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Waiting in the Library

Here I sit, waiting in the library

Waiting for someone to take me out, for a walk, for a stroll

To breathe in some fresh air, tired as I am of stale and musty air here in the library

But nobody comes

How I used to enjoy the old days

People moving in and out, students bustling about

Each looking for a book, for me or one of my friends

But they don’t come anymore

The nice lady librarian is gone too; leaving us all alone

And alone we are indeed

Its not just the loneliness that bothers me

Its that feeling of uselessness, that feeling of not being wanted anymore

It used to give me great pleasure before, when I could empty out my secrets, my knowledge to the one who borrowed me

But not anymore

And then, finally, after months and months of waiting, someone unlocks the library door

Walks around and past shelves, taking books out and browsing through them

And then it’s my turn

And he decides to borrow me, deciding after all that I have some information that might be useful to him

He takes me out into the big wide world

After such a long time, there is lots to see and stare at

And he reads me carefully, page by page

When he finds something important, he marks it by folding one of my pages

Yes, it is painful; imagine how you would feel if I folded your ear

But its ok

Dog-eared I might be; but I’m not complaining

It feels too good to be out…out of that old library

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A Guest Blog on Beach Pollution by Aniket Lila

Micro plastics, as the name suggests are plastic particles .5-5 mm in size, which have become a paramount issue in the marine environment. The biggest source of micro plastic formation is the fragmentation of larger plastic materials like plastic bottles by mechanical forces like waves and photochemical processes in the marine environment. Heavy media attention has also been given to the direct use of industrial abrasives, exfoliants and cosmetic products as a source of micro plastic. Cosmetic products contain micro beads that reach the sea via sewage. Shedding of synthetic fibers from textiles during domestic washing also contributes as a source of micro plastic in the environment. All in all, it has been found that consumer and industrial manufacture of plastic products have been the main source of micro plastic pollution of the marine environment.

Micro plastics have the potential of endangering the lives of many sea creatures. Assuming them to be food, micro plastics are absorbed by many organisms via the digestive tract. Turtles and sea birds can consume micro plastics as well, mistaking it for food. Furthermore, toxic substances like Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) attach to these small particles and enter the food chain. Successive biological magnification would then ultimately be harmful to seafood eaters and have the potential. Plastics have been hypothesized to release internal toxins and adsorbed POPs when exposed to heat and there is a risk of toxins leaching into the hot sand. As a result, micro plastic pollution of coastlines is likely to not only be an eye sore for the average beach goer but potentially a toxic danger after prolonged heat exposure.

This is where Sea Turtles Forever (STF) (www.seaturtlesforever.com) comes into the picture! Sea Turtles Forever has been working in the field of marine sea turtle conservation along the Pacific coasts of Costa Rica and Oregon for 11 years. STF has designed an easy to use clean up solution for coastal communities to adopt for their beach remediation efforts cleaning the beach of these harmful particles.

STF Microplastic Filtration System is a carbon neutral, manually operated microplastic filtration system designed to remediate a beach environment to its pristine state.  Each system is operated by three users, one to load the filtration system with polluted sand and two to operate the filter as shown in the pictures above allowing clean pristine sand to pass through the filter.

MBF 2

But the current process is very time consuming and laborious, requiring a lot of manpower. In order to come up with a more efficient solution, a group of students, part of the student organization, Engineers for a Sustainable World at Northwestern University are prototyping machines that could be potentially used for more efficient microplastic filtration.

For any information or questions, feel free to contact Aniket Lila at aniketlila2017@u.northwestern.edu.

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Photographers banned from Goa Beaches

If you have been to a Goa beach, you must have noticed the “freelance” photographers loitering on the beach, taking photographs of the tourists and locals and then trying to sell them back at Rs 50 to Rs 100 per photograph.

Thankfully, these photographers have now been banned by the Goa Tourism Department from disturbing the tourists. If caught, they face a huge penalty of Rs 10,000.

According to the Goa Tourism Department official, “There were lot of complaints against these photographers charging Rs 50-100 per picture. But the basic complaint against them was that they were loitering on the beaches without permission and disturbing the tourists,”.

However, these photographers not only are a nuisance to the tourists and local visitors alike, they are also a danger to the belongings of the tourists which are usually left on the beach while the tourists go into the water. 

