Randomness

2007-02-05T14:02:00.000-08:00

Vaah vee vah...

Imagine coming face to face with a pair of suckers like that. o_O

2007-02-02T17:01:00.000-08:00

Where is the Love?

I love this song. Even if the Black Eyed Peas have their ups and downs, they're still a good group cuz they demonstrate that music isn't always about hate and lust and sex, and that there's some stuff out there that's alot more important, and still some people that care about it. You have to really listen to the song, there's alot of meaning to it, and you can tell that BEP are people that DO care.

What's wrong with the world mama?
People living like aint got no mamas
I think the whole worlds addicted to the drama
Only attracted to the things that bring you trauma
Overseas yeah we tryin to stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin
In the USA the big CIA
the Bloodz and the Crips and the KKK
But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And if you hatin you're bound to get irate
Yeah madness is what you demonstrate
And that's exactly how anger works and operates
You gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love y'all

People killing people dying
Children hurtin you hear them crying
Can you practice what you preach
Would you turn the other cheek?
Father Father Father help us
Send some guidance from above
Cause people got me got me questioning
Where is the love?

It just ain't the same all ways have changed

New days are strange is the world the insane?

If love and peace so strong

Why are there pieces of love that don't belong

Nations dropping bombs

Chemical gases filling lungs of little ones

With ongoing suffering

As the youth die young

So ask yourself is the loving really strong?

So I can ask myself really what is going wrong

With this world that we living in

People keep on giving in

Makin wrong decisions

Only visions of them livin and

Not respecting each other

Deny thy brother

The wars' going on but the reasons' undercover

The truth is kept secret

Swept under the rug

If you never know truth

Then you never know love

Where's the love y'all?(I don't know)

Where's the truth y'all?(I don't know)

Where's the love y'all?

People killing people dying

Children hurtin you hear them crying

Can practice what you preach

Would you turn the other cheek?

Father father father help us

Send some guidance from above

Cause people got me got me questioning

Where is the love?

.....

2007-02-01T10:39:00.000-08:00

ਹਉ ਵਾਰੀਆ ਹਰਿ ਵਾਰੀਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ

I am a sacrifice, I am a sacrifice to You. 1Pause

ਸੁਣਿ ਸੁਣਿ ਪੰਥੁ ਡਰਾਉ ਬਹੁਤੁ ਭੈਹਾਰੀਆ ॥

Continually hearing of the terrifying path, I am so afraid.

ਮੈ ਤਕੀ ਓਟ ਸੰਤਾਹ ਲੇਹੁ ਉਬਾਰੀਆ ॥੨॥

I have sought the Protection of the Saints; please, save me! 2

ਮੋਹਨ ਲਾਲ ਅਨੂਪ ਸਰਬ ਸਾਧਾਰੀਆ ॥

The Fascinating and Beauteous Beloved is the Giver of support to all.

ਗੁਰ ਨਿਵਿ ਨਿਵਿ ਲਾਗਉ ਪਾਇ ਦੇਹੁ ਦਿਖਾਰੀਆ ॥੩॥

I bow low and fall at the Feet of the Guru; if only I could see the Lord! 3

2007-01-30T10:38:00.000-08:00

Since every blogger these days seems to also have a flickr account, I made one too!! I took Communications Technology this past semester, and one of our projects was to create a photo portfolio. My pictures aren't great, but I thought I'd put them up for everyone else to see, just to see what other ppl might think.

Check em out here:

www.flickr.com/photos/paneet

(My account name is Chocolate Belly ^_^)

2007-01-30T07:39:00.001-08:00

Khalsa Women

The first time I heard this song I was amazed. Just listen, you'll know what I mean.

You can buy the album and listen to more tracks here: www.mus1k.com

2007-01-27T15:31:00.000-08:00

The Lord of the Rings!! That's got to be one of the greatest films ever made, and most certainly my favourite. It's got an amazingly mystic and medieval-ish storyline (that credit goes to Tolkien, who himself was an incredible story-teller), and it really seems to take you back to a time of heroism and courage and all that stuff. It's awesome. At the same time there's so much innocence to it - like the little hobbits (I love those guys), and how they show that even the littlest of people can show so much strength, how they can change the world... and there's so much wisdom to it too, and it's such an awesome movie that I could really just go on about it but words just don't do it justice - especially my words, that just sound like something a nerdish and fanatic fan would say :).

But seriously, it's a great movie.

