October 27th-29th was a very important date for Owlpoo, as I was able to exhibit my website and show my work to all visitors. Thanks to eye of Dubai, an online portal for everything Dubai, I was given my own space and large TV screen to show Owlpoo on big screen.

It was a very sucessful event which was greatly receieved and a lot of interest was formed. Owlpoo made numerous new contacts, clients and business opportunites.

Owlpoo will shortly be working very closely with schools and now we are working constantly to create Owlpoo into education software for children.

With new inspiration, new stories will be added soon. There will also be an option to translate the stories into arabic and have an audio feature.

See below, a new set of desert character have been created. These will eventually be stories promoting wildlife in the UAE. These are organic illustrations showing the gecko, caracal, camel and falcon.

Owlpoo can’t wait for next Dubai Character and Licensing show in 2010!

www.owlpoo.com
Organic Illustration

After 17 days of performing, meeting new people and seeing new places- the Teenwrites exchange group is back on American soil.

Our final day in Thurston was spent rehearsing for the Gecko performance that evening. The evening began with a packed house of close to 200 students, teachers and parents. Recorded music that had been composed by Thurston students using writing from the workshops the previous week as well as projections of student writing filled the stage. Other pieces of writing were composed, and were either sung or provided as the backdrop for some moving dance pieces. Later in the show production students worked with actors and dancers to perform a piece of writing about war- this included movement, projections, music and lights- a great collaboration between a variety of different students with different talents.

The Gecko performance was really interesting- lots of cool sound effects, music and movement interwoven with student writing. I am hoping to post the performance on youtube within the coming days… keep checking back for more info.

After a short interval ( for American readers, intermission) the cast of Teenwrites performed the show for the last time. The performance itself was fantastic, and the audience couldn’t have been more supportive. There were many cheers and whistling following several of the songs and at the end of the show the ENTIRE audience rose to their feet to give students a well deserved standing ovation. It was really a perfect ending to our tour.

The following day we arrived at school and boarded a bus headed to London. Despite getting stuck in gridlock traffic on our way into the city, we still managed to make it to part of our tour of the National Theatre before splitting into groups to see our first of two shows for the day. American students saw Speaking in Tongues and that evening War Horse -which were both two of the best shows we saw all week (via an informal survey of the kids).

That evening we bid a fond farewell to our Thurston friends and began the trek (with heavy luggage in tow) to our hostel in Holland Park. The hostel was part of an authentic Jacobean mansion in Holland Park (which also included beautiful English gardens).

The next day included our first of many rides on the Tube (the English subway system) with our first stop at the London Eye- which is basically a giant, very slow moving ferris wheel that gives a gorgeous view of the entire city. We then moved on to the Tate Modern Art Museum which houses works by Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and MANY other artists (to name a few). We ended our day with a tour of the New Globe (the theater where Shakespeare’s plays were originally performed- however this is a recreation since the original burnt down long ago) and saw the very popular We Will Rock You (which is a musical using the songs of Queen).

Our third day in London covered a visit to the London Tower (where many prisoners throughout English history were held and killed), Covent Garden (where we did a little shopping) and finally returned to the National Theatre where we split into two groups and saw either Nation or The Power of Yes.

On our final day in London we spent the morning visiting the Victoria and Albert Museum (which houses a great exhibit of theatre relics) and then either the Natural History Museum or the Science Museum. Following lunch we split into two groups to see our final shows in London which was either Life’s a Dream or 39 Steps. On our way to the theatre for 39 Steps we made our way past Buckingham Palace in the rain (miraculously for London it was the only day we got caught in the rain the WHOLE trip).

After enjoying a Chinese buffet dinner in Chinatown we walked through the streets of London at night enjoying the Christmas lights and our last glimpses of the city.

The overall sentiment was that the experience was amazing on every level- from our own performances, to the variety of shows we saw, the museums and history we took in and finally all of the new friendships that sprouted. None of us can wait until April when we can collaborate on the next phase of Teenwrites and show our English friends all that Milwaukee has to offer.

This will likely be the last major update for awhile since we will be taking a break from TeenWrites until after the holidays. Look for performance pictures and videos within the next week. Happy Holidays!

GECKO/TOKEK/TEKEK

Tokek memiliki nama latin Gecko .Nama lain tokek adalah Cicak (Malaysia), Tokek rumah memiliki nama ilmiah Gekko gecko ( Linnaeus, 1758) . Dalam bahasa lain hewan ini disebut sebagai té ko atau teké k ( bahasa Jawa) , toké k ( bahasa Sunda) , dan tokay gecko atau tucktoo ( data: wikipedia.org). Laki-laki 30-40cm panjangnya, betina 20-28cm. Berat 150-300g. Yang Tokay gecko pertama yang secara ilmiah diberi nama oleh Linnaeus tahun 1758. Relatif terdekat mereka adalah Palm gecko, Gekko vittatus

Cecak yang berukuran besar, berkepala besar. Panjang total mencapai 340 mm, hampir setengahnya adalah ekornya.

Dorsal (sisi punggung) kasar, dengan banyak bintil besar-besar. Abu-abu kebiruan sampai kecoklatan, dengan bintik-bintik berwarna merah bata sampai jingga. Ventral (perut, sisi bawah tubuh) abu-abu biru keputihan atau kekuningan. Ekor membulat, dengan enam baris bintil; berbelang-belang. Jari-jari kaki depan dan belakang dilengkapi dengan bantalan pengisap yang disebut scansor, yang terletak di sisi bawah jari. Gunanya untuk melekat pada permukaan yang licin. Maka, dari sisi atas jari-jari tokek nampak melebar.

