Saturday, December 01, 2007

Yeti Foot Prints Near Mt. Everest, Nepal !!!

Yeti prints' found near Everest
By Charles Haviland
BBC News, Kathmandu

Everest seen through mountain pass
There have been stories of Yetis in the Himalayas for many years
A US TV presenter says he and his team have found a series of footprints in the Everest region of Nepal resembling descriptions of the mysterious Yeti.

The presenter and his colleagues say they are "very excited", although they are not saying they definitely believe it is the mark of the Yeti.

Josh Gates and his crew work on a series called Destination Truth, which follows reports of fantastic creatures.

The footprints found on Wednesday have renewed Yeti excitement in Nepal.

Mr Gates said they had been searching by torchlight at night-time because, he said, alleged sightings of the yeti had usually taken place at night.

They did not see the so-called abominable snowman himself.

Three prints

But a Nepalese member of the team spotted three footprints and alerted Mr Gates, who told the BBC the first print was a "pristine" right paw mark, 33 cm (13 inches) long, with five toes in a wide spread of 25 cm.

There was also a heel print and another fainter one.

An excited Mr Gates described the main footprint as anthropomorphic, meaning it had human characteristics.

He said he did not believe the prints were man-made or that they came from a known animal such as a bear.

But he also said he was not sure he believed in the Yeti, and did not know what to make of it.

The team took castings of the three prints which will be examined by scientists in the US.

Scalp claim

Asked why there were only three prints, Mr Gates said the terrain, in a side valley about 2,800 metres (9,000 feet), was mainly rocky.

Reports of the mythical Yeti go back hundreds of years, and the creature is sometimes attributed with dangerous powers, sometimes protective ones.

One Buddhist monastery near Everest houses what some say is a Yeti skull or scalp; scientists who examined it declared that it was made from antelope skin, but other experts disagreed.

In the 1950s the British explorer Eric Shipton took photos of prints in the snow that some are convinced belong to the Yeti.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Destination Nepal

Destination Nepal
Big Time; Big Travel; Big Mountain; Big Moment; Big Work!!!!













It may not sound too easy to travel for a 4 days 3 nights trips to Las Vegas or quick Cancun trip for many but thinking about traveling for almost three months may freak one out. Lets do it! That was our theme a year ago and it is happening end of this December till late March. Kim (my wife) an Alumni of UWGB has never been to Nepal. She has never met my family. This is the biggest travel we will be making in the history of our time.



End of 2007, we and I are planning our trip via Germany to Nepal. This also will be our visit to Germany as well. The reason to visit Germany? While we were discussing about planning a trip to Nepal. Our friend Stefan Zindal a German exchange student, who also went to UWGB with me between 2001 & 2002. Stefan asked me if we could stop by on the way to Nepal. First I thought wow, I cannot say no to this Stefan, he is a good friend. After discussing with my wife, we said Yes to Stefan. Now, the work of policy that I have to go through. I have to have a visa to Germany. I had to go to Chicago to apply for visa, which I did. It almost felt like too much work but worth it. For that Stefan had to do some work as well from Germany.

Now, let me introduce Stefen, Stefan was a Foreign Exchange student from Germany, from where UWGB receives many students perhaps every year. We lived together in campus housing apartment # 104. Living on campus brought this unique experience for us. We became like brothers. He went to school for physical education and currently he is physical education teacher in Germany. He is married and blessed by a beautiful daughter. Therefore, when Stefan brought up the idea of visiting Germany, we really couldn’t pass. More on Stefan’s life will be when we get to Germany. We will be celebrating our New Year with Stefan and his family. Indeed, this is a journey of a life time.

Why are we going there for that long? Well, this came out to be the perfect time for both of us. As season winding down, our shop will be closed for the season. I travel to Nepal for many reasons. I buy my inventory in Nepal and meeting and working with the locals takes time. Also, I have been doing some educational work in Nepal as my help to Nepal and village children where I am from, which is two days away from Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. In addition to that, my brother, who has been suffering from Kidney failure, will be in Nepal. He just received a Kidney transplant in 31st of October and slowing in the path of healing. I have not seen him in two years. This will first time we will be seeing my brother after his surgery. You can also check his site @ http://help4karma.terapad.com

I spent most of my childhood in the mountain. I went to school walking two hours down and more than two hours up hill. Seeing this struggle, my father through the help of Action Aid Nepal, a British non profit Organization, and help of villagers, was able to build a school in the village, where walking distance would be maximum 30 minutes for surrounding village children rather than two hours.



