West Maui 3/7

Hawaii Travelogue - Part 3

West Maui

Kahana Beach was right outside our hotel, the Outrigger Royal Kahana Resort. It was a long stretch of beautiful silver white sands that curved around the shore. The west coast is windy yet the waves are not too wild and the waters were warm. We could see the islands of Lana’i and Moloka’i in the distance. The first evening we walked upto the end of our beach only to see turtles (honu) swimming and frolikcking about near the rocks. We watched them as the sun set into the horizon. The west side is known for its calmer waters, turtles and snorkeling. 


I stand in West Coast Maui
Strong winds caress the coconut tree
Sway, a salute to the vast sea
Lanai and Molokai out at sea
Honu (turtle) swim by the beach
Sands greet incoming waves
a crab peeps out to play
Nature in harmony 


We had an ocean front view from our room, so enjoyed the breathtaking sunset each evening from our balcony along with pineapple - What’s a trip to Hawaii without eating pineapple? On the 2nd night we were there, we watched a sliver of a moon rise up in the sky right after sunset. The sea had turned a dark grey, almost black, in the absence of sunlight. The rising moon cast its silver light that spread out like a path on that dark sea upto the horizon. It was amazing.


Sea bathed in lunar light
A sliver of heavenly satellite
Moonlight meets the waves
Amazement in its wake
Shimmering path on the dark sea
Crossing the horizon into eternity. 


Near our hotel was a farmers market store which was like a mini Whole Foods. It was all organic and to our surprise, completely vegetarian. They has some lovely dishes in their salad bar and their prepared foods section. We got some yummy coconut milk soup one time and some bean burritos there as well. 
 

Kapalua Beach is the prettiest in West Maui. The water is relatively calm and we saw several people snorkeling. It is also apparantely popular for weddings. On both our visits there, there were at least 2 weddings going on, on either side of the beach. A native islander priest dressed in a colorful floral aloha shirt, a brown ‘lava lava’ (wrap skirt or lungi) and a grass skirt of ki leaves, conducted the ceremony. It contrasted with the formal western wedding wear worn by the bride and groom - the bride wore a white wedding dress and the groom a black suit or tux. We were not near enough to hear the ceremony for obvious privacy reasons but at the end of the ceremony the priest would blow a conch shell which startled me each time I heard it. There was a couple of unnamed beaches on the west side that we visited that were really nice too. Along the way we also saw a lone canoe making its way.

Lahaina which is just south of Ka’anapali is very ‘touristy’ with its many souvenir ships, restaurants, open air Hawaiian band and crafts fair. It is also a harbor of sorts where lots of expedition boats start out - right from ferries to Lanai to deep sea fishing to whale watching to coral reef sightseeing. There was lots of parking and it was very accessible. I enjoyed some exotic fruit smoothies and ice cream (with passion fruit, guava, pineapple) in the many shops there.  

The South side also has some nice beaches but again calmer ones. I watched a sinking sun as I munched a burger in a restaurant on Kihei Beach. 

Hawaii Travelogue 2012
Part 1 - Aloha Maui
Part 2 - I Survived the Road to Hana
Part 3 - West Maui
Part 4 - North Beaches and Watermen
Part 5 - Whale of a Tail
Part 6 - Humuhunukunukuapua'a and the Coral Reef
Part 7 - Living Aloha

I Survived the Road to Hana 2/7

Hawaii Travelogue - Part 2 of 7


I Survived the Road to Hana

.. A narrow road
.. Hairpin bends
.. 620 curves
I survived the Road to Hana!

Highway to heaven
Is through a lush rainforest
What’s a rainforest without rain?
Rain lashes and teases in turn
Revival written in emerald green
Why would I not…
… survive the Road to Hana

Majestic cliffs upto 6000 feet
Waves crash and roar beneath
Ambrosial ocean to eternity
Cool breeze stirs the soul
Why would I not
… survive the Road to Hana

.. 54 (single lane) bridges
.. traffic backed up at each
.. five hour drive
.. for 68 miles
I survived the Road to Hana!

