, Mischa Brever (28) kilt.. Dumfreis ans Desi Dance group Polloksheilds Glasgow. Indian and Scottish ,dancers perform ahead of Games ceremony.
Rehearsal of event celebrating Indian and Scottish culture ahead of the
closing ceremony of the Delhi Commonwealth Games, with the event passing to
Glasgow for 2014 Picture Johnny Mclauchlan/Universal News and Sport (Scotland)13/10/2010
Scottish Highland Dancers and the Bhangra fusion have won the 2015 Prize. They were born to dance!
Thanks Judy !
One of the many things I love about Indians, is how they can so freely laugh at themselves!
Toe tapping, jazzy rendition of an old favorite filled with the joy of the season !
This is Napoli in Italia and what a sight to see, not far from Vesuvius , and right on the Mediterranean.There is very high density housing and the word is that if Vesuvius erupts, it will be “arrivederci, Napoli.” Oh yes, when we first started taking students to Italy for a semester there was terrible crime in the city. The story that put us off the most was just petty thief but ever so Italian in its drama. A tourist taking a photography of this or that amazing sight., when out in the distance a thief would approach and as the photographer was concentrating on the shot, grab the camera in one fell swoop and run away. I am ashamed to say, that this kept us away from Naples on many visits and to our loss.
Finally we came to the realization that there are thieves everywhere and Naples is a very interesting place and should not be missed. On my last trip to Italy with students, I rediscovered Naples, and I am glad I did.
This is the San Gregorio Ameno or Street of Saint Gregory of Armenia. Though the lovely Baroque cathedral is on this street, the crowds of shoppers are visiting shop after shop with traditional as well as unique Christmas creches.
This is the traditional Neapolitan nativity scene, probably nothing that you have seen before. There is architecture from Naples, Roman columns, the Holy Family, shepherds, wise men and towns people as well as numerous peasants. Notice that the family is in the inn and there is no cave or barn in the scene. There are olive trees, aqueducts and even laundry hanging on the lines. At first, I was not sure if I like this tradition as mine which was very different. But the more I think about it, this scene of the chaos and confusion of that long ago Christmas Eve would have been more like the scene above rather than the neat quiet barn I grew up with.
The shops can be overwhelming with so much color, so many displays, and so many choices.
NAPLES, ITALY, OCTOBER 19: historic street “San Gregorio Armeno” of the old town of nativity scenes with puppets of famous people in Naples on 19 october 2013.
Another choice is the unpainted ceramic figures.
I bought my son one of these sets. . . simpler, cheaper, and there were even columns available! I was happy he set it up as the decorated after this Thanksgiving for his children!
If you are in the vicinity of New York City during the Christmas holiday, pop in to the Metropolitan Museum to see the magnificent Baroque Nativity and angel tree. . .. You guess it from Napoli !
images from Google Public Domain
text from New York Times
David McCullough is one of the literary giants of our time, a 2 times Pulitzer prize winning author and story teller extraordinaire. His latest book is a biography telling the dramatic story of the hard working, courageous Ohio born brothers, Orville and Wilbur Wright who taught the world to fly. From the New York Times
The Wrights story is one thoroughly researched in details of their lives but especially the 10 years of development of aviation. Each step is documented with journals and photographs detailing their dedication to a goal, working , thinking , planning and voracious reading of all things aviation.They were also dedicated users of the developed science of their time.
The Wrights had a mid-life career change after running a successful print shop, printing a newspaper , and more well known, running a bike shop. Finally, after much preparation, they tackled their passion and ultimately their life’s work of flying. Books on the Wright Brothers have traditionally been written for young readers, I suppose to encourage and inspire them. I think their story does the same for adults who might need be encouraged to follow their dreams even later in life.
Wilbur was the visionary more curious than his brother, but both changed the history of the world with their dedication, intelligence and perseverance.
The ratings of the public were 4.5* – 5*.
Be entertained and inspired!
One of the December celebrations is Hanukkah. Here is a silly song from Saturday Night Live by Adam Sandler about his proud heritage . When I was teaching, my class always played dreidel, sang the accompanying song, lit the menorah, and heard some traditional stories about the miracle of the 8 day oil. It is so important to learn about other people and their traditions.
Happy Hanukkah to all my friends who are celebrating. The rest of you will now know about the menorah which if you are in New York City or restaurants in other places, you might see lit candles for the eight night celebration.
Many of us are drawn to the mystery of home and family and trying to find our place in the world. Some of us are content with the family and place where we are born, but others are searching for something different. “Brooklyn” is a story of an Irish girl who fits into the later classification. The=is film is an adaption of the Colm Toibin’s novel set in Ireland and Brooklyn, of course.
Ellis, the young Irish girl has a dream to broaden her life by going to America. But before the doors open to a new place and people in the United States, she must bid farewell to her family and Ireland. It is painful . And then the adjustment to all that is new but in someways familiar in America. There is the sweet, blush of young love and then tragedy strikes back in Ireland. Which family, home , and place will she choose?
This is a classic romance in the gentleness of the 50s and where things seem so different from today. . . because they were. It is rated PG13 but I would say just barely and is awarded 4 1/2 * up to 5 *s by the critics.