Penelitian dari suku gecho/tokek yaitu :

Baru-baru ini para ilmuan telah berhasil membuat bulu halus yang terdapat pada kaki tokek yang digunakan untuk menempel. Bulu buatan ini, meski masih belum sempurna, bekerja mirip dengan jutaan bulu halus pada kaki tokek yang memungkinkan untuk menempel diatas permukaaan yang berbeda, tidak rata, kotor bedebu, dan lingkungan dimana lem-adhesive biasa tidak mampu. Full, besama rekannya di Lewis & Clark College, UC Santa Barbara, dan Stanford University, melaporkan temuannya tentang rahasia tokek dalam menggunakan bulu halusnya untuk menempel tanpa penggunaan penghisap, lem, ataupun listrik statis. Mereka menemukan bahwa sudut antara bulu halus dengan bidang permukaan adalah hal yang menentukan dalam mengontrol daya menempel dan melepaskan pada tokek. Ratusan atau ribuan lapisan kecil yang terdapat pada ujung bulu-bulu halus tokek (disebut spatulae) akan menempel pada permukaan bidang dan berinteraksi secara molekuler. Dengan lebih dari 500 ribu bulu halus untuk setiap kaki, dan ratusan sampai ribuan spatulae per bulu, akan menghasilkan interaksi molekular (dalam kimia di sebut gaya van der waals) total sebesar 1000 kali berat tubuh tokek.Awalnya, tim ilmuan menduga daya rekat pada tokek sama dengan pada beberapa hewan, kodok, serangga, dan beberapa mamalia yang dapat menempel pada permukaan berdasarkan daya rekat kapiler, mengambil keuntungan dari tegangan permukaan cairan. Kebanyakan dari hewan-hewan ini memiliki semacam kelenjar pada kakinya yang menghasilkan cairan yang membuat mereka dapat menempel. Namun diketahui ternyata tokek tidak memiliki kelenjar seperti itu. Tak diragukan, spatulae pada ujung bulu-bulu halus di kaki dapat berinteraksi dengan lapisan air sangat tipis yang terdapat pada hampir seluruh permukaan.

Habitat Hidup tokek : hidup di pepohonan dan biasanya keluar malam hari untuk mencari makanan. Makanan: Serangga (untuk sebagian besar spesies), reptil kecil (juga tokek lain), kadang-kadang hewan pengerat. Tokek biasanya bertelur 2 telur per tahun.

Kandang Tokek

Kandang, katanya harus dibuat semirip mungkin dengan habitat aslinya.    Sebaiknya terbuat dari bahan dasar kayu/papan dan salah satu permukaan kandang diberikan “kawat kasa”.   Karena terbuat dari bahan dasar kayu dan kawat, kandang juga sebaiknya dicat, agar tidak mudah rusak akibat air.Jangan lupa, di dalam kandang letakkan juga bumbung bambu atau potongan pipa paralon, untuk tempat persembunyiannya.   Ukuran, tentunya disesuaikan dengan ukuran tokeknya.  Satu lagi nih… sediakan juga tempat minumnya.

Pakan, pakan alamiah tokek adalah serangga, yang nota bene memiliki kandungan protein yang tinggi.  Pakan alamian tokek adalah jangkrik, laron, ulat hongkong dan jangan sekali2 diberi makan kecoa, karena (katanya) tokek akan sakit dan bisa mati jika sering diberi makan kecoa.    Agar tokek menjadi cepat besar dan gemuk, ada yang bilang diberi udang kering/ebi atau telur rebus.

Penempatan, tempatkan kandang tokek jauh dari kebisingan.    Maksudnya, jangan ditempat di area yang sering ada orang lalu lalang.   Katanya, tokek itu… paling ngak suka kebisingan/berisik.

Temperatur, kandang tokek harus diletakkan di area yang tidak terkena sinar matahari secara langsung dan juga tidak boleh di tempat lembab atau basah, harus di tempat yang kering.    Misalnya… letakkan di teras halaman belakang rumah yang tidak terkena panas sinar matahari langsung dan tidak akan terkena hujan.

Sifat, tokek termasuk binatang kanibal.  Oleh karena itu jangan menempatkan lebih dari satu ekor di dalam satu kandang yang sama.  Tapi ada juga yang bilang… boleh2 saja… satu kandang ditempati beberapa ekor tokek, tapi…

Ciri Tokek Jantan atau betina :

Sebagai orang dewasa sekali tokeh mudah menetapkan garis. Jantan memiliki sebuah file yang mencolok pori-pori untuk anus. Jantan mempunyai pembengkakan kecil juga dua di hemipenes (dua-potongan tubuh reproduksi). The hemipenes dalam sebuah rongga di dasar ekor telah disingkirkan. Juga laki-laki lebih besar daripada vrouwtje. Pada Tokeh muda sangat sulit baris dapat menetapkan. Garis dapat juga ditentukan oleh penelitian fisik. Ini dapat menjadi dilakukan dengan menekan dengan lembut inci di belakang kloaka; pada laki-laki cara ini menjadi hemipenes uitgestulpt..

