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Views from the Balcony

An overview of Life around us

Thus Spoke Chris Herbert: An “Angry Rant” on FB
Posted:Dec 12, 2015 3:55 am
Last Updated:Nov 2, 2022 5:08 am
5646 Views
Thus Spoke Chris Herbert: An “Angry Rant” on Facebook

Here bellow is how Chris Herbert began his “angry rant” on Facebook, getting frustrated by some people expecting racism from him, because Herbert, a former soldier from Portsmouth who served in Iraq with the Yorkshire Regiment, lost his leg in a roadside bombing in Basra.

Quote..
Yes. A Muslim man blew me up, and I lost my leg.

A Muslim man also lost his arm that day wearing a British Uniform.
A Muslim medic was in the helicopter that took me from the field
A Muslim surgeon performed the surgery that saved my life
A Muslim Nurse was part of the team that helped me when I returned to the UK
A Muslim Healthcare Assistant was part of the team that sorted out my day to day needs in rehabilitation when I was learning to walk
A Muslim taxi driver gave me a free ride the first time I went for a beer with my Dad after I came home.
A Muslim doctor offered my Dad comfort and advice in a pub, when he didn’t know how to deal with my medicines and side effects.

Contrary to that,

A white brit spat in my girlfriends face for 'f******’ a cripple when you could have me [him]'
A White brit pushed my wheelchair away from a lift so he could use it first.
A White brit screamed at my Dad for parking in a disabled bay when I was in the services coming home

(Although, a lot of people helped in my recovery! I don’t hate white brits either! hahaha)

Point is, f*** off. I know who I dislike, and I know who I don’t. I know who I appreciate, and I know who I don’t. If you want to hate an entire race of men and women for the actions of a few dickheads feel free, but don't push your views on me, thinking I am an easy target because one douche bag decided it was my day to die.

Blaming all Muslims for the actions of groups like Daeshe and the Taliban, is like blaming all Christians for the actions of the KKK or Westboro Baptist Church.
Get a grip of your lives, hug your family and get back to work. Unquote

There are people still in this world who could call spade a spade. And Chris Herbert is one of them who did not hesitate to speak out truthfully. We, including one named Donald Trump, have much to learn from Chris. May be, persons like Chris Herbert would show us how the people of this world, practicing different faiths, could live side by side in peace and harmony. Do you agree,dear readers?

Source: BBC on line


12 Comments
On The Way To School.........
Posted:Dec 2, 2015 5:20 am
Last Updated:May 7, 2023 2:53 pm
5270 Views
Perhaps,many of us can still remember how we used to go to school when we were ! As far as I can remember, I used to go to School walking along with my friends mostly using leather shoes popularly known as ‘naughty boy shoes’ made by Bata shoe company. It was a turbulent time. The mighty British Armies were driven out from the then Burma by Japan. The retreating soldiers camped themselves in most of the school buildings of the undivided Bengal (then a province of the British India). Our school being a government institution was occupied by the retreating Army men! I remember this as we used to follow the army troop carriers while going to school. Sometimes, we used to talk to them while walking by the parked troop carriers. It was a routine affair until 1945.

I am telling this because my own are lucky. Both my and were dropped off to their respective Schools by our family car. They were not allowed to walk back home either from school.

The routine is almost same in all big cities everywhere in the modern world. Some may still like to walk or go by school bus to school and come back home in similar way.

However, things are not like this everywhere in the world. There are many places in the world even now where students are to take difficult and risky routes to go to schools on foot walking miles, swimming small rivers and even crossing mountains though it is twenty first century now! These are not scared to walk through a war zone, journeying through icy mountains or tightrope walking above a flowing river to get to school.

Readers are invited to view the following pictures to see what around the world have to experience on their journeys to school. You may also kindly ponder how lucky we and our were and how precious education must be!


Photo Details:
in Sanghiang Tanjung, Indonesia venture across a broken suspension bridge.(Picture 1)
. from Batu Busuk village in Sumatra, Indonesia, tightrope walk 30 feet above a flowing riterms_of_use.htmlver, followed by a 7-mile walk (pic 2 )
Young are crossing the river Buriganga on way to school near Dhaka, Bangladesh. (Pic 3)
are on way to school on a Bamboo raft somewhere in a South East Asian country. (pic 4)
In the Philippines, elementary school students use inflated tubes to cross a river on the way to school in Ra district (pic7}
.In Columbia, who live in the rainforest journey to school down steel cables at 50 miles per hour (Pic 9 )
.It’s a 125 mile journey for boarding school students in China through mountains of Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.(Pic 5)
.Parents take their through the Himalayas across ice and frost to boarding school.(pic 6)
.A young girl in refugee camp Shuafat, near Jerusalem, walks to school despite the violence taking place between troops and protesters.(Pic 8 )
Vietnam students swim twice a day across a river to attend school at Trong Hoa followed by at least one hour of walking. (Picture 10)

Happy reading










11 Comments
To Chiquitita-----The Lovely Living One.
Posted:Nov 23, 2015 5:43 am
Last Updated:Apr 25, 2018 12:32 am
5322 Views
Tell me what's wrong. Tell me the truth.
Nothing is too hard to handle.You shall overcome one day.