Trickling streams
Through the evergreen
Cascading waterfalls
.. A dozen or more
.. Right by the road
Ocean and Forest, Sapphire and Emerald 
Balm to the eye
Why would I not
.. survive the Road to Hana

Aloha Oi’
Hana No Ka Oi’ (Maui is the best)
Mau Loa (forever)


The Road to Hana is an amazing experience, complete with its 54 single lane bridges and 620 curves. Many visitors simply prefer to take tourist buses rather than drive but the real fun comes in driving the rather crazy winding narrow road and stopping where you felt like. (Caveat: Dad was the one driving and watching for those blind curves.) We left at 6am itself so that we would be there and back before it got dark. There are no gas stations after the town of Pa’ia too! The route is littered with hairpin bends and blind curves and many single lane bridges. Traffic backs up one end of these bridges to allow the other side to pass. The road was build in 1926 so it’s been around for a while. Before the 1990s the road was unpaved making for some pretty nasty potholes after the rains – hence the phrase “I survived the road to Hana.” The road is still unpaved with no barrier in some parts.


Hana lies in the mountainous eastern region of Maui and gets an incredible amount of rain (almost 400 inches), making that area a veritable lush green rainforest with its multitude of flora and fauna. Epiphytes like ferns, mosses and liverworts grow on the trunks of giant trees that form an enormous canopy. Bouts of heavy rain, and sprinkles of showers alternate along the ride, but what’s a rainforest without rain? Mosses are the sponge-like water storage reservoirs of the rainforest - there some 12000 species of mosses alone in the Hana rainforest. And what’s a forest if not for the tree – lots and lots of trees like Eucalyptus and Koa trees. The Hala tree with its aerial root system really stood out in its uniqueness. There were patches of ki plants – the leaves of the ki are used in making the leaf-skirts that Hawaiian dancers wear and also used to wrap food when cooking. The green growth contrasts with the bright blooming flowers like the Anturium, Bird of Paradise, Heliconia, Awapuhi and Hibiscus.

Getting an eyeful of the scenery, especially the many waterfalls along the way is what makes the journey so great. A waterfall seemed to pop up every few mile-markers - quite delightful in the way it merrily cascades over the hill and rock. The Waikuni falls (around mile marker 19) were like 3 parallel waterfalls all packed in one place. There was quite the parking jam as cars and buses alike scrambled to park on the already narrow road. The road divided one of the waterfalls just after mile marker 21, so from one side of the bridge you were viewing the top of the waterfall as it fell down. That was quite a sight. The waterfall just after Pua’a Ka’a Park (23) fell in two levels with a wide mossy pool between. At some places, water tricked down green vines that clung to the rock wall on the sides of the road– it looked like a shimmering green curtain as the sunrays refracted through the water drops. All these variations in the way falling water display itself to the human eye is quite astounding.


The views seem to get better the deeper you go. The views of the forest on one side was more than matched by the magnificence of the ocean on the other side. Emerald on one side and sapphire on the other – Wow! Green, vegetation covered cliffs swept down to patches of white sands and waves that frothed and danced about, like that seen at the Kaumahina Park lookout point (12). We drove down to get a closer look at the Ke’anae peninsula (which we had seen from above) What a color contrast there was at the coast– a blue ocean leading to white waves crashing on the black rocky coastline – all against the green of the vegetation covered shore. The rocks were pretty slippery though. Dad and I tried to climb down to of the rocky planes along the shore, it was a little slippery so we got off. Good thing, cuz a few seconds later a big wave crashed and just swept over that area – had we been on it, we could have gotten swept away. The Ke’anae Peninsula appeared to be a popular fishing site as there were a number of fishing poles securely anchored to the rocks just waiting for the poor unsuspecting fish to take the bait. Can’t help but feel sorry for the carefree fish that will end up on someone’s plate. There were a few fishermen around but most of the fishing poles were unmanned. There was supposed to be taro fields in that area but some local Hawaiians told us there they were no longer there (later on TV we found that there is some water issue going on for the small farmers). Fortunately I got to see taro fields during my trip to Kaua’i 2 years ago and got to even eat a taro burger. At Ka’anae we got to munch on some banana bread. They were freshly baked at a small local store near the peninsula and the warm banana bread was just ono ono (absolutely delicious). 


