Fret is closely akin to friction

Do not get into a perilous heat about things.  If ever heat were justified, it was surely justified in the circumstances outlined in the Psalm.  Evildoers were moving about clothed in purple and fine linen, and faring sumptuously every day.  “Workers of iniquity” were climbing into the supreme places of power, and were tyrannizing their les fortunate brethren.  Sinful men and women were stalking through the land in the pride of life and basking in the light and comfort of great prosperity, and good men were becoming ‘heated and fretful’. 

Do not get unduly heated !  Keep cool !  Even in a good cause, fretfulness is not a wise help-mate.  Fretting only heats the bearings, it does not generate the steam.  It is no help to a train for the axles to get hot ; their heat is only a hindrance.  When the axles get heated, it is because of unnecessary friction ——- dry surfaces are grinding together, which ought to be kept in smooth co-operation by a “delicate cushion of oil.”

And, is it not a suggestive fact that this word “FRET” is closely akin to the word “FRICTION”, and is an indication of absence of the anointing oil of the grace of God ? ——- In fretfulness, a little bit of grit gets into the bearings ——– some slight disappointment, some ingratitude, some discourtesy ——- and the smooth working of life is checked.  Friction begets heat, and, with the heat, most dangerous conditions are created.  Do not let thy bearings get hot.  Let the oil of God’s grace keep you cool, lest by reason of an unholy heat you be reckoned among the evil-doers.

Restless heart, be still, don’t fret and worry so

God has a thousand ways His love and help to show

Just trust, and trust, and trust, until His will you know.

Restless heart, be still, for peace is God’s own smile

His love can every wrong and sorrow reconcile

Just love, and love, and love, and calmly wait awhile.

Restless heart, be brave, don’t moan and sorrow so

He hath a meaning kind in chilly winds that blow

Just hope, and hope, and hope, until you braver grow.

Restless heart, repose upon His breast this hour

His grace is strength  and life, His love is bloom and flower

Just rest, and rest, and rest, within His tender power.

Restless heart, be still, don’t struggle to be free

God’s life is in your life, from Him you may not flee

Just pray, and pray, and pray, till you have faith to see.

—-Edith Willis Linn.

AIB Roast of Ranveer Singh & Arjun Kapoor – My thoughts

Shihanspeaks

A lot is being made of the  AIB Knockout: The Roast of Ranveer SIngh and Arjun Kapoor,  that was premiered on You Tube on 28th January. For the uninitiated, AIB (All India Bakchod for short) is a comedy shorts You Tube channel that has acquired quite a fan following due to their innovative and funny takes on real life situations ( Honest Diwali ) and celebrities ( Arvind Kejriwal and Aliaa Bhatt). The Roast is a new concept that they are bringing in, presumably the first of a series.

I understand that the concept of roasting is the opposite of toasting, where a roaster ( or roasters) trash a ‘roastee’ (or roastees) in a no-holds barred verbal slingfest.  Bear in mind that nothing is off-limits, and hence a whole lot of bawdy jokes and wisecracks are made at the ‘roastee’s’ expense. And the roastee takes it all in good spirit, sometimes…

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A unique rainbow

This “unique rainbow” at the Gansu province of China leaves one awestruck and has unmatched beauty.  The Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park is nothing but a colourful wonderland crafted by elements in red sandstone  and various minerals. It’s incredible and vibrant colour patterns have been appreciated by many over the years.

It is a ‘heaven’ over 200 square miles.  Formerly, a provincial park and scenic area, it became a National Geopark in November 2011.  The park is located in the northern foothills of the Qilian Mountains, in the counties of Linze and Sunan, which are under the administration  of the prefecture-level city of Zhangye, Gansu Province.  The core area of the park, Linze Danxia Scenic Area, is located 30 kilometres west of downtown Zhangye and 20 kilometres south of the seat of Linze County.  It is the most developed and the most visited part of the park. 

Zhangye Danxia, known for the unusual colours of the rocks, which are smooth, sharp and several metres tall.  They are the results of deposits of red sandstone and other minerals that occurred over 24 million years.  The result, similar to a “layer cake”, is connected to the action of the same tectonic plates responsible for creating parts of the Himalayan mountains. — wind, rain and time then sculpted extraordinary shapes, including towers, pillars and ravines with varying colours, patterns and sizes. 

In 2005, Zhangye Danxia was voted by a panel of reporters from 34 major media outlets as one of the most beautiful landform areas in China.  In 2009, Chinese National Geographic Magazine chose Zhangye as one of the “six most beautiful landforms” in China.  The area has become a top tourist attraction for Zhangye.  A series of board-walks and access roads have been built to help visitors to explore the rock formations.  In August 2010, China Danxia was inscribed on to the World Heritage List. The best time to visit is in summer and before sunset, and even better after a rainy day. 

