closer to rainbow's end

allot has happen since i last update my blog. Ya ya i know. What can i say. Same old story. Loads of trials and tribulations. Taught me patience. Updating this blog while i'm waiting for my student. Modern technology indeed! Princess . . . Well loads me changes she has taken into her stride. More changes to come which she needs to take in. She's into her new module now new teacher. Who speaks like a train. Something which she needs to train or strain her good ears. As for my TOMORROW'S darling will be arriving sooner than expected. Counting the hours. Missing him badly. I have faith that all will go well. I need to believe in that. Time. . . How i hate the wait. The days gets closer. Anxiety is building. Waiting for my nightmare to be over. Yearning for his presence to wipe away my misery. Soon darling. Soon . . .

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Seattle

Seattle (IPA: /ˌsi.ˈɶ.ɾl̩/) is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located in the U.S. state of Washington between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, about 96 miles (155 km) south of the United States–Canadian border in King County, of which it is the county seat.

Seattle was first settled November 14, 1851, by Arthur A. Denny and his crew, which would subsequently become known as the Denny party. Its first name was New York, then Duwamps, then finally it was renamed Seattle after Chief Noah Sealth who was chief of the two tribes living in the area ("Seattle" is an anglicized rendition of his last name). As of 2006, the city had an estimated population of 582,454 and an estimated metropolitan area population of approximately 3.3 million. Seattle is the hub for the Greater Puget Sound region.

Its official nickname is the Emerald City, the result of a contest by a civic-minded association in the early 1980s to designate a pleasant nickname for the city; the name alludes to the lush evergreen trees in the surrounding area. It is also referred to informally as the Gateway to Alaska, Queen City, and Jet City, due to the local influence of Boeing. (Seattle-area band Queensrÿche also wrote a song called "Jet City Woman".) Seattle residents are known as Seattleites.

Seattle is often regarded as the birthplace of grunge music, and has a reputation for heavy coffee consumption; coffee companies founded in Seattle include Starbucks, Seattle's Best Coffee, and Tully's. There are also many successful independent artisanal espresso roasters and cafes. Seattle was the site of the 1999 meeting of the World Trade Organization, and the attendant demonstrations by anti-globalization activists. Researchers at Central Connecticut State University ranked Seattle the most literate city in America in 2005.

Moreover, a United States Census Bureau survey showed that Seattle has the highest percentage of college graduates of any major U.S. city. A survey done by Sperling's Bestplaces listed Seattle as the number 1 video game city in the US. Based on per capita income, Seattle ranks 36th of 522 studied areas in the state of Washington.

The Donkey

Lesson in life I want to share.  Some of my lessons in life I see how Nariman leads her llife.  No wonder you are always happy and you never allow WHAT YOU CAN'T CHANGE hamper your mood.  Thanks teacher. 

 

BTW .... Happy Teacher's Day. .... You are my greatest Mentor.

So you out there who thinks that Nariman is a slave driver - she has reason. 

 

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well.

The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.

Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway;

it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. 

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him.

They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.

At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly.

Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well.

He was astonished at what he saw.

With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing.

He would shake it off and take a step up. 

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal,

he would shake it off and take a step up.

Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up

over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

MORAL :
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt.

The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up.

Each of our troubles is a steppingstone.

We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up!

Shake it off and take a step up. 

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.

2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happens.

3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less from people but  more from God.

GOD BLESS YOU...!

 

ALL MEN ARE ANIMALS, SOME JUST MAKE BETTER PETS

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The Silk Road- West to East China

If the 'view my photos' button above does not work, copy and paste the link below into your browser http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=716281188306935820/l=286383430/g=9779660/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB   Xian, Shaanxi (album 1 of 8)

Here are some shots from our latest trip. We were in Xin Jiang, the extreme West of China. The largest province of China, yet so unpopulated.We had a wonderful time in Xin Jiang. We spent about 20 days there.

 

The capital, is unfortunately like any other Chinese city..So we did not stay very long...Only long enough to catch a bus or a plane. From the capital, Urumqi we headed South West to Tarufan (Tarim Basin). It in one of the HOTTEST places in China. When we were there, the temperatures were nearly 40degC .

 

It was once the old capital city, during the Tang Dynasty when the camel caravans travelled overland carrying their goods to trade to head East towards Xian , ShaanXi Province.It has one of the best preserved ruins on the Silk Road. Having had enough of desert weather and ruins, we headed North to Tian Shan. This is like being in mini-Switzerland with the Alpine trees and mountains. The lake is at 1940m above sea level and formed by glacial activity.

