship group, only two of us were from white, British families," she explains.
When Nadheer sent her a private message on Facebook, he was open and passionate about his Yemeni heritage. "He was born in the capital, Sana'a, but his whole family uprooted to Bradford when he was four years old. The subject of religion didn't come up for quite a while – I knew that he was Muslim, but nothing about his lifestyle suggested he was extremely devout. He drank alcohol on nights out with his mates and he wasn't concerned about eating non-Halal meat. He was older than me and he seemed so cultured and mature. He was really romantic and I was very much under his spell within a few weeks, so what happened next came as quite a blow."
Religious differences
On her 18th birthday in March 2013, Aliyah had arranged to meet Nadheer for the first time at a Nando's in Bradford. Her mother was thrilled about her daughter's first real date, and the pair spent hours choosing an outfit, curling Aliyah's hair and learning how to stick on false eyelashes. "I was a late developer and I didn't really pay much attention to boys and make-up as a teenager, so the date with Nadheer was a pretty big deal to me. My mum insisted on waiting outside the restaurant for him to arrive to reassure herself that I was safe, and seeing her face when she had to admit to me that he clearly wasn't going to turn up after an hour and a half of waiting was probably the most heart-breaking and humiliating aspect of the whole thing. For the entire journey home I stared out of the window with tears burning down my cheeks."
For weeks, Aliyah heard nothing from Nadheer, and threw herself into her studying as an attempt at distracting herself. However, as spring turned to summer, he suddenly got back in touch.
"For weeks, every time I received a text message I would close my eyes before checking who the sender was in the hope that his name would be on the screen. It was so childish, but I was transfixed by the idea of him. When he finally did ring me, he couldn't apologise enough. He told me that his brother had read messages between him and me on their shared computer and had informed his parents that Nadheer was dating a white girl. They insisted on arranging a marriage for him the same week. I was devastated at the thought of losing him. With hindsight, it was ridiculous to feel this way about someone I had never met, but I was immature and desperately wanted this relationship. I hastily blurted out something incredibly misguided – that I would marry him if it meant we could be together."
Watching her juggle her toddler on her lap, Aliyah seems like the epitome of maturity and responsibility. It was hard to imagine that a matter of years ago this highly intelligent woman was prepared to launch into a marriage with a man she had never met. But her excessive eagerness to enter into this relationship wasn't the most controversial aspect.
"He replied that marrying me would make him the happiest man in the world, but his family would ostracise him if he married a 'non-believer', and a white one at that. I told him that I would do anything, even it meant converting to Islam."
"Islam is a truly beautiful religion. There are aspects of it that I wholeheartedly believe, hold onto, and am determined to instil in my child. Any religion, however, is not something that you can go into on a whim. You cannot promise to believe another religion, because it isn't that simple. You can carry out all of the practices, implement all of the policies, and still not truly, unreservedly believe in what you are doing."
But hindsight is a wonderful thing, and while Aliyah doesn't regret her decision – saying she "cannot be ashamed of it" because she has her son as a result – she is remorseful of how quickly it all happened. It was approaching Ramadan when Aliyah became officially engaged to Nadheer. "We wanted to change my name immediately, but decided to wait until I was married and change my entire name altogether. At first it was really exciting. It felt so exotic and almost like we were playing make believe. My friend took me to her uncle's Asian apparel store to get my first hijab and I felt incredibly cultivated. I hadn't told my family yet, but naively I believed they would be elated."
Difficulty adapting
Unfortunately, this wasn't quite the case. Aliyah's parents at first found her decision humorous and paid little attention to it until she began wearing her headscarf. "My father made it explicitly clear that he thought I was being ridiculous. In some ways he was right – he said that I couldn't just become a Muslim overnight, and told me that if this was something that I had put a lot of thought into then he would have supported me, however he couldn't support such an abrupt change into something that would change my life dramatically.
"In my head, I had completely romanticised the idea of meeting Nadheer's family. I had presumed that they would welcome me with open arms, wholly appreciating the lifestyle changes that I had made in the name of love. I couldn't have been more wrong," Aliyah recalls.
Before the sun went down on the first day of Ramadan, Aliyah was invited to Mosque with the female members of Nadheer's family and their community. "The older women were nice, with the exception of Nadheer's mother. She seemed to think I was only interested in money – something I've always been confused by because, to put it bluntly, my family have a lot more money than theirs.
"The younger girls, including Nadheer's sisters, were very cliquey and cast patently obvious bitchy glances towards me at all times. The Imam was a very friendly lady, she spoke to me very openly about the struggles she had faced becoming a female Imam, and said that I was always welcome to contact her if I needed advice or guidance. If it wasn't for her, I would have found my first experience at the Mosque unbearable. I hadn't rehearsed the prayers enough to know them off-by-heart. Nadheer's sister gave me a Quran to read from, but it was in Arabic. This set the tone for my entire experience with his family – they saw me merely as an imposter trying to invade their safely guarded team."
In an attempt to get both sides of her family to take her seriously, Aliyah and Nadheer sped up their engagement and got married as soon as possible. Both families refused to financially contribute to the ceremony, so eventually they had a very small service at their local Mosque in Bradford, attended by Nadheer's immediate family (albeit begrudgingly) and two of Aliyah's school friends. "I refused to believe that my mother wouldn't come to my wedding, right up until the very last second. Everyone had arrived and she clearly wasn't going to make it but I kept telling Nadheer we had to wait five more minutes, just in case she arrived."