..............tell me what's wrong
You're enchained by your own sorrow
In your eyes there is no hope for tomorrow
How I hate to see you like this
There is no way you can deny it
I can see that you're oh so sad, so quiet

...............tell me the truth
I'm a shoulder you can cry on
Your best friend, I'm the one you must rely on
You were always sure of yourself
Now I see you've broken a feather
I hope we can patch it up together

..................you and I know
How the heartaches come and they go and the scars they're leaving
You'll be dancing once again and the pain will end
You will have no time for grieving
you and I cry
But the sun is still in the sky and shining above you
Let me hear you sing once more like you did before
Sing a new song,..............
Try once more like you did before
Sing a new song,...............

So the walls came tumbling down
And your love's a blown out candle
All is gone and it seems too hard to handle
................. tell me the truth
There is no way you can deny it
I see that you're oh so sad, so quiet

.................. you and I know
How the heartaches come and they go and the scars they're leaving
You'll be dancing once again and the pain will end
You will have no time for grieving
................... you and I cry
But the sun is still in the sky and shining above you
Let me hear you sing once more like you did before
Sing a new song,................
Try once more like you did before
Sing a new song,.................
Try once more like you did before
Sing a new song,..................










4 Comments
A Twilight Garland of Clouds
Posted:Nov 1, 2015 6:12 am
Last Updated:Apr 21, 2016 8:53 pm
5949 Views
A twilight garland of clouds
You are to me, my secret muse,
The wondrous bird of my solitary sky.
My heart has painted you with all its shades.
You are my own, my very own
Traveler of my life within.


I have tinged your feet
With my bleeding heart,
Beloved bird of my twilight sky.
I have fancied your face
With passions of venom and grace,
Of my tears and laughter.
You are my own, my very own
Traveler of my lone dreams.


I have toned your eyes
With the dreaminess of worship,
Coveted love of my drunken eyes.
I have wreathed you lovingly with my music.
You are my own, my very own,
Solitaire of my life and death.


Source , Gitabitan.

Interested viewers of the clouds can listen the song in Bengali lf they like. link www.youtube.com/user/sharfulanam. TUMI SHONDER MEGHMALA by Srikanta Acharya!









13 Comments
Organized Religions And Flowers
Posted:Oct 30, 2015 8:44 am
Last Updated:May 18, 2023 11:46 pm
5997 Views
We humans love and like flowers! They play a significant role in human life. The flowers make us happy and cheerful They have many uses in the society throughout the world! I have not seen anyone who does not like flowers! Flowers have special meanings to both human beings and also to Gods and Goddesses everywhere in this planet!
Many of the organized religions are associated with flowers in one or the other way.


Hinduism and Flowers

The God and Goddesses of a particular community of people who practice Hinduism in this part of the world since ages adore blooms! Hinduism is the oldest religion prevailing in the world! Flowers play a big role in worshiping Hindu Gods and Goddesses. So, the love for flowers is not limited to us mere mortals. The importance and the significance of the flowers in Hinduism have been described many times in Hindu Scriptures!
For example, flowers like Lotus, Joba, (hibiscus) Marigold and Datura are extensively used while worshiping important Hindu Gods and Goddesses throughout the world!

A bunch of lotus flowers that rise above clay and water has different meanings to Hindu worshipers! Such bunches of lotus flowers grown lavishly not only elevates the beauty of a pond but also reminds the Hindus that just like the lotus flowers that rise above clay and water, they should elevate themselves above sins and the pleasures of the world.

"One who performs his duty without attachment, surrendering the results unto the Supreme Lord, is unaffected by sinful action, as the lotus is untouched by water", says the Bhagavad-Gita.

The highly revered Goddess of the Bengali Hindus, Durga Maa, also holds a lotus in one of her hands. The Ashtami Puja of Maa Durga involves offering the goddess 108 lotus flowers. The priest has to read 108 mantras in sequence while offering 108 lotus flowers one by one to Durga Maa( Mother Durga). There exists no room for making mistakes!

