I have a great dislike, rather a phobia, for long eerie looking creatures namely, earth worm, leaches, snails, snakes, caterpillars etc. I remember back in high school (Form 6 Bio Lab), we have to do experiment on earth worms. We have to search for earthworms and found heaps of them near the creek at the back of our school. I almost vomit looking at the size of those earthworms. They were so healthy, huge, twisted and piles of it once you unearth moist rubbish dump.

My classmates (mainly guys and some daring gals) were picking them up with their hands and throwing around. That was so gross yet we have to endure it and took the best looking big, fat, long worms back to the lab. We then boil them up in hot water. Gosh the smell was indescribable. It stinks the whole lab and near by classrooms too. Once you boil them up, they changed in color and their size too. Before they were reddish brown and changed into dirty pale pink.

We then dissect them from head to tail. I didn’t touch a single thing. I just watched and examined from the sideline. It was quite an experience to study my greatest fear – the worms. Though they seem to be very harmless and have many worthy means for the environment, they are the most annoying, ugliest, yuckiest, good-for-nothing, useless creatures for me.

The once and only time I encountered an earthworm was while I was digging soil for a vegetable plant. I cut them half in the process. The cut parts got twisted and jumped up on my foot; I run like hell and never dig the moist soil again. It was my 1st and last association with earthworms as well as helping mom garden.

Ok, enough about my earth worm adventures and back to the main story. I want to talk about another long eerie looking creature called “Duna”, the eels. A few days back, my friend forwarded two great photos of Duna caught at Monasavu Dam. The eels were enormous. I was surprised by the way locals caught them. They seemed to be using some bamboo and a few spears which I find it quite small to catch that big eels.

Check out the way they handle the eels. Slice up the head and poke a bamboo in to carry around.

I never seen an eel in real life but only seen some small ones on books and TV. I don’t know much about eels but I’ve decided that they are surely not in my desirable animal list. I wasn’t sure of whether there are lots of eels in Fiji so I did a bit of research for my own satisfaction. Turn out that, Fiji is a good place for eels culture since they like tropical climates with temperature around 23-28C.

Here are some facts about eels.

True eels (Anguilliformes) are an order of fish, which consists of 4 suborders, 19 families, 110 genera and 400 species. Most eels are predators.

The flat and transparent larva of the eel is called a leptocephalus. A young eel is called an elver.

Most eels prefer to dwell in shallow waters or hide at the bottom layer of the ocean, sometimes in holes.

Depending on their species, eels can reach from 10 cm to 3 m, and weigh up to 65 kg.

In Micronesia, eels are believed to hold the souls of one’s departed relatives. As such, killing eels is a grave offence and was once punishable by death.

Wiki information on Eels: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eel

Don’t you think it’s just so big and ugly? (I meant the eel) Those Fijians seem happy, may be a good meal for them.

This is an abstract from SPC article:
Catching Eels in Pacific Island Countries and Territories [ pdf ]

Pacific Island countries offer a good environment in which to culture eels, as they grow rapidly in tropical climates, preferring a temperature range of 23-28C, and a pH rane of 7.0 – 8.0. In Fiji, when the word “duna” or “bham” is used, it is certain that the fish referred to is the so-called common eel, Anguilla, which occurs in most of the islands.

For pond-based aquaculture, the best site is one with a constant water supply. Eels are consumed in PICTs and particularly in Fiji, where it is an important source of protein for the rural indigenous population. In some localities, high demand has led to the collection of young eels from the wold for culture in tilapia ponds.

In Fiji, elvers and juvenile eels are caught from estuaries, mountain tributaries, swapms and ditches using various types of local gear. These eels are grown to marketable size in ponds designed for tilapia culture and solic live at Fj$ 10.00 per kg at Suva and Nausori markets.

In PICTs, eels are caught with hand lines, spears, cane knives and push nets. This gear is designed to capture a wide range of fish and crustaceans and is not specific to capturing eels.

Eels feed on a variety of feeds such as fish, molluscs, crustaceans, and terrestrial and aquatic insects.

Fishing methods and gear
The catching of eels in Fiji and other Pacific Islands normally involves inexpensive and very simple gear, which includes: baited hook and line, spears, push nets, hollow bamboo piece or PVC pipes, baited trap and seine nets. There are 3 commonly used methods, depending on materials available in villages, to catch eel.

• Baited line
• Eel spears
• Push net

And here are the famous Japanese Eel (Unagi) Recipes.

