Thursday, March 29, 2012

Nittai-ji Kakuozan 覚王山日泰寺

Sakyamuni Gautam Buddha was born in Lumbini gardens, Nepal and grew up around my ancestral village in Tilaurakot, Lumbini, Nepal.

King Chulalongkorn of Thailand is said to have bestowed his ashes to Japan and this temple in Nagoya, Japan built later in 1904 is the repository of the ashes of Buddha. Appropriately the temple is called Nittai-ji. The word Nittai being the combination of NIhon and T(h)AIland.

Whenever I am in Nagoya I am invariably drawn towards this temple. Perhaps it is because there are quite a few tea shops in this area. Or maybe it is because a part of my co-villager (separated by 2500 years!) peacefully resides here.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Tea Blossoms


Springtime in the eastern Himalaya (of Nepal) means not only the renewal of the tea season but also a profusion of flowers, specially orchids.
Image:
Top: Orchids in full bloom.
Middle: A tea garden just about to flush.
Bottom: Flowers in the well maintained residence of my friend, J D Rai of Thurbo Tea Garden / Goodricke Group, Mirik Valley, Darjeeling.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Akita 秋田県 To Nepal

They say that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now. Taking that dictum to heart a Japanese Maple was planted a few days ago in our garden. I am not sure if we will get the bright colours in the autumn here in Kathmandu but it is a start.

This maple was brought from Japan by the family of Ogawa san of Akita (秋田県) specially for me. She has been living in a village in Nepal since the 1970's and slowly uplifting that village. That is truly remarkable given how many Nepalis like to leave this country and live overseas. Surely such people are truer and better citizens of Nepal than those who have left but yet clamour to get dual citizenship.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Silver Bean

Resembling a a giant blob of mercury or even an UFO, this highly polished stainless steel sculpture at the Millennium Park in Chicago is affectionately known as The Bean.
Image: The Bean, Chicago, 2012

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Remembering Tohoku

In Memory of all affected by 2011 Tohoku earthquake 東北地方太平洋沖地震 ( 38.322°N 142.369°E ) 14:46 hours Friday, 11 March 2011. May you all soar once again.
Image: A seagull flies high against the blue sky February 2012.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Little College on the Prairie

This little liberal arts college in the prairie is perhaps where I would liked to have studied. With its fantastic facilities like gym, sports arenas, libraries, science labs and brightly lit class rooms it is a far cry from the college that I attended those many years ago.
Images: Grinell College, February 2012

Monday, March 5, 2012

Chinatown, Iowa

Image: Science library of Grinnell College in Iowa, USA.
This library is affectionately known as Chinatown because it is where you will always find the hard working overseas Chinese students. With facilities such as this it is no wonder that students really want to study and achieve something. It is no wonder that foreign students strongly motivated to succeed flock to colleges like Grinnell despite it being located in the prairies deep in rural Iowa and far away from the bright city lights.