My followers know that I love to be touched to tears in films and this one has the reputation of being a tear- jerker. It brought tears to my eyes a few times but no real crying. It was a beautiful film, well written and acted , and I loved watching it with mostly clear eyes!
Anybody else seen this?
One of my favorite songs for the season!
Mr. Modi, the Prime Minister of India and formally Chief Minster of Gujarat congratulating Muslim BJP candidates. This is good news that the Mulims and Hindus are coming together for the good of Gujurat. There have been tense situations and even riots in the paste but due to the economic success throughout the state, for all, Hindus and Muslims alike, there seems a collaboration is in progress.
Rajkot’s Sofia Zahid Dal might be the only successful Muslim candidate from BJP in the Municipal Corporation elections, but more than 200 party candidates from the community have won elections to municipalities, district panchayats and taluka panchayats.
“The total tally of the winners will go further up because we are yet to receive reports from all talukas and districts from where we had fielded Muslim candidates,” said Sufi Mahbub Ali Chisty, chief of Gujarat BJP Minority Morcha. The saffron party had fielded around 450 Muslim candidates in the local body polls.
BJP claimed its candidates from the minority community wrested several seats which were earlier represented by Muslims from Congress. “BJP has made a big political dent in the Muslim pockets, particularly in rural areas which were earlier considered by Congress as its impregnable political bastions,” said Chisty. In 2010, as many as 160 Muslim candidates had won on BJP tickets.
In Muslim-dominated Ward No. 2 and 7 of Umreth Nagarpalika in Anand district, entire panel of BJP — three Muslim (two women) and five Hindu candidates — was elected. BJP candidates defeated the Congress-NCP panel which also included candidates from the minority community.
Aminabibi Malek, elected from Ward No 2, said, “Muslims in Umreth have voted BJP for development.” She is in BJP for 15 years along with her husband Altafmiyan.
Umreth city BJP president Sujal Shah said: “Muslims in these two wards had also voted for the BJP candidate in the 2012 Assembly elections.”
Asif Zakaria (48), a share-broker who is among the three successful Muslim BJP candidates from Gondal Nagarpalika in Rajkot district, said, “Almost 60-65 per cent of Muslims voted for BJP candidates in Gondal because they benefited a lot in business and other activities in Gondal and nearby areas.”
“Congress only used Muslims as a vote-bank and gave us nothing in return. Congress promises of sops for Muslims were only on paper and never translated into action. This, in fact, created a wrong impression among the majority community about so-called Muslim appeasement by Congress. So, while Congress did not give any benefits, they also lost the support of Hindu liberals,” said Zakaria.
A total of 20 Muslim candidates from BJP have won in Gir-Somnath district — eight in Una Nagarpalika, eight in Kodinar taluka panchayat and four in Gir-Somnath taluka. Muslims comprise almost 50 per cent population of Somnath town, and according to Chisty, the victory of BJP candidates indicated growing acceptance for the party among the minorites.
While Congress won all district and taluka panchayats in Saurashtra, Gir-Somnath and Porbandar remained the only fortresses of BJP in the coastal belt.
According to Chisty, “Majority of Muslims were not comfortable with BJP due to various reasons, and voted for Congress only. This situation was exploited by Congress leaders who neither gave them any political benefit nor any share in development. But, the political scene has undergone a complete change in Gujarat with the emergence of a strong educated middle class, some with political ambitions. This was driving the Muslim youth, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas, to BJP to fulfill their political ambitions and work for development of the community.”
When questioned about BJP gradually making inroads in the Muslim support base of Congress, the party’s minority cell chief Ghulam Khan Rauma said: “This is primarily because of Congress is out of power in the state for over 25 years. Muslims also want development in their areas and they, rightly or wrongly, think that they can get benefits only if they are with the ruling party. That is why Muslims in several areas have supported BJP. But, there is nothing spectacular.”
BJP making gains among Muslims were first seen in the bypoll to the coastal Salaya Municipality of Jamnagar district where the party had swept the elections. Muslims comprise 90 per cent of the population there.
According to Chisty, “The political scene has undergone a complete change in Gujarat with the emergence of a strong educated middle class, some with political ambitions. This was driving the Muslim youth, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas, to BJP to fulfill their political ambitions and work for development of the community.”
Marilyn Kriss my friend, posted this on FB. It is a message from her sister-in-law who lives near San Bernardino, California where the terrorist attack occurred on Friday. Mike Wetzel was killed. You can read about the kind of man he was in the community. And oh yes, he was the father of six children. This is Mike with his family. Mike Wetzel, 37, of Lake Arrowhead , was murdered yesterday during the massacre. He was a volunteer parent at Lake Arrowhead Elementary for many years, and frequently brought his pre-school daughter with him. I used to ask him if his daughter was his ‘assistant’. She started Kindergarten this past September. His youngest is 9 months old. Six children and a widow are now without him.
Please remember his family and the families of all the victims in your prayers. And there is a tiny, 6 month old baby girl who is now an orphan because of the choice her parents made to attack America and Americans.
May God help us all !
TalesAlongTheWay 