There comes a time in every sports fan’s life when the excitement starts to wear off. It happened to me not too long ago. I was sitting in front of the TV one evening, flipping through channels, and landed on yet another football match. The teams were evenly matched, the crowd was roaring, but strangely, I couldn’t muster any enthusiasm. For the first time in years, I felt... bored. That’s when I decided it was time to branch out. Maybe I had outgrown football. Maybe there was a new, thrilling sport out there waiting to sweep me off my feet. I set out on what I called my “sports pilgrimage”—a journey to find a new game to obsess over, something fresh and exciting. I wanted a sport that could bring back the same sense of wonder I had felt when I first started watching football as a kid. Testing the Waters with Other Sports My first stop was basketball. Fast-paced, high-scoring, and undeniably popular—especially in the US—it had a lot going for it. I watched a few NBA games, got...
My love for trees began when I developed an interest in birdwatching. I believe this might be the case for many birdwatchers out there. Naturally, when you start observing birds, you begin paying attention to their habitats. In my quest to spot rare birds, I found myself gathering information about their eating habits, nesting preferences, and favorite trees. It soon became clear to me that if I wanted to find more bird species, I needed to focus on the trees they were drawn to. This realization sparked my curiosity about trees that attract birds. I distinctly remember reading about the Jamaican cherry tree—a fast-growing species that many fruit-eating birds and bats love. Around June or July, three years ago, I bought a Jamaican cherry sapling and planted it in the garden around my building. For the first six months, I diligently watered and cared for it. At the time, I was still in college, and as exam season approached, my studies consumed all my attention. I completely forgot about...