International Tiger Day 2021

As many of you might have come across already, today, 29th July is observed as the “International Tiger Day”. This is commemorated every year since 2010 to spread awareness about the dangers faced by tigers, to conserve the tiger species, and to preserve their natural habitats.

This year, the theme for the day is ‘Their survival is in our hands’.

According to World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), these wild cats are one of those keystone species that are crucial for the integrity of the ecosystems in which they live. In short, when tigers thrive, the whole ecosystem thrives. They help in maintaining the harmony of nature.

In spite of being apex predators, do tigers really face dangers? Undeniably, that’s a yes. Most declining tiger populations are threatened primarily by habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching and wildlife trade, declining prey base, and conflicts with humans.

Stress

I remember a sentence that was shared by a professor, a few years back. He used to tell us interesting facts and historical stories every day for at least 10 minutes.

“I never said she stole my money”.

Now, try reading this statement stressing one word at a time.

➟ I never said she stole my money – Someone else could have said it.

➟ I never said she stole my money – I didn’t say that she stole.

➟ I never said she stole my money – I only implied it or witnessed it.

Rising Sun is a Lie

The first celestial lesson we take as a kid is that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. But in reality, is it not the rotation of the Earth that makes the Sun appear to rise in the East? The difference is so subtle. We’re just logically tricked.

We all get to know this truth as we grow up but still choose to believe the lie that sun rises and sets. Why? Because it’s comfortable. For years together, we’ve trained our brain that way and it’s wired to take the easy-to-believe route that doesn’t need too many explanations.

Lying has been perceived as a disgraceful social habit. So, most often, we don’t lie in public. But, we continue lying in many other circumstances to our own self without even realising it.

Clouded Thoughts

I ran to the moors chasing a rabbit. Thunder distracted me. I looked at the sky and stood there awestruck by the beauty of the mountains that were capped by dark clouds.

It started to drizzle. It felt good. I didn’t want to move. Hoping to spot a rainbow, I missed another rabbit, this time the one in the form of bubbled clouds, that crossed my path.

So is life. We chase our dreams and get stuck without working for them when there’s a distraction.

Excuses

“It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one. ”
– George Washington

Why do we make an excuse? Is that really bad?

Most often, it is. Every failure, every lost opportunity, brings in a growth retardant – self-doubt. When self-doubt enters our life, esp. when so much seems at stake, we start making excuses for two reasons:

➟ First, excuses make it easier to live with our failed expectations.

➟ Second, if we fail in a new trial, we already have a reason in hand.

The most common excuse which we come up with is the lack of time. We miss opportunities not because of lacking time but by misperceiving time. To support our arguments, the handiest tools are

Glistening Twilight

Glistening twilight
tides talk to tiny islands
through the voice of waves

Memories of life
giggle like the ebbing tides
lovely yet looming

Beach betrays vision
twilight portrays false beauty
of what the day blinds

Photo for the prompt (from scvincent.com)

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Just like tides touching the shore, memories cross our minds speaking in a voice that only our inner self understands. Most often, these memories are heavy.

Bright Night

When you’re bored at night, throw some light.

➟ Reflections

Picturesque

The view is always better from distance. When you get closer, you don’t get the perfect looks. You get to see the flaws. More of them, actually!

So are our relationships. It always appears pleasant from a distance. Only when you commit, you feel the real vibe. You might find pleasure, reflections, and even stuff you don’t like.

As a generic instance, let us consider the marvels of nature.

We don’t say that the mighty mountains might have looked better had they been steeper. We don’t judge the

Magic Eraser

Would you be willing to erase a certain part of your life – childhood, teens, the period of 20s, or adult stage? Most won’t.

Even if each stage carries a ton of bitter memories, there’ll

Pika Pika! #Origami

“Glad to meet you!
Now, tell me. How do I look?

Cute and compassionate, or
sarcastic and smart?

I know I’m all of them,
and I’m confident about that!

Oh! Don’t you like me?
I completely respect your opinion.

Right Words

“We are masters of the unsaid words, but slaves of those we let slip out.”
– Winston Churchill

Maintain the same patience when replying to someone, as you have when you browse with new keywords till you get the precise results.

Be someone who believes in the efficacy of using the right words, not only with Google but also with human relations.

Cheers!

World Book and Copyright Day

What is the ‘Book Day’ about?

Here’s a snippet from UNESCO in its original words:

“World Book and Copyright Day is a celebration to promote the enjoyment of books and reading. Each year, on 23 April, celebrations take place all over the world to recognize the scope of books – a link between the past and the future, a bridge between generations and across cultures.

By championing books and copyright, UNESCO stands up for creativity, diversity and equal access to knowledge.”

An interesting fact:

23rd April is a symbolic date in world literature. It is the date on which several prominent authors, William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died.

3.2.1 Quote Me! – Truth

In this post, I’m featuring a challenge I was tagged to.

Thank you Mabel for giving this opportunity. I accept your challenge.

Mabel has put on show wonderful photographs entwined with nature all over her blog. To have a look at Mabel’s blog (Present Tense in Europe), do follow this link.

Rules of the “3.2.1 Quote Me” challenge are as follows:

1. Thank the selector.
2. Post 2 quotes for the dedicated Topic of the Day.
3. Select 3 bloggers to take part in ‘3.2.1 Quote Me!’.

The topic I was tasked is “TRUTH”. 

Secrets

How strong are your personal secrets?

“I thought about how there are two types of secrets:
— the kind you want to keep in
— the kind you don’t dare to let out.”
– Ally Carter, Don’t judge a girl by her cover.

Quotes That I Love

It has been a while since our last post. Both Anisha and I have been a bit busy with our final semester. But now, the holidays have begun and its time for celebration. I am going to clear off a lot of books from my to read list. To embark on this magnificent celebration,  I would like to show some of my favourite quotes.

This quote is to remind us that everyone has a destiny,

Boy: But what if I can’t?
Alchemist: Then you’ll die in the midst of realizing your destiny.that’s a lot better than dying like millions of other people, who never even knew what their destinies were.–” 🙂
–Paulo Coelho, “The Alchemist” 

This line portrays a woman as an unstoppable force, something complex,

“So I walked back to my room and collapsed on the bottom bunk, thinking that if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.”
-John Green, Looking for Alaska