Penyakit

Abses: dimulai sebagai pembengkakan yang kecil, namun menjadi penuh dengan nanah.
Mondrot: di sini adalah pendarahan merah di mulut untuk melihat, rahang dan mulut mulai membusuk dan kepala membengkak.
Huidverzwering: di sini adalah perdarahan merah paha dan perut untuk melihat.
Diet Cacat: kemandulan, lesu, kehilangan nafsu makan, mata dan pertumbuhan stagnan.
Salmonellosis: akut usus buntu, keracunan darah dan pneumonia.
Eksternal parasit: mengisap darah parasit, kutu, tungau.
Parasit internal: dari diare, muntah dan lendir atau darah di tinja, melemah, kekurusan dan kematian sering terlihat.
Infeksi jamur: ada kapas-seperti menuruni kaki.

Beberapa pertanyaan dan permasalahan yang sering muncul dan bagaimana solusinya :

1. “Pak tokek sudah saya timbang kemarin, kok skarang jadi menyusut ya??
Jawab : Tokek merupakan hewan yang gampang sekali menyusut karena bagian perut tokek yang sebenaranya berisi angin yang gampang sekali menyusut, oleh karena itu badan tokek tidak bisa sebagai perbandingan berat tokek melainkan hanya bagian kepala dan ekor yang bisa menggambarkan secara kasat mata brapa berat tokek tersebut.

Penyebab paling sering menyusutnya tokek adalah : kondisi tokek yang stres, kondisi lingkungan yang terlalu berisik, kondisi yang terlalu terang dan tokek sering di pegang serta ditimbang.

solusi/penanganan : Supaya tokek tidak menyusut/penyusutan tidak terlalu ekstrim pada saat dibawa maka dapat dilakukan beberapa treatment/perlakuan yaitu :
- Masukkan tokek ke dalam bambu sehingga tokek tidak dalam keadaan terlalu terang dan suhu selalu terjaga
-Kedalam mulut tokek diberikan 2 biji kacang hijau
-Masukkan beberapa ekor jangkrik ke dalam wadah tokek supaya tokek tidak kelaparan selama perjalanan
-Jangan terlalu sering menimbang tokek atau memegang tokek dengan menggunakan tangan langsung, tokek bisa dipegang dengan menggunakan kain pada saat akan ditimbang. Tokek maksimal dipegang 2 kali. untuk memudahkan dalam penimbangan dapat dilakukan penimbangan wadahnya terlebih dahulu sehingga bisa langsung dikurangi beratnya.

2. Apakah semua tokek bisa di hargai dengan nilai yang tinggi ?
Jawab : Tidak smua jenis tokek bisa dihargai dengan tinggi karena hanya beberapa jenis saja yang terbukti bermanfaat theurapetik. Biasanya yang masuk kriteria adalah yang termasuk tokek rumah. Untuk yang termasuk tokek batu tidak masuk dalam kriteria. Ciri-ciri dari tokek batu yaitu badan mrip biawak, tidak berbintik2, badan licin dan biasanya bisa sampe berat sekali, ada yang sampe sekitar 5 kg. Untuk mengetahui jelas tokek mana yang masuk kriteria silakan Lihat di link dibawah ini :Telah Diupdate Minggu Ini

3. Tokek digunakan untuk kepentingan magic?
Jawab : Tidak diketahui dengan jelas apakah benar tokek benar digunakan untuk mendatangkan kekayaan. Yeang pasti adalah tokek seakrang sedang diuji secara klinis untuk pengobataan kanker, hiv dan virus H1N1 dan telah menunjukkan hasil yang significant.

4. “Bisa ga tokek diukur beratnya secara kasat mata?”
Jawab : Sebenarnya agak sukar untuk mengukur berat tokek secara kasat mata karena perut tokek yang berisi angin sehingga mudah sekali untuk menyusut. Cara yang agak akurat adalah dengan mengukur tokek pada bagian kepala dan ekor karena pada bagian tersebut tidak menyusut. Untuk tokek seberat 3 ons mempunyai lebar kepala sekitar 3 jari orang dewasa dan ekor sebesar jempol kaki orang dewasa

5. “Bagaimana cara yang tepat untuk menangkap tokek”?
Jawab : Tokek yang berada di alam masih bersifat agak liar sehingga jangan langsung tangkap dengan tangan karena bisa mencelakan diri sendiri. Caranya adalah dengan memancing tokek dengan menggunakan kain sehingga tokek mengigit kain tersebut. Setelah tokek mengigit kain tersebut baru dipegang. karena tokek akan mengigit dengan kuat kain tersebut

6. “Kok tokek semakin berat harganya semakin tinggi?”
Jawab : Penilitian menunjukkan bahwa semakin tua dan berat tokek maka kandungan zat aktif semakin tinggi yang berbanding lurus dengan berat tokek tersebut.

