THE RAINFORESTS YOU DIDN'T KNOW EXISTED (IRELAND TO MALAYSIA)

Rainforests are more than just a fascinatingly biodiverse environment to explore - they play a crucial role in preserving the future of mankind, with a recent study showing that rainforests absorb more than half of the carbon emissions around the world. This means the preservation of rainforests goes beyond a mere conceit - it's an imperative. So what better way to spend your travels than learning about these environmental powerhouses, and perhaps even pitching in with some conservation efforts? They're an incredible place to explore flora and fauna, making a rainforest break an intensely rewarding experience - and if you're interested in getting your hands dirty somewhere a little less busy than on your typical Amazon adventure, check out some of these little-known rainforests.

The Udzungwa Mountains, East Africa

These extraordinary mountain ranges were almost unexplored just 35 years ago - teaming with rare and beautiful wildlife, these lush ranges have now been designated one of the world's most important biodiversity hotspots. Thousands of new species have been discovered here, and it's been described as "a land where time stood still", due to its pristine, almost completely untouched environment. Soaring up like a mirage in the desert, these mountains are surrounded by endless stretches of arid savannah - a true miracle of nature.

Koh Samui, Thailand

One of the largest islands in the Gulf of Thailand, Ko Samui is known for its beautiful white sand beaches, upmarket resorts and riotous nightlife - but did you know that it is also home to a lush and expansive rainforest? With a warm, humid climate, this tropical island is home to a number of rare and extraordinary creatures including King and Queen Cobra snakes, Box Jellyfish, giant monitor lizards and even whale sharks. The pristine rainforest can be explored via a three-hour hike or even a jungle safari and is overflowing with cascading waterfalls, lush tropical greenery, all manner of monkeys and even wild elephants.

Bukit Nanas, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The smallest rainforest in the world at just 9.3 hectares, this incredible rainforest within a city is a landmark at the base of the enormous KL Tower. Bijoux as it may be, it still preserves many species and features of the expansive diverse rainforest it once was, including monkeys, pythons, lizards and squirrels. It's probably the only rainforest which you can hike through, then eat in a revolving restaurant directly above! Bukit Nanas serves as an important reminder of the effects of human inhabitation on natural environments - jump on a flight from Dublin to Kuala Lumpar to check it out.

Southern Siberian Rainforest, Siberia

A rainforest in Siberia? It's snow joke! A temperate, rather than a tropical rainforest, this humid and occasionally even snowy (!) rainforest can reach temperatures as low as -19 degrees Celsius. Home to brown bears, European adders, golden eagles, peregrine falcons and grey wolves (to name but a few), this rare wintery forest also houses a huge variety of trees, including silver birch and Siberian pine. A truly unusual rainforest!

So take a trip to one of these wild and beautiful natural rainforests, to learn about some of the most important eco-systems Earth offers. As educationally rich as they are rich in natural beauty, these rainforests are sure to inspire you.

Plan your next trip to one of these wild and beautiful natural rain forests that have accessible environmental views. You can also plan it with airlines that could take you to most of these places nonstop, like Etihad Airways.

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THE PSYCHOLOGY OF BOXERS

For centuries, boxing has primarily been viewed as a physical and testosterone filled sport. A sport where physical strength and ruthless egos drive a match and fill seats in an arena. While the brutality of the sport may be what attracts fans, it is the psychology of the sport that truly depicts a great boxer. The mental stamina and toughness of any given boxer can make or break how successful they are on any given day. In the boxing world, this is called, "mind management."

Mind management consists of four different areas that help a boxer take control of a match and perfect his overall ability to perform: Calmness under pressure, a ruthless sense of focus, mental toughness and lack of self-blame when things go wrong (Harland). In order to be a successful boxer, it is very important to possess all four of these traits. Many boxers underachieve due to built up stress, nervous and anxious feelings and lack of ability to controls their demons. Being able to be calm under pressure may be one of the most important attributes of the mental side of boxing. If a boxer isn't able to control his or her ability to calm nerves or push aside anxious feeling before a big match, it may affect their ability to keep a clear head and physically perform to the best of his or her ability. Being able to obtain a ruthless sense of focus is the power to counteract negative thoughts and feelings. Opposing boxers will constantly try to intimidate their opponents by getting into their heads and taking their minds off of the match. Mental toughness plays a big role before and after a match. If a boxer loses a big match and isn't able to overcome the feeling of failure or defeat, it could lead to a downward spiral in future matches to come. This is where lack of self-blame comes in. As a boxer, it is inevitable that one will at some point in their career lose a big match. Those who are able to rise above and work harder will be the much better off than those who take the loss personally.