 

We only spent one night by the lake in yurts, and trekked up a small mountain in the morning. It was so beautiful that we wished we could have stayed longer.Our longest stop was at Kashgar...the end of the road on China's side before heading to the Stan region.Kashgar is rich with history, culture and you don't have to go to a museum to see all this. We spend 3 hours in People's Park (there is a park like this in EVERY city in China) and we saw people who Turk looking, Eastern European, Han Chinese, non- Han Chinese....it was wonderful.The streets are so full of sights, sounds and smells.

 

This is one place in China where the street food is actually safe to eat. Right before your eyes, there are breads, meat pies & dumplings, dried fruit,,,and lots of weird looking stuff. The meat pies are taste really yummy with a cold can of coke.While in Kashgar, we took a desert trip on a camel trek to the Talakman Desert. My bum suffered a little. But sleeping under the stars in our tent, seemed to relief some of the sore.

We also headed way west towards Karakul Lake on the Karakorum Highway (the road to Pakistan) and did a day hike toward Muztagh Shan (around 4600m). It is summer , and the morning we left there were already fresh snow on the Karakorum Mountains!It is really amazing to be in China, and not meet a single Chinese person for days!! And some of them do not even speak Mandarin. The local dialect (Uighur) is still widely spoken among the local.

 

Only the younger generation know Mandarin. Our last stop was to see Eric Shipton's discovery of the world's biggest natural formed arch. Getting there was a bumpy ride in a 4WD. And walking up to the site was on a series of handmade wooden ladders. Having arrived at the top, the arch is really a magnificent structure.Included in these albums are some shots taken from a short trip to the extreme east of the Silk Road, Xian in ShaanXi Province.

 

This was the old capital , so the modern day Xian is now built around the ancient walls. With the Bell & Drum towers within walking distance of each other. A tiny taste of what the great Forbidden City is all about. Xian , is also the home of the Terracota Armies. Located about 90km from the city, these life size army were built and buried so as to protect the Emperor in his after life.Well we had a wonderful time exploring the land and its people, and now I am back in Shanghai to begin my second contract with the Fortune Kindergarten Int Sch.We hope you enjoy looking at the photos! Do take care and stay in touch.

 

Wati & Simon

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Three of Chalices

The Three of Chalices card suggests that my power today lies in celebration.

 

I am not alone. I embrace the pleasure of the moment and share the beauty and joy of a common bond within my sisterhood.

 

I am empowered by inclusion and my gift is spontaneous rapture.

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The Alphabet

THIS IS ONE OF THE NICEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL USES OF THE ALPHABET THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN. 

A lthough things are not perfect 
B ecause of trial or pain 
C ontinue in thanksgiving
Do not begin to blame
Even when the times are hard
Fierce winds are bound to blow
God is forever able
Hold on to what you know
Imagine life without His love
Joy would cease to be 
Keep thanking Him for all the things 
Love imparts to thee 
M ove out of "Camp Complaining"
No weapon that is known 
On earth can yield the power 
P raise can do alone 
Q uit looking at the future 
R edeem the time at hand 
Start every day with worship 
To "thank" is a command 
U ntil we see Him coming 
Victorious in the sky
We'll run the race with gratitude 
Xalting God most high
Yes, there'll be good times & yes sum will be bad, but...
Zion waits in glory...where none are ever sad!

"I AM Too blessed to be stressed!" The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything. Love and peace be with you forever, Amen. 

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

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You are the World

Nariman for all that you do ... God will shower all his blessings on you. Don't worry k. You have allot going for you. Smile :)

Hope you like my entry. Repetition ... nah ..... just extention. You are truly a wonderful person.

I asked God to take away my habit.
God said, No. It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, No. His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No. Patience is a byproduct of tribulations; it isn't granted, it is learned.

I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No. I give you blessings; Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No. Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No. You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, No. I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things.

I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.
God said...Ahhhh, finally you have the idea.

THIS DAY IS YOURS DON'T THROW IT AWAY
May God Bless You .........

"To the world you might be one person, But to one person you just might be the world"
May the Lord Bless you and keep you,

May the Lord Make his face shine upon you, And give you Peace......Forever

Good friends are like stars...You don't always see them, But you know they are always there.

Country profile: The Gambia

Being in refuge and NOT in your own backyard survival is close to impossible always depending on the kindness of human who have nothing to do with his life. Yet, there IS love and humanity. Its quite amazing that such thing still exists in a place such as Africa.

Hence, people .... never judge a person by the cover. Always treat others the way you want others to treat for you will never know when your life will fall in the hands of total strangers.

On the run seeking help. Finally ..... the journey will soon end HOPEFULLY sooner than expected.

From Ivory Coast its a two hour plane ride into Gambia. God answered our prayers and the letter from the top brass .... Insha Allah will hold some weight. Anxiety still hangs in the air as the days draw closer to D Day. Can only keep my fingers cross and go on life working and going through the motion of life.

But there is never in my waking moment that YOU are not far from my thoughts.

