| Username |
Post |
| pinky cootie head |
Posted
on 01-Jan-02 03:25 PM
hHave been out of commission. Spreading myself too thin past few months. Thought of not coming here then overruled my own decision then overruled the overruling and once again here I am. And then there was Christmas. Ate too much Goose. Yes, goose. Seems like this is an European tradition. On the Xmas eve, cooked goose (in our case it was Geese. Too many eaters) stuffed with chestnut among other strange stuff. Red cabbage and potato balls. My husbands’s hands were bleeding after he finished preparing those'tato balls. (warning: don’t try at home!) Anyway it, new year is here....hmmm… what else?
******
The Euro is here. It had been used in the stock market or pricing of the goods as you all might have knows, but from today onall those beautiful Franc, the stable Mark, the Guilder, Lira would be just a memory. How would you feel if there is no Nepali Rupiya anymore? Probably we would be happy, I guess, what is it worth anyway? Maybe we should have lobbied to be in the European Union – Yes, that was a joke, just in case if you were wondering. Did not find t hat funny? Oh, well.
*******
Was in MFA today. Found out Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts is a private institution. The government does not give a penny. It is running solely from the patronage of the members, various fund raising events. It has the biggest Asian collection outside of the native countries. Has the biggest Monet collection (not that he is my favourite) outside of France. Went on a guided tour of ‘Arts of Asia.’ I am proud I was the educator of our not only one but two of the guides. When we came to Buddha (Siddhartha)’s sculptor (9th century) the tour guide started off saying ‘The Indian Prince…. Siddhartha.’ I could not let her finish the commentary, I just had to stop her in the middle and told her ‘Buddha was born in Lumbini which is and was in Nepal.’ Now , you might argue that Lumbini might have been in India at one point or another but as of today we don’t know that. She was very apologetic and carried on, however a bit rattled. Then we joined another guided tour, ‘highlights of the museum.’ Well, what do you know? The next guide takes us to the same Buddha and start saying he was born in India! At this time I am already composing a letter to send to the Director of the Museum and the Curator of Asian Arts and a cc to other prominent museums including Louvre. At the end of the tour my husband stops the tour guide and tells her “my wife has something to say.” I was not expecting this but I did manage to tell her the excerpt from my virtual letter, which was just in my head. She has reassured me this mistake will be corrected. She will personally go talk to the Curator and so on. And she did encourage me to send that letter still….
********
Did you hear that global warming is indeed here? For more information read New York times of this week. All those statistics and graphs, charts were beyond my comprehension. But, believe me we are heating our planet ( I don’t think _BP believes it though. Or I have a feeling he sees this as a sure sign of ‘bikash.’) It is January 1st and still no sign of snow in the neck of our woods.
*********
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| Biswo |
Posted
on 01-Jan-02 08:50 PM
PCHji:
Loved your comment 'bout Buddha. That happens all the time, wherever you go. I
remember Homrajji (Washington DC) working hard on this issue in the past. Also,
I was reading one encyclopedia of Columbia, which says Nepal was a part of China
in 8th century.I wish I were as vigorous as you in pointing out errors.
And that _BP and warming weather thing, believe me, I suspect he thinks Kyoto
protocol is nothing but foolish documentation.
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| _BP |
Posted
on 02-Jan-02 01:44 AM
Why, I certainly do believe in global warming! I also believe that the sun is getting larger, and will eventually become a red giant before burning out, collapsing in its own gravitational field, and becoming a black hole or a wormhole. The polarity of the earth is also shifting, and eventually California will become the North Pole. These are all well thought-out predictions by very scientifically knowledgable people. But I am sure we will adapt, because after all, we are homo sapiens.
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| NK |
Posted
on 02-Jan-02 10:34 AM
_BP, do you also know that California eventually will be a just a name in a distant future (1000 years). Most of the population will be in the east coast? can you imagine? buy some real estate here, just in case. Isn't that wild though? no california? hard to imagine. 1000 years is a long time but cannot help it (to think about it).
Biswo, do yo know what happend regarding hom rajji's work? maybe we should all join hands to clear out this propaganda, most of the time perpetuated by Indians, thtat buddha was born in India.
