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....

Quieting the self

In the dim light of a household chapel, a monk from the local Buddhist monastery chants prayers to bless a family's crop during the brief Himalayan growing season. In this remote valley isolated by past war, I get to discover a redoubt of peace..
"You have to go through the boredom of repetition until an energy arises of itself," says a nun while performing a meditation. "[Then] you will find yourself entirely free of wanting anything."

Sogyal Rinpoche: " The realization of impremanence is paradoxically the only thing we can hold on to, perhaps our only possession."

A most pleasant month

Hello! Here we go again. This time with the amazing valley of Hanle, What is this....?? Well, then the best you could do is to take the rest of the day off and question your existence in this planet and try to realize what the hell you've been doing here in this world! Besides that, take the time to surf the web and get some pictures from it and take a good look to what you've been missing.
Guys, you know I’ve been CRAZY busy with my job at this manificient place, plus a trip to Leh inbetween helps somehow with my state of mind to be with my friends out there, and my evenings here managing to get taken up with other things around on the net. Anyhow, the things were going on real good this time atleast.
Like, you miss one week without a post and you’re thinking: Wow, it’s been a week. I should really get on that. Then, by weeks 1 to 2, you start thinking…..where on earth would I even begin to start? There’s much too much to say. That’s how I’ve felt the last few days.
But really, honestly, this is how my this month has been goin with:
Work. Work. Some play and work.....work. Oh my work, at its best, is a pleasant diversion, but it doesn't really challenge the mind in the same way. It's a goal-driven pursuit, rather than an exploratory/revelatory pursuit.
The work itself gets somewhat pretty exausting everytime I reach here. Let me tell you, it’s a good thing, that moment of realizing: It takes a while to get used to. But it’s lovely. And then you spend half your time thinking: more of programmking at it's best.
It’s similar to when you meet someone and you think: Where have you BEEN on my life?
So, how’s that? Honestly, there hasn’t been much more happening on this part of thing. Most of the happenings have somehow fit into one of those categories: like the night of total exhausted at work, etc...... Well, you know next day hopefully comes, Good times.
Because I can, can always hope and dare to dream, just because it’s my blog!
That's it, guys!! Blogging from the valley of Hanle..

The Soul of Modesty

Until recently some friends of mine reminded me that I never blog anymore. Well, here I am. I have been so busy lately doing all kinds of stuff along ...
Lately, what brought the attention my way, what would most flatter me (in the world’s terms), and what would best compare to what magazines, models and the girls around I saw were wearing. The motives for the way one dressed were to promote self, being sensible and not promote the Creator!
"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." JEREMIAH 29:11

One for all…. on a roll

These recent socalled Blog conferences have always seemed like a funny idea to me. I mean, I don't know about you all there, but I started my site precisely so that I wouldn't have to go out and talk to strangers in person. But everybody's going because, as I find some does this blog thing for a living, so I figured I'd check it out, too. May be that the changing scenario of the society has also brought about changes in the thinking and needs of the people. Well, If you are getting into/thru this post here, please do take a time to drop some comments and if not, then just say hi! What I believe is that Those who can, do. Those who can't do, follow. And for those who can't even do this, it’s simple…. Just blog.* And I'm comfortable with this. I don't feel I've used the word "blog" enough in this post. One more should do it:
BLOG!

Truthiness in Reading

Once my teacher told me that you can't consider yourself a real student of English literature until you've read pretty much everything Shakespeare ever wrote. I guess that officially makes me a “poseur”. I like bits of Shakespeare. I really like certain plays, such as Macbeth and Richard III and The Taming of the Shrew and The Merchant of Venice. But Hamlet? Romeo and Juliet? Come on. They remind me of bad teen angst movies, possibly starring Judd Nelson.
The first time I ever heard or read Shakespeare was during my school days, ofcourse part of it’s curriculum. Later I've tried to read it a few times, but I feel this black cloud descend on me every time, and initially I never get past the first seventy or so pages. I had to fake my way through the book, which meant grilling my friends and, of course, reading the ending he he! Gradually things developed,got taste on it and from then the road never seem ending.
Soon I came across some of Jamyang Norbu’s. Guys! I simply loved his books! It was when The Mandala of Sherlock Holmes crossed my path a year ago, I was going to be taken in again. Now, I can sense public opinion about my taste shifting even as I write this. And I know that a lot of otherwise right-minded souls didn't care for it, either. Which, you know, fine. Well, I have no idea how I managed to bluff my way through this point.....

Candy spoilt my dream.

Last night, a mysterious, beautiful stranger showered me with boxes of cards and BURFIS (burfi kyon? should that be a choclate etc ..am amazed on seeing this and kept wondering what might be the sign).... ahem! Reality bites!!