The Goddess Saraswati and Lakshmi, are seen standing or sitting on the lotus. Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune and prosperity, is known as 'padmapriya', or 'one who like lotuses'. She is as beautiful as a lotus.
One is not permitted to sniff the flowers that are to be offered to a deity. The fragrance is for the deities to enjoy. One must not pluck flowers, or even leaves, at night. Anjali is another act of worship where one is likely to require flowers. "Anjali essentially means offering something to a deity with devotion.


Christianity and Flowers.

We all know that the Christians believe that the flower white Madonna Lily symbolizes Purity! The tomb of Virgin Mary was reportedly filled with Lilies after her assumption into heaven. In other words, the association of the flower with Virgin Mary dates to early Christianity! The white petals represented her spotless body and glowing soul! The appearances of this mystic flower could be seen in the Christian devotional paintings.
Both red and white roses are placed in one’s oratory or on one’s table through the month of May in Italy. These two flowers have been emblematic of the Virgin since very early times, and were dedicated to Venus before that.


“When St. Dominic instituted the devotion of the Rosary, he recognized this symbolism and indicated the separate prayers as tiny Roses. May - the Month of May or Madonna's Month - was originally linked to Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers and of spring. Further. The five petals of a rose flower are believed to represent Christ’s wounds - white was the color of purity and red, that of his sacrificial blood”

'


Flowers And Buddhism

For the Buddhists, the Lotus flower symbolizes Buddha. The flower “symbolizes the most exalted state of man - his head held high, pure and undefiled in the sun, his feet rooted in the world of experience” If we would visit Mahabodhi temple compex, Bodh Gaya, in Northern India, we would come across the place where Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. The raised platform there is the part of the temple complex called the Jewel Promenade Shrine. “This structure marks the place where the Buddha is supposed to have paced to and fro in meditation. Legend has it that wherever Buddha stepped, a Lotus flower (a symbol of knowledge) sprang up and this is depicted through the 18 lotus flowers carved on the platform”









13 Comments
Balzac--- Right or Wrong? And Why?
Posted:Oct 23, 2015 5:31 am
Last Updated:Feb 19, 2019 6:57 am
5721 Views
Lorsque les femmes nous aiment, elles nous pardonnent tout, même nos crimes; lorsqu'elles ne nous aiment pas, elles ne nous pardonnent rien, pas même nos vertus!-----Honore de Balzac


When women love, they forgive everything, even our crimes; when they do not love, they cannot forgive anything, not even our virtues.------Honoré de Balzac

Picture deatails:
1 2 4..Balzac
3. Ewelina Hańska,wife of Baizac









10 Comments
The Sajek Valley -- The Place Where One Gets Lost Into The clouds!
Posted:Oct 21, 2015 6:25 am
Last Updated:May 28, 2020 7:35 pm
6957 Views
Do you want to get lost into the clouds without being in a high flying plane to enjoy the beauties that nature offered to the people of hill tracts in my homeland? Then imagine a place located in the hilly religion of south-eastern Bangladesh. To the local people, the place is known as “Chengmi. It is also called as ’Phalang Htaung” or the Mong Circle by many. However, it is a district town known to majority of people of this country and outside world as Khagrachhari, a part of Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.

We need to travel here first from the port city of Chittagong either by a Bus or by a Car if we really wish to get lost into the clouds of Sajek Valley--- our ultimate destination!
From here, we shall have to hire the famous ‘Chander Gari”—an old jeep or if you are lucky –a vintage world war II Jeep!
It will take 2/3 hours or more to reach the valley if we do not stop to explore the breathtaking beauties around us.
“The valley takes us in by the light of dusk. The hills stand perfectly green with a red tiled house at the far end. A windmill is turning somewhere and you look up to realize that the sky is never just blue. The invigorating clouds encircling above you as you lie down on the grass hold infinite shades of colors that change by the moment”.
The valley is 1800 ft high form sea level. Many small rivers flow through the hills.
Once you are in Sajek Valley, everything including time becomes obsolete and words redundant!
Absolute silence that suddenly reigns around you makes you completely speechless!
You feel the timelessness of the valley!


Note: The valley is in Rangamati but tourist can reach there from Khagrachhari too. The route is Khagrachhori – Dighinala Bazaar – Bagaihat Bazaar – Machalong Haat – then Sajek. It is 62 km from Khagrachhari. Dighinala to Sajek is 40 km. Main transportation is Chander Gari.



We may now view the amazing scenes of this wonderful valley appended one after another to please our eyes!










15 Comments
A Distinct Nip In the Air
Posted:Oct 16, 2015 5:43 am
Last Updated:Feb 15, 2020 6:55 am
5535 Views
I felt it late last night that there is distinct nip in the air.

