V-I-T-O-U

WORLD WIDE CONSULTANCY CO.LTD

2011-10-25T10:06:00.008+07:00

World Wide Consultancy Company Limited (WWC) is situated in the heart of Phnom Penh City. It was formed by a group of well-educated, sophisticated and intellectual people from the strong background of business and NGO in January 2005. WWC will commit to provide excellent quality of consultation services with reasonable cost to its valuable customers.

Vision

World Wide Consultancy Company Limited to be one of the leading professional consultancy companies domestically, regionally and globally.

Mission:

World Wide Consultancy Company Limited provides the highly standardized consultancy service to the profit and non-profit industries including companies, government agencies, and non-government organizations.

Our Specialized Services:

Public Affair Division
• Fund Raising (Proposal Writing)
• Project Planning/Development
• Project Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting
• Event Management

Travel Division
• Ticketing for Air, Bus and Boat
• Visa Making and Extension Services
• Tour (in-bound and out-bound)
• Students Services

Business Solution Division
• Investment Consultancy
• Trading
• Financial Consultancy
• Marketing Consultancy
• Human Resource Consultancy
• Event Management

Email: info@wwcventure.com; vitouor@wwcventure.com

Website: http://www.wwcventure.com
http://www.facebook.com/vitouor

Director

Vitou OR

Trip to SIKKIM before coming back for good to Cambodia

2010-01-12T23:00:00.006+07:00

M.G ROAD
A HOTEL

BUDDHIST MONASTERY

THE VIEW OF THE MONASTERY

HILLSIDE HOUSES

MILITARY HEADQUARTER

HILLSIDE HOUSES LOOKING FROM THE OTHER SIDEHILL

NICE BRIDGE ALONG THE WAY

THIS OLD BRIDGE IS VERY ATTRACTIVE

My brother's house opening barbecue party

2009-09-14T18:12:00.004+07:00

Yummy...yummy barbecue

Meat for the party

Lobby-full of Karaoke sound system

People enjoying their barbecue

Top floor-party ground

Chairs arrangement for the party

My sister-in-law V style

My brothers' staff

GOODBYE PARTY WITH MY MORNING SESSION TOEFL IBT STUDETNS

2009-08-20T17:56:00.005+07:00

Class Photo (Guess, where am I?)

Organizing Committee (Thanks for their commitment for this party)

Food and Beverage for the party (No noodles...just brand box, don't get paranoia)

BOODBYE CELEBRATION WITH MY AFTERNOON SESSION TOEFL IBT STUDETNS

2009-08-20T17:49:00.001+07:00

LAST-DAY-OF-THE-COURSE-FUN MOMENT WITH MY SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS

2009-08-20T17:26:00.005+07:00

A FILM FESTIVAL ON KASHMIR VIOLATION

2009-02-27T12:50:00.005+07:00

We are a group of students from different academic streams at Christ College, who yearn to learn more and understand the conflict in Kashmir in its totality and explore the 'real' questions of the region by passionately engaging with its history. We intend to include other students and interested individuals to participate and support us. This initiative is supported by Pedestrian Pictures, Other Media Communications and other media and human rights activists.

We (a group of students from Christ College) cordially invite you to a film festival on Kashmir, PARA-DIES ON EARTH.

Date: February 28, 2009 (2:00 pm to 6:00 pm) & March 1, 2009 (10:00 am to 6:00 pm)

Venue: St. Joseph's Arts & Science College (Shanthi Nagar)

DO JOIN HANDS TO ABOLISH HUMAN HIGH VIOLATIONS !!!

Two Best Valentine's Lyrics-2009

2009-02-13T16:34:00.006+07:00

ONLY YOU-By: Platters
Only you can make this world seem right

Only you can make the darkness bright.

Only you and you alone can thrill me like you do

And fill my heart with love for only you.

Only you can make this change in me,

For it's true, you are my destiny.

When you hold my hand,

I understand the magic that you do.

You're my dream come true,

My one and only you.

Only you can make this change in me,

for it's true, you are my destiny.

When you hold my hand,

I understand the magic that you do.

You're my dream come true,

My one and only you.

One and only you.

I HATE YOU THEN I LOVE YOU-by Luciano Pavarotti
I'd like to run away from you

But if I were to leave you I would die

I'd like to break the chains you put around me

And yet I'll never try

No matter what you do you drive me crazy

I'd rather be alone

But then I know my life would be so empty

As soon as you were gone

Impossible to live with you

But I could never live without you

For whatever you do / For whatever you do

I never, never, never

Want to be in love with anyone but you

You make me sad

You make me strong

You make me mad

You make me long for you / You make me long for you

You make me live

You make me die

You make me laugh

You make me cry for you / You make me cry for you

I hate you Then I love you

Then I love you

Then I hate you

Then I love you more

For whatever you do

I never, never, never

Want to be in love with anyone but you

You treat me wrong

You treat me right

You let me be

You make me fight with you / I could never live without you

You make me high

You bring me down

You set me free

You hold me bound to you

I hate you Then

I love youThen

I love you Then

I hate you Then

I love you more / I love you more

For whatever you do / For whatever you do

I never, never, never

Want to be in love with anyone but you

I never, never, never I never, never, never I never, never, never

Want to be in love with anyone but you

But you.

Source: http://www.mydearvalentine.com/valentine/wallpapers/valentine-lyrics/

Valentine's Day

2009-02-13T16:22:00.002+07:00

Valentine's Day or Saint Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14 by many people throughout the world. In the West, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery. The holiday is named after two among the numerous Early Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

The day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of "valentines." Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards. The sending of Valentines was a fashion in nineteenth-century Great Britain, and, in 1847, Esther Howland developed a successful business in her Worcester, Massachusetts home with hand-made Valentine cards based on British models. The popularity of Valentine cards in 19th-century America was a harbinger of the future commercialization of holidays in the United States.

The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, behind Christmas. The association estimates that, in the US, men spend in average twice as much money as women.

Let's rock on Valentine's Day. Celebrate with spcial, friends and family...:)

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine's_Day

Sean Kingston Live Concert in Cambodia

2009-02-12T18:34:00.007+07:00

Do you like SEAN KINGSTON? I am sure you do like his song and know exactly the Beautiful Girls the very popular song you can hear. He is coming to perform his great song this week in Cambodia. It will be on February 06, 2009. You can buy a ticket to get to see him clear in front of the stage

But it is very sad for me that I could not join as I am stuck her until mid April. I wish I were there and enjoyed this amazing moment.

Anyone who saw me, pls share your feedback on this amazing concert.

I am sure it was nice and unforgettable....Cheer for him...Cheer for Cambodia.

With this song lyrics, hope you enjoy this entertaining song from Sean Kingston.