# Unagi – Japanese Eel Dishes
# Unagi (eel) Salad Recipe
# Unagi (eel) Stir-fry Recipe

I guess, that’s enough facts about eels. Interesting isn’t it? Well, at least it is interesting for me. Thanks Jachin and Alisi for the photos, my bossy sis for some fixes and you can read the prologue too.

A conversation between me(May) and my bossy sis (Win). This time, we were on about sentence structure but the subject was twisted into – the Earthophic Foot.

May: hey, fix this sentence for me
I want to say, it touches me
how to say that in proper sentence?

“There is only once in my life I have a personal contact with them; ie. when I tried to plant some vegetable plants and dug up a few earthworms.”

personal contact?? it sounded wrong.

Win: the 1st sentence-
“the one and only time I encoutered an earthworm was while digging soil for a vege plant.
It was my 1st and last association with an earthworm, as well as gardening”.

May: The once and only time I encountered an earthworm was while I was digging soil for a vegetable plant. I cut them half in the process. The cut parts got twisted and jumped up on my foot; I run like hell and never dig the moist soil again. It was my 1st and last association with an earthworm as well as helping mom garden.

there that’s good enough

Win: no!

May: thanks. no that’s good

Win: “the one and only time I encoutered an earthworm was while digging soil for a vege plant. I managed to mame them with my spade. Their cut pieces twisted and turned, and ewwwwwww, came in contact with my delicate foot which reflexively carried me far away, really fast.
It was my 1st and last association with an earthworm, as well as gardening.”

there.

May: full of shit!
delicate foot! my arse LOL

Win: hey, much better than urs
ur delicate foot

May: ppl will laugh n think i’m stupid
delicate foot!!! LOL

Win: fine, just write nonearth-loving foot

May: sound stupid

Win: foot

May: yah foot is enough

Win: nono- earthophobic foot

May: LOL

I was looking for my particular phobia in this phobialist.com and didn’t find my phobia but found these.

Logizomechanophobia – Fear of computers. (I’m starting to)
Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia – Fear of the number 666. (Just can’t pronounce it)
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia – Fear of long words. (Ironic! LOL)

Now I’m starting to become Phobilistphobia.

This is the prologue of “Dura – The Eel” story which will be posted soon.

Talk 1: The Source of The Story
Conversation between Jachin (my friend) and May (me). Alisi – Jachin’s mistress.

Jachin: Alisi sent me a couple of photographs this morning
I’ve forwarded them to you. Very big eels
May: Oh g8 thanks
May: Duna means eel?
Jachin: Yes, Fijian word
May: they r huge!

Talk 2: Information Gathering
Conversation between Win (my bossy sis) and May (me)

May: what do u know about eel?, i’m writin about eel, getting facts
Win: slippery slimy snakelike finned water creature i see on exotic menus. Write about squid
May: no, writing about eel. I got 2 great photos
Win: there is recent catch in ross sea, by NZ of the largest yet caught squid
10m, 450kg
imagine, 10m long
May: it can long up to 10cm – 3m says in wiki
urs is too long
r u sure that’s m or cm?
Win: sobo latest news
May: show me the source, url, proper link.
Win: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21269279-30417,00.html
May: 10m is…how many ft?
Win: colossal squid
30, duh
incredible
May: I said EEL! not Squid!!
Eel yar eel eeeeeeeel!!!
Win: n i said write about squid
May: anyway that too is a good story, may b i’ll link it up
Win: oh n also a dolphin dying of a broken heart
May: what!?
Win: coz trainer murdered, its refusing to eat n lost 50kg since
May: oie! he’s in love with the trainer?
Win: female trainer
May: yah I said he = dolphine
see i’m a good guess
Win: if u want to write about environment, flash news on reef destruction due to erosion of pesticides with proof
May: no no that’s enough about marine life. Not writin environment. may b later.

Talk 3: Unresolved Argument
Cont- conversation between Win (my bossy sis) and May (me)

