Month: June 2018

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World Environment Day.

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We all love our environment, but seldom do we bother to care about it. June 5th is marked as the “World Environment Day”.

Every now and then we see many television ads asking us to abhor the use of plastics and it’s products and many of these ads ask us to switch the green products.

Rarely, someone takes up the initiative.

We are asked not use CFC bulbs and lights as they emit cholorofluoro carbon, which causes damage to the atmosphere, still we use them.

Due to air pollution, with toxins such as nitric oxide, carbon in the air causes acid rain. The above mentioned harmful toxins are emitted from vehicular smoke.

Smoke + Fog =Smog.

Smoke from industries, vehicles, chimneys,lead to very heavy and dense air pollution. When this smoke mixes with fog, it causes smog which cause breathing problems, respiratory problems, lung diseases, wheezing cough, asthma, etc.

CFC i.e. chlorofluorocarbon, is emitted from refrigerators , air conditioners, and they deplete the ozone layer and due to the depletion of the ozone layer, the harmful UV rays that comes from the sun, harms our skin and causes skin cancer.

The continuous use of plastics, especially plastic bags is very much harming our environment.Plastics take a lot of time, more than even hundred years to decompose.

So the use of cloth bags and bio-degradable bags are promoted.

Only using green products or using cloth bags is not the solution to the massive problem of environmental degradation that we are facing. It is only a start for us to save the environment and there is a lot that still needs to be done in order to preserve, protect and save the environment.

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A Scooter Near the Blue Canoe in Venice.

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Venice, one of the most beautiful cities in Italy, is a history in itself.

My dad visited it few years ago. He and his colleagues had to go some place in Venice, where they had a business meeting with another party.So they had booked a tour guide and a canoe ride from a tour agency which provides canoe tours on the Grand Canal.

He and two of colleagues were waiting for the tour guide to come, so that they could embark on the journey.

As they were waiting near the blue canoe (as they were told that their canoe would be blue in colour), they saw that there was a a scooter parked in between the stairs and near the canoe.A minute later the tour guide came.

On seeing them looking at the scooter he said-“Some boys keep jumping inside the canoe and make it dirty, so I have parked my scooter in between. Come on gentlemen, let’s start the ride.”

The moment they all got inside the canoe, a police man’s whistle was heard-“whee, whee” and the policeman came and stood right beside the scooter and started noting the scooter registration number.

The tour guide said to my dad-“Un momento”, and he left the boat.

By good luck that policeman turned out to be the brother -in-law of the tour guide and he was initially surprised that some one would park his scooter so near to the water way and to alert the owner of the scooter he was blowing his whistle.

Their conversation was as follows-

The cop-” Ciao, Peter, isn’t this your scooter?”

The tour guide (Peter)- ” Yes, Simone,you know that already.”

The Cop ( Simone)-“I was about to make a note in my diary,then I realized that the scooter was yours,as I recognized the scooter number. ”

Scratching his head he continued-“Isn’t this the one which Serena gave you for your last birthday?”

Peter-“Yes.”

Simone-“How come you dare to leave this scooter parked over here and go for a canoe ride?”

Peter-“It is my job.”

Simone-“It is your job, to leave this beauty on the sidewalk of the water way and go for a canoeing ride”?

Peter-“Don’t patronize me”.

Simone-“I am patronizing you? My little sister Serena, brought this scooter for you with all her life savings and you leave it here like this?”

Peter-“Simone, don’t waste my time. I have got a job to do.”

Simone-“I have got a job to do as well.I will tell Serena about this and I will see to it,that she confiscates this scooter from you.”

Peter-“Have you gone mad? You insane person!”

By this time a crowd had gathered around them.

Simone-:”What did you call me? Who do you think you are?”

Peter-“Who do you think you are?”

Simone-“I am an Italian police officer who is walking the beat.”

Peter-“Then, go and walk your stupid beat.”

Simone-“I have had enough. For illegally parking this scooter, near the stairway, you are hereby fined one hundred and fifty euros.”

Saying so, he made out a ticket and handed it over to his brother-in-law.

Peter-“I am your brother-in-law. How can you do this to me?”.

Simone-“At this juncture, I don’t recognize you as anybody but a civilian, who has committed a traffic cum parking offense.”

Peter-“I don’t believe this nonsense. Here goes your traffic ticket”, saying so he simply, tore the ticket into pieces.”

Simone-“That would be another two hundred euros, since,I have to issue you another ticket.” Saying so, he issued another ticket , handed it over to Peter and while putting his pen back, inside his pocket, he said-“Oh, don’t bother, I will make sure that Serena hears about this and if she doesn’t confiscate your scooter, I swear to God, I will change my name. I know my sister very well.She won’t like you at all, when I will inform her about your misdoings.Now goodbye”.

Now Peter had started crying. He was howling and shaking his fists towards the sky.

