Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Cephalopod


Cephalopods, which are a variety of mollusc, are carnivores. The octopus is a cephalopod.

When I was drawn to this particular plant, even though it did not look menacing, I could not help wondering if the markings on the tentacle-like leaves were nature's way of ensuring its cardinal principle of survival of the fittest, by attracting, luring its food to come closer. Would it follow that those leaves would close in on an unsuspecting insect, or a flower, or a fruit, and then feast upon it.

In any case, the duration of my composing the picture and clicking the camera passed without any demonstration of aggression.

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Charu wrote:

I can alomst see tantacles worming.
They will seize me any minute. Sinister. And, effective.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Serendipity


Serendipity: a happy accident, a pleasant surprise.

In Sanskrit scriptures, Serendip was the name of what is currently called Sri Lanka ('dip' meaning an island). As the British could not pronounce the word, it became Ceylon.

Etymology Dictionary has this to say about serendipity:
1754 (but rare before 20c.), coined by Horace Walpole (1717-92) in a letter to Mann (dated Jan. 28); he said he formed it from the Persian fairy tale "The Three Princes of Serendip," whose heroes "were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of." The name is from Serendip, an old name for Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka), from Arabic Sarandib, from Skt. Simhaladvipa "Dwelling-Place-of-Lions Island."
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Charu wrote:
Oh, that "SwarnaDweep", Golden Island in which you take a dip and get galvanized in gold foil, as in the picture. But oh, where is that place?