7. “Kok tokek bisa dihargai begitu tinggi?”
Jawab : Karena tokek mempunyai manfaat klinis yang tinggi maka harga pun ikut meroket. smua itu akan berbanding lurus dengan harga obat nantinya yang juga sangat mahal. Sebenaranya klo di konversi ke dollar maka harga tidaklah tinggi, karena kondisi rupiah yang sangat lemah terhadap dollar maka harga seolah-olah sanga tinggi

8. INFO TOKEK:
Tidak smua jenis tokek bisa dihargai dengan tinggi karena hanya beberapa jenis saja yang terbukti bermanfaat theurapetik. Biasanya yang masuk kriteria adalah yang termasuk tokek rumah. Untuk yang termasuk tokek batu tidak masuk dalam kriteria. Ciri-ciri dari tokek batu yaitu badan mrip biawak, tidak berbintik2, badan licin dan biasanya bisa sampe berat sekali, ada yang sampe sekitar 5 kg

TRANSAKSI INI DILAKUKAN SECARA LEGAL HUKUM, BAGI PARA PEMILIK. SILAKAN HUB. Agung Surabaya. HP. 08813526509 03177236097 (sms kadang tdk dijawab) Bagi yg mau transaksi SERIUS: Scan Ket. Gambar, berat, jumlah, Surat Pernyataan/ Jaminan ket Tokek tsb benar (tanda tangan & materai 6000), Biodata anda, KTP, Tlp/Hp, kirimkan pada Email: yobenbingung@gmail.com

Daftar Pustaka :

1. http://www.tokeh.info/tokay/
2. www.geckosunlimited.com/
3. www.jaysanimalencounters.co.uk
4. www.vmsherp.com
5. www.reptilx.com

Today, Wednesday, is our last day with Gecko, our last day performing TeenWrites (American version) and our last day living with our hosts here. We perform all of the pieces we’ve been working on starting at 7:00 p.m. tonight and finishing with a performance of TeenWrites.

Tomorrow morning we will be traveling and spending the day with our hosts in London where we will bid them fond farewell at the end of the night. We will be spending the next few nights in a youth hostel in London and by day making our way through the city seeing a vareity of museums and performances before leaving for home on Sunday afternoon.

That being said- internet access will be scarce and there may not be any further updates on this blog until we arrive back in America. We look forward to the next few days and to returning back to our homes in the States.

The Gecko version of Teenwrites began it’s third day of work on Monday. Ameed and Helen (Gecko company members) brought in a script that incorporated writing from the workshops last week as well as many ideas that came out of the discussions about change from all of the theatre students.

Students were assigned to various groups, then given tasks to work on before all groups did a brief blocking walk through and showed each other their work at the end of the day.

Tuesday will be our last day in Thurston and it will be a VERY busy day. We will be spending our entire day with Gecko working on staging the last bits of our script, then hold a very fast tech rehearsal and a performance in the evening starting at 7:00 p.m. Following our Gecko performance, we will perform our American TeenWrites ONE MORE TIME. Cast members have commented on how excited they are to perform because many of their hosts have not seen the performance yet.

Friday was our second workshop with Gecko- we explored physical responses to words like “joy” and “anger” then began a discussion about our theme- change. Discussions focused around various emotions connected to the word change and changes students hoped to see in their lives over the next 5 years. Starting Monday students will begin to develop the piece that they will perform Tuesday evening.

Friday evening included the traditional English meal- fish, chips and mushy peas (verdict was thumbs up on fish/chips… not so much on the mushy peas) followed by the International Cabaret with performances by Americans, English and Norwegians. The evening featured lots of singing- pop songs, songs from musicals and original songs played by a band, as well as poety readings, raps and dances in various forms. Overall it was a really great sharing experience and the event benefited Children in Need.

Ebay has lots of new beads listed which I want to plug today. http://stores.ebay.com/Cats-Paw-Artifacts



I also sell on etsy.com and there is always a lot to look at there -
http://www.catldy99.etsy.com

Thursday was our first day working with Gecko! American students were broken up into two groups so that some of the students were working with Year 12 and another group with Year 13 students.

Gecko’s work on this project will be completely different than our current and previous work on Teenwrites- they will be using the ideas and writing in a very “physical way”. Thursday’s focus was getting students up, moving and used to the work ethic that will be expected during their time with Gecko. Here are some photos of our first workshop.

Get more photos here.

By the end of the sessions students were sweaty and exhausted- which is always a good way to end a school day. The exercises included full committment from all participants and all students have really bought into the process. Friday will begin work on the actual theme and writing that has been produced up to this point. Production students began working on designing a set for next Tuesdays performance of Teenwrites and TeenWrites (Gecko version), and learning to work with moving heads lights that have been rented for the week.

For one of the first days thus far, all of the Americans went home with their hosts for an evening at home. Friday will be more workshops with Gecko and the evening will include a meal of fish and chips and an International Cabaret where Norwegians, English and Americans have signed up for a 2 minute slot to sing, dance, read stories or perform whatever else they can think of. It will be an fun evening full of sharing.

Back in the swing of things! getting it all together. Now just trying to get through all the Madagascar shots so I can get them burnt onto DVDs and send them around the world.

Before we dive into the post, let me say, if you would like any prints, just contact me by going to the contact page and shooting me an email! If you tell me which picture (either by post or by general description or URL) and an idea of the dimensions, I can give you a quote. All of the pictures hoisted onto the blog (and more actually, if you have something in mind that’s similar to things seen, I might have shot it as a lucky coincidence – stranger things have happened) are available as prints. They come without the black border and Mark Scherz 2009 label, though these can be added if you would like. All prints are signed and dated.

Anyways, forward!

Gekkonidae

So there are a LOT of geckos in Madagascar. 10 endemic genera even! That means a lot of diversity. I just wrote a 1500 word essay on their evolution, but I’ll try not to go into it. Basically, they’ve been isolated for some 90 million years. That means they are unlike anything anywhere else on the planet. They took up specialisms and went crazy, and there ensued the beauty of today’s species.

Hemidactylus platycephalus

This was the first gecko we saw on the whole trip. Upon consulting the edition of Glaw and Vences that I just received, it appears to be H. platycephalus, one of the only introduced species we saw.

