Mulled wine is a traditional winter drink especially around Christmas. Wine spoils over time but can be made drinkable with the addition of spices. Recipes and methods differ among cultures.
Although there are various versions this recipe provided by suite101.com is excellent and simple to make.
Ingredients:
1 bottle (750mL) red wine 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup sugar 2 sticks cinnamon 4 whole cloves 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg Zest of 1 orange
Directions:
In a large pot, bring the water and spices to a slow boil for five minutes. Remove from heat, add the wine, and then warm on low heat for 30 minutes. Make sure not to let the wine boil, as this will burn off the alcohol and destroy the flavours. After the wine is done heating, strain through fine cheesecloth and serve. Makes 4 servings.
Pacu is a common name for species of South American fish that are related to the Piranha.
Contrary to their cousins Pacu are normally herbivorous. The Pacu and the Piranha have similar teeth but the Pacu have squarer teeth compared with those of the Piranha which are razor sharp. Another significant difference is the size of the pacu which is considerably larger than their cousin. The Pacu can grow up to 30Kg in the wild. (read more about the Pacu at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacu)
The Pacu is a great game fish for anglers. In fresh water ponds they will take a starchy flour bait. The Pacu is strong and will put up a good fight all the way. Watch your rod!
“Nobody of any real culture, for instance, ever talks nowadays about the beauty of sunset. Sunsets are quite old fashioned. To admire them is a distinct sign of provincialism of temperament. Upon the other hand they go on.” Oscar Wilde. What a pity.
The word halloween represents the Scottish variant of All-Hallows-Even and the Christian holy day of All Saints. The origins of the tradition are linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain or Samuin (pronounced sow-an or sow-in) meaning “Summer’s end.”
The ancient Celts believed that the line between this world and the Otherworld became thin at the end of summer thus allowing good and harmful spirits to cross over. The family’s ancestors were invited home while evil spirits were to be warded off. It is believed that the ancient Celts disguised themselves as harmful spirits by wearing masks and costumes to avoid harm. The bones of slaughtered livestock would be cast into bonfires and cleansing rituals and divination were practiced. These pagan rituals have elements of a festival of the dead; this is also the night of the Witches’ New Year and the Last Harvest.
Pumpkin Carving (Jack O’ Lanterns)
In ancient times lumps of coals were placed in lanterns carved from turnips or gourds on this magical night. The Jack O’ Lanterns were placed in windows and on porches to welcome deceased loved ones but also to protect against evil spirits.
Pumpkin carving has its origins in the early European settlers, in particular the Irish, who migrated to America. The settlers found the native pumpkin to be the perfect choice for Jack O’ Lanterns because they were larger and easier to carve. This tradition has continued into present times though in modern times, halloween has largely become a secular celebration held on the 31st October.
Rangoli is a fun and popular form of art in India involving either the use of coloured sand, rice flour or rice grains. Some Indians believe the use of rice flour or grains invites prosperity into the home or business.
Originally rangoli were created on a small scale – two square feet. They were traditionally made on auspicious occasions and festivals.
Today, they are created on any occasion. Rangoli have become an elaborate form of floor art and can span several square feet in homes, hotel lobbies and other public walkways. Images with intricate details are more effectively created on a larger scale.
This rangoli is one square foot in size and made with less than 0.5 kg of coloured rice grains. Food colouring was used to dye the rice. Three basic colours, red, green and yellow, were combined in various mixtures to create pink, orange and dark brown. There are no restrictions on the use of colours in these floor designs.
How To Create A Rangoli
Put a few drops of each basic food colour into separate containers and add a few drops of water.
In separate containers experiment with different combinations of the basic colours to derive other hues.
Soak the uncooked grains of rice in the containers and stir them to ensure the grains are evenly coated in colour.
Spread the dyed grains on some paper and leave to dry.
Rangoli designs can be downloaded free from a number of websites.
Print the design to a desired scale and trace it on the floor.
When the rice is dry proceed to carefully fill the spaces with the appropriate coloured grains ensuring that all gaps are covered.
Fire, the chemical reaction between a combustible material, heat and oxygen, burns at temperatures of 1000 degrees celsius and above.
Fire walking has its roots in many cultures and dates back to 1200 BC. Walking on fire is practiced today by Eastern Orthodox Christians in parts of Greece and Bulgaria, the bushmen of the African Kalahari desert, Hindu Indians in South Asia and Southeast Asia, Japanese Taoists and Buddhists and by tribes throughout Polynesia.