And things didn't improve much after the wedding, either. "You hear of the 'honeymoon period', I had none of that. We moved in with his parents temporarily and Nadheer wanted me to stay at home and get pregnant straight away. He thought a baby would be the ultimate confirmation to his family that this relationship was sincere.
"I lost my virginity to him a week after our wedding – I was too overwhelmed at first to even think about sex and regardless, I didn't feel comfortable around Nadheer for a while. He was incredibly patient and considerate and my discomposure was in no way as a result of his behaviour, I was just simply terrified of living in a house full of strangers who deliberately communicated in a language that I didn't understand, estranged from my parents and most of my friends, with my future suddenly planned out for me according to the expected criteria of a culture that I was being relentlessly shunned from."
Although Nadheer's family were deliberately unaccommodating, Aliyah believes "that isn't representative of Islam on a whole. I'm sure my spontaneity was insulting to them; they had devoted themselves to this religion for their entire lives and there I was capriciously turning up and deciding that I was going to do the same. Obviously, I didn't see it this way at the time."
Starting a family
Tensions did thaw slightly when Aliyah found out she was pregnant exactly four weeks after her wedding. Nadheer's family still didn't warm to her but they were enthusiastic about the baby, which at least gave them some common ground. Aliyah was beginning to understand basic Arabic and made an effort to converse in the language where she could, even if it was merely saying 'yes' or 'no'. Nadheer's sister had fallen pregnant at the same time and started to include Aliyah in baby name conversations. It was her that suggested the name Yasser, as it was their grandfather's name.
Aliyah's pregnancy didn't help her relationship with her own family, however. "I was desperately unhappy being away from my family. My mother was finding it hard too and would beg me to come home, but we were at loggerheads about my decision. She thought I was being reckless while I thought she was being unsupportive."
As Christmas approached, Aliyah began to struggle with the cultural differences. "Nadheer's family weren't celebrating. I felt so internally conflicted – I was prepared to commit to Islam but seriously struggled giving up all of the things that I loved so much about my old life that were no longer applicable," she recalled.
Over the ensuing months, the in-laws' enthusiasm over the baby became overbearing. "They were excitedly making plans to shave my baby's head and arranging his circumcision when I didn't think I wanted any of these things to happen in the first place. I felt like I had no say over my own child, and Nadheer didn't like to antagonise his mother so he tended to just keep out of the argument."
Things reached boiling point when Aliyah was eight months pregnant. "It was an extremely hot day and I felt absolutely massive and too uncomfortable to wear my headscarf inside. I was pining for my mother and Yasser's family were becoming more and more controlling. Nadheer was refusing to mediate and they weren't prepared to compromise – they felt that if I was truly Muslim then these things would go without saying. In the end, I packed my bags and walked out. I rang my mother and asked her to pick me up from the petrol station at the top of the road – that was the first time I had spoken to her that year. She arrived within 20 minutes – at the exact same time Nadheer's father came hurtling down the road. He was shouting to me in Arabic but I could understand what he was saying – that I was betraying his family and his faith and if I left I would never be able to return. I got in my mother's car and told her to just drive."
Going back
Arriving home was a weird feeling at first. Aliyah's father hugged her when she arrived home but avoided looking at her pregnant stomach. The atmosphere was uncomfortable but it was calm, which at that moment was all Aliyah wanted. When her waters broke in her childhood bedroom ten days later, her mother drove her to the hospital where Nadheer met her – alongside his mother. "As soon as I saw her I started to really freak out. I was in so much pain and knowing that she was around was really aggravating me. I asked my mum to make her leave and they got into an argument; in the end a nurse had to intervene and tell Nadheer's mum to go home and wait for us to call with news. I knew that I had disappointed Nadheer but right then I really didn't care. All I wanted was for the pain to stop and to hold my baby in my arms."
After an agonisingly long and complicated labour, Yasser was born, and for a few short hours, Aliyah felt like her family was complete and perfect. She knew in her heart that she didn't love Nadheer as she should, but she was terrified of admitting it and looking like she had strung him along. "I had put so much effort into making this relationship work, but truth be told, the whole thing was a farce. You can't dictate anyone's religion, including your own. I admitted all of this to Nadheer as we were leaving the hospital."
Fortunately for Aliyah, Nadheer was understanding, and in fact commended the sacrifices she had made to try and make him happy. When he was offered a job in his home country of Yemen, he decided to go. "He comes home to visit Yasser every six months, and we Skype often. I am sad that my child doesn't get to see his father as much as he should, but it's best for everyone.
I allow Nadheer's mother to see Yasser on my terms, and I won't let them spend time together unsupervised. She disapproves of how I am raising him and I'm scared that she would take him away from me. I want him to grow up and make his own decisions about his religion; I try my best to incorporate both Christian and Islamic practices into his day-to-day life and I speak to him in Arabic as much as I am able to. I am no longer a practicing Muslim, but I have kept my Muslim name. I feel like I owe everyone that.
"Islam has taught me a lot of important things; family is everything to them, and maybe that's why they found it difficult to accept me so readily. The religion wholly encourages generosity, kindness and loyalty and for many, converting can be a beautiful process. But if my experience taught me anything, it's that converting to please someone else is never the right reason."
*Name has been changed


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Fashion guru, Narciso Rodriguez, is known for his minimalist names and designs, which can be clearly seen in his latest olfactory creation (and my title) that just came out this month— the musky feminine fragrance Narciso (EDP).
