Wandering Pam

Singapore Notes - Lakshmi's Blessings for the Hajj?

2011-08-23T21:07:00.000-07:00

There’s a shop in Kampung Glam, somewhere between Arab Street and Haji Street, that sells everything you might need for the Hajj – prayer mats, skull caps, even sticks of neem that can be used to clean one’s teeth during the pilgrimage.

It’s not an unusual shop in this part of Singapore, an area presided over by the Sultan mosque and specializing in Malay, Arab, Turkish and subcontinental Muslim fare (including some fantastic food, incidentally).

But there is one thing a little unusual about this particular shop. If you look past the prayer rugs towards the back of the shop you notice pictures of the Goddess Lakshmi, a baby Krishna and a small, but distinctly Hindu, altar. The shop is run by Pankaj and Ramesh, Singaporean Hindus of Indian descent.

Does this deter their Muslim customers from shopping here in preparation for the Hajj? Not usually – at least not Singaporean Muslim customers. “We have our loyal customers who have supported us for years,” says Pankaj. After all, he says, this just happens to be his trade. “And we treat all the items with great respect,” he explains.

There was one customer who wasn’t convinced – not a Singaporean, as Pankaj is quick to point out. He selected a prayer rug and a few other things and then, as he was about to pay for the items he noticed the pictures at the back of the shop. He felt he couldn’t buy items for the Hajj from a non-Muslim and left without the things he had selected.

Pankaj and Ramesh take such incidences in their stride. “It’s the customer’s choice,” says Pankaj philosophically.

Contemporary Pakistani Art Exhibition in Singapore

2011-05-22T01:18:00.000-07:00

17 Pakistani artists display their work in Singapore - May 20-25.
MICA Building, ARTrium, 140 Hill Street. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Life in Singapore

2010-11-15T19:28:00.000-08:00

Taxi blues...

Ordering a taxi in Singapore is so easy because of the cab company's wonderful automated system. The system recognizes your number and offers to send a cab to your primary pick-up point (usually your home or office address). You just have to press 1 and hey presto! your cab is ordered.

Except when that automated system gets messed up. One of the hardest things for me has been trying to get the company to register my name. Pamposh would be impossible, so I shoot for Pam. But there are similar Chinese names in Singapore: Bam, Tam, Pan and Tan. For some reason, Pam is the very last choice of the operator.

What's in a name, you say - just settle for Bam or Tam or Tan. I did. But then the cabbie who was sent to pick me up would invariably look at me suspiciously and grill me about my name, phone no. and general antecedents. Not the cabbie's fault - after all you don't expect to see a big Indian woman when you've obviously been sent to pick up a petite Chinese lady. Who's this other woman trying to steal the cab?

So, I called the cab company. After several minutes of "P for Poland" etc, they finally agreed to put me down as Ms. Pam. Great! No more suspicious glances from cabbies.

This blissful state of affairs carried on for several months. Then, suddenly, for no reason I could fathom, the company started sending cabs for Mr. Ho Ming. Who is Mr. Ho Ming?? No-one knows. Boy, this one was much worse than Bam or Tam or Pan. I do NOT look like a Mr. Ho Ming!! Not ever.

In one case, I actually had to ask the cabbie to call my mobile phone (the company gives the driver the customer's number) and answer it in his presence when he rang! Only then did he grudgingly allow me to step into his cab.

So last night I called the cab company again to ask them to change their records. The conversation went something like this:

Me: I'd like you to change your records please. You seem to have someone else's name for my phone no.
Operator: You want to change your name?
Me (a bit taken aback): No, my name is still Pam. I just want you to change your records.
Operator: Ya, ya, change your name.
Me: Yes, please change my name. (This is easier, I thought.) Please change it to Pam. P for Poland...
Operator: T for Thailand...
Me (unable to stop myself): How do you get Thailand from Poland? (Then, composing myself): No, no, P for Poland...

And so it went.

Let's see what name shows up on the cab driver's screen next time. If it isn't Pam, I hope it's something fun and exotic.

Cambodia Vignettes

2010-07-10T06:39:00.000-07:00

Vignette 3 - The Forgotten Temples

The magnificent Hindu and Buddhist temples of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, built in the 12th and 13th centuries, are the major attractions of a World Heritage site near the city of Siem Reap. But temples - some older than that - are in fact scattered all around Siem Reap. Not all are marked on tourist maps.

My recent visit to Cambodia was an official one to see development projects, including some near Siem Reap. My colleagues and I decided to visit a village not far from one of the major highways in the country. Not far in terms of kilometres from the highway, that is. In fact we ended up doing a 45-minute bone-rattling drive on barely discernible paths - sometimes not discernible at all! I would have suggested turning back, but there was nowhere to turn.

We spent an interesting 45 minutes in the village, visiting a textile weaving scheme that builds on a traditional skill to create modern designs and provide greater income to women. As we finished, we let out a collective groan in anticipation of the drive back. On a whim, one of colleagues asked the women if there was a better way back to the highway. And there was!

So we took this better route back. I have never been so thankful for a dirt track! Bumpy as it was, it was heaven compared with the drive out along the practically non-existent path. We were so happy we were almost shouting in glee. Then, suddenly, we rounded a corner and found much more cause for joy. Two old temples in the middle of nowhere! Amazing. There were no deities in these small temples, but to my untrained eye they looked like old Hindu temples. The temples were built with the large stones typical of Khmer architecture.

There was also part of a wall and several broken columns. There was a one-room modern building near the temples and a Buddha statue, also from recent times, placed in the open next to the old temples. So some people were aware of the old ruins. But there was no sign of an archaelogical authority or government agency.

Of course, these simple, probably older, temples don't begin to compare with the glory of Angkor Wat or the Bayon. But on that hot afternoon, after the gruelling drive to and from the village, they were like a gift. A beautiful sight for sore eyes.

Cambodia Vignettes

2010-07-08T22:50:00.000-07:00

Vignette 2: Restaurants.

New food is one of the joys of travel. After many years turning more and more squeamish about trying new meats, I decided to enjoy Cambodia's rather "daring" cuisine. My Cambodian friends seemed to find something new for me to try at every meal! And it was all delicious.

Usually one of them would introduce the more exotic dishes. One day he just told me we were eating deer meat, which I know and like. So I was happily tucking into the dish. The meat was accompanied by some lovely crunchy stuff - a bit like very crisp onion rings. When I was halfway through this delicious dish, my friend casually said: "Oh, and I forgot to tell you, that stuff with the deer meat is red ants." Wow. It tasted rather good, I must say, but I don't know that I would have tried it had I known what it was - known before I tried it, that is! Anyway, great food in Cambodia.

The restaurants were interesting too, everything from the roadside eateries to the huge, tourist-bus-oriented buffet restaurant with a cultural show. Lovely dances.

Equally interesting was the decor in this roadside eatery. A couple of different styles, to say the least. Don't miss the giant mushrooms in the corner. Globalization or clash of cultures? Hmm.

Cambodia Vignettes

2010-07-07T19:33:00.000-07:00

Vignette 1 - Coke Seller on the Tonle Sap

We were chugging along in a motorized boat on Cambodia's huge Tonle Sap lake; I was facing the front of the boat, waiting for the lake to open out before us in its full glory. Suddenly a boy appeared just behind me - on our boat - with a bunch of cold drinks. I couldn't figure out where he had materialized from. Turned out he had jumped on from another boat that had come close to ours. I asked him if I could take a picture - he flashed me a big grin and a victory sign.

I twisted around to see his "mother ship" - couldn't spot a boat near us. Apparently the boat had come up close, the boy had hopped on, and his companion had swerved away from us. He asked me what I'd like to drink. I didn't really want anything, but how could I not buy from such an enterprising and charming seller? My two colleagues and I each bought something from the boy.

Once the transactions were complete, the boy moved to the edge of our boat. The other boat - manned by his father, he explained - magically appeared beside ours. The boy prepared to jump back on to his Dad's boat.

My Cambodian companions assured me all little kids on the Tonle Sap were expert swimmers in addition to being great saleskids.