The winter has probably arrived a bit early this year as the late autumn has left us suddenly before its allotted time. The few showers fallen in the night before last have alerted me about the advent of winter as I also felt cool in the early morning!
The recent sight of the city getting covered with light fog each evening tells me the early arrival of the winter, the season I like best as its arrival heralds the advent of spring!!
May be the met office would not agree with me about the moving away of south-western monsoon from us. Yet, many like me have been feeling of late the cool touch of northern breeze in the morning!

This being my 100th blog, I wished to write a few lines about a poet who has banned me from reading his poems being re posted here on his blog page, almost daily apparently being unable to accept my comments on one of his poem or for something else more personal that he did not disclose to me.
However, I changed my intention subsequently and decided to drop the idea and be myself as I felt that the effort would be a waste of my time and energy and would worth nothing else!!
Therefore, my readers may kindly view some of the pictures of the rain and winter that are yet to be shared by me with them and are still available in my computer, in stead of reading a retort to a poet for his unexplained reasons for banning me! As for myself, I am not interested to hear anything from this gentleman anymore.

Happy Viewing:



Details of the pictures and Source:
1 to 4. Rain Scenes.
5 to 10. Winter Scenes.
The Daily Star.
Photo Credits: Eshaat Islam Shohagh
Bhuiyan Muhammad Muktashif_Anwar
Nazmus Sakib
Pahan Chakma
Apu Jaman
Arjit Chowdhury
Mashrukur Rahman
Maiaz Rahman
Ujjwal Kanti Dhar
Soumin Kumar Saha











10 Comments
Twitterpated.
Posted:Oct 13, 2015 7:53 am
Last Updated:Feb 19, 2019 6:57 am
5391 Views
What does it mean by the term ‘neurochemical explanations of love’?

Let us forget the question for the time being as the term may sound too complicated for a person like me to analyze and then find an answer to understand why and how do we fall madly in love?

Therefore, it is better to download the concerned animated film Bambi and listen and view what the wise old owl says to Thumper to explain why and how one falls madly in love!

For those of my lazy friends who would not even like to download the related Bambi movie , I should append the conversation that took place between Thumper and the Friend Owl in the movie
Quote
Thumper: Why are they acting that way?
Friend Owl: Why, don't you know? They're twitterpated.
Thumper: Twitterpated?
Friend Owl: Yes. Nearly everybody gets twitterpated in the springtime. For example: You're walking along, minding your own business. You're looking neither to the left, nor to the right, when all of a sudden you run smack into a pretty face. Woo-woo! You begin to get weak in the knees. Your head's in a whirl. And then you feel light as a feather, and before you know it, you're walking on air. And then you know what? You're knocked for a loop, and you completely lose your head!
Thumper: Gosh, that's awful." Unquote

Hope, my friends will agree now that none can give such memorable and accurate description of falling madly in love than the wise Old Friend Owl. The descriptions say us why and how we fall madly in love.

May be I should also tell my friends the meaning of the word (I believe that they all know it) ‘twitterpated’.

According to English Dictionary, the word twitterpated means:

1. Excited or overcome by romantic feelings; smitten.
Contemporary definitions for twitterpated :
1. Confused by affection or infatuation

I trust that my friends would now permit me to skip the question appeared on the top of this page!
May be, I should also say that love affects the everyday life of every person in this way or that way!!

Happy reading friends










6 Comments
Hot Chicken Soup That May or May Not Burn.............
Posted:Oct 10, 2015 11:02 am
Last Updated:Dec 17, 2015 6:41 am
5808 Views
Why is hot chicken soup likely to burn one’s mouth?

I like to take hot Chicken Soup, especially when I catch cold. It is not because my most intimate one living across the ocean had advised me to take it nearly three years before but to speak frankly , I always like to take hot chicken soup since I discovered long time ago how tasty it could be when I am a bit hungry!

However, I always wanted to know, would hot Chicken soup really burn my mouth more than any other kind of hot soup? My loved one could not reply. She had asked me to shut up and finish the soup before it turns cold!

So, you see even my loved one got annoyed with me and asked me to finish the hot chicken soup to get rid of the cold that I caught while walking through the park at night!

Therefore, I would earnestly request my SFF friends to help me to know the truth in this respect! Would any one come forward to explain why such thing happens? Is it for a fixed temperature or for a specific heat as well? Could any one please confirm that hot Chicken soup is more likely to burn my mouth than any other kind? Has the fat content in the soup anything to do with such phenomena?

Thanking everyone in anticipation!










15 Comments

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