Anyways, since I haven't posted anything for a while, I just had this urge to post something LOTR-related. So I tracked down a quote from the movie that I kinda liked - but you have to watch the movie for it to have much meaning, cuz the performance put on by the actors was AWESOME...

anyways, here it is: ^_^

PIPPIN: I didn't think it would end this way.

GANDALF: End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it.

PIPPIN: What? Gandalf? See what?

GANDALF: White shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.

PIPPIN: Well, that isn't so bad.

GANDALF: No. No, it isn't

2007-01-15T11:37:00.000-08:00

My computer just crashed the other day and I'm forced to use my sister's laptop. It's wierd but ever since the computer crashed I feel like I've lost a very old friend. I've been feeling almost... sad. o_O

Just goes to show how dependant some of us have become on technology...

Okay, how dependant I've become. -_-

Out. :)

2007-01-12T16:13:00.000-08:00

click to read the full article
unbelievable... this is so horrible and unjust.

2006-12-28T10:05:00.000-08:00

I'm getting kinda lazy with this whole blogging thing, so this post is coming kinda late. But this Tuesday (I think it was Tuesday - I don't even know what today is) Sikhs commemorated the martrydom of the two chote sahibzadai.

Here's another piece of writing from Sakhian that tells of their story. This one is written by a seven-year old (there's another one that's quite good, but unfortunately too long to post here).

The

Young Sahibzadais

Once upon a time there lived four sons of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. One day Mata Gujri Ji took the youngest sons, Sahibzada Zoravar Singh Ji and Sahibzada Fateh Singh Ji, while a war that their father was in.
They had to leave because of the war. They went on a big journey. They went past dangerous animals but didn’t get scared. Then they came to Gangoo’s house for the night. Gangoo was a bad man. That night Gangoo came and took their money. Mata Gujri Ji heard footsteps but she didn’t say anything. The next morning Mata Gujri Ji said to Gangoo, “Our gold coins are gone!” Then Gangoo ran outside and yelled, “Someone has stolen our money!” Mata Gujri Ji stopped Gangoo because she didn’t want to get caught by the police who were looking for them. Mata Gujri Ji said to Gangoo, “You can keep the money.” Then Gangoo got mad because Mata Gujri Ji accused him. So Gangoo went to the Kotwal and told him about Mata Gujri Ji. The police came and took them to prison. Then they took them to a cold tower. The police took the young Sahibzadais to the Nawab’s court.
They got to Nawab’s court. The Nawab said, “If you want to become Muslim you must tell me. If you are going to stay Sikh you are going to be bricked up alive.” Then the Sahibzadais said, “We will stay Sikh.” They were not scared being bricked up alive! Then they went back to the tower. The day came. They gave Mata Gujri Ji a big hug. Then they had to go. They stood up for their religion. They got bricked up because they weren’t going to be Muslim. And they stayed Sikh because they were brave and had spirit. They could trust God. They got bricked up alive but they went to Sach Khand. No one forgot about them. They will be remembered forever and ever.

The thing that I love about this Sakhi is that the two sahibzadais were so young and yet so wise beyond their years. This used to be a real inspiration for me when I was younger because their story taught be that I could be brave and strong despite being so young, and I wanted to be just like them. I'm sure that it inspires alot of kids even today, which is what makes it such a great story.

A few years ago a movie came out called Sahibzaday, the animation - immediate success. Since then lots more movies have been coming out to teach kids about Sikhi. This one's a bit more recent; it's called Saka Sirhind, and it's also about the chote sahibzade. Here's a quick trailer:

www.sakasirhind.com

Unfortunately there's no details on how to buy it on the website - but if anyone knows where I can get a copy, please do tell!

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ke fateh.

2006-12-07T16:27:00.000-08:00

YAY!

SikhSpeak Issue #3 is (almost) officially here!!

Sneak Peak, here: http://sikhspeak.com/blog/?p=198#more-198

2006-12-07T16:20:00.000-08:00

This year in English we were assigned to read William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. For those of you who don't know, the play is about a Jewish merchant, Shylock, who seeks revenge on a Christian. Throughout the whole play the Jew is dimuinised as the villian, the most hateable character - in Shakespeare's time Jews were considered no better than dogs. But the interesting thing is that, even though he's the villain, one of the most famous quotes in the play seems to sympathise (sp?) with the Jewish community. It's a very good quote - it's a very good play! Who would've thunk Shakespeare could be so interesting?

I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that.