In religious practices, fire walking is associated with rites of healing, initiation and faith. Thermodynamics combined with the fact that firewalkers do not linger on the walk prevent the feet from burning. However, walking on fire can still be hazardous leading to burns especially if the walker remains too long on the coals or runs thereby pushing his feet into the coals. Burns can also occur if the coals have not been heated long enough to evaporate their water content. Wet feet can also cause the coals to stick to the sole and increase exposure to the heat. Walking on timber can also lead to burns because it is a more efficient conductor of heat than charcoal.
"The basic purpose of development is to enlarge people's choices. In principle, these choices can be infinite and can change over time. People often value achievements that do not show up at all, or not immediately, in income or growth figures: greater access to knowledge, better nutrition and health services, more secure livelihoods, security against crime and physical violence, satisfying leisure hours, political and cultural freedoms and sense of participation in community activities. The objective of development is to create an enabling environment for people to enjoy long, healthy and creative lives." Mahbub ul Haq (Founder of the UNDP Human Development Report)
Employment Generating Activities
In rural India, traditional cottage industries like basket weaving provide the poor and the hardcore poor with the means of a living.
Rural Electrification
Many parts of rural India do not have electricity. Often the poor light and heat their homes using cow dung, kerosene lamps and wood fires. These sources of energy often pose health hazards and create environmental problems. Connecting the rural poor to the electricity grid enables children to keep studying and parents can work late into the night.
The Librarian In His Mobile Bus Library
For 40 years, this librarian has been travelling to the rural outskirts of Malaysia in his mobile bus library bringing books donated by the public to primary school children and prison camps that have insufficient resources.
The moon is a cold, dry orb that circles the Earth in 27 days and 8 hours. The moon’s diameter is 1/27 and its mass is 1/81 that of the Earth’s.
Such a relatively small and bright satellite has captured the imagination of people from all cultures since the beginning of history. Besides timekeeping, the moon has inspired works of art and literature, legends, superstitions and moon worshiping.
In Islamic societies the sighting of the new moon is an important activity at the end of Ramadan. Ramadan is that time of the year when millions of Muslims around the world fast from dawn to dusk as a sign of religious observance. The fasting period lasts for one month. Every year the date of the fasting period varies depending on the lunar calendar.
This year Ramadan began on the 22nd of August. It should last between 29 to 30 days depending on the sighting of the next new moon which is predicted to be on the 19th of September. If the moon is not visible then the fasting period ends the following day and the celebrations begin after. The moon not being visible after 29 days and therefore another day of fasting is required is as much a part of life for all Muslims as it being sighted. Disappointment sets in only for a fleeting moment then life goes on.
In my corner of the world the funfair is a rarity. The city has sprawled beyond its historical boundaries and eaten into most available land. Also at every turn and corner there is at least an arcade filled with the latest electronic games and amusement rides or a cinema, an internet cafe or some karaoke joint. The archaic funfair with its simple games and cheap prizes is hard pressed to compete for entertainment dollars these days. In this high tech, modern age the archaic funfair is characteristic and charismatic at best; a low quality form of entertainment at not so cheap prices at worst.
A trip to the funfair for people of my age though is really more a journey down nostalgia lane, a revisit of our youth. Pre-dating the personal home computer, that was an age when fun had its antecedents in pure innocence. Upon reflection now many years later, the real value of the funfair lies in the opportunity it provides to families and friends to interact socially and to build bonds and lasting memories. And, less from expectations and trying to squeeze every penny’s worth of entertainment from the fair.
So many different colours, infinite numbers of hues. Some are crystals, some are precious stones, others are made of glass, porcelain and clay. So many sizes, so many shapes, countless textures all so small and delicate, sparkling in the light.
Beads are a feminine thing, a girly thing, a womanly thing. They are strung together in so many styles and worn in so many ways. They are worn around the neck, the wrists, the ankles. Beads dangle from ears; they are draped around the fingers and worn in the hair. They are sewn on clothes, shoes and handbags. They drizzle colour and life on everything they grace. It is amazing that something so small can provide such joy to so many women and children since time immemorial.
It is totally liberating to be so high up above the rest of the world, to feel the oppressive weight of the concrete city melt away, to be able to look all around and see nothing but space. To smell the sweetness of grass, to know it beneath your feet and to feel your entire being soar with the wind is worth every step of the treacherous climb to the top.
"Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal." (Pamela Vaull Starr)
The trek up the waterfall is cool, shaded by rainforest trees and bamboo leaves. The air is moist and drops of water drip intermittently from the leaves above. Every now and then, the crackling of falling branches break through the gushing sound of water. The birds whoop high above. And there’s nothing like a dip in the cold, rushing water to enlighten the senses and rejuvenate the soul no matter how old we are.In the rainforest, time comes almost to a stand-still.
"The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time." (Abraham Lincoln)
This pretty little flower is about the size of a thumbnail but emits a delightful fragrance that can be detected yards away. It’s supposedly a vine although admittedly mine’s more like a big bush or a small tree that’s at least 10 feet tall. When in bloom my green bush-tree is dotted white from top to bottom. When the flowers shed the ground is covered in soft white petals until the wind blows away one of nature’s small but delightful gifts.
Jasmine azoricum (or azores) is one out of the 200 different species of jasmine (or jasminum) which belong to the olive family. They are native to the warm and temperate regions of the Old World. The flower only opens at night when the temperature is lower and hence its fragrance is more intense.
Jasmine is popular in home gardens, the flowers are worn in the hair by women in southern and southeast Asia; jasmine tisane is made into tea by the Chinese, the French use jasmine to make jasmine syrup and the Americans use the syrup to make jasmine scones. In Egypt, China and Morocco the flowers are used to make essential oils.
Steeped Jasmine Oil
Here’s an interesting must-try from Yahoo Answers on how to make steeped jasmine oil for aromatherapy. (The concentrate for essential oil requires at least a ton of jasmine flowers).
Get a jar of oil (jojoba, almond or any other) and put the flowers in to steep for a month or more. The longer it steeps the more the oil will smell of jasmine after it’s strained.
Passion fruit (passiflora edulis) has a fragrant aroma and a complex sweet and sour flavour. It is grown in many frost-free countries and widely consumed as a fruit or juice. It is also used to flavour desserts such as cakes and mousse, shaved ice, yogurt, soft drinks and syrup.
Besides being quite yummy, the fruit is also quite nutritious. Consumed fresh, passion fruit is high in vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium and dietary fiber. In Puerto Rico the consumption of passion fruit is believed to lower blood pressure.
This recipe for passion fruit ice cream from Falling Cloudberries - A World of Family Recipes is so simple and yet absolutely delightful.
250 ml pouring cream (single cream)
250 ml milk
230g caster sugar (superfine)
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Juice of 2 small lemons
Pulp of 6 fresh passion fruits
Put the cream, milk and sugar in a bowl and stir until dissolved. Put the rest of the ingredients in and transfer it to the ice cream maker if you have one, following the manufacturer's instructions.
If you don't have an ice cream maker don't despair. After dissolving the sugar in the mixture of cream and milk cover the bowl and put it in the freezer. After an hour, remove the bowl from the freezer and give an energetic whisk with a hand or electric whisk, then return the bowl to the freezer. Whisk again after a couple of hours, this time adding the lemon juice and rind and passion fruit pulp. Return it to the freezer. When it is nearly firm, give one last whisk, transfer it to a suitable freezing container with a lid and let it set in the freezer until it is firm.
Dusk is truly a remarkable hour. In that short duration when light meets darkness birds and insects burst into life to make their presence known. Those flighty creatures up in the trees sing their un-orchestrated songs as the hues in the sky gradually mould and blend into nothing.
Dusk is a reminder that things change and that everyday is different. Just as a dreary day must end, so must a beautiful one. But there’s always something new to look forward to; something in each day to make a difference in our lives if we’d only just look for it. But like it or not, tomorrow nature will play a new song.
How to Make a Still Video in YouTube
Recording Bird Calls
1. Pick a quiet location away from traffic.
2. Use a recorder that can tape in mp3 or wav for an easier post editing time. (You can pick one up at the store these days for much less than a videocam otherwise borrow an Ipaq.)
3. Try to get as close to the source of sound as possible and record at least 5 seconds of track.
Editing the Track
4. There are quite a number of music editors online. But I think I’d stick with Jamglue (www.jamglue.com) ‘cos it’s really quite simple to use.
5. Jamglue allows you to add a track and then splice it into bits of sounds. So if the track has multiple types of bird calls, it’s easier to first isolate each of the different types of calls and then recombine them for a cleaner sound.
