This is an email my Gautam (Google) Anna (older brother) sent me. It has similar views to Deepak Chopra's book "SynchroDestiny" that I always recommend... PLease read n enjoy..
ALSO does any one have any INFO on Peace Corps??? lEMME KNOW.. Buh bye
Dream Manifesto
Call it Luck - Coincidences Are Fulfilling Your Intentions
Posted: 27 May 2007 10:13 AM CDT
A coincidence is an incident that happens with another incident. It can happen at the same time at the same place, same time but different place or same place but different time. It can even happen at a different time and different place but is related to the first event in some special way. Coincidences are incidents that correlate with each other across time and space. They are events in synchronization with a higher cause. That is why coincidences are synchronicities.
Everything that happens in the universe starts with intention. Events that happen separately and which do not directly cause each other are acausal events. But acausal events have a common cause which is intent. Intent is what creates and synchronizes those separate events to fulfill a common purpose that they are a part of. When you make a choice through intention, the universe takes care of the details necessary to fulfill the intention through synchronicities.
The Whole Universe Functions By SynchronicityEvery moment of our life operates in synchronicity. The only reason we do not experience synchronicity is that we are not in the state of awareness to notice it happening. Everything that is happening in every moment is happening together with everything else that is a part of fulfilling the intentions by which they were created from.
Everything in the universe exists as undefined energy until an observer focuses on it. It is consciousness alone that collapses the wave-particle. Without consciousness, everything would exist only as pure potential. There are infinite possibilities that need only intent to make real. In order to notice anything, you have to ignore everything else around it. It is observation that turns possibility into reality. We can truly create the magical life with consciousness alone.
Synchronicity is how God arranges situations for your desires to manifest. When you focus on your intent, the universe starts arranging the timeline of events to make it happen. Luck is simply the creation of coincidence for the fulfillment of your intentions. It is your intention that creates opportunities for you to fulfill it. When you realize that coincidences are opportunities created by intent, every coincidence becomes an opportunity for you to fulfill your very desires.
You have to be on the lookout for opportunities that will open up to grant your desire. Those opportunities do not happen by chance but they happen because they were created by your intent. Have you ever had a longing or intent to meet someone or do something, and the next moment a situation comes along for you to do so? An opportunity may present itself, but limiting thoughts that arise in the moment may stop you from taking it. You have to be aware of and resolve your limiting thoughts. When the opportunity shows up, do not hesitate, doubt or fear. Act on it.
Coincidences Call Our Attention to Important Things in our LivesWe can choose to ignore them and hurry on, or we can pay attention to them and live out the miracle that is waiting for us. When we miss the first message, the universe communicates it repeatedly through reoccurring events. We keep seeing, hearing or feeling the same thing over again until we get it. It might seem that the things you had been doing before you finally made the switch to do the right thing, may have been mistakes. But they are not really mistakes when you see it from the awareness that all those things had to happen in order for you to be brought to where you are. They were simply preparation for the change you were supposed to make.
The more you focus on coincidences, the more you attract coincidences into your life. Sometimes a coincidence may not give you the full meaning it signifies. But the more you focus on your intent to find out the meaning, the more such coincidences will occur and the more clearly their meaning comes into view. When that happens, your path to fulfillment emerges. The answer may also come as a sudden insight or a spontaneous revelatory experience. The key is to keep paying attention to your coincidences and inquire.
Coincidences Are Also Clues to the Will of the Universe The more unlikely a coincidence is to happen, the more potent the clue and the more powerful a message it is about the path the universe has planned for you. Synchronicities are signs from heaven. The very fact that it is a coincidence means it is a message from God, and we must take heed, and then take action. Coincidences let you know which of your intentions are likely to be fulfilled. It is important never to ignore a coincidence because it is a chance to see what the universe has planned for you. When you pay attention to coincidences, they'll accelerate, creating even more opportunities for you to become the person the universe intended you to be.
You intention is more powerful and effective when it serves a larger purpose. Intention works better when it takes into account the relationships that surround it. Your intention is more likely to manifest when it harmonizes with the collective intent of the people around you. You should have an intent that benefits at least one person other than yourself. When two shall agree, it shall be done according to the universe. When people are truly in tune with each other, they experience synchronicity in their relationship. They are connected spirit to spirit.