2006-12-04T16:53:00.000-08:00

Heartbeats and Arbour

In connection to my previous post, here's a short story told in the view of a suffering AIDS victim in Africa. This story, written by Laura Legge Age, age 17, won fourth place in a Canadian program that challenges youth to express their views on important global issues, i.e. poverty/world hunger.

As a sleepy village awakes under the light of a thousand suns in the depths of the Sub-Saharan terrain, a lone woman remains asleep. It is on the floor of her kitchen where she takes in her last breaths of plantains and bean stew. It is on the floor of the very heart of her home, where her life began and was sustained, that her blind son listens to the sounds of his mother dying.

The night before, she slept, disturbed by the turbulence of rainfall and disruption of immune responses, enclosed within walls abandoned by promise. Her son, huddled against her breast, crusaded against fatigue, longing to feel the warmth that had long since been robbed from this frail woman's body. The virus, as always, takes with it more than the strength of the beautiful woman it infects. It robs from her the child she had fought down ramparts of adversity to bear. In her dream, she has visions of necromancers and doctors, handing her cups overflowing with the medicines her prayers have come to replace.

She gave life to Babatunde when she was only eighteen. In her Yoruba tradition, his name means "the father has come back", for he was born not one week after the succumbing of her own father to the AIDS virus. Now he lies in the midst of old ghosts and lost opportunity, nursing matriarchy's severed head.

As Babatunde slowly lifts his eyes to a tragedy he cannot see, he becomes painfully aware of the feeling of death. He has grown used to this phenomenon. Across the oceans perhaps a rock star is proclaiming the necessity of the situation in Africa, but in the bowels of his home Babatunde exists without hope. He will never traverse the oceans. Instead he dreams of Oshun and the terrible temper of love. He feels the dam in his sightless eyes give way. A flood of tears drowns his protector in the room where dreams come to die. His mother lies motionless in front of the fire, her hand still wrapped around the warmth of a wooden ladle.

It is hours later when Babatunde's only surviving relative returns from market to see him crouched above his mother, gripped by a hermetic sobriety. Babatunde's grandmother pauses, watching the sun expire with an excruciating splendour in a sky tickled by twilight. She ambles to her daughter's side, quietly humming dirges to pacify her tender grandson. She is a heroine. Each day she fashions with her own hands small wooden coffins as a means of livelihood out of the palm wood that grows in abundance around her home. It is this palm wood that caresses her daughter's skin as she is placed among the roots and soil of the underground. Her son weeps, his tears fertilizing the earth that swallows his mother. This scene is enough to lead Babatunde's grandmother to imagine an entire generation eradicated by a preventable virus. At this point, the reader perhaps begins to imagine witnessing firsthand the first instance of an entire continent of children adopting parental roles for sustenance. Sub-Saharan Africa has become a complex of nations of grandmothers and orphans, of bridges built through generations by heartbeats and ardour.

Faced with the direst destruction, Babatunde refuses to allow himself to be buried alive among the four walls of a kitchen compound that seems to swell with despair. He keeps his head raised so high that when he exits through the narrow doorway he hits his nose on thick cumulus clouds. Death has permeated his days in a way that life has not: it has been ever-present, omnipotent, the harrowing reality that has always overshadowed football victories and feasts of goat. It was in his first year of primary school that Babatunde lost his father, a mild man, blissfully unaware of his own majesty. The virus compromised his immune system, a process that was expedited by already prominent liver damage. Without the bastion of patriarchy to establish his family in good stead with the surrounding villages, Babatunde lost all economic advantage, even those school fees which brought verve to his slow routine.

Like so many of his generation, Babatunde is raised by his grandmother. An intense, squat woman, Babatunde's grandmother makes daily libations of honey and milk so that her children may be protected; at night, she secretly sneaks these rations into her bath water. Babatunde's grandmother channels all of the power of the ancestors, of the family robbed of her, into movements that are pointed and triumphant. She never once considers her hopeless situation with hopelessness. Each day is a struggle to support Babatunde, his wealth of siblings, and the teething infants the missionaries left under her vigilant care. And although she celebrates spirituality as a basis for renewal, Babatunde's grandmother begins to feel the effects of her age. She has raised her own children, her being has imparted upon them the knowledge she had gained for future undertakings; although she could not deny the role, she was not prepared for another cycle of parenting. Still, she believes in her own strength.