Sometime after Pua’a Ka’a Park, the rainforest starts thinning out and we started to see more of the shrub type of plants and flowers. The road also get narrower!! There were a few unmanned few fruits stands along the way – totally based on honor system. The price was listed – for example 6 bananas were $1. You simply put the money in a box next to the stand and take the fruits. At one place Dad bought Passion Fruit (lillikoi in Hawaiian), which I tasted for the first time. This variety is yellow on the outside and has a hard gourd like shell. Inside is a yellow-orange like jelly with lots of black seeds. The jelly, which you scoop up with a spoon, is what you eat. It has a tart but tangy taste – a very pleasant and interesting taste, which I enjoyed enormously. Passion fruit is used extensively in drinks and desserts (like ice cream) which I got to enjoy too while I was in Hawaii. 

The town of Hana is significant for Hawaiians as it is the birthplace of Queen Ka’ahumanu, who was largely responsible for converting Hawaiians to Christianity (around 1820s). Just last week, we had studied the annexation of Hawaii in our US History. By 1892, Hawaii had already become important for the settlers in terms of its potential for sugar cane and as a trading port for trade with China. Almost two-thirds of the land was owned by non-Hawaiians. The Hawaiian King was persuaded to let the US build a naval base on Oahu (Pearl Harbor) in 1887. When Queen Liluokalani tried to reassert Hawaiian sovereignty with a new constitution in 1893, the marines were brought in. The queen surrendered and the US officially annexed Hawaii in 1898. 

The small town of Hana is very scenic on all sides, nestled amongst all that greenery. We had some delicious Thai soup in a roadside restuarant near the Hana School. Hana itself is a quiet and peaceful place and very laid-back. The entire Hana Hwy region, including Hana felt more ‘island-like,’ than the over-commercialized parts of west-Maui. Hana once was the sugar-capital of Maui and has its small one lane airport and port. My Raghavan Thatha (grandfather) had spent 4 days in Maui almost 30 years ago. He loved his visit there. It must have been even less developed then and even more beautiful. I got my “I survived the Road to Hana,” T-shirt at a local gift shop. 

Beyond Hana on the Hana Hwy is Hamoa with its Koki and Hamoa Beach. Homoa Beach is said to be the most picturesque beach on Maui and it did not fail to live upto that name. The waves were so high that you could not see the line of horizon when standing on the beach. It was just one magnificent wave after wave on the shore. There were barely a handful of people so it was like being on your very private beach. Sea cliffs (pali) surrounded the bay like beach and you could see the small island of Ala'u. All these islands are delightful with their coconut tree topping. Vaguely in the far distance is supposed to be the Big Island of Hawaii (which we visited 2 years back). The edges of the beach were lined with Plumeria flowers and there were dozens of the fallen Plumeria. 

Time was getting on, and we needed to get back before dark. The forest turned a darker green in the fading light. Hana was pure delight overall. 

- Hari Srinivasan

Hawaii Travelogue 2012
Part 1 - Aloha Maui
Part 2 - I Survived the Road to Hana
Part 3 - West Maui
Part 4 - North Beaches and Watermen
Part 5 - Whale of a Tail
Part 6 - Humuhunukunukuapua'a and the Coral Reef
Part 7 - Living Aloha

Living Aloha 7/7

Hawaii Travelogue Part 7 of 7

Living Aloha

Aloha is this all-encompassing word in Hawaii  - it can be used for a simple hello type of greeting to symbolizing a way of life itself. In the evenings, we watched various programs on TV where the discussion was focussed on 'Living Aloha.' - which is kind of like a cultural identity. Progress means rapid westernization and commercialization, and this leaves many kamaaina (long time residents or locals) feeling like they have lost their Hawaiian/ Polynesian identity. Now there is an effort to revive this identity. (This is actually a common trend across the US, for are we all not hyphenated americans.)  Realizing that the movement requires the active participation of the younger generation, there was a show with 2 teen girls taking the issue head on. They outlined a 3 step plan with Hawaiian titles which was both interesting and based on common sense. 