6. The best way to do this is to splice a new track for each type of bird call. So if there are 4 types of bird calls recorded within the track, use the “add” button to add 4 tracks of the same recording to be spliced one for each type of call.
7. Now that the sounds are isolated, they can be recombined, repeated and or remixed. Just move the sound bits around and duplicate them to make repeated sounds.
8. After the final cut is made consider where to store the file next. Jamglue will store the file in its server if you set up an account with them. Otherwise use Firefox Downloadhelper (http://www.downloadhelper.net/) plug-in to download it (as an mp3) into your hard drive.
Make a Movie of The Track
9. Next is to make a movie of the track by associating it with some pictures. For pc users, Windows Movie Maker will suffice. (Click here to download the Windows XP version of Windows Movie Maker.)
10. Start Windows Movie Maker and upload the track and any pictures you want associated with it.
11. Then drag and drop the track and the pictures into the storyboard at the bottom of the window. Don’t forget to add special effects like fading, a title and credits.
12. Save the movie into the hard disk and voila!, we have a movie in wmv.
14. Go to My Accounts. Click on the upload link, select the file and that’s it. Go have a few beers or take a nap while you wait ageeeeessss for YouTube to process the uploaded video.
Incense is believed to have spread from Ancient Egypt. Today, it is used for spiritual and non-spiritual purposes. Incense is used in religious ceremonies, purification, aromatherapy, meditation, masking odours and in medicine (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incense)
How To Make Your Own Incense
There are loads of sites on the net on how to make incense. Here's one that is quite informative. Scents of Earth
What I love about village markets are all the strange local produce that don’t really make an appearance in big city supermarkets - locally produced honey, home grown organic fruits and vegetables and sometimes new varieties of flowers.
Making a Decorative Arrangement
Edible produce like ginger and tubers that don't need to be refrigerated can be arranged together with the flowers, roots and any herbs left to air dry to make a decorative arrangement before being eaten... simple pleasures that add a touch of nature to the kitchen.
Line a basket or a terracotta or wooden bowl with a piece of cloth. Make a mesh using the roots or dried twigs and place it in the basket. Line the mesh with some fern leaves ensuring there is sufficient ventilation. Arrange the ginger, tubers and some colourful fruits that don't need to be refrigerated in the basket. If possible add some fresh cut flowers to the arrangement to represent another of nature's gifts.
Just when I was about to cultivate a cold, stony heart, turn my back on those less fortunate and go blow some money on myself a friend sent me a touching email.
She met a little old lady who goes through the bins for recyclables. She has a son-in-law who doesn’t want anything to do with her because of what she has to do to make ends meet. But this little 71 year old lady needs to support herself and her disabled husband. So she does her job with a smile and says that it’s better than begging.
(Photo: The plight of the poor in Ladakh, India)
How many lessons can one learn from this short encounter?
1. Some people are selfish and will put their elderly relatives on the street.
2. The plight of the poor is very real. People don’t dig in bins for fun.
3. The poor have pride, dignity and integrity of character too.
4. The commitment to those you love is life-long and not just through good times or only in good health.
5. We should be really grateful for what we have.
6. Take those blinkers off and realise that not everyone leads a rosy and glamourous life.
7. Take time to listen to the stories of those less fortunate no matter how busy or what station we are in life.
8. Help if we can because a small amount of help could make a big difference in someone else’s life.
9. There’s more to enriching one’s life than going out and buying the first thing you see.
10. Be grateful for the lessons we learn.
Poverty on the Net
There are heaps of stuff on poverty on the net. My favourite though is “Voices of the Poor” by the World Bank at http://go.worldbank.org/H1N8746X10. (Yea yea, I know that policymaking by Washington Consensus is not everyone’s cup of tea.)
But the research conducted, however, is still invaluable. “Excerpts from Voices of the Poor” provides a good overview on global poverty and what it means to be trapped in it. (http://go.worldbank.org/NTVCW2JYW0)
I love the smell of the rain on grass, trees and flowers. The world is so much fresher after a drizzle; the air is crisp and clean and the coldness makes my skin tingle. And after the rain….
“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add colour to my sunset sky.” - Rabindranath Tagore quotes. Indian Poet, Playwright and Essayist, Won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 (1861 – 1941)
Mulled wine is a traditional winter drink especially around Christmas. Wine spoils over time but can be made drinkable with the addition of spices. Recipes and methods differ among cultures. 