However, back in 1990s, I left for more education in the city. During this period, I invited my family to the city for my siblings to get better education because even though village school provides basic education it still is not enough. Therefore, for my siblings, I requested my family to come to the city. First five year of our time in the city became even harder than the village life. We knew very few people so the life became very strange for our family. We struggled to survive in the capital city. Because both of my parents not having been to school, it was even harder for them than we children.

Having said that, life continued for us in the city. It gave us life learning experiences. The city life nurtured us to be where we are right now. The struggle in the city to survive and get by day to day life was very difficult for my father and my mother. Their intension to move to the city was to have a better life, which one cannot imagine being in the village.

Looking back again, my father had a vision in his mind but without enough resources or without enough courage he could not continue with his effort in village. But now, his children are grown and finding the path he created to be followed, which is to continue educating village children because without education the light of truth cannot be truly felt or comprehended. I have been working with the villagers and teachers in the village how to brighten our village? I myself with the help of some of my friends in Japan, was able to bring some school supplies in the past.

Now having graduated from University of Wisconsin Green Bay. We found the path, that we want to be in. I graduated from Environmental degree and my wife Human Development. Our path became clear that our degree is a channel to help others. Therefore, Kim & I have decided to at least help the school that my father built by bringing school supplies for the children and teach some basic courses for few weeks in in the village. Kim & I have collected so much school supplies that it is almost very difficult for us to ship it to Nepal.

Having to graduate from University of Wisconsin Green Bay, was truly an experience. To be honest, if I would not have come to GB, neither I would not have met any of my friends, teachers, faculty members nor my wife. I feel I am truly blessed.

We believe, that a drop may sound small in a huge ocean, still it makes a difference. This is truly charitable work we like to contribute to Nepal. If you would like to help in our cause to educate these mountain children, you can do so @ my site http://premlama.terapad.com. Also, we will be updating this blog, while we are in Nepal. So, don’t forget to bookmark or save the link.


Prem

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Chinese police clash with monks over Dalai Lama award

Jonathan Watts in Beijing
Tuesday October 23, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

Chinese police and soldiers have clashed with Buddhist monks in several towns in Tibet during a crackdown on celebrations to mark the award of a US congressional gold medal to the Dalai Lama last week.

According to Tibetan activist groups and Hong Kong media, the security forces have attempted to suppress monasteries that tried to mark the prize-giving with special prayers or decorations.

Despite government efforts to remove satellite dishes, halt sales of celebratory fireworks and block websites such as YouTube, news has spread quickly about the accolade and the meeting last week between the Tibetan spiritual leader and US president George Bush.

Beijing is furious about the award for the Dalai Lama, who it accuses of being a 'splittist' intent upon challenging the territorial integrity of China. The Dalai Lama says he is not seeking independence, but wants autonomy for Tibetans inside China.

The Free Tibet campaign says clashes and crackdowns have been reported in the capital Lhasa, as well as in the Tibetan communities of Qinghai and Gansu.

Citing sources in Dharamsala - the Indian home of Tibetan exiles - it says there are unconfirmed rumours that one or two monks have been killed in Lhasa.

The confrontation is said to have begun on 17 October after celebrating monks repainted the walls of the Dalai Lama's residence in Drepung Monastery and held a special prayer meeting.

The Ming Pao newspaper said 3,000 armed police surrounded the monastery and refused to allow the 1,000 or so monks to leave.

Details of the crackdown are hard to ascertain because the Chinese authorities keep a tight lock on Tibet. In recent days the YouTube website has been difficult to access in Beijing, prompting speculation that it has been blocked to prevent people on the mainland from seeing video of the Dalai Lama receiving the congressional award.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Finally the big day has come for Karma!!!




Namaste,
The bottom blog is taken from Karma benefit site http://help4karma.terapad.com please read.



Dear friends,
Finally, the day we have been waiting for has come. The day, which will change the life of a Buddhist monk. Karma is his name and he is my brother. He has been a monk for 15 over years. His daily life style is to practice & learn Buddhism from Great Lamas. Without such guidance this day would not have been possible. Without your help, support & unconditional prayers this day may not have come so smoothly. Therefore, we Lama family would like to thank you for everything you have done for us.