So I relaxed and waved goodbye to the boy as he jumped into his own boat.

Revisiting the Buddhas of the Bayon (Cambodia)

2010-04-05T09:11:00.001-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to go back to Cambodia after 16 years. Unlike my first trip, back in 1994, this time I was there on work and on a very tight schedule. Sightseeing was out of the question, even though my work took me to Siem Reap, a city surrounded by the fabulous Hindu and Buddhist temples of Angkor. As we drove closer to Siem Reap, my memories of Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat, in particular, grew ever more vivid.

I remembered how I had loved the early morning visit to the Bayon temple in Angkor Thom. The roof of this temple is covered by huge Buddha heads, all serene, yet each with a somewhat different expression. Up on the roof you feel you are surrounded by the presence of the Buddha - everywhere you look, the Buddha, larger than life, is smiling quietly at you. And if you go just before sunrise and watch the sun come up from atop the temple, you can see each face come alive as the sun's rays hit it. It is a beautiful, calm, serene feeling.

This memory began to haunt me. Even if I couldn't visit any of the temples during daylight hours, surely I could steal away for an hour or so at day-break and visit my old friend the Buddha. So I fixed for a thuk-thuk driver to come pick me up from my hotel at 5:30 in the morning and drive me to the Bayon. Given my programme, this was only possible on my last day in Cambodia.

The afternoon before the much-anticipated morning I fell ill! I finished my work and went back to my hotel room to ride out a fever and get some kind of food poisoning or water infection - whatever it was - out of my system. I slept, woke up and did Reiki (energy healing), fell asleep, woke up and did Reiki, and so on. At 9:30 at night I forced myself to eat some bread and butter to keep my strength up, set my alarm for 4:30 and went to sleep praying I'd be fit enough to go to the Bayon next morning.

And of course I was! No doubt the Buddha heard my prayers and helped me recover quickly! A lovely tuk-tuk ride through nearly deserted streets in the early morning light (even before sunrise), a cool, soft breeze, driving past Angkor Wat and into Angkor Thom - and then we were there, at the magnificent Bayon temple.

My memory had not deceived me. The Bayon at sunrise is a glorious site. The sunrise is kind of quiet - the sky is already light, so the sunrise itself is not dramatic - but the sun's rays seem to wake up the Buddhas all around one.

I walked, sat before some of the Buddhas, walked again, took a few picture. Talked a little to the Buddhas - yes, I am a little crazy, so what? I lost track of time, but I guess I must have been there about 2 hours - until the foreign tourists started arriving (other than myself that is). The first lot were a group of 4 loudly discussing their negotiations over something they had bought and seemingly not too interested in the Buddhas around them. Soon the tourist buses began to arrive too. Time to go.

But the rest of my work team were running a bit late. So the tuk-tuk driver drove me around the historical site to see some of the other temples and the elephant terrace of the old palace. With my head still full of the magnificent Buddhas of the Bayon, and my body still a little weak from the previous day's illness, I was content to see the rest from the tuk-tuk. We drove back to the Bayon and my colleague phoned to say the team would take a little more time. No problem, I said and settled down practically in the shadow of the Bayon Buddhas to have a nice al fresco breakfast.

Singapore Tales: Hungry; go where?

2010-04-04T09:10:00.001-07:00

It's great to be back in Singapore. Fabulous green city, with lovely treetop trails and walks through forested areas, unlimited shopping and, of course, amazing food. One of the joys of Singapore has long been that you never need to cook for yourself if you don't want to: eat safely in a scruffy roadside eatery, enjoy a mix of cuisines at a food court, or wine and dine at an upscale restaurant. All these option are as available today as ever, albeit at a higher cost than before - especially if they involve any alcohol, which is pretty highly taxed in Singapore.

There are also a growing number of food-by-phone or food-via-the-Net options. Your choice of Chinese, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Middleastern food is delivered to your home. Such luxury. You can look up your cuisine options and menus online, then order via the Net or on the phone.

So, you are ready to eat but don't have food at home. What's the first thought that passes through your head? I'm hungry. And then, knowing there's no food at home: Where should I go? A clever company has captured these basic thoughts into perfect Singlish (Singapore English) for their website: hungrygowhere.com! Knowing that, how can one even think of typing out any other address for food delivery! Brilliant.

Kuala Lumpur Old and New

2010-02-05T00:44:00.000-08:00

A recent brief visit to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) brought home to me just how much the city, and the country, has changed since the mid-1980's when I worked and lived in KL for a couple of years.

Back in 1985, I fell in love with KL almost as soon as I landed there. It was a big, warm, overgrown village with all the modern amenities. The people were friendly and hospitable and just so much fun. We took our work very seriously, worked long hours in a deadline-driven industry (journalism), but we had fun even as we worked. (Deadlines were not measured in seconds in those low tech days, but they did drive the business.)

Going back to KL is kinda weird now. It's like going into the future a couple of centuries. Of course, all Asian cities have changed drastically in the past 25 years, but none quite like KL. In most other cities, the old lives on alongside the new. KL feels like the old city just vanished into thin air and was replaced overnight by this gleaming new one.

Some of the old landmarks are still there - the British-style railway station, the beautiful old Indian mosque, the Central Market. But the old buildings are hard to spot among all the glittering new high-rises. In 1985, the tallest building was 18 storeys high. Today, the city's skyline is dominated by the Petronas Towers, the highest twin towers in the world, soaring 88 storeys above terra firma.

The "plazas" are now called malls, as they are in most other Asian cities, and boast more designer and high-end brand names. There is an efficient light rail system and an equally efficient rail link to the huge and very modern airport located way outside the city.

More than the buildings and the railways, it's the psyche of KL that's changed. Among all this glittering steel and glass, Malaysians are currently fighting over the name of God. Does anyone stop to ask themselves: Does God care what we call him? Does he think mosques and churches should be attacked to settle this dispute over his name?

When I lived in KL 25 years ago, I worked in a thoroughly multi-cultural office. The camaraderie of the office often spilled over into impromptu parties after work. I shared a house with some colleaugues very close to the office, so many of the parties happened at our place. Despite differences in race, drinking and dietary habits, we all enjoyed our get-togethers.

The differences didn't divide so much as add variety to our lives. My first Eid in Malaysia was spent visiting the homes of several of my Malay friends. All of them had an "open house" that day - anyone could walk in and would be treated like an honoured guest. One of our hosts had even kept beer for us in his fridge - although he didn't drink himself, he wanted to be a good host to his non-Muslims friends.

Similarly, Indian Hindus had an open house for Diwali and the Chinese for lunar new year. My two years in Malaysia passed quickly with all these festivities and the general friendship and hospitality of my colleagues and friends.

Now, Malaysia's three major communities live side by side, mostly peacefully (barring the odd controversy over God's name and such) - but not together. My taxi driver on the ride in from the airport assured me that the God controversy was incited by politicians for political gain. No doubt that is so, and such cynical politically-motivated stupidity is certainly not restricted to Malaysia.

But, while in KL, I couldn't help noticing that the communities are now partying separately.

Singapore Notes - Shooting Missiles

2010-01-21T00:17:00.000-08:00

I moved back to Singapore this months after 3 years in the Philippines. I'm enjoying getting re-acquainted with the city.

One learns something new every day. I thought I was pretty well up on Singapore slang, but I learnt a new expression the other day: shooting missiles.

My husband and I were in a cab and my husband commented on how nice it was to drive down such a quiet street, especially when one considered that the very next street from us was always so noisy. The cabby nodded appreciatively and said he hated driving down that busy street. Because of all the "shooting missiles."

In these terrible times, the mind goes pretty easily to terrorist activity; but I quickly dismissed that first thought since the cab driver seemed more amused than alarmed. I thought perhaps he was referring to some manner of fireworks, this being the Christmas-to-Chinese-New-Year festive season in Singapore.

But no. He explained that many pedestrians, new arrivals from a certain part of Asia, oblivious to Singapore traffic norms, would suddenly dart into this very busy road anywhere and everywhere they felt like crossing it! Shooting out into traffic like missiles. What an evocative image!