It is no exaggeration to say that God Himself went to a carnival and created this adorable sand art.  The view is simply “mind blowing” and it proves that rainbows are not just in the sky.  

Canine confusions

While our dogs love us too much and endure the love we give them, research has shown that they really hate some of the stuff we do out of love.

Here is a list : 

(1) Using Words More Than Body Language :  We’re a vocal species, states mnn.com.  We love to chatter, even at our pets, who can’t understand the vast majority of what we’re saying.  Dogs might be able to deduce what a few key words mean — walk, treat, toy, off —- and may even learn hundreds of words as some border collies have done.  But they can’t understand ‘human language’.  What they rely on to figure out what we mean is our ‘body language’.  For instance, telling a dog to “stay” while leaning forward toward the dog and holding out a hand like  a traffic cop is, in body language, actually inviting the dog to come towards you.  But when the dog does, it gets reprimanded for breaking the ‘stay’ command.  It’s all so ‘confusing’.  Try communicating with your dog just with your body, instead of saying anything.  You will be surprised at how much your pooch will obey you.

(2) Hugging Your Dog :  While you might love wrapping your arms around a furry canine friend, MOST DOGS HATE HUGS.  Rather than camaraderie, if a dog places a foreleg or paw on the back of another dog, this is considered an ACT OF DOMINANCE.  No matter your intentions with hugging, a dog is ‘hardwired’ to view the act of hugging as you are exerting your dominance.

(3) Petting A Dog’s Face Or Patting Its Head :  Do you like to be patted on the head ?   Our guess is ‘no’.  So, why should a dog like it ?  Yet most humans think that dogs like being patted on the head.  The reality is that while many dogs will put up with this, if it’s someone they know and trust, most dogs DON’T ENJOY IT.  It’s a personal ‘space issue’ for dogs, just as much as it is for us.

(4) Not Providing Structure And Rules :  Dogs want, need and love having rules.  You might think having strict rules makes life boring or unhappy for your dog.  But dogs really want to know ‘what’s what’ according to their leader.  Rules make life a lot more predictable, a lot less confusing and a lot less stressful.  And speaking of confusion, doge DON’T UNDERSTAND EXCEPTIONS TO RULES.  They don’t understand they’re allowed to jump on you when you have leisure clothe.s on, but not when you have work clothes on.  Forcing your dog to interact with dogs or people it clearly doesn’t like is not done.  Just like so many other social species, dogs have their favourite friends and their enemies.  It is easy to see what other dogs, and people, for that matter, that a dog wants to hang out with whom it would rather not associate.  Yet, there are a lot of dog owners who go into denial about this or simply fail to read the cues their dog is giving.

——- Bengaluru Chronicle.

A world in a grain of sand

To see a world in a grain of sand

And a heaven in a wild flower

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand

And eternity in an hour.

These four lines could be a synthesis of what, nowadays, is called “the new consciousness”  ——– the ability to understand that everything is interlinked, that magical moments for part of everyday life, and that with just a little inner openness we can come to see that we are capable of completely changing our reality and eliminating most of the things that make us feel dissatisfied.  When these lines were written, however, they went almost unnoticed.  

Their author, William Blake (1757 — 1827), was born into a poor family and died despised by the intellectual circles of his time.  His critics alleged that he put too much mysticism into his work, that he behaved strangely (for example, he would sit naked with his wife in the garden of the country house lent to them by a friend), and that his poems were too naïve. –

Those critics died, and now, Blake is considered ——- not only for his writings, but also for his engravings, which I (Paulo Coelho) had the opportunity of seeing at the Tate Gallery in London —— as one of the most complete artists of the last millennium.  

Blake describes how, as a child in a park near London, he saw angels in the trees and saw the prophet Ezekiel emerge from amongst creatures.  Later, when he was 30 years old, his younger brother died, and Blake maintained that his brother’s spirit appeared to him a few days later, clothed in light, in order to reveal to him a method of “publishing” books without recourse to a printer, that is, to hand-craft engravings of both texts and illustrations and sell them in very limited editions. 

Following his advice, Blake began developing an idea which he called “the contraries of the human soul”.  One of these states is “innocence”, when imagination leads us towards growth.  The other state is “experience”, when our imagination is confronted by rules, morality and repression.