(ps could not write under NK before something happened. so i restored to the name given by Sangey)
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| Biswo |
Posted
on 02-Jan-02 08:51 PM
Dear NK,
I met Homraj ji last month in DC. Couldn't talk to him much about that. I hope he will come here sometimes in future to talk to us. I know he told me he was doing some creative things about Nepali literature also. May be we will know about that
in future.
And BP bro, I just love your reply. We will adapt to Sun becoming black hole, huh.
And also, your dear Foxnews got Greata Van Susteran now, tit-for-tat for Paula
Zahn coup by CNN..
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| _BP |
Posted
on 03-Jan-02 02:20 AM
Biswo, FOX definitely comes out on the short end after that exchange...at least aesthetically speaking if nothing else. Good thing they still have Bill O'Reilly...:)
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| NK |
Posted
on 03-Jan-02 09:12 AM
Don't you think _BP, his eyes are just out of this world? and that smirk on his face! What can I say? btw does he (of course i am talking about your idol, Reiley) still have those eyes or had he done something about it? It's been ages since i turned that damn thing on.
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| NK |
Posted
on 03-Jan-02 09:13 AM
Don't you think _BP, his eyes are just out of this world? and that smirk on his face! What can I say? btw does he (of course i am talking about your idol, Reiley) still have those eyes or had he done something about it? It's been ages since i turned that damn thing on.
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| Biswo |
Posted
on 03-Jan-02 01:08 PM
_BP, aesthatically? May be.(Sorry for sensitive folks). But quality? May be it is just
tit for tat.
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| _BP |
Posted
on 03-Jan-02 03:16 PM
Was that a pun Biswo? And surely there is no question about the aesthetics...Greta vs Paula?
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| MLS |
Posted
on 03-Jan-02 03:46 PM
A nobel laurate, Hermann Hesse's novel "Siddhartha" is widely used in the classes of US which has also helped to propagate the idea of Siddhartha was an Indian.
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| sparsha |
Posted
on 03-Jan-02 04:10 PM
Impermanent are all created things;
Strive on with awareness.
-Buddha as he was dying.
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| NK |
Posted
on 03-Jan-02 04:18 PM
I have read that book. I dont' remember him saying he was actually born in India, or did he? It's been so long.
I think a lot of confusion (i am talking about the sincere folks out there who do not want to feed the propaganda) comes because Siddhartha gets his gyan in India and then dies in India too. But, he was born in Nepal period. Ms. Spookey was born in San Diego but flies in her private jet to palm beach to have lunch with her sangis and flies again to New York to see the Phantom of the Opera. Somehow, luck would have it, while jet setting her plane crashes and dies in Kathmandu. Would you keep on saying she was a Nepali? Wouldn't that be wrong? SHe may have been the world citizen but was born in San Diego, USA. Thus he was a US Citizen.
Same thing should apply to Siddhartha.
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| 93454475 |
Posted
on 03-Jan-02 04:37 PM
1. Buddha was an Indian Prince-- it has some truth to it. He was an Indian then, if he was born now, he would be a Nepali.
How long has it been since Kapilvastu has been of Nepals anyways?
2. What does 'Buddha' represent that is SO Nepali?
3. Does it really matter if they term 'Siddhartha' as an Indian Prince-- his philosphy/religion is rather broader than the boundries of any country-- so is this argument just to fulfill our 'Nepalese'.
So my point is if someone says Buddha was an Indina prince who was born in Lumbini, which is in modern Nepal, I have no problem with it.
Stop it with your FAKE patriotism expatriates!
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| ?? |
Posted
on 03-Jan-02 05:05 PM
By constitution, Nepal is a Hindu Kingdom. So Buddha, in a way, is a second class icon already.
Sita, on the other hand, is a first class icon. We should use more strength to reclaim her. I am sure somebody out there somewhere must have written that Sita was born in India.
Anybody seconding ?