The Gambia is one of Africa's smallest countries and unlike many of its West African neighbours it has enjoyed long spells of stability since independence.

This stability has not translated into prosperity. Despite the presence of the Gambia river, which runs through the middle of the country, only one-sixth of the land is arable and poor soil quality has led to the predominance of one crop - peanuts.

Update

Sorry for not updating my blog .... but ya allot have been running in my head and life. Stiffling, frustrating .... but ya .... SOMEONE did said the key is STRESS MANAGEMENT. But sometimes you can't help thinking about things you can't change as it will and have affected your life one way or the other.

Thanks for all your contribution. They have all been wonderful articles.

FYI, the email to add your articles have been changed. In future do write it to the email add below:

foreverknight_nk.nicnariman@blogger.com

I'll do better in updating in future k :)

STALLIONS & DYNASTY by John Freeman

All of the stallions in our portfolio held form over the weekend.  Most notably Count Dubois' two runners, Count West (who won very well) and the promising first timer Watson who was sent out to look at the course and impressed his trainer.

Jallad increasingly is proving that his daughters pass on his courage.  He had a very high percentage of earners over the weekend and 2 winners out of his daughters.  Qui Danzig's son Copenhagen thrased the opposition by 5.75 lengths in his 3rd start.

DYNASTY has added fantastic activity and interest to the stallions in our portfolio.  Andrew Bon was commissioned to make a DVD of his career for Fieldspring's private library.  We were invited to look at the finished product a short while ago and feel that we have to share parts of it with racing enthusiasts.  It is awe inspiring stuff.  Andrew has edited the full disc to a TV shorter version which will be shown on Tellytrack tonight. 

He is such a magnificent horse and a champion in every sense of the word.

 

Golden Child

Nariman if everyone was like you ... there will be no battles nor wars.  But that would be a very boring life.  But you have brought hope to many.  Even though your help is small its BIG to me.  Thank you.

 

Miss your sincere laughter (though loud it may be).  My kids miss doing painting and colouring with you.  Frankly ... we all miss you.  I hope you will one day have the means to pamper yourself.  You cannot go on the way you do.

 

So to all who is reading this blog .... ANYONE bully Nariman.  Will encounter my wrath.  Nariman is a person with a big heart. So don't any of you take advantage of her ok.

 

Sometimes I think about your name ... its like ... you are the Queen of a Nation trying to keep the people together in harmony.  The name Nariman is so befitting you.  You father IS right .. you are indeed his Golden child.

 

"To the world you might be one person,
But to one person you just might be the world"

 

"May the Lord Bless you and keep you,
May the Lord Make his face shine upon you,
And give you Peace......Forever"

"Good friends are like stars...You don't always see them,
But you know they are always there.

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STOP COMPARING by Bo Sanchez ( PREACHER IN BLUE JEANS )

We live in a pathologically dissatisfied world.
And I'm going to tell you why. Because we love to
compare. Go around the world and discover that people
aren't happy with their bodies. Filipinos want to be
fair-complexioned like Westerners, and so buy
bleaching stuff. Westerners want to own bronzed bodies
like ours, and so purchase tanning lotions.

Those with moles have them removed, while
those who don't strategically implant beauty spots.
Some people want to shed a few pounds to look like
Ally McBeal, while others want to gain some baby fat
to look like Drew Barrymore.

When are we ever going to stop and simply be happy
with how we look? We live in a sick world. I tell you.
And that sickness is comparisonitis.

Take a look at wealth. When we drive our old Toyota ,
it really suits us fine. We feel blessed in fact when
the rain pours outside and we feel snug and cozy on
its faded upholstered seats. But the moment we see our
own officemate (or neighbor, or buddy, or cousin, or
brother) drive his sleek sky-blue, four-door,
four-wheel-drive Rav4, we automatically feel like
third class children of God. Next time we drive our
bumpy, noisy, rusted, dilapidated Toyota (notice how
all the defects come out all of a sudden?), we feel
deprived, dispossessed, pariah, debased, and only a
little higher than the insects of the earth.

Listen carefully.

Bill Gates' total assets are worth $60 billion. That's
more than the GNP of some small countries. Tiger Woods
earns $80 million simply by smiling on TV in a Nike
shirt. And the stars of the sitcom Friends are paid
$50,000 per episode! My point? No matter how hard you
work, there'll still be some people who will be richer
than you are. And there'll be some people who will be
more beautiful, have more sex appeal, have more
boyfriends / girlfriends, and have more
problems. Try it for once. Stop looking around.

Don't compare! Don't compare her nose with your nose.
Don't compare his wife with your wife.
Don't compare his salary with your salary.
Don't compare her breast size with your breast size.
Don't compare her kid's report card with your kid's report card.
Don't compare his prayer group with your prayer group.
Don't compare her/his cellulite deposits with your
cellulite deposits.

