Tag: adios amigos

Zumba Rumba!

We are now on the last hobby post and why not dance with joy at the prospect of completing a challenge, the A-Z Blogging Challenge 2023!

Let’s start some music and enjoy dancing Zumba!

So, for Z it is Zumba Dancing!

Compared to all the other hobbies in the hobby posts, Zumba dancing is the youngest! Zumba was invented in 1990s, by a Columbian dancer and choreographer Beto Pérez. It is a fitness program developed using cardio exercises and Latin based dance moves.

Did you know that Zumba dancing is trade marked by a gym?

Well, Zumba is popular around the world, thanks to it being a full body aerobic and cardio workout. It combines the dance styles of  salsa, flamenco, chachacha, hip hop music and tango.

A Zumba dancer can burn 300 to 900 calories, which is a good number, considering we take in more than 2200 calories with just a single 14 inch pizza! Although it is advisable to eat only 2 slices of pizza in one sitting!

Thanks to the popularity of Zumba, we can enjoy the workout from the safety of our own homes through Youtube videos or can even subscribe to the Zumba DVDs, if you are up to it.

It is a good thing to take up Zumba, because, not only will it be a good hobby with the added advantage of fitness, but also reduces the chances of heart diseases.

Incidentally, Zumba is also banned in Iran and Israel! If you stay out of both Iran and Israel, why not go ahead and learn Zumba dancing? You will be both fit and happy! Give it a go, chalo Zumba!

P.S:

  1. The other hobbies starting with Z are Zip Lining, Zulu Dancing and Zoology. (We already saw two hobbies related to Zoology, entomology and ornithology. So I have refrained from Zoology in this post).
  2. Zombie Hunting comes under hobby with a Z, if it really was a thing!!
  3. Rumba roughly translates to Party!
  4. So, today on April 30th, we have come to an end of the Blogging Challenge. I will be back within the week with my regular posts. Do watch out.

Till the next post, adios amigos!

Ornithology

Zoology is a wide branch of science dealing with study of all kinds of animals and insects of all shapes. While we already learnt a little about insects in Entomology post in the A-Z Blogging Challenge, today we will learn more about Ornithology, i.e, the study of birds.

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O for Ornithology.

Everything, from studying birds in their natural habitat, through bird watching to observing their behavioral pattern and also the sounds they make comes under Ornithology. Ornithologists classify and categorize data by observation and also collecting bird skin and blood for scientific purposes. Bird blood is analysed to check for any pathogens or viruses, which can come in handy during the season of bird flu and the likes.

Birds picked up for studies are generally tagged and coded and data is updated, after regular checks.

Bird data is collected and stored at curated repositories where different bird specimens and parts are stored for studies and also as museums for people to visit and learn about. Natural History Museums come under this category.

Bird Collection museum Storage

The study of bird eggs is a study in itself called Oology, which is a branch of Ornithology.

Oology – Eggs of varied shapes

Did you know that the shape of the egg depends on the mother and her ability to fly?  Did you know the colour of the eggs is because of the mother bird’s diet?

The birds which are more apt to fly at high altitudes tend to produce elliptical eggs, where as birds like ostrich which can’t fly lay spherical (almost ball shaped) eggs. The only exception to this theory is the penguin, which only walks/runs on snow and ice, lays elliptical eggs. Ornithologists presume that, the elliptical shape of penguin egg may be due to its ability to swim in water!

Isn’t it interesting how, ostrich and penguin which can’t fly, are birds, whereas bats which fly, are not! Wait, bats are not birds? They can fly, yes, but they don’t lay eggs like birds, but give birth to young ones. (Birds are safe from the blame of COVID crisis! Mammals, we blame you!)

Interested in learning more about birds? Then go ahead and begin the study of Ornithology!

P.S:

  1. The other hobbies starting with an O are the Japanese art of paper folding called Origami and Opera!
  2. When you think of Ornithology, it is very difficult not to remember Salim Ali, who is synonymous to ornithology in India. The Tamil movie, directed by Shankar, 2.0, starring Rajnikanth and Amy Jackson where Akshay Kumar plays the villain who has a soft spot for birds is actually based on the Bird Man of India, Salim Ali. The movie sucked big time, thanks to glaring loop holes in the story. Thanks but no thanks!
  3. Cell towers and aeroplanes are hazards birds face on a day to day basis.  Did you know birds can’t see glass objects like windows?
  4. Even though I am posting about some important topics, I am not going too deep into the subject, as I want them to be easy to understand. Feel free to dig deeper if I could pique your interest. Till the next post, adios amigos!

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