The Happy Wanderer

One interesting question that propped up in my mind when I was studying Chemistry was the reason why we exchange valencies (and remove the negative/positive symbols) when we are asked to write the formula of a radical or compound. The book told me that the numbers in the final compound (eg. 2 in CaCl2 or Calcium Chloride)  stand for the number of atoms of that element. So, CaCl2 has 1 atom of Ca and 2 atoms of Cl. What has the number of atoms in the compound got to do with the valency of the other  element? Well, if you are a chemistry student (in middle school) that has a simple answer. Valency is defined as the number of electrons that can be donated or accepted by an atom to attain the stable electronic configuration of the nearest noble gas. In other words, valency is the number of electrons  that an element is willing to take or has the space to take.  When you have a valency of 1, and the other atom in the compound, needs 2 electrons, how do you gi...

Book Title: The Village By the Sea Author: Anita Desai Length: 260 pages Genre: Children's Fiction    Scoop in a Nutshell A village by the sea. What does that remind you of? Hawkers? Flea markets? Fishing? Bring in all of that and more. Into the vibrant village of Thul, nestling by the Arabian Sea. Breathing color and life and fish, Thul is a fishing-hub, complete with its share of routine bustle, markets, fresh palms, and the nautical breeze.   And life goes on. But does it, really? When an industrial building is thrust into such a pristine frame, can life ever seem the same? The answer, of course, is no, but unlike what you might have believed, it is the people- the villagers-that seem outlandish, and not the factory. City-folk have always had the knack of marking their territory, and so, as the old breathe the smoke of a transformed native land, and the young grapple between dreams of recruitment in the factory, and reality, life goes on. ...

Most of the stories that we read are centered around fictional  characters. But what kind?  Of course, there are our Toyland friends, there is Fatty and his crew, there is the Wimpy Kid, there are fairies and pixies, and there is every other character that would love to squeeze into  this space, but ha, if only it hadn't been a figment of  fiction!      It might be hard to step back and wonder for a bit: who are we missing out on? It so happens that a piece of the jigsaw that may not fit one way does jig in another way, so try thinking, 'Who is my favourite character in such-and-such book? What do I associate immediately with him or her?' Has it struck you now?   Fiction is just like real life-  it sports animal-love!  Every book has a pet! Sometimes the authors leave the pets with the villains to moderate their 'villainish' hues.  But do we love the animals from books as much as the characters love...

When challenges wear their prettiest cloak, And mind you, it is no joke, We must clamber them up, and stay put, There's nothing to the fire without the smoke. And challenges will soon wave goodbye, They'll be happy to see the door, Such tough contention to once have met, Is enough for them to cower. So fight your battles when they're mightiest, Because that's a test of your prowess. For challenges come, and they like to be met, Before they say goodbye.

There stands the little girl, Who wears a pretty frock, And watches the dolphins dance, Looks right over the docks. She loves the deep blue sky, And does not wonder that it is blue. Rather, she wonders that it isn't green!  There stands the little girl, Who dreams of castles, That she might build, Someday to come. The castle might be pink, Or blue, or brown, for all you know, But what does it matter, Even if it were sand or snow? There stands the little girl, Who watches carriages port The portly queens and kings around, And wonders, oh, what sport! For the carriage to undertake carriage Of such 'privileged luggage'  , How would it be rationing this bargain out?:)   There stands the little girl, And spies the barnyard, She watches the horse neigh And the pigs bathe, And well, she wonders, Do they know the should's and shouldn'ts? Aren't they better off for that? There stands the little girl, And tries to do the math, But t...

"Giddy up, Bournfield. Atta, boy! Giddy up!" Where barns are swiveling golden manes, And silver crests, and cantering ponies, Where life is in the meadow, The meadow in the midst of life, The radiant silver of Little Spikes, A brighter hue of familiar 'bites'. A stable is a quaint old tale, All wood and splinters, All dusty and dingy , All traits adding to its grandeur, Including the fine young mare that rests inside. Je me suis trompé, Who RESTS inside. For she breathes the 'dinge', And grunts the dust, The splinters chisel her tail. And feeds on carrots come morn, A dull-grey dressing per pail. I sometimes wonder, The dreams that would fill, Her heart through day and night. Whether in sleep,fleet or flight, A creamy still of the wintry till... The humble lady, from dream to dream, As these grow louder, and the fields hazier, Grapples with her giving limbs, With unfamiliar faces, every fifth week, With a routine that tries h...