My lil space

I woke up at 8:00 looking out through my curtains at the ominous looking skies that decided to open up today. Over coffee, I turned on the TV to listen to the weather channel as my thoughts drifted back home. Agriculturalists and city dwellers rejoiced the showers and lamented heavy rains equally in India. The first showers would invariably bring a sigh of relief to all Madrasis as the earth instantly sucked up the rain harvested water. As the state of happiness is an illusion, a few days into the monsoon, frustration sets in with the cloudy skies.

In the past year, I have been rediscovering what I learnt from the books about 10 years back. I am going to spare the details of how these trips came to be and delve directly into Nature's beautiful landmarks and the impact of man's activities.

The first place, I went to last year was Mono Lake - the silent, sailless landlocked sea - paraphrasing Mark Twain (Roughing it. Chapter 38). Mono Lake was formed approximately 760,000 years and is 3 times more hyper saline than any of the oceans in the world. There is an unmistakable stench of the highly alkaline water even when you are about a 100 ft away from the water. Mono lake was formed by the Long Valley volcanic eruption and is dated to be the oldest lake in North America. Fed by glaciers in the Ice Age and various streams from the Sierra now, there is a continuous supply of salts flowing into the lake. With no outlet to the ocean, the dissolved salts from the streams stay in the lake and increase the pH. When the calcium bearing spring water mixes with the alkaline water, precipitation occurs and small calcite tufas were formed in Mono Lake. Also the alkanity is so high, that stained piece of cloth dipped in the lake will look as clean as it would be after a heavy laundry load. Mono lake sustains a very unique ecological niche. A pH of 10 makes the lake hostile to fishes. However, the lake sustains 4-6 trillion brine shrimp (Artemia monica). They definitely can't be used to cook the exquisite dishes in Asian restaurants. About the size of a thumb nail, brine shrimp is found only in Mono Lake. During the cold winter, there are no shrimp in the lake but plenty of dormant cysts which the female shrimp laid in the summer and fall. Simultaneously during this time, the microscopic planktonic algae reproduce rapidly feeding from the nutrients from the runoffs making the lake look like green pea soup in winter. As the water gets warmer in spring, the tiny shrimp begin to grow and start feeding on the algae. By summer and fall, the shrimp population rise to more than a trillion making the lake look like a thick shrimp soup. Though these shrimp have no culinary value to humans, they attract more than 2 million water birds, including shore birds which use Mono Lake en route to warmer waters. The California gulls also nest in Mono lake. It is difficult to miss the swarming alkali flies while visiting Mono lake especially in Summer. These scuba equipped flies that can swim in the water largely feed on the algae and are considered a delicacy by the Kutzadikas (The native Indian tribe in the area).

In 1941, the city of Los Angeles decided to divert water flowing into Mono basin to provide water for the growing LA population. This upset the delicate balance between the water inflow and water outlet (through evaporation) resulting in a 31% reduction in the surface area of the water. As the volume of the water halved, the pH of the water doubled. The islands in the lake which were once nesting grounds became accessible by mammals like coyotes forcing many birds to abandon the lake. The submerged tufas were exposed to the surface. With lesser water flowing into the lake, there were lesser algae in the river reducing the shrimp population too. The exposed alkali bed led to particulate matter in the air called alkali dust resulting in violation of the Clean Air Act. The lake and its diverse ecology was starting to die. Luckily for the brine shrimp and the small community of Lee Vining, David Gaines formed the Mono Lake Committee in 1978. After years of struggle, the California State Water Resources Control Board issued an order to protect Mono Lake and its tributary streams in 1994. In 1996 the water level in Mono Lake rose up to 1,946 m (10m short of what it was in 1941).

If you plan a visit to the Mono Lake, I would also recommend going to Mammoth Lakes - a beautiful resort nestled in the Sierras.