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| krishna |
Posted
on 04-Jan-02 10:47 AM
S. Gautam was born in/around what is now called Lumbini, which is now in Nepal. Back then, Gautam's birthplace was not in Nepal, which came in being after Prithvi Narayan Shah's conquests in the late 18th Century. When Gautam was born, there was no such country as India either, which became a country in, what, 1947? Buddha, which is a title given to S. Gautam after his enlightenment or rebirth, was not "born" in India either, as no such place existed until '47(?). However, it may be said that Buddha was "born" in what is now India.
Ever hear the PIA muzak recording (circa January 1995) that invites potential visitors to come to Pakistan, home of K2, the world's highest mountain? I believe the expression is "Fake it 'til you make it." In other words, a lie repeated often enough with sufficient conviction can, eventually, be taken as gospel.
It seems that lots of Indians and indophiles have a big problem accepting the fact that one of their rock stars was not actually born in India.
"Reality is a pigment of your imagination." ~Moi
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| sparsha |
Posted
on 04-Jan-02 11:33 AM
"However, it may be said that Buddha was "born" in what is now India. "
Krishna, what the..well, you must be kidding or is a typo.
Did you mean to write "However, it may be said that Buddha was "born" in what is now Nepal." ?
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| NK |
Posted
on 04-Jan-02 11:47 AM
Sparsh, sparsh, if i may say so the word born in quotation mark signifies he was not actually born born like from maydevi's kokh rather got his 'gyan.' got it? :) Thus, born in quotation mark while saying was "born" in india.
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| NK |
Posted
on 04-Jan-02 11:51 AM
Also another comment:
Our digitized fellow poster says, "...Stop it with your FAKE patriotism expatriates!"
What is a "FAKE patriotism?" What is fake and what is original here? If I try to look some clarity into repeated lie, would you brand me('me' as a truth seeker)as fake? Why do people so often look through this lense: expat, pat when somebody happens to live in a foreign country and that person tries to say something about the home country or some historical figure who just happens to come from that region? Take those glasses off, it is clouding your vision, my digitized bandhu.
Krishna says,
"...a lie repeated often enough with sufficient conviction can, eventually, be taken as gospel.
It seems that lots of Indians and indophiles have a big problem accepting the fact that one of their rock stars was not actually born in India."
My applause [clap, clap, clap].
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| sparsha |
Posted
on 04-Jan-02 12:14 PM
"..the word born in quotation mark signifies he was not actually born born like from maydevi's kokh rather got his 'gyan.' got it? :) "
OK..OK, I got it. Gyan prapta gareko lai "born" bhaneko...la ta la krisha bro..dhilai bhaye pani bujhe ni...
But I still love to say Buddha was born in Nepal and DIED in India..or should I be saying Buddha was not born born from Mayadevi's kokh in India but in Nepal and who cares where he died? one can't die without being born. So, where he was born matters the most. Nepal gave life to Buddha and India took that away from him. Who knows may be Bodhgaya was also a part of Nepal dherai dherai barsa pahile, or..para purba kaal ma.....kaso? yasai fake patriotism usai nakkali deshbhakti...
I also couldn't grasp Digital friend's fake patriotism concept. May be what he says defines true patriotism...but what he says is so confusing to me. Perhaps that is an attribute, a vital one, of truth.
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| 93454475 |
Posted
on 04-Jan-02 12:32 PM
FAKE patriotism-- coz you left the country for your own good and you really don't care what happens in Nepal (you think you do or you want to believe you do, but you don't do nothing about it thus.....) When the talks about Nepal being one of the poorest country comes up, you try to hide your face, but when they talk about Buddha you tell them you are a Buddhist (although you are a Hindu), you remind them Buddha is from Nepal.
That's what I call a FAKE patriotism.
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| sparsha |
Posted
on 04-Jan-02 01:26 PM
Digital Bro,
Whom are you pointing at when you say "you"? if your "you" means me then I must ask do you know me?
"...coz you left the country for your own good and you really don't care what happens in Nepal (you think you do or you want to believe you do, but you don't do nothing about it thus.....) .."
Yes, I did left Nepal for my own good. BTW did you leave Nepal for her good or are you in Nepal doing good to the country? if your answer is yes then I must commend you for your "true" patriotism. Also, how can you say, "you really don't care what happens in Nepal..." how can you be so sure? or are you talking about yourself?