Shaka or  the hang-loose hand gesture, originally popularized by the surfers, seems  to appear on a great many T-shirts in addition to almost every guide mentioning it. (This hand gesture is where you stick your pinky and thumb out, while closing the remaining 3 fingers.) Perhaps it is reflective of the laid-back island attitude. On TV we also saw some local dances - Hawaii has more than just the basic Hula dance, which the mainland  knows of. It was interesting to watch. I also saw how they make the  tapa cloth. Leaves of the pandanus tree are dried and beaten with a wooden club and these are then dyed and painted. We have tapa cloth at home from Tonga where Mom lived as a child. Each polynesian island has it own set of designs that they paint on. 

The other overriding issue that Hawaiians are grappling with is the impact of commercialization of their island environment.   Even a malihini (newcomer) like myself, notices its effects. West Maui is the most developed part of Maui which is an irony in itself. It is littered with resorts who have sectioned off beaches along the shoreline. All beaches in Maui are technically public beaches and open to the public. But the way the resorts have been built with their elaborate roads and limiting parking only for residents, makes these beaches almost private beaches in practice. Napili and Ka’ahaina were 2 of the beaches where you go crazy trying to figure out the parking situation. Somehow the charm of an island is lost if you are surrounded by tall resorts, artificially lit palm trees and rows of expensive neon-lit shops. You may as well be in Las Vegas. Not to mention the number of golf courses that are needed for one small island. If a tourist who is there for just a couple of days can feel frustrated, it is no wonder that many native Polynesians are even more frustrated as seen in many of their local TV programs. There were many complaints from them about the run-off from golf courses that are negatively impacting the  coastline ecosystem. Native plants and creatures important to them are dying out. Various groups were petitioning  to stop developers from leveling the shoreline areas and building resorts and golf course in various places on different islands. 

The eastern parts like Hana seem more untouched - for now. Rain from the Hana area is channelized via an irrigation system known as EMI in Maui. This is the water for the rest of Maui and for farming. But from the TV programs it appeared that it was the pineapple farms (run by large corporations) who were getting most, if not all of this EMI water. This meant that the small  farmers was losing out and thus the decline of taro farms and other small farms.  It’s unfortunate to hear of this situation in a place that appears to have such a great water source. Hawaii is actually in the dry zone in terms of latitude but gets rain due to the trade winds and the tall mountains. So the windward side of the mountains gets a considerable amount of rain.  Incidentally all the pineapple fields are cordoned off - you have to pay to get a peek at them! What was visible freely in numerous places were the wind-swept sugarcane fields. 

Man vs Nature - the eternal dilemma !

Hawaii Travelogue 2012
Part 1 - Aloha Maui
Part 2 - I Survived the Road to Hana
Part 3 - West Maui
Part 4 - North Beaches and Watermen
Part 5 - Whale of a Tail
Part 6 - Humuhunukunukuapua'a and the Coral Reef
Part 7 - Living Aloha

The Anion needs to go on (Va)Cation

The Anion needs to go on (Va)Cation

Negative charge, the electrons latch on

Mood deteriorates, ionic bond

I am an anion that needs to go on (va)cation

Hang at the transition metal hotel

Sail continents and be a noble gas

A full valence shell, Non-reactive

That’s  (neuro)chemical Equanimity!

ok, this is a chemistry poem.  Taking Honors Chemistry this year, so this poem was bound to happen!
In case chemistry seems like a dim entity, here's a layman's explanation of some of the terms used. 
 Atoms have equal numbers of positive charge protons and negative charge electrons.Atoms can gain or lose electrons in order to form bonds with other elements. Usually they do this in order to complete their electron shells. When an atom loses electrons, it has a net positive charge -  called a Cation. On the flip side, when an atom gains electrons, it has a net negative charge  - called a Anion.
Noble gases have full outer (valence) electron shells so don't feel the need to react. So they are considered pretty stable.
Transition metals are a group of metals kind of positioned in the middle of the periodic table. 