He had completely forgotten about my father and his colleagues and Simone came and spoke to my dad and he said that he would speak with the tourism agency to provide them with a new tour guide and he was sorry for the inconvenience, but the traffic law is a law after all to be followed. So, he called up the agency and arranged for a new tour guide and by the time the new tour guide came, Peter was still crying and looking very crestfallen. Simone had left by then and Peter was sitting on his scooter gloomily. Then a new tour guide came and he went to speak to Peter, but Peter wouldn’t speak with him and asked him to get lost.One of my dad’s colleagues knew Italian, so he told the new tour guide in details about what had happened.The new guide told Peter-“don’t worry, I will take the ride.”The meeting which was supposed to take place between dad and his colleagues with another party got cancelled and the other party said that they would arrange the meeting another time, so luckily my dad and his colleagues got to tour the canal, in a beautiful blue canoe and when they came back after completing the ride, they found Peter still there. His wife Serena who was now there to take the scooter back home.Apparently, Simone had told her the whole episode and she had immediately gone and collected the ticket from her husband and had promptly paid the fines. She was asking her husband to resume his work and not to worry.She said that, she wouldn’t confiscate the scooter from him and off she went with her scooter.

Peter saw dad and his group, and he said-“I am sorry, for behaving like a child.I don’t like my brother-in-law at all, but he is a piece of real work.But my wife is very kind and merciful.She paid the fine from her monthly savings and now I know that she loves me a lot. I hope that my brother-in-law changes his name, because my lovely Serena has said that she wouldn’t confiscate the scooter from me.” He chuckled and got inside the canoe and suddenly Simone appeared there-“Well, well, Serena has paid the fines. Good for you having such a wife who pays for her husband’s utter disregard for traffic laws.”

Peter-“Don’t disturb me.I am on duty.”

Simone-“Well I am off duty now and I won’t change my name “. Saying so Simone took off.

Peter to my my dad and his colleagues-“See, I told you, he is a real piece of work.I knew it, that he wouldn’t change his name.Thank you to all for cooperating with me.”

This happening was translated by one of my father’s colleagues.

Ciao.

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Canadian Maple Syrup.

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Yesterday, we went to a mall.In there a gourmet shop has opened up recently.

So, with a good amount of curiosity and with a pinch of simplicity, Ma and me we both entered the shop.

Inside, that shop there were many new items, which I had not seen before. Some were from Australia, some from Germany; like this there were many imported and assorted items.

After touring the grocery and frozen foods section, we went to the bakery and confectionery section.

Soon, a salesman came and offered us a product of his company, which they were selling at fifty percent discount from the market rate and while we were talking with him, my eyes fell on the top most shelf.

On the top most shelf,there were three big bottles of original Canadian maple syrup, of three different companies. I was simply overjoyed. Few days ago I had written a post named-Banana pie with Maple Syrup.

So,I was looking for them, for sometime now. As soon as I would get my hands on those, we would go home, make those soft and nice banana pies and over it drizzle a good amount of Canadian maple syrup.So I immediately showed Ma those bottles and I asked for one of those and Ma readily agreed to buy them.

So, I called the shop salesman and asked him to fetch down the bottle of the maple syrup, as it was kept on a very high shelf.As soon as I said this to him, he says -” sir, I am sorry.The stool which we have is not long enough for me to reach the shelf.”

Then I asked him-“Then how come are they kept so high?”.

He replied-“Sir, once a week, when the suppliers come to refill their stock,they themselves keep them and arrange them high up, as they bring a step ladder with them. Last time, they only had three bottles of Canadian maple syrup with them, so they arranged them higher up, so that the products which they had in larger quantities, could be arranged below.”

Me-” How am I supposed buy the syrup then?”

Salesman-“You can place an order at the counter and within the next four to five days, you will be able to get.”

Me and Ma we both looked at each other and nodding our heads, we came out of the shop.

I had truly hoped that they would have a spare bottle of maple syrup here and there; but they didn’t.

Maybe next time when we visit that store, we will be able to get it.

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Cookies.

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The soft but brisk home made warm cookies are the best thing to eat or rather dunk in milk, tea and coffee.

When Ma makes it at home, I simply feel that heaven is on earth. When she takes it out of the oven , wearing those big fat oven gloves and holding the tray in her right hand, I break out into a cookie dance, i.e. a dance which I only do when I see those warm, hot,fuzzy and sizzling brown or dark brown cookies and sometimes Ma makes them gooey and I simply love those.She puts a bit of caramel inside it and when I bite into those caramel cookies, my mouth goes on eating, enjoying and relishing every last bit and crumb of them.

One day I was feeling tired, so I laid to down to take a nap.About twenty minutes later, in my semi-sleep, I started smelling something that smelled like hot and warm home made cookies. I thought maybe I was imagining it, but the smell started getting more stronger and stronger and in an instant with the speed greater than that of a mach jet, I got out of bed and rushed into the kitchen. It confirmed my suspicion.Ma had made cookies in her oven and now I was going to have them with a glass of milk and believe it or not that whole tray of cookies would be over by the next morning and evening.

I have tasted cookies in the bakeries, pastry shops and malls, but I find them all to have been made too much professionally.

A cookie, made by Ma is something altogether different.

Those caramel cookies and the fruit and nut cookies which she makes are simply delicious to eat and before a whole day passes away, I always find that the whole tin of cookies have simply vanished into the thin air, by my courtesy, as and while having them, I don’t keep a track of them, but when tin becomes completely empty, it feels like, “what happened to those cookies and where did they disappear”?

 

baking basket book bottle

 

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Ultimately it rains.

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After nearly waiting for a week for the rains to come, the rains have finally arrived. It was a nice downpour, that lasted about an hour.

There were thunders and continuous lightning across the sky.

The wind became very cool and it was flowing very softly.I hope that the temperature comes down and gives all relief from the summer heat and it must rain more to dissipate the supreme summer heat.