Babatunde grows to embrace the sense of solidarity his grandmother promotes, for the unity of hearts in his village has long since become poisoned by the stigma attached to HIV. Babatunde's grandmother hides her face in folds of thick cloth when she ventures to market for fear of taunts, but when she returns home to wrap Babatunde in her radiant folds of skin, he regenerates under her love. Teetering on the other edge of the world, balanced precariously upon a structure of privilege, a Western boy of Babatunde's age complains of earache and is pacified with the sweetest medicine. It will be eight years before he learns the meaning of death.

"Babatunde!" his grandmother calls in dulcet Nigerian tongues, "I have something to show you!" He urgently rushes to his grandmother, sensing in her voice a revelation. He holds out his hands for his grandmother, her callused fingers grabbing at his open palms, and waits without expectation. From the depths of her throat, Babatunde's grandmother lets loose a chuckle full of gravel. He has almost forgotten the sound of laughter.

He uses his hands as eyes to see the gift in his palms. It is small, yet secure in its stature; it is soft, yet incendiary in its incarnation. It is a leather-bound book, a book, he excitedly notes, by the ridges in its title, which contains his mother's memoirs. An oasis in the desert of his consciousness, Babatunde drinks in the knowledge his mother has left for him with a new sense of euphoria. The lost generation seems less like a phantom than a player in Babatunde's own narrative. He rediscovers the meaning of harmony.
And Babatunde's grandmother can only smile, flashing ridged gums and lips cracked in exhilaration. It seems that the wisdom of a generation has not disappeared; it seems, at least for the moment, that the sun will set as usual upon Babatunde's home. It is as if his mother has returned to breathe life into him.

The child in the next house, the young girl in the next village, the boy in the next country, continue to raise themselves, orphaned with the melancholy of an unwarranted burden of solitude, without the resiliency of a grandmother. They will never discover the lost generation's bible. The balance of power will continue to ebb and flow, never concerning itself that an entire continent has been consumed by a virus, that orphans and struggling grandparents have dotted the map of Africa like locusts, that this does not have to be the case.

http://www.bp208.ca/winners2006/ind_wri_4.php

2006-12-01T13:50:00.000-08:00

Dec. 1 is
World Aids Day

Heartbreaking...

The facts about AIDS are overwhelming and confusing. In Africa, AIDS is a pandemic, which affects women, men, and children. In fact, by 1999, AIDS had killed an astronomical 12.5 million children. In terms more North Americans would understand, AIDS in Africa kills the same amount of people as if there were two major airlines crashes every single day. The knowledge of this devastation is indescribable. No one likes to hear that South Africa’s life expectancy has dropped significantly: from 54 years in 1990 to a measly 33 years in 2001. This steady decline is most definitely a direct result of AIDS. No one likes to think of orphaned babies, sick people, and the rapid deaths of millions of innocent human beings. No one likes to think about death.

Read the rest: Click here

2006-11-22T15:15:00.000-08:00

I just like poetry.

:-)

2006-11-14T12:55:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken by the Hubble Telescope in 1984 (okay, I don't actually know the year). It has been dubbed by many as the 'Eye of God'. It's actually a Helix Nebula, which is, if my memory serves correctly from grade 9 science, a cloud of gas and dust caused from the explosion of a star. All the different colours are due to the different gaseous elements, and it's actually the properties of these gases that caused our universe to first come into existence. This particular nebulan extends through a radius of 2.5 lightyars, which is about 23,651,320,000,000 km (remember radius is only half of the entire diameter) - and it's still expanding. Makes you feel kind of small, doesn't it?

2006-11-10T18:07:00.000-08:00

Hey, would you look at that, the next part to the Meatrix has just been released! I love these videos because I used to be (still sort of am) a complete animal-rights fanatic, so I will take the opportunity to show this video to as many people as possible!!! In fact, I think they were going to show my copy of the other 2 Meatrix's in Gurmat Class today for the kids... I couldn't go though because of a dentist appointment....

Anyways, watch it here!

www.moremeatrix.com

2006-11-10T17:30:00.000-08:00

I was reading some of the comments on Solarider's blog and somebody posted this absolutely beautiful quote. I do believe it is from the Guru Granth Sahib, but I don't wish to assume. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful shabad, and it struck me straight in the heart when I read it.

fareedhaa galeeeae chikarr dhoor ghar naal piaarae naehu
Fareed, the path is muddy, and the house of my
Beloved is so far away.

chalaa th bhijai ka(n)balee rehaa(n) th thuttai naehu 24
If I go out, my blanket will get soaked, but if I remain at home, then my heart will be broken.

bhijo sijo ka(n)balee aleh varaso maehu
My blanket is soaked, drenched with the downpour of the Lord’s Rain.

jaae milaa thinaa sajanaa thutto naahee naehu 25
I am going out to meet my Friend, so that my heart
will not be broken. 25

2006-11-05T15:06:00.000-08:00

Waheguru je ke fateh!

