BELIEVE IT OR NOT

The Ghost Car

Japan’s first Grand Prix since the Second World War was held at the Suzuka circuit. Most people felt that Masao Asano would win. His racing car was a white Austin Healy and its number was 42. The choice of the car number shocked the Japanese as it is considered inauspicious. The Arabic numerals for 42 translate as shi ni, closely related to the Japanese word shingu (‘to die’). But Asano did not care for these superstitions.

Unfortunately, in that race, Asano had an accident and died. The Japan Auto Federation (JAF), which controls the country’s motor sports, reviewed the accident and a few weeks later, banned the use of the number 42 on vehicles used for racing.

The second Grand Prix was held a year later and the JAF developed a new system for determining the running order of the racing drivers. Two teams of spotters took their places in the control tower and recorded the number of each car as it completed a circuit. During the race, the spotters would call out the numbers on the cars as they flashed by, without concentrating on any car number because there were too many cars and they were very speedy.

After the 25-lap race, when the two teams compared notes, they discovered that a car with the number 42 had completed 8 laps. Nobody could tell what kind of car it was or who the driver was.

The Unlucky Number: The Japanese are very superstitious about certain numbers. Four is considered an unlucky number in Japan because it sounds like shi meaning 'death'. This is why there are two readings for the number four — shi and yon. Whenever possible, people try to avoid using the deathly one. License plates  having the digits 42 which sounds like shini ('to die') are strictly avoided. Many housing complexes, hotels and hospitals skip the fourth floor. Forty-two is also said to be themost unlucky age for Japanese men.

WORDS WORTH READING

Always be confident

People talk about lack of confidence all the time. Let’s now talk about what happens when we have too much of it.

Once a fox and a wildcat met on the outskirts of a village.

“This is a dangerous place,” said the cat, “infested with wild dogs.” 

“Dogs don’t bother me,” boasted the fox. “I know a hundred ways to get away from those stupid animals.”

Just then, they saw a pack of wild dogs coming. “Goodbye, friend,” said the cat. “I’d better be going. Unlike you, I know only one way to get away from dogs. That is to climb up a tree.” 

And with that, it sped up a tall tree. The fox tried all the tricks it knew in its attempt to get away from the dogs. But it was soon caught and killed. 

It is said, “Confidence is good, but overconfidence always sinks the ship.” 

Yes, excess of everything is bad. Even too much of confidence can be ruinous. An overconfident person always considers himself to be right. Such people also disregard pros and cons of things. Thus they often tend to make wrong judgements, and disastrous decisions. To them, the experienced or learned opinions of others do not matter. 

Be confident. But not overconfident. Remember that overconfidence precedes carelessness. It blocks your progress in many ways. In studies and in life, do your part well; and that too with confidence and determination.

DO YOU KNOW

 How do penguins adapt to life in the icy ocean?

Penguins are a group of flightless aquatic birds that live in the Southern Hemisphere, primarily in the Antarctic region. Their bodies are beautifully adapted to life at sea and under extremely cold weather conditions. 

Penguins have a thick layer fat, known as blubber, under their skin. This layer, which can constitute up to 30% of the bird's body weight, acts as an excellent form of internal insulation to keep it warm in the coldest weather. Another use of the blubber is as a valuable store of energy. 

After laying her egg, the female emperor penguin sets off to sea to feed, leaving her mate to incubate the egg. She returns only after about two months, by which time the male would have lost up to 40% of his body weight due to fasting (as he is unable to mov around and look for food). It is the stored body fat (blubber) that sustains him during this period of starvation. 

The penguin's feathers are tightly packed and overlap to provide waterproofing and warmth - both crucial to the bird's survival in the icy winter. The black feathers on its back also absorb heat from the sun, helping it to keep warm. 

Further, penguins follow the practice of huddling together to conserve the scarce heat. Male emperor penguins are known to huddle together in groups of up to 6,000, while incubating their eggs during the middle of the Antarctic winter. While those at the centre of the group are warmed by their companions' body heat, the ones on the outside are more uncomfortable as they are exposed to the biting wind and cold. They solve this problem by continually moving and exchanging places; taking turns to stand in the colder spots. 

Sher-e-Punjab

 Maharaja Ranjit Singh

Many a battle was fought for Punjab, the land of the five rivers. At the turn of the nineteenth century, a brave, ambitious man who was blind in one eye, dreamed of unifying Punjab under a powerful Sikh empire. The bold young man was Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780 - 1839).

From a young age, Ranjit Singh displayed uncommon Daring. At a time when Afghans attacked and plundered Punjab, the nineteen-year-old marched into their territory and captured Lahore, long considered a seat of power in the region. Within a decade, he established his control over Amritsar and the rest of the Punjab. 

Ranjit Singh was crowned king in 1801. In 1809, he concluded a treaty with the British, another rising power, agreeing not to conquer territories south of the river Sutlej. Thereafter, he expanded his empire to the north and the west, subjugating Attock, Multan, Kashmir, Ladakh and Peshawar. 

Ranjit Singh was a benevolent and secular-minded ruler. He modernized his army and hired Europeans to train the infantry and the artillery. He was a devout Sikh and he named his government Sarkar Khalsaji. The first coins issued during his reign were in the name of Guru Nanak. He also beautified the Harmandir Sahib, the holiest Sikh shrine, with marble and gold, lending it the name, 'Golden Temple'.

DO YOU KNOW

Who are 'Helicopter Parents'?

Parents are naturally protective about their children and tend to get more anxious especially when their children are at an important threshold--- say while getting admission to the best college to fulfill a career goal. Some parents however, are unable to distance themselves from their children's life and continue to shower excessive attention on them. Such parents who overstep their role as responsible parents are referred to as 'helicopter parents'.