We are all Cocreators of Reality in the UniverseAn intention can be only fulfilled through synchronicity if it is aligned with the intention of the universal mind. The universal intention is always evolutionary and therefore moving in the direction of harmonious interactions that serve the larger good. Every intent affects the intents of all other beings in the universe. The universal mind coordinates and synchronizes all intents and the events for their fulfillment. Every being might think that it is its own intent which is synchronizing the whole universe, but its intent actually originates from the universal mind. All the intents and events co-arises and co-creates each other. We are all cocreators of reality in the universe.
When a person achieves a certain level of consciousness, whatever he or she intends begins to happen. There are people who are so connected to universal consciousness that their every intent manifests itself. The whole order of the universe orchestrates around it. Of course, it is not necessary true that their every personal intention is being met. People who are connected with universal consciousness adopt the intentions of the universe. Their intentions are being met because the universal mind is using their intentions to fulfill its own desires. When you live from the level of universal consciousness, all your desires will come true because they are not just your personal desires, but they are aligned with the desires of all that exist. That is why it is important to choose intentions that are aligned with the greatest good of all.
About the author:Enoch Tan aims to help people achieve greater awareness in living and experiencing life. To evolve human consciousness to higher levels. To change lives and to create possibility. To revolutionize the way we understand the mind and reality. Because that is what governs every area of life and destiny.
Get Free Ebooks that contain the Most Powerful Knowledge and Learn Mind Blowing Secrets That will Rock Your World Now at: Secrets of Mind and Reality
New!: Create Prosperity & Abundance - Use the Dream Manifestation Wizard.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Random May Blog
wOW TODAY mAY 17TH i THINK..not sure..
I met a Mexican woman... YAYA... i was sooo excited cuz there are hardly any Latinos here.. shes from mexico city and came for the Indaba (a intnl convention for trade, etc.) there was also a polish guy...
Oh yes speaking of Latinos!! Like always.. hehe... I am mistaken for lotsa things... wherever I go people think I belong to that ethnicity or race...
like one guy calls me Miss. Brazilian!! (lol) Ya I ve gotten like Portugese buncha times.. Italian also.. and yes WHITE!!!! (can u believe it???) lol.. The first time I was shocked outta my mind.. This one old guy at a restaurant started speaking to me in Italian n i wa s like HUh.. He said arent u Italian?? I was like NO Indian... he was shocked so was his wife... then hes like indian.. italian same thing (LOL)... tht was interesting .. another time.. we were standing in line at Pick nnPay (grocery store like safeway).. n this Black Zulu lady started talking to my friend who is also Black Zulu.. n she was commenting on how parents spend too much money on lil kids by buyin em all these brand name shoes, etc.. i was like well yaa but u know parents wanna give their kids the best.. neways i didnt say much.. they went on n on... n the shes like u know in our culture, kids get spanked for behaving like this...n i was like whadya mean our culture.... (cuz i knew she thought iwas white or somethin) .. n i said whdya think i am?? like wha ethnicity?? shes like uuhhh White huh .. i was like no WAY... im indian.. oh she was shocked.. shes like u dont look like an indian.. u look italian .. ur built.. ur fair.. blah blah.. i was like LAFFIN (inside)..
yaa coupla indians thought iwas white n were shocked when i said i was indian (lol)...im like wasnt i speaking to u bout indian stuff the whole time??? but they r like yaa we thought ur a white person who likes indian stuff.. one girl said yaa i thought u were white n got tanned.. LOL..
lets see yaa some indians of course think spanish... and yes PORTUGESE.. (yaa i wanna be portugese)... hehe yaa i always wondered if some ancestor of mine was black or portugese.. cuz in Goa.. portugese settlers were widespread so maaaaaaaaaaaaybbbbbee???????
I really wanna know.... my cousin sushma thinks she mite be frm iraq or afghanistan..LOL.. like her forefathers.. hehe.. i definitely think i have some portugese or black in me.. (like ethiopian)..
ive gotten muslim a few times.. i donno.. oh ya some ppl thought i had black in me also..hmmm
This is interesting when i went to Goa (in Indian, predominantly Christian) this guy thought i was Christian.. hes like u dont look like a Hindu..lol.. Im like what r Hindus supposedta look like vs. Christians?? hmmm hehe...
Anyways back to now.....
i was supposedta study in the morning but went to Yasmin's to eat n ended up jus stayin till 1.30... forgot bout my class which starts at 1.15.. was late ( aww)... lol..
