Small white butterfly Pieris rapae

Tremendous response to the red beetle, so glad you liked it enough to push it into the spotlight.

It rained all night and morning, even when it finally stopped, the sky was heavily overcast, but it was warm, so I decided to go to the woods. I was not expecting great things, maybe a bee shot or a ladybird.

As I patrolled the edge of the nettle glade, there it was, sitting on a lower leaf, like me, waiting for the sun. I collected plenty of shots, as the little beauty wasn't going anywhere. When done, I had to prod the butterfly into flight, as I needed to get a glimpse of the wing top surface for identification.

I was hopeful that it was the female orange tip, but unfortunately, the female has the same under wing patterns as the male. A little more research revealed that this was a small white. I do remember a dot on the top surface, but cannot be sure if I saw one or two dots, which is the difference between male and female. Still, I am happy with this capture.

Today's difference discussion is religion. I know religious discussions are not permitted and for good reason, but I do not intend to discuss write and wrong, just the difference it makes to my life, so I ask you not to rock the boat on this one, thanks.

Indonesia is the largest Islamic country in the world. This does not mean that the women are wandering around with the full body covering, only revealing their eyes. Indonesia is much more relaxed about its religion than many Islamic countries. A lot of women wear a scarf to cover their hair, but other than that, women dress sensibly according to their daily routines.

The mosque sounds the call to prayers six times per day, starting at 04:40 / 05:56 / 11:46 / 15:08 / 17:40 / 18:49 the times change according to the sun rise and sun set times (I think). I love to sit and listen to the mosques, often there are four or five within earshot, all clashing with each other. I think it really adds atmosphere to the evening but also reminds me that I am far from home.

Other than listening to the mosques, the religion has no effect on me, other than Ramadan. People do not talk to me about religion or try to convert me or argue with me, they just accept me, as I do them. Ramadan is the month of fasting for Moslems and they are not allowed to eat or smoke in the daylight hours. It would be extremely rude for me to smoke in public or to eat in public, this is what showing respect is all about.

Dave