The next place I visited more recently is Black Chasm - a National Natural Landmark located about 1.5 hours away from Sacramento. I have read a lot about stalactities and stalagmites in 7th grade and seen pictures of it but the experience of being in a cave was exhilirating. Black Chasm is a vertical cave which was discovered during the Gold Rush. When the entrance to the cave was first exploded with dynamite and opened, people were disappointed to find marble (a metamorphic rock) which indicated that there would be no gold ore (which is an igneous rock). How does a place in the middle of the land have metamorphic rocks? The reason for this dates back to formation of the Sierras which trapped the sedimentary rocks in the Pacific Ocean as the mountains rose from the North American plate. One determined miner decided to make his gold, by allowing tourists to get in the cave and take any pieces of stalactites they could find for an ounce of gold. After three years, when most of the stalactites were taken away in the first room, he abandoned the cave. A construction company that took over decided to blast this wondeful cave to extract marble for building roads. With the intervention of the local community and recommendation of the National Speleological Society, this cave was assigned a status of a National Natural Landmark in 1966. Currently the cave is owned by the Sierra Recreational Center and is maintained for the scientific studies and tourism.

Since the Black Chasm is a vertical cave, the entry into it unbelievably narrow. This also keeps bats away from the cave because the bats sonar hits the cave walls very quickly and they don't realize that it is more space inside. Currently the Black Chasm has 9 rooms and 5 lakes in it and is a continually growing cave. A hairline thin crack in the marble is sufficient to form stalactites. When rainwater containing carbon dioxide seeps through this crack, it dissolves the limestone. The water droplet that reaches the edge of a rock (ceiling of the cave) drips down due to gravity and the precipitate calcium carbonate is left behind. This forms a tiny ring of calcite. Every subsequent drop will result in more rings elongating the first one to form a soda straw. As deposits collect around the soda straw, water flows on its sides and precipitates leading to a stalactite in a conical shape. When water flows along the edge of the rock before dripping, flowstones are formed which look like curtains in the cave. The first room at the very beginning has all traces of human activities where the stalactites have been touched or chopped off. Touching a stalactite causes the oil from the hands to stick to the stalactite. Since evaporation of water is crucial to the formation of a stalactite and water and oil don't mix, touching a stalactite should be strictly avoided. Moreover acids from the hand could react with the stalactites (which is limestone) and erode them. As I moved to the second room, I noticed how deep the cave was. About a 140 ft below where I was standing, I could see a small portion of Lake Reflection - one of the 5 lakes in the cave formed by dripping water. The lakes in the cave supported life forms like plankton and shrimp. Spiders were also seen on a few occassions in the cave. The cave was wet and I held tight to the railings while walking down the paths. As I entered the third room, I noticed a themometer which showed a temperature of 57 F. The temperature in the cave stayed at 57F throughout the year as caves tend to maintain the average median temperature of the surface above them throughout the year. Caves are also resilient to earthquakes which only affect the surface of the earth. The only problem might be that the outlet to the cave would get shut by the quake. The third room was eeriely silent because there was no water flow. This meant that no more stalactites or stalagmites would ever grow there again. How did the holes that once dripped water seal? I was shown what appeared to be a false floor on the wall and a line that led from it around the room. Below me, I saw a huge stalagmite weighing a few tonnes. Geologists speculate that the false floor was the orginal floor level containing the stalagmite. The earth below consisted of loose sediments which were washed away during the Sierras formation. The false floor crumbled under the weight of the stalagmite and this created a lot of dust in the air. The sand in the air combined with limestone and dripping water forming a key ingredient of modern day construction - cement - sealing all the pores in the room - the wonders of Nature. However, the third room was the reason Black Chasm was designated as a National Natural Landmark. Though the room shut itself to stalactites and stalagmites - it fostered the growth of a third speothem - helectites. Unlike the regularity of stalactites and flow stones, helectites can be found in different shapes - branching off vertical crystals, looping around, tying a knot, and resembling your favorite animals - deer, cobra, dragons etc. Capillary forces and wind are two of the possible explanations for how helectites are formed. Tiny fragile helectites in this cave is the densest growth found in the west coast and saved this beautiful chasm. Unfortunately the other rooms were not accessible by easy paths but we could peak into the dragon room which had the largest number of stalactites.

As we came out of Black Chasm, I turned behind to look at the unsuspecting dark entry that had held some of the earth's best kept secrets for centuries.

I would like to thank Naren for suggesting Black Chasm.

The villagers looked out of their dark, dingy huts. The huge coconut trees were swaying violently and the bright sky suddenly darkened in fury. Khin Myat, looked out of the window, the wrinkles deepening on his face. This was the third consecutive year where the cyclone had hit his farms and the third year that he and his family will go deeper and deeper into debts.