Blake lived his life intensely and died poor, but he died having done everything he wanted to do.  In one of his most controversial works, “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell”, he claimed to have visited the realm of darkness and noted down the proverbs that the devils used to repeat to each other.  Here is a selection of those proverbs :      

In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy

The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom

The cistern contains ; the fountain overflows

Prudence is a rich, ugly old maid courted by incapacity

A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees

He who desires but acts not, breeds pestilence

No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings

Prisons are built with stones of law, Brothels with bricks of religion

What is now proved was once only imagined

Everything possible to be believed is an image of truth

The tigers of wrath are wiser than the horses of instruction

Expect poison from the standing water

The fox provides for himself, but God provides for the lion

He who has suffered you to impose on him, knows you

Prayers plow not ! Praises reap not !

You never know what is enough until you know what is more than enough. ————–Paulo Coelho. (translated from the Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa) 

Shahbaz Kalandar

One of the most popular qawwalis of the sub-continent, Dam Dam Mast Kalandar, Ali Da Pehla Number….. Sindhri Da, Sehwan Da, Sakhi Shahbaz Kalandar, invokes the name of the Sindhi Sufi Lal Shahbaz.  The verse demonstrates the mystic’s deep love for Imam Ali, which is inscribed on his grave : “I am a slave of Ali Murtaza.”

Lal Shahbaz’s name was Syed Usman Shah.  He later acquired the title of Lal (red) due to his habit of wearing red garments, and Shahbaz, Royal Falcon, for his soaring divinity.  Born to the mystic Syed Ibrahim Kabiruddin, Lal Shahbaz’s family drew their lineage from Imam Jafar Sadiq, a descendant of Imam Ali.  The family came from Sistan, an Iranian province that borders Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Overwhelmingly adored alike by Hindus and Muslims of Sind, Lal Shahbaz arrived in Multan in 1263, eventually settling in Sehwan, a famous centre of learning.  The earlier name for Sehwan was Sivistan, the city of Lord Shiva.  Lal Shahbaz settled on the outskirts of the town for six years during which he provided spiritual guidance to thousands of people. 

Lal Shahbaz resided at the site of an old Shiv temple on the west bank of the Indus.  He made his home in a hollow tree trunk where he performed his ascetic exercises.  The area now a walled-garden, is known as Lal Bagh, whose sweet water springs that irrigate it are attributed to the miracles of Lal Shahbaz.  He encouraged his followers to use dance as a way of achieving spiritual  ecstasy, a tradition still followed at is dragah, accompanied with dhamaal and drums.

Lal Shahbaz live during the age of the famous Sufis including Baba Farid of Ajodhan, Shaykh Bahauddin Zakariya of Multan, and Jalaluddin Bukhari of Uch.  They remained close friends and came to be called “chaar yaar” —— the four companions.  

Lal Shahbaz claimed to be the spiritual disciple of Mansur Hallaj, the 10th century martyred mystic pot of Baghdad.  An erudite scholar, Lal Shahbaz was fluent in Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit and Sindhi.  Several books in Persian and Arabic poetry and on philology are attributed to him.  Later, Sindhi mystics, including Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Makhdoom Bilawal, Sachal Sarmast and Qadir Bakhsh Bedil, were devout followers of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar.  He died in 1274 AD and a stunning mausoleum with Sindhi tiles, mirror work and gold-plated doors stands over his grave.

The Hindus lovingly address Lal Shahbaz as “Jhule Lal”, Lord of the Indus River.  Even now, at the annual Urs, one of the old caretakers, a Hindu, performs the inaugural ritual for the annual festivities.  Despite the Partition of India, the environment of Sehwan Sharif is an extraordinary demonstration of Hindu-Muslim syncretism of the sub-continent.

———— Sadia Dehlvi

This & That

(1) Gluta,  is a dog who was abandoned on the streets of Bangkok.  Sorasat Wisetsin, who was residing in a dorm that did not allow pets at that time, met Gluta in the parking lot frequently and even fed her, reports Viral Nova.  Wisetsin eventually realised that Gluta was suffering from some medical issue —— she was diagnosed with metritis, following which her uterus was removed, and it was also discovered that she had cervical cancer.  After a year and a half of laser surgeries and chemo, she was nursed back to health.  Today, Gluta accompanies Wisetsin on his travels.  What’s more, she even sportingly poses for pictures with all sorts of accessories and themes as seen on her Facebook and Tumblr accounts. This has earned her the title of the HAPPIEST DOG IN THE WORLD. 

(2) It is illegal in many countries to perform surgical procedures on an Octopus, without anaesthesia due to their intelligence.  That hurts !!!  