Being able to be disciplined enough with their diet, physical training, sleeping habits and mental toughness, along with their failure and successes, separates the good boxers form the great. No matter how skillful or fit a boxer might be physically, this will count for nothing if the boxer is not prepared mentally.

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NO MORE A REAL GAME!

Do you remember the year 2001, when Dravid & Laxman played a 376 run match winning partnership or Brian Lara's 153 against the likes of Glenn McGrath & Shane Warne? For someone who has been a cricket fan through these years when there was no such format called T20, cricket was something pure.

Ever since the emergence of the 50 over format in the 1980's, Test Cricket was still considered the real game until a new era of a fast paced format emerged that just wiped away the beauty of the game. When we talk about the legends of the game, we often hear about Viv Richards, Sachin Tendulkar, Wasim Akram, Steve Waugh, Brian Lara, Shane Warne and so on. All these players were major draw in the 5 day format. How often have you heard the experts talking about either a Michael Bevan or a Sunil Narine who have been wonderful in the short formats but not in the longer one.

I started being a fan in 2010 when the T20 format made its place in the market. I was fascinated with this form of sport which is so quick and entertaining. You get to see the hard hitting, the doosras, the scoop shots more often than before. But that same year, I decided to watch a test match on Television. I began watching it on Day 1, and guess what happened later. I was glued to the seat until the 5 day match got over. It was a complete addiction. One may think what was so special in it? Well, generating an inning, the spirit of the game, the temperamental test, the technique & skill, the possibility of coming back into the game in each session... These are the few things that made me enjoy this format to the core. The IPL is held every year and as the years pass by my interest in the quick format starts declining.

Heroes are made in just one day the next day that same player gets out on a duck. Every year we get to see the same stuff happening... bats getting swinged anywhere, the bowlers who are considered great in the longer format are being hammered by ordinary batsmen who is just slogging his bat anywhere in a flat pitch where there is no relevance of line & length bowling. On the other side I am watching James Anderson who is getting wickets with his reverse swing in the longer format. Now this is something far better than the former. There is a say... form is temporary but class is permanent. So where is the class in the 3 hour format. Sorry to say but I don't see a class in MS Dhoni's sixes or Virat Kohli's hitting...

Now looking at it from a business point of view, T20 gives the boards everything that they desire for their benefit - short time, more crowd, players getting less fatigue, getting fixtures held one after the other to generate more & more money. For a rookie cricket watcher it is a 3 hour entertainment just like a movie but for a real cricket fan who has witnessed the likes of Mcgrath, Warne, Steve Waugh, Dravid, Ponting through ages, it is just a plastic. There need to be some ways where the traditional form can be saved in the future. I do see a few nations like India, Australia, England sustaining this form of cricket with the other nations managing with the shorter format just to survive in the long run. We have heard about the dominant West-Indies era in the 70's & 80's. Now this team is ranked eighth in test cricket and ninth in the One days. This is solely due to lack of participation. At present there are three nations dominating the world of cricket with India being on the top. Thanks to the iconic ashes tours that is helping this form survive on a long term.

An MCC survey revealed that only 7 % of cricket watchers in India prefer Test cricket as an ideal form. This figure is itself alarming to know. I love watching test cricket specially in England, where the ball is wobbling through the air at each delivery. The last time India defeated England in their home conditions was in 2007. That team comprised of technical greats like Dravid, Laxman, Kumble, Ganguly, Tendulkar... It was the same year the IPL tornament started and these players gradually faded away from the One-Day scene. I would say that England is a place where the actual batting gets tested in the 5 day game. Even Virat Kohli who has scored runs everywhere had a struggling time against the likes of Anderson & Broad on their conditions. This is where your actual technique gets tested. The recent collapse of South Africa at Nagpur pitch showed how the level of test cricket has gone down with the match ending in just 3 days. Some of the legends also shared their concerns after this match.

Now, the cricketing bodies need to make a fixture plan to reserve a few months in a year only for test cricket to serve it to the audience at frequent intervals in order to generate more interest in it. Otherwise, it faces a real dark future ahead.

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THE DOLLAR VALUE OF GOLD

Breaking Golden Rules

Modern day economics has added more value to Gold than the fundamental worth of the yellow metal. Although the most radical changes have come about by means of aggressive marketing of the commodity, Gold has always been the darling of the murky derivative trading world. The intrinsic value of the commodity has successfully attracted Hedge Fund managers across the globe so much so that billionaire hedge fund manager Paul Singer who oversees an AUM (asset under management) of $27 billion has been recently quoted saying "It makes a great deal of sense to own gold". Singer believes, that in the highly competitive world of business, the weakness of the Dollar evolves into a pillar of strength, boosting the export volume of the United States even as the world's Central Bankers are focusing on devaluing their respective currencies as well.