I dunno how time just flew by today.... 3-4 hours just felt like an hour or so... but iwas tired at the end.. i dunno how yasmin works straight from 10.30 thru 2... super woman..
im doin REALLY good in my classes here.. hope to keep it up.. got 23/25 in my intnl law written assignment... and like 92% in the class... which I think is surprising for the people here cuz 70-75% is an A and anywhere over it is for geniuses...
im no genius.. but when i tell ppl I scored in the 90th percentile.. they re shocked.. HMMMMM
i guess im still aiming for the 90s... im used to the US standards.. Otherwise I wouldn't be studying here at all.. (overachiever.. hmmmmmmm)....
Actually I should be studying rite now but I am here in the LAN (computer lab).. just doing TP (timepass).. which means i am just chilling...
n soon i will be going to Aerobics.... n then Ill get tired.. but I ll study for a coupla hrs... or less.. cuz I get tired n sleepy by 9.... so i stop... hehe..
Oh yaaa my friend Raj gave my Kheer (Indian rice pudding with dry fruits, etc.) and Pulao (rice w/ veggies etc). It was good.. ok for someone who doesn't cook... God is really takin care of me.. HEHE.. the other day my friend/ neighbor Alvina invited me to her room (she keeps inviting me ) For some reason she thinks I jus lock myself in my room (no i dont ).... she made chicken livers.. yummy... so ispent like hours there ... i gave her some dal n rice from yasmin's stall... she liked it.. oh yaa alvina is from Zimbabwe studyin in SA... shes very nice...
I was watching this show called Top Billing which is sorta like Amazing Vacation Homes on Home/Garden Channel in the US.. ok .. so they got to rich.famous SA ppl n show their homes/ redo their homes, etc.. quite nice... then i watched like 3/4th of Runaway Bride (which i neva watched before), n then Oprah's show on Pedophiles.. i was jus gonna leave halfway cuz I find it soo disturbing but i stayed... hmm DID U ALL KNOW ABOUT NAMBLA??? North American Man Boy Love Association.. OMG... weird stuff!!!!!!! u can actually register for $35.. damn!!!
The man from Dateline NBC caught a Rabbi.. yes a Rabbi trying to get with a younger boy... yuck... sooo BEWARE!!! WATCH OUT!!!!!!! my roomie last yr told me an indian doctor was caught.. he had a family (wife n kids).. so yes Monsoon Wedding is a good move to watch.. somewhere along these lines...
hmm ok wha else.....
oh yess.... I GET TONS OF COMPLIMENTS HERE... (Hmmm) sounds like im boasting... but maybe this is how SA ppl are... i ve gotten compliments on my skin... on my beauty (LOL)....LIKE guys n GIRLS.. lol.. no they are not lesbians.. but yaa interesting huh!!!!!!
maybe i talk to more ppl here than US.. i donno...
at the stall random ppl (i donno them) will jus tell me things when i serve food or when im comin out of the res guy/girls will give me compliments.. HMMMM (im NOT tryin to brag, just an observation.. i had to write bout this cuz its part of my routine now).......I think its hilarious.......im like hmm shld i believe em??? hehe..ANYWAYS..........
i shld go soon..... im thinkin whata write about???? this is it for now.. (i know i still haven't written bout cape town n all dat good stuff but i will one of these days)....
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: SYNCHRODESTINY by Deepak Chopra... (Good Book for those who are spiritually n intellectually looking for a kick).. finished reading.. n its great.. still read it over here n there ...
and yes of course ALCHEMIST by Paul Coelho (recommended to me by dear Gautam Anna) i think i wrote bout this in my first blog...
I met a Mexican woman... YAYA... i was sooo excited cuz there are hardly any Latinos here.. shes from mexico city and came for the Indaba (a intnl convention for trade, etc.) there was also a polish guy...
