The Sun Sets on Booze...

Previous night, I along with my friends gathered for yet another get-together for a few drinks. We had a grand time just talking and drinking. We also had a few major news and gossips from all over. You drink the glass and find yourself down into the whole thing.
I am an occassional drinker and never remember drinking alone. Always wokedup refreshed and not even with slightest touch of hangover ever. Unlike certain friends who calls on their way to work the next morning feeling pretty rough. I try not to laugh, but it was always funny!
I came up from home hoping that this week get to be shaping up to be a busy one. My job expects me to work even for the weekends till the time I'm here, so I'll be doing that on Saturday and maybe Sunday as usual. We are to have a dance rehearsal going away from 8th Aug evening, he he!. Most importantly though, practice for the forthcoming annual day will be just for 3 days then I shall move to Leh the very next day i.e., on 15th Aug.

Update, Update, Update!

Last weekend, in the space of less than 2 days, it took to my notice that most of major TV channels like CNN et al aired the worthless story of big clelebrities and their deeds. My head was sore, but more from the emotional twists and turns in the final days.
I learned Lindsay Lohan, Poor Little Rich Drug User was busted on suspicion of drunk driving and drug possession. Shortly, her father and a parade of Hollywood celebrities made sobbing, heart wrenching pleas on the Larry King show for public understanding of Lohan's ordeal. They blame all her situation on reckless paparazzi and LA's big city life.
There are thousands of drug offenders all around the globe that need the same compassion and help as Lohan. The big difference is that these drug abusers aren't high-profile, bankable screen commodities alike. They are mostly poor blacks, Asians and Latinos. The estimate is that nearly one-fourth of the more than one million blacks that pack America's prisons are there for non-violent, drug-related crimes. It costs millions to keep them there.
Putting them behind bars has had staggering consequences as these sorta punishments has torn apart families and communities. It has been the single biggest reason for the bloat in States spending on prison construction, maintenance, and the escalation in the number of prosecutors needed to handle the flood of drug cases.
Also, few poor black and Asian drug offenders were immediately released by police, as Lohan continues to be, and then they were allowed to luxuriate in a posh drug treatment center.
We Play to win but we loose just the same!!

His Holiness to visit Leh on 31st July '07

With the day approaching, traditional ceremonies that involves blessing small and large Buddha statues and Thangka's that will sit nearby the throne of His Holiness the Dalai Lama (decorations on the structure "White snow lions" are a symbol of strength) when the spiritual leader of Tibetans and Buddhist in general visits Leh on 31st July 2007 must be going on with constant watch by the Abbots in different monasteries around Leh.
The visit of His Holiness is for many a very important event, apart from some religious sermons, this time it is learnt that he will show them how to develop compassion, love and a good heart.
Around 5,000 to 10,000 Buddhists from around the country will descend on Leh when the Dalai Lama delivers a series of sermons, lectures and philosophical talks at Leh's sJiway Tsal("the place where compassion develops"), Choglamsar Leh. Buddhist nuns and monks from Taiwan, Bhutan and Vietnam and some Hollywood celebrities would be among the visitors. The Dalai Lama, who fled his homeland in 1959 following a failed uprising against China, has his government-in-exile in Dharamsala (H.P)in India. India is also home to some 100,000 Tibetan exiles.
I was there when the Tibetan leader addressed 10,000 people in the area in September 2005. The experience was so so good and I myself felt much privileged on being a Buddhist as it appeals to a person's individual responsibilities and have someone to belive in strongly. I feel, What is important for the Buddhist around are the values of compassion, generosity and wisdom, that the Dalai Lama also stands for.
The Tibetan spiritual leader, who was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1989 for his efforts to achieve a Non-Violent solution to the Tibetan problem, will visit Nubra valley and give religious discourse there at Diskit, Nubra and would likely to unveil a huge Buddha Maitreya Statue at Diskit Monastery.
MAY PEACE PREVAIL ON EARTH.

Copa America 2007 Etcetera

The Soccer season is now morethan-halfway over and the week that brought us to this point also brought us some history in Copa America Title 2007 as Brazil defeated the hot favourites Argentina and clinched their 8th title.
Yesterday, I thought every soccer enthusiast surely would take his/her time to catch up with the the main international football tournament for South America. Remember what this is about, and express your crazyness!!!!!!!!!
I carefully followed the matches right from day one, and on D-Day I confidently took it'll be AR-GEN-TINA, the undisputed Champions from South America (Much as it pains me to say that.) I've rated them highly from 2006 edition of the Football World Cup. They are so loaded with quality, well-balanced in midfield and defence....and are peaking at the right time. Big playmakers Jaun Riquelme and Carlos Tevez could unlock the door to any rearguard in Venezuela. Lionel Messi's also primed, and so is the pedigree to win it all. I would loved Brazil to loose, because they are woefully let down by their decrepit biggies (Kaka, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, R Carlos, Dida et al).
I never would have guess Brazil had such a come back in them. Struggling in their group match, the defending champion Brazil were beaten by Mexico with a 2-0 score. And without the Brazilian regular playmakers, Argentina surely was the stronger team in the whole tournament, displayed excellent matches but in the end, Brazil came out on top... kudos and some Brazilian luck in the form of an own goal by experienced Argentine Captain Roberto Ayala.
This defeat must sting the Argentineans and their fans alike hard as they brought everything they had to this Copa. It's still indigestible while I (rather we all) recall yesterday's game. Phew!
As champions of South America, now Brazil will join South Africa, Italy and the USA along with the winners of the 2007 Asian Cup, 2008 African Nations Cup, 2008 Euro and 2008 OFC Nations Cup at the Confederations Cup in 2009 in South Africa.

Celebrating 6th of July.

Finally I found time to write the 6th July celebration. What a day, I went with my friends to Pungug village (12 kms from the place I stay) to celebrate the birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama amongst the locals and the Tibetans alike of the nearby villages.
It was the first time after 7 years I actually had been here in Leh on that day. For the past years its always been in somewhere in the plains. But I never really party or enjoy. This time perhaps was an exception, apart from me some of my friends have not seen this day at Hanle for a long time so we expect a small gathering will be just perfect.
The day has gotten off to a much better start than the rest of the time I spent here, so far. Instead of being sick at work, I was getting hugs from dozens of my staffs and friends with everyone anxiously watching the beautifully decorated cultural program.
On the sporting event side of exciting things, we played a friendly cricket match.. a limited over match against a visiting team from a nearby village. The game was particularly challenging because most of us never played such an innings at such a place and my teammates explaining to eachother... how the local youths arrange their sets and make strategies: what's coming up next, and you really have to get all the opponent team all out ahead of time...phew! I kept the stumps and had to lead those, since our bowlers had practiced the sets ahead of time. The other folks mostly got a warning when they were being hitted for fours and sixes and they just jumped in when they get them out. Luckily the sky was good. In th end, we won the match.
Far at a corner, people gathered to get a glimpse of the horse racing for which the horses have been trained from months for this event. There were around 35 beautifully decorated horses for the competition. Our cook stood second and his brother got the eighth spot in all. We took our vehicle at a far place near the stream and there we enjoyed to our tune. Meanwhile I noticed one horse being brought for our ride. So hurrah!! That was it... I simply didn't stood at all from then on.
We all danced, and danced ..peeping in every tents pitched there and joining the beautiful folks outthere with their dancing steps to the local, tibetan, hindi and english tunes alike.
It was a bit of a culture shock going straight back to work early nextday, after one full day playing, riding and dancing out in the lush green plains, but I'm adjusting. I got myself captured riding on a decorated horse and will post that and a few pictures here, from the day 6th July soon....