*Happy*Guru*Nanak*Dev*Ji's*Gurpurab!!!
As you probabaly know, today is Guru Nanak Dev Ji's birthday! I'm sure there'll be plenty of celebration today at the gurdwaras. My family and I already went this morning to beat the rush, and there already was hardly any parking space.

Another thing that happened today is issue #2 of the SikhSpeak magazine came out. Personally, I think it looks awesome. If you haven't already, I suggest you sign up to the e-magazine, because it's definitely worth a read, whether you are a Sikh or not. This month has alot of great features on Guru Nanak, which is kinda nice.

Okay, I have a bunch of stuff here on Guru Nanak for the few people who visit my blog (you may not comment, but I know you're out there!). I found several cool animated videos. The first one I think is neato mosqito, even though I couldn't hear anything cuz my sister unplugged the volume. The second one I couldn't watch but I found it on sikhsangat and the reviews were good, so it must be worth a watch. And the third one is actually an e-greeting, but that's okay (lol). :P

"There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim" - We are all ONE!!!

Well that's all I have time for right now... but I'll be back! Fateh!

2006-10-31T12:25:00.000-08:00

I Y my

MUMMY

get it? my mummy?

hahahaha - I mean: mwuahahaha!

lol

Happy Halloween everyone!

2006-10-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

A neat little story I've heard a couple of times. Pretty inspirtational.

An old man was picking up objects off the beach and tossing them out into the sea. A young man approached him and saw that the objects were starfish. "Why in the world are you throwing starfish into the water?" he asked.
"If the starfish are still on the beach when the tide goes out and the sun rises high in the sky, they will die," replied the old man.
"That is ridiculous," retorted the young man sceptically. "There are thousands of miles of beach and millions of starfish. You can't really believe that what you're doing could possibly make a difference!"
The wise old man picked up another starfish, tossed it out into the waves, and said thoughtfully,
"It made a difference to that one."

We can do no great things, only small things with great love. ~Mother Teresa

2006-10-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Diwali everyone! Or, for us Sikhs - happy BANDHI CHOHR DIVAS!

If you don't know what Bandhi Chohr is all about, here is one of the stories from the book Sakhian. This one is by Amrita Dhanoa, who is aged 14.

A long time ago, the sixth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Hargobind Ji, started the celebration of Bandhi Chhor Divas. It all started while he was spreading the teachings of Sikhism. Sikhism was gaining popularity, and Guru Ji’s power was growing amongst the people. In fact, Guru Hargobind Ji was becoming so well known that some people were starting to get jealous. Emperor Jahangir was certainly one of them.
The emperor was a Muslim, and feared that if Sikhism became more popular, it might overpower his own religion. The emperor was also worried that Guru Hargobind Ji himself would conquer him. The same thoughts had worried Emperor Jahangir when Guru Arjan Dev Ji, Guru Hargobind Ji’s father, had been the reigning Guru. At that time, the emperor had had Guru Arjan Dev Ji martyred, thinking that it would stop the spread of Sikhism.
This time, the emperor decided, he would finish the Guru Ji by imprisoning him in the famous fort of Gwalior. Emperor Jahangir succeeded in doing so, and all of the Guru Ji’s beloved Sikhs were very sad. However, Guru Hargobind Ji was not the only person in the jail. Other Hindu rajahs were also kept there as a punishment for annoying or bothering the mighty Jahangir. At first, Jahangir thought that his problem was solved once and for all. However, Emperor Jahangir forgot that Guru Hargobind Ji had earned many people’s respect and friendship.
Guru Ji’s good friend, Hajrat Mian Mir, gave Emperor Jahangir a rude awakening. Hajrat Mian Mir was a very influential and powerful leader. Although he was a Muslim, he thought very highly of GuruHargobind Ji. When Hajrat Mian Mir heard of Guru Ji in jail he wasvery angry! Hajrat Mian Mir told Emperor Jahangir to let the Guru Jifree. Emperor Jahangir had to listen, for it would not be good if such a strong man like Hajrat Mian Mir was upset with him. And so, Emperor Jahangir sent the orders to free Guru Hargobind Ji from the fort of Gwalior.
When Guru Ji heard that he was to be freed he refused to leave. He said that he would only leave the jail if all of the other rajahs could go with him. Emperor Jahangir was frustrated, but remembering Hajrat Mian Mir, he knew he would have to let the Guru have what he wanted - to some extent.
“Let those rajahs be freed who can hold on to the Guru’s coattails and walk out of prison,” he replied.
This was a big mistake; the emperor had thought that perhaps four or five of the rajahs would be able to hold onto the coattails of Guru Hargobind Ji. Little did he know, Guru Ji was having a special coat made with 52 coattails - the same number of rajas there were in the prison! All of the rajas held a coattail and escaped the prison safely. After this, Guru Hargobind Ji became popularly known as ‘Bandhi Chhor’, or ‘Deliverer From Prison’. The day Guru Ji arrived at Har Mandir Sahib, or the Golden Temple, the whole city of Amritsar was illuminated to welcome him.
The day Guru Hargobind Ji reached Amritsar coincides with Diwali. This is why Sikhs and Hindus celebrate on Diwali. Sikhs celebrate ‘Bandhi Chhor Divas,’ meaning ‘Day of Freedom.’ There are religious congregations held in gurdwaras all across the world including the three-day reading of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji taught us to be kind and help others - another lesson of Sikhism.