Oh yes speaking of Latinos!! Like always.. hehe... I am mistaken for lotsa things... wherever I go people think I belong to that ethnicity or race...
like one guy calls me Miss. Brazilian!! (lol) Ya I ve gotten like Portugese buncha times.. Italian also.. and yes WHITE!!!! (can u believe it???) lol.. The first time I was shocked outta my mind.. This one old guy at a restaurant started speaking to me in Italian n i wa s like HUh.. He said arent u Italian?? I was like NO Indian... he was shocked so was his wife... then hes like indian.. italian same thing (LOL)... tht was interesting .. another time.. we were standing in line at Pick nnPay (grocery store like safeway).. n this Black Zulu lady started talking to my friend who is also Black Zulu.. n she was commenting on how parents spend too much money on lil kids by buyin em all these brand name shoes, etc.. i was like well yaa but u know parents wanna give their kids the best.. neways i didnt say much.. they went on n on... n the shes like u know in our culture, kids get spanked for behaving like this...n i was like whadya mean our culture.... (cuz i knew she thought iwas white or somethin) .. n i said whdya think i am?? like wha ethnicity?? shes like uuhhh White huh .. i was like no WAY... im indian.. oh she was shocked.. shes like u dont look like an indian.. u look italian .. ur built.. ur fair.. blah blah.. i was like LAFFIN (inside)..
yaa coupla indians thought iwas white n were shocked when i said i was indian (lol)...im like wasnt i speaking to u bout indian stuff the whole time??? but they r like yaa we thought ur a white person who likes indian stuff.. one girl said yaa i thought u were white n got tanned.. LOL..
lets see yaa some indians of course think spanish... and yes PORTUGESE.. (yaa i wanna be portugese)... hehe yaa i always wondered if some ancestor of mine was black or portugese.. cuz in Goa.. portugese settlers were widespread so maaaaaaaaaaaaybbbbbee???????
I really wanna know.... my cousin sushma thinks she mite be frm iraq or afghanistan..LOL.. like her forefathers.. hehe.. i definitely think i have some portugese or black in me.. (like ethiopian)..
ive gotten muslim a few times.. i donno.. oh ya some ppl thought i had black in me also..hmmm
This is interesting when i went to Goa (in Indian, predominantly Christian) this guy thought i was Christian.. hes like u dont look like a Hindu..lol.. Im like what r Hindus supposedta look like vs. Christians?? hmmm hehe...
Anyways back to now.....
i was supposedta study in the morning but went to Yasmin's to eat n ended up jus stayin till 1.30... forgot bout my class which starts at 1.15.. was late ( aww)... lol..
I dunno how time just flew by today.... 3-4 hours just felt like an hour or so... but iwas tired at the end.. i dunno how yasmin works straight from 10.30 thru 2... super woman..
im doin REALLY good in my classes here.. hope to keep it up.. got 23/25 in my intnl law written assignment... and like 92% in the class... which I think is surprising for the people here cuz 70-75% is an A and anywhere over it is for geniuses...
im no genius.. but when i tell ppl I scored in the 90th percentile.. they re shocked.. HMMMMM
i guess im still aiming for the 90s... im used to the US standards.. Otherwise I wouldn't be studying here at all.. (overachiever.. hmmmmmmm)....
Actually I should be studying rite now but I am here in the LAN (computer lab).. just doing TP (timepass).. which means i am just chilling...
n soon i will be going to Aerobics.... n then Ill get tired.. but I ll study for a coupla hrs... or less.. cuz I get tired n sleepy by 9.... so i stop... hehe..
Oh yaaa my friend Raj gave my Kheer (Indian rice pudding with dry fruits, etc.) and Pulao (rice w/ veggies etc). It was good.. ok for someone who doesn't cook... God is really takin care of me.. HEHE.. the other day my friend/ neighbor Alvina invited me to her room (she keeps inviting me ) For some reason she thinks I jus lock myself in my room (no i dont ).... she made chicken livers.. yummy... so ispent like hours there ... i gave her some dal n rice from yasmin's stall... she liked it.. oh yaa alvina is from Zimbabwe studyin in SA... shes very nice...
I was watching this show called Top Billing which is sorta like Amazing Vacation Homes on Home/Garden Channel in the US.. ok .. so they got to rich.famous SA ppl n show their homes/ redo their homes, etc.. quite nice... then i watched like 3/4th of Runaway Bride (which i neva watched before), n then Oprah's show on Pedophiles.. i was jus gonna leave halfway cuz I find it soo disturbing but i stayed... hmm DID U ALL KNOW ABOUT NAMBLA??? North American Man Boy Love Association.. OMG... weird stuff!!!!!!! u can actually register for $35.. damn!!!