Beautiful Girls

( Sean Kingston )

Damn all these beautiful girls
They only wanna do you dirt
They’ll have you suicidal, suicidal
When they say it’s over

[Chorus:]
You’re way too beautiful girl
That’s why it’ll never work
You have me suicidal, suicidal
When you say it’s over
Damn all these beautiful girls
They only wanna do you dirt
They’ll have you suicidal, suicidal
When they say it’s over

[Verse 1:]
See it started at the park
Used to chill after dark
Oh when you took my heart
That’s when we fell apart
Cause we both thought
That love lasts forever (lasts forever)
They say we’re too young
To get ourselves sprung
Oh we didn’t care
We made it very clear
And they also said
That we couldn’t last together (last together)

[Pre Chorus:]
See it’s very defined
You’re one of a kind
But you mash up my mind
You have to get declined
Oh Lord…
My baby’s driving me crazy

[Chorus:]
You’re way too beautiful girl
That’s why it’ll never work
You have me suicidal, suicidal
When you say it’s over
Damn all these beautiful girls
They only wanna do you dirt
They’ll have you suicidal, suicidal
When they say it’s over

[Verse 2:]
It was back in ‘99
Watchin’ movies all the time
Oh when I went away
For doin’ my first crime
And I never thought
That we was gonna see each other (see each other)
And then I came out
Mami moved me down South
Oh I’m with my girl
Who I thought was my world
It came out to be
That she wasn’t the girl for me (girl for me)

[Pre Chorus:]
See it’s very defined
You’re one of a kind
But you mash up my mind
You hav to get declined
Oh Lord…
My baby’s driving me crazy

[Verse 3:]
Now we are fussin’
And now we are fightin’
Please tell me why
I’m feelin’ slighted
And I don’t know
How to make it better (make it better)
You’re datin’ other guys
You’re tellin’ me lies
Oh I can’t believe
What I’m seein’ with my eyes
I’m losin’ my mind
And I don’t think it’s clever (think it’s clever)

You’re way too beautiful girl
That’s why it’ll never work
You’ll have me suicidal, suicidal,
when they say its over
(music fades)

*********

There is no embed code provided, but you can watch this song on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt6o8NlrbHg By this time there are 48,644,403 viewer of this song with 120,540 rating as a great song. Enjoy it your time.

Source:

http://piseth.info/sean-kingston-in-cambodia-february-06-2009-brought-to-you-by-ctn-tv/comment-page-1/

Trip to Kampot

2009-01-23T17:13:00.002+07:00

Some of my favorite Cambodian Fruits
Some Souvenirs made of Shells

My Niece, so cute he..he...:)

Just in front of my cousin's house on the way to Keb

Playing cards...but i was not there...I was kidda drunk that time...too bad

A Tour to Delhi

2008-12-12T17:30:00.009+07:00

In front of a huge mall in New Delhi
Guess, where am I?
In front of the Mall
Some Nice Lady Stuff...They're cool, aren't they?
Look like the stalls in front of Olypic Stadium in Phnom Penh, right? I missed home when i saw this place.

A nice Spot, at least 6 Fly-Overs here....

In front of Lotus Temple

In front of a Tomb

My favorite snap

A huge tomb with a nice design

India Gate

I'm sure I dont have to tell u where it is...

Tricycles....Different from Ours...yet interesting...

Main Campus, Delhi University

A Tour to Banaghatta National Park, Bangalore

2008-12-12T17:23:00.002+07:00

Elephant-Joy-Ride (Guess, where am I?)
At Zebras' Zoo

Study Tour to Tribal and Rural Villages

2008-12-03T17:22:00.006+07:00

7up Ads, so thirsty

With A Tribal Woman in Lambada Village

With my classmates and some villagers

Huge Group Photos

Hydrabat City

Just A few Snaps at my House and in the College

2008-12-03T17:13:00.005+07:00

Just a Small Party at Home

With Dekun Piseth in the college

With Dekun Vannak in the college

With Dekun Sothea in the college

2008-11-27T18:16:00.002+07:00

Untreated E-Waste and many more

Untreated Solid Waste (Mixture of Plastic, Paper and Organic Waste)

What is your opinion?

My First Two Week-Internship at SAAHAS

2008-11-21T18:12:00.010+07:00

I have been one of the luckiest students in my class after i got to do the internship at SAAHAS while some of my classmates are still struggling for a place to work. My first day at SAAHAS was extremely cool. I was given a specific task and supported by other colleagues in a very professional manner. Of course, the beginning was not easy cuz I needed to learn a lot of things and worked with so many strangers. However, the working environment was awesome that really pushed me up to be even more interested in my work. I am right now working in two major projects at SAAHAS, E-Waste Management and Less Plastic for Me. So far, things have been so interesting yet challenging for me as a new intern. I have had to learn a lot of new things, travelled a lot in the city where I am not familiar with, met so many strangers with different attitudes and behaviors and so on, but I will never ever give up. Remember nothing is impossible if we believe it will be possible.

For more information on this exciting organization, pls refer to http://www.saahas.org/

American Band singing Khmer (Cambodian Songs)

2008-08-09T12:27:00.002+07:00

Found this really cool American band called “Meuk” (មឹក), or “Octopus” in English, on CTN (Cambodian Local TV Channel) tonight. They spoke and sang perfect Khmer, putting a Cambodian like me to shame. In this clip, they are singing “T’gnai Bak Roseal,” ”Champa Battambang” and “Right Here Waiting.” Check them out! They are a good treat for all of us, after all the heated discussions lately.

It's so exciting....!!!

2008-07-01T01:26:00.001+07:00

Wat a fabulous day!!! Guess wat? I met three monks from Cambodia today. It was fate. I normally leave college not later than 3pm but today because I needed to stay for the welcome party for my juniors I stayed up to 4:15pm. While I was leaving the college, just in front of the college bank, I saw a monk with just a short glance. Then, I kept on walking but immediately I decided to turned back and asked him as he looked pretty familiar. Ghosh....He is the monk from Cambodia.Without caring about our identity, we both hugged each other with warm and comfort. We kept on bitching about this and that until the other two monks came, but the level of excitement was not as great as the first crash. After a short dialogue, I figured out that they are doing their Bachelor Degree in Political Science in my college also. Imagine, I at least now have three people who can speak the same native language living in this city with me.

My so boring Saturday

2008-06-28T20:34:00.001+07:00

Well, actually nothing is special for today but it was kidda boring. I had four classes as normal and plus one more extra class. More than that, I had to sit for two hours listening to such a complicated lecture on the Spatial Sections which is the analysis of Indian society based on where the areas are located and how the locations influence the rural development which is one small part of the "Rural Community Development Paper". Well, I kidda got bored cuz most of the things that the professor presented were related to Indian History and how complicated Indian society was formed with great diversity. I kidda got nervous... What if this part comes in the exam? However, the professor said I can apply this in Cambodian context also...then it's not a big deal. But I might need to do more research on this issue. Despite the fact that I was born and grew up in Cambodia yet in the city so I'm not so familiar with the rural settings. Have u guys ever met such situation like me? Anyway, tomorrow is Sunday...he..he..but still one more report needs to be done also so hope I can finish it by tonight and tomorrow I can just hang around...Yahoo!!!;)

My New Academic Year 2008

2008-06-15T15:05:00.002+07:00

He...he...My new academic year started just last week. Hopefully, everything in this semester will be better than the previous semesters. I will have four major papers this semester as this is my specialization semester (Community Development); while next semester I'll have three papers and a dissertation. But personally, I feel I like this new semester than my first two semesters as I can study the papers I am interested in and they are so practical and also might contribute to the development of my country. Well, still two more semesters are left to go. Hopefully, I'll be able to go through it with success....:)

What a boring day...

2008-05-06T13:51:00.001+07:00

I feel like going back to Bagalore and continue my course as soon as I can though I am doing the intership but most of my work has been concerned with only observation, giving feedback...umm...boring...again and again...that's life...study, work, sleep, eat,...so boring....don't u think human being's way of life is so rediculous...?

Well, anyway that's life...hopefully will fin sth else different in my life soon....:(

Home...

2008-04-30T13:32:00.001+07:00

Finally I reached home...wat's else is better than home...plus the day i went home fell on Khmer New Year...Well, though it was hot, i like it...it's my home...home...sweet home...a couple days after reaching home i went to some places, Kampot, and Koh Kong...let's enjoy with me...:)

What a boring day!!!

2008-03-31T23:00:00.001+07:00

What a boring day!!! Studied, ate... In the end, I decided to roam around ha...ha....not so bad, visiting friends, chatting and having fun....now coming back...lolz started studying again...Count down...only 2 more left before the end semester exam. Kidda frustrated, kidda missing home....but wat to do...? Well, anyway will go home soon hey....in just two week time...:)Not too bad by the way...

