Diwali is the most popular holiday in India. It is a Hindu holiday but also celebrated by the Sikhs ( a Sikh shown at the Golden Temple.) One hope that most faith systems in the world share is victory of good over evil . This hope of Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains ,
Diwali begins tomorrow as a celebration of the purification of light . Hindus believe that these candles and holders should be place in every corner of their houses representing the cleansing light of the celebration. Houses are shiny clean , colorful new clothes are worn and new jewelry is purchased and given for gifts. It has many elements in common with Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Years celebrated in the West during the darkness of winter.
The Times of India summed up the modern meaning of Diwali:
Regardless of the mythological explanation one prefers, what the festival of lights really stands for today is a reaffirmation of hope, a renewed commitment to friendship and goodwill, and a religiously sanctioned celebration of the simple – and some not so simple – joys of life.
Times of India editorial
Happy Diwali India! You have learned or know instinctively, how to celebrate the “joys of life!”
I am an absolute sucker for any BBC historical production, the writing, acting, accents, as well as the English landscapes. When I was at church, David found this new one I saw only a part of the first episode, but enough to hook me and him alike.
“The Last Kingdom” is a new BBC TV series in an 8 part adaptation of Barnard Cornwell’s series of historical novels, “The Saxon Stories”
The year is 872 AD. All the English kingdoms have fallen to the Danes except Wessex. King Alfred is standing alone . The protagonist Uhtred was born of Saxon noble blood and captured and raised as a Dane. He is forced to choose, as was Moses of ancient times, between the country of his birth or the people who raised him.
The popular “Game of Thrones” inspired many epic tales in the medieval period of history. “The Last Kingdom” has no dragons or fantasy but history proves as appealing as make-believe!
Jennifer Aniston’s commercial about showers on Emirates Air. Yes there are showers, beds, and work cubicles complete with WiFi in First Class on the large Emirate jets. In coach, there are attendants who speak languages from around the world. There are several choices of meals, linen and silverware with meals, free alcohol and TVs. We flew to an from India on Emirates, but in Coach. The first trip we were asked if we wanted to upgrade to First Class for a mere $900! We politely said, “No thank you !”
We thought that this would be the airline where the richest people in the world would say, “We want the best flights with amenities on our planes for air travelers around the world!” Best we have ever been on !
I saw this film in 1996. It rocked my world as I had no insight into the world of young people living in poverty in Scotland , immersed in the drug culture. . . . . heroin to be specific, endangering their lives for a moment of pleasure or maybe death. I have never forgotten this movie. To give you a example, I have trouble remembering the name of the film I saw last night. I promise that will not be the case with
“Trainspotting.” Maybe it should be shown in high schools, or in families.
There was an extreme subculture of drugs and poverty in Scotland during the 1980’s and young people were dying of overdoses as well as aids. There were very extreme dilapidated public housing conditions and no jobs. This was the life of these kids. . . . . all they had. . . their friends and the big friend “H”. This film tells their story, not as an overreaction but as truth. It was made in desperation to try and prevent more vulnerable young people not to choose this lifestyle but to choose “Life!”
The complete two hour film is free on the net and I am including the link. Also I am including a trailer for those of you who might not have time now for the complete film. Trainspotting is happening now in the United States and maybe other places. Yes, it is different here , we are not Scotland, it is not the 1980s, but our young people and adults are using and dying with heroin!
Trailer of “Trainspotting”
Full length film: Yesterday when I posted, the film followed. This morning it has been removed from my post. Today , all I can find is a $2.99 version. Sorry.
This is an article by the Guardian Newspaper about the life of these kids now.
When heroin abuse lasts for a lengthy period of time, long term effects start to take hold. Those who chronically abuse the drug may soon develop abcesses, infection of the heart lining and valves, liver and kidney disease and various pulmonary complications. And since heroin is often cut with other chemicals, the risk of death by accidental overdose becomes quite high.
Just like crystal meth, heroin greatly affects an abuser’s appearance. The dark spots on this man’s face were brought about by heroin abuse. But worse than facial scars is the fact that heroin poses serious risks to one’s health. Infection of the heart lining and valves, and kidney and liver disease are just some of the life-threatening effects of heroin abuse.