The man from Dateline NBC caught a Rabbi.. yes a Rabbi trying to get with a younger boy... yuck... sooo BEWARE!!! WATCH OUT!!!!!!! my roomie last yr told me an indian doctor was caught.. he had a family (wife n kids).. so yes Monsoon Wedding is a good move to watch.. somewhere along these lines...
hmm ok wha else.....
oh yess.... I GET TONS OF COMPLIMENTS HERE... (Hmmm) sounds like im boasting... but maybe this is how SA ppl are... i ve gotten compliments on my skin... on my beauty (LOL)....LIKE guys n GIRLS.. lol.. no they are not lesbians.. but yaa interesting huh!!!!!!
maybe i talk to more ppl here than US.. i donno...
at the stall random ppl (i donno them) will jus tell me things when i serve food or when im comin out of the res guy/girls will give me compliments.. HMMMM (im NOT tryin to brag, just an observation.. i had to write bout this cuz its part of my routine now).......I think its hilarious.......im like hmm shld i believe em??? hehe..ANYWAYS..........
i shld go soon..... im thinkin whata write about???? this is it for now.. (i know i still haven't written bout cape town n all dat good stuff but i will one of these days)....
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: SYNCHRODESTINY by Deepak Chopra... (Good Book for those who are spiritually n intellectually looking for a kick).. finished reading.. n its great.. still read it over here n there ...
and yes of course ALCHEMIST by Paul Coelho (recommended to me by dear Gautam Anna) i think i wrote bout this in my first blog...
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
MAY MAYHEM
HEHE
MAY IS OFFICIALLY HERE...
Firstly I won the DATATEL SCHOLARSHIP AWARD FOR 2007-2008.. YAAAAY!!!!!!!! i received this extremely good news form my mom on mother's day making her sooo very proud.. she had sent the cutest email to me.... n also I got the President's Scholar Award for Straight A's.....yayayay again!
Yes Amma God does open all doors and it is up to us to choose the right one....
and another good news is that my older brother, Gautam (Anna) has landed an internship in Google for the summer. He is doing in MSc in Artificial Intelligence in USC and had just come from India last year in July.
and yes my lil brother Rahul once again received straight A's and got an A in his district essay writing contest. SO i guess my family is blessed!!!!!!!!!
Finals are starting in 2-3 weeks n theres so much stuff i need to do... tons...
i hope i get everything done.. i know i will...
its gettin alil cold here but its fine.. bearable..not like CA.... gets windy around 2 pm..
today I had a Zulu telephone oral.. got a 47/50.. so far thats the highest i have heard of ... jus practiced yesterday
Aki( my partner for the oral) n VERY GOOD FRIEND.... were practicing it yesterday n ended up talkin for four hours till 11 pm.. oooh we just lost track of time...w e were siting rite in the middle of the stairwell where everyone was walking.. hehehe it was fun.. but our backs started hurting when we went to sleep..
i also watched a Zulu play this weekend.. called Kwazulu-Place of Heaven it was good.. lotsa traditional dancing like ngoma, isicathimiya, etc... I was sooooooo excited cuz we do the same ngoma in our class n I have worn the same costume before.. also, I could actually understand some of the zulu words n I was like YAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!
then aki n i ate Spicy Seafood Paella at this restaurant called "Circus Circus".. oh it has the best food.... it has oysres clam chorizo sausage shrimp fish n spicy rice........yummmmmmmmmy... then we had TIRAMISU..... DELICIOUS...
Susan, Lori n Justine were also with us but they ate at a different place, but we didnt liek the food there so we ate at circus circus....
then i went to see an Indian move Tararumpum at Suncoast... it was alrite... bout a racer n his family.... nuthin too good.. except Rani looked awesome in the beginning....very trendy
Yasmin n Raj were with me... Then Raj knew some Indian Tamil (South Indian) ppl n wanted to introduce me to them... n there was a braai (barbecue) n IT WAS YUMMY FOOOD....
Mutton chops,n sausages (they dont eat beef or pork)... its interesting how they r from south africa but they r soo indian....
we played musical chairsn i was the semi-finalist ehehhee.. then we played agame called 30 seconds.. sorta like charades.. where u have to describe words on ur card in 30 sec...n ur teammates have to guess.... oh this is where amma gave me the good news of the scholarship n all..
well ders more to write... but i g2go now.........tons to do....
Buh bye
Love all of ya
Resham
MAY IS OFFICIALLY HERE...