Raghu scorned as his mom told him to go bring the two buckets of water. The monsoons were late this year and there was water shortage in Chennai again. This had become a daily routine. Every eveing at 6 pm, a truckload of water came to the street which had around 300 families. Each house got two buckets of water (some areas had more erratic water supply - once in two days or three). Two buckets of fresh water for Raghu's family of four for an entire day with some underground brackish water used to flush toilets.

A year later...

Tanya had joined WHO and her first assignment was in Xavi, Ghana. As she peered into the 100 year old dried up well that served water to the entire community, Tanya was horrified thinking back on her hour long relaxing showers. She clutched on to her plastic bags of water (the only source of sanitized water).

Ba Kaung finished his work day and came back home. It had been barely a week since Khin committed suicide, but there was no time to mourn. There were fewer hands to help in the farm and Khin had the responsibility as the head of the family. He prayed to the rain Gods for a good harvest this year.

The monsoons had quenched the parched city. With diligent measures by the Government to enforce rain water harvesting through the city, the ground water levels improved as the earth greedily sucked up the rains. No more 6pm schedules, thought Raghu as he lazily let the water flow down while brushing his teeth.

One of the five elements of nature making earth hospitable to life, water is the most used and abused natural resource. Population growth, urbanization and increased domestic and industrial water use worsens the situation. According to WHO statistics as of 2008, water scarcity affects 4 out of every 10 people. Some of us live in countries where the ratio is less than the global average, making the problem less significant to notice. However, a conscious effort has to be made to reuse, recycle and conserve water. A good starting point would be here. My top 10 from this list:

1. There are a number of ways to save water, and they all start with you.
2. When washing dishes by hand, don't let the water run while rinsing. Same applies for brushing your teeth.
3. Run your clothes washer and dishwasher only when they are full. You can save up to 1,000 gallons a month.
4. Wash your fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of running water from the tap.
5. Collect the water you use for rinsing fruits and vegetables, then reuse it to water houseplants.
6. Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you'll save up to 150 gallons per month.
7. Collect water from your roof to water your garden.
8. When doing laundry, match the water level to the size of the load.
9. Use a commercial car wash that recycles water.
10. Check for leaks in your house and fix them ASAP.

March 22 is World Water Day. Adopt atleast one conservation technique and make a difference to the world.

Marley and Me - I must admit that I didn't know about the book till I saw the movie trailer. And though the movie trailer fondly reminded me of Ceiloo, I had my apprehensions to go watch the movie. I had gone on a long vacation to India when the movie released in the US. Curious to know what it was about, I caught hold of the book in Landmark. I quickly read the gist of the story and knew that it was a little more than just a naughty little dog. I wanted to read the book, but ah well, who needed Marley when I was with Ceiloo? So I spent the days in Madras trying to make up for all the lost time with Ceiloo - watching him sleep, feeding him, taking him to the beach, kissing him in plenty, hugging him tight while sleeping - wanting the clock to freeze at every moment that I spent with him. I came back to the US with a heavy heart, and thoughts of Ceiloo lingering in my mind, to find a pile load of things TODO - catch up at work, move into a new house, car servicing, etc. etc. The apartment I moved in was a dream house, overlooking a park and guaranteeing a peek of atleast one dog whenever I looked out of the patio during the daytime. Score! My yearning for Ceiloo and a faithful companion increased exponentially till my parents convinced me to keep my rash decisions at bay. I finally decide to get the book.

I am at loss of words to describe the book. Every page I read was recalled with analogies from Ceiloo's life to my mom every day for the last 10 days. that I took to read it. How could a 90lb Lab and a 20 lb Daschund be so similar in their habits - they both loved kids, stole food shamelessly, chased birds, whimpered when there was a thunderstorm, humped like no tomorrow, loved the beach, feared flights, and became the apple of the family around them? There were of course stark differences - Ceiloo was definitely not what one would call a friendly dog. He barked at every stranger (bit a few too) except kids, hated to get wet, looked upon any dog of the same sex and any other animal to be his worst enemy, fussed to eat and was definitely not dumb headed. We used to joke often that his acumen deserved the merits of an Ivy league school. Despite all this, Ceiloo was as impossible, adamant and cute as Marley was. The book was not just a walk through of 13 years of Marley's life in the Grogan household. It let me relive 13 years of Ceiloo in our family. All the memorable incidents and accidents by Ceiloo that were buried in the chasms of my memory churned up again. I am sure the experience of reading the book must be similar for anyone from a "dog household".