I still remember, when I first knew about Karma's illness. My mind almost could not understand how something this powerful possibly could happen to Karma. I realized for a second, the reason I am here in this very time and place is to help Karma. In my mind I was determined to find help for him. I can do this. One thing lead to another. Soon, true living Buddhas like you out there who heard my plea and came to help Karma. We deeply thank you for your kindness and help to Karma and all of us.


Today the October, 9th of 2007 current http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=831US Central time & current India http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=438 time. I just found out that the day of Karma's surgery is today at St. John's Medical Hospital, Bangalore, India. However, the exact time of the day could not be confirmed. It is believed that the time of surgery could very close to be around 5 to 6 o'clock in the morning US Central time on 10th of October. If not the first surgery in the next session. I will update the approximate time as soon as I find out.


Please pray with us once again for the successful surgery for our Karma Lama. We will never forget this day. The happy day for my brother Karma and for all of us.

Prem

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Help 4 Karma Benefit Site.


Namaste, Teshi Delek, & Greetings
Dear friends,


You may receive this news as a shock but if we knew ahead of time everything that would come to us, it would be too hard. Well, this is a very sad story about my brother Karma Lama, who has been suffering from kidney disease. I have been following the story for a long time, thinking that with good diet and proper medication, we could extend the time for a proper treatment. Once again, time does not wait nor give us any excuses.
I never thought I would have to write this email. I need help guys! In fact, I need any help that I can get at this point. Yesterday, Karma's own guru (teacher) called me from South India to tell me the news. My brother is not doing well at all and his doctors recommend a kidney transplant. I need to raise at least $10,000 for his surgery. I wish I didn’t need any help but again, when one is in desperate need of something and if friends don’t know about it, help may never come and something tragic which could have been prevented may never be prevented.

Let me tell you the story. Karma is my brother. He has been a Buddhist monk for more than a decade now. He is studying in a Buddhist monastery in Mysore, India. He is a first year student of Master Level and barely 23 years old. He has always been the brightes!..number one or two in his class. Last year I met him when I went back to Nepal to visit. His condition was not that good so I brought him to some medical centers in Kathmandu for diagnosis and treatment. During the 28 days of my visit, we couldn’t do anything but watch time go by. We really made no progress and I was very worried. A few days after my flight back to the US, he also left for India to return to his monastery. He began to get some help from the monastery for his treatment at the Tibetan herb center. Simultaneously he was taking prescribed medication and kept going to the hospital for periodic check ups. But now, apparently, there is a point of no return. His condition has worsened. He has no other choice but to replace at least one of his kidneys. I wish I could help him myself but again, I do not have such amount of money either. So, I turn to all of you out there for help. Life is dear to all of us. It could happen to anyone. We must leave this world at some point in time but when it comes to Karma’s case... he is just 23 years old!! He hasn’t even seen anything yet. I know as Buddhist may say, attachment is a negative emotion and only brings suffering. But when it comes to your own family member, such philosophy becomes so small compared to the love you have for that person. He's my only brother. I must do everything I can to save him. My family have no savings and very little income. They do own a small piece of land which represents their only asset and they are selling this to raise money for Karma, but we expect it will only fetch $2,000 at most.
Please guide me to help him. He seriously needs help.

If you are able to donate to Karma's treatment, you will be greatly blessed by my entire family. If you know friends or acquaintances who may be of assistance at this critical time, please send this email on to all of them. If you can organize a group to raise funds, I will always be grateful. Time is of the essence.


For more information please call me @ 920 819 4382 or our dear friend and "sister" Pam Whitworth at (641) 472-8955 or pamwhit@lisco.com


You can send this helping donation to:


Prem Lama
218 S. 18th Ave. 4H
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Most Sincerely,

Prem Lama


Please visit http://help4karma.terapad.com for donations & click on PayPal donate button.

Friday, April 20, 2007

Himalayan Presentation @ Edison Middle School Green Bay 2007

Dear Readers,
Due to the shortage of time in my schedule I am not being able to update my blog as often as I want to. However, I do update frequently or as often as I can to make sure that you get the news or something from this blog. So, please visit when ever you can.