I MSW Freshers' Party

2007-09-24T14:00:00.000+07:00

Book Exhibition

2007-09-15T02:26:00.001+07:00

From September 6 to 8 at my college, there is an important event called "Book Exhibition or Book Mark" which academically benefits the students as well as the whole college. In that event, there were the participations of the great local and international bookshops in Bangalore and there were also a great deal of discount books available for the audiences. However, I could not even buy a book I want. Therefore, I decided to shop at the Bookshops on MG Road, instead. He...he...at last I got three books.

The Books that I bought.

Book Exhibition at the Main Block

Different Book Stalls

Some books at different stalls

Some Performance on the last day of the show

The Audience

The Vice Principal watching the show

The performance trainer

That's cool. There is also the Prize Exhibition of my College. I really feel proud of my college when seeing all these prizes.

F4

2007-09-11T23:20:00.000+07:00

My Apartment in Bangalore, India

2007-09-10T01:09:00.000+07:00

Living Room

My cloth cabinet

Some Posters on the doors of the cabinet

Front Window

He...he...Two Beds for only me

Left Wall

The Picture made by the Handicapped

The Flags of the Nations

The Flags of the Nations and My Schedule

Right Wall

The World Map

Bangalore Street Map

My Academic Desk

My IT Desk

My Laptop

My Graduation Photo

My Spect

My Ping Pong Racket

The Cute Clay Statue made by The Handicapped

My Cute Card Reader

Teacher's Day (Sept 05)

2007-09-09T23:41:00.000+07:00

Today is a very special day for teachers and it's also the day that students need to show their gratefullness to their teachers and so do my MSW I class.

The Post Card for the five brilliant Teachers

The gifts

Preparation before the arrival of the five teachers

Here they come!!!

The speech given by one of my teachers, Mr. Sharma

Devia singing a song for the favor of the teachers

With Jisna

With Priya

With Swetha

With Somya

With Lijo

With Sujen

Dapan (Drama Competition)

2007-09-09T02:44:00.000+07:00

In the previous post, I have already published the Drama Competition within the internal department of Master of Social Work (MSW), but right now here is the real competition between all of the departments at Christ College. My MSW Department finally received the award of the Best Song Category. The award will be shown later...;)

2nd Scence (Domestice Violence)

3nd Scence (Female Infanticide)

4th Scence (Woman Exploitaion)

5th Scence (Women Seeking freedom)

The Whole Group

Focussed Awareness Campaign (August 31, 2007)

2007-09-04T23:11:00.000+07:00

Today, The Masters of Social Work Department cooperated with the Center of Social Action at Christ College to run a Focused Awareness Campaign under the image of Exhibition Stalls. The purposes of this campaign are to empower the children who are in crises such as: Child Labor, Street Children, Children Conflict with law, Disabled Children, and also empower the Children through Education. My group was also a part of this campaign. We were in the team of Child Labor. The stall finally finished with quite a lot of positive compliments though there were not many people visiting the stalls.

My stall was in the middle, fortunately.

Front Side

Right Side

Left Side

How is my stall?

Elementary Education Stall

Street Children Stall

Bosco Stall

With Chartrick

Children Conflict with Law Stall

Bosco and its Staff

With all of my team members (They might be too tired to smile)

Boat Trip Party Just After The Graduation Ceremony

2007-09-03T02:11:00.000+07:00

Gathering before getting into the boat

Getting into the boat

The girls preparing the food

Kao Dach (Isolated Island)

Prek Leap

Ya...Playing with water under the sun

Coming Back

Altogether Photo. Guess where is me?

NWI's Teacher and Staff Party

2007-09-03T01:54:00.000+07:00

Hi All Cuties... Pls wait for me!!!

Hey Guys...Why so lonely?

Nice Smile...;)

Rock Time

I know the food is so good...My mouth is wet now.

Brother! though u're not in this world anymore, we did have lots of fun together at that time.

Another Corner of Rock with Different Styles

It was really a great time though we rocked under the sun.

IFL Dabate Club Party

2007-09-03T01:29:00.000+07:00

After one whole year working very hard with Debate Forum, Demonstration, Weekly Debate Meeting and Debate Club Humanitarian Activities, here came the party for all the debate club volunteers and members. We were rocked with Barbecue, singing, quiz, games and other fun activities. Cheer...;)

Before the party started

After eating and drinking

Rock Time

Cambodian Fruit

Ah...ah...Let's rock

Girl Band

lecturers' Group

My Handsome Lecturer and His Beautiful Wife

Another Part of Rock Show, Joke Telling

Gift Sharing

Debate Club Manager Rocking with Davy

Good Bye Party before I came to India

2007-09-03T01:20:00.000+07:00

It was a party held by a small group of my lovely students just before I came to study in India. Though it was almost about three months ago, I still can't forget such joyfull event. Thank you, Vouchly, Mol, Rong, David, Tong, Keav, Vanna and Sothea.

The Code of a Gentle Man

2007-09-03T01:12:00.000+07:00

A Gentleman . . .

Does not discuss his family affairs in public or with acquaintances.

Does not speak more than casually about his girl friend.

Does not go to a lady's house if he is affected by alcohol. He is temperate in the use of alcohol.

Does not lose his temper; nor exhibit anger, fear, hate, embarrassment, ardor or hilarity in public.

Does not hail a lady from a club window.

A gentleman never discusses the merits or demerits of a lady.

Does not mention names exactly as he avoids the mention of what things cost.

Does not borrow money from a friend, except in dire need. Money borrowed is a debt of honor, and must be repaid as promptly as possible. Debts incurred by a deceased parent, brother, sister or grown child are assumed by honorable men as a debt of honor.

Does not display his wealth, money or possessions.

Does not put his manners on and off, whether in the club or in a ballroom. He treats people with courtesy, no matter what their social position may be.

Does not slap strangers on the back nor so much as lay a finger on a lady.

Does not `lick the boots of those above' nor `kick the face of those below him on the social ladder.'

Does not take advantage of another's helplessness or ignorance and assumes that no gentleman will take advantage of him.

A Gentleman respects the reserves of others, but demands that others respect those which are his.

A Gentleman can become what he wills to be. . ."

Source: http://kalyankeo.blogspot.com

Tikrong Kmean Mek (Skyless City)

2007-09-02T01:22:00.000+07:00

Dakok Kluon Eng (Self Prison)

2007-09-01T21:40:00.000+07:00

In the End

2007-09-01T21:28:00.000+07:00

My Celebrity Look-alikes

2007-09-01T15:23:00.000+07:00

My Birth Day Number

2007-08-31T21:59:00.000+07:00

Suck...today I am so dull cuz after the exam I also had to do the CSA's extension activities for the whole day plus I felt I couldn't get on with people around me. However, after I read this Birth Day number, it woke me up. Everything is amazing...;)

If U were born on the 1st, 10th, 19th, 28th of any month U r number 1...and it's me...;)

Number 1

You are smart, straight talking, funny, stubborn, hardworking, honest, jealous on competing basis, kind hearted, angry, friendly, authorities, famous person...always want to be and regarded as first on people position, they are often like to be independent, will never be under others, self confident people!You are most likely to fall in love in the younger age, but will get marry when you mature! You are likely to have problems with people who have opposite views and you are most likely to take revenge over your enemies in a long time basis. You are a spender, but you will have a good profession in the future. If you are guy you will be very popular that everybody will have mental attraction and respect at you. You can go anywhere from the local shop to the heart of the parliament because you are positive and well talented in numerous issues!! But in your life you will always have some people who will work hard to bring you & your name down. This is undercover!! Coz of your smart behavior you will be hated by some people too...Your family life is very cool, you will have a very nice partner &amp;amp; wonderful children... You are pioneer, independent & original...Your best match is 4,6,8 good match is 3,5,7 !!!

