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| I’m feeding the birds their most favorite food, “Pearl Millet” on my rooftop |
Took this shot of Thailand from Malaysia on the way to Mangrove’s Tour ! The distant islands in light blue are actually Thailand… 🙂 A great feeling being able to see two countries standing from a place, isn’t it?
Today it rained here in Lahore, Pakistan. We went for a walk in the park, the weather was still awesome, giving relief from the 50 degree celcius heat of the summer. I took some pictures … 🙂
I should do this every morning, I am sure jogging here will not only increase my physical fitness but mental as well !
Honey Bee Hive
I took this picture near my village last year. Â I wonder how so many bees can live and work in peace in such a small space yet mankind cannot live in harmony even in such a huge world. Who’s more civilized here, us or them? That’s the way of nature, to live in peace. But we never learn, and that’s why we always suffer and will continue to suffer until we change our mindset drastically, and respect the basic human rights and accept others regardless of race, language, religion or economical status.
Let’s lighten the mood here ! 🙂
There’s also a second lesson, which mankind HAS LEARNT from the beehives. Have you ever wondered why this Bee Hives are made in this particular shape and not like the nests of other birds? The shape of this beehive is a Honey Comb structure. This structure allows the optimization of construction material, in this case wax. So the bees are able to build a colony for themselves utilizing the minimum resources.
Honey Bee Hive Zoomed In
Man has also been inspired from the Honey Comb structure and that’s why its use has been known since 60 BC.
Honey Bee Hive Further Zoomed In
Honeycomb materials are widely used where flat or slightly curved surfaces are needed and their high strength-to-weight-ratio is valuable. They are widely used in the aerospace  industry for this reason, and honeycomb materials in aluminum, fibreglass and advanced composite materials have been featured in aircraft and rockets since the 1950s. They can also be found in many other fields, from packaging materials in the form of paper-based honeycomb cardboard, to sporting goods like skis and snowboards.
Do you believe there is still room for mankind to learn from other species, even if they are seemingly insignificant such as small bees? 🙂
Can you guess ?
Clicked by : Rashid Ali
Cotton Flower – Pakistan
This is the picture of a cotton flower (Or “Kapaas” as we say it in Pakistan) that I took during visit to my village. The cotton is planted in May, and is fully developed in six months time. This crop requires special care, it has to be given fertilizers, pesticides, water once a week, favorable in dry season. Since this has to be hand plucked by farmers, one by one from so many cotton flowers, the harvesting takes around two months.  It is then sent to the factories for processing, dying, finishing & stitching. So whether it’s a handkerchief or a stylish formal dress shirt, so much effort is put into manufacturing cotton.
Beautiful Cotton Flowers
Pakistan has been one of the finest producers of cotton clothing, producing 100% pure cotton. For your information, adding even 1% silk to cotton may double the quantity of the cloth produced, but still to maintain quality, Pakistan’s textile industries like Burewala Textile mills produced 100% cotton, because they did not want to compromise on quality, as this cloth was exported to other countries.
Pakistan is world’s 4th largest cotton producing country, in 2011, it produced 10.3 Million bales of cotton. China being the largest, produced 33 Million Bales. (One bale is 480 pounds or 218 Kilograms).
By: Rashid Ali
Neelum Valley – The Hidden Paradise in Pakistan
Not sure what image of Pakistan you might have in your mind, but I can bet you didn’t have the image of a paradise. Here are some pictures of one of the places in Pakistan that is heaven on earth!
Neelum Valley is situated at the North & North-East of Muzaffarabad Azad Kashmir, Pakistan running parallel to Kaghan Valley. The two valleys are only separated by snow-covered peaks, some over 4000m above sea level. Excellent scenic beauty, panoramic views, towering hills on both sides of the noisy Neelum river, lush green forests, enchanting streams and attractive surroundings make the valley a dream come true.
By : Rashid Ali
A “Mausami” teaching a lesson in care?
Took this picture of a mausami (Orange) in my yard.
Oranges are so beneficial for us, so full of nutrition, very easy to eat, just pluck ’em from the three, peal ’em and eat ’em ! Enjoy the flavor and numerous health benefits. It is such a selfless fruit, giving so much to us. But this is going bad due to lack of care. No insecticide spray, my bad !
Makes me think about life, even those who always care about us without expecting anything in return, like family, close friends, they deserve to be cared in return, or one day they may begin to wither like this fruit too. Let’s care for others, if not for all humanity, at least those who care for us, our family & friends. Let’s not be saints, but at least let’s be human…
By: Rashid Ali
Love Guava?
I clicked this one at a friends’ farmhouse. Since Guava is not only very tasty but has many great health benefits, may be that’s why even the squirrels couldn’t resist the temptation.
Pakistan is world’s second largest Guava production country, in 2006-7 the production was 0.55 Million Tons grown over an area of 62,500 Hectors!
Some of the amazing health benefits of Guava are:
1. Lowers cancer risk
Guava contains the highest vitamin C content among produce at four times more than oranges. Vitamin C is known as one of the potent antioxidants which help protects cells from free radical damage. High levels of oxidants in the body can damage cell membranes and may contribute to the development of heart disease and cancer.
2. Lowers risk of diabetesÂ
Looking for other sources of fiber? Grab a delicious guava. It is rich in fiber, one of the most talked about nutrients today as it has found to be beneficial in a wide range of disease prevention including diabetes by slowing down the absorption of sugar in the body and thus very beneficial for diabetic individuals. A high fiber diet has also been linked to a lowered risk of developing type-2 diabetes.
3. Promotes good eyesight
Guavas are very good sources of vitamin A, the nutrient best known for preserving and improving eyesight.
4. Helps promote fertility
Munching on guava also supplies a good amount of folate in the body. The mineral folate is known for its fertility-promoting properties.
5. Helps regulate blood pressure levels
One cup of guava is packed with almost the same potassium as bananas. Potassium works as an important factor in regulating blood pressure by reversing the role of sodium in unbalancing normal blood pressure.
6. Promotes healthy thyroid glandÂ
No, guavas don’t contain iodine; they are good sources of copper, a trace mineral which plays a role in thyroid metabolism especially in hormone production and absorption.
7. Helps the body make use of key nutrients
One of the key functions of manganese in the body is being an enzyme activator including the enzymes responsible for the utilization of some key nutrients such as biotin, thiamine and ascorbic acid. Guavas are good sources of manganese.
8. Relaxes nerves and muscles
Magnesium is one of the essential minerals which needs to be obtained from food as the body cannot make them. Eating guavas can help relax the nerves and muscles through its good amount of magnesium content.
9. Keeps brain healthyÂ
The B group of vitamins play a vital role in brain function. Guavas are rich in vitamin B3 and B6. Vitamin B3, also known as niacin stimulates brain function and promotes blood flow, and vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, is an important nutrient for brain and nerve function.
10. Helps maintain healthy skin
Regular guava consumption can also do the skin good through its vitamin E content. Vitamin E helps maintain healthy skin through its antioxidant properties
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