D300 + 105mm VR + R1 flash unit @ 1/60s f/4

Phelsuma grandis

This is one of the most common species in the north. They are on every banana tree. Most of you who know me will know what they look like, because I own one.

D300 + 105mm VR + R1 flash unit @ 1/60s f/8

D300 + 105mm VR @ 1/160s f/3

D300 + 105mm VR @ 1/160s f/3

Phelsuma abbotti checkei

This is the other species of Phelsuma found in the same area of forest. They are less common and more shy, because they are much smaller.

D300 + 105mm VR @ 1/30s f/3.2

Interestingly, the only other genus found in the actual forest where we were besides Phelsuma was the one that is supposedly the hardest to find, Uroplatus. I have a feeling there were other genera about, but that we never came across them because for the most part our eyes were upwards pointing.

There are two species of Uroplatus found in the dry deciduous forest in the north (from what we found). I am assuming that almost all of the species we found were U. henkeli, but I don’t really know, because the species recognition is extremely difficult.

Uroplatus henkeli

D300 + 105mm VR + R1 flash unit @ 1/60s f/8

D300 + 105mm VR + R1 flash unit @ 1/60s f/8

D300 + 105mm VR @ 1/50s f/3

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D300 + 105mm VR + R1 flash unit @ 1/60s f/6.3

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D300 + 105mm VR @ 1/100s f/3

D300 + 105mm VR + R1 flash unit @ 1/60s f/8

D300 + 105mm VR + R1 flash unit @ 1/60s f/8

D300 + 105mm VR + R1 flash unit @ 1/60s f/8

D300 + 105mm VR + R1 flash unit @ 1/60s f/8

D300 + 105mm VR + R1 flash unit @ 1/60s f/8

D300 + 105mm VR + R1 flash unit @ 1/60s f/8

D300 + 105mm VR + R1 flash unit @ 1/60s f/8

D300 + 105mm VR + R1 flash unit @ 1/60s f/8

D300 + 105mm VR + R1 flash unit @ 1/60s f/8

D300 + 105mm VR + R1 flash unit @ 1/60s f/5.6

D300 + 105mm VR + R1 flash unit @ 1/60s f/8

I think this individual is actually a Uroplatus sikorae:

D300 + 105mm VR + R1 flash unit @ 1/60s f/3.5

Then we of course have the Uroplatus from Montagne d’Ambre:

Uroplatus sikorae

I have no idea how our guide spotted this guy. Insane.

D300 + 105mm VR + R1 flash unit @ 1/60s f/8

D300 + 105mm VR + R1 flash unit @ 1/60s f/8

and then there is Uroplatus ebanaui

D300 + 105mm VR + R1 flash unit @ 1/60s f/8

D300 + 105mm VR + R1 flash unit @ 1/60s f/8

And that’s basically it from the geckos! Hope you enjoyed the heavy image load. These were basically what I went to Madagascar to see, and I got really really lucky. Unfortunately, there were no U. giganteus to be found, but we tried.

The next and quite possibly the final instalment from the Critters series is Birds. It’ll be short, but I got one of my favourite shots from a particularly cooperative birdy.

Si, ya se que no lleva las dieresis, pero se ve mejor:

Dj TIESTO en Costa Rica, Torre Gecko (Plaza Real Cariari), 8 de Diciembre

Confirmado en su pagina oficial:

Apenas se sepa más acerca del precio de las entradas, y donde conseguirlas, no duden en qué por acá lo estaré posteando! Así qeu no dejen de darse una vuelta!

JBantha has Spoken

No hay mucho que decir más que Woohoo!

While vacationing in Mexico there are an unlimited number of places to visit and unlimited number of activities to participate in.  If you have never had the opportunity to visit Mexico before, you may be wonder just what some of the activities are.  How about the jungle?  Does exploring the jungle sound like fun?

It you think that exploring Mexican jungles sounds like a fun and exciting activity then you are not alone.  Jungle tours are currently a well-kept secret in Mexico, for the most part.  However, they are rapidly beginning to increase in popularity. One of the many reasons why jungle tours are becoming popular is because of how the tours are being carried out.

In most Mexican jungles the terrain makes it difficult or impossible for guided tours to take place from a bus or a car.  Hiking or biking is often dangerous or impossible.  If you are interested in scheduling a Mexican jungle tour, you will find that most tours are known as ATV jungle tours. The all terrain vehicles are what make most jungle tours fun and exciting. 

If you are interested in scheduling an ATV jungle tour, you will have to find a tour guide or company. ATV rentals are available, but you are advised against touring the jungles on your own.  Professional ATV tour guides not only know where to look in the jungle for exciting adventures, but they also know how to keep you safe. To find an individual or company that specializes in ATV jungle tours, you can contact your travel agent or do the research yourself.

While researching ATV jungle tours, it is likely that you will come up with a number of tour companies.  When selecting a tour guide, it is advised that you determine the location of each tour and then compare it to your intended Mexico destination.  ATV jungle tour guides are popular, but they can only be found in limited areas.  If you are interested in scheduling an ATV jungle tour, you may have to be prepared to travel to the intended tour site.

If you are vacationing in or around the Cancun area, you may be able to schedule an ATV tour with Jungle Jim’s ATV Adventure.  According to their website, this ATV tour was rated as the best ATV tour in the area for two years.  Cozumel Tours offer ATV jungle tours in and around the Mezcalitos area.  Cozumel Tours and Jungle Jim’s ATV Adventure are just a couple of the many ATV tours that can be found in Mexico.  If these tours do not service your area, you are encouraged to keep on looking.