Note: Wow....everything is true about me. It 's unbelievable except I do not know if I will have a good profession in the future cuz my future does not come yet.

How about your birthday? You can always find out at Hyena's blog

2007-08-30T21:45:00.000+07:00

On August 15 2007, I decided to explore my life throughout Bangalore City on the Indian Independence Day, Holiday for all students in India, with three other foreign friends from the Philippines and Germany who are studying and working at Christ College. One of them is from the Philippines under the same United Board scholarship like me. We began from the South and ended up in the North of Bangalore. Though, it was just a short time that we couldn't cover the whole city, we somewhat enjoyed the trip with different experiences.

The church where we began the trip

Indian Breakfast

Another church near the market

Seafood Market

Mutton, Beef and Pork Section

Flower Section

A kind of fruit which is not available in Cambodia

Beautiful Mixed Flowers

A Mosque near the market

Russel Market

Hindu Temple.

The three major religion buildings locate in same block incredibly peacefully in this city.

With Glenda, my philippine friend

The biggest lake in Bangalore

Just across from the lake, there is a tank which you can see its detail in the next pix.

Ya...Her shirt really goes with this cute car color.

What a sweet coconut...!!!

These flags are placed here by the lake by students from different schools in Bagalore.

I forgot where it was...=(

Violin Building...so cute...ya

The camel was on the street in the city. It's so strange..

This is the Biggest Hindu Temple in Bangalore but no camera was allowed. Ya...otherwise the inside was very nice.

The President's House which is not worse than the White House in the States.

The ministers' house

Not very far from the President's house, there is a big and nice park.

Lots of bamboos which makes very nice sound when the wind blows

In the middle of the park

The Kid's park

On the way to have lunch, there was a cute plane.

The tallest building in Bangalore shot from the inside of the car.

This pix was in the ranstaurant where we ate lunch. I think it's the picture of the former Indian King and Leaders.

Indian traditional vegetarian food on the banana leaf which was not bad. I felt I was going back the past time.

Again eating with hand in Indian style ha ha....so clumsy...;)

After lunch, we went to a dessert shop. Well, let enjoy seeing Indian dessert then.

Six Secret Principles to Make People Like You

2007-08-26T23:35:00.000+07:00

Principle 1: Become genuinely interested in other people

A simple way to make a good impression. The expression one wears on one's face if far more important than the clothes one wears on one's back. Actions speak louder than words, and a smile says, " I like you. You make me happy. I am glad to see you." You must have a good time meeting people i f you expect them to have a good time meeting you. You don't feel like smiling? Then what? Two things. First, force yourself to smile. If you are alone, force yourself to whistle or hum a tune or sing. Act as if you were already happy, and that will tend to make you happy. "Action seems to follow feeling, but really action and feeling go together; and by regulating the action, which is under the more direct control of the will, we can indirectly regulate the feeling, which is not." -William James. Happiness doesn't depend on outward conditions. It depends on inner conditions. It isn't what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it. "There is nothing either good or bad," said Shakespeare, "but thinking makes it so." Your smile is a messenger of your good will. Your smile brightens the lives of all who see it. To someone who has seen a dozen people frown, scowl or turn their faces away, your smile is like the sun breaking through the clouds.

Principle 2: Smile.

If you don't do this, you are headed for trouble The average person is more interested in his or her own name than all the other names on earth put together. Remember that name and call it easily, and you have paid a subtle and very effective compliment. But forget it or misspell it-and you have plac e yourself at a sharp disadvantage. Whenever you meet a new acquaintance, find out his or her complete name and some facts about his or her family, business or political opinions. Fix all these facts well in mind as part of the picture, and the next time you meet that person, even if it was a year later, you will be able to shake hands, inquire after the family, and ask about the hollyhocks in the backyard. Sometimes it is difficult to remember a name, particularly if it is hard to pronounce. Rather than even try to learn it, many people ignore it or call the person by an easy nickname. Most people don't remember names, for the simple reason that they don't take the time and energy necessary to concentrate and repeat and fix names indelibly in their minds. If you don't hear the name distinctly say excuse me I didn't get your name clearly. Then, if it is an unusual name, ask how it is spelled. Use the person's name several times in the conversation; try to associate it in your mind with the person's featur es, expression and general appearance. Then, when you are alone write the name down on a piece of paper, look at it, and concentrate on it, fix it securely in your mind, in this way you will gain an eye impression of the name as well as an ear impression.

Principle 3: Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.

An easy way to become a good conversationalist Listen intently; listen because you are genuinely interested. That kind of listening is one of the highest compliments we can pay anyone. The chronic kicker, even the most violent critic, will frequently soften and be subdued in the presence of a patient, sympathetic listener-a listener who will be silent with the irate fault-finger dilates like a king cobra and spews the poison out of his system. Be more eager to hear what a person has to say then even they are to tell it. Many people prefer good list eners to good talkers, but the ability to listen seems rarer than almost any other good trait. All we want when we are in trouble is a friendly, sympathetic listener to unburden yourself. That is frequently all the irritated customer wants, and the dissat isfied employee or the hurt friend. If you want to know how to make people shun you and laugh at you behind your back and even despise you, here is the recipe: Never listen to anyone for long. Talk incessantly about yourself. If you have an idea while the other person is talking, don't wait for him or her to finish: bust right in and interrupt in the middle of a sentence. If you aspire to be a good conversationalist, be an attentive listener. To be interesting, be interested. Ask questions that other persons will enjoy answering. Encourage them to talk about themselves and their accomplishments.

Principle 4: Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.

How to interest people The royal road to a person's heart is to talk about the things he or she treasures most. Make an effort to find out what interests the person then get them talking about it. Talking in terms of the other person's interests pays off for both parties. When asked what reward he got from it, Mr. Herzig responded that he not only received a different reward from each person but that in general the reward had been an enlargement of his life each time he spoke to someone.

Principle 5: Talk in terms of the other person's interests.

How to make people like you instantly. Ask yourself " What is there about him or her that I can honestly admire?" That is sometimes a hard question to answer, especially with strangers. You want approval of those with whom you come in contact. You want recognition of your true worth. You want a feeling that your are important in our little world. You don't want to listen to cheap, insincere flattery, but you do crave sincere appreciation. So let's obey the Golden Rule, and give unto others what we would have others give unto us. How? When? Where? The answer is all the time, everywhere. Use little phrases such as "I'm sorry to trouble you, ___." "Would you please ___?" "Won't you please?" "Would you mind?" "Thank you." The unvarnished truth is that almost all the people you meet feel themselves superior to you in some way, and a sure way to their hearts is to let them realize in some subtle way that you recognize their importance, and recognize it sincerely. Talk to people about themselves and they will listen for hours.

Principle 6: Make the other person feel important-and do it sincerely.

In a Nutshell: Six ways to make people like you Become genuinely interested in other people. Smile. Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves. Talk in terms of the other person's interests. Make the other person feel important-and do it sincerely.

Source: http://hyena-gang.blogspot.com/

India Before and After the Independence.

2007-08-15T01:43:00.000+07:00

With the decision by Britain to withdraw from the Indian subcontinent, the Congress Party and Muslim League agreed in June 1947 to a partition of India along religious lines. Under the provisions of the Indian Independence Act, India and Pakistan were established as independent dominions with predominantly Hindu areas allocated to India and predominantly Muslim areas to Pakistan.

After India's independence on August 15, 1947, India received most of the subcontinent's 562 widely scattered polities, or princely states, as well as the majority of the British provinces, and parts of three of the remaining provinces. Muslim Pakistan received the remainder. Pakistan consisted of a western wing, with the approximate boundaries of modern Pakistan, and an eastern wing, with the boundaries of present-day Bangladesh.