(3) Three violin manufacturers have done business, for years, on the same block, in an Italian town.  After years of peaceful co-existence, the AMATI family decided to put a sign in their shop window, saying, “We make the best violins in Italy”.  The GUARNERI family soon put a sign in their window proclaiming, :We make the best violins in the world”.  Finally, the STRADIVARIUS family posted this sign outside their shop, “We make the best violins on the block.” 

(4) Why is the letter ‘F’ like an ox’s tail ? Because it comes at the end of beef.  Why is the letter ‘T’ like Easter ?  Because it comes at the end of Lent.  Which two letters are definitely not too hard ?  The letters EZ..

(5) BUBBLE WRAP, invented in 1957, was designed to be a wallpaper, but flopped.  Now, it’s a 400 million dollars a year business as PACKING MATERIAL!

Bengaluru street fare

Food in fine dining restaurants might be high on taste, but what you get on the streets is ‘comfort food’.  A walk down different food streets in Bengaluru is a proof of this, but you don’t need to visit a particular food street to sample the goodies.  We list some of the best!

(1) SHAWARMA :  This Arabian delicacy is a popular snack in the city.  Shredded, roasted chicken is mixed with mayonnaise and pickled vegetables, and served in pita bread.  This is something that you can have at any time of the day.

(2) BOILED PEANUTS :  This is not only a healthy snack, but is tasty too.  Boiled peanuts are sold by vendors on carts and are mostly found throughout the day across Bengaluru.  The peanuts are boiled in saltwater and are quite the favourite with people across all age groups.

(3) CUCUMBER WITH CHILLI POWDER :  While cut cucumbers might be sold in different cities, in Bengaluru, it is available throughout the year and is quite popular during summers.  This is both healthy and filling.  

(4) BOILED CORN :  Like boiled peanuts, this has been around for years in the city and is quite in demand.  It is liked by children and old people alike and is available mostly in the evenings.  This is also sold by vendors in carts in different parts of the city. 

(5)  MASALA PURI :  You are missing out on something if you haven’t tried Masala Puri.  Available only in the evenings, one should eat this piping hot.  Boiled and semi-smashed green peas are served in a gravy that is garnished with onions, chilli and puri, which is usually eaten spicy.

(6) VADA PAV :  This might not be native to Bengaluru, but it is surely a favourite with people here.  Vada Pav is available at quaint food stalls in the city and is another must-have evening snack.  It is not only healthy, but tasty too.  Make sure to try the fried chilly that comes with it as well.

(7) CHURUMURI :  This is almost like the Bhel Puri from the North, except that there a few elements added that sets the Bengaluru Churumuri apart.  Puffed rice with tomto, roasted peanuts, mixture, grated carrots, onions, raw mango, coriander leaves, lime juice and salt to taste makes this street fare a favourite.

(8) CAPSICUM BAJJI :  If you have visited the food street on VV Puram, then you will be familiar with the Capsicum Bajji.  The best version of this is available on VV Puram, but it is offered in other parts of the city as well.  The entire capsicum is dipped in batter and fried and is then served with grated carrots, onion and masala that’s stuffed inside.  This makes for n interesting evening snack, especially if it is clubbed with a cup of tea or coffee.  

(9) MOMO :  Momos are mostly sold by Nepalis and is available in the evening in stalls by the streets.  Hot and freshly-steamed momos are all one needs when getting back home after a hard day’s work.

(10) TIKKI PURI :  This a dry puri that is stuffed with grated carrot, onion, peanuts and tomato at times.  You can even ask the vendor to add some tamarind chutney.  This is served with a generous helping of puffed rice on top.

(11) NIPPATTU BURGER :  One of the favourites with tea and coffee found on the streets of Bengaluru is nippattu.  Made from chana dal paste, this is a flat fried snack that is served with coconut chutney.  Some of the stalls have given it a twist, and have come up with the Nippattu Burger, which is equally delicious.

(12) DOSA: The list will remain incomplete if the humble dosa is not included.  Apart from the traditional plain and masala dosa, the city’s street vendors have their own version of the food item —– with some even offering up to 99 varieties.  

(13) FRUIT BOWL :  Bengalureans are health-conscious and like to have their daily intake of fruits in the form of fruit bowls.  Several vendors in the city serve cut fruits sprinkled with chat masala —- a perfect snack.    

Places to go to : *Sajjan Rao Circle, VVPuram ; * Around 8th Cross, Malleswaram ;* Around Seshadripuram College ;* 20th Main Road, Koramangala ;* 4th Block, Jayanagar ; *Gandhi Bazaar, Basavangudi ; * Around BDA Comple, Banashankari ; *Around CMH Road, Indiranagar ; Mosque Road, Frazer Town ; * 7th Phase, Puttenahalli, JP Nagar.