What part of Asia? That shall, of course, remain nameless though it will not be a mystery to anyone who knows Singapore - or that certain part of Asia. :)

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T01:20:00.001-08:00

Wishing all peace, harmony, good health and good cheer at Christmas and throughout the coming year.
Merry Christmas.

Red Rivers Writers - new e-magazine

2009-11-21T23:41:00.000-08:00

With an eclectic mix of writings by new authors, some published some not (yet). Book reviews, book previews, writing tips, a travel column (by yours truly), and much more. Check it out!

Red Rivers Writers is part of Robin Falls magazine, which has a section on new writing for kids, anther sections on all manner of recently published books, a third on blog radio shows.

Mahatma Gandhi

2009-10-01T20:30:00.000-07:00

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. -- Mahatma Gandhi

An apt quote for those of us in a position to help others in the Philippines, Indonesia, Samoa, or anywhere else in the world.

Oct 2, 2009 marks Mahatma Gandhi's 140th birth anniversary.

"Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth." Albert Einstein

Typhoon Relief in Manila - How to Help

2009-09-26T20:19:00.001-07:00

Manila and the island on Luzon were battered by a typhoon and incessant rain on Saturday (Sept 26), claiming close to 60 lives and flooding many people out of their homes.

Sunday morning dawned bright – and dry – in Manila, but many, many families are still coping with their loss. We cannot bring back their loved ones, but we can at least help them get through the next few difficult days.

For those living in Metro-Manila, the blog PH Best Deals provides useful information that will help them find a centre close to their home to drop off food, medicines, blankets and other relief items.

More Pictures from Bali

2009-08-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

Early morning in Sanur

Rice fields in Ubud

The garden in Ubud

It's a bird, it's superman... no, it's just a rather large kite! Flown from the shore at Sanur.

A Balinese music hall - this one at Sanur.

And dances at our villa in Ubud.

Bali - Island of the Gods

2009-07-31T17:54:00.000-07:00

Just back once again from the beautiful Indonesian island of Bali. It is the perfect vacation destination for me - low, rolling hills; green rice fields that calm the heart and bring peace; magnificent volcanoes; seaside; and wonderful, friendly people.

More to follow soon about my latest trip there...

Terataii newsletter, July-Sept 2009

2009-07-08T09:11:00.000-07:00

Email terataii@gmail.com for your copy of this electronic newsletter on Reiki, holistic healing and spirituality.

This issue includes an introduction to mantra meditation, wise words from the Dalai Lama and others, a discussion of Reiki's 5th principle for daily living, news from the Terataii Centre in Manila (Philippines)...

A Burmese Buddha for Postcard Friendship Friday

2009-06-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

Postcard from Bagan, Burma

This beautiful and intricate sculpture depicts 8 important events from the Buddha's life. It can be seen in Bagan museum (in the city of the same name) - which has some absolute gems on display even apart from this one.

Check out Postcard Friendship Friday on Marie Reed's blog.

W for Wanderlust, weddings, Wandering Pam

2009-06-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

ABC Wednesday at mrs. nesbitt's again! This time the letter is W.

W is for this blog - Wandering Pam!

W is for the wanderlust that leads me to travel and to write about my travels on this blog.

W is also for something I saw quite a lot of on my last major round of travels - weddings!

This one I was actually invited to. The bride is Italian, the groom Indian, the ceremonies - mixed and a lot of fun! This is the Indian bit after the wedding vows exchanged in church.

This one I happened upon outside a castle in northern Italy. The couple are leaving the wedding - in a tuk tuk!

And this couple is leaving in a gondola! Where else - of course in Venice.

Quotable Thursday #9 - June 18, 2009

2009-06-18T23:53:00.000-07:00

Please go over to Terataii to join this meme with a favourite quotation of your own. And read another quote from Nehru there.

Meanwhile, here's my quotation for this blog, also by Nehru:
Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit.
-- Jawaharlal Nehru

I couldn't agree more. And one way to widen the mind and the spirit is to travel, so I think this is a particularly apt quote for a travel blog.

The 3 Vs Tour: Verona, Venice, Vienna

2009-06-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

ABC Wednesday. I'm posting early for V coz I'll be out of town and away from my main computer (with my pix) until after next Wednesday. Check out other entries at mrs. nesbitt's on Wednesday.

Last summer (2008) my husband and I did what we called our 2Ms and 3Vs tour: Manila (where we live), Milan, Verona, Venice, Vienna and back (via a faboulous town called Bergamo, near Milan, but that only happened because our flight from Vienna landed there rather than in Milan).

Verona is a beautiful old city steeped in history and culture, which come together in the annual summer opera festival held at the Arena, a Roman amphitheatre which becomes an immense open-air theatre. An opera such as Aida is such a visual treat in this fantastic setting that one almost forgets to enjoy the music! Verona is also the city of Dante (who wrote the Divine Comedy) and the setting for two of Shakespeare's plays.

Venice is known for the beautiful buildings on the Grand Canal, and the naorrower canals navigable by gondolas. But above all, it is a city of water, with its buildings anchored in the ocean, its beautiful churches and companiles (church towers) built on tiny islets.

And Vienna - a city of music, of opera, of beautiful old architecture. The city of Johann Strauss and the Vienna waltz.

The city of the Hapsburgs and their palaces, such as the Schönbrunn, built by Emperor Leopold I in the 17th century as a hunting lodge, with over 1,400 rooms! Austria’s much-loved Empress Maria Theresia had it expanded and redecorated in French Rococo style in the 18th century. The palace’s prominent visitors included Napoleon, who married Maria Theresia’s grand-daughter Marie Louise (as his second wife).

Postcard Friendship Friday

2009-06-05T22:01:00.000-07:00

I'm joining Marie Reed's Postcard Friendship Friday this week with a card I just received from a friend. Do check out the other posts for this Friday at Cpaphil Vintage Postcards.

In this age of instant messages, it's rather nice to receive the odd postcard the old fashioned way, via snail mail. My friend Karishma is the only person I know who regularly sends postcards - I send them sometimes when from my travels. This is Karishma's latest, a picture of a Tibetan Tantric painting. The postcard doesn't tell us much about this painting, I'm afraid except to credit "Surendra's Tibetan Thanka Treasure" for it.

Quotable Thursday No 7 at Terataii

2009-06-03T18:26:00.000-07:00

If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?
-- Shakespeare (Merchant of Venice)

This quotation shows that all human beings - of whatever race, community or religious persuasion - are basically alike and, by implication, equal.

Go to Terataii Reiki and Counselling to join this fun meme with a quote of your own, or simply to read what others choose for today.

Quotable Thursday #6 at Terataii

2009-05-28T02:25:00.000-07:00

Go to Terataii Reiki to play along!

"A friend who is far away is sometimes much nearer than one who is at hand. Is not the mountain far more awe-inspiring and more clearly visible to one passing through the valley than to those who inhabit the mountain?" - Kahlil Gibran

Sun, sky, squirrels and sunflowers

2009-05-26T23:35:00.000-07:00

It's ABC Wednesday over at mrs. nesbitt's and the letter this time is S.
S is for so many wonderful things...
Like the sun setting behind Buddhist stupas in Bagan (Myanmar/Burma)...

a sunflower in Cameron Highlands, a tea-growing area in Malaysia...

or another sunset - this time over Lake Inle, also in Myanmar/Burma.

S is for the colourful skies one often seas over Australia - this one in the Blue Mountains.

Back from my travels, S is for the squirrel that visits me every morning at 7 o'clock just outside my window at my home in the Philippines - even though, I'm told, squirrels are not indigenous to the Philippines.

Vinita Karim's next exhibition (Metro-Manila)

2009-05-25T04:18:00.001-07:00

Some wonderful oils on canvas by Vinita Karim. Those of you in Metro-Manila, come check them out May 29-31 in Makati. Reception 28th evening.

I love Vinita's paintings and am the proud owner of two of them, one of which hangs in my Reiki room.

See details on the poster (above).

R is for Rangoon, Rani Lakshmibai, and more...