Buy Sakhian here and help out the Guru Gobind Singh Children's Foundation!

2006-10-09T18:30:00.000-07:00

It's Thanksgiving (for us Canadians, anyway) so I, of course, have tracked down some good ol' Thanksgiving... stuff. Enjoy!

SOME THANKSGIVING RECIPES

by: Kindergarten students

Banana Pie: You buy some bananas and crust. Then you mash them up and put them in the pie. Then you eat it.
Turkey: You cut the turkey up and put it in the oven for ten minutes and 300 degrees. You put gravy on it and eat it.
Turkey: You buy the turkey and take the paper off. Then you put it in the refrigerator and take it back out and cut it with a knife and make sure all the wires are out and take out the neck and heart. Then you put it in a big pan and cook it for half an hour at 80 degrees. Then you invite people over and eat.
Pizza: Buy some dough, some cheese and pepperoni. Then you cook it for 10 hours at 5 degrees. Then you eat it.
Applesauce: Go to the store and buy some apples, and then you squish them up. Then you put them in a jar that says, "Applesauce". Then you eat it.
Chocolate Pudding: Buy some chocolate pudding mix. Then you add the milk. Then you add the pudding mix. Then you stir it. Then you put it in the refrigerator and wait for it to get hard. Then you eat it.
Pumpkin Pie: First you buy a pumpkin and smash it. Then it is all done. And you cook it in the oven for 12 minutes and 4 degrees. Then you eat it.

SOME REAL RECIPES

Mmm, mmmm, mmmm....

CLICK <here> for some excellent vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes!

Happy Thanksgiving,

and don't forget to count your blessings today!

2006-10-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

If you ever live to be 100, I hope to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you."

-Winnie the Pooh

Aaaaw.... who doesn't love Winnie the Pooh?

2006-10-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy, busy month - and it's only the first month of school too, yeesh! - but last weekend we (as in me, my friend Tarandeep (TK), and some awesome people at the Guru Gobind Singh Children's Foundation) finally managed to pull off something we have been working tirelessly on for over a year now.

It's called Sakhian, and I'm so incredibly excited about it!!!

Okay, let's start from the beginning. About a year ago I decided that it would be cool if we had an anthology with a bunch of short stories based on events from Sikh history. Sikh history has always been such an inspiration to me, and I think that the stories are so romantic and heroic and amazing that they deserve to be told in a way that does them justice. I also love to read and write stories. And I knew that there must be other youth out there that share my passion SO that's when my friend TK and I started the Sikh Story Writing Contest. The aim was to encourage Sikh kids and youth to write down the stories that they enjoyed most in a creative/imaginative way. And boy did they ever do a good job!

And so, to make a long story short the best short stories have now been compiled into this book: Sakhian. I would say that a book like this is a very rare thing to come across, which makes it so worth all the hard work over the past year. The stories have been written incredibly well, and by all different ages. There's about ten in total, plus a few poems.

