I just finished reading Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson, who is also the author of the wildly popular book Three Cups of Tea. Here are some memorable quotes from this book that I really like:
pg 13
If you teach a boy, you educate an individual; but if you teach a girl, you educate a community.
pg 17
The first cup of tea you share with us, you are a stranger. The second cup, you are a friend. But with the third cup, you become family - and for our families we are willing to do anything, even die.
pg 19
Anything truly important is worth doing very, very slowly.
pg 36
When ordinary human beings perform extraordinary acts of generosity, endurance, or compassion, we are all made richer by their example
pg 191
When you take the time to actually listen, with humility, to what people have to say, it's amazing what you can learn. Especially if the people who are doing the talking also happen to be children.
He has also publisher an image gallery that is very interesting and a full report on the research for this book which also includes more photos.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
week of books
I did not really know what the week would hold when I started my Christmas week off from work.
These are the books I read this week:
The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy
Lipika by Rabindranath Tagore
The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
I have already commented on the first two in previous blog posts so I will not speak of them again. I was actually rereading both the Leo Tolstoy and Rabindranath Tagore books since they are my two favorite authors of all time. It is also interesting that they actually knew each other. I have heard about Nicholas Sparks as he lives near us in the eastern part of NC and I have watched a couple of movies based on his novels which were very nice. I read his book today from start to finish and found it very interesting reading and I would like to read more of his books. His book was very easy to read and entertaining, but cannot compare with Tolstoy and Tagore who both have amazing talents to transport me into the story's scene with their wonderful way with words. My goal for the year is to read one of Tolstoy's major novels, either War and Peace or Anne Karina.
These are excerpts from Rabindranath Tagore's Lipika that I really liked:
pg 3 "a cloudy day"
Man has crossed the seas, he has climbed the mountains, he has snatched precious rubies and pearls delving into the palaces of the oceans, but what is innermost in man's heart nan has never been able to settle up with another to its finality
pg 20 "just a glance"
The power of the king, the wealth of the rich are built up on this earth to die. But it is not a single drop of nectar in one's tears which will make that moment's glance live through eternity.
pg 30 "the story-telling"
God has created man in the world of associations, therefore, he is not made of valid facts or of theories. In spite of all the best intentions no well-wisher has yet been able to lure man's mind away from this reality. Even though in desperation he tries to bring about a treaty between his moral teaching and fairy-tales, but fails to harmonize them owing to their innate antipathy. So that the stories come to an abrupt end, the moral teaching also loses its grip , and there is the accumulated rubbish.
pg 88 "the aspiration"
The Madhavi creeper with its rustling dry leaves becomes all joyous at the first touch of the south wind in spring time. Likewise the wind from a garden of paradise came to sweep over a girl who gathered twigs and a gradual awakening of an exquisite wistfulness made her whole being vibrate with a throbbing ache. All her thoughts began to wander about like bees straying from their hives, having sensed some unknown honey flavors.
pg 104 "the life and mind"
The waves of the sea are the surface layer of the sea. By raising a din they confuse the facts of the sea's deep-trodden base where lies the earth's great womb. When the waves quieten down, in that unbroken harmony between what is seen and what is not seen, what is deep-bottom and what is the top facade, the sea reigns in supreme composure.
In the same way the minute I returned from the outward efforts of my life, I found stability in the heart's inner most depth which is the primary playground of the universe.
pg 111 "the life and mind"
The tune of life sketches from one key-note to another claiming such a pitch that one does not know where its limit is to be.
These are the books I read this week:
The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy
Lipika by Rabindranath Tagore
The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
I have already commented on the first two in previous blog posts so I will not speak of them again. I was actually rereading both the Leo Tolstoy and Rabindranath Tagore books since they are my two favorite authors of all time. It is also interesting that they actually knew each other. I have heard about Nicholas Sparks as he lives near us in the eastern part of NC and I have watched a couple of movies based on his novels which were very nice. I read his book today from start to finish and found it very interesting reading and I would like to read more of his books. His book was very easy to read and entertaining, but cannot compare with Tolstoy and Tagore who both have amazing talents to transport me into the story's scene with their wonderful way with words. My goal for the year is to read one of Tolstoy's major novels, either War and Peace or Anne Karina.