The division of the subcontinent caused tremendous dislocation of populations; inter-communal violence cost more than 1,000,000 lives. Some 3.5 million Hindus and Sikhs moved from Pakistan into India, andabout 5 million Muslims migrated from India to Pakistan. In Punjab, where the Sikh community was cut in half, a period of terrible bloodshed followed. Overall, the demographic shift caused an initial bitterness between the two countries that was further intensified by each country's accession of a portion of the princely states.

Adding to the tensions, the issue of the polities Kashmir, Hyderabad, and the small and fragmented state of Junagadh (in present-day Gujarat), remained unsettled at independence. Later, the Muslim ruler of Hindu-majority Junagadh agreed to join to Pakistan, but a movement by his people, followed by Indian military action and a plebiscite (people's vote of self-determination), brought the state into India.

The nizam of Hyderabad, also a Muslim ruler of a Hindu-majority populace, tried to maneuver to gain independence for his very large and populous state, which was, however, surrounded by India.

After more than a year of fruitless negotiations, India sent its army in a police action in September 1948, and Hyderabad became part of India.

The Hindu ruler of Kashmir, whose subjects were 85 percent Muslim, decided to join India. Pakistan, however, questioned his right to do so, and a war broke out between India and Pakistan. A cease-fire was arranged in 1949, with the cease-fire line creating a de facto partition of the region.

The central and eastern areas of the state came under Indian administration as Jammu and Kashmir state, while the northwestern quarter came under Pakistani control as Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas. Although a UN peacekeeping force was sent in to enforce the cease-fire, the dispute was not resolved.This deadlock has intensified suspicion and antagonism between the two countries.

In 1971, Pakistan was itself subdivided when its eastern section broke away and formed Bangladesh. Border disputes continue to embitter Pakistani-Indian relations, as Pakistan has produced a series of autocratic military rulers, while India maintained a parliamentary democracy.

Source: http://festivals.tajonline.com/independence-day.php

Ethnic Day

2007-08-14T23:52:00.000+07:00

In this special occasion, all Post Graduate Students in India are required to wear their Ethnic Clothes to the college as you can see in the photos. Both girls and guys look so smart and interesting. These photos I took with my lecturers and classmates at my college.

Girl Group

Head of Department and all the four faculy members in Social Work Department

It's supposed to be the guy goup but these girls ya....

With Sir. Sharma

With Sir. Joseph

With pretty girl Noupura

With charming girl Ashwithi

With Tabia

With Jinsy

With Jemin and Deepa

With Maria

With Devia

With Srividia

With Vasia

With friendly girl Jisna

With John and Spince

With a college worker. She is a very nice woman.

With Tasha

With Soshila and Prithvi

With Pryangka

With Jotika

With Jotika and Kastory

With Neha

With Raksha

Centre Criticised for Not Giving Funds for Irrigation Projects

2007-08-06T00:13:00.000+07:00

State will mobilise resources on its own: Eshwarappa
17 irrigation projects estimated at
Rs. 2,410.7 crore
Minister takes exception to circular of water commission

BANGALORE: Annoyed over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s review of the implementation of the rehabilitation package for farmers in six districts, Minister for Water Resources K.S. Eshwarappa on Saturday hit out at the Centre for not releasing funds for 17 irrigation projects estimated at Rs. 2,410.7 crore.

Of the 17 projects, the Union Cabinet had approved four in the Krishna basin with an investment of Rs. 1,208.7 crore. Though the State Government submitted detailed project reports 15 months ago, the Centre was yet to release funds. It had adopted a “step-motherly attitude” towards irrigation projects of the State, he alleged.

Addressing presspersons here, the Minister said the Government had spent Rs. 550 crore on these projects and set aside Rs. 604 crore in the budget for 2007-08. Instead of promising to release funds, Dr. Singh visited the State to declare that “the coalition formation in the State is not in a good shape.” If the Centre did not release funds, the State Government would mobilise resources on its own to execute 17 projects – eight each in the Cauvery and Krisna basins, he said.

On Friday, after a review meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, Union Minister for Agriculture Sharad Pawar said the Centre was aware of the State’s inability to implement the proposed major and medium irrigation projects in the Cauvery and Krishna basins owing to inter-State disputes over water sharing and agreed that the funds earmarked for these projects could be utilised for other watershed development and groundwater recharging schemes.
Mr. Eshwarappa said the Centre had sought several clarifications on irrigation projects and the Government had submitted revised proposals several times. But the Centre denied in principle clearance for 13 projects. Instead of releasing funds for irrigation projects, Dr. Singh suggested to the Government to utilise funds sanctioned for the Sujala Watershed Project and the Suvarna Gramodaya Scheme, the Minister said.

He took exception to the recent circular issued by the Central Water Commission that the Government had to obtain permission from the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal for implementation of projects in the Cauvery basin.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/

Friendship Day (August 05)

2007-08-05T12:29:00.000+07:00

In this special occasion, I would like to wish you all the sweetest and realest friendship among your old and new friends.

My everlasting philosophy "Unselfishness bridges the real friendship."

Friendship Day History and Quotes

2007-08-05T02:31:00.000+07:00

There is not much literature on Friendship Day history as we celebrate today. However, there are numerous folktales and several instance in mythological legends that shows that friends and friendship have been valued since the beginning of civilized world. As an intrinsically social creature, men love to make friends to further this process of socialization.

History of Friendship Day in US

Considering the valuable role friends play in our life it was deemed to fit to have a day dedicated to friends and friendship. The United States Congress, in 1935, proclaimed first Sunday of August as the National Friendship Day. Since then, celebration of National Friendship Day became an annual event. The noble idea of honoring the beautiful relationship of friendship caught on with the people and soon Friendship Day became a hugely popular festival. Following the popularity and success of Friendship Day in US, several other countries adopted the tradition of dedicating a day to friends. Today, Friendship Day is enthusiastically celebrated by several countries across the world including India. In 1997, the United Nations named Winnie - the Pooh as the world's Ambassador of Friendship.

Importance of Friendship in Bible

The Bible, the primary text of the western civilization, reflects upon friendship as the bond that forms the foundation to human faith, trust and companionship. Following verses from the bible aptly portray the importance of friends:

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”Matthew 7:7

“Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13-15

Besides, there are several tales from the Old Testament and the New Testament about the value of friendship and how true friendship is a treasure to unearth. A noticeable point is that, both the versions make a difference between the two broad meanings of friendship- one is a mere acquaintance, the other is a more affectionate relation.

In the Old Testament, Abraham is called the “friend of God” because of the intimacy of his relations. God speaks to Moses face to face “as a man…unto his friend” (Ex 33:11). The romantic friendship of Ruth and Naomi, the devotion of the subordinate Hushai for David, or the mutual relation between David and Jonathan - the Old Testament is replete with these interesting tales of friends and friendship.

In the New Testament, the relationship between Jesus and his disciples clearly depicts how human friendship can constantly grow. From being teacher and disciple, to lord and servant their relationship finally grew to an unparalleled friendship.

Importance of Friendship in MahabharataIn the famous Hindu epic ‘Mahabharata’, Lord Krishna demonstrates the many colors of friendship - affection, romance, brotherhood, protection, guidance, intimacy and even teasing. Friendship is all about these and much more.

Friendship Day Quotes

"Your friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you." Friendship Day Quotes by: Elbert Hubard

"True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it be lost." Friendship Day Quotes by: Charles Caleb Colton

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."Friendship Day Quotes by: Anais Nin

"My friends are my estate."Friendship Day Quotes by: Emily Dickinson

"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out." Friendship Day Quotes by: Walter Winchell

"A friend is someone who is there for you when he'd rather be anywhere else." Friendship Day Quotes by: Len Wein

"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words." Friendship Day Quotes by: Unknown

"A friend is one who believes in you when you have ceased to believe in yourself." Friendship Day Quotes by: Unknown

"Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow.Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.Walk beside me and be my friend." Friendship Day Quotes by: Albert Camus (also attributed to Maimonidies).