Now that's enough of that - check it out for yourself! You can buy the book online for $7.00 (U.S.) or just download it for $1.25. Believe me, it is WORTH IT. Oh, and u should know that we aren't getting any money for it - all the money is for printing/publishing costs. But a dollar from each book sold or downloaded will go to the Guru Gobind Singh Children's Foundation, which is a charity that helps needy families around the world.

SO CHECK IT OUT!!! ---> www.lulu.com/sakhian

2006-10-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love this video. I recommend everyone watch this - it's a humorous way to get the truth out about what really goes on in farms these days. You can also check out The Meatrix II: Revolting here: www.meatrix2.com.

2006-08-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

This is a pretty inspirational article.
It's about a little girl and her friends who decided to set up a lemonade stand to raise money for children in Africa. Most kids are completely indifferent to the suffering of children in other countries, but these kids have taken a huge step and are putting in the effort to help these lives. I think that's wonderful.

Few children make a point of catching the latest edition
of World Vision on television. For most kids, the dire circumstances of others
their age living without food, water and shelter, and suffering the horrifying
effects of AIDS, in the Third-World nations, don't register.

But Japnaam Kaur isn't like other children.

Since age four or five, she has asked her parents to choose channels
that are playing World Vision when they sit down to watch TV. And once the
program ends, she always says the same thing: "I want to help them."

To read the rest of the article, click here.

We should all be have that type of attitude and be doing our part to help out the less fortunate. Remember, just by clicking {this link} everyday, you can provide 1.1 cups of free food to people in underprivileged countries.

2006-08-26T15:38:00.000-07:00

This is is awesome:

Some youths from the U.K. have gotten together to start up this whole Sikh E-magazine, which I think is brilliant. Anyone can suscribe to it, and each month articles, stories, poems, whatever are sent out across the world. What a great idea! I was thinking of starting a newspaper/magazine type thing at my own local gurdwara for the littler kids, but this is way better. Check it out:

2006-06-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

This is when you know you're bored...

Um... yeah.

2006-06-09T15:28:00.000-07:00

I was on makepovertyhistory.org and I was watching some of the videos, and this one I watched about the orphans in Gnadala (sp?) just brought tears to my eyes. I can't believe it. Just... wow.

It's so extremely tragic, and it's so unfair that these people, these little little children, are suffering SO badly.

http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/video/

To stop minimize at least SOME of the suffering, we can at least do this much:

A child dies every three seconds due to extreme poverty.

How many children have died in the time that it took to read this post?

HOW MANY MORE WILL DIE TODAY??

2006-05-14T17:08:00.000-07:00

It's Mother's Day, so I was looking around on the internet to see if I could find any cool mother's day articles to post on my blogger. When I found this one, I was like "Wow, this is SO my mom!" So here it is, and to all of those overworked mothers out there... have a GREAT Mother's Day - you deserve it.

Goodnight, Mom

Mom and Dad were watching TV when Mom said, "I'm tired, and it's getting late. I think I'll go to bed." She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches, rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for supper the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container, put spoons and bowls on the table, and prepared the coffee pot for brewing the next morning.
She then put some wet clothes into the dryer, put a load of clothes into the wash, ironed a shirt, and secured a loose button. She picked up the newspapers strewn on the floor, picked up the game pieces left on the table, and put the telephone book back into the drawer. She watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket, and hung up a towel to dry. She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom. She stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for the field trip, and pulled a textbook out from hiding under the chair. She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope, and wrote a quick note for the grocery store. She put both near her purse.
Mom then creamed her face, put on moisturizer, brushed and flossed her teeth, and trimmed her nails. Hubby called, "I thought you were going to bed."
"I'm on my way," she said. She put some water into the dog's dish and put the cat outside, then made sure the doors were locked. She looked in on each of the kids and turned out a bedside lamp, hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks in the hamper, and had a brief conversation with the one up still doing homework. In her own room, she set the alarm, laid out clothing for the next day, and straightened up the shoe rack. She added three things to her list of things to do for tomorrow. About that time, the hubby turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular, "I'm going to bed." And he did.

2006-05-09T12:52:00.000-07:00

Was watching Lord of the Rings the other day (BEST MOVIE EVER MADE!!) and I came across this quote/scene that makes my heart melt every time I hear it...

Sam: I think I understand now... those people in the stories - they could have turned back any time. But they didn't. Because they were holding on to something.

Frodo: What have we got to hold on to, Sam?

Sam: That there's still some good in this world, Mr.Frodo.... and it's worth fighting for.