2009-05-19T19:09:00.000-07:00

Join Abc Wednesdays with R today - over at mrs. nesbitt's place.

I like R. It stands for some wonderful people and places and, through some of them, for some great childhood memories too. R is for Raju, my husband and life partner. R is for Ranikhet, where I had 3 fantastic vacations as a kid with my oldest friend in this world, my cousin Abhilash. R is for Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, my childhood heroine. Here's what I've written about her on my Pamposh Dhar blog:

A 23-year-old woman on horseback, sword in hand, her young son strapped to her back, leading an army into battle against a mighty but unjust empire.What’s not to idolize? Lakshmibai had everything I could possibly want to see in my hero/ine: courage, strength, leadership, a refusal to be bound by convention, and a determination to fight injustice both in her own behalf and on behalf of others.
Read more about her here.

Also tied up with my childhood are my memories of Ranikhet, a beautiful town in the Himalayas, commanding a fantastic panoramic view of a whole range of snow-clad mountains. These include Nanda Devi (or Godess Nanda) and the three mountains that together make up Trishul (which means Trident, a weapon with three points, associated with Lord Shiva). My uncle and cousin lived in a large, double-storeyed wooden house atop a small hill – I think it was the highest point in the town. I remember waking up early, before 6 a.m., to get a clear view of the mountains from the balcony before the mountains got shrouded in mist. Go here to see a photo on the Net.

R is for Rangoon, also known as Yangon, which I visited for the first time in 2005. Rangoon is the capital of the unfortunate country of Myanmar, formerly Burma. A beautiful country with a long history, it is now ruled by a ruthless military junta.

The country's most famous political prisoner is Aung Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for 13 years and is now threatened with a prison term. Suu Kyi (pronounced Su Chi) leads a peaceful movement for democracy. She is charged with "receiving an unauthorized visitor," reports the New York Times.

Rangoon is known for its gilded stupas, its Buddha statues, its wandering monks and nuns, its gem bazaars (fabulous rubies and emeralds), and its gentle, peace-living people - all except the murderous generals in the junta that is.

Buddhism is very much a part of daily life. And monks have to eat too, you know:

Right post, wrong blog! (rueful smile)

2009-05-15T01:28:00.000-07:00

It was bound to happen sooner or later, I suppose. I've just posted a Wandering entry on my Terataii blog!! Terataii is my blog on holistic health and spirituality. Well, and now, also on travel and art! Well, art is spiritual, so that's OK, I guess. Come to think of it, travel is too.

Anyhow, if you'd like to check out a few pix to do with Montmartre, Paris, just go wandering over to Terataii Reiki and Counselling.

Have fun. Don't forget to wander back here eventually!

Quotable Thursday #4 at Terataii

2009-05-13T10:44:00.001-07:00

Check it out. Join in with a quote.

And here's my quotation for this week, once again from the poet Robert Frost:
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
- from Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Here's the full poem:
Whose woods these are I think I know,
His house is in the village though.
He will not see me stopping here,
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer,
To stop without a farmhouse near,
Between the woods and frozen lake,
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake,
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep,
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Abc Wednesdays - Q

2009-05-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

Q truly makes life interesting - q is for the questions that lead one to explore new things, for the quest that takes one to one's destiny, for the quirky and quaint things that make life fun.

I'm going to focus on the quirky stuff I've come across in my travels. Do please wander over to mrs. Nesbitt's place to many, many more variations on the Q theme.

The first picture is from the northern Italian town of Verona (made famous by Shakespeare and known for its summer opera season). No, this is not a play or an opera - simply an honest citizen directing traffic on a very hot day.

Meanwhile, the lady's showing off an unusual hat at the Sunday market in Hobart, Australia. (No, it's not an actual animal on her head.)

Here's an unusual wedding party in northern Italy, along the shores of Lake Garda. The bride and groom emerged from the wedding on the local castle grounds licking yummy Italian gelati (ice creams) and made off in this three-wheeler, all decked out in flowers. I wasn't the only person photographing this interesting scene.

This photo of kids in the Philippines - where I live - is not my own. It comes from a UNICEF calendar. But it was simply too good to leave out!

And lastly, here's a picture I took in Australia showing a harsh punishment commemorated on a sidewalk in Tasmania. The slab tells us about a Michael Readon, age 21, from Hyderabad, India (well, presumably posted there - not exactly an Indian name, is it?). Young Michael was apparently sentenced to 7 years in prison for stealing bacon and shipped off to Tasmania.

New Delhi as Capital of the British Raj

2009-05-12T01:38:00.000-07:00

Guest Column by Som Nath Dhar

He has been a journalist, media person, diplomat. Now, at 83, Som – of Som’s blog – is an avid blogger. He is also my father. This is his description of New Delhi in 1936, written for his own blog and reproduced here with his permission. Read more interesting stories about pre- and post-Independence India on Som’s blog.

Delhi Darshan 1936

Father re-married in the summer of 1935, only six months after my mothers’ death in Campbelpur, the headquarters of Attock District on the border of the North Western Province of British India. He brought his new wife and me, his son, to Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir state. We had a very big house, a wonderful cook, a maid, and a night guard. Father was fond of lavish living and eating in style.

Soon father decided to take a break and travel a bit. It was the winter of 1936/37. We left Jammu by train and got off at Amritsar, where we went to see the Golden Temple. The temple built in a pool, with a gold canopy, overawed us. Inside the singing by granthis was melodious and very pleasing to the ears. After paying obeisance at the temple we went for lunch to a vegetarian restaurant in the heart of the city. We were served thalis which had twety five katoris [vegetarian dishes] in each of them. The meal lasted for more than an hour.

Next morning we arrived in Delhi [the imperial capital]. Outside the railway station was a big ‘hotel’ in which we were given a suite, comprising a hall, a bedroom with an attached bathroom and a small ante-room. Here we were treated as real VIPs, breakfast with eggs to order, ham, jam, cheese, butter and toast with tea or coffee. Lunch and dinner were one non-veg, two veggies, rice or biryani and tandoori roti. For all this board and lodging we were charged Rs.18 a day.

Father called for a taxi to show us around. The day-long trip took us to Kutab Minar, the tower built by Kutbuddin Aibak before the advent of Mughul rule. The tower has 365 stairs and I climbed them all to reach the top. Next to the tower there is an Ashoka pillar dating back to Emperor Ashoka’s time. Though it is made of metal there is no rust even after so many centuries.

Next we saw Humayun’s tomb, a beautiful mausoleum, where the last Mughal emperor, Bhadur Shah Zaffar, retreated after Delhi was captured by the British in 1857. Its sprawling lawns and terraced gardens are very beautiful.

From here we went to Lal Qila, Red Fort, built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who also built the world-famous Taj Mahal in Agra. Red Fort reminds one of the grandeur of the Mughals who ruled India for more than seven generations. Dewan-e-am and Dewan-e-khas are halls where the kings used to hold court, Dewan-e-am for the general public to hear their petitions etc and Dewan-e-khas where he conferred with his courtiers, generals and advisers. The famous peacock throne was in one of these halls. The harem where the begmat lived has a hall with mirrors studded in the walls and the ceiling to enable the court ladies to see their dresses from all angles of their body. There was arrangement for bathing in hot water.

It was an ingenious arrangement as water came into a small pool to enable the bather to relax in hot water as one can do today in a bathing tub. During the Mughal days a canal ran through the fort. Water in the canal came from the Jamuna.

The fort has much more to offer, the small museum where there are royal dresses, and Col Niclson’s uniform with the bullet hole that killed him. Inside the compound there is Moti Masjid where the king used to offer nimaz. It is a very beautiful mosque and during Moghal times it was studded with jewels.

The famed mena bazaar has small shops selling, itars [Indian perfumes], jewelry, artifacts, and ivory goods. This bazaar exists from Mughal times.

From the fort the taxi took us to see the Secretariat, the vice-regal palace [now Rashtripati Bhavan], Parliament House and Cannaught place [the main shopping centre of New Delhi]. On our return to the hotel Father asked for the bill for going round. It was Rs15 including the charges for the guide. When father paid the driver he said “Sir, some Baikshish for me and the guide”. Father gave him Rs 5. He was overjoyed and gave Father a ‘furshi salam’ [a bow almost touching the ground].