The top notes includes White Rose and Gardenia with a Musky middle tone and ends with Vetiver, and White Cedar Extract. The first spritz might feel it to be a bit heavy, but as it settles the perfume will become a more subtle musky-fresh (is that a thing?!) long lasting scent.
The bottle is very simple, yet you will yearn to have it sitting there on your vanity! It is square, milky white with the name printed in black letters. However, it is a bit heavy, so forget having it your bag wherever you go (what a shame!).
"I wanted to create an extremely sexy fragrance that would turn a man's head," stated the designer, with the description, "The sensuality becomes a little bit more sexy, a little bit more intoxicating." Well to that, I say: You've succeeded Mr. Rodriguez.
What's your perfume at the moment? Have you tried Narciso before?


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Janet Evans was a natural born swimmer who was swimming laps in the pool at the age of two. In 1987, aged just 15, Evans broke the world records in the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle events. Her achievements were all the more remarkable given her small stature, slight build and unorthodox windmill stroke.
At the 1988 Seoul Games, Evans dominated every event she entered, winning the 400m individual medley, the 400m freestyle and the 800m freestyle. She broke her own world record in the 400m freestyle and finished almost three metres ahead of her nearest rival in the 800m freestyle.
Evans entered the 1992 Barcelona Games on a six-year winning streak at 400m. However, she was caught in the last laps and beaten into second place by just 30 centimetres. Two days later, Evans made amends in the 800m, leading from start to finish and winning by eight metres to defend her title.
Between 1986 and 1995, Janet Evans won 25 out of 27 major international races at 400m and 22 out of 23 at 800m. Her world record for the 800m freestyle lasted through four Olympic Games until it was finally broken at the 2008 Beijing Games.
Athlete Olympic Results Content
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Punky in 1btRed
All the color swatches are intended to show you the general color of each wig, we cannot guarantee the exact hue of the wig that you may receive due to manufacturing processes. Unless otherwise specified, wigs are one solid color and are not streaked - the swatches show you the natural color variation that occurs depending on what lighting you are in.
The fun colors on these wigs will not match up exactly with the fun colors of wigs from our other product lines.
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When we are adults, not less then once a year we need to visit any kind of doctor, mostly it is dentist. We don't like to go there, it's painful, but we want our smile to look healthy.
Źródło: Le Pukka concept store
Most of polish inhabitants are able to get cured for free, not only in dentist, but in each type of specialist. But what option will be the best for us, especially when we need a dedicated care?
Źródło: http://www.flickr.com
When You want Your visit to be free of payment, You need to own medical insurance, mostly payed by the boss. However it is not good for each thing, payable will be for example dental implants Poland unluckily got a lot less doctors then patients. If You want to go to the dentist You probably will wait for a visit several weeks or sometimes months. All depends on the city You're living. It isn't a problem if You just want to check the teeth, but in case of suffering it is very annoying. Luckily in our country there's a lot more private businesses every year. Inhabitants becoming rich therefore they are able to pay for dedicated treatments, such as dental implants Poland, especially in bigger towns, has large offer of dental practices. You can visit one of them to get an appointment for another day. Beside if You want to cure plenty of teeth in single place, they'll provide You a installment payment. It's a lot simpler to pay couple of times 50 zlotys and not 1000 at one. Before You select one place, make certain that it is finest offer in Your neighborhood, cause competition is large.
If You like to have a healthy smile You need to protect Your teeth, therefore do not forget to go to a dentist at least once a year. You may visit the public clinic, but private one would be much more convenient.


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Monday Dec 5th, 9am - 5pm Eastern Time
Everblue specializes in providing short-course sustainability training with the industry's highest quality of curriculum, subject-matter expertise, instruction, course delivery, and customer service.
As an approved education partner with many of the leading organizations in this industry, our courses are aligned with the standards and certifications for "green" jobseekers.
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Instructor was informative on a subject and gave general stress reducing tips to apply to any standardized testing format.
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I had a great experience with the Everblue training program. The instructor was exceptional on his delivery of the material, and ability to make the test comfortable. After the first day with Tony, I had no doubt I would score 100 on my exam. The hands on experience with the equipment made me feel confident going forward that I will be successful.
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Tony was a great instructor - very knowledgeable on the subject matter - very clear in presentation - very willing to spend the needed time to help the student understand difficult concepts - And his prep on the field exam was clear and flowed from one process to the next easily.
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Great Course. I like the fact I could go back and review the course online. It did help when I could not grasp a certain concept
We give you 5% back in rewards for every dollar spent on classes!
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It seems that the governments of the world can't hold Kim Dotcom back! Find out why after the jump!
After being arrested in New Zealand in January for copyright fraud, related to his previous service MegaUpload, Kim Dotcom announced a new online file sharing service named, you guessed it, Mega. Unfortunately for the web kingpin, Mega will not be available at the desired web address "me.ga," according to a report by Stuff.co.nz.
The .ga top level domain belongs to Gabon and, as luck would have it, its government is not too happy about Dotcom trying to gank their URL for mass consumption.
Gabon's communications minister Blaise Louembe has given word that the domain be suspended, commenting that his country "cannot serve as a platform or screen for committing acts aimed at violating copyrights, nor be used by unscrupulous people." Dotcom, using Twitter to alert the masses, delivered an answer to quell commotion, tweeting, "Don't worry. We have an alternative domain. This just demonstrates the bad faith witch hunt the U.S. government is on."