"A hug is worth a thousand words. A friend is worth more."Friendship Day Quotes by: Unknown

"Everyone is a friend, until they prove otherwise."Friendship Day Quotes by: Unknown

"Every person is a new door to a different world."Friendship Day Quotes by: from movie "Six Degrees of Seperation"

"It takes a long time to grow an old friend." Friendship Day Quotes by: John Leonard

"I get by with a little help from my friends." Friendship Day Quotes by: John Lennon

"Anybody can sympathise with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathise with a friend's success." Friendship Day Quotes by: Oscar Wilde

"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up." Friendship Day Quotes by: Bible: Ecclesiastes

"Two may talk together under the same roof for many years, yet never really meet; and two others at first speech are old friends." Friendship Day Quotes by: Mary Catherwood

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather is one of those things that give value to survival." Friendship Day Quotes by: C. S. Lewis

"I might give my life for my friend, but he had better not ask me to do up a parcel." Friendship Day Quotes by: Logan Pearsall Smith

"Friends are the most important ingredient in this recipe of life." Friendship Day Quotes by: Unknown

"The better part of one's life consists of his friendships." Friendship Day Quotes by: Abraham Lincoln

"The love of my life is the love between friends." Friendship Day Quotes by: Unknown

"One's best friend is oneself." Friendship Day Quotes by: Unknown

"A Friend is someone who knows all about you and loves you anyway!!!" Friendship Day Quotes by: Unknown

"To be depressed is to be lonely; to have a friend is to be happy..." Friendship Day Quotes by: Guido

Friendship is like a perennial river which flows forever. It may change it's path but will never ever dry up.Friendship Day Quote Contributed by: Pinaki Prasad Mohanty

Angkor Wat

2007-08-04T22:36:00.000+07:00

Angkor Wat (or Angkor Vat) is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built for King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. The largest and best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained since its foundation as a significant religious centre — first Hindu, dedicated to Vishnu, then Buddhist. The temple is the epitome of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.

Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple mountain and the later galleried temples. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the gods in Hindu mythology: within a moat and an outer wall 3.6 km (2.2 miles) long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands a quincunx of towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; scholars are divided as to the significance of this. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its extensive bas-reliefs and for the numerous devatas adorning its walls.

Front Look

Looking from the Lake side

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Flag of Cambodia

2007-08-04T22:18:00.000+07:00

Flag Description:
three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (double width), and blue with a white three-towered temple representing Angkor Wat outlined in black in the center of the red band; only national flag to incorporate a building in its design.

Source: http://www.khmerinstitute.org/

Sounding the Spirit of Cambodia

2007-08-04T21:47:00.000+07:00

The Living Tradition of Khmer Music and Dance-drama in a Washington, DC Community.

Joanna Theresa Pecore, Phd Dissertation 2004. This dissertation takes readers on a visit to a community that lives and breathes Khmer music and dance-drama today in the Washington, DC area. It explores the experience of more than forty individuals who participate in the activities of Cambodian American Heritage in Virginia and the Cambodian Buddhist Society in Maryland. This collective story illustrates the fundamental role that music plays in linking contemporary residents of the Washington, DC area to the spirit of an ancient, distant Cambodia. It demonstrates how Khmer music: 1) unifies sound, movement, story, and social interaction, 2) embodies cultural ideals that resonate across Buddhism, transmission processes, and performance, 3) retains lessons about the continuity of life and exceptional conduct, and 4) balances personal with group needs. Full Abstract.

Source: http://www.khmerinstitute.org/

KHMER ROUGE TRIALS

2007-08-04T21:44:00.000+07:00

In June 2003, the Cambodian Government and the UN signed an agreement paving the way for joint cooperation on prosecuting former Khmer Rouge leaders. Four years later, not a single former Khmer Rouge leader has yet been put on trial for atrocities committed by the Democratic Kampuchea regime between 1975 and 1979. Given the corrupt conditions of Cambodia today and the structure of the trials conceded to by the UN, a show trial of the Khmer Rouge may not necessarily be the correct course of action in Cambodia.

Source: http://www.khmerinstitute.org/

Some Khmer (Cambodian) Kings and Temples

2007-08-04T20:39:00.000+07:00

Note: We have attempted to date the monuments as accurately as possible. Nevertheless, some dates of construction are not definite as they are still in dispute by scholars and/or the monuments were built and rebuilt during different periods of time. Monuments labeled (T) are located in present-day Thailand.

9th Century

Jaya II (802-50)
Kulen
Indra I (877-89)
Preah KoBakong
Yaso I (899-900+)
Lolei

10th Century

Yaso I (899-900+)
Phnom Bakheng
Phnom Kro
Phnom Bok
Baksei Chamkrong
Prasat Kravan
Rajendra (944-68)
East Mebon
Pre Rup
Bat Chum
Jaya V (968-1001)
Banteay Srei
Ta Keo
Muang Tam (T)

11th Century

Surya I (1002-50)
Phimean-akas
Preah Vihear
Phnom Chisor
Wat Phu
Udayaditya II (1050-66)
BaphuonWest
Mebon
Phnom Wan (T)
Jaya VI (1080-1113)
Phimai (T)

12th – 13th Centuries

Surya II (1113-50)
Angkor Wat
Chau Say Tevada
Thommanon
Preah Pithu
Banteay Samre
Beng Mealea
Phnom Rung (T)
Jaya VII (1181-1219)
Angkor Thom - Gateways, Royal Terraces, Bayon
Spean Praptos
Banteay Kdei
Ta Prohm
Preah Khan
Neak PeanS
rah Srang
Ta Som
Ta Nei
Banteay Chmar

Note: The Kings here all possess the title of "varman" due to their great abilities, strengths, efforts, attainments, and achievements in/for the prosperity of the Khmer Empire.

Source: http://www.khmerinstitute.org/

Imagination

2007-08-02T01:41:00.001+07:00

I felf so bored tonight and didn't feel to read books at all so just took a pencil and a blank paper and started to draw. Then, I came up with an idea to draw a picture of a Khmer girl whom I just imagined. I don't know who she is either. Well, What do think? I used to take a drawing course for only two days before I started my undergraduate course in 1999. Therefore, I think I need to take more professional courses in order to master my drawing skill.

In India

2007-08-01T02:49:00.000+07:00

My first day at my college

With Linto, my 1st Indian Friend

Monastry at Kushalnagar, around 200kms from Bangalore, India

Thank you, Prithvi, for offering these beautiful pix.

Before Arriving In Bangalore, India

2007-08-01T02:24:00.000+07:00

I have stayed in India for almost two months, but I forgot to post these pix. It just happened before I came to do my MSW at Christ College in India.

With Mr. Subramanyam Ravi, First Secretary to Embassador of India In Phnom Penh, Cambodia

With St. Luise in her office

My family and Friends seeing me off at Phnom Penh International Airport

With my mom, dad and my god brother

With my handsome brother

At Sovannaphum Airport, Bangkok, Thailand

The Visit to Juvenile Home and Observation Home (The Last Yet The Worst)

2007-07-27T23:40:00.001+07:00

It's my last field work orientation visit, and it's also my worst day in India. I got an accident while visiting the Juvenile Home for boy. I fell down and my both knees got injured. Though it was not a big wound, I felt so bad. Today I couldn't get any messenge from the field supervisor's speech since the wound got hurt and my both eyes almost couldn't open. I frankly admitted that I learnt almost nothing except from my peers. However, I would like to express the profound thanks to Sir. Sharma and Miss Sukanya who took care of my injured part. Anyway, camera is prohibited in the campus, so I couldn't take many photos. However, I will briefly tell you about Juvenille Home, Observation Home and TREDA. Juvenille Home basically focuses on children who have been abandoned, or whose parents have been convicted by law, and also women who are somewhat mentally depressed. Meanwhile, Observation Home focuses on Children who commit crime and whose ages are under 18. Therefore, both Juvenille and Observation Home's main aim is to rehabilitate those children in order to bring about change into their future.
Anyway, TREDA puts more focus on addiction and counselling, meaning that those who are addicted to either drug and alcohol are treated here. However, the service is not provided with free of charge. Eanch patient must pay Rs. 3000 in general. Well, now let see some pix about these activities.