Firstly I won the DATATEL SCHOLARSHIP AWARD FOR 2007-2008.. YAAAAY!!!!!!!! i received this extremely good news form my mom on mother's day making her sooo very proud.. she had sent the cutest email to me.... n also I got the President's Scholar Award for Straight A's.....yayayay again!
Yes Amma God does open all doors and it is up to us to choose the right one....
and another good news is that my older brother, Gautam (Anna) has landed an internship in Google for the summer. He is doing in MSc in Artificial Intelligence in USC and had just come from India last year in July.
and yes my lil brother Rahul once again received straight A's and got an A in his district essay writing contest. SO i guess my family is blessed!!!!!!!!!
Finals are starting in 2-3 weeks n theres so much stuff i need to do... tons...
i hope i get everything done.. i know i will...
its gettin alil cold here but its fine.. bearable..not like CA.... gets windy around 2 pm..
today I had a Zulu telephone oral.. got a 47/50.. so far thats the highest i have heard of ... jus practiced yesterday
Aki( my partner for the oral) n VERY GOOD FRIEND.... were practicing it yesterday n ended up talkin for four hours till 11 pm.. oooh we just lost track of time...w e were siting rite in the middle of the stairwell where everyone was walking.. hehehe it was fun.. but our backs started hurting when we went to sleep..
i also watched a Zulu play this weekend.. called Kwazulu-Place of Heaven it was good.. lotsa traditional dancing like ngoma, isicathimiya, etc... I was sooooooo excited cuz we do the same ngoma in our class n I have worn the same costume before.. also, I could actually understand some of the zulu words n I was like YAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!
then aki n i ate Spicy Seafood Paella at this restaurant called "Circus Circus".. oh it has the best food.... it has oysres clam chorizo sausage shrimp fish n spicy rice........yummmmmmmmmy... then we had TIRAMISU..... DELICIOUS...
Susan, Lori n Justine were also with us but they ate at a different place, but we didnt liek the food there so we ate at circus circus....
then i went to see an Indian move Tararumpum at Suncoast... it was alrite... bout a racer n his family.... nuthin too good.. except Rani looked awesome in the beginning....very trendy
Yasmin n Raj were with me... Then Raj knew some Indian Tamil (South Indian) ppl n wanted to introduce me to them... n there was a braai (barbecue) n IT WAS YUMMY FOOOD....
Mutton chops,n sausages (they dont eat beef or pork)... its interesting how they r from south africa but they r soo indian....
we played musical chairsn i was the semi-finalist ehehhee.. then we played agame called 30 seconds.. sorta like charades.. where u have to describe words on ur card in 30 sec...n ur teammates have to guess.... oh this is where amma gave me the good news of the scholarship n all..
well ders more to write... but i g2go now.........tons to do....
Buh bye
Love all of ya
Resham
Thursday, May 3, 2007
South Africa in May
Wow, there is so much to write. Yes, I haven't been very good with writing my blogs and journals. But let me start with this week.
I was EXTREMELY sick since April 27th to May 2nd. I am still trying to catch up on all the sleep I lost during my days of illness. I had a fever and body ache. I was about to faint, and had to get to Entabeni Hospital (which is quite expensive, 650 rand to see a doctor, that's like almost $100). I even missed my submission of a paper, and a FAMILY LAW TEST. CAN U BELIEVE IT? Now, I am having a tough time getting all the medical certificates to prove that I was sick. Hope fully, it all works
At least, I got sick during LOOONG weekend.. Friday was Freedom day, like independence day, but from the apartheid regime. Then, Tuesday was of course International Labor Day. Most people took Monday off as well.. So, I pretty much was in bed recovering from my illness during this long weekend, except on Tuesday, I went to the Hare Krishna Temple in Chatsworth (former Indian township). There was a celebration of one of Krishna's avatars Narsimhadev (or Narsingha dev): half man/half lion, who killed Hiranyakashyapu (a bad non-believing king, who tried to kill his young son, Prahlad, who was an avid devotee of Lord Krishna). The sanyaasis (priests) first did an "abhishekham": bathing the shaligram stone from Govardhan with milk, and all these other liquids (not sure what). They kept chanting "Hare Krishna" Mahamantra, and then washed the stone. The main sanyaasi, (who is white), told us some parts of the Hiranyakshyapu/Prahlad story. Then there was a mini skit by young children on this topic. After that, there was free food, but we had to stand in line forever. It was really chaotic, and people were cutting the queue. This is so typical of Indians at temples. Even in Fremont, they display similar behavior.