The United States wants to extradite Dotcom to stand trial for copyright fraud, related to MegaUpload. But while he's waiting for an extradition hearing in March, Dotcom is promoting his dot com ardently, which is scheduled to launch on Jan. 20, 2013.
Props: Mashable


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The Young and the Restless Recap and Weekly Review 2/9/15 – 2/13/15 #YR
The Young and the Restless Recap and Weekly Review for March 2th, 2015 – March 6th, 2015 is below for your enjoyment! – See more at: Hollywood Hiccups Recaps…
Monday- Adam comes into the living room and Chelsea acts kind of distant. Adam ask what it's about. Chelsea tells Adam that Sage told her that Adam had a thing for her. Billy decides to pop up right then. Adam who probably would have admitted otherwise instead tells Chelsea it's a good thing Sage thinks that it means she is jealous. Adam leaves. Billy whines about the fact Sage is probably right. Chelsea again defends Adam by saying what a great guy he is. Billy wishes he hadn't asked them to stay there.
Avery is with Nick. He explains the the Underground literally falling on the ground is all his fault. He tells her about the notices Austin forgot to,give him and how as soon as he knew what was going in he tried to fix it. Avery thinks they can get the contractor for doing a crappy job. Safe shows up and she and Nick doing some flirty banter back and forth. Safe leaves so he can finish his conversation with Avery. Avery knows they are into each other and suggest Nick play it safe.
Kelly agrees to stay away from Jack if Ashley will deliver a message to him for her.
Phyllis sees Chris and Paul together. She rushes over and starts bickering about Kelly with Chris. Phyllis lays off after Paul tells her Chris is pregnant. Phyllis offers her congratulations and then smarts off about Chris being a crappy mom. Chris insinuates Phyllis is no better considering what is going on with her daughter and she isn't there for her. Phyllis looks surprised.
Jack is unsure but decides to work with Victor for Phyllis's sake. Victor leaves and Jack makes a call. Paul and Chris show up to question Jack who confirms it's Kelly who is the crazy one. When Jack is getting ready to leave the hospital he runs into Ashley. Jack admits he did sleep with Kelly. Jack then drops the bomb he is working with Victor to help Phyllis. Ashley think he has lost his damn mind.
Summer wakes up from sleeping on Kyle. Summer again says she killed Austin. Phyllis shoes up and promises to help Summer get through this. Phyllis says she will get the memorial together. Phyllis calls Nick and then Avery she wants to tell Jack about it in person. Summer falls back to,sleep. Phyllis finds it odd that Kyle just happened to show up now. Kyle doesn't like what Phyllis is implying. Summer has a nightmare. Kyle comforts her.
Paul wants all his ducks in a row when it comes to Phyllis. Chris could care less about rows and even less than that about ducks. She is going to get Phyllis and she will take on Paul if she has to.
Kelly is with Victor. He wants her help with Jack. Kelly agrees as long as Jack is hers in the end. She ask Victor how she knows she can trust him. Victor smiles and says she doesn't.
Adam yells at Sage about the whole Chelsea thing. Sage tells him where to go. Jack walks in and is concerned that Billy will figure out who Adam is. Adam is confident it will be fine since Billy couldn't figure out how to throw a toga party at a frat house. Phyllis shows up and tells Jack about Austin.
Billy is still obsessing over Adam. He tells Chelsea of he didn't know better he would think he wanted to leave him to die in the burning building.
Tuesday- Paul sees Chris eating chocolate in his office. He kisses her just as Nikki runs in. Nikki tells them she thinks that Phyllis is innocent. Nikki wants them to drop the charges against her. Chris tells Nikki it isn't up to her. Nikki leaves the her and Paul argue over what Nikki said. Chris claims it's not about Phyllis it's about his need to always defend Nikki.
Kevin lets Noah, Mariah, and Abby know the towel they found in Kyle's car with the blood on it is being tested. Abby gets angry.
Summer is looking for pictures of Austin for his memorial. She finds a video of him telling her he loves her and them kissing. Kevin and company shows up. They all are now watching the video. Austin comes on and says she needs to tell Summer something. Abby gets nervous and lies and takes off. Kevin noticed how Mariah was looking at Abby and ask her what it was about. Mariah says Austin made the video because he was feeling guilty. Kevin ask about what. Abby shows up in the video and Mariah says that. Summer wonders what Abby is doing on the tape. Noah thinks it has to do with a documentary that was being shot by him. Meanwhile Kevin gets a call about the blood on the towel.
Abby has a flashback of Austin and her having sex. Then another one of them talking and Austin wants to be with Abby. Abby won't agree to it. Kyle walks up to her and tells her he knows she is thinking about Austin. Kyle knows all about the two of them he even followed them around. Abby wants to know what Kyle is going to do with what he knows. Kyle tells Abby he confronted Austin. Kyle tells her it got physical. Abby automatically assumes Kyle killed Austin.
Summer tells Noah the videos are upsetting her and she is embarrassed by all things she didn't know about Austin. She doesn't want to go to the memorial. Noah tells her she will go. Noah notices Kyle in the window of the video.
Lily tries to stop Neil from drinking and self destructing not necessarily in that order. Neil of course pushes her away and continues to drink. Lily walks away. Devon is next to get the new and improved Neil treatment. Neil wants Devon to be a drunk like him. Nikki shows up and tells Neil she is headed to a meeting. Neil refuses to go but agrees to let Nikki drive him home.