I was very impressed with the grandeur of New Delhi and wished I lived there, a wish fulfilled in 1947, more than a decade later, when I joined Nehru’s staff .

In 1936 Delhi had an old world charm and people were very polite and helpful. The language was Urdu and it was full of polite phrases. What is your name, was ‘ap ka ism-e-sharif?’

Where are you from was, ap ka daulat-khana kahan hai’? Similarly no-one said ‘sit down please’ but ‘tashrif rakhian’.

Today Delhi has become part of Haryana culturally, linguistically and emotionally. Indiscipline, rudeness, road rage, the craze for partying, drinking and brawling has become part of Delhi life. God be praised.

Quotable Thursday at Terataii - #3

2009-05-07T00:10:00.000-07:00

It's time for quotations once again at Terataii Reiki and Counselling. This is only the third week and the response could be better. Do join with a favourite quotation of your own - put it on your blog, then go to Terataii to link up with other players. If you don't have a blog, leave a quotation in a comment on Terataii.

Meanwhile, here's my quotation for the day:
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC)

Makes My Heart Smile Awards

2009-05-01T04:15:00.000-07:00

You may remember that some time ago Barbara over at Barbara's Meanderings was kind enough to give me this award for two of my blogs: this blog and Pamposh Dhar. You can read about that here.

I have now given the award to other bloggers who make my heart smile. :) Please check out my favourite blogs over at Pamposh Dhar.

Please join Quotable Thursday

2009-04-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

over at my Terataii blog with a favourite quotation of your own. Post the quotation on your own blog, then wander over to Terataii and click on the Mr. Linky widget there to link your blog to Terataii and to other participating readers. Read my chosen quote too, from Elisabeth Kübler-Ross.

Rumi: When the mirror of your heart

2009-04-29T09:22:00.001-07:00

When the mirror of your heart becomes clear and pure,
You will behold images from beyond this realm of earth and water.
You will see both the images and the image-Maker.
Both the carpet of spiritual existence
And the carpet-Spreader.

- Rumi

Yunus Emre: My life came and went...

2009-04-25T00:28:00.000-07:00

My life came and went
like the wind, between the opening
and closing of an eye.
As Truth is my witness
the soul is the body's guest.
A day is going to come when
like a bird, it flies out of the cage.

The poor sons of Adam have sown
their seeds across the earth.
Some grew and some were lost.
My insides burn in the world,
my essence is afire. Some die young,
cut down like wheat still green.

If you visit the sick
or bring someone water,
tomorrow you'll be served
the wine of Truth.
If you give your clothes
to the poor, tomorrow
you'll be wearing astral clothes.
Yunus Emre, they say only two people
stay in the world forever--
Khidr and Elias, who drink the water of life.

-- Yunus Emre, 13th-14th century Turkish Sufi poet. From The Drop That Became The Sea, translated from the Turkish by Kabir Helminski and Refik Algan.

Quotable Thursday

2009-04-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

A quote for my Terataii blog
I'm joining Quotable Thursday over at my own blog (c'mon, why not?) over at Terataii Reiki and Counselling with this quote from one of Robert Frost's poems:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
(from The Road Less Taken)

Please join the meme with a favourite quote of your own. There's no theme, it should just be a quote you like. This is how it works: You post the quotation on your own blog, then go over to Terataii and link your blog thru the mr. linky widget there (at the bottom of the Quotable Thursday post). Now all of Terataii's readers can easily come over and visit your blog too.

Orient Express - Destination Istanbul

2009-04-20T22:19:00.000-07:00

Somehow or the other I never did manage to meet up with the crowd over at Muse Swings. This virtual travel is harder than it looks... Still, we - you, my readers, and I - continued our own journey on the Orient Express, and now here we are, approaching our final destination.

The train will soon pull into the fabulous city of Istanbul. Founded in 667 B.C.., the city has been the capital of both the Byzantine and Ottoman empires. It has been known at various stages in its history as Byzantium, Constantinople and, finally, Istanbul. It is a city that straddles two continents, Europe and Asia, separated by the Bosphorus, which links the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara.

Istanbul – a name that conjures up images of the exotic orient, of cascading domes and minarets, of intrigues in old palaces, of bazaars and spices and jewels. You can lose yourself in this city, visiting its mosques and churches, shopping at the 15th century Grand Bazaar, enjoying the luxury of a hamam, crossing the Bosphorus into Anatolia and Asia, munching on kebabs and sipping Rakı or Turkish coffee on the shores of the Golden Horn... You can stay here for weeks and see new things every day. It is just as well that this is the last stop on our journey – you are free to stop here as long as the city holds you in its thrall.

You can start discovering Istanbul, and Turkey, at the railway station itself. The Sirkeci station was built in 1881 especially to welcome passengers arriving on the Orient Express, which had started running the previous year. The station is built in a style known as Islamic eclecticism, influenced both by traditional Islamic architecture and turn-of-the-century European styles.

For a dose of Turkish Sufi culture, please make your way to the spacious hall (originally a waiting room) beside Platform 1A to witness a sema, a performance by the world-renowned Whirling Dervishes of the Mevlevi Order founded by Sufi Master Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi in the thirteenth century.

Dance, when you’re broken open.
Dance, if you’ve torn off the bandage.
Dance in the middle of the fighting.
Dance in your blood.
Dance when you’re perfectly free.
-- Rumi

What an uplifting introduction to this city steeped in history and culture. Now let’s move to another of Istanbul’s glories – the Aya Sofiya or Hagia Sophia. This is one of my favourite places on the planet. It is architecturally brilliant and spiritually inspiring.

This sixth century structure has been both a Christian church – in its day, the world’s largest cathedral – and a mosque, and is now a museum. When the church became a mosque, a mihrab was added to it to point out the direction of Mecca. But the main dome behind the mihrab still shows the Madonna and other Christian figures in beautiful mosaic. Other mosaics in Aya Sofiya show both Mother Mary and Jesus. Christian and Muslim symbols blend harmoniously together into a beautiful whole. Would that the world’s communities could blend so beautifully together as well.

Facing Aya Sofiya is Istanbul’s other pride and joy, Sultanahmet Camii, better known outside Turkey as the Blue Mosque. More than a thousand years after Aya Sofia was built, Sultan Ahmet I commissioned the architect Mehmet Aga to build a mosque to match the magnificence of the cathedral (itself a mosque by then).
Despite their domes and minarets, the two are very different, both on the outside and the inside. Which is better? Neither, in my view. Both are magnificent. We are simply spoilt for choice.

The Blue Mosque is so called because of the lovely blue tiles in its interior. Its walls are lined with about 20,000 Iznik tiles from the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries with designs of flowers, trees and fruits. The ceiling and walls also have Arabic inscriptions and abstract designs. Light streams into the mosque from 260 stained glass windows. The huge dimensions of the mosque create vast calm spaces where people worship or sit quietly in introspection or in personal communion with God perhaps.

Unlike the one, two or four minarets of most mosques, Sultanahmet Camii has six (four of them can be seen in the photo above). According to legend, the Sultan directed his architect to make gold (altin) minarets, which was misunderstood as six (alti) minarets. This turned out to be quite a faux pas as the Haram Mosque in Mecca, considered the holiest in the world, also had six minarets. The problem was solved by adding a seventh minaret to the mosque in Mecca!

After relaxing for a while in the beautiful park in front of the Blue Mosque, let’s take a bus to Taksim square to experience a mix of old and new Turkey. From the square, we'll stroll down the fashionable Istiklal Caddesi (avenue) towards Tünel (tunnel). Check out the designerware on offer here – shoes, handbags, beautiful Turkish scarves…

If you’re hungry, there are a host of cafés and kebab shops to choose from, with evocative names like Haci Baba, my personal favourite because of the stories of Haji Baba of Isfahan I had heard growing up in Delhi (India). If you get tired, you can take the old tram that runs the length of Istiklal, at the end of which it dissapears briefly into the tunnel. The tram is the only form of vehicular traffic allowed on the street.