Years of heroin abuse can turn an otherwise pleasant-looking woman into a scarred shadow of her former self. The weight loss, the sunken cheeks and the facial sores are, however, only the least of a heroin addict’s problems. As they continue abusing the drug, they are increasing their risk for kidney and liver disease, heart lining infections, and death by accidental overdose.
The woman in this photo, Rachel Keogh, had been a heroin addict since she was 15. After more than 10 years of heroin abuse, the veins in her arms, where she regularly shoots heroin up, were utterly destroyed. She nevertheless continued injecting the drug, and came dangerously close to having her arms amputated, as necrosis had already set in. She eventually cleaned her act up, and authored a book detailing her heroin experience.
This heroin addict just transformed herself from a pleasant-looking woman into someone barely recognizable. Such is the effect of drugs like heroin on its abusers. Aside from the surface impact of the drug on one’s appearance, there are even worse effects that chronic heroin abuse can do. Every snort or shot of heroin brings them at greater risk of contracting HIV, infecting their heart lining and valves, liver and kidney disease and dying by accidental overdose.
Heroin is one of the most dangerous drugs out there. Arguably the most physically addictive illicit drug, heroin carries with it serious consequences when abused. The effects on one’s appearance are bad enough, ranging from drastic weight loss to decaying teeth. The long-term effects, however, are much more dangerous. Abuse heroin on a regular basis and the chances of suffering from kidney and liver disease, cardiovascular problems, and dying from an accidental overdose become so much higher.
CBS has put together this moving story of drug addiction in the US. It is rampant in upstate New York. Nurses and food pantry directors and people who work with young people and the poor are trained in administering a nose spray to start withdrawal. Young people in our area are dying with the syringe still in their arm.
The addiction usually begins with pain pills and when that supply dries up, the drug of choice become heroin which is now about $10 a hit. It can be cut with a silent killer . In our area, many young people have died long before their time with this insidious and deadly situation.
This temple, Ekklingji near Udiapur, is my favorite of the Hindu temples in all that I have visited in India. And we visited many of them as 80% of India is Hindu. Why, you might ask? Thinking and wondering myself, I came up with the small city wrapping its arms around the temple which is nestled into the fabric of the city. Well, the huge temples we visited in Tamil Nadu were woven into their cities, too but somehow they were different in their mammoth proportions.
When you look at the first short video , you will see the opening to the temple complex just there next to shops with shoppers. You can see a an opening into the vestibule where you remove your shoes, and give a small tip to a man who watches over them. The women with the marigold necklaces used for offerings are lining the wall. Just at the step up is a man who is blessing you with a colorful spot on your forehead of color , for a few rupees. Next we walked down a path paved with huge blocks of stone, that moved up the sides into walls higher than we could see over. What that walk reminded me of was the ancient stone streets and walls of Jerusalem that I have only seen in pictures. Our first visit was at dusk and the night was falling. We entered the main 1200 year old temple built to honor Shiva and is the oldest , and most famous of the temples in the complex. There was incense and chanting with smoke from candles. I am thinking there was no electricity but of that I am not sure. lt was mysterious. There was a statute of the god and some , but very little gold, just carved and wearing away of very old stone.
In the second video, you can see the pathway marked by the red carpet to protect the pilgrims feet from the burning stones during the day ( first 12 minutes) . There were definitely no lights out in the 108 squeezed temples into the hillside of the city. We had only moonlight and a myriad of stars. It was hard for the students to decide where to begin to sketch, so most just tried to take it all into their memories.
Ekklingji was built in the 14th Century , really not old in such an ancient country.It is hard for me to articulate my feelings being there. I am not a Hindu, but I am a person of faith. To me, this temple is very spiritual, very mysterious, and filled with the faith of people today and years ago. Faith, mystery, life, death. . . . . Faith is mysterious, a gift, the hope of things not seen, a revelation of hope.. . . . . .
TalesAlongTheWay 