Great idea. Liked it. Didnot strike anytime. Wo jo guru ke guru wo aap! Responding late. Bit did get time to read today. Bt I do read and respond mails even after years. Madhuri Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel
-----Original Message----- From: Gurcharan Singh <[email protected]> Sender: [email protected] Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:28:23 To: Pankaj Kumar<[email protected]> Cc: indiantreepix<[email protected]>; H S<[email protected]>; ushadi Micromini<[email protected]> Subject: Re: [efloraofindia:89520] When I lost my chocolate bet !! Happy Diwali Pankaj ji and all members I hope you never attended my taxonomy classes, but what you narrated is exactly what I tell my students in the begining of taxonomy lecture starting with the statement " every human being is a taxonomist from craddle to grave" starting to learn identifying people (initially only through smile) and then remembering their names (nomenclature) and as his numbers grow grouping (classification) into friends, uncles, aunties, brothers, sisters, etc., how he/she recognizes different types of fruits, vegetables, clothes etc. in stores and remembers their names and grouping. Of course it would take one full lecture to correlate life and taxonomy. -- Dr. Gurcharan Singh Retired Associate Professor SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ On Mon, Oct 24, 2011 at 5:14 PM, 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) > -- Dr. Gurcharan Singh Retired Associate Professor SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/