The most famous site in this area, a little bit off Istiklal, is the Galata Tower. But there are other treasures to discover on the way to the 14th century tower. Walking down Istiklal from Taksim square toward the tunnel, you will see a gate and some steps leading down to a beautiful old Armenian church to your left. As it happens, we come upon a large family group in celebratory mood near the church today. The star of the group is a young boy all dressed up for his circumcision.

Back to Istiklal after exploring the church and walk down a ways, admiring the high fashion shops on both sides of the avenue.

Off Istiklal, to our right, are shops selling kilims, cushion covers in kilim designs, Turkish tiles and more.

Go back to Istiklal and let's walk on till we come to Galata Mevlevihanesi, now a museum of Ottoman literary works, but including a dervish tekke (hall) where members of the Mevlevi order perform semas twice a week. Musical instruments used in the sema are on display in the tekke every day.

And back again on the main avenue, past a Turkish hamam – don’t worry, we will try a hamam, but now just yet.

And finally, a little off Istiklal, the Galata Tower. As the highest part of the fortifications surrounding the Genoese citadel of Galata back in the 14th century, the tower served as a watchtower when it was built.
After the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul in 1453, the tower became a prison and naval depot. During the 19th century it was a fire lookout post in order to quickly detect frequent fire outbreaks in the city’s mainly wooden houses.

The nine-storey tower offers a great view of the Golden Horn, one of the four bodies of water around Istanbul.

Once back on Istiklal Caddesi, we can take the tram back to Taksim square and the Marmara Hotel for some old-style luxury. We'll visit their pastry shop to sample dozens of sweet and savoury delicacies with our coffee, including, of course, Turkish Delight and halwa.

Sightseeing can be tiring in a city with so many sites to see! Let's end the day with a relaxing Turkish bath in the 18th-century Cagaloglu Hamamı. Those who've experienced the luxury of these baths before us include Franz Liszt and Florence Nightingale. After the hamam, you can relax over a cup of Turkish coffee in the beautiful old courtyard.

We have moved through several centuries today, from the 6th century Aya Sofiya to the high fashion of our own times. But we've only just begun our Istanbul experience. Stick around, there's much more to come!

A Short Poem by Rumi

2009-04-18T18:42:00.000-07:00

In your light I learn how to love.
In your beauty, how to make poems.

You dance inside my chest
where no-one sees you,

but sometimes I do,
and that sight becomes this art.

-- Jalaluddin Rumi

A Japanese Buddha in Paris

2009-04-16T23:55:00.000-07:00

For this week's Postcard Friendship Friday, here are some Buddhist images from an exhibition in Paris.
Check out the original PFF site at Vintage Postcards Cpaphil for more beautiful cards.
Happy PFF all!

A few years ago, I happened to catch a fabulous exhibition of Buddhist art in Paris. This image of a Japanese Maitreya Buddha from Japan was among the beautiful sculptures that had been brought to Paris for the exhibition. It is carved in wood and dates back to the tenth century.

Older PFF post:

Love in the Wild (Australia)

No Kangaroos in Austria

New Award for this blog - Makes My Heart Smile :)

2009-04-12T08:43:00.001-07:00

Two of my blogs have just received the Makes My Heart Smile award from Barbara over at Barbara's Meanderings. This is what Barabara says in her "nominations" post:
"Pamposh Dhar who has 3 blogs, but I have only read the two of them: Pamposh Dhar named after her of course and Wandering Pam for her beautiful photos and interesting commentary about what is happening in places we never hear about in the US."

Thank you Barbara for this award. It is much appreciated.

Incidentally, the third blog (which Barbara has not yet read) is Terataii Reiki and Counselling and covers issues of holistic health, mental and physical wellbeing, energy healing and spirituality. Check it out - you might like that too!

According to the rules of this award, I now get to pass it further to other blogs that I like. Watch this space...

Terataii newsletter - get your copy today!

2009-04-04T19:05:00.000-07:00

Free newsletter on holistic health and spirituality.
Email terataii@gmail.com.

Here's what readers are saying about it.
Amanda Kay: Thanks for the newlsetter. Great read! I particularly loved the article about the Sri Lankan editor and I checked out your Dad's blog. It's fabulous! It's so great he's doing it, I wouldn't know where to start! I'm glad you included The Instruction, it's a great book.
Manraj Grewal: I loved your newsletter. It's really, really good. In fact, forwarded it to my father, brother and husband as well. The two poems were so moving.
Jill Gale de Villa: Many thanks. Your newsletters are a real upper. They bring me out of the hassle of every day life to remember that if only I will sit for a while, there is another world.

In the latest issue:
- applying Reiki's 5 principles for daily living in difficult times.
- a native American poem on the soul's continuing journey after death.
- a story about dharma.
- links to related sites.
- a book recommendation.
And more...

Email terataii@gmail.com to get your copy.

Postcards from my travels - Love in the Wild, Australia

2009-03-26T00:37:00.001-07:00

At the feet of the Buddha

2009-03-18T01:06:00.000-07:00

Gal Vihara, Sri Lanka
Visited 1992 and 2005

2,400 years after the Buddha achieved nirvana, I sat facing his reclining figure, drinking in the sense of peace and serenity I felt. Ahhh.

Throughout this, my third trip to Sri Lanka, I had been waiting for this moment. I had visited Gal Vihara once before, on my first trip 13 years before this, and had never forgotten the sense of wonder, of awe, of peace and pure joy I felt simply by looking upon the beautiful, larger-than-life statues of the Buddha.

The 4 Buddha statues, each carved out of a single piece of granite, were part of a monastery built in the 12th century during the reign of the great King Parakramabahu.

These statues are all that remain of the vihara (monastery) at one end of the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. They are enough. Between them, they depict the Buddha seated, standing and reclining; meditative, sorrowful and serene.

As I approached the site (with my husband), we first came to a large seated Buddha in meditative pose. Beyond words. When we were finally able to tear ourselves away, we moved on to a smaller meditative Buddha, also seated, in an enclosure, a cave-like space in the rocks. Somehow this statue does not seem to belong to the rest of the group. Nevertheless, the carving is very fine. Because the enclosure is glassed in, it is harder to actually “sit with the Buddha” here.

Next, we came to a huge standing statue with a beautifully carved but sorrowful expression. With the hands crossed across the chest, the whole image expresses sorrow felt deeply but expressed quietly. Some believe this is a statue of Buddha’s disciple Ananda (ironically the name means bliss), grieving over the passing of the Buddha, who reclines next to it in the nirvana pose. Most modern historians, however, discount this theory. They believe the standing figure, like the other 3, is of the Buddha himself.

The standing figure towers above one at 7 metres (23 feet). The reclining Buddha next to it measures 14 metres (46 feet). This, to me, is the most beautiful of the carvings. Perhaps it helps that the prone figure is all at eye level – you can walk the length of the carving, seeing all of the Buddha up close. The face is gentle, calm, serene… beautiful… And more -- once again, beyond words.

The attention to detail in this carving is truly amazing. Every fold in the Buddha’s robes is lovingly carved. So is the design in the pillow under his head, including a wheel symbol on the visible side. And the pillow is shows a slight depression, made by the weight of the Buddha’s head.

My husband and I spent hours at Gal Vihara, in particular before the first (large) meditative Buddha and the reclinging figure. I marvelled at the love and devotion of those who carved these figures out of the rock. I communed with the Buddha – or so I thought anyway – and meditated under his guidance.

As we sat before the reclining figure, a group of novice monks came laughing over the rock behind. At another time, I was joined by a few monkeys, who watched the Buddha from the edge of that same rock.

I wondered if we all enjoyed the same sense of serenity emanating from the Buddha, or from his statue.

See related older post from one of my other blogs: In the shadow of the Buddha.

Sisterhood Award

2009-03-15T22:31:00.001-07:00

Wow! Blogging has never been so much fun! :) I have received my second Sisterhood Award in a week (one for each of two blogs). I’m thrilled to bits. Blogging can be a great way to express yourself, but it gets really interesting when you start to get some feedback in the shape of comments. And an award is not just feedback, but positive validation. So yay!