"When the talks about Nepal being one of the poorest country comes up, you try to hide your face..." Bro, do you do that? I don't.
".. but when they talk about Buddha you tell them you are a Buddhist (although you are a Hindu), you remind them Buddha is from Nepal."
I don't call myself a Buddhist but I sure remind "them" Buddha is from Nepal because that is the truth.
"That's what I call a FAKE patriotism".
I guess, you must have defined "fake patriotism" looking at yourself on the mirror. If no, them tell me what is the true patriotism and how do you measure that and on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being the most true patriot) where do you see yourself standing? Since, you have labelled my patriotism is a fake one with a dead certainty I am just curious.
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| sparsha |
Posted
on 04-Jan-02 01:31 PM
In a previous/next (depending on the order) response to Digital bro...please read
as I did LEAVE Nepal...
Last paragraph,
If, no THEN tell me
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| sally |
Posted
on 04-Jan-02 02:41 PM
If Buddha was an "Indian prince," then:
1) Jesus was an Italian. After all, Jesus was born in a country (Palestine) that was occupied by an empire (the Roman Empire) whose modern descendent is Italy.
2) Mohammed was Turkish. After all, parts of the Arabian peninsula (now Saudi Arabia) were occupied for a time by the Ottoman Empire.
3) Blue-green algae wrote the history books that say Buddha was an Indian prince. After all, blue-green algae in the primordial seas evolved into humans, and humans wrote those history books, right?
###
On this "fake patriotism" bit:
What does staying or not staying in a particular country have to do with patriotism? Were the Afghans who have been living in the US for the past 20 years "fake patriots" until, say, a few weeks ago, when some of them decided to return to rebuild Afghanistan? Or did they suddenly experience an instant transition from "fake" to "real" patriot?
Are Americans who take overseas jobs--for their own benefit, presumably--and yet continue to care about American politics and society from a distance "fake patriots"?
Patriotism is a feeling, not an action.
It might have only a tiny impact on our daily life--for instance, by inspiring people to teach their country's history to their children and others.
Or it might have a big impact--for instance, by encouraging someone to run for public office, or join the Army in times of war, or go home to rebuild a war-ravaged country.
None of which, incidentally, excludes self-benefit. The Afghans who have bought one-way tickets to Kabul over the past few weeks are probably hoping both to benefit their country and to make a successful, interesting life for themselves in the new government. And why shouldn't they? If they're totally self-sacrificing, they're either saints or fools.
Self-benefit and patriotism are not mutually exclusive. Ideally, they should compliment each other.
Nor does living overseas make a person less patriotic. In my experience, it's frequently the opposite. Ideally, the awareness gained from experiencing another culture ultimately gives a person more insight into his or her own society, and a better ability to contribute to the dialogue about the issues that matter--whether or not s/he ever goes back home to "contribute" in the most obvious sense of "contributing," or just shares ideas and insights with friends.
An expatriate is not the same thing as an ex-patriot.
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| 93454475 |
Posted
on 04-Jan-02 04:19 PM
'YOU' was generic in this case, but people who question themselves of course would be obliged to spread their feathers to show the the (fake) colors. 'Kharani Dherai Ghasdaima Kohi Jogi Hundaina'
As John F. Kennedy said- 'Ask NOT what the country has done to you, but Ask What have you done to the country?' I wonder how many of you expatriates who found offense in my writing can answer the question.
I am satisfied with my patriotism, when I look in the mirror, I don't have to convince myself that I am a patriot. Well I ask 'YOU' (the generic you) to look in the mirror and ask truely what you have done to your country that brings out your patriotism?
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| diwas k |
Posted
on 05-Jan-02 03:46 AM
Oh the Digital One,
I feel blessed upon knowing of someone "satisfied with her/his patriotism". And your mirror that validates your patriot_ness.
Unfortunately we (in response to your collective/generic YOU) are still searching for that unending feeling of patriotism. We will never know if we are/were truly patriots, but we will only be glad we tried not to look patriotic in front of any mirror, but just responsible citizens. Patriot_ness is yours to keep.
_diwas
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