  

Around the World in 80 Years

My Grandfather turned 80 on Aug 25,2012. His natshatram birthday is this Sat Sep 8!

Happy Birthday Thatha. 

Around the World in 80 Years

My Raghavan thatha

Just 80 years young! 

OMG Thatha! What all have you seen?

Ramakrishna Mission started their first school in ‘32

The very school that you and your brothers went to!

Verily, That school is now quite as young as you!

Gandhi was running hunger strikes.

Born in British Madras, now it’s Chennai

Oh how the times change! 

Chennai, Salem and Kerala

Timber, mica and auto parts to boot. 

Fortunes fluctuate with economic turns 

Raghavan, son of entrepreneurial Sadagopan

4 brothers and 2 sisters, a large family

Sadula street house a recounted memory

Their mother departs early, a real tragedy

My mom resembles my kollu-paati

A zoology Prof, a ringside seat

Baby turtles hatching on the beach

Quest for MBA, unusual in his day.

in archeology, finance and industries

Ascension to UN posts of high responsibility

Trotted the globe with fervent energy

Tonga Islands, his home temporarily

Why stop there, said he

Retirement does not mean the end.

I have too much energy.

The Indian Supreme Court beckons!

A law degree needed anon. 

60 is still quite young. 

Dad and daughter both study in college

My mom 20, Thatha in his 50s

Argue Supreme Court cases

… Kaveri waters

… Consumer Protection

………..

Gracious Thatha, What else?

Fall at the feet of Sathya Sai

Possibilities at infinite Parthi

Pray for the grandson. Help him Swami.

Swami agrees “Yes,” ” I’ve blessed.”

Bodily age latches on

Mind says 40 but organs groan 80

Mind wills, the body does not agree.

A universal unavoidability! 

Thatha traversing the world 80 years long.

.. a very interesting journey!

Who knows of the surprises ahead? 

You may live to witness

many accomplishments from me...

including, dare I hope, my near total recovery!

A Birthday that’s easy to remember

It’s always on Krishnajayanthi. 

Celebrating 80 years of your journey. 

Happy Birthday Thatha!

Donner Lake Revisited

I revisited Donner Lake late July and wondered if this visit would live upto last year's visit. [Last visit post] The answer is a resounding Yes. It not only lived upto expectations but beat them.

Jet Ski - my fav activity was tried not once but three times. Nothing like speed for a teen! Its the headiest of sensations. I could do this all day!

 

I had the lively quite talkative Maria as my companion for the tubing activity. She gave a constant stream of advice on everything from keeping my hands inside to the state of her dog.  The tube bumps and thumps on the water as you are pulled by a powerboat around thtre lake. It is quite like trying to ride a bucking horse, except you are quite secure and the chances of falling off are quite slim.

On the  5 person canoe, I was handled a paddle and thought - Why not try. Ok, maybe my paddling contribution was not what made the canoe go, but the thought counts, right? And it was something new and quite enjoyable. I definitely need to do more of it.

]

]

Once you show the aptitude to try out something, more opportunities automatically come your way. Sure enough, when on the 2 person Kayak, I was automatically handed a paddle and contributed (in my own way) to propelling the kayak onward. By no means was I the primary paddler of that kayak but I got a lot of encouragement to keep trying.

Something totally new was riding on a sailboat. A sailboat is totally wind propelled and has a  sail  connected to a central mast. Under the hull of the boat is a keel or centerboard and aft is the rudder. The rudder is manipulated by the tiller (kind of like steering wheel) on top. Obviously going downstream to the wind would be simple as your sail would just have to be perpendicular. The boat is propelled by "tacking" which is kind of like zigzagging to take advantage of the wind coming at your sails at an angle. The wind on the sail creates a lift and  pushes your boat to one side. The keel acts as an opposing force in the water and moves in a leeward direction (away from wind). The result is that the boat propels forward. The physics was both explained and observed. A very clean "green" way to enjoy the lake and quite fast too. Of course I kept wanting to dip my hand in the water so the boat was somewhat lopsided.