Channapatna toys

Channapatna Toys are a particular form of wooden toys (and dolls) that are manufactured in the town of Channapatna in the Bengaluru Rural District of Karnataka State.

This traditional craft is protected as a  Geographical Indication (GI) under the World Trade Organisation administered by the Government of Karnataka.  As a result of the popularity of these toys, Channapatna is known as GOMBEGALA OORU ( toy-town) of Karnataka.

The making of the toys involved lacquering the wood of the WRIGHTIA TINCTORIA tree, colloquially called AALE MARA (ivory-wood).  The origin of these toys can be traced to the reign of Tipu Sultan, who invited artisans from Persia to train the local artisans in the making of wooden toys.  For nearly two centuries, ivory-wood was the main wood used in making these toys, though rosewood and sandalwood were also occasionally used. 

The craft has diversified overtime, in addition to the traditional ivory-wood, other woods —– including rubber, sycamore, cedar, pine and teak —– are now used as well.  The manufacturing stages include procuring the wood, seasoning and cutting it to the desired shapes, pruning and carving the toys, applying the colours and finally, polishing the finished product.  Vegetable dyes are used in the colouring process to ensure that the toys and the dolls are safe for the use by children.

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More than 6,000 people in Channapatna working in 254 home manufacturing units and 50 small factories are engaged in the making of these toys.  The Karnataka Handicrafts Development Corporation (KHDC) provides assistance with marketing efforts.  With no proper backups and marketing, Channapatna Toy industry faced a financial crunch for more than a decade and was almost on the verge of dying out.  However, with the help of KHDC, the craft has been revived and the artisans, involved, are being trained on changing trends in the industry, to help them keep abreast of the current scenario.  Prototypes, designed by master craftsmen, are introduced to the local artisans who use them to create well-designed toys and dolls.  

The Government of Karnataka has also provided help by constructing a Lacquer Craft Complex, which has a manufacturing centre with 32 turning lathe machines at Channapatna.  Financial assistance to the artisans, with help from the Dutch Government and the Karnataka Government’s VISHWA SCHEME has also been provided. 

Please also visit http://www.dsource.in/resource/channapatna-toys/master.html for detailed photographs on how these beautiful toys are made!

Icehotel Jukkasjarvi

Jukkasjarvi is situated 15 km east of Kiruna, a town in the northern Swedish Province of Norrbotten.  The name ‘Jukkasjarvi’ is of Northern Sami origin. The village got its 1st Finnish-speaking resident settlers in the 17th Century, and they changed the name CONKKIRASJAVRI (lake of assembly, as the area, by the lake was a Sami market place) to JUKKASJARVI.  The place is a popular tourist destination during the winter months and is best known for its ICEHOTEL.

In 1989, Japanese artists visited the area and created an exhibition of ‘ice art’.  In the spring of 1990, French artist Jannot Derid, held an exhibition in a ‘cylinder-shaped igloo’ in the same area.  One night, there were no rooms available in the town, so some of the visitors asked for permission to spend the night in the igloo.  They slept in sleeping bags on top of reindeer skins.

The ICEHOTEL was then built.  The entire hotel is made out of snow and ice blocks taken from the Torne River.  Each spring,, around March, the ICEHOTEL harvests tons of ice from the frozen Torne River and stores it in a nearby hall, with room for over 100,000 tons of ice and 30,000 tons of snow.

Some of the blocks of ice weigh two tons and cranes are used to carry them.  The ice is used for creating furniture —— beds and chairs, chandeliers, ice-bar designs and ice-glasses, while the snow is used for a strong structure for the building.  About 1,000 tons of what is left is used in the construction of the next ICEHOTEL.

There is no heating in the bedrooms.  Temperatures are constantly around 23 degrees F.  There is a sauna, that is run on the premises of the ICEHOTEL with hot-tubs —— outdoors.

The ICEHOTEL JUKKASJARVI is known to be the biggest ICEHOTEL in the world, spanning over some 6,000 sq. m.  The architecture of the hotel is changed every year.

Each year, for the past 24 years, the ICEHOTEL has accepted applications from artists, around the world, to design the world-famous ICEHOTEL’s art suites.  Each year, around 15 applications are accepted with their designs and the artists head there, in November, to build the suites.

This spring (2015), the ICEHOTEL JUKKASJARVI will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary.  Up to now, about 250,000 have come and stayed at the ICEHOTEL JUKKASJARVI.