These are excerpts from Rabindranath Tagore's Lipika that I really liked:
pg 3 "a cloudy day"
Man has crossed the seas, he has climbed the mountains, he has snatched precious rubies and pearls delving into the palaces of the oceans, but what is innermost in man's heart nan has never been able to settle up with another to its finality
pg 20 "just a glance"
The power of the king, the wealth of the rich are built up on this earth to die. But it is not a single drop of nectar in one's tears which will make that moment's glance live through eternity.
pg 30 "the story-telling"
God has created man in the world of associations, therefore, he is not made of valid facts or of theories. In spite of all the best intentions no well-wisher has yet been able to lure man's mind away from this reality. Even though in desperation he tries to bring about a treaty between his moral teaching and fairy-tales, but fails to harmonize them owing to their innate antipathy. So that the stories come to an abrupt end, the moral teaching also loses its grip , and there is the accumulated rubbish.
pg 88 "the aspiration"
The Madhavi creeper with its rustling dry leaves becomes all joyous at the first touch of the south wind in spring time. Likewise the wind from a garden of paradise came to sweep over a girl who gathered twigs and a gradual awakening of an exquisite wistfulness made her whole being vibrate with a throbbing ache. All her thoughts began to wander about like bees straying from their hives, having sensed some unknown honey flavors.
pg 104 "the life and mind"
The waves of the sea are the surface layer of the sea. By raising a din they confuse the facts of the sea's deep-trodden base where lies the earth's great womb. When the waves quieten down, in that unbroken harmony between what is seen and what is not seen, what is deep-bottom and what is the top facade, the sea reigns in supreme composure.
In the same way the minute I returned from the outward efforts of my life, I found stability in the heart's inner most depth which is the primary playground of the universe.
pg 111 "the life and mind"
The tune of life sketches from one key-note to another claiming such a pitch that one does not know where its limit is to be.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
diary of Anne Frank
Today I finished reading the American version of Anne Frank's story called The Diary of a Young Woman. I read the book and definitely had questions about the authenticity while reading it. I found several critical documents have been written about it. I found one book available on Good Books by searching for The diary of Anne Frank: the revised critical edition By Anne Frank, H. J. J. Hardy, David Barnouw, Gerrold van der Stroom. One of the leading men who tried to critically review the diary was The Diary of Anne Frank: Is it Genuine? by Robert Faurisson. I found another article that commented on his article at http://www.holocaust-history.org/anne-frank/. It seems like this could be a life long project to find out if the diary was real, so I will leave it at that as I need my life for other things.
I liked the following parts:
page 171
Her counsel when one feels melancholy is: 'Think of all of the misery in the world and be thankful that you are not sharing in it!' My advice is "Go outside, to the fields, enjoy nature and the sunshine, go out and try to recapture happiness in yourself and in God. Think of all the beauty that's still left in and around you and be happy" ... And whoever is happy will make others happy too. He who has courage and faith will never perish in misery.
page 223
Why should millions be spent daily on war and yet there's not a penny available for medical services, artists, or poor people? Why do some people have to starve, while there are surpluses rotting in other parts of the world?
page 260
"All children must look after their own upbringing." Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands.
page 263
"For in its innermost depths youth is lonelier than old age." ... Older people have formed their opinions about everything, and don't waver before they act. It's twice as hard for us young ones to hold our ground, and maintain our opinions, in a time when all ideals are being shattered and destroyed, when people are showing their worst side, and do not know whether to believe in truth and right and God.
I liked the following parts:
page 171
Her counsel when one feels melancholy is: 'Think of all of the misery in the world and be thankful that you are not sharing in it!' My advice is "Go outside, to the fields, enjoy nature and the sunshine, go out and try to recapture happiness in yourself and in God. Think of all the beauty that's still left in and around you and be happy" ... And whoever is happy will make others happy too. He who has courage and faith will never perish in misery.
page 223
Why should millions be spent daily on war and yet there's not a penny available for medical services, artists, or poor people? Why do some people have to starve, while there are surpluses rotting in other parts of the world?
page 260
"All children must look after their own upbringing." Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands.
page 263
"For in its innermost depths youth is lonelier than old age." ... Older people have formed their opinions about everything, and don't waver before they act. It's twice as hard for us young ones to hold our ground, and maintain our opinions, in a time when all ideals are being shattered and destroyed, when people are showing their worst side, and do not know whether to believe in truth and right and God.
Monday, December 28, 2009
The measure of a man
Late last week, I heard Sidney Poitier speaking at a local college as broadcast on an NPR broadcast called The Story which is hosted by Dick Gordon. Up until then I had no desire to read about his life, but after listening to parts of his speech I had a great desire to read his biography named The Measure of a Man. I finished reading the book this morning and these are some quotes that I liked:
page 168
It often takes a near-death experience like ours to make us realize how simple life is, how few the essentials really are. We love; we work; we raise our families. Those are the areas of significance in our individual lives. And love and work and family are our legacy we leave behind when our little moment in the sun is gone.
page 176
The fact is you can't do that kind of parenting if your values aren't clear to you in terms of your own life. You can't be passing on to your kids a strong foundation if you don't have one yourself - because whatever foundation you do or don't have yourself that's what you're going to pass on. And when we pass on something that doesn't serve our children, we have to be responsible for that.
page 181
The measure of a man is how ell he provides for his children.
page 243
We're all imperfect, and life is simply a perpetual, unending struggle against those imperfections.
page 168
It often takes a near-death experience like ours to make us realize how simple life is, how few the essentials really are. We love; we work; we raise our families. Those are the areas of significance in our individual lives. And love and work and family are our legacy we leave behind when our little moment in the sun is gone.
page 176
The fact is you can't do that kind of parenting if your values aren't clear to you in terms of your own life. You can't be passing on to your kids a strong foundation if you don't have one yourself - because whatever foundation you do or don't have yourself that's what you're going to pass on. And when we pass on something that doesn't serve our children, we have to be responsible for that.
page 181
The measure of a man is how ell he provides for his children.
page 243
We're all imperfect, and life is simply a perpetual, unending struggle against those imperfections.