Kevin comes into a interrogation room and says everything Kyle said made sense. Mariah says but. Kevin tells her Kyle lied.
Neil is going in and in about making Devon suffer. Neil then realizes Nikki is taking him to the meeting with her. Neil isn't having that he wants out of her car and he wants out now. Neil grabs the wheel and the car heads toward Chris.
Wednesday- Paul remembers his fight with Christine and decides to go find her.
Kevin tells Mariah the blood on the towel from Kyle's car is in fact Austin's. Courtney comes in and lets them know they are acting shady as f. They tell her what they found out. They wonder if Kyle really was at the cabin and decides to do get rid of Austin. After Courtney leaves Kevin ask Mariah if she is ready to go to the memorial. Mariah sits and talks about how close she felt to Austin and that they were friends. She gets up and they leave together.
Nikki flies out of her car and realizes she hit somebody courtesy of Neil. Nikki really doesn't have a melt down until she sees it's Christine. Neil who has had a sobering experience calls 911. Paul shows up and Nikki tries her damnedest to explain. Paul who is to upset to listen as the cop arrest her for a DUI. Neil tries to get a word in. Paul advises him to shut up.
Victor is still In the confessional talking to his accomplice about getting rid of Jack once and for all. As Victor comes out Jack walks in and they decide they will let bygones be bygones for Summer's sake. When Victor leaves Jack hears something. Jack goes to investigate but gets a call from Phyllis before he can check it out. Meanwhile Victor runs into Paul who chews him out for being a crappy husband who drives his wife to drink. Paul finally spits it out and informs Victor that Nikki hit his wife. Victor offers his condolences. Paul tells him to go to hell. After Victor leaves the doctor tells Paul his wife made it but the baby didn't. Paul is then tasked with telling Chris. They both break down.
Noah convinces Summer to go to Austin's memorial. Noah then text Kyle and tells him they need to have a little chat.
Abby is still on the who killed Austin didn't you Kyle train. Kyle admits they fought but that was it. Kyle has a flash if giving Austin a towel which I'm sure is the one Kevin had tested. Kyle turns it in Abby and she tells him to just keep his mouth shut about her and Austin.
Kevin sees Nikki brought in and ask Neil about it. Neil tells him what happened. Kevin ask of Chris and the baby are ok. Neil is shocked to find out Chris is pregnant. Neil tells Nikki he wants to tell the truth. Nikki refuses to let him and is sure everything will be ok because she wasn't drinking.
Austin's memorial gets underway. Summer is giving a sweet eulogy when all of a sudden she remembers a conversation she saw between her husband and Abby. Summer walks within a foot of Abby and yells that Abby slept with her husband.
Thursday- Summer is unhinged more than usual. She demands that Abby have the guts to admit what she did. Summer berates and belittles Abby to the point that Abby gets up and gives a lame I'm sorry before taking off. Summer screams at her that's right leave. Nick chase Abby down and demands to know how she could do that to Summer. Baby tries to explain and Nick won't listen. He points out Austin was married. Abby points out so was he and that never stopped him. Nick ask her how she feels. Abby says like she is in hell and she leaves.
Meanwhile Summer is yelling at anybody with in yelling distance. She accuses Kyle of knowing and keeping it a secret. She then realizes that Mariah and Kevin knew as well since they share a brain. Summer calls her self stupid. Phyllis has everyone leave. Avery is about to leave but Summer rips into her to and yells at her for the cheating she has done. Avery tells Summer she is sorry for her loss and leaves. Phyllis tells Summer none of it is her fault.
Outside the doors everyone blames everyone else for Austin's murder. Kyle finally tells,them in reality nobody knows who killed him and they don't know who the are covering this up for.
Nick and Phyllis leave Summer alone for a few minutes. She goes up to the coffin and calls Austin a son if a bitch and then goes on to tell him off. She hits the coffin a few times and then stands and cries.
Dylan shows up at Sharon's and gets the wrong idea when she offers him wine. Sharon tells him she was is it trying to thank him for helping her. Misunderstanding behind them Dylan stays and they order Chinese food. After Dylan leaves Sharon opens her fortune cookie which wisely tells he who has friends is never alone.
Chris can't believe her little girl didn't make it. She ask Paul who was driving. Paul doesn't tell her who it is but assures her it wasn't Phyllis. Just wow Phyllis is to blame for everything that goes wrong in her life. Paul leaves. Neil comes by to see her and slips that it was Nikki who hit her. Chris is sure Paul is trying to save Nikki's ass. Neil holds her while she cries. After Chris is settled back in Neil has second thoughts about coming clean.
Neil signs the lie he and Nikki concocted. Nikki tells Victor everything and then assures him she wasn't drinking at the time. Victor doesn't believe her. Nikki insist it was just a accident. Nikki tells Victor to check her breathalyzer results.
Neil is free to go. Victor wants to take Nikki but is stopped by Paul who wants Nikki to tell him everything. Nikki tells Paul she didn't see Chris in time to stop. Victor wants to take Nikki home but Paul has other ideas and has her arrested while he reads her her rights.
Avery tells Dylan what happened at Austin's memorial. They decide they are going to stick together no matter what.
Abby is siting at the cabin full of self pity and self loathing. Kyle and company show up and accuse Abby of killing Austin. Abby throws a fit and rips open the armoire door. A message has been scrawled on the inside with lipstick that read " I know what happened here." They all look scared to death.
