GOD'S MARVELS - THE SUN

Once I was traveling from Kochi to Chennai by train. An Israeli tourist was sitting next to me. He was looking out of the window constantly. I tried to make a conversation. He just mumbled a word or two and continued to look outside. Although this puzzled me, I left him alone wondering what was there to look so much outside. When the sunlight faded and it became dark outside, he looked at me and smiled. He said now he was prepared to talk. I asked him what was there that he had to look outside continuously. He said there is so much beauty and wonder out there which can be appreciated only in day light. In the dark nothing can be seen and therefore he is prepared to talk and enjoy a friendly conversation.

At that time this statement of the tourist sounded foolish to me. I was always a man of hurry. I always wanted to get things done yesterday. I was worried about business, job security, big savings bank account and future. I spent almost 35 years in this fashion. I was not interested in enjoying the beauty around me. I had no time to appreciate the wonders God spread before me.

Now that I have started blogging and using a camera to substantiate my statements, I fully appreciate the wisdom of that Israeli tourist. Here are some photos of the sun and sunlight for you to enjoy. Please click on the photos to get a larger view.

Sunlight chasing the bird.

Sunlight on the tree.

Old man watching the sun set.

Sun playing hide and seek.

Sun light glittering on the waves.

Sunlight on the tall building. This building mainly houses IT companies.

Sunlight on the stall owner.

Sunlight on the sea water

Sun light on one of the cannons on the fort with which the British fought their enemies in the sea.

If you want some sun light you can come to Kochi. I will serve it for breakfast, lunch and evening tea. If you want more, I will fill it in a gunny bag for you to carry home.
Best wishes.

SHIPS OF THE DESERT IN KOCHI

SURPRISE! SURPRISE! SURPRISE! The ships of the desert are here in Kochi! Have they come here on a sight seeing trip? Are they fed of the desert and hot living conditions? Not that it is very cool here! Then what are they doing in God’s Own Country? (Kerala is also known as GOD’S OWN COUNTRY)

They are here to earn money for the owners by carrying tourists on their back. When I saw the camel was walking with long steps with a tourist perched on top. His girl friend was running behind screaming excitedly. While the man was enjoying himself seated atop the camel, his girl friend was having fun running behind and screaming and laughing. A great sight! I ran behind taking photos and I had a good time also.



When I worked in Madhya Pradesh, I used to go to the border of M.P adjoining Rajastan. There I used to see camels drawing carts just as we have bullock carts here. But the camels are such huge animals and the carts they were pulling were so small in comparison that the whole thing looked very funny, outlandish and incongruous. Compared to those camels these camels in Kochi were smaller and looked famished. The care taker was showing a lot of affection to the camels. He was kissing the camel on the lips and rubbing it very fondly. He knows from where his bread and butter comes from!
By the way, how many of you can boast of having camels in your town?

A DRUNKARD AND HIS WAYS!

I was standing at the Menaka bus stop. It was a hot afternoon. A man accosted me saying that God will bless me if I help him. I looked at him and found nothing was wrong with him. So I asked him what was his problem. He said his name was Mathew and he was from the nearby town Angamaly. He had too many problems. He started to cry, wipe his eyes , blow his nose and wipe his hand on his shirt. It was disgusting to see him because he was not really crying.

Again I asked him what was his problem. He said that he was working in Kala Bhavan as a musician and now he has retired. At present he has another job. His wife died 17 years back. His children are doing well. God will bless me if I help him with some money. I was puzzled.

Once more I told him there is nothing wrong with him.

Suddenly he asked me whether I had lunch. I told him I ate early and I was not feeling hungry. He insisted that I must be hungry at that time in the afternoon and said that he has some money and he will buy me a lunch. He took out some money and showed me. I firmly told him I not at all hungry.
Then he said that I am a very good man and I should be his father in the next life. I told him I was younger than him and therefore I cannot be his father. Then he thought for a while and said that at least I can become his son. I told him that that was quite a possibility.

I was getting quite fed up and I wanted to go from there but not before taking some photos. So I told him I want to take his photos and keep it in my album as a memory. He readily agreed. When he moved from the hot sun, he was staggering and was almost falling. I caught him and steadied him. Only then I realized that he was completely drunk at that time in the afternoon.

He insisted on shaking my hands. I was revolted. He wiped his eyes, blew his nose and now he was proffering that to shake. He would not let me go without shaking his hand. I shook his hands and ran to the nearest restaurant to wash my hands with soap.

Amazing are the ways of drunkards. He came to me asking for money and finally ended up feeling sorry for me and offered to buy me lunch.

A VISIT TO ST.MARY'S CHURCH, KANDANAD

It is time for me to visit a new Church to pray and make three wishes. So I went to St.Mary’s Church, Kandanad. This is a Syrian Jacobite Church. Syrian Jacobites claim their church was founded by St. Peter. We know St. Peter –THE ROCK- was chosen by Jesus himself to build the Church on earth. While I am praying, you can do any or all of the following:

PRAY WITH ME
MAKE THREE WISHES
SIT AND SOAK IN THE PEACE PREVAILING INSIDE
ENJOY THE BEAUTY OF THE CHURCH
REFLECT ON THE GLORY OF GOD, THE ALMIGHTY

In one church, I saw a young girl reading her text book and preparing for her competitive examinations. This might look strange. Perhaps she believed that God will bless her if she prepares for her exams in the Church. We all know God is merciful, forgiving, understanding, benevolent, kind and ready to bless all who come to HIM. I am curious to know whether that girl did well in her exams.