The temple itself is so BEAUTIFUL. I had been there with my friend, Aki, two weeks ago. We took the kumbi (mini taxi) from our college to Town. Then, we took another kumbi from town to Chatsworth. That Kumbi gave us a tour of the entire northern side of Durban. It took us an hour to get there. We saw the aarti, and took blessings. There is a vegetarian restaurant downstairs, and we shared a wonderful thali meal as well. The food is just toooo GOOD. The thali consisted of three different types of veggies, roti, and flavored rice. YUMMY!! The temple is very peaceful. It has an artificial lake surrounding it, and has the most serene atmosphere. Pictures of Lord Krishna line the walls of the temple. They portray stories of different phases of Krishna's life. I love pictures of Baby Krishna. They were so cute.
Today, May 3rd, I have been told that I need a doctor’s certificate that I was sick on the day of my Family Law Test, but I went to the doctor before that. So, I am wondering how I will prove that I was sick before, thus I could not study for the test. I would have failed miserably if I took the test.
Now, I am being heavily introduced to this Hare Krishna ISKCON spiritual/ religious movement. As the lady I serve food for, is part of Hare Krishna, she takes me to all these events all the time. During the first part of spring break, I went to a Rath Yatra, spanning over a period of four days. This is held in Durban every year. It is called the Festival of Chariots, and consists of three chariots with three deities, Balram, Subhadra and Jaggannath. These are three Hindu deities. Now Hare Krishna, according to Yasmin, is not part of Hinduism. It is Vaishanivism, and the devotees follow the Vedic scriptures. They believe that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and all other Hindu deities are avatars (diff. forms) of Krishna. They have four regulated principles:-no illicit sex,-no gambling,-no meat eating (fish, eggs, etc) aka vegetarianism, -no caffeine (not enough caffeinated tea/coffee). Yasmin doesn’t even eat garlic/onions. Devotees chant Hare Krishna Mantra every day, and are expected to do 16 rounds i.e. say it 108 times on chanting beads or japa beads.
More info on this website: http://www.krishna.com/
The food I serve on campus is actually called “prasadam.” i.e. food offered to God, before being consumed by us. Supposedly has a purifying effect on us. I think the food is absolutely tasty, and I am sure many people on campus would agree, as it gets sold-out on a daily basis.
The menu changes on a daily basis. Every day there is vegetable biryani(like flavored rice with veggies, yellowish in color, this is more like a pulao not traditional biryani) Biryani is very popular in South Africa, even non-Indian, non-Muslims, make, cook, and relish biryani. It’s actually quite popular amongst the African folks here. So, we serve biryani with dal (sauce made of lentil and herbs). Then, we serve rotis with either one or both of vegetable fillings. These fillings change every day. Today, we had soya chunks and potatoes. We have butternut, broccoli/cauliflower in yogurt sauce, beans, mixed veggies, eggplant and potatoes, lentils, feta cheese (paneer) in tomato sauce, soya mince, etc. Then, we have kachorie pie (like samosa with feta cheese, peas, carrot filling, SOO TASTY), burfi (sweet made of milk, called milk fudge, FATTENING) and sooji pudding (sweet made of semolina with butter, sugar syrup, VERY FATTENING). Also, rice/dal w/ the veggies.. ALL THIS IS VERY BERY TASTY…
So, now that you know what I eat on a regular basis.. hehe.. and what I serve….
I have to write about my spring break also.. the rath yatra in more detail and Cape Town….Next Time… Right now I need to get this test thing sorted out.. Bye
I was EXTREMELY sick since April 27th to May 2nd. I am still trying to catch up on all the sleep I lost during my days of illness. I had a fever and body ache. I was about to faint, and had to get to Entabeni Hospital (which is quite expensive, 650 rand to see a doctor, that's like almost $100). I even missed my submission of a paper, and a FAMILY LAW TEST. CAN U BELIEVE IT? Now, I am having a tough time getting all the medical certificates to prove that I was sick. Hope fully, it all works
At least, I got sick during LOOONG weekend.. Friday was Freedom day, like independence day, but from the apartheid regime. Then, Tuesday was of course International Labor Day. Most people took Monday off as well.. So, I pretty much was in bed recovering from my illness during this long weekend, except on Tuesday, I went to the Hare Krishna Temple in Chatsworth (former Indian township). There was a celebration of one of Krishna's avatars Narsimhadev (or Narsingha dev): half man/half lion, who killed Hiranyakashyapu (a bad non-believing king, who tried to kill his young son, Prahlad, who was an avid devotee of Lord Krishna). The sanyaasis (priests) first did an "abhishekham": bathing the shaligram stone from Govardhan with milk, and all these other liquids (not sure what). They kept chanting "Hare Krishna" Mahamantra, and then washed the stone. The main sanyaasi, (who is white), told us some parts of the Hiranyakshyapu/Prahlad story. Then there was a mini skit by young children on this topic. After that, there was free food, but we had to stand in line forever. It was really chaotic, and people were cutting the queue. This is so typical of Indians at temples. Even in Fremont, they display similar behavior.