As I neared the end of the book, I knew what was going to happen to Marley. It has become a taboo in my house to talk about the inevitable. Ceiloo's birthdays in the last few years have torn us apart, especially because of the overwhelming questions of "How old is he?" followed by naive insensitive, nevertheless innocent statements like "Thats a really old for a dog!". The thought of a life without Ceiloo has made led to many spend sleepless nights. Though I live many thousands of miles away from home, an occassional bark that I hear over the phone and his numerous gimmicks retold by my parents has let me chug along. Some of Marley's symptoms like arthiritis has slowly started hitting Ceiloo too. He also has a thin layer of cataract , reacts slowly and tires easily. Ceiloo is spending most of his time sleeping and conserving his energy just like Marley did in his retirement days. These symptoms have not gone unnoticed but I was totally unprepared for what lay ahead. Reading about Marley's suffering made my eyes swell. And everytime I read about his stomach twists and his falls from the stairs, tears streamed down my eyes blocking what I was reading. I have always prided myself of being a passive detached book reader and movie watcher. But last night at 1:00 am, I was crying for Marley, Grogans and every family that has lost a dog (and partly for our family and Ceiloo). The book opened a pandora's box of fears but also gave me the courage and assurance that I will be able to face the end. A big part of me will fade away with Ceiloo, but the years with him has taught me a lot more and helped me develop myself to what I am today. Ceiloo came into my life when I was 12 years old and I think no one knows my sea of experiences and waves of emotions since then better than him. A pet can truly bring out the best in a person and a family around them. Peace be with Marley and families that have lost their beloved little ones.

PS: I haven't watched the movie and it will take me a while to brace myself to see it. However I encourage everyone to read the book or watch it. More info @ http://www.marleyandme.com

She remembered the days when she used to look into his eyes and he stared back at her, bringing a smile to her face.  She remembered the days when he fell sick out of no where and she rushed him to the doc and nurtured him till he was healthy again.  She remembered the days when he ate like he was going to hibernate for the next 6 months and the days when he refused to eat for no reason.  On those days, she sat with him and fed him till that little tummy of his bloated.  She remembered the day when he proudly fathered his daughter whom she welcomed to her home too.  She remembered the day they both ran around the garden.   She remembered how he hated to take bath.  She remembered his angry self.  She remembered his wet nose and adorable fur.

She remembered those aching days when she was away from him, on the other side of the globe.  She remembered those vacations that she took back home which filled the emptiness in her life without him.  She remembered the day she gave up everything and went back home to be with him.  She remembered her life being the same old way.  

But all these memories faded so quickly and she remembered that day.  The day she saw him eat and a little while later saw him frozen in the rain.  As she picked him up, she felt a crumbling sensation inside her.  A part of her died inside.  The moment kept coming back and haunting her - did she leave everything to see this?   She was clouded by sorrow and she still is.  But the good times with him are something that they both will cherish forever and ever.   

The theme was Italian. We had a fake italian amongst us too - the xxxxxvetti. So we decided to be hardcore - cook italian, drink italian and watch italian (We couldn't speak or think or be one). Yes you heard me right - COOK - not the easy readymade flat bread called a pizza, but something more exquisite. We decided to make tiramisu. Since we were determined to make such an elaborate dessert, we went light on the main course - just pasta. So here is how we made it:


Not to forget Emeril Lagasse's 5 star recipe on Food Network.
We spent more time shopping for ingredients than we spent making it. Sadly enough one of the major ingredients - the bread called lady fingers was not available at any store and we resorted to using angel pound cake (a grave mistake). Buying all the ingredients for a one time dessert made it the most expensive Tiramisu ever made. So after making the cream and dipping the bread in espresso and wine and laying it all out we set to cook dinner and watch a movie. After three hours, viola - the tiramisu was ready. It tasted great, but for a flaw. - the angel pound cake was too soft and absorbed too much espresso which was very evident. But who cares, our first effort in an exquisite recipe was a success. All the four of us who cooked it took different portions of the tiramisu home. As I ate the tiramisu again, in the night I felt something which didn't strike me until today morning - the pseudo Italian's roommate who had tiramisu got high - yes, we were a little too liberal with the wine.