Human Spirit-undaunted!

A lot happened in the last couple of weeks-not just  in the realm of the global financial crisis but in every possible sphere of global news. And amidst all the ups and downs of a turbulent summer of 2009, life as we know it moves on and our delightful human spirit-one that we take so much for granted-continues undaunted and pushes us to fight harder and harder….optimism is so crucial for survival!

In Japan, the opposition Democratic party won the elections by a sweeping majority after almost 5 decades (the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has ruled Japan since its formation in 1955)-marking a historic change of power! Will this mark the end of a spectacular era of long drawn recession? Hard to say-unless the Japanese people get miraculously motivated to spend more and save less and learn to enjoy vacations or luxuries the American way! (debt is not always bad )

In India, the opposition BJP party got engaged in some dirty internal squabbles following the banishment of long time party member Jaswant Sinha for his book on Jinnah-party leaders are being sharply criticized by the media and suddenly it seems financial crisis/poverty/unemployment/terrorism no longer feature are the most important elements in their political agenda!

In Holland, a 13 year old teenager was barred by the legal courts for undertaking a solo around-the-world sailing voyage for risks of psychological malfunction. Well..apparently a child’s parents no longer have the only say in her wishes and desires-it becomes part of a national legal agenda!

Suicide bombings and killings of innocent people continue unabated in the terrorist-infested lands of Pakistan, Afghanistan and the like: by now these are news that people have perhaps begun to overlook coz it’s almost BAU! Sad that terrorism is on the verge of being taken for granted in some parts of our civilized world.

Chinese stock markets in Shanghai and Shenzen began rallying again due to improvement in bank lending and reports of growth recovery-the only big economy to have seen the face of recovery since summer of 2007! (of course any such news coming from China should always be read with a pinch of salt ) This needless to say prompted analysts worldwide to immediately start writing about decoupling and a China-led global economic recovery etc etc etc-fancy stuff but what about the ever growing inequality and potential social unrest in the interiors of a country whose official statistics can never be trusted?

Indian superstar SRK got all emotional and perturbed for being interrogated at a US airport-tsk tsk tsk! Guess he was more shocked at realizing that he is still not as famous as he has been dreaming 

Prez. Obama got praised for the re-appointment of Bernanke as the Fed Chairman amidst all the hue n cry regarding the health care reforms-kudos indeed more to Bernanke for sure! An academician after all can also be a stellar policy maker! (am I inspired?!?)

CBO’s budget figures were released in the US and the $9 trillion of projected Fed debt by 2019 took the policy circles once again by storm! Well as Krugman puts it, we need deficits to pull up the economy!! What happens with the revenue side? Who knows? Who cares until something more devastating happens!!http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/how-big-is-9-trillion/

Colombian President diagnosed with H1N1 virus which has claimed close to 100 lives in India and many more in UK and Mexico and US.

In a small town of Santa Cruz tucked away in the mountains of Northern California, thousands of acres of land (7800 acres to be precise) got scorched in the Lockheed fire that took about $26.6 million to be contained. And right as am writing, another fire is burning through the forests of LA near Pasadena…when natural forces wreak havoc..even a global crisis or political upheavals seem trivial!

Eventful fortnight indeed–yet life goes on and new hopes are born and new dreams are woven and new goals are formed in the struggle for existence-a spirit that we humans have been blessed with and yet something that we tend to overlook in our trials and tribulations-something that always stays with us like a rock solid friend in our times of need and distress. We are a blessed species and hope we use this spirit of ours to do more good than harm.

[Via http://rajeswarisen.wordpress.com]

India 2

When I think of India I think of padlocks.

Many rooms in which I stayed were locked by padlock – secured by the round clunky iron hearts I associated with bicycles and my childhood, a hard steel arm curling out of and back into the round/square body. One room’s acid-blue door gaped inwards slightly, along the curve of the iron bar the lock secured. “Bring your own padlock,” told me Lonely Planet, “Bring your own padlock” confirmed a sign at the hostel.

A store on Chandni Chowk, Delhi, specialises in different sorts of padlocks. It lies a few doors down from Ghantewala, the ancient sweetmonger.