The injured part on my knee

The visit to Observation Home

The Entry Gate

Breakfast at Juvenille Home for Boys

Their Lunch

Arrival of MSW trainees at Observation Home

The visit to Treda

Front Look at Treda

Some Background about Treda

MSW trainees listening to speech by TREDA staff

Potter mania

2007-07-25T23:46:00.000+07:00

SAMANTH SUBRAMANIAN
What is truly disturbing about J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series is not that it happens to appeal so much to children but that it happens to appeal so much to adults.
This is perhaps J.K. Rowling’s biggest achievement: to write a series that has unashamedly and exclusively targeted children, and to then watch it explode, partly by word of mouth, into a phenomenon that has consumed adults as well.

Photos: AP and Royal Mail via Bloomberg News

Over-estimation: Is Harry Potter a marketing marvel?

The curious thing about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is that, despite its status as arguably the most awaited book in history, it will do next to nothing to determine the place of the Harry Potter series in literary repute. That debate has, over 10 years of Potterphilia, already burned itself down to the ground, scorching a strip of No Man’s Land through the reading public and dividing it into two staunchly opposing camps. The merits of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows are unlikely to send loyalists of either side scurrying into the other.Entertaining debate That the debate itself has been as, and frequently more, entertaining than the books is an acknowledgement of the age in which we live. These are times when writers of children’s fiction do not necessarily write just for children. They must write also for the adult reviewers of literature, and for the adult readers of those reviews, since it is those adult readers who can then set down an adult credit card to buy the book in the first place. The children figure only as inevitable recipients, and sometimes not even then. So the permanent wryness of Terry Pratchett, the various allegories of Philip Pullman, and the mordant darkness of Lemony Snicket are hardly kid magnets of the first water. They’re strategic elements that will induce reviewers to marvel at the realism or the subtlety of the fiction, and to conclude that these books are just as fascinating for grown-ups as for children. This is perhaps J.K. Rowling’s biggest achievement — to write a series that has unashamedly and exclusively targeted children, and to then watch it explode, partly by word of mouth, into a phenomenon that has consumed adults as well. *I read the first three Harry Potter books standing up, in snatches of stolen reading, hidden away behind a pillar when I should have been helping re-stock the shelves in a bookstore. It was the slow winter of 1999, and Harry Potter and t he Prisoner of Azkaban had released just a few months earlier. The franchise hadn’t quite reached its apogee of manic frenzy, although it was methodically, assuredly working its way up there. At the time, I remember thinking that they were pleasant enough reads but little more; in my mind, I equated them with the Clive Cussler novel I had just finished, and I moved behind the next pillar to begin Michael Crichton’s Timeline.Less than a year later, the debate went on Full Heat. Rowling’s supporters argued that the books had electrified children into reading, and that anybody who managed that stupendous feat deserved the encouragement of every right-thinking individual. That theory has been somewhat bruised by a 2007 study, which found that rather than reading more of everything, children were simply reading more of Harry Potter — not quite the universal electrification the literati were looking for. But even earlier, there were more thundering criticisms. A.S. Byatt called Rowling’s universe “a secondary secondary world,” tiresomely derivative, and charged that our modern tendency to substitute “celebrity for heroism” fed the Potter phenomenon. Harold Bloom, Yale’s ever-caustic literary academic, called Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone severely cliché-ridden and compared it — very unfavourably — to the literatu re of Stephen King. Even more dramatically, Bloom dismissed the trumpets of the Potter-inspired reading revolution. “Why read, if what you read will not enrich mind or spirit or personality?” he wrote, in a column in The Wall Street Journal in July 2000. Later in the same column, he concluded: “Can more than 35 million book buyers, and their offspring, be wrong? Yes, they have been, and will continue to be for as long as they persevere with Potter.”Anthony Holden, The Observer’s literary critic, joined the proponents of another commonly held view — that Harry Potter did so well simply because he was marketed to within an inch of his life, with “advance hype w orthy of a Wonderbra.” Serving on the jury of the Whitbread Awards for children’s fiction, Holden dismissively ignored two fellow judges who insisted that their children enjoyed Potter. “Were their children, I snorted, to be allowed to choose the Book of the Year?” he wrote. “‘You should be reading them Beowulf,’ I snapped testily. ‘It’s much the same sort of stuff, heroes taking on dragons and all that, but the language is far mor e exciting’.” It was shortly after this, not surprisingly, that he was labelled a “pompous prat” on television.*Holden’s views — and they are not exclusively his — on children’s literature seem to tell of a titanic shift, from a golden pre-Rowling age of merry Beowulf-reading into the bleak present of hyper-marketed Po tterness. But any of us who aren’t quite that out of touch with reality could tell Holden otherwise. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, I was reading the Hardy Boys, Archie comics, and far more Enid Blyton than is considered healthy for a growing child — all closer to Harry Potter than Beowulf. Children’s books Indeed, when were children ever reading Beowulf at that age, short of encountering it in a school curriculum or being Seamus Heaney’s grandchildren? Blyton wrote her stories for children midway through the 20th century, and pe nny shockers like the Hardy Boys mysteries appeared even earlier. Roald Dahl’s fiction was more sophisticated, but it is hardly Beowulf. Where, then, is Holden’s golden age, if children have been reading simplistic, heavily entertaining, lowbrow fiction for many decades now?

Even if some of us were aberrations, and if most of our peers were really crouching under their sheets at night with a flashlight and a dog-eared copy of Beowulf, it doesn’t seem to have precluded an escalation to more mature literature. Holden would possibly argue that those were different times, and that distractions like cable television and Facebook will mire today’s children at the Potter level of literary thought forever. But Rowling and her publishers invented neither cable television nor Facebook; those are symptoms of a larger social rearrangement that Potter can scarcely be held responsible for. What is truly disturbing about the Harry Potter series is not that it happens to appeal so much to children but that it happens to appeal so much to adults. As bluntly as ever, Holden advised these adults to “get a life”. “Getting in touch with your inner child is all very well,” he wrote, “but reluctance to put away childish things is, as another bestseller long ago suggested, rather more worrisome.”