It was an activity packed day on the 3 mile long Lake. Donner Lake is in Truckee and just 11 miles from the massive Lake Tahoe - a DSUSA Event. A Big Thanks to Michael Hunter and the wonderful volunteers who truly made this an amazing day.

My Summer Internship at Compass Labs

My Summer Internship at Compass Labs

This internship was something very different for me. Went in not knowing what to expect but ended exposed to new perspectives about the industry. Social media is exciting field full of possibilities with its potential barely scratched. (more to come..)

Amongst my tasks was this writeup, which I had to research and write about. Its on their website today.


A Big Thanks to my mentors Rachel and Molly!

 UPDATE: COMPANY BOUGHT BY YAHOO SINCE

Pondering the Imponderable

Pondering the Imponderable


The answer exists. But
what is the question? That
really is the question

lurks the imponderable
conjectures and observations
waiting to be unraveled

Mind propelled, uncommon reality
flashes of insight, chasm fused tight
pondering the imponderable

A Walk on the Braille Side

A Walk on the Braille Side

The ability to be "Change-Makers" is in all of us. Most take the access-ramp to volunteering for granted, available to them if they choose to volunteer. Being differently-abled puts a whole new light on this access.   Most volunteering opportunities require social interaction skills and the ability to handle oneself without too much assistance. There are many nuances to this - you may have to travel somewhere, meet people, explain, physically assist and have decent fine motor skills. It is no wonder that people with disabilities are, more often than not, excluded from the arena of volunteering.

All of us want to feel productive.

All of us want to contribute.

All of us have bright minds that think.

I’m a high school junior and have had a diagnosis of Autism since age 3. In fact, I only learned to communicate via typing at around age 13.  I have many of the issues that keep me from volunteering in the classical sense – social anxiety, motor issues, and limited speech. Making sandwiches for the homeless was as challenging a coordination task, as was the social aspect of volunteering with the children at the shelter. My sensory system would be overwhelmed and disorganized at, “clean the park” type of volunteering. I was not being productive and mere physical presence at such events was a far cry from being a satisfactory volunteering experience. 

Last year, I was invited to be a part of the team at AccessBraille (formerly Inclusive Volunteers), a new non-profit (www.inclusivevolunteers.org / accessbraille.org). Its founder, Nikhil Dilip is a high-schooler at Harker School in San Jose, CA. He had a disabled uncle who had not been permitted to volunteer at various organizations because he did not have the skills necessary to participate. Nikhil wanted to create an organization that would provide volunteer opportunities for ALL, irrespective of perceived abilities. It was a radical concept as everyone deserved to help out their community if they wished to do so. Inclusive Volunteers works with other non-profits to identify volunteer opportunities. Nikhil’s hope is that Inclusive Volunteers can eventually recruit people from all over the country and hopefully around the world. “If we can become a truly international organization, we will be able to do further volunteer work and help out the organizations that seek our help. In the near future, I hope that we can create a network of volunteers helping out organizations in need of volunteers and rather than we contacting organizations for work to do, we can build up enough trust in these organizations that they can recruit us”

Many of the opportunities would be virtual, which would suit not only suit the disabled but make it very convenient for the abled too. My generation is no stranger to the possibilities of “virtual!” Nikhil’s mother, Viji Dilip, already works for other non-profit, Benetech and Bookshare (bookshare.org) that is involved in a lot of free educational and technology programs around the world. According to Viji Dilip, “Thanks to the internet it is now possible for many people to volunteer from their home. Crowdsourcing has become an acceptable method for organizations to get their work done. This is a win-win situation both for organizations and for volunteers.”

A list of volunteer opportunities is available on the website. For example the Image-Description Activity (bookshare.org) is looking for high school volunteers. The task entails describing images in textbooks. These will later be audio recorded for the visually challenged / blind readers. In the past, images had always been left out of audio recordings. Essentially while you study Biology/History at school, you can volunteer by describing the images in a Biology/History textbook. Students can in essence turn studying itself into an act of volunteering. Currently there is a critical need for volunteers to describe images in Science and History Textbooks.