A helicopter parent, for example, would not stop at ensuring the best college for his ward; he would also get involved in the ward's day-to-day activities, performance, friend circle etc.

This term was first used in American child psychologist Haim Ginott's 1969 book Parents & Teenagers by teenagers who felt their parents would hover over them like a helicopter. In the 21st century, helicopter parenting has become a cause of concern as more and more anxious parents struggle to ensure 'a perfect life for their children. The ubiquitous mobile phone is often blamed for the explosion of helicopter parents. 

Psychologists point at the thin line separating engaged parenting from helicopter parenting--- although parenting is always done with the best intentions, the latter may lead to overprotected children who lack resilience. 

REFRESHING JOURNEY OF A HUMBLE BEAN

 The story of coffee in India 

The tale of how coffee, a humble bean, found its roots in India is an intriguing one and involves ancient source trades, a daring heist, colonial expansion and the mushrooming of digital platforms. 

The origins:

Though its historical roots can be traced to Africa, it was Yemen in West Asia which emerged as the powerhouse of coffee cultivation, exporting the commodity to all corners of the then-known World. Arab merchants who were engaged in trade with India, the epicenter of the spice trade, introduced roasted coffee to the subcontinent, where it quickly captivated the elites, sparkling a surge in demand. 

As the demand for the bean outpaced supply, it was clear that the commodity had to be locally grown. But many factors prevented this. To retain their monopoly over coffee cultivation, Yemeni farmers and producers allowed only roasted beans to be sold. The penalty for the sale of green coffee beans was death. 

The heist:

In 1670, Indian Sufi saint Baba Budan, who was returning from pilgrimage to Mecca, was by chance exposed to coffee in Yemen. After learning as much as possible about the bean, he devised ways to bring the seeds back home. He hid seven beans in his beard and cane, and made the long voyage back to India. 

Once he was home, he planted the beans on the slopes of Chandragiri Hills in Chikkamangaluru, Karnataka. This act not only marked the genesis of coffee cultivation in India but also sowed the seeds of a thriving coffee culture that would spread across the country. The hills are now referred to as the Baba Budangiri Hills and a shrine has been built there in his honour. 

The expansion:

If this was the inception of coffee cultivation in India, colonial expansion proved to be the turning point. In the 18th century, realising the potential of the Indian climate for coffee cultivation, the British began large-scale plantations in the southern states. To date, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu form the core of the traditional coffee-growing region, contributing a whopping 92% of the country’s coffee production. 

The French influence on Indian coffee cannot be discounted. It is evident in the use of chicory, a roasted root vegetable that adds a characteristic earthy bitterness to the coffee. Indeed this era saw the establishment of systematic cultivation methods.

Notable among them is the development of the Monsoon Malabar coffee, a unique process adapting to the challenges of sea transport. 

The industry:

Post independence, India witnessed a significant shift in the coffee industry with the establishment of the Indian Coffee Board and the enactment of the Coffee Act of 1942. These developments facilitated a more organised and supportive environment for coffee growers, leading to the predominance of small holder production. Today, a significant percentage of coffee growers in India are small farmers. These years also saw coffee being cultivated beyond the traditional belt--- to the eastern coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha and to the northeastern states. This diversification introduced a variety of microclimates and terroirs, contributing to the unique profiles of Indian coffee, including the distinctive Indian-monsooned coffee. 

The culture:

Coffee in India has transcended its status as merely a crop. Today, it has woven itself into the cultural fabric. Especially in the south where traditional filter coffee is a revered daily ritual. 

The digital age has ushered in a new chapter for Indian coffee, with the emergence of exclusive brands and the rise of online marketplaces.  This transformation has democratised access to premium coffee, allowing consumers to enjoy high-quality brews with the click of a button. 

From the daring heist of Baba Budan to the digital marketplace, the evolution of Indian coffee is as refreshing as the beverage itself. 

FIRST WOMAN TO REACH THE SUMMIT OF MT. EVEREST

Junko Tabei 

Junko Tabei was the first woman to reach the summit of Mt. Everest and also the first woman to climb the Seven Summits (the highest peaks of the seven continents).

WHEN Junko and her all-woman Ladies Club team from Japan were ascending Mt. Everest, they were caught in a deadly avalanche. For a few hours, they were buried under snow. Fortunately, some Sherpas found them. Junko could hardly walk for a couple of days but the daring 35-year-old braved it to the summit 12 days later, on 16 May, 1975 with her Sherpa, Ang Tshering.

Junko was born in 1939 in a small agricultural town in Fukushima prefecture. She was drawn to mountaineering from a young age. After obtaining a degree in English and American literature, she joined mountain-climbing clubs. In 1969, she established the Ladies Climbing Club with the motto ‘Let’s go on an overseas expedition by ourselves’. 

The group’s first expedition was to scale Annapurna III (7,555 m) in Nepal, where she and her all-woman team succeeded in forging a new path up the south side of the mountain. In 1992, Junko established another record, when she became the first woman to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents, including Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Denali (Alaska) and Vinson (Antarctica).

The achievement paved the way for women mountaineers to reach for the heights at a time when women were encouraged to stay at home and look after the family.

As chairperson of the Himalayan Adventure Trust of Japan, Junko campaigned for sustainable mountaineering, worked for the upliftment of Sherpas and tried to bring about a greater awareness of the need to preserve the ecology of the mountains in the face of tourism. 

In 2012, Junko was diagnosed with cancer. It did not stop her from continuing with her passion for scaling mountains and during an interview, she said, “I am suffering from cancer but I would like to keep going my way and climb mountains.” She passed away in November 2016.