SUMMER HEAT AND SCHOOL STUDENTS

I went to Mattancherry Palace which is functioning as a museum now. I saw a notice saying that photography was not allowed.

The sun was hot. I thought of my blogger friends going through winter and anxiously waiting for spring. I looked around. Please click on the photos to enlarge.

Goats cooling themselves in the shade.

This is the palace.


This is the Temple where the kings and queens worshipped.

This is the water tank where they bathed.
As I looked, I could hear loud shouts and laughter from the water tank. I went close and looked inside. This is what I saw.
These boys from the nearby school have come here to cool themselves and have fun. Surely they must be hungry when the school got over. But their priority was not food. Many schools here have 50 or 60 students stuffed in the class room with one or no fan at all. They sweat profusely in the class, they become restless and some how sit through the periods. Fortunately for these students there is a water tank close by. When the school gets over they rush to this water tank to play, swim, splash water, dive, laugh, scream and enjoy themselves.





This made me nostalgic. In summer I used to cut some boring classes and go to the Marina beach with my friends to play in the cool water. I also frequented the Marina swimming pool on Saturdays and Sundays. I learnt to float on my back for about one hour in the hope that someday this skill will become useful. But when I traveled by ship from Goa to Mumbai the ship did not sink like the TITANIC. So all my efforts to learn swimming was wasted. Hope I will get a chance to prove my skill sometimes in the future.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

My sincere thanks to all my friends who spared some time to visit SHEILA at LIFE- 4 HOURS AT A TIME listed under my BLOGS I FOLLOW and posted their support, words of encouragement and prayers. I am very grateful to you for this favor.

Last Sunday was celebrated all over the world as International Women’s Day. I am posting a short story of a great and famous lady who overcame terrible physical handicaps and won world acclaim to ensure that her name was etched in letters of gold in the annals of the history of mankind. Kindly read on:

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The doctor is speaking to a young mother: ” I am very sorry but you must be brave. Prepare yourself for a severe shock.” With eyes full of tears and trembling lips the mother asks: ” Then my baby is not going to get better? She is going to -----“

The doctor anticipates the question. “ No, she is not going to die, but she will be both blind and deaf.” The anguished mother cries, “ Blind and deaf! Oh, my poor little baby, what will become of you?”

The doctor mutters to himself as he leaves the room: ”It’s a sad, sad case! One of the worst I have ever attended and the baby might as well be dead.”

The baby grew up to become known as Helen Keller, one of the most famous, useful and happy human beings. Depending upon the sense of touch and smell, she learned to speak , read and write. She did her college and authored a number of inspiring books.
In 1999, Keller was listed in Gallup's Most Widely Admired People of the 20th Century.
In 2003, Alabama honored its native daughter on its state quarter.
The Helen Keller Hospital in Sheffield, Alabama is dedicated to her.
There is a street named after Helen Keller in Getafe, Spain.

LIFE -- 4 HOURS AT A TIME!

This is a comment made by SHEILA in response to my comment in her post.
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Bluebirdy said...

Dear Joseph, you said "Please be assured that everything will go well. There is always light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes the tunnel is short and sometimes it is long and appears to be never ending. Please keep your spirits high, be brave and courageous. Everything will come out all right in the end." I appreciate that so much. I really needed to be reminded of that right now. HUGS...you are a dear man.

I heard that the Indian gov't was trying to ban the showing of Slumdog millionaire in India. I guess they did not ban it, because it seems like you have seen it. I watched the Academy Awards and was so happy for all the awards that movie got. I am eager to see it.

Bless you Joseph, you have been a healing friend from 10,000 miles away. Thank the Lord for the internet!
Hugs again
Sheila
March 3, 2009 9:52 AM
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When I read this I was overcome with emotion. I felt the purpose of my blogging and the purpose of my existence on this earth is justified by this one comment. If I can offer a word of comfort, courage, confidence, strength and my prayers to one person on this earth and that person really appreciates it, the reason for my living is abundantly fulfilled.

THANK YOU SHEILA FOR YOUR KINDNESS AND MAKING ME FEEL USEFUL!

Sheila is a brave heart, a lion heart who is fighting a lonely battle against so many things including a very serious sickness she is afflicted with. Her courage, determination, iron will, her patience and perseverance is unparalleled and will put us to shame. She needs all our words of encouragement, support and of course our earnest prayers to prevail and overcome her illness and the various insurmountable problems she is facing single handedly.

I request you, my dear friends, to visit her blog—LIFE – 4 HOURS AT A TIME - and post some words of comfort, courage and prayers. It is listed under my BLOGS I FOLLOW. Please click on it and you will reach her blog. I will greatly appreciate if you will do this favor for me. I will be very grateful.

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!




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