Our thoughts are with the beloved of Japan

"O LORD! Thou art the Remover of every anguish and the Dispeller of every affliction. Thou art He Who banisheth every sorrow and setteth free every slave, the Redeemer of every soul. O Lord! Grant deliverance through Thy mercy and reckon me among such servants of Thine as have gained salvation." - Baha'i Prayers

In solidarity and tender thoughts for the people who have suffered and are suffering in Japan. May our prayers of compassion and love help ease the suffering of the sisters and brothers trying to recover from this terrible disaster. They have lost their homes, their livelihoods, their fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. May their grief and suffering be solaced.

The Universe and us.....

“When we observe the phenomena of the universe, we realize that the axis around which life revolves is love. If attraction did not exist between the atoms, the composite substance of matter would not be possible. Every existent phenomenon is composed of elements and cellular particles. This is scientifically true and correct. If attraction did not exist between the elements and among the cellular particles, the composition of that phenomenon would never have been possible. For instance, the stone is an existent phenomenon, a composition of elements.

A bond of attraction has brought them together, and through this cohesion of ingredients this petrous object has been formed. This stone is the lowest degree of phenomena, but nevertheless within it a power of attraction is manifest without which the stone could not exist. This power of attraction in the mineral world is love, the only expression of love the stone can manifest.”

– Abdul Baha - The Promulgation of Universal Peace.

Plea of a timid Heart …

(In Celebration of the Birth of the Bab)

Behold how the Divine Morning Light has broken…….

Fleeting all mortal glimmerings of reality

His smoldering Revelation posing a Divine token…….

How blessed I am, a mere drop in the ocean of this renewed Vitality

Mountains and valleys have echoed the Majesty of His Voice…….

My heart vibrates ardently to His powerful Utterances

And today I ecstatically rejoice……..

Reminded of the Greatest Promise that molds my spiritual nuances

Sealing with His Lifeblood the Covenant of universal brotherhood......

All is evident, non can dispute His Truth

I desire to forsake all, in sacrifice to the suffering He withstood.......

Feeble yet yearning, to serve this radiant Youth

Thousands in humility to this Herald, have bowed……..

Yet instantly with joy and ecstasy, quickly risen

Wielding swords of conviction, raising cries of fervour - so loud……

Shedding pure blood on their spiritual mission

And I swoon and I tremble, unworthy – yet my heart humbly pleas…..

To rise to His call, as a leaf soaring in the autumn breeze……

I am reminded how His infinite Grace…….

Blessed so many on this earthly face……..

Today in 1819, Harbinger of the Abha Luminary was born

His Holy quintessence - by all - witnessed and sworn

And my heart is filled with pleas that rain……..

To draw confirmation from ‘The Mystic Fane’……

- Rouzeh (20/10/10)

Football - opera of the people - or climate hazard?

" Football is the opera of the people"- Stafford Heginbotham

So 2010 FIFA World Cup is creeping up fast, and this year to be hosted in the gorgeous and dynamic continent of Africa! To many this has become an almost life-changing event to look forward to - the hype, excitement & socio-economic zoom in on games continue to avalanche in South Africa, and other parts of the African continent. But what will it really mean - beyond the thrill of the game and apprehension of who will win e.g. will the cup stay in Africa? A famous football manager Bill Shankly once stated that football is more important than life and death! Now that is "profound".

Back to 'what does this mean'? Throwing a spanner into the works...one angle is the influence that football events have on climate change.

Yep climate change (also another topical area gripping the globe in recent years). Here are some points to ponder on effect of football events (and other sports events that gather multitudes within the space at the same time):

- Recycling: how many players and watching fans worry about recycling during the games and events, how many 'going green' companies come on board to raise awareness on environmentally friendly disposal of bottles, cans, plastic food wrappers etc as consumerism escalates, do organisers think of the after effect on the environment when planning to host events of such magnitude?

- Energy sources: with all the travel, maintaining training grounds and stadiums, what strategies are in place to counter the large amounts of CO2 emitted each season e.g. use of wind turbines or car-pooling or solar panels or grass roofs?

A 'team green' approach to football (and other games) is surely worth exploration at a large scale. Where it has been employed, it has been shown to be effective and cost-effective e.g. the eco-friendly soccer stadium in Brazil.

So -happy games and winnings - and safety always - during the 2010 FIFA World Cup games :)

A puff less....here's to May 31st

So I am not against smokers - but I am FOR all campaigns or efforts that encourage people to either desist from starting to smoke or give-up smoking for good!

The adverse effects of smoking range from the obvious effects on the respiratory system, the skin, the heart, through to altering one's moods and cognitive function, reducing libido, increasing risk of several types of cancer.....and medical science has even shown that divorce is linked to smoking!

Tobacco remains the 2nd major cause of death globally! And amongst them are thousands who have died from illnesses related to breathing in second-hands smoke. For me this is the most alarming and disturbing matter relating to smoking. It speaks beyond just being responsible for our own health - but potentially violating the health rights of others.

So here's to World No Tobacco Day - commemorated on May 31st, and introduced by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Why not use this day to encourage someone/yourself to take a puff less.

Memories or moments?

Do we remember days? Or do we remember moments?

Do we savour events? Or do we savour emotions?

Today I remember precious ones, the ones so far away physically, yet so close spiritually - it hurts not being able to reach out - hold - talk - laugh - give - and share love across the visual bridge !

And on a lighter candid note: "Memory is what tells a man that his wife's birthday was yesterday" ~Mario Rocco

:)

The status of True Lovers....

Replicating prison conditions of 7 Baha'is - worldwide solidarity through art!

The webpage and video are self-explanatory and I shall not draw attention away from the content with my own words.

And I wonder...

It's raining confetti like butterfly kisses, teasing my face

And I wonder...

How do we ever win this heart-throbbing race

I'd rather see the yearning and emptiness, than be blind

And I wonder