I think of the women walking around, with long swathes of silk (or cotton, or polyester) curling over and around their bodies, transforming a flat length from Nalli’s into a sari, each tuck and fold like a poem’s stanza, or a word illuminated by being partially obscured.

Sometimes the women wear a burka on top of their saris. Other times, as in Chennai High Court, oversized black suit jackets (blazers) cover the advocates’ saris instead.

I think of the door – not padlocked but just locked – of the male wing of a certain student hostel, blocking off knowledge of the precise events of one important night I’ll never be sure I know the truth of.

I did, as the guide suggested, bring my own padlock. Often, each hostel provided one as well, so, like the women, the rooms ended up double-locked.

I enjoyed having brought my own lock. I could secure – and unsecure – things as I pleased. Much of the time the lock lay in my bag, unlocked, unsecured, unsecuring.

[Via http://elvessantnaturaldelsaigues.wordpress.com]

Playing Shortball

Indian team coach Gary Kirsten had promised that the intensity in training would be high in the short preparatory camp ahead of the triseries in Sri Lanka.

True to his word, Day Two of the four-day camp was intense, with Friday morning devoted to fitness and fielding drills, which at times were neatly combined to keep away boredom, while the afternoon saw the batsmen and bowlers face off at the nets. The nets were certainly interesting, more so with extra attention being given to playing the short ball.

   After the fitness assessments were done with on Day One, Kirsten, asked specifically if the short ball would figure prominently during training had said: “That might be one of it, but there might be a whole lot others. Within what we do in this team, in terms of our game plans, our training, our structures, we try and cover every base that we need to cover to make sure we give ourselves best chance of success.”

[Via http://varshinii.wordpress.com]

3 more Sindhi short films ONLINE for FREE download

Report by: Asha Chand, Dubai

1. Pahinja Parawa, 2. Yaad Jee Sabti, 3. Uncle Sam

After the successful trial upload of our first Sindhi Telefilm, ‘Zahar Pyar Jo’, Sindhi Sangat now brings for all our viewers, 3 more Sindhi short films Online for FREE Viewing, or Download — www.sindhisangat.tv All telefilms are with subtitles in English. 1. Pahinja Parawa, 2. Yaad Jee Sabti, 3. Uncle Sam

We have received support from Sindhi Sponsors from all over the world, including Dubai , Mumbai, Hongkong and the Carribeans. It is of course with the support of our esteemed sponsors that such projects are possible and we look forward to greater support in the near future. Please forward this link to all your near and dear ones, anyone who is a Sindhi. With the convenience of subtitles, everyone can view, enjoy and understand fully these Sindhi short films! These telefilms have been telecast on Doordarshan (Indian TV Channel) and KTN in Sindh recently. Now we bring all these to you on your home computer and Television. Watch it online, Download it, Make DVDs and pass it on. Do as you please but spread the word, because together we can promote our Sindhi language, and preserve our Sindhi culture and IDENTITY.

Sindhisangat team – www.sindhisangat.com

Dedicated to promotion of Sindhyat, Sindhi Language, Culture and Heritage. For Sindhi Films & Music Videos www.sindhisangat.tv

1. Pahinja Parawa, August 20th, 2009 under Sindhi Telefilms.

Sponsor: House of Silver, Dubai. Director: Rajesh Bachchani. Producer: Asha Chand

Life was moving at its own pace for Baba’s family till a shrewd Samaj Shewak is sent by a builder to create a feud within thefamily so that they sell their small property to make a mall instead. Now, the entire family of Baba wants him to go to an old age home. They feel that his moving out will open doors to a brighter future for them. As the story unfolds, a sudden turn in events make Baba the most loved person in the house hold.

2. Yaad Jee Sabti, August 20th, 2009 under Sindhi Telefilms.

Sponsor: Hitachi , Dubai. Director: Kamal Nathani. Writer: Kamlesh Moorjani, Producer: Asha Chand

A memorable story of Raju, who is deeply in love with Meena, his classmate in college but is too shy and scared to express his love. After 7 years, he again meets Meena, now married. In this daringly different tale by Kamlesh Moorjani, what unfolds is a ‘rarest of rare’ example of enduring first love, ultimately leading to a truly different turn of events.

