<h2>Being picky about lunch&nbsp;</h2>
<p>A Malabar Pied Hornbill enjoys a fruit snack in the Birds Paradise section of the Veer Jijamata Bhosle Botanical Garden and Zoo in Byculla.</p>
<h2>Going the distance in &rsquo;Nam</h2>
<p><img title="Usman Bhadelia in a moment from the triathlon. Pic Courtesy/Usman Bhadelia" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/may/dos-fourteen-may-b_e.jpg" alt="Usman Bhadelia in a moment from the triathlon. Pic Courtesy/Usman Bhadelia" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Usman Bhadelia in a moment from the triathlon. Pic Courtesy/Usman Bhadelia</em></strong></p>
<p>When he is not overseeing the running of Basque by Breve in Bandra, Usman Bhadelia is out breaking records. The Mumbaikar recently finished the Ironman 70.3 triathlon in Da Nang, Vietnam with a time of five hours and 47 minutes. &ldquo;It was a tough challenge. The weather was very hot and humid. It was 38 degrees Celsius at 10 am,&rdquo; Bhadelia shared over the phone with us. Swimming across 1.9 kms in the ocean, followed by a 90-km cycling stretch, and finishing with a 21-km half marathon, the session was gruelling, to say the least. &ldquo;I had been preparing for the last six weeks. This is my fifth Ironman. Now, it is all about recovering before I head back to Mumbai,&rdquo; he signed off.</p>
<h2>Farewell, Shyamala</h2>
<p><img title="(From left) Shyamala and Shweta Rao at their stray shelter in Badlapur" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/may/dos-fourteen-may-c_e.jpg" alt="(From left) Shyamala and Shweta Rao at their stray shelter in Badlapur" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>(From left) Shyamala and Shweta Rao at their stray shelter in Badlapur</em></strong></p>
<p>For over a decade, Shyamala Rao was a constant presence in the suburbs of Badlapur, Kalyan and Dombivli. From caring for strays, protecting them to treating their wounds, Rao would always be on the move. Last Friday, the 54-year-old passed away due to health complications. &ldquo;We have been carrying out this mission since 2011, and I will continue to do so. It was among her only wishes. We have over 300 strays in our shelter, including cats, dogs, a donkey and a pig. Through her efforts, they have become as much a part of our family,&rdquo; shared daughter Shweta Rao. Those wishing to lend a hand, can always reach out to them at 9359259447&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Fifteen, and counting</h2>
<p><img title="Volunteers assemble the kit at an event. Pic Courtesy/Seva Sahayog Foundation" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/may/dos-fourteen-may-d_e.jpg" alt="Volunteers assemble the kit at an event. Pic Courtesy/Seva Sahayog Foundation" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Volunteers assemble the kit at an event. Pic Courtesy/Seva Sahayog Foundation</em></strong></p>
<p>The School Kit Seva initiative by the Seva Sahayog Foundation is part of the platform&rsquo;s focus on education, environment and empowerment. &ldquo;These children often don&rsquo;t have the means to carry their books to school or even access basic stationery. A school bag may seem like a small thing, but it adds a sense of dignity and motivation to their learning journey,&rdquo; shared Vishal Desai, assistant project manager. This Sunday, the foundation will gather with its volunteers, donors and recipient schools in Naupada, Thane West and Dadar to distribute the collected kits, Desai added. Readers can reach out to 9619312683 to contribute or for more information. &nbsp;</p>
<h2>A new sisterhood in Sri Lanka</h2>
<p><img title="A moment from the first session in Colombo. Pic Courtesy/Instagram" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/may/dos-fourteen-may-e_e.jpg" alt="A moment from the first session in Colombo. Pic Courtesy/Instagram" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>A moment from the first session in Colombo. Pic Courtesy/Instagram</em></strong></p>
<p>The Sister Library is spreading its reach beyond Bandra. The initiative opened its first space in the largest city in neighbouring Sri Lanka. &ldquo;We had been in talks for the last three years. It just so happened that the support from the Goethe Institut Sri Lanka and the Alliance Fran&ccedil;aise de Colombo came through,&rdquo; shared founder Aqui Thami. Curated by the collaborative effort of the local initiatives, Every Story Sri Lanka and Lakmahal Community Library, Colombo, the space will also travel across the country, interacting and collecting works by feminist writers in the region. &ldquo;We started with 100 books in Mumbai, and have now grown to two further regions in Bangladesh and Colombo. We hope that it evolves into a space to engage in conversations with and about women from South Asia,&rdquo; Thami told this diarist.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Double milestone</h2>
<p><img title="Amie Fazulbhoy; (right) Participants at an event hosted in  Bandra. Pic Courtesy/Bandra Reads" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/may/dos-fourteen-may-f_e.jpg" alt="Amie Fazulbhoy; (right) Participants at an event hosted in  Bandra. Pic Courtesy/Bandra Reads" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Amie Fazulbhoy; (right) Participants at an event hosted in &nbsp;Bandra. Pic Courtesy/Bandra Reads</em></strong></p>
<p>The Bandra Reads community is celebrating two milestones as the club completes its 100th edition on May 18 and two years on June 15. The community is in a celebratory mode, and will be conducting activities like a panel discussion on the preservation of parks, paper quilling, crocheting and sketching workshops on all Sundays from May 18 to June 15. The workshop will be held by the readers of the community at Jogger&rsquo;s Park. Amie Fazulbhoy (inset), co-initiator and curator of Bandra Reads, said, &ldquo;Free events will be conducted by club members who are professionals or semi-professionals in sketching, paper quilling or crocheting. Prior registration isn&rsquo;t necessary.&rdquo;</p><p><script type="text/javascript">atOptions={'key':'d0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7','format':'iframe','height':90,'width':728,'params':{}};</script></p><p>
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