Win: oh, abit of eel related, almost, its snakes, do u know, they, like turtles n salmon return to site of their hatching place to lay eggs interesting or what?
May: that i know
what about snakes?
Win: what about them?
May: u said abit of eel related – snakes
what u talkin about
aww aww, gotcha.
Win: well, snake is almost eel related,
May: snakes return to lay eggs like turtles etc.
my bad.
Win: but snaes return to their hatching place to lay eggs
thats the story
May: hey! snakes doesn’t lay eggs
they go live snakes
Win: oh my god
May: no eggs
Win: u stupid
May: u stupid!
Win: so stupid
May: u r!
the big snakes, i seen them, never lay eggs
Win: look, only marsupils n mammals bear live babies
May: they give birth to live tiny snakes, plenty of them
Win: snakes are reptiles, like turtles, crocs, lay eggs
u remembering old indianajones movies
May: but some snakes exceptional
Win: stupid
May: yah i seen from there!!!
they cut open the big snake stomach on the meal table
Win: crazy
May: n all small snakes come out
n they pick up to eat those raw
Win: thats a bloody movie for heavens ssake
May: that’s true
Win: snakes=reptiles=lay eggs
May: i still don’t think so
Win: omg
May: where r the facts?? show me the proper facts
Win: google it
May: U google it!
Win: search in any science txt bks.
hey whatever
May: whatever! snakes birth small baby snakes
Win: u write that snakes give birth to baby snakes on ur blog n wait for a stream of comments of ur mistake to come ur way
then u’ll face the embarrassment
ur reputation on line
May: oh yah!! I’m still writing!
Win: good 4u
May: GOOD!!!

-:: Prologue Ends Here. ::-

Sharepoint Experts – Dustin Miller provides us with a demo site featuring 20 server admin templates.

It’s a great help for us as we can check out all the features of each site template on live demo version. Login information is also provided there. I haven’t test out WSS V3 yet, but I heard it improves alot from the previous version. May be I’ll check it properly when the next sharepoint project comes in.

View V3 Demo Site here. | via: The Boiler Room

I guess, you’re missing two weeks of my music picks. I’m going to do some random picks here instead of album picks. These are just some new songs I came across last few weeks. Some are just released and some are not yet. Don’t know how they get those, I just do site hopping and grabbed a few here and there.
Alrite, cut the craps. Here are the picks.

Beyonce – World Wide Woman

It’s www everywhere and even Beyonce singing about it. haha. She still keeping her strong vocal style and it’s OK song. I find it a little annoying to hear that “I’m a world wide woman, w-w-w” repeatedly. It goes round n round in my head and kinda of make me dizzy.

Jennifer Lopez – Porque La Vida Es Asi

Adding Spanish flavor here. This is JLo’s new hit. She sings beautifully in there. I don’t know a word of it but I just like those tongue twisting languages.

Shakira – Illegal

I like her for how she sings and the way she dance. She is just too hot, I bet everyone agrees to that in her previous hit – Hip don’t lie. Even salted earth worm can’t twist and turn like her.Gosh the way she move. LOL This song is a slow one and good listening. I like it.

Avril Levigne – Girlfriend

My favorite skiter boi pop star, Avril Levigne’s new single “The Best Damn Thing” is gonna come out around April and got one leak song from there. It’s OK song, good to jump around – Hey Hey! You You! Check out the cover too. She is blonde now. Why blonde I don’t know, it just spoil her nice hair. I prefer the previous long straight brown one. She changed her style – more galie now.

Kelly Rowland (ft. Eve) – Like This

You all know her. She’s one of the gals from Destiny Childs’ – Kelly Rowland; she is releasing her solo album “Miss Kelly” later this year and this one is the first track from there featuring Eve.

Kelly Clarkson – One Minute

This is from her new album. I don’t like her voice here. She sounded like having a bad throat and can’t talk/sing well. The sound doesn’t come out clearly, and I just don’t like this track. comparing to some of her old hits.

Hilary Duff – With Love

This is from her new album “Dignity”. I like the background beat and the song is alrite too. She sings well and the beat is nice though quite a lot of repeatations. She topped the “Best Music Artist that come out from Disney Network”, with Lindsay Lohan as 2nd and Ashley Tisdale as 3rd.

Ashley Tisdale – Headstrong

You know this gal from the twin show comes on Sundays – The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. She really can sing! She’s is like little Britney style. All the songs in this album are pretty cool. Pop, fast beats and teen style.

Mandy Moore – Extraordinary

Quite a while we haven’t hear her songs and now she’s back with Extraordinary. It’s pretty slow one. Not bad.

Sarah Mclachlan – Ordinary Miracle

After Mandy Moore’s Extraordinary, here comes Sarah Mclachlan’s Ordinary Miricle. I like her songs, they are always sweet, slow and easy listening. This new one is also a nice melody and I like it.

Ok this is enough for two weeks picks. Which one you like most from here? Any pick you wanna share with me too? Enjoy yall.

Science surely is twisted and gives me headache. Faith on the other hand…

Link:wellingtongrey.net | Via: Elloit Black