Friday, December 25, 2009
our son the cook
For our family Thanksgiving meal this year our middle son used these recipes:
Ham with Gingersnap crust
Ruth Chris' Sweet Potato Casserole
Pineapple upside down cheese cake
Most recently he experimented on us and made this yummy food:
Honey Brined Turkey
Ham with Gingersnap crust
Ruth Chris' Sweet Potato Casserole
Pineapple upside down cheese cake
Most recently he experimented on us and made this yummy food:
Honey Brined Turkey
International food for Christmas
Four years ago we decided to start a new family tradition of allowing our middle son to choose where he wants to eat when we go out for his Christmas Eve birthday. It is sometimes difficult to find a place open on Christmas Eve, but since he likes trying different international food, that makes it easier actually. Many years ago we were visiting my mother in Tucson for Christmas and we could only find a single restaurant open. It was a Mexican food and that started the idea I think. Four years ago when living in San Antonio, Texas he came up with a great idea of eating Thai food. My coworkers pointed us to what many considered the best Thai food in the city. It was definitely a treat to take all of the family to that place. After returning to North Carolina the following year, our son decided he wanted to try Sushi. He knew it was not my favorite so he found a place that served both Thai and Sushi. Last year was difficult as we called so many places that he wanted to try but they were all closed. We found some other interesting places but they were too expensive like the "Melting Pot" which serves only fondu. So we decided on Greek food, which was a great choice. This year we went for Thai food again and it was wonderful. Who knows what next year will hold? At least we decided not to get ice cream cake this year as we have not had much success with those in the last few years. The photo on the right is the straw covers from our Thai ice tea which were mysteriously formed in beautiful rose shapes. The rice served for our curry dishes was also interesting as one was the shape of a teddy bear and the other one was a fish. Such a great place to eat. It was called Sawasdee.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
local prisoner
As we have experienced in our family - problems never go away if you ignore them. I read in the paper today that a local man was sentenced to six years in jail for child pornography. It reminded me of a web site I found when I discovered one of our teenage boys looking at pornography at our home:
http://xxxchurch.com
Here is a link to his story:
http://www.covenanteyes.com/blog/2009/09/14/testimony-i-am-facing-8-years-in-prison-for-child-pornography
Here is the blog he is maintaining:
http://www.fromshame2grace.com
I really like the steps in this article:
http://porntopurity.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/are-you-a-step-away-from-child-pornography
1. His slide into pornography was gradual – Nothing happened overnight. David’s porn habit grew slowly over a period of many years.
2. His slide was progressive – It started with his father’s Penthouse, chatrooms then trading pictures. David’s behaviors got worse over time. It also took more to get his “fix”. And it took more and more of his time. The things that once seemed repulsive actually became exciting.
3. Many secrets were hidden - Porn grows in the dark, and feeds on a secretive life.
4. He was successful on the outside, yet decaying on the inside.
5. He is a regular guy, just like you and me, that slid in a horrible direction – This is the scary thing. Many of us have similar stories. We allow porn in our life thinking it’s not harmful. Thinking we can control it. All along, our lust is really controlling us.
http://xxxchurch.com
Here is a link to his story:
http://www.covenanteyes.com/blog/2009/09/14/testimony-i-am-facing-8-years-in-prison-for-child-pornography
Here is the blog he is maintaining:
http://www.fromshame2grace.com
I really like the steps in this article:
http://porntopurity.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/are-you-a-step-away-from-child-pornography
1. His slide into pornography was gradual – Nothing happened overnight. David’s porn habit grew slowly over a period of many years.
2. His slide was progressive – It started with his father’s Penthouse, chatrooms then trading pictures. David’s behaviors got worse over time. It also took more to get his “fix”. And it took more and more of his time. The things that once seemed repulsive actually became exciting.
3. Many secrets were hidden - Porn grows in the dark, and feeds on a secretive life.
4. He was successful on the outside, yet decaying on the inside.
5. He is a regular guy, just like you and me, that slid in a horrible direction – This is the scary thing. Many of us have similar stories. We allow porn in our life thinking it’s not harmful. Thinking we can control it. All along, our lust is really controlling us.
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