Anyway, once again Edison Middle School in Green Bay was able to have a presentation on Himalayan life based on my (Prem Lama) personal life story, growing up in the mountain of Nepal.

I have been doing this presentation since 2004. So far, I have presented over a dozen times to various locations, schools, libraries, clubs, churches & collages. Its a slide show presentation called "Places & Faces of the Himalaya". The following link will give you a glimpse of my show, however it will not be in the video like what you are seeing in the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D8DArpAIY0 . Video views 2688 times and 100 % 5 star rating.

This year for the presentation Justin Miller, who organises the show had a very different idea. The presentation was served with Indian buffet lunch. We had Rice (Pulau), Chicken Tanduri (roasted Chicken), Nan (Puffed bread), Lintel Soup (Dal), Chana Masala (Pea curry), Pakora (Veg. like Tampura), Chicken Curry, some pickles & Rice Pudding (Khir). It was an excellent idea. I explained about each food and spices because most Himalayan people share similar spices, which come from India. Well, without further due, I would like to present some pictures that I took during the event. Oh! event took place on April 17th Tuesday 07.
Enjoy. Prem









Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Take Action Day April 14th Observed!

















Environment is such a crucial subject of this era. Issues related with environment is no joke. It is real as we would light the fire. So, for this very delicate issue of Environment we good citizen of various countries gathered and addressed our concerns at the south entrance of Brown County Court House. The event was organized by Paul Wozniak an Environmental activist. The participants were from various groups and various walks of life. The guest performer was our very own Pat MacDonald from Sturgeon Bay. You may know him from his hit number "The future's so bright, Gotta wear shades" .

The countries spoke @ the program
1. The United States

2. Nepal

3. Kazakhstan

4. Kenya

5. Sri Lanka &

6. India

African drums and rhythmic spiritual songs sung by Taku. Poetry also was read in the program for Environmental consciousness.

Could write more but running out of time.
Prem

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Speak-out for Earth & Environment

NEWS RELEASE 10 APRIL 2007
FOR MORE INFO, CONTACT CRYSTAL OSMAN 715-497-2090 or PAUL WOZNIAK 920-265-2623 [ riverhistory@yahoo.com ]
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GREEN BAY TO HEAR WITNESSES ON GLOBAL WARMING, SATURDAY APRIL 14
Green Bay, WI
Citizens of several nations will speak to Green Bay area residents this Saturday about damage in their homelands due to global climate change. They will be joined by local activists promoting changes in the way Wisconsinites use fossil fuel energy.
The noon gathering is scheduled for the south patio of the Brown County Courthouse in Green Bay . The 30-minute event will be one of 1,200 nationwide to educate on the need for changes in our individual and collective behavior.
The naming of April 14 as a day of action was originated with author Bill McKibben. Details can be found at www.stepitup2007.org.
Speakers from several continents will report on the human and economic damage happening in their homelands. Their statements will give a human face to a report released last week by the world’s largest body of climate scientists.
“The lifestyles and technologies used by Wisconsin businesses and households are damaging families and communities around the planet,” according to UW-Green Bay student Crystal Osman, age 22. “That’s what I saw in Costa Rica during my first travel outside the United States . The changing climate is harming poor families who have no alternatives. We are not saying Wisconsin deliberately wants to do harm, but as adults, we have to face the music about the consequences of our energy choices. The courthouse is the right place to meet, if only because it creates a serious, solemn mood.”
“We were warned on the first Earth Day in Green Bay was 1970,” said Paul Wozniak, one of the rally’s sponsors and a local historian. “Local television carried many hours of warnings by experts about the need for less-polluting transportation and the need for new energy sources. We can’t go back and change history, but we can learn from it. This means avoiding climate-harming changes---like a switch to oil shale or expansion of fossil fuel use without carbon controls. We in Wisconsin can help slow global climate change, or we can speed climate change up, making life everywhere more unpredictable. It’s a choice we are making, consciously or unconsciously.”
Starting at noon, brief comments and performances will be delivered by a series of speakers, poets and musicians. The program is expected to last 30 minutes, so interested members of the public are encouraged to plan for an early arrival. Expected to speak are visitors from Nepal , Vietnam , Nigeria , Kenya , Ecuador and India .
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PAUL WOZNIAK

Friday, February 23, 2007

The Shangri-La School

My dear readers. I have included this newspaper article from Iowa Source, which I just received from Pam a good friend of mine. Pam is like very didi (big sister) to me. She has been so grateful and so helpful for all the needy out there. She has been sponsoring a Buddhist monk as well, who is my brother Karma for so long. Thank you from our heart to Pam didi. Namaste.

