Sarve Santu Sukhinah: A Wish for the New Year

The following text taken from AumAmen

This prayer is one of the first we learn in schools and remains --till this date, one of my most favorite.  We memorize it by heart, and it awakens every time our heart beats in compassion. 

Om, Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ Sarve santu nirāmayāḥ Sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu Mā kashchit duḥkha bhāgbhavet Oṁ Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ
Meaning in English	May all be prosperous and happy May all be free from illness May all see what is spiritually uplifting May no one suffer Om peace, peace, peace

Chantal

September 2012, Thimphu, Bhutan

I cannot believe that it has been two years since I met her first.  We have exchanged a few emails since.  I met her on my first visit to Thimphu, Bhutan.  She was with a travel group.  We struck up a conversation right away.  She was warm and filled with joy.  Her english was so good and she had so many interesting things to share.

She asked me where I was from, and if I were a 'mixed' person.  Which always makes me say that most of us just look alike, we forget that.  There is not that much difference in the way people look between the extreme dark and light.  IN between many of us could pass for Italians, Mexicans, Brazilians, Columbians etc.  There has been enough mixing of people around.  And it will only continue.

She nodded.  She told me that she had been to India and that she was starting a bed and breakfast in her country--Italy.

I have not had the time to visit the country yet, and really want to go.

But the point of the post is that even though I met her only once and we talked for all of 20 minutes, I still remember her face, the warmth with which she took me.  And at the end of that short conversation extended an invitation to me---

You can come and be my guest!!  And I was a total stranger.

If I have learnt anything from my travel, that is that people are amazing, they have incredibly large hearts.  And media, instead of bringing us together does us a disservice by always focusing on the negative.

So, as we move into a new year, I wanted to put the picture of this lovely, warm woman on my blog to remind me how lucky I have been to meet grand hearts.  

And there is certainly many times more goodness in the world----than the opposite.

Thanks Chantal!!  

Vuxen Poång! Being an Adult!!

The Globalization Reader: Under the lamp on a student desk

The Globalization Reader: Under the lamp on a student desk

Every language has certain concepts that seem like toy concepts to others--but in a good sense--as in we wish we had them too.  And one such concept in Swedish is Vuxen (adult) poång (point)--put together it means Grown Up points. Nobody's counting but they add towards your status as a grown up.

So graduating, getting a job, moving into your own apartment, getting married, having children, all of them are Vuxen Poångs!!

We had to be in this auditorium for a meeting. I did not know that the meeting was in Swedish, and since I have never really taken classes, and have had so much pressure of work, I speak about 15% Swedish.  I do understand stuff here and there.  And when time allows I practice online, I love Swedish movies--but generally I cannot consider myself anywhere near fluent.

So, I was grateful that I had a book which I needed to prepare for my class that week.  It worked.  

Next to me sat this young boy, who had just finished his masters and had gotten a part time teaching position as an assistant.  Btw, Swedes are known for design.  And it is obvious in the classrooms and the way Universities are designed.  The classroom decor is great, many classrooms have artwork on the walls, and the chairs are ultra comfortable with padded seats, which in some halls even recline.  Almost every classroom of course has a projector and screen, a white board and many now have smart boards. Blackboards are completely out.  Transparency projectors lie there in the classroom being ignored and I feel so bad for them.

Back to the story.  So this young man sitting next to me showed me how to use the lamp on the folding table which accompanied my reclining seat.  Viola!!  there was light enough to read!!  

'The wonders you can find out when you sit in a student's chair' I said.

'Yes, and there are things to find out on the other end too'  he said.

¨Like?¨

¨Well, as an adjunct I found out that I actually have access to the lunch room, and coffee machine, I can get pens and special folders.  I don't really need them, but it made me feel like....wow, these are the perks of grown ups, special lunch room and coffee breaks'

'Yeah, in between you have much work though, lad' I tapped my pen on his shoulder and he laughed, 'Oh, I know'

I guess the young man was gushing at his new found adulthood.

'Vuxen Poång?¨  I looked at him.

Very much so, he chuckled a silly, enthusiastic laughter, which made me realise he had a while to go before he gave in to adult cynicism.

Good for him!!

The Opposite of Vatican: Christania, Copenhagen

The little community seems so far away from the rest of the city:  Christiania, 2013

Mural on they wall that surrounds the community: Christiania, 2013

Art Work on the Walls in Christiania: 2013, Copenhagen

Christiania, which sounds like a little utopian-ultra religious town is anything but---

Having read about it in Lonely Planet, and discussed the town for its 'rebellious properties'--I knew I had to see it for myself.

When I told friends that I was going to go there, they said in utter surprise, 'Really?"  

Yes, just as a tourist.

They smiled.

Also known as Freetown Christiania, the town is a is a self-proclaimed autonomous neighborhood of about 850 residents, covering 34 hectares (84 acres) in the borough of Christianshavn, in the Danish Capital of Copenhagen (Wiki).