The volunteer activity closest to my heart, is putting together the periodical Braille Magazine.  The Braille Access Project (brailleaccess.org) delivers mobile blind school kits to remote villages in Africa and Asia. Volunteers in those areas travel by van to remote villages and teach the visually challenged and their families to read Braille. Some areas are so remote, such as the mountainous regions of Nepal, that they are not van-accessible. So volunteers actually deliver the Braille Access Kits on donkeys.

Wouldn’t it be useful if, in addition, they had something interesting to read in Braille? That was the thought behind starting the free Braille Magazine. The Braille magazine, put together by the Inclusive Volunteers team, would accompany the Braille Access kits. Finally, my writing skills could be used to make a difference with my social and physical challenges no longer a hindrance.

We type the words with our fingers.

They will read our words with their fingers.

Reach out…. Our fingers touch theirs.

Imagination flows between the fingertips.

Unlock possibilities!

The magazine was appropriately named, “The Reading Finger.” The short articles were on a wide variety of topics  - from poems to personal narratives to humor to travelogues. The authors have ranged from elementary to high school ages. Most significant of all, the articles came from both abled and disabled youth.  It was truly “Inclusive!”  You can help out by contributing short articles for upcoming issues of the Braille Magazine.

The articles are written in English, compiled and sent to a braille printer for printing in Braille.  A page in English could well translate to as many as 3-4 pages in Braille font. Finished magazines in Braille, accompany the Braille Access Kits to their respective destination. Audio versions of the magazine are recorded, again thanks to volunteers, and are distributed. Every step of the process is done through the help of volunteers.

The very first issue of the ‘Reading Finger,’ last year, reached mobile (and non-mobile) schools in Liberia, Ghana, India and even the mountainous areas of Himalayan Nepal. Braille had reached, “The Top of the World,” - literally! The last issue this year carried a sports theme in honor of the Summer Olympics and Paralympics. The team is at work on the next magazine as we speak.

If you haven’t volunteered before, I urge you all to do so. Volunteering comes in all shapes and forms. The opportunity to make a difference can be just a mere keyboard away!

====

And this was one my writing pieces that won an award. 

La lengua español ,es bonita

Poem written during Spanish1 of High School

=====

Yo termine todos mis lecciones este año. Yo mucho enjoyed aprender español (no tanta le parte de gramatica)

La lengua español ,es bonita

Lenguaje, es bonito (Language - it's beautiful)

Las palabras fluyen como un rio (The words flow like a river)

pero las lecciones de gramatica (but the grammar lessons)

.. un dolor (a pain)

...muchas reglas (lots of rules)

...muchas excepciones a las reglas (lots of exceptions to the rules)

...Muy confusa!  (too confusing!)

Pero... (But)

la lengua español ,es bonita! (the Spanish Language - its beautiful)

P

Summer Ennui

Summer Ennui

School  is out... Now what?
Summer Ennui!

Days of heat stretch
incessantly. Neurons slump and
stagnate. Tedium of monotonous
maze. Malaise of
inactivity. Yawns drown in infinite
apathy


School is out... now what?
Summer Ennui
A Fait Accompli

A Hyphenated American in the nth Dimension

I am an “Indian-American;” a hyphenated-American in a land of millions of other hyphenated-Americans. Even the original inhabitants, the “Native-Americans,” have not escaped the hyphen.  Over the years the hyphen has become a proud celebration of the American in us and cultural heritage that we add to its salad mix. 

A Whale of a Tail 5/7

Hawaii Travelogues - Part 5 of 7

A Whale of a Tail

The North Pacific Humpback whales migrate almost 3500 miles from Alaska to Hawaiian waters during the winter months. They begin their migration from the Gulf of Alaska in early fall and go to Japan, Baja and Hawaii. Whale watching season in Maui starts Dec 15th but sea creatures don’t follow man made calendars. This year the kohala (whale) showed up more than 2 weeks early, which was good news for us as we got to see them during our visit. Gina, our guide on the whale watching raft from the Pacific Whale Foundation, was super excited about their early migration this year. 