When Zero Means More

Near zero lending rates have failed miserably to recreate the much waited financial magic that Central Bankers were hoping for, while deflationary scenarios are back square on the court turning low inflation and high unemployment into a complex quagmire. The world's top economies are fast spinning into a death spiral thereby propping up the dollar value of Gold and turning the yellow metal into a safe haven for market makers across the world. A close observation of the commodity's price movements reveal uneven expansion and contraction in its prices, contradicting the conventional demand supply curve of time-tested economics. Even as I write this article, an Ounce of Gold is surprisingly trading at $1327, notches below its three-year high of $1392. The anomaly lies in the fact that the present dollar value of Gold is in stark contrast with the euphoric pricing of the S&P 500 that stands pat at 2159. In the words of Stanley Drukenmiller, a former Hedge Fund manager at Duquesne Capital, Central Banks across the world have lost their grip over monetary policies, adding shine to Gold's safe heaven appeal. Drukenmiller went on to state that he was skeptical of the global financial scenario due to the Federal Reserve's flip-flop on its current monetary stance.

A Golden Dollar

The fact that Gold is traded in Dollar, turns the equation in favor of a comfortable negative correlation. A weak Dollar brings cheer to Gold investors, shoring up demand for the precious metal while low-cost dollar dominated loans keep the base metal markets in China abuzz. It is evident thus that Gold would continue to enjoy the value conferred upon it by aggressive derivative bets as long as the potential threat of a possible liquidity crunch looms large. The equation tilts the scales in favor of high valuations in Gold much like the currencies that are pitted against the Dollar index. While excessive weakness of the Dollar gives rise to additional demand for Gold, a weakness in the Pound or the Euro stems the demand supply mismatch, keeping the valuation of the Yellow metal from shooting beyond its designated price band.

The three controversial pieces that continue to elude the best minds in Economics are indeed the pieces that keep shine on the Yellow metal intact. Can Artificial Measures ever thwart the natural ebb of an economy? If Inflation is the key to solving the world's growth challenges then Stagflation should merely be a myth. At what point does DOLLAR VALUE of GOLD turn the equation in favor the Green Back?

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IN DEFENSE OF BOOKWORMS

Avid readers, who prefer reading rather than indulging in other leisure activities such as watching TV or playing sports, are usually subjected to a multitude of prejudices. Common misperceptions about those who love reading are that they are anti-social; they are also often referred to as the most boring people on the block and libeled as "book worms".

Those who are mostly seen carrying their current read wherever they go, often find themselves sidelined and eventually even begin to accept themselves as social outcasts. The trouble becomes more enhanced when readers accept this irrational treatment that is meted out to them, thereby further alienating themselves.

Those who read habitually should make it a point to spend some time trying to change the common misperceptions about their kind. The reason to stand up against such prejudices is because the onus of marketing the hobby of reading and getting more and more people to embrace this practice, making reading a part of everyday life, lies entirely in their hands.

It is the task of a person who is aware of the multitude of benefits that this hobby can offer to the world to make the world see the light. It may seem like an uphill task but all it takes is perhaps a little conscious effort combined with the wisdom of how to project your personality so as to be able to influence others. Be subtly humorous, and when in conversation with others allow yourself to respond naturally and spontaneously. Just because you are into books, does not mean you are required to share bookish tidbits in every interaction. One must learn to go with the flow and not redirect it towards what they recently read, something that book-lovers often tend to do.

If book-lovers projects themselves well, it will be evident that such individuals are much more intellectual and comprehensive than those whose minds have not had exposure to the written word. Well-read people are very engaging conversationalists, and are likely to add more color to any gathering because they have a vast knowledge base and a unique perspective. Most often than not they have the effect of broadening the scope of any discussion, adding value and meaning to what would otherwise have been a very ordinary session.

The world would be a much better place if everyone read fiction, particularly. Fiction helps reduce stress and increases imagination and creativity. It also helps increase empathy for others, as books welcome you to walk a mile in another's shoes and look at the world from varied perspectives. Reading books allows the reader to live multiple lives, and gives the mind food for thought, allowing us to better utilize our brain cells and have a well-informed opinion on diverse subjects. Keeping in mind all these plus points of reading, every bookworm should resolve to influence at least 5 people over the course of their lives to join the club. It is a good idea to start by trying to influence young children since they are ideally not possessed by strong prejudices

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