The temple itself is so BEAUTIFUL. I had been there with my friend, Aki, two weeks ago. We took the kumbi (mini taxi) from our college to Town. Then, we took another kumbi from town to Chatsworth. That Kumbi gave us a tour of the entire northern side of Durban. It took us an hour to get there. We saw the aarti, and took blessings. There is a vegetarian restaurant downstairs, and we shared a wonderful thali meal as well. The food is just toooo GOOD. The thali consisted of three different types of veggies, roti, and flavored rice. YUMMY!! The temple is very peaceful. It has an artificial lake surrounding it, and has the most serene atmosphere. Pictures of Lord Krishna line the walls of the temple. They portray stories of different phases of Krishna's life. I love pictures of Baby Krishna. They were so cute.
Today, May 3rd, I have been told that I need a doctor’s certificate that I was sick on the day of my Family Law Test, but I went to the doctor before that. So, I am wondering how I will prove that I was sick before, thus I could not study for the test. I would have failed miserably if I took the test.
Now, I am being heavily introduced to this Hare Krishna ISKCON spiritual/ religious movement. As the lady I serve food for, is part of Hare Krishna, she takes me to all these events all the time. During the first part of spring break, I went to a Rath Yatra, spanning over a period of four days. This is held in Durban every year. It is called the Festival of Chariots, and consists of three chariots with three deities, Balram, Subhadra and Jaggannath. These are three Hindu deities. Now Hare Krishna, according to Yasmin, is not part of Hinduism. It is Vaishanivism, and the devotees follow the Vedic scriptures. They believe that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and all other Hindu deities are avatars (diff. forms) of Krishna. They have four regulated principles:-no illicit sex,-no gambling,-no meat eating (fish, eggs, etc) aka vegetarianism, -no caffeine (not enough caffeinated tea/coffee). Yasmin doesn’t even eat garlic/onions. Devotees chant Hare Krishna Mantra every day, and are expected to do 16 rounds i.e. say it 108 times on chanting beads or japa beads.
More info on this website: http://www.krishna.com/
The food I serve on campus is actually called “prasadam.” i.e. food offered to God, before being consumed by us. Supposedly has a purifying effect on us. I think the food is absolutely tasty, and I am sure many people on campus would agree, as it gets sold-out on a daily basis.
The menu changes on a daily basis. Every day there is vegetable biryani(like flavored rice with veggies, yellowish in color, this is more like a pulao not traditional biryani) Biryani is very popular in South Africa, even non-Indian, non-Muslims, make, cook, and relish biryani. It’s actually quite popular amongst the African folks here. So, we serve biryani with dal (sauce made of lentil and herbs). Then, we serve rotis with either one or both of vegetable fillings. These fillings change every day. Today, we had soya chunks and potatoes. We have butternut, broccoli/cauliflower in yogurt sauce, beans, mixed veggies, eggplant and potatoes, lentils, feta cheese (paneer) in tomato sauce, soya mince, etc. Then, we have kachorie pie (like samosa with feta cheese, peas, carrot filling, SOO TASTY), burfi (sweet made of milk, called milk fudge, FATTENING) and sooji pudding (sweet made of semolina with butter, sugar syrup, VERY FATTENING). Also, rice/dal w/ the veggies.. ALL THIS IS VERY BERY TASTY…
So, now that you know what I eat on a regular basis.. hehe.. and what I serve….
I have to write about my spring break also.. the rath yatra in more detail and Cape Town….Next Time… Right now I need to get this test thing sorted out.. Bye
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)