ATV jungle tours are popular in Mexico, but they are not the only tours that you can participate in while vacationing in Mexico.  Many tourists find it exciting to ride an ATV along the coast or other in Mexican destinations.  If you are interested in scheduling an ATV tour, whether that tour is of the jungle or beach, you are encouraged to determine whether or not reservations will be needed.  The need for reservations often depends on the tour company which you plan on doing business with. 

As previously mentioned, you can either research or book your own ATV jungle tour reservations on your own or can do so with the assistance of a travel agent.  When selecting reservations, you may want to be on the lookout for tour packages. These packages may include a wide range of Mexico tours, in addition to ATV jungle tours.  Many times, you may be able to schedule an ATV tour, hiking tour, or snorkeling adventure all one weekend and for one low-price. 

It is likely that you expected to find an unlimited number of activities on your Mexico vacation, but did you honestly expect ATV jungle tours?  In Mexico, it is often difficult to know what to expect.  Perhaps, the unexpected and unknown is what draws so many to Mexico.

Other Tour Companies:

Peregrine Adventures : https://www.peregrineadventures.com

Gecko Adventrures: https://www.geckosadventures.com

What a week! One celebrity continues to make big bucks by being fat. Another develops man boobs and, oh yes, there was an election.

Give Me a Break: Kirstie Alley is getting a reality show focusing on her “struggle” with her weight. Hasn’t she made enough money off her inability to pull back from the dinner table? First Jenny Craig and now this. Isn’t that double dipping? Get a new gimmick, Kirstie.

By the way, did you ever notice that the problem with most reality shows is they resurrect celebrities you thought were dead — or should be?

Best license plate of the week: ILUVBEN on a new Mercedes SL65 AMG being driven by a beautiful young blonde woman. I would love Ben too if he gave me one.

From Jay Leno: Wal-Mart is now selling caskets. It could be worse. If you bought it from IKEA you would have to put it together. Speaking of Leno, the Housewives of Atlanta, appearing on his show’s Battle of the Celebrity Allstars, did nothing to offset the perception that Georgia’s education system is right down there in the mud with Mississippi’s and South Carolina’s.

Best celebrity promo: Wanda Sykes, promoting her new late-night TV show, “I’m here to say I haven’t slept with anyone on my staff yet.”

Don’t you love that Macy’s 150th anniversary promo with Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Johnny Carson and Orson Wells? There’s something warm and reassuring about it even if we can’t afford to shop at Macy’s anymore.

Most obnoxious commercial of the week: Would you mind if I paid you in Trident (sugarless gum) Layers?

And speaking of commercials, just what IS the nationality of Geico’s gecko? Will we ever be told? Such a cliffhanger.

Most confusing TV promo: California has unemployment rates hovering around 12 percent, the state’s economy is in the gutter, and yet Gov. Arnie, wife Maria and a bunch of celebrities continue to promote California as a place for people to come, work and play in a TV promo. ‘Splain, Lucy, ‘Splain. Why would you want to add to the population you can’t support?

Worse celebrity news item: First Jeremy Piven blamed sushi for mercury poisoning. Now the actor claims he grew man boobs from drinking excessive amounts of soy milk. Next he’ll be blaming some food for his acting ability not developing. Or, even worse, get a reality show focusing on his weight problem.

You’ll have to provide your own soy milk, but here’s the best coffee deal around: World Market’s whole bean French roast, 24 oz for only $8.79. A friend says the Italian roast is equally good.

Best drug-related comedy line heard this week: I could never do a drug that I had to make (like crystal meth) because I wasn’t that good at chemistry in school.

Best drug-related news item: Whoopi Goldberg joking on The View that she was moving to Breckenridge, CO, because they had just legalized pot.

Oh so true: Some people can handle alcohol and you know who you are. Some people can’t, and you don’t have a clue.

Worse sensory bombardment: You’re trying to pump gas and there above the pump is a video screen screaming at you. Hopefully that’s an experiment that will soon die.

The Last Word: While everyone was debating the significance of the two Republicans getting elected governors in the elections this week, the answer was really quite simple: It’s STILL the economy, stupid!

So about a month ago while doing laundry, I found a tiny little gecko…which I guessed I had thrown laundry on and broken his little legs and tail.  I was mortified. I put him on a piece of paper (he could only run in circles since I hurt him) and took him to Ryan.  I kinda had though Ryan would sympathize with me and my dispair since it was my fault he was hurt.  Ryan instead took him and let’s just say, “put him out of his misery” before I could say anything.  My eyes welled up with tears.  I washed my face and brushed my teeth, all the time, it building up more and more how sad I was over this tiny little creature I didn’t even know existed less than ten minutes before.  Ryan walked in and saw how upset I was.  He then retrieved said gecko, got the shovel, and I found an old washcloth, we wrapped him carefully and buried him out underneath the holly.  Everytime I walk past or see the holly now, I think about him…now on to brighter news…

On Thursday, after I spilled a large coffee in the Nissan (ugh…) I put the floormat on top of the laundry basket to dry out (after washing it of course). I noticed a little gecko running around in the bottom of the laundry basket (which sits in the garage and is not at all used for laundry).  I thought to myself how cute he was and I was careful not to place the mat on top of him.  By Friday morning, the mat had dried so back into the car it went.  Gecko still in basket, I smiled and thought, huh, maybe he liked the shade.  Then tonight I was getting something out of the garage and noticed the little guy was STILL sitting in there.  I walked in, when it finally occurred to me.  HE WAS TRAPPED!  I ran back outside, carefully tipped over the basket.  He slid at first trying to run back up into the basket, and I was right, his little feet couldn’t grip the surface and he slid back down.  I tapped the basket against the floor and out he ran, under the Nissan as quickly as he could.  My heart filled with joy.  So while I might have tragically ended the life of one little guy, I’m pretty sure I just saved another.
My heart feels happy once again.

