Aloofness to Pakistan's Floods

"The United Nations has characterized the destruction caused by the floods in Pakistan as greater than the damage from the 2004 Asian tsunami, the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, and the 2010 Haiti earthquake combined. Yet nearly three weeks since the floods began, aid is trickling in slowly and reluctantly to the United Nations, NGOs, and the Pakistani government."

I visited Pakistan nearly 4 years ago to assist my mentor Walt Ratterman on a training. I loved every moment of the trip--from crossing the border via bus, to making new friends in Lahore, meeting old friend Islamabad, and getting to know Walt's colleagues and students.

...When the earthquake struck Pakistan, a couple of years before my visit, I was in India and made firm plans to "go help". Due to a family event, although I got a visa, I did not go then; and instead went later with Walt.

...Yet now, it has been 3 weeks and only now I am realizing the extent of the damage from the floods!! ...Only now am I doing the internet searches and contacting friends for un-biased information, from the field.

I feel like a hypocrite waiting so long to take stronger interest in the situation. Something about floods versus earthquake/tsunami that delayed my interest. I'd been following the situation-to-be in Afghanistan, but I became too busy this month for Pakistan.

I often argue for Islam when I hear biases against it. ...Realizing that others' biases against Muslims may have slowed aid for the flood victims ("Why Doesn't the World Care about Pakistanis"), I feel that I should especially be taking interest in the floods to see how we can help.

...I am still working on my thesis, hoping to get my sitar tuned tomorrow, planning my exercise regiment, seeing friends/family plan Labor Day breaks...all the while, an entire country is set back by decades.

Today's "Avatars"

Have you seen the movie Avatar? Do you have an Avatar story unfolding in your community?

Here is an example of an Avatar-like plot taking place in Kalahandi District, Orissa:
Vedanta's crusade on the sacred Nyamgiri Mountain

















Do forward me any such real-team Avatar stories. Collecting today's Avatar incidents, on a single web space, to share with others maybe a useful resource for us to understand how our power as a consumer relates to lives around the globe (and maybe neighbor), e.g. purchasing products that support Corporations who are the root of real-life Avatar incidents.

If you know of such a web space already existing, please forward!

Freedom and Courage

Aug 15--India's Independence Day. Two inspiring insights (click on the linked words)

1. Chhote Ustad 2010
Amongst the various TV shows on Indian tv, there is now an interesting music talent show that encourages India and Pakistan's young talent to team up. It reminds me of Friends Without Borders.

2. Neighbor's Bank Workers
"Ms Wu"has been courageously mobilizing Chinese bank workers to fight for their rights. ...Though the sad news is that Ms. Wu may now be detained for a while. Ms. Wu helps me feel the link between Freedom and Courage.

These two stories remind of the potential of and challenges to freedom in today's world.

The Week in Review

Lots of loading and un-loading this week in transporting oil presses from Bhawanipatna to micro hydro sites (electricity-based livelihoods activities).

At Amathagouda micro hydro, there is never a dull moment. Every time we fix one thing, something else goes wrong. Now that we've almost finished replacing the old school pulley to pulleys that are easier to remove, we discovered a pipe leak.
















































The leak is due to a dried up rubber gasket at a joint located between 2 beautiful anchor blocks, next to a mango tree. The system also needs a bypass line. So the solution: cut the pipe (instead of destroying the blocks) to change the gasked and add a bypass line.

Health care ...or something else?

crazy and ugly.
brainwashed masses,
who do not understand that
health care reform is for them!

This Weekend: CHANGE HISTORY

I'm not in the US now....but I cannot help thinking about what this weekend means....or at least what I gather from the web in the dawn of New Delhi:

If you are in the US now, if you are an American, if you believe that the US prospers when its masses prosper, then you have to help make the health care vote this weekend happen.

Make it happen for the American people, not for the American insurance companies. The plan may not be perfect, since the Congress is not homogeneous. But the current plan to be voted on is as close as it can get to a compromise that still helps the American people get basic health care and reduce the national deficit. ...You've seen the countless debates over the last year.

Call your local reps...find out who is not for the bill...go on the web and get their emails and office phone numbers. DO WHAT YOU CAN. Go here to see how you can help change history this weekend.

...Obama did not magically become president. It took a movement of the masses to bring him to office. The same movement is needed now. If you are at all an Obama supporter, he needs you now more than ever. You can hear it in his words.

The irony is that this is not about Obama. It's about your neighbor, your family, and YOU.

....The best part about American politics now is that we can TAKE SOME PART. Voice your citizenship. Tell others. PARTICIPATE. Make it happen!

Body, Mind, Spirit

During the last few weeks, after getting over home sickness for Orissa and again appreciating life in San Jose, I have re-gained my physical energy thanks to doing what I could of a Master Cleanse and eating holistically again (and building new habits like no-dairy and no-wheat).

I can now run for 2 miles again, though still a far cry from my condition several years ago when I was accustomed to half-marathons and small triathlons!

During this morning's workout, I had cranked up the exercise machine's resistance level and had a fantastic realization: My body, mind, and spirit are so inter-connected! The higher resistance levels came at intervals, and I saw at some times I could easily do the higher resistance and at other times I was pooped. Initially I thought that my muscles needed warming up, but that wasn't the case since even towards the end of the workout, when I was fully warmed up, I had bouts of extreme ease or extreme difficulty.

What I started to realize was that when my mind was empty, when I was not thinking about completing my thesis, Gram Vikas, the next India trip, about my parents, etc., my body was doing wonders. The high resistance levels felt like nothing when my mind was focused just on a spot on the wall. I also realized that when my body was doing more, my spirit went out the roof! Even the Gram Vikas and thesis issues all felt like transformations rather than issues.

I found it amazing that something as simple as presence of mind could have such an impact on my body and in turn my spirit. I also realized that it took me so long to get to this point partly because I had not been taking care of my body, even though I had been doing things for the spirit.

...I am physically the oldest I have ever been in this life, but I am feeling more awakened than ever before. :-)