It is time that we cleaned up our lovely beaches from illegal hawkers, vendors and photographers so that both the tourist and local visitors can enjoy their time on the beach without being disturbed.

Goa Heritage

Holy Week Celebrations in Goa

My mother blogs from Goa…

Due to the Portugese influence in Goa the Holy week is celebrated as a major festival by the many Christians in Goa alongwith their non Christian friends.We used to go to Goa for the Holy Week many years back when the kids were young. Now being able to stay in the Mitaroy Goa Hotel right in the heart of Panjim, my friend Martha encouraged me to celebrate the Holy week with my Goan friends.

Good Friday is celebrated with great reverence by the Goan Catholics.It takes place at the end of the 40 days of prayer and penance of Lent beginning with Ash Wednesday. There are special masses and processions in almost every Church but the most spectacular is in the capital city of Panaji.This is celebrated in the square of the Mary Immaculate Conception a few minutes walk from the Mitaroy. Large crowds in formal clothes gather to celebrate the Holy Mass in Konkani(the native language) with the sermon describing the sufferings of Jesus Christ. Then the Holy Cross is uncovered for veneration and then renacting the path of Jesuus on Mount Cavalry the cross with an image of Jesus is carried in solemn procession by clergy dressed in special clothes.People walk along side the cross while the procession is watched by hundreds of Hindus and Christians standing in Fellowship along the way.In fact when I told my Hindu friend that I was going to Goa for the Holy Week he vividly remembered the large specatular procession on Good Friday which he had observed 10 years back!! Somber music accompanies the procession as it winds along the streets of Panjim winding up in the Church.

Although Good Friday is a day of fast and abstinence to remember the solemn suffering and death of Jesus,one tradition always indulged in by our family is the buying of Hot Cross buns-special buns with dried fruits and a sugar cross on them.Those who had their feet washed at the Last Supper celebration on the previous day Holy Thursday would have already received theirs from the priest after the washing.

After praying silently on Holy Saturday Christians get ready for Easter to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ.Pealing of bells signals the start of the midnight Easter vigil service,the huge crowds of families and friends ensuring the services are held outdors in the Mary Immaculate square, few minutes from the Mitaroy.

Easter Sunday is a time of indulgence with family and friends after the 40 days of Lent.Beautifully decorated Easter eggs and Easter bunnies are bought for children as gifts.

Goa is the best Easter holiday destination and where better to enjoy the celebrations than staying at the Mitaroy surrounded by Churches and Catholic homes all in celebratory moods.Adults and children are dressed in their new finery Street plays,songs,dances and colorful

carnivals enhance the mood.Some organise games for children and adults involving all the family and friends including treasure hunts to find the Easter eggs and bunnies.and exchange colorful Easer lanterns and even Holy Crosses as gifts.Lavish lunches and diinner parties fill the celebrations and some make or buy Easter cakes to share with one other.

As I tiredly find my way back to Bangalore I am glad I took up my friend’s suggestion and celebrated the Holy Week at the Mitaroy Goa, where surrounded by friends we do not miss our children who could not be with us and still recreate the fervour of Good Friday and the celebration of Easter as in the days of yore when as children we celebrated with our big families and friends…Till another Good Friday and Easter then…

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5 night Goa Honeymoon Package

  • 5 nights Accommodation in our special Honeymoon Suite
  • Complimentary Champagne Breakfast
  • Complimentary Bottle of hand pressed Goan Wine
  • Complimentary Tickets to a Romantic Movie
  • Complimentary Romantic Boat Ride
  • Complimentary Honeymoon Surprise on Arrival
  • Complimentary Late Check Out till 5 pm, subject to availability
  • Complimentary selection of daily Goan Newspapers
  • Complimentary bottled Mineral Water throughout your stay
  • Complimentary Hand made Bath Amenities

5 night Goa Honeymoon Package in a Honeymoon Suite: Rs. 36,000

Honeymoons are special, once in a lifetime experiences and rest assured, we will take special care of you and make your honeymoon something you will remember for the rest of your lives!

Please make your reservations well in advance since we are a small Homestay and are often booked out quite early.

India: +91 94480 87708
Europe: +43 680 2303682

mihirnayak@outlook.com

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