My thanks to Frankie Anon at Object Wisdom for this award. Frankie writes a fascinating blog about objects. I was hooked when I read these 3 short lines in her description of her blog: “We all know the unexamined life is not worth living. But what about the unexamined toaster oven? Is it worth living with?” A thought-provoking blog, with lovely stories about various “objects.” Do check it out.

According to the rules of the award, I now get to nominate 5 fabulous women and their blogs. These lovely ladies are requested to keep the cycle of support going by nominating 5 (or more) other women bloggers.

And the rest of you are urged to visit these great blogs:

I’d Like To Say A truly inspiring blog. Judy writes with beauty and grace about the loss of her son, her love for her family, life’s continuing joys and sorrows. Her poetry is all the more powerful for its lack of self-pity. I love you Judy, you are a fabulous woman!

Follow Your Heart Another inspiring blog, this one by Sally Forrest. There is much spiritual wisdom here and a beautiful, calming spirit.

The Womens Blogger Directory I presented Alana Roberts with this award sometime ago for 2 of her other blogs. But this blog deserves an award of its own. The Directory is a great place for women bloggers to network, discover new blogs and new ideas, learn from one another and support one another. Sisters, check it out!

Vintage Postcards - Cpaphil Marie Reed makes wonderful use of her amazing collection of vintage postcards – mostly from France - to create this blog. She weaves in interesting nuggets of French history. You can join her Postcard Friendship Fridays with cards or pictures of your own – or just enjoy this fun blog.

Suzanne Casamento – The Question of the Day An interesting and thought-provoking question every day, plus a great way to get the readers involved. In short, a thoroughly interactive blog that makes you think too!

Now for the rules governing the Sisterhood Award:
1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 5 blogs which show great ATTITUDE and/or GRATITUDE.
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link this post to the person from whom you received your award.

Before I end this post, a big thanks once again to Frankie Anon over at Object Wisdom!

Pamposh Dhar
Terataii Reiki and Counselling
Pamposh Dhar
Wandering Pam

Orient Express Stop - Vienna

2009-03-13T20:19:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a break from my usual travel writing to join the Orient Express which I recently boarded in Paris on the blog Muse Swings. Do join the journey at Muse Swings's Orient Express post. And when you get to Vienna, get off the train to take in the sites of the city on this blog!

Welcome to Vienna! We have arrived at the Westbahnhof (west railway station) in the beautiful city of Wien, in the heart of Europe.

I invite you to take a few hours off from the journey to come with me and see the sights of this ancient city. Vienna’s history dates back to a military camp set up in the city centre under the Roman empire in the first century. Roman remains can be seen in old city just outside the Hofburg palace.

However, most of what you see in Vienna today dates back to the much later Habsburg dynasty and the Austro-Hungarian empire. During this time, Vienna became the cultural hub of Europe. Since those times, Austria has become inexticably linked with the music of Mozart and Strauss. It has also been the home of artists such as Klimt and Hundertwasser.

First, let us visit Stefansdom (St. Stephen’s Cathedral) in the centre of the old cobbled city. The cathedral dominates central Vienna and it’s spire offers a wonderful view of the old city. The oldest remaining parts of the cathedral date back to the 13th century.

For a complete change of scene – and period – let’s move now to die Sezession (the Secession). This was the centre of Vienna’s Jugendstil, the Austrian counterpart of the art nouveau movement in France. The movement was founded in fin de siecle (late 19th and early 20th century) Vienna by the likes of Gustav Klimt and Otto Wagner in rebellion against the prevailing conservatism in art and architecture. The basement has wall paintings by Klimt. Klimt’s other paintings – most famously The Kiss – can be seen at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna.

Now we go the Ring, the circular road that encompasses the old city, for a visit to the world-famous Staatsoper (State Opera). This 19th century building is the venue for some of Europe’s best-loved opera, producing 50-60 operas a year in some 200 performances. It counts Gustav Mahler and Herbert von Karajan among its most illustrious conductors.

Our next stop is the Schönbrunn, the summer palace of Hapsburg rulers. It was built by Emperor Leopold I in the 17th century as a hunting lodge, with over 1,400 rooms! Austria’s much-loved Empress Maria Theresia had it expanded and redecorated in French Rococo style in the 18th century. The palace’s prominent visitors included Napoleon, who married Maria Theresia’s grand-daughter Marie Louise (as his second wife).

This concludes the official tour. You might want to relax over a melange (coffee with cream) and a slice of the famous Sacher torte before heading back to the station...

A Garden Immortalized in Monet's Paintings

2009-03-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

Monet’s Garden, Giverny, France
Visited late 1990s

Sometime in the late 1990s (1997?), I spent a week or so in Paris with my sister. Paris was warm and sunny, full of music and trees and paintings. The Musée de l’Orangerie had the most beautiful exhibition of impressionist masterpieces by Claude Monet, one of my favourite painters.

At the end of the Paris trip, my sister went back home to the US while I went off to spend a few days in the village of Giverny, where Claude Monet lived and painted for the last 43 years of his life. Many of his most beautiful paintings are of the gardens at his house in Giverny.

I had booked a bed and breakfast for myself before leaving my home in Jakarta, Indonesia. I called the owner from Paris and he confirmed that I would have a room waiting for me when I arrived in Giverny.

So I hopped on a train moving towards Rouen – of Rouen Cathedral fame, painted by Monet in his inimitable style – and got off at the small and picturesque town of Vernon. A short bus-ride along the Seine brought me to Giverny.

When I checked into the B&B, the owner mumbled something about being double-booked. He had a room in his own house for me that night, but would show me to an even bigger room in his friend’s house the next morning, he said. Impatient to get to Monet’s garden before it closed for the day, I dumped my overnight case in a small but beautiful converted loft and agreed to sort out the rest next morning.

The gardens were amazing. I entered and a burst of colour hit me. Different kinds of flowers everywhere, vines making arches over the paths. And an elegant house forming a backdrop to the gardens. I was more or less prepared for the colours, but I hadn’t counted on the fabulous scents of the flowers. Ahhh.

There was more to come, of course, because the garden is in fact 2 gardens. You access the second garden through an underground passage. Across the passage, a Japanese-style garden bursts upon you in all its glory. This is the part of the garden with the famous lily pond and Japanese bridge, immortalized in many of Monet’s paintings.

The water in the pond was still, reflecting the surrounding trees so perfectly that you might think they were growing under the water as well as hanging over it from the land, with the clusters of water lilies suspended in the centre of this mirror image. Fantastic.

The Japanese bridge was full of people. In fact, there were busloads of tourists all along the paths in both parts of the gardens. Many had come across from England, via Paris, for the day. About half an hour before the garden was to close, the crowds started moving out. Suddenly, I had the garden to myself – just me and the lilies and the trees and the breeze passing gently over the water and through the trees… Immediately I twigged that I had to get there early every morning, as soon as the gardens open and leave just before they closed! The day tourists took a while to get in and had to leave a bit early to make sure they didn’t miss their buses back to Paris.

Early next morning the owner of the B&B moved me to his “friend’s” house. I had a whole big double-storeyed house to myself! It had a beautiful garden, modelled – well, poorly – on Monet’s gardens, complete with water lily pond and all. Beautiful in itself but a pale imitation of the original.

After some probing, I discovered that my pal from the B&B was looking after the house while the owners were on holiday. He insisted he had cleared my stay in their house with them. I sure hoped so.

I spent 2 of the next three days in Monet’s house and garden while it was open, enjoying especially the half-hours immediately after opening and before closing when I was queen of the gardens. The sights, scents, the breeze… Oh, so lovely. And the changing light, which Monet has captured so beautifully in his “series” of paintings of the same scene at different times.

The house is beautiful too and deserves a visit for the old furniture and photographs and, most of all, for Monet’s collection of Japanese prints. This includes the famous one of the tsunami – looking at the majestic beauty of the waves it’s hard to focus on the destruction they inevitably leave in their wake. I have thought about this particular print often since the Asian tsunami of 2004.

