I am touched

His name is Sugat. He is just a little boy (about 6 years old) with a big heart. He saw poor children in India during his visits with his parents. So, he wanted to help the poor children. He found out that I was raising money for the “Children’s Hunger Fund” to support the hungry children of the world as a part of my mount Kilimanjaro hiking plan in early October. During his last birthday, he decided to give all the money he received as gifts from his little friends to help this cause. Today he gave me all of his birthday collection - $89.00 in all. I am touched. I am optimistic that someday the word ‘hunger' will be found only in dictionary because of big hearts like that of Sugat.

Politics and Power

He talked all the right things during the primary to get the young ones (including our daughters) all worked up about “Change”. Black folks saw their opportunity of a lifetime and voted on racial line. Many whites voted for him either out of guilty conscience or to avoid a perception of racial bias or they did not like the idea of a woman leading them. Hillary was demonized and pushed out.
Now that he has the nomination practically on hand, his “Change” is becoming a change to political convenience. He is not for “campaign reform”, he is waffling on withdrawal from Iraq, begining to wear a US flag on his coat lapel, talks about “glass ceiling” that Hillary was trying break down, cries foul when others criticize. In fact he is not changing the world; he himself has changed. It appears that only one thing he cares about right now is to win the election. Winning is more important than having conviction and courage.
And his winning is not going to change the plight of many blacks or other under dogs. We have had a black in the Supreme Court, a black person as an army general, a secretary-of-state and so on and so forth. I think once they get there, they become a class of their own. Life goes on in these United States. Blacks will continue to fill the prisons and there will be two classes of blacks, Hispanics will be exploited as cheap labor (many will die while trying to cross the border), many young soldiers will continue to die for foolish presidential decisions, rich will get richer and Wall Street will not change the main street America, wars will be started somewhere and poor countries will be made poorer. Presidents like Obama will come and go.
In the world today, there is only one true, peace loving, visionary leader in my opinion and that is Nelson Mandela. Others seem to be faking their way into power making mockery of people like Lincoln, Gandhi and MLK. I doubt if power hungry politicians who talk the talk can walk the walk.

Work, wedding, Kilimanjaro

Work never stops. After Enron debacle in 2001, the current economy/stock market is about to delay my retirement yet again. I certainly did not plan on working till the day I finally close my eyes.

Daughter’s wedding is fast approaching and so much to check on – hotel reservation, guest transportation, horse for the groom, all the little details for the ritual, relatives arriving from overseas, car rental, the ceremony, the reception, clothes for the bride’s maids and groom’s men that my wife ordered from India (and she is worrying about it). I guess it’s natural being the father of the bride.

And then I have Kilimanjaro on my mind too. I walked two hours this morning. Yesterday I was on the treadmill at the highest inclination (if you did not know, Houston is pretty flat) and tomorrow morning I plan to walk some more. I need to go to REI to buy some essentials. I also need to get a physical, get a shot for yellow fever, pay off the balance for the trip, get cash/traveler’s check, get batteries, altitude sickness pill, snacks, power bars, etc.

I am booked from now till October. Some things may have to wait.

Sad but true

Last Sunday (July 6) we got back from the Assam Convention held at Atlanta, GA during July 4 weekend. Meeting old friends and chatting in Assamese were delightful for a change. While many in this land of immigrants take pride in their roots while becoming a part of the new world by making this land even more beautiful with rainbow color, many in the old native land are abandoning their language, culture, and tradition. It is an irony that while the artists from the community here performed “Thiya Naam”, sang Bishnu Rabha’s song, presented a “Satriya Dance” during the Assam Convention, the guest artist from Assam had nothing Assamese; only a “Bollywood” theme. It is truly sad. While many natives complain about the influence of globalization, illegal immigration from neighboring Bangladesh, and native economy being controlled by others, they are becoming clueless about Assamese history, culture and language. Like parrots they imitate “Bollywood” music, brag about not being fluent in Assamese or not being able to read or write their mother tongue. One should not blame others when they are their worst enemies. They celebrate “Bohagi Bidaya” for a month with mostly “Bollywood” tunes. I wonder if they are ashamed of their own culture and heritage. If so, then they deserve the fate befalling them.

July 4 – Pride & Prejudice of History

Tomorrow is July 4 and we leave for Atlanta in the morning for the weekend. As I ponder about this day, I find it rather fascinating.

1776 – Declaration of Independence by US
1845 – Texas Congress votes for annexation to US
1863 – General Lee’s army withdraws from Gettysburg
1876 – 1^st public exhibition of electric light in San Francisco
1900 – Louis Armstrong, Jazz Musician born in New Orleans
1934 – Madame Marie Curie died
1944 – 1^st Japanese Kamikaze attack, US fleet near Iwo Jima
1960 – 1^st 50 star US flag unfurled honoring Hawaiian statehood
1960 – Assam Language Movement, Police firing at Cotton College, Guwahati killing Ranjit Borpujari
1976 – Raid on Entebbe – Israel rescues Air France passengers
1997 – US probe Pathfinder lands on Ares Vallis Mars
2003 – Barry White, singer “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe” died

Happy Birthday

Today is our younger daughter’s birthday and she is in New York, a long way from Houston. Last year we celebrated together in Boston. My newfound niece from India had showed up in Boston too. She has been back in Bangalore and I have no clue what she is up to. Year before we visited our daughter in Tokyo around this time. Time certainly flies if you are busy doing something, else it becomes a drag and it moves at a snail's pace. Anyway, as time passes we move on with our lives. So, we do not always see our near and dear ones. But we are always with them in spirit.

She was planning to have some cup cakes delivered to share and celebrate with her friends at work. And I have no doubt Brett will make it a wonderful day for her. Happy birthday!