Prem

The Shangri-La School
Local Families Sponsor Education for Some of Nepal's Poorest Children
BY CAREE CONNET


Thailai was in poor health when she arrived at the school in 1994. Today, she's a radiant, vibrant child.
Sometimes a village is too poor to feed a child; sometimes an entire country is too poor to feed all of its children. Nepal, the only official Hindu state in the world, is one of the least developed countries, with a third of the population subsisting below the poverty line. This landlocked Himalayan kingdom, squeezed between India and China, suffers from a lack of natural resources and roads, deforestation, erosion, and vehicular emissions. Nepal’s terrain, which ranges from the world’s highest peaks to steep hills to subtropical jungles, limits the amount of arable land, and tourism has declined in recent years due to political unrest.
In spite of these difficulties, the Nepalese are extremely friendly, cheerful people. Faced with a challenging situation, they will say, “No problem.” If it really is a problem, they’ll say, with a philosophical shrug, “What to do?”
“I kept asking myself the same question,” Pam Whitworth tells me, as we drink chai in her spacious kitchen overlooking the cornfields of southeastern Iowa. “During my first trip to Nepal in 1995, I fell in love with the country, its stunning landscape, and its warmhearted people. But I also saw what poverty is and how cruel it can be, especially for children. . . . We have so much in our culture, and it takes so little to make a difference in their lives. There’s so much inequality in our world, so to be able to correct that imbalance in any small way feels like the right thing to do.”
I nod in agreement. In 1998, my husband and I joined Pam for a trek in the Annapurna region. I could never forget the sight of children begging in the streets or doing backbreaking work.
From Shy Child to Gentle Man
Not long after her first visit, Pam began sponsoring a Nepalese child. Her friend Martha, who was living in Kathmandu, had a cook with two children, very poor. This young mother would never be able to afford to send her children to school. Martha, along with her mother, decided to sponsor them at a school close to where she lived. She discovered that the principal was supporting quite a few children from very poor, remote villages who were orphans, or had only one parent. This man was trying to make some small contribution to their lives. He had a long waiting list of needy kids, and he asked Martha if she knew anyone who might be willing to sponsor a child.
“So Martha asked me, and I immediately said yes,” Pam recalls. “Punya, the boy I’ve sponsored for ten years, has no father. His mother works in a carpet factory making $20 a month. There are four kids in the family, and now we sponsor all of them. Punya was just a tiny, extremely shy little boy when I first met him. Now he’s taller than I am, and a sweet, gentle young man. He’s like a big brother to all the kids. When I was recently in Nepal, he told me with tears in his eyes that he didn’t know what would have become of him if I hadn’t sponsored him. He said his mother was so grateful, and wanted him to thank me for helping her children.”
One Child Led to Another
There was always a waiting list of children in need, and an endless litany of heartbreaking stories. This one’s mother died and the father ran off, leaving the child with an elderly grandparent who could not afford to feed the child. The father was dying and the mother was working in India on a road crew, and the villagers could not cope. There were no parents and someone found the child on the street. Or there were parents but they were too poor to pay any school fees.
The Personal Connection
Pam realized she could not sponsor all of them. So she asked friends who she thought might be willing and able to sponsor a child, and many, in turn, said yes. Some, like myself, have a strong connection to Nepal, and others are attracted to the personal aspect, knowing the child they are sponsoring. And others like the idea of a small charity where they know that 100 percent of their money goes directly to the recipients. The children all know their sponsors, and they love knowing someone is concerned about their welfare, their education, their life. Many sponsors write and send pictures or small necessities, and the children write letters or send drawings.
Pam has been the coordinator over the years. She stays in touch with the school, acting as a channel for communications and for the funds to flow. “It’s not so easy to get money from here to there,” she says. “Over the past year Martha has gotten much more involved, offering to act as a conduit for the funds. This has been so helpful. I can be sure the money gets to the kids. Also, she lives close to the school and can check on the kids regularly, and they stop by to visit her. This way, she keeps me informed about how they are and what they may need.” Pam in turn relays information to the sponsors, and discusses any special needs their child may have, as well as organizing exchanges of letters and pictures.
The Children’s Stories
Pam has been keeping a photo album of the children for all these years. The pictures record the life of each child, and every year there are more new faces. She shows me the most recent picture of the girl I sponsor, Thailai Lama, smiling radiantly at the camera. Pam flips back to the beginning of the album, and points out Thailai in a group photo. I hardly recognize her as the same girl.
