Step Well at Abhaneri, India http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chand_Baori_(Step-well)_at_Abhaneri.JPG

     Hello world! I was strolling along a back street with my mother to a local park when I happened to see a strange occurrence by the water’s edge: a palm tree with an epiphyte on it! I didn’t know what this peculiar vegetation was until my AP Environmental class this year, but now I see them almost everywhere. For those of you who don’t know, an epiphyte is a plant that grows on the branches or stems of another (usually larger) plant. “Epi” in Greek means “on” or “upon”, and “phyte” means “plant”. These twisting, bizarre plants  look like they are strangling the other host plant, but the relationship between the two is not parasitic (more like commensalistic since the epiphyte benefits while the tree is mostly unaffected). They epiphyte gets its water and nutrients either from the bark/stem of the plant it is attached to, or from an elongated root that reaches to the ground. Epiphytes take to living in other trees in the first place because of the accumulated organic matter (nutrients) on the bark and the increased sunlight. Other common epiphytes include the omnipresent Spanish moss and orchids---one cannot walk in a wooded field without seeing the swaying, curly, and spongy moss dangling from dank leafy interiors.
       Another occurrence I saw on my walk was solar panels on a small, dull orange house. Although I have a few solar panel houses in my neighborhood (I even used to have them on my house), most houses in the United States rely on the centralized fossil fuel powered grid for electricity. Solar panels (many rows of them together are called an "array") utilize PV cell technology, which stands for "Photovoltaic" cells. Basically, when sunlight strikes the layered silicon cell, an electron flows between two plates, creating an electrical current that can be used for lighting and to heat homes. The two plate layers are called the n-type layer and the p-type layer. The electricity garnered from this process is a direct current (Einstein’s design), but it can be changed into alternate current (Tesla’s design) if need be. Again, as with most renewable energy sources, the upfront costs are high and the cultural perception has yet to shift from a fossil fuel economy to a more sustainable one. Also, many places are not sunny all year round or during the night; therefore, fuel cell batteries are needed to store power for use during times when the extreme power of the sun cannot be harnessed. However, many benefits (i.e. zero emissions and the ability for consumers to sell back excess power they created to electric companies for profit) are enticing. I have seen many fields of solar panels: once when driving to Atlanta and the other time in Spain (driving from Consuegra to Castellon-de-la-Plana). It is amazing and futuristic to see these sprawling fields of mirrors (an example of passive solar energy) producing sustainable power. Overall, I believe sustainable are the way to the future—read my riveting article on wind power for more information.

http://www.selby.org/about/what-are-epiphytes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_moss

Tikal Plaza, Guatemala http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tikal-Plaza-And-North-Acropolis.jpg

       The cultural events started Wednesday, April 23rd and continued until this Saturday, the 26th. My parents and I drove to Tampa to witness the invasion of Indians and Asian glamour. Just driving in downtown Tampa we saw herds of Indians in their beautiful saris, expensive ray bans, and elaborate jewels and henna tattoos crowding the wide streets. Although I personally don’t watch Bollywood films (I do not speak Hindi), some of the famous Indian actors that attended the IFFA Awards were Ranveer Singh, Richa Chadda, and Farhan Akhtar. My Indian friend LOVES Bollywood movies, and has been excited to attend this glamorous event for weeks—she even partied at the Stomp, an “authentic Indian experience” in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. Thousands of Indians (and other races) gyrating to the pulsing beat must have been a culture shock to all those unfamiliar with the unique Indian customs. Listening on NPR this week, one of the reporters actually talked with the Indian version of fangirls who took pictures with the haute Anil Kapoor at the Stomp. “Dancing is an important part of the Indian way of life,” one of the girls stated with conviction. Besides the crazy evening events, IIFA is also hosted Global Business Forums, Weekend Press Conferences, Green Carpet events, and Film Workshops.
       A month ago, I strolled among heaps of jeweled sari fabric and heavy, 10 pound collars and bracelets in the IIFA Expo at the Convention Center. Because it was towards the end of the day (and therefore near the final awards ceremony at Raymond James), the high ceilinged hall was nearly empty. The smell of curry (from the clothes and from the food stands) was overwhelming at some times, but the life size cut outs of Indian actors with their simpering glares was completely worth it. Everything in the building was fashionable, high end, and classy, even the people themselves (i.e. the women’s hair perfectly curled, the mounds of air-brushed makeup on the women’s skin, and the piles of trendy bangles littering most of the plastic tabletops). The most interesting part of this experience, however, was walking in the heart of downtown Tampa outside the swanky Hilton Hotel. There was a small crowd of Indian fans pouring over the makeshift barricade outside the entrance of the Hotel, clamoring to catch a glimpse of the famous Bollywood stars. The sporadic cries of fanaticism in Hindi and the look of confusion on the faces of the mostly white police were priceless. I have never been to India, but I certainly would like to travel there someday with my father and see the village where my family lives, Mumbai, and of course, the famed Taj Mahal. Has anyone else been to India? Send pictures of your visit to !

Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon, Myanmar http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shwedagon_Pagoda_Yangon_2.jpg

       This series of court entertainers was painted by the Spanish painter Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) in the mid 1600s (in the midst of the Baroque era). Velázquez was born in Seville, the cultural capital of Spain during the Golden Age (which included the work of artists such as Murillo, El Greco, Zurbarán, and Cotan, and writers such as Cervantes). Velázquez was an apprentice with Francisco Pacheco and was influenced by Caravaggio’s Baroque style/the works of the Renaissance artist Titian as well. He is most notable for being a court painter to Philip IV, the reigning monarch of Spain. His most famous painting, Las Meninas, depicts Infanta Margarita, her attendants, portraits of the King and Queen in a mirror, and Velázquez himself. That painting and several other Velázquez’s and Goya’s hang majestically in the Prado Museum in Madrid today. Velázquez was a Baroque painter, and images during that time (1600s) were characterized by naturalism, drama, chiaroscuro, tenebrism, emotion, viewer involvement, split-second action, and a prominent diagonal composition. Spanish Baroque paintings tended to be more natural; this preference for truthfulness led to the Bodega painting (scenes of everyday life). Besides courtiers and royalty, Velázquez painted figures from mythology (i.e. The Forge of Vulcan), religion, and everyday life. The series here is Los Bufones; it depicts the court jesters of Philip IV (i.e. dwarfs and people with mental retardation who were considered entertainment). 

Don Sebastian de Morra http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait_of_Sebasti%25C3%25A1n_de_Morra