Friday- Jack tells Ashley about Austin and Abby. Ashley is shocked. Ashley then brings up his new found friendship with Victor. Jack tells her about seeing Victor coming out of the confessional.
Phyllis and Nick are doing their best to calm down Summer. I'd doesn't work and she screams it's all her fault. She takes off and Noah follows her. Nick says he will never forgive Austin for this.
Dylan is visiting with Chris who tells him that somebody ran her down and took her little girl. Dylan ask her who would want to do that. Chris tells Dylan his mother.
Paul claims a witness saw Nikki hit Chris on purpose. Nikki gets out in bail and she leaves.
Dylan shows up and ask Paul about it. Paul confirms what Chris said was true. Paul shoulders the blame. Paul tells Dylan before Chris left they had a fight about Nikki. Paul wishes he made Chris feel more secure about their marriage. Dylan tells him he should go and do it now.
Billy ask Chelsea to marry him. Chelsea thinks h is doing it because of Gabriel. Billy says that isn't true and Chelsea accepts. Sage and Adam walk in. Billy tells them about their engagement. Adam points out the ring doesn't fit. Once they leave Adam blames Sage as usual. Sage tells him to get a grip or he will blow everything. Jack comes in and tells Adam he is on his own. Adam is adamant he will get his family back.
Stitch is with Victoria when Billy announces his engagement to Chelsea. Stitch ask Victoria if she is ok. Victoria says she is when it's obvious she isn't.
Nikki and Victor arrive back at home just as Phyllis does. Nikki goes upstairs. Victor tells Phyllis about Nikki hitting Chris. Phyllis tells him about Abby sleeping with Austin. Victor is sad for Summer. He says he hates to see people suffer needlessly.
The kids are at the cabin freaking out about the message on the mirror. They are trying to figure it out. Abby runs to the bathroom. Hmmm…… Summer shows up,with Noah and they fill,her in and say it looks like someone else killed Austin. Kyle explains why Austin's blood was on the towel. When Abby comes back in Summer goes off on her again. Abby leaves. Summer and Kyle are the only ones there. Kyle tells her she deserves better. Summer goes to lay down and Kyle cleans the mirror.
Sage is talking with Nick. She decides a divorce might be best. She tells Nick Gabriel won't be happy about it.
Nikki goes to see Chris. Nikki tries to apologize but Chris isn't having it. She yells for Nikki to leave. As she is leaving Paul and Dylan walk in. Chris starts raging at them about how much she hates Nikki.
Jack tells Billy he thinks he is rushing things with Chelsea. Billy disagrees and tells him he is going to marry her unless Jack can give him a good reason not to. Jack keeps it zipped.
Abby tells Victoria about her fling with Austin and tells her Austin didn't feel the same way about her.
Adam offers Chelsea a ride home.
Mariah, Kevin, Noah and Courtney decide the person who left the message on the mirror knew they would keep their mouths shut.
Stitch tells Ashley about Billy's engagement. He thinks it bothered Victoria more than she was willing to admit.


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The home secretary should lose the power to intervene on human rights grounds in extradition cases, an official judge-led inquiry has recommended.
The review of the extradition laws by a legal panel, chaired by the former appeal court judge, Sir Scott Baker, has taken a year.
It says the home secretary's role should be severely limited in extradition cases to remove any perception that decisions are taken for political reasons.
The US attorney general, Eric Holder, welcomed the Baker review's rejection of claims by the Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, and some leading Conservatives that the US-UK extradition treaty – in place since 2007 – is "lopsided" or unfair.
The review panel found no "practical difference" between the information or standard of proof required by both countries in extradition cases and said the "widespread perception that they operate in an unbalanced manner" is not justified.
Baker said there had been 130 US extradition requests to the UK under the treaty and 54 requests from the UK to the US.
Holder said: "The fundamental fairness of the treaty has been demonstrated by its application during the years it has been in force … The treaty has enabled us to work closely with our partners in the United Kingdom to pursue the interests of justice in both our nations."
The treaty is being used to send the alleged British computer hacker, Gary McKinnon, to stand trial in the US. The £250,000 inquiry rejected demands from McKinnon's supporters and parliament's joint human rights committee, who wanted a "forum bar against extradition" that would have allowed British courts to block extradition if a significant part of the alleged offence took place in the UK.
The 486-page report also said the controversial European arrest warrants were "operating broadly satisfactorily". But it presses for further steps to ensure warrants are not issued for minor offences.The report cites the 1,659 requests from Poland to the UK as being of particular concern. It adds that a seven-day limit for appeals against such warrants is causing injustice and needs to be doubled.
The review is also highly critical of delays at the European court of human rights that have left some extradition applications in terrorism cases unresolved for more than three years.
It cites the case of Abu Hamza, which has been before the Strasbourg court since August 2008, and that of Babar Ahmad, which dates back to 2007.
The home secretary, Theresa May, welcomed the report but it is thought unlikely that she will move to limit her powers to intervene in extradition cases.
McKinnon's mother, Janis Sharp, called the report a whitewash and said it flew in the face of commitments from senior Lib Dem and Tory politicians before the election.
Shami Chakrabarti of Liberty said: "We don't just disagree with this review but are completely baffled by it. This is not a court judgment, merely policy advice, and government cannot abdicate its responsibility to honour the promises of both coalition parties in opposition."