3. Uncle Sam, August 5th, 2009 under Sindhi Telefilms.

Preeti, a young girl, whose parents are looking to attract the best bridegroom for their daughter. But she is in a fix. She loves Prem but cannot tell her parents. The story gets more complicated but Uncle Sam comes to the rescue and handles the situation with his acumen and characteristic knack and style.

[Via http://iaoj.wordpress.com]

Top 10 Best India Bargain Hotels

1. Jas Vilas

• Asia
• India
• Rajasthan
• Jaipur
• Hotel Jaipur

2. Shanti Home

• Asia
• India
• Delhi
• Hotel Delhi

3. Sajhome

• Asia
• India
• Kerala
• Kochi
• Hotel Kochi

4. Hotel arches

• Asia
• India
• Kerala
• Kochi
• Hotel Kochi

5. Ratan Vilas

• Asia
• India
• Rajasthan
• Jodhpur
• Hotel Jodhpur

6. Mewar Haveli

• Asia
• India
• Rajasthan
• Udaipur
• Hotel Udaipur

7. Devra Udaipur

• Asia
• India
• Rajasthan
• Udaipur
• Hotel Udaipur

8. St. Mark’s

• Asia
• India
• Karnataka
• Bengaluru
• Hotel Bengaluru

9. Raintree Lodge – Fort Cochin, Kerala

• Asia
• India
• Kerala
• Kochi
• Hotel Kochi

10. Greenshore apartments

• Asia
• India
• Kerala
• Kovalam
• Hotel Kovalam

[Via http://tophotelsoftheworld.wordpress.com]

Fasting for Justice on Climate Change

Who knows what it feels like to go hungry for a meal, a day, or a few days? Probably most of us. But who knows what it feels like to go hungry for a week, two weeks, three weeks, four weeks?

Very few of us.

When I think of people going hungry for weeks on end, I think of the people on this planet who are living in drought ridden land which won’t yield the crops they have been waiting for. I think of those people who are thwarted by the changing monsoon patterns who can’t predict when to plant their seeds. I think of people who have been victims to a hurricane or flood and have loss access to food and water. I think of the victims of climate change: past, present and future.

But that’s not all.

When I think of people going hungry for weeks on end I also think of determination, dedication, vision and sacrifice. I think of the hunger strikes lead by Gandhi in India’s fight for independence from a British oppression. I think of civil society rising up and reclaiming their power and asking for what is just, what is right. I think of non-violence, of peace and of love.

And now, I think of the Climate Justice Fast.

Many of us across the planet, especially young people are at points of frustration, despair or disempowerment with the state of politics and action in response to the climate change threat. Even though entire countries predicted to go under water, hundreds of millions losing access to water, massive food shortages, extreme weather events, these issues are being treated as if we are approaching another trade agreement. The result many people feel like they can’t change anything, that they’re voices aren’t being heard, they don’t know where to start, or that they may as well live life now since they will be screwed later.

It is this desperation, frustration and desire to be heard that is instigating a group of people from across five different countries to fast for the future. Every day people who care about the future of their children, who care about the millions of lives that will be lost, who care about the future of humanity, will be conducting a hunger strike up to 40 days long.

They don’t want to waste their time in frustration or petty politics, but want to drive home that no matter what the implications of taking action on climate change, nothing is more costly than compromising justice and basic human life and rights. No amount of loss in GDP will bring back the lives of those who have died due to the impacts of climate change.

The idea of a hunger strike may seem scary, and that’s ok. It’s not the only way a person can take action. You can choose whether you want to be an innovator, or a policy maker, a community worker or a consultant, a mother or a teacher, you can be a young person taking action on campus, their religious community or school. You can organise a flash mob, or a climate concert, a meeting with your local politician or a protest. However for some of us it is time to take things up a notch.

So for those of you tired of trying to negotiate with decision makers that the survival of humanity is not negotiable, join the climate justice fast. You can fast for a day, a week, a month or the entire 40 days. Each fast will count.

Check out the website www.climatejusticefast.com and join us as we fast to ensure that justice and the human rights are ensured.

[Via http://itsgettinghotinhere.org]