The 4 islands of Maui County (Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe) form a shallow ocean basin on the west coast of Maui. It is only around 300 ft deep vs the 1-3 mile deep Pacific beyond this area. Whales come to mate, give birth and nurture their young in the warm Hawaiian waters (around 75 deg), till they are strong enough to go back to Alaska in summer. The humpback whale is so huge that one would think that it can have no predators. But orcas apprantely have a hankering for humpback meat, and will attack the weak and baby humpbacks. Scientists have noticed orca bite marks on juevenile whales that come to Maui. Maui waters provide a predator free environment for the baby whales. However, unlike Alaskan waters, Maui waters are not a good food source (krill or phytoplankton), so the new moms lose almost a quarter of their body weight while nurturing its young. They must go back to Alaska to regain their blubber weight. The calves spend almost almost a year with their moms learning survival skills. 

We were on a small 30 man raft, with just 7 passengers, so there was great viewing angles for all on board. The guides look for the whales by the telltale blowholes they make and its vapor residue. They try not to go too close to the whales so as to not disturb them. They whales are so huge that if they decide to jump, you can’t really miss seeing them. Another way they try to spot whales is to see if other boats have stopped. Sure enough, the ferry to Lanai was standing perfectly still, so our raft headed there. In a few minutes, there was the telltale blowhole - the pirate of old would say “Thar She Blows!”. People on board started getting excited (including moi). 

Whales don’t really like physical interaction ie: they don’t really hang about together or socialize and are pretty much loners. When 2 whales hang out, its because it just happened - kind of like by association. We saw 2 such whales jumping out of the water. One did a full breech jump. That was a cool sight. Then they disappeared under the water for nearly 15 minutes. Then another sighting, this time a tail. Each whale has unique markings on its tale and that’s how scientists track them. Its really a Whale of a Tail. The two were gone again for another 14-15 minutes. These guys sure can hold their breath for a long time. The guide told us that the longest recorded time is 45 minutes. We saw them jump a couple more times. They kind of wandered off after that. 

Whales do have a nifty way of communicating over enormous distances with their cool whale songs. Kind of like having friends on facebook - remote social interaction without the social anxiety of physical interaction. Scientists are still trying to figure out the patterns in their singing behaviors. Its only the males that sings but it does not always seem to mating related. Sometimes all males will sing the same song and it keeps changing as the season progresses. Gina put a underwater mike into the water so that we could hear the sounds they were making. Whales don’t really have vocal cords so they produce sounds by pushing air through valves in their respiratory system. The song is somewhat eerie yet interesting in its singsong quality - its like pieces of a symphony put together. It would be fascinating to learn more about the makeup of their communication system. 

The next 2 whales we saw were a mom and baby - Gina kept saying that someone brought their whale karma with them on the boat, to get to see a baby this early in the season. Maybe that's my whale karma! Baby whales can hold their breath only for around 2 minutes so it was bound to come up more often, which really worked to our advantage. The mom is very protective of her baby - hangs around just underneath even though she does not need to come up. A couple of times both jumped up together with the baby on our side, so that we could see both. Too cool! The mother whale kind of likes to tuck the baby whale protectively under its fin when swimming. A baby whale is some 15-20 feet long so is easily visible to the naked eye. 

Overall a very satisfying whale watching experience for a first timer like me.


Thar She Blows!

Fountain at Sea
Thar She Blows!
Blowhole, a Whale beneath
Humpbacks in Maui Seas

Migrate from Alaska
to warm Hawaiian Seas
Mate and breed calves
Frolic on the beach (not really!)

Mom and baby
Learn survival skills
Others hang about
Singing their symphony

Hawaii Travelogue 2012
Part 1 - Aloha Maui
Part 2 - I Survived the Road to Hana
Part 3 - West Maui
Part 4 - North Beaches and Watermen
Part 5 - Whale of a Tail
Part 6 - Humuhunukunukuapua'a and the Coral Reef
Part 7 - Living Aloha