"Britain's rotten extradition system stinks of human rights abuse and rank hypocrisy. It's time we stopped parcelling people off around the world like excess baggage and remembered the duty of all governments to protect their people and treat them fairly."


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Busty babe Karlee Grey is a busty babe whose sensual nature cannot be denied. When her mom calls to chat, Karlee is happy to put the phone to her ear and listen to everything her mom has to say. Her boyfriend Alex Legend, however, has other plans.Sitting down beside Karlee, Alex wraps his arm around his girlfriend's trim waist and slides his hands up to her busty tits. Karlee tries to tell him to back off, but he won't be denied as he pops one of her boobies free. Slipping the other out of Karlee's top, Alex urges his lover down onto her back so she can try her best to continue her conversation without alerting her mom that she's having her nipples sucked.Sliding a hand beneath Karlee's miniskirt, Alex ratchets the difficulty up another level as he palms her twat beneath her thong. Pulling the underwear aside, Alex leans in to take a lick at Karlee's meaty snatch. Then he relieves her of her clothes from the waist down. She gets a brief reprieve to talk as Alex shucks his clothes, but then he's back with his cock buried deep in Karlee's fuck hole as she tries her best to hold the moan.Alex holds nothing back as he works his hips for both of their pleasure, even sucking Karlee's toes to double down on her delight. Karlee has committed now, so it's no surprise when she sinks to her knees in front of her boyfriend and opens her mouth to start sucking. She continues to respond as well as she can to her mom's chatter, but all the while she's deep throating a big dick with absolute abandon. Getting on her hands and knees, Karlee waves her firm rump in the air to entice Alex to take her from behind. He is happy to oblige, pounding her as her big titties quiver and jiggle. Her nipples harden as the force of every thrust drags them on the couch to create incredible friction, and all the while she has to keep pretending things are totally normal as her mom's gossip stays steady.Climbing on top of Alex, Karlee slides down until her trimmed pussy is fully impaled by her boyfriend's fuck stick. It's more challenging than ever to keep quiet as Alex brings her to a body shaking climax, but Karlee manages. They shift into a spooning position, which brings Karlee off one last time just before he pulls out to shower her mound with cum.


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I mentioned yesterday that Trump had secured the endorsements of the most notorious bullies, racists and xenophobes in the country. Going into Super Tuesday, he doesn't need super-delegates, he's got the Super-bigots: Senator Jeff Sessions, Former Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, Former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke, Maine governor Paul LePage, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, nativist and anti-Semite Pat Buchanan and now Kris Kobach, the anti-immigrant activist and Kansas Secretary of State.
I wrote about Kobach a while back, noting his history as former Attorney General John Ashcroft's special adviser on immigration, who had proposed a federal law that would have required local police to stop and arrest people "suspected" of being undocumented immigrants. It went nowhere in the Bush administration, but it served as the template for what became the Arizona's infamous SB 1070 and similar proposals that were very hot around the nation until the courts struck them down.
Kobach would later turn his attention to vote suppression and helped push many of the Voter ID laws now in force around the states. He ran for his current office in the Tea Party wave of of 2010 on a "voter integrity" platform and managed to enact some of the most draconian voter ID laws in the country based upon the notion that hordes of undocumented immigrants were preparing to steal elections in Kansas on behalf of the Democratic Party. So it comes as no surprise that he would be among the bullies and bigots endorsing Donald Trump.
His endorsement was really something. In a laudatory statement on official Kansas Secretary of State letterhead, Kobach wrote:
For me the most important issue in the Republican presidential contest is immigration and its effect on our nationals security. On that issue Mt. Trump stands head and shoulders above the other candidates. He has made it clear that ramping up the enforcement of our immigration laws will be his top priority. And he had forcefully rejected the notion of giving amnesty to illegal aliens living in the United States.
Now, more than ever, America needs Mr. Trump's aggressive approach to the problem of illegal immigration. Our porous borders constitute a huge national security threat, and our refugee system has been abused by terrorists in the past and is likely to be abused by ISIS terrorists today.
You'll notice he even still uses the loaded term "illegal aliens."
He also explained that he's spoken with Trump about a legal justification to force Mexico to pay for that wall of his:
As I have discussed with Mr. Trump, the PATRIOT Act contains a provision that the United States can and should use as leverage with the Government of Mexico. We have the ability to shut down the flow of remittances to Mexico from illegal aliens working in the United States. Mexico will then have to make a choice: either make a single payment of $5-10 billion to the United States to pay for the wall, or lose most of the $23 billion in remittances that Mexico receives every year from its nationals working illegally in the United States.
That sounds like a thuggish Trump gambit alright. It's hard to see how the PATRIOT Act could be construed to allow the government to blackmail another country to pay for a vanity project, but you never know. It's certainly easy enough to believe Trump would try it.
In a telephone interview with the Kansas City Star , Kobach had nothing but praise for the frontrunner. He said his lack of experience was positive because "the way he would operate as president is he would surround himself with a talented, conservative team.That's exactly what Reagan did." Reagan, of course, had been the governor of the most populous state in the country and had the entire GOP establishment behind him when he took office. But no matter. Selling ties and steaks with your name on them, bankrupting four companies and doing a reality TV show is all the experience anyone needs to lead the most powerful nation on earth.
To give credit where credit is due, Kobach did have an original defense of Trump's crude, juvenile insults:
"Trump is actually doing it himself, and in some ways that's more honest than having a super PAC do your insulting for you," Kobach said.