Jeez... that's so beautiful! *sniff*

2006-04-29T17:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a poem I wrote last week. Enjoy:

NANAK

Once, long, long ago

in a land not far away;

a district in Pakistan,

a child was born one day.

From the moment he arrived,

with a smile on his face,

people knew he was divine,

a gift by God's good grace.

His parents, proud as peacocks,

told their newborn son:

"We shall name you Nanak,

for you are a blessed one."

As the boy grew older,

he grew popular quite fast.

He made a many friends,

of many creeds and castes.

He played as any child would,

but he also did something strange:

he sat and thought, good gracious Lord!

and thought and thought and thought!

He thought of God and life and death,

he wondered at creation.

He contemplated stars and skies,

he turned answers into questions.

He thought and pondered and pondered and thought,

till his teacher could stand it no more.

"This boy is too smart for me," he said,

and walked right out the door.

At first his parents were pleased with their son,

but soon they became disheartened,

For thought their boy was very wise,

his work habits were much less efficient.

"Nanak," his father told him one day,

"You must start learning to work.

Take there coins and travel to town,

and bring back double it's worth."

So off Nanak went, to find a good bargain,

Singing God's name as he went,

when he came across a few hungry Sadhus...

guess where his money was spent?

"I made a true bargain," Nanak explained,

a few days when he got back.

"I spent every last penny to feed them," he smiled.
His father gave him a slap.

Soon Nanak grew, got married, had kids,

even got a job as a shopkeeper.

The people all loved him for his fairness and grace,

but Nanak himself felt unsettled.

For his true passion lied

deep in the heart of his soul,

what he desired more then anything

was Waheguru, the True Lord

Then one special day, something happened, it did

Nanak had a revelation from the Lord!

He would go out and travel, journey there and here

spreading God's Name to the world!

And Nanak did just that!

Travelling to lands far and wide

singing and praising the wonders of God,

with his good friend Mardana at his side.

And thus began the journey of a thousand miles

and 400 years give or take,

that spawned a new faith of fairness and love,

All spun by Guru Nanak,

the gift from above.

2006-04-17T12:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, after that rather serious and philosophicalalish post yesterday, here's something to brighten up my blog:

HAPPY KEASTER EVERYONE!! I MEAN EASTER!!

2006-04-14T13:44:00.000-07:00

It's Vaisakhi Day, and it's also Good Friday, which means I get a break from school, which means a whole day to celebrate Vaisakhi!! Yay! Gonna have some samose tonight! ^_^

Anywho, I've been practising Deh Shiva, cuz we'll be performing that for the Nagar Keertan. Should be good.

Well, I don't have much to say, so I'll just leave this poem which I found on SikhSpirit.com, hopefully that'll take up some room on my very empty blog. To anyone who's reading this... HAPPY VAISAKHI!!

Vaisakhi Tricentenery
It all began in 1699

Which was a really happy time

The Guru’s father had been killed

But his heart had been fulfilled

He gathered all the Sikhs to a tent

He asked for people's heads but no one knew what he meant

Then finally one brave Sikh came to say

"I’ll give up my life because I’ve worshipped you ‘til this day"

.
The Sikh entered the tent feeling very proud

As he went in there was a sigh from the crowd

He came out and pretended the man was dead

And they thought the blood was from the man’s head

He did the same thing four more times

And he knew what was going through people's minds

Each time he came out people ran away

But he said to them "Please stay..."

. . .
To read the rest, click here.

[Subject:pointless babble]

2006-03-31T12:58:00.000-08:00

So. It's my first real entry in my blogger. Cool.

I guess I'll start with why I decided to start a blogger. I think it's just a fun way to record all your thoughts and dreams and ideas - and I have lots of those. Piles and piles, in fact. Shelf-loads even. Plus I've been seeing more and more bloggers popping up all over the place, and I think it's a great way to express yourself. I've never been very expressionatededed (:P) person, but I love writing, so here's a great way to get it all out.

I guess blogs are different than diaries in a way. I've been reading Anne Frank's diary (had to return it the other day cuz it was overdue) and it's very good. Pretty interesting, and funny too. But diaries are all about what happened in my day, and oh my God my life is so depressing and I'm gonna go on and on about my feelings. and ooooh I saw the cutest guy today... (I'm not a guy-lover by the way)... but blogs are about pretty much anything. It's all randomness.

OH MY GOD! I just thought of a perfect title for my blog - RANDOMNESS! That is so cool!!!

Okay, will be back tomorrow then - with a new really cool title!!

OKAY!