Thanks, Pankaj ji, for summerising the spirit of efi in a nice way. Wishing you & all members of efi a great & happy Diwali.
On 24 October 2011 17:14, Pankaj Kumar <[email protected]> wrote: > This is very much away from the topic but you all may like to learn > the lesson which I learnt that day. > > Long back during my school days, frankly speaking I was too poor in > maths and physics. I dont hesitate to say that I still am. > > I was being taught Newtons Laws of Gravity and one very interesting > thing that ACCELERATION DUE TO GRAVITY IS INDEPENDENT OF MASS. > We used to live in a two storeyed building. I (in 11th standard) was > standing on the roof and had a young kid from neighborhood was there. > He might be in 2nd or 3rd standard. > Just to impress him I took one small pebble and a small wood in my hand. > And leaned over the railing and asked the kid, "which will reach the > ground first". > He said. "pebble". > I said, "what if do a magic and make them reach at the same time". > He said, "thats impossible". > I said, "I can show you". > He said, "you should first put a bet for a chocolate". > I said, "ok". > So just as I was about to drop it, he said, "bhaiya, wo hawa me ud > jayega samjha karo (literally meaning, "wood will get blown in air, > you should understand that"). > But by the time I realised the mistake, I had already lost the bet. > > So whats the moral of the story? > > WE SHOULD NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE CAPABILITIES OF OTHERS. > > This group has people from different parts of India and abroad with > different professional backgrounds and different culture and way of > living too. We are here to learn from each other and gain more > knowledge and more expertise on Indian plants. This is a source of > knowledge which all of us are seeking and nothing else. But gradually > this group has become like an institution and even like a family. More > than 95% of the people dont know each other personally but yet they > are connected, trying to help each other selflessly. > I always tell my students that a botanist is not the one who studies > botany, but the one who loves plant and a taxonomist is not the one > who reads books of taxonomy. A taxonomist is the one who knows how to > differentiate things. A kid, the first word he says, "MUMMY" makes him > of her a taxonomist (not plant taxonomist though) because due to some > physical characteristics he is able to differentiate mom and dad and > then he or she gradually starts recognising more and more people > around, hence he deserves to be called a taxonomist. > > We should always respect this selfless group who adores every one and > wants to spread its knowledge to everyone too. Every person's > understanding of plants is different, but its all science and we all > are learning that part of science.called plant science (botany) as > well as the mode of communication which comes as a bonus. > > With this bonus in mind, I wish you all a very Happy Dhanteras and a > very Happy and Prosperous Deepawali..... > > Long live eflora!!! > Long live our institution!!! > Of course, LONG LIVE PLANTS!!! > > Regards > Pankaj > > > > > > > > -- > ********************************************************************** > "Taxonomists getting Extinct and Species Data Deficient !!" > > > Pankaj Kumar Ph.D. (Orchidaceae) > Conservation Officer > > Office: > Flora Conservation Department > Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG) Corporation > Lam Kam Road, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong. > > Residence: > 36c, Ng Tung Chai, Lam Tseun > Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong. > > email: [email protected] > [email protected] > [email protected] > Phone: +852 2483 7128 (office - 8:30am to 5:30pm) > +852 9436 6251 (mobile) > -- With regards, J.M.Garg ([email protected]) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jmgarg1 'Creating awareness of Indian Flora & Fauna' The whole world uses my Image Resource of more than a *thousand species* & eight thousand images of Birds, Butterflies, Plants etc. (arranged alphabetically & place-wise): http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:J.M.Garg. You can also use them for free as per Creative Commons license attached with each image. For identification, learning, discussion & documentation of Indian Flora, please visit/ join our Efloraofindia Google e-group: http://groups.google.co.in/group/indiantreepix (more than 1725 members & 85,000 messages on 30/9/11) or Efloraofindia website: https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/ (with a species database of around 5500 species). Also author of 'A Photoguide to the Birds of Kolkata & Common Birds of India'.