At least he's honest about something.
Today Republicans are going to the polls in 11 states to make their choice for the presidential nomination. And citizens of five of them --- Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia --- will have to deal with the kind of voter ID laws passed by Kris Kobach and others like him in recent years ostensibly to keep African Americans and Latinos from stealing elections for the Democrats, but actually to make voting as difficult as possible so they just won't bother to vote at all. It's designed for general elections, but today is primary day and Republicans had better hope their onerous rules don't keep their own voters from the polls.
If you are curious about the voting requirements in your state, this handy web-site from the National Conference of State Legislatures can help. If you're a Republican and you find that trying to vote for Donald Trump is more complicated than filling out your federal income tax return, don't blame "big government." Blame his biggest fan, Kris Kobach, and the other GOP architects of the vote suppression schemes around the country.


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2019 had an extended rainy season in Telangana, even if it didn't rain heavily, for days on, we had cloudy weather, the kind of beautiful weather that will want you to go one a long drive. On one such day in September, after winding up some work in the morning, we headed on the Sangareddy road, there was no plan in mind, just a long drive.
Singur Dam
Our ride took us to Sangareddy town, we were quite surprised to see how much the town has developed over the years. Way back in 2001, when this writer had newly moved to Hyderabad, one of the first work assignments was at the District Industrial Centre, Sangareddy, we couldn't find a place to even have lunch or use a washroom. Today, you will find restaurants at every corner, shopping malls and so on. On the flipside, there used to acres of vineyards enroute to Sangareddy, now everything seems to have been lost to real estate.
Wondering where we could head to, we checked Google Maps and found we could make a trip to Singur Dam.
It took us an hour to reach Singur Dam from Sangareddy, we passed by some very scenic landscapes, brushed green thanks to the monsoons.
Singur Dam has been built over the Manjeera River and is one of the major sources of drinking water to Hyderabad city.
We parked our car near the dam and went for a walk on the bund road. It was mid afternoon but the weather was pleasant with a nice cool breeze. We also found a vantage point for a view of the Manjeera River bed.
On the other side, is the Singur reservoir.
Hyderabadis have to thank this river for its life-giving waters !
After our visit to the Dam site, we drove to Telangana Tourism's Haritha Resort for lunch. The resort is close to the dam and picturesque. The resort provides accommodation for those looking to stay near Singur Dam.
We were famished after our visit to Singur Dam. Our lunch at Haritha Restaurant was simple with rotis, rice, tomato curry and dal but the local flavour and spice was lip smacking, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Singur Dam and our lunch were a hit !
Ketaki Sangameshwara Swamy Temple, Jharasangam
Done with lunch and with our energies back, we started our drive to Hyderabad. We still had half a day and wanting to drive around some more, we checked other places of interest around Singur Dam and decided on visiting the Ketaki Sangameshwara Swamy Temple at Jharasangam.
The 31 kms drive from Singur Dam to Jharasangam was like driving in a magical green world. The monsoons had turned the entire area green, hills, meadows, fields, the fresh shade of green that no camera can ever capture !
The greenery stretched for miles, cows grazed here and there, the scenes looked straight from a computer screen wall paper !
Of course, our pictures are badly shot, we did not actually stop to click a good one, when the sights are that beautiful you just watch, photography is only for the record.
Post monsoon season meant farmers were active cultivating their fields, in this part of Telangana, small farmers still seem to be tilling their land using oxen, it was heartening to watch their hard work.
The rural scenes will fill your heart with pure joy, it feels like time has stood still and one wouldn't realise, the most happening metropolis is just 2 hours' drive away !
We reached Jharasangam around tea time. The Ketaki Sangameshwara Swamy Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Please ignore the bad lighting in this picture, there were dogs around and this writer had just a few seconds to click the picture and run back to the car. Anyway, photography is not allowed inside the temple.
This small temple is unique as being the only temple where Ketaki flowers or Mogalipuvvu in Telugu, are used for the worship of Lord Shiva. According to mythology, this flower was cursed from being used for worship of Lord Shiva. The reason this practice is followed only in this temple, we were told by the temple priest, was because the ancient Shiva Linga was found under a Ketaki tree and the temple was built around it. There are several legends associated with the temple but the actual history is not known with certainty.
There is also a pond inside the temple called the "Amrutha Gundam" whose waters are believed to have healing powers.
We went round the temple, taking in the blissful feeling that can only be found in temples. There are so many temples with ancient pasts, stories, legends and history, all of them have shaped our culture and our ethos, that we think, is the beauty of a temple, no matter how small or little known.
Content with our visit to Jharasangam and Singur Dam, we returned to Hyderabad with the satisfaction of a Sunday well spent !
Info tidbits
- Singur Dam is about 104 kms from Hyderabad. Accommodation can be found at the Telangana Tourism's resort, one can book accommodation online.
- Jharasangam Temple is 31 kms from Singur Dam and only 18 kms from Zaheerabad. Both these places can be visited in a day.
- Both these places are slightly remote with limited transport connectivity, it is a good idea to take your own vehicle.
- There are a few food stalls outside the Ketaki Sangameshwara Swamy Temple, nearest good food options can be found at Zaheerabad.
- Bidar, the popular tourist spot in Karnataka also nearby. One can combine a weekend trip to Bidar with Singur Dam and Jharasangam.
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