“When I think of the kids’ stories,” Pam says, “the one image that comes to mind is Thailai. When I first saw her in 2000, she was this little kid from a far-off village in the mountains, like the kind we saw during our trek. She was in very poor health. She had scabies, her skin was all messed up, and her hair was cut short because she probably had head lice. She kept her head down and wouldn’t look at us. She looked so scared. And now, after seven years, look at her. She’s bright and happy and healthy.”Pam feels that the love and attention the kids receive from their sponsor nourishes them. They in turn feel a very special love for the person on the other side of the world who is making their lives better. Many of the kids call their sponsor Mother or Father.
Pam shows me photos of two more children. “Like Thailai, Wangdu and Jhangjuk are from a very remote area in Humla, in western Nepal, so they almost never see their families,” Pam continues. “Wangdu sees his maybe every two or three years. They can’t afford to travel that far. Wangdu is really smart, good in everything, sports, and academics. He’s going to be a real leader when he gets older. Jhangjuk has an older brother in Kathmandu who looks after her, but he’s gone for long periods of time. . . . But the other two kids, we have to do everything for them—make sure that they have clothing, medical attention, hair cuts, and shoes. We really have to be parents for the ones who have no family to take care of them.
“Last fall, I really felt compelled to go and visit the kids because they had just moved into a new school, Shangri-La. We moved them last year from their old school, where they had been for many years, but conditions had deteriorated and the kids weren’t happy. Now they are settled and very happy. It’s private, which means non-religious, as are all schools that are any good in Nepal. Public schools there are less than sub-standard, horrible, virtually useless.”
Pam shows me a picture of a smiling man with a mustache. “This is Mr. Karki, the principal, at Shangri-La. Our kids are the only boarders at this school, because this principal will only take boarders who are very, very poor. Many rich parents want their children to board at school, because everything is taken care of, but Mr. Karki will not take those children, even though he could make money that way. Our kids, who stay in the hostel, are like a family. He doesn’t want them to feel disadvantaged by wealthy families bringing food and money to their children, things our kids don’t have. He feels very solicitous of our kids. He’s such a sweet man. You can just see it in his face.
“When I was there, Martha and I had a big picnic for the kids. We’d planned it for months. They kids played games, ran up and down, and had lunch. We had a grab bag of school supplies that I brought with me. All of the sponsors sent photos and letters. The kids were so excited. They sat in the grass and poured over those letters. I also put together a photo album of all the sponsors. They loved that! They love photos. It means so much to them that someone is taking time to connect with them, plus they are terribly curious about America.
“For a lot of these kids, their lives have been really tough. They’ve had to grow up early and haven’t had time to be kids. At this new school, they have a big playground where they can play basketball and soccer and games, and Mr. Karki has planted trees and flowers around the school. He also arranges for the children to go on field trips on occasion.”
Kids on the Waiting List
I ask Pam why she took on the huge task of managing essentially a private charity.
“It was so natural, because of my love of Nepal,” she replies. “The bottom line for me is the heart value. That’s why I’ve done it, and why I continue to do it, and why other people become sponsors. When I do anything for a child, even chatting with a sponsor or writing an email to the principal with a question about one of the kids, it just makes me happy. It’s that thing of doing for someone else, and with children, there’s so much they can’t do for themselves.
“When we had that picnic, it was so much fun. They ran and played games and had party food. They don’t have those kinds of things in their lives. I want them to have that feeling in their heart: Someone cares about me.“On this last trip I bought disposable cameras for each child, so they could record their daily life for their sponsors. Most had never used a camera, so it was a quite exciting for them. It’s the kind of thing parents here would do, but their parents can’t. In our society we think about doing creative things with kids, but they don’t have that kind of exploratory education. So it was fun to do. It makes me think about what other projects we might do.
“This sponsorship program has been a very simple grassroots thing that has grown organically. Every penny that comes in goes directly to the children, so you really know what your money is doing and who it’s doing it for. You see how the kids’ lives are changed. You know their stories. It’s putting a real face on charity. Right now there are about 20 sponsors that I organize and 14 children that we support. Some kids, like Vikram, have multiple sponsors. Martha has her own group of additional kids and sponsors. Altogether we have almost 25 kids. But the little ones on the waiting list . . . those we think about all the time.”
The total cost to sponsor one child for an entire year is $675, which covers school fees, room and board, books, and uniforms. Some people co-sponsor, sharing the cost with one or more friends. If the child has no family, the sponsor should also be prepared to provide for extra expenses, such as simple clothing and basic medical care.
“More than ever on this last trip I saw how little it takes to give them a new life, with some security,” Pam says, “and how much it means to them just having somebody care about their welfare, their happiness, and their future. It’s basically what every human being deserves, isn’t it?”
To Sponsor a Child
If, in the spirit of this season of love and friendship, you would like to make a heart-to-heart connection with a Nepalese child, please contact Pam Whitworth at (641) 472-8955 or pamwhit@lisco.com.