Holden’s view — that the Harry Potter books hold desperately little of value to engage mature thinking — is becoming increasingly difficult to share without being accused of joyless literary snobbery. I plead the opposite: That as an adult, it is in fact joyless to read a book that talks down to you, a book where you can lazily read every fourth sentence and sufficiently keep up, a book written in English that is uninspired at its best and awful at its worst, a book that contains no thought or meaning beyond what is iterated at tiresome length on the page. These are conceivably requisite elements for successful children’s fiction, and it is unreasonable to grudge their presence in the Harry Potter canon, but that is all that can be said for them. Adult fascination
It isn’t immediately obvious what to make of this adult fascination with Potter. Should we be far more worried now about the standards of adult fiction? Should we surmise that our leading novelists are struggling to make any sort of real connection with their readers? Should we shrug this too away and ascribe it, as we do so much else, to the side effects of the modern world, its incessant stresses that make people want an undemanding, thoughtless experience whenever they do find the energy to pick up a book? Or are we as guilty as Holden of fondly imagining a previous golden age where none existed, and is Harry Potter just the newest instance in a long history of populist reading?
There is, finally, the danger that we over-estimate Harry Potter entirely too much, for he is more a mercantile phenomenon than a literary phenomenon. His legacy, years from now, will be stated in terms of the number of books sold, each copy a tiny Horcrux that contains a multi-millionth part of his soul; it will be stated in terms of how Bloomsbury’s stock went up, how much richer Rowling became, how many billions of dollars the movies made. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will certainly stack those numbers higher, like a teetering pile of poker chips. But numbers come and go, and faster today than ever before; literary longevity, much more lasting and correspondingly elusive, may require a completely different sort of magic altogether.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/

Pratibha sworn in as India's first woman President

2007-07-25T23:35:00.001+07:00

President Pratibha Patil waves after inspecting a ceremonial Guard of Honour at the Presidential Palace in New Delhi on Wednesday. AP Photo.
New Delhi, July. 25 (PTI): Pratibha Patil was sworn in today as India's first woman President with pomp and ceremony and pledged to live up to the "high expectations" of those who elected her and to serve the best interests of the people of the country.
The 72-year-old Patil, who was brought out of near obscurity of the Raj Bhawan in Jaipur to become the choice of the UPA-Left combine, took the oath of office in the high-domed historic Central Hall of Parliament in the presence of her highly popular predecessor A P J Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
Leaders of all parties,including the BJP which had attacked her candidature, Governors and Chief Ministers and the diplomatic corp also attended the ceremony.
In a brief pepared address after being sworn in as the 12th President by the Chief Justice of India, she said "It will be my sincere endeavour to live up to the high expectations of all those who have chosen to elect me, and to serve the best interests of the people of India.
"I am fully aware of the great responsibiilty that has been placed on my humble shoulders."
Patil favoured socially inclusive economic growth and unity in the fight against divisive tendencies like communalism.
"It should be our combined endeavour to sustain this growth and ensure that it is socially inclusive. We must ensure that every section of our society -- particularly the weak and the disadvantaged -- are equal partners in and beneficiaries of the development process," she said.
Noting that people desired better governance, faster development and a life of peace and security, Patil said "we must all stand united in the fight against such divisive and destructive tendencies as communalism, casteism, extremism and terrorism".
The new Head of the State spoke about something close to her heart -- empowerment of women, saying this would lead to empowerment of the nation.
Patil said she would like to see every person, man and woman, boy and girl, "be touched by the light of modern education".
Amidst loud thumping of desks, she said efforts must be made to banish malnutrition, social evils, infant mortality and female foeticide.
Pledging full commitment to the protection of child rights, she said "must wage a relentless campaign against poverty, ignorance and disease to seek a better future for our children".
Patil's husband Devisingh and other family memebrs were present at the ceremony that was preceded and followed by impressive guards of honour given by the mounted President's Body Guards (PBGs) at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Dressed in a cream coloured silk saree with green border with a matching full-sleeved blouse, Patil was first invited by the President's Military Secretary from her temporary residence in South Avenue to what will be her grand palatial abode for the next five years.
After a quick inter-services guard of honour to Kalam, the two drove to Parliament House escorted by mounted PBGs and were received by Chatterjee, Rahman Khan and Balakrishnan.
The two again drove back in a ceremonial procession to the Rashtrapati Bhavan where Patil inspected the first inter-services guard of honour.
The brief ceremony was attended among others by former Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, who lost to Patil in an unsually acrimonious election, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, BJP leaders L K Advani and Sushma Swaraj and Chief Ministers M Karunanidhi, Mayawati, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Nitish Kumar and Raman Singh.
Governors from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were also present, as also Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswamy and Chairman of Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council C Rangarajan.
Leaders of Left parties including A B Bardhan and D Raja of CPI and Sitaram Yechury of CPI-M attended the function.
Vajpayee and Ajit Jogi, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, came in wheel chairs.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/

First Woman President in India

2007-07-25T23:20:00.000+07:00

First Woman President of INDIA

India gets first woman presidentPratibha PatilMrs Patil's backers say her election will be a boost to womenThe first woman president of India since it gained independence from British rule 60 years ago is due to take her oath of office in Delhi.Pratibha Patil,72, will be sworn-in as head of state in a ceremony at the Indian parliament.Mrs Patil's supporters say her election to the largely ceremonial role will be a boost to millions of Indian women.She succeeds APJ Kalam who urged Indians to transform their country into a fully developed nation by 2020.Mrs Patil won a comprehensive presidential election victory, mopping up nearly two-thirds of votes cast in state assemblies and in India's parliament.The former governor of the northern Indian state of Rajasthan described her election as "a victory for the principles which our Indian people uphold".Surprise candidateThe BBC's Sanjoy Majumder, in Delhi, says that while some see her victory as an important step towards gender equality in India, many view it as only a symbolic gesture.Millions of women in India face discrimination and poverty often linked to traditions which require the parents of a bride to pay a large dowry to the family of her eventual husband."This is a victory for the principles which our Indian people uphold" Pratibha PatilProfile: Pratibha PatilMrs Patil emerged as a surprise, last-minute candidate after left-wing parties in the Congress-led coalition opposed the Congress Party's first choice.She was backed by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, but was mocked by opponents and by some sections of India's media.Mrs Patil has courted controversy, recently telling a Muslim congregation that the veil was introduced to protect their women from Mughal invaders, a comment she later retracted.She also faced allegations that a bank she helped set up gave out cheap loans to her relatives before it folded.The Congress Party has rejected those allegations.The presidency is largely a ceremonial post, but plays a key role with a fragmented electorate often throwing up precariously placed coalition governments.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/

The Visit To Foundation for Eduacational Innovation In Asia (FEDINA)

2007-07-23T21:28:00.000+07:00

This is my 8th field work orientation, but unfortunately the 7th one was not published here because my camera battery was depleted...:(
Fedina is one of NGOs in Bangalore who work with women and children, but more particularly one of its major projects is to work with senior citizens. When I met them, though I don't know their language, I feel that they were happy with the existence of FEDINA. According to my friend's translation, these old people have so far participated in virious activities in FEDINA such as leading and joining the campaign for their own right to pension fund, joining self help goup in order to earn some saving, participating in income generating project by making paper bags (magazine and newspaper were collected from the other NGOs, Schools, Colleges, and some other Industries) and sell it to the market, especially involving in drama and other performance on the streets and on the stage. They also elected the president for their group to represent the whole 35 slums in Bangalore.
This is my first experience in working with old people, and it was so amazing, and unforgettable. Surprisingly, that day was also one of my friend's birthday so everything was really cheerful...;)

After the orientation, FEDINA's members showed their performace.

Having meeting with them

Drum player is playing for the old people to sing.

We are paying attention to the performance.

Olde people are singing. That's brilliant. I have never seen it before.

Their team are supporting the song.

Poster about Health Program for old People

Though i can't understand it, it guess it should be about woman and child's issue.

Amazingly, that day was also my friend, John,'s birthday.

The Visit to the slum nearby

Religious status in the slum

With John in Slum Visit

Self Help Group Office

Government's School in the slum

The Real Poor slum which is not developed yet.

This crop is used to make spicy.

This slum area have been developed by FEDINA

This area should be considered by the government.

With one of the kids in the slum

Jisna and a kid in the slum

With a kid in the slum

The look from the outside into a house

With Jisna and kid in the slum

This kid is so cute.

A house which is made of coconut leaves in the slum

The Inside

This kid is working as a capenter in the slum

Carpenting shop

Children in one State school in the slum

They don't have any thing to sit for study but the floor.

Playing with them after class

One kid in the class

This goat is really cute.