Although general public and civic authorities regard Christiania as a large commune, the area is unique in the sense that it is regulated by Christiania Law of 1989, which allows it to be directly under the state rather than the municipality of Copenhagen. (Wiki). 

The town/region/neighborhood has been the center of several controversies since its creation in 1971. Among many things, the town is known for its legalized and liberal use of marijuana—which is why its residents also call it the ‘Freetown’.

I personally do not understand the connection between any form of drug and freedom, but it is important to some that they loose consciousness in varying degrees.  I do know that facing reality and living through life without drugs (including pain killers that are legally sold by Pharmaceuticals) is hard, and numbing ourselves makes it easier.   So, we numb ourselves with several things (I use sugar, over dose of sweet things works in the same way), alcohol, caffeine, work, and sometimes even family.  But the town is known for living very differently from the rest of the clean-cut Copenhagen city.

You can easily read about the riots, the drug busts and other controversies on the net, especially wiki if you wish.  But I want to share how it felt when I was there.

It felt that I had left Denmark without leaving the country.  I was in a different mind set once I got off the bus.  And the moment I got off, I checked the time for next bus to be sure to get on it.

The town seemed like it was stuck somewhere in a smoke of being different.  And yet, it seemed like a community that was not only forgotten but had forgotten itself, except some amazing art work on the walls.   It was April and the Christmas tree was standing intact.  Maybe, they did not ever take it down.

There was a garage sale that did not seem like a weekend thing. It seemed like it was their daily market.  People looked like they were from a movie set in the 12^th century—unkempt hair, shabby appearance and stiff lips.  

I saw some young children riding bikes.  I wondered how many people there were tourists.  I assumed all those who looked like they had combed their hair that morning were visitors.

I am not putting the community down or stating only negative things.  I am just sharing what I felt. And ofcourse, I could be wrong.  Not much of a conformist myself (an idealist is not (always) a conformist), I can see some value is rebelling, or expressing itself, but I do not understand how we help the world when we are not in a position to be a functional human being.  That was always my problem with a drinking or drug culture.  It does not help us be better or change the world, only self-destruct.

But, I have heard that it was one of the (many) first communities to protest against copyright and supports copyright reforms.  –

Regardless, the best definition and explanation of the town came when I asked my Swedish Students to describe the town to Erasmus exchange and International Students.

Most of the smiled and then one Information and PR student came up with a very appropriate explanation---

“Well, you could say the town is The Opposite of the Vatican!!”

Consideration

Göteberg, Sweden 2014

Cultural considerations are apparent even in something as simple as designing public toilets. 

The above picture was taken at a cinema theatre.  How often have we seen mothers looking around to check whether they should leave the child outside or take the child with her into the toilet.  Here, I saw something that took care of it so well.  

These little thoughtful installations is how state shows its consideration of people's needs.  

Grace vs. Glitter: Elegance vs.Vulgar: Beauty vs. Bollywood

I picked up this pamphlet a few years ago when I first arrived in Sweden. I have kept it for years until a few days ago when I decided to scan it, so that I could get rid of the paper.  

I was mesmerized by the beautiful woman who has no make up on her face, is wearing truly traditional outfits of the nomadic people who  live in the desert of the Indian subcontinent.  Her brown eyes, her simple smile, tell the tale of an authentic life.  She is not trying to be anything but who she is.  Not trying to be feminine, not trying to use her body to attract anything and yet, she is both feminine and attractive. Even magnetic.  I remember talking about this to a student in Fiji, because we were talking of Bollywood and what it has done to the images of Indian women.  I told her that nomadic women wore this charm that they did not need to shed clothes to get attention.  They got attention just by being who they were.  Their carefree walk defied the weight of clothing and jewelry they carried on them, that could --if not carried with grace make them seem clumsy.  

However, following are a few pictures of the how these women, their outfits and bodies have been depicted in Bollywood.  Bollywood, as is the nature of media, reduces the dignity with which people carry themselves everyday.  But the main problem is that it is only a representation.  These women are very obviously trying to be something they are not, and something they do not understand.  The director certainly is not using this as any sense of Indianness, but an idea that he creates in his mind--for no other reason that increasing the length of time people watch these images.

That there has been a fracture in how closely images portray reality is obvious in the following pictures and the years these movies were released.

1990s

1990s

1990s

1960s-70s

1960s-70s

True beauty however does not require any sensationalisation, it is obvious in an inherent joy that person radiates.  As in the very first image on this post--taken from a UNIFEM pamphlet.  The woman does not appear needing any help, she is not destitute or backward --she just is---participating in the world--without calling attention to herself.  Just like a flower that exudes color, freshness and fragrance, and therefore is Graceful, elegant and beautiful!