We are now entering TeenWrites Phase 1.5. Over the next several days we will be rehearsing and reworking the show that will ONLY include the eleven cast members that will be performing the show in England. After we perform for our English counterparts we will begin work with Gecko Theatre Company who will work with students to reinterpret and change our show.

THIS Thursday we will begin our journey abroad- keep checking this blog to follow our adventures overseas!

Here are a few photos from our tour last week!

Urban Dictionary

Who doesn’t love Urban Dictionary, I mean seriously. It’s the wikipedia of the slang world and it has reached such popularity that you are likely to find every slang definition your little heart desires posted by some internet bloke or another.

What I recently noticed when looking up the term Gecko was their unique take on making money off of their brand – personalized mugs with the unique word definitions posted. And you can get any word on the site posted onto a mug. What a great idea. I wonder how this is working out for them.

Compete says they receive over 3million users per month, I wonder how many of those visitors translate into sales?

And have you checked out the Urban Dictionary Blog yet? I read it and found out that they also sell hats and T-shirts.

Guest Blog Series: Braden Giordano

To truly appreciate my life saving endeavor, we first must discuss “The Incident”.  “the Incident” is an event in my life that can truly be considered the most horrifying event every experienced by anyone…ever…in the history of the world.  “The Incident” has put me on tilt my entire life; truly I am scared just writing about it…I imagine I will have nightmares this evening as I relive “The Incident” in my dreams.

“The Incident” occurred on a Friday night, my final year at college.  I lived in a single in a section of the dorms called The Annex.  Three floors, 3 rooms per floor…on the first floor there was, what I dubbed the master suite, a single room big enough for three…it was mine!  Freaking sweet right?!

Anyway, the simple room had a bed, a desk, a dresser, a mini-fridge, and Eugene.  Eugene, the 6 inch long, neon green day gecko.  He had a little cage, and next to his little cage, a second little cage with crickets or mealworms…you know gecko food.  Eugene had a good soul.  You could hold him and pet him, he did not bite, and I swear he responded to his name…though reptile experts ensure me that day geckos lack that particular skill.

Back the “The Incident”, I was returning from work…later than usual…dead tired.  It was laundry day on Saturday, so, though needing a shower I chose to go right to bed.  Not even turning on the lights, nor the TV.  I simply got right into bed and pulled the covers close.  Sleep was a welcome friend.

Then I felt something.  The covers sifting on my leg, an unfortunate occurrence, disrupting my slumber!  I shifted, seemingly moving the covers into a more appropriate position.  Again…this uncomfortable touch against my ankle area.  Damn you blanket, damn you to hell!  Then it happened…this uncomfortable blanket brush began to walk up my leg, past my midsection, up my belly, and rested on my chest.  Bleary eyed, I looked down…the lights from outside trickling into the room through the blinds…two great red eyes on a fluorescent green head stared back at me.  EUGENE!

That evil bastard had escaped his cage and searching for warmth found me.  I got up, flinging Eugene against the wall…he lived.  I grabbed him, put him in his cage, called a friend, have him the cage, the crickets, and the gecko and never thought of him until this very moment.  “The Incident”

So, anyway…I freaking hate lizards, snakes, geckos, Geico commercials (with the lizard or the cave men, and the money…I really cannot stand the money…somebody is watching me – not use Geico).  While walking the dog, a woman called to me asking if I was afraid of snakes…I informed her that I was indeed afraid of snakes.  She said could I help her, there was a snake in her cat’s mouth.  I said hold my dog, I will take a look.  She said she has blood clots and just had knee surgery, she could not hold my dog.  This was going to be one of those days…anyway, I tied the dog to her water hose and entered her home.  Right by the door sat the cat, with a small garden snake (4 inches long) in its mouth.  I grabbed the snake; I took it outside and released it back into the wild.

That woman would be dead but for my efforts – I am certain that snake was a killer.  And every so briefly I overcame my fear and put “The Incident” behind me.

Happy Halloween!

GECKOS UND IHRE RAFFINIERTEN TRICKS
Fotos und Reportage © H. Schulz

Geckos sind faszinierende Echsen. Sie laufen kopfüber an spiegelglatten Glasscheiben, und manche Arten können selbst in dunkler Nacht noch Farben erkennen. Wie das funktioniert? Durch HighTec-Biologie, die die Evolution im Laufe der Jahrmillionen entwickelt hat.       

REPORTAGE

Geckos – Kletterakrobaten mit Nachtsichtaugen

Wenn es Nacht wird in den Wüsten der Welt, dann erwacht das heimliche Leben. Skorpione tasten sich vorsichtig über den Sand. Ihre Beute finden sie mit den Füßen anhand kleinster Erschütterungen. Die Männchen der Nachtfalter begeben sich auf den Hochzeitsflug. Mit ihren Fühlern “riechen” sie die Dufthormone der Weibchen über viele Kilometer. Mit der Dunkelheit kommt auch die Stunde der Fledermäuse. Sie orten fliegende Insekten mittels Ultraschall. Schlangen dagegen “sehen” mit Infrarotsensoren am Kopf ihre Beute. Die Tierwelt ist erfinderisch in dieser lebensfeindlichen Umwelt.