But at the time the print that fascinated me most was of a young Japanese woman doing her toilette. She’s fixing her hair before a mirror while a baby feeds at her breast. The woman seems so cool about the feeding – no big deal, she might feel, after all I do this several times a day! The baby seems to be taking care of itself while the mother focuses firmly on her own toilette.

On my last full day in Giverny, I took a half-day off to go explore the nearby town of Vernon, which has a lovely church and an old and very pretty mill over the river. Giverny itself has a small and old church, where Monet is buried.

My last afternoon in Giverny absolutely had to be spent in the gardens, of course. In the evening light, I silently bid farewell to my friends the water lilies, the beautiful trees, the clusters of flowers in the “first garden” (in front of the house). I promised myself I’d be back… One day…

Bhutan

2009-03-03T09:41:00.000-08:00

Druk Yul, Land of the Thunder Dragon
Visited 1988, 1992, 1995

My first visit to Bhutan happened partly by design and partly by accident. I had taken 2 weeks off from work to travel in first in Sikkim and then in Bhutan. From Delhi, I flew into the small town of Bagdogra, in northeastern India. The Sikkim tourism office in Delhi had assured me I could take a helicopter from Bagdogra airport to the state capital of Gangtok.

When I reached Bagdogra, however, I discovered that the helicopter tours had been cancelled 6 months ago! There was a road link, but a large part of the road had been swept away in the monsoon rains. I would have to wait “a few days” for the road to be repaired. Further inquiry revealed that the few days could well stretch to a week.

I decided instead to take a bus to Phuntsholing, across the border into Bhutan. I would turn my holiday around, travelling by road to Bhutan for the first week and then finding my way to Sikkim from somewhere in Bhutan.

I never did make it to Sikkim. It remains on my travel list. But I found an unbelievably beautiful Shangri La-like mountain country in Bhutan and couldn’t tear myself away until I absolutely had to. I returned to Delhi with 50 rupees on me (and no credit card) on the day my leave ended.

I missed the last bus to Phuntsholing, but managed to hitch a ride (for a small fee) in a Royal Bhutan Police jeep. I immediately fell in love with the charming little border town – not knowing what splendours awaited me in the rest of Druk Yul, the Land of the Thunder Dragon.

I went on to Thimphu, Paro and Punakha. I marvelled at high mountains and low, low valleys; admired the unique architecture of the zhongs, Buddhist temples and stupas; was driven through treacherous passes and along partially swept away roads; made friends with the environment minister, whom I ran into in 2 of the 4 towns I visited, and restaurant staff in the gorgeous hilltop hotel in Paro. Everywhere I went, people befriended me and showed me immense courtesy as a fellow human being, a guest in their country and a foreign woman travelling alone. This last was quite obviously a novelty in what was then an extremely remote Himalayan kingdom.

Each town I visited was different. Phuntsholing was quite definitely a “border town.” I doubt it would even have existed as a town if it hadn’t been for the border. Thimphu was (and is) the capital, the seat of government, the residence at the time of King Jigme Singye Wangchuk and the 4 sisters he had married. It has a magnificent zhong. Every town in Bhutan has a zhong, which includes both administrative offices and the largest Buddhist temple in the town. Although Bhutan at the time was run by a monarchy, the lamas exercised a good deal of power and influence.

Over the years, the separation of power between state and “church” (or, in this case, temple) became clearer and Bhutan is currently in the process of changing to a full parliamentary democracy. Two rounds of parliamentary elections have already been held, although a king remains in power.

But, to get back to 1988… Thimphu was a town of one a half streets. Really. Rather surprisingly, there were two good hotels in town. I would rate them as very high class 3-star hotels. No swimming pools etc, but beautiful clean rooms. The favoured breakfast place of the few foreigners living in Thimphu was the Swiss Bakery, which was quite a landmark.

Paro was a slightly larger town – the only one with an airport. (I didn’t get to use the airport until my second trip, which merits a short story of its own.) The planes seemed to be flown mainly by Indian or Swedish pilots. The Nordics loved Bhutan. Of all the foreigners based there, they were the most at home in the high mountains, green, wooded valleys and cold climate. During my second visit to the country in 1992, I met a woman from Iceland who had just installed the first sauna in the country – in her own home.

But, once again, back to the first trip. The main town of Paro is in a green valley surrounded by mountains, some above the (permanent) snow line. The valleys seem low in Bhutan because the surrounding mountains are so high, but in fact the valleys are at fairly high altitudes themselves. Once you get into mountainous country, every where is high – it’s just a question of how much. There is invariably a river at the bottom of these gorgeous valleys, named after the town they run through. The word for river is cchu. The river in Thimphu is called Thimphuchhu, in Paro Parochhu, and so on.

On my second trip to Bhutan, I visited a town called Ha, near the border with Tibet (and, in October, bitterly cold). The river here is called – yes, it is – Hachhu. Gesundheit.

So, Paro. Beautiful white peaks, green hills, an eighth century temple in the valley, rice fields along the hillsides, and not one but two zhongs. The old zhong has, unusually, a prominent circular tower and is situated on the top of a rock half-way up a mountain. The less old zhong, still in use (and also pretty old by the looks of it) is in the valley. Up in the mountains near Paro is a fantastic monastery literally clinging to a rock – the Taktshang Monastery, or "Tiger's Nest." My driver/guide offered to walk me up there in 8 hours. I thought if it takes him 8 hours, it’ll probably take me 3 days, and passed! (Climbing at those altitudes is especially hard for a girl from the plains.) Now, I believe, there is a motorable road most of the way up to the monastery.

Closer to the road, we came upon what I can only describe as an old, partially ruined castle. I say partially ruined because there appeared to be people living in parts of it. While I was wandering around, a young boy suddenly peeped out of a window in one of the walls. That wall, too, was well maintained, obviously painted quite recently.

I had travelled from Phuntsholing to Thimphu by a “luxury” mini-bus, with only a few adventurous moments when we went over a bridge that looked like it could fall into the ravine below any second. It had obviously been damaged in the rains. The driver asked all the passengers to get off, but insisted that I, the honoured guest in his country, not sully my feet by actually walking across the bridge. He was so polite, I couldn’t bring myself to say I’d really rather not risk going down with him… Needless to say, the bridge held and we survived.

In Thimphu, I had dropped in on a colleague at the United Nations. Just a courtesy call. But when he learnt that I was planning to go to Paro by bus, he insisted I go in a UN vehicle, which was going to Paro the same day. This meant leaving sooner than I had planned, but he was so insistent I agreed.

On my way back to Thimphu from Paro, there was no convenient UN vehicle to hitch a ride from. So I took a local bus. Wow, what a ride! There were novice monks – as there are everywhere in Bhutan – a peasant with a basket full of (live) hens and chickens and, generally, an incredible number of people. By the time I boarded the bus, there was standing room only. Which was OK until I found myself pushed more than half onto someone’s lap! I apologized but really couldn’t do anything about it. He was polite and did not seem too bothered – perhaps he was used to it, with people being thrown into one another’s laps all the time. Luckily for him, I was a good 20 kilos lighter than I am today!

In Thimphu, I hired a car to take me to Punakha. My colleague’s shocked face now made perfect sense to me. This was a wise decision, especially since Punakha is much lower and was quite hot the day I went. It has a fabulous zhong, situated between two rivers. The zhong has a beautiful temple. High, as the zhong temples tend to be. A lot of steps to climb. But well worth the effort. Part of the zhong burnt down soon after my visit and was rebuilt exactly as it had been. It still looked different, though, on my second visit because the wood looked so much more "new" - as, of course, it was.

In subsequent trips, I visited the beautiful Bhumtang valley and Ha, where I learnt to appreciate the warming qualities of the local rice brew in zero degrees centigrade with no heating. The yak meat was good too, when it was finally cooked around 10 p.m. It’s possible the chhang-drinking before dinner made it taste even better. Ha itself was fabulous and the surrounding snow-covered mountains – ahhh.