For crying out loud, stop comparing and start living
And you'll be happier with your life, I guarantee.

This is crucial: The most difficult thing in the
world is to be who you are not. Pretending and trying
to be someone else is the official pastime of the
human race. (I don't think dogs and cats and
cows and horses have this problem.) And the easiest
thing in the world is to be yourself.


Be happy. Live!

There must be a reason why God made you tall or short
or fat or thin or bumpy all over.

Love who you are!

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happy marriage

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said,
I've got something to tell you.  She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed
the hurt in her eyes.  Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had
to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.
 
She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?
I avoided her question.  This made her angry.  She threw away the chopsticks
and shouted at me, you are not a man!  That night, we didn't talk to each other.
She was weeping.  I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage.
But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Dew.
I didn't love her anymore.  I just pitied her!
 
With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she
could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.
 
She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces.  The woman who had spent ten
years of her life with me had become a stranger.  I felt sorry for her wasted time,
resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Dew
so dearly.  Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected
to see.  To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which
had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now. 
 
The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the
table.  I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast
because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew. 
 
When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so
I turned over and was asleep again.
 
In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from
me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce.  She requested that in that one
month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple:
our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our
broken marriage 
 
This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how
I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.
 
She requested that everyday for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom
to the front door every morning.  I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last
days together bearable I accepted her odd request.
 
I told Dew about my wife's divorce conditions.  She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. 
No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully. 
 
My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. 
So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy.
Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought
me a sense of pain.  From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I
walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly;
don't tell our son about the divorce.  I nodded, feeling somewhat upset.  I put
her down outside the door.  She went to wait for the bus to work.  I drove
alone to the office 
 
On the second day, both of us acted much more easily.  She leaned on my chest.
I could smell the fragrance of her blouse.  I realized that I hadn't looked at this
woman carefully for a long time.  I realized she was not young any more. There
were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its
toll on her.  For a minute I wondered what I had done to her. 
 
On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning.
This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.
 
On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again.
I didn't tell Dew about this.  It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by.
Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger. 
 
She was choosing what to wear one morning.  She tried on quite a few dresses but
could not find a suitable one.  Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger.
I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could
carry her more easily
 
Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart.
Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head. 
 
Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mom out. To him,
seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life.
My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my
face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then
held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the
hallway.  Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly;
it was just like our wedding day. 
 
But her much lighter weight made me sad.  On the last day, when I held her in my
arms I could hardly move a step.  Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly
and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy.
 
I drove to office... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door.
I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind...I walked upstairs.
Dew opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not want the divorce anymore. 
 
She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever?
She said.  I moved her hand off my head.  Sorry, Dew, I said, I won't divorce.
My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details
of our lives, not because we didn't love each other any more.  Now I realize that
since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her
until death do us apart. 
 
Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the
door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away. 
 
At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife.
The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card.  I smiled and wrote, I'll carry
you out every morning until death do us apart.
 
 
The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship.
It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank, blah..blah.
These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give
happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those
little things for each other that build intimacy.  Do have a real happy marriage! 
 
If you don't share this, nothing will happen to you. 
 
If you do, you just might save a marriage.

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XinJiang by Batgal

hello there family,

 

today is our 3rd day in xin jiang. the furthest west of  china and  the furthest place away from any sea coast.  So far this is the most interesting in all the places I have visited in China.

 

There is so much diversity here...people, geography, history etc.. The last two days we have been in the desert looking at the ancient towns, ruins,...that were all part of the Silk Road.  It is an amazing place.  Life here is still pretty much like going into a time machine!!!!  There are still donkey carts, market places fill the air with the frenzy of trade...I can imagine that this was how it was all done centuries ago...aside from the odd mobile phone ringing!!!

 

On our first day at our very first meal, we were served by a waiter with the same name as aruah tok...his name was Burhan. He doesn't look like Han Chinese...more like Pakistani..very fair with dark hair.

 

Everything is so non-Chinese, the people,food....even the road signs are in the Uzbek language(arabic like) and then followed by chinese script.  some of them don't even speak mandarin!

 

I have no problems with food here.,..as mostly the food here are muslim food . very yummy & rich.

 

I loved what we have done over the last 3 days,...in the desert.  the geography is amazing.  one one side is vast amounts of deserts, and the other side is all green with vegetation especially grape vines.

 

the next few days we are going up to the mountain...Tian Shan.  By the end of this week ( about the 11 or 12 Aug) , we will fly to Kasghar nearer Pakistan.  I will spend all my time there until I return to Shanghai on the 21 August.

 

I will try and keep in touch via email as often as I can.

 

I hope all is well. Please pass this message to both mum and dad.

 

Thinking of you...

 

love

wati

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