In Nischen und Spalten haben die Geckos den Tag verschlafen. Jetzt, im Schutze der Dunkelheit, gehen auch sie auf die Jagd. Magerer Körper, faltige Haut, dicker Kopf und riesige Glotzaugen: Eine Schönheit ist der 15 cm große Fächerfußgecko nicht. Mit den fünf an der Spitze verbreiterten Zehen wirken seine Füße unproportioniert groß. Wie von Geisterhand gehalten hängen die nächtlichen Jäger reglos an der Decke. Auch ein blitzschneller Kopfüber-Sprint an einer Glasscheibe bringt die lichtscheuen Akrobaten nicht aus dem Lot. Haben sie Saugnäpfe an den Füßen. Oder ist das Hexerei?

Nichts von Beidem. Etwa eine Milliarde unvorstellbar dünner Härchen besitzt jeder Gecko an seinen Füßen. Sie schmiegen sich nahtlos an jede noch so winzige Unregelmäßigkeit. Und so haften die Füße der Geckos nicht wie Saugnäpfe, sondern durch elektrostatische Anziehung auf der Ebene der Moleküle. Van-der-Waals-Kräfte heißt dieses physikalische Prinzip, das die Geckos zu den schwersten Lebewesen macht, denen es möglich ist, kopfüber an der Decke zu laufen.

Aber was hilft die beste Klettertechnik, wenn es darum geht, die Beute zu sehen? Die Geckos benötigen dafür weder Ultraschall noch ähnliche Tricks. Mit ihren großen Augen, in denen die Pupillen als senkrechte Schlitze stehen, können sie selbst in vollständiger Dunkelheit hervorragend sehen. Der Helmkopfgecko aus Nordwest-Afrika geht noch einen Schritt weiter. Er ist das einzige Wirbeltier, das nachts sogar Farben erkennt. Die Sehzellen auf seiner Netzhaut sind etwa 350 mal lichtempfindlicher als die des Menschen. Da reicht auch das beste Nachtsichtgerät nicht heran. Trotz all unserer Technik – in Manchem sind uns sogar glotzäugige Reptilien überlegen.

Infos zum “Fächerfußgecko”
Der Fächerfußgecko (Ptyodactylus hasselquistii) ist in ganz Nord- und Westafrika sowie im Mittleren Osten beheimatet. Als Wüstenbewohner lebt er sowohl in der Steinwüste als auch an den Häusern der Menschen. Auch tagsüber verlässt er manchmal sein Versteck, aber auf die Insektenjagd geht er erst in der Nacht.

Sorta,

I think we lost him last night. But, hopefully he comes back. Everyone, this is Petey Sneaks. He is a common house gecko and we found him climbing on our wall last night lookin for bugs to eat. He’s kinda shy and runs away when you try to pet and hold him.

There is a gecko in my room.

I saw him the other night as I was going to bed.

I was too tired to eject him from my room.

Now he lives under my desk.

Sometimes he makes noises.

I am okay with this.

I’m trying to coax him out by asking him to tell me about how I could save 15% or more on car insurance.

It’s not working too well.

My accent needs work.

Am letzten Oktoberwochenende vom 24.-25.Oktober startet das 3. Surf and Music Festival am Strand von Kuta Beach. Neben dem RipCurl Grom Search Surfwettbewerb und der 5star ISC Open Surfing Competition wird abends und nachts der Strand gerockt. Auf der großen Hauptbühne treten als Hauptact S.I.G.I.T. , die Rock’n'Roll Heroes aus Bandung  auf. Als Support mit dabei Scared of Bums, Psycho Fun, Painful by Kisses and Gecko. Kuta Rock City!!
Das erste Festival in 2007 konnte bereits 3.000 Surf- und Rockfans an den Strand locken. Das Jahr darauf hatte sich die Besucherzahl bereits verdoppelt, also mal sehen was heuer so geht. Die Rip Curl Surf and Music Tour macht zudem noch in Bells Beach (Australien), Hossegor (Frankreich) und Zarautz (Spanien) Station. Rock and Surf around the globe…und hier noch ein paar Impressions von 07:

Sekedar informasi saja,  Jenis Kelamin atau Gender Tokek telah dijelaskan secara singkat dalam tulisan mengenai “Manfaat Daging Tokek !!!” yang terdapat pada  http://tjingwen.com/2009/09/25/manfaat-daging-tokek/ , yaitu dapat dilihat dari warna bintil2 pada permukaan kulitnya.  Warna “merah bata” adalah berjenis kelamin jantan dan warna kekuningan berjenis kelamin betina.

Nah… sebagai informasi tambahan yang saya peroleh dari Bro “Komandan” yang kalau ngak salah berasal dari Medan mengatakan bahwa”Tokek betina pada umumnya tidak bisa mencapai berat 4 ons, maksimal hanya mencapai berat 3,2 ons, kecuali yang obesitas katanya.”

Jadi disarankan… jika hendak memelihara untuk mencapai berat tertentu, janganlah memelihara Tokek Betina, kecuali memang hendak diternak/breeding.

Demikian informasinya… jika ada informasi lain yang sekiranya berguna akan segera saya tambahkan.