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Thursday, February 15, 2007

Wisdom Wednesday @ the Door County YMCA




Meditation & Relaxation



Sturgeon Bay- Y- Wisdom Wednesday
on Feb 14th 07

Namaste - Lets respect & honor each other first.

Breath Breath Breath

Breath for mind, Breath for body, & breath for your soul.

Vipassana Meditation has many benefits in our daily lives.
Breath - a Bridge to Meditation
“Breath - Present moment
Breath- reach to the source of life
Breath -transcend time and space
Breath - Be in the world & beyond” Osho

Vipassana is pure essence. You cannot add anything to improve it nor you can drop anything out of it.
First - breathing
Second - nostril
Third - Thoughts (awareness on everything you do from morning till night).

Let go - ego, attachments, anger, hatred, jealousy & negative clinging.

Practice-compassion, love, kindness, empathy & altruism.

Karma - Universal law of cause & effect.
Is Karma a fate or destiny? NO. Karma is created by our thoughts. We have the will power to accumulate good Karma as much as we can as well as bad ones.
Understanding Karma is like understanding yourself because it starts with you and your Karma is only for u.

Can Karma be changed? Yes! How? With our thoughts. Pure thoughts, selfless thoughts.
Can this be possible in this age? Yes, very much so. We can do it better now than ever.

Therefore, “Wisdom is not knowledge, wisdom is not experience & wisdom is not thinking. Wisdom is the attitude of no-self.

Compassion is not sympathy, compassion has no fix recipient and compassion is without a goal. Compassion is impartially benefiting all sentient being in just the right way.” Sheng Yen.

Buddha’s teaching : “The truth of suffering, the truth of origin of suffering, the truth of the cessation, and the truth of the path leading to this cessation.”
How? Eight fold paths. 8 rights.

“Love & compassion are necessities, not a luxury, without them humanity will & cannot survive, Dalai Lama”

“Be the change you wish to see in the world“, Gandhi

Next Mantra not om but BREATH.

Breaaaaaaaaaaattttttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Conscious breathing, awareness breathing - living fully.
I breath in - I am alive - I breath out - I smile- Tich Nath Han

“Do everything with (clarity of your) mind & (with awareness) then there is Buddha Nature in you” Prem Lama

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

More Himalayan Presentation at Southern Door High School, Sturgeon Bay



Once again, I was able to give "Places & Faces of the Himalaya" for a local school (Southern Door High School) here in Sturgeon Bay, WI for "World History" Junior students, which is taught by Luke Goral. Here are some of the shots we took from the presentation. My presentation were for two different classes. My presentation focuses on People, landscapes (geography), lifestyle, economy, environment and culture of Himalayans. Mr. Goral had some questions and I hope I answered them well because the purpose behind it is to share information to one another and make this world a small place. Even though a drop in big ocean, still means a lot, without those drops ocean could not have been ocean. So, bottom line is no matter what we contribute, still it is contribution and it counts. At least for me.
I was not able to take picture for the second one because of the time factor but both of the class students enjoyed the presentation and I hope they learned something from it. I am really happy to do what I do. This is the way to introduce Nepal and Nepali people to the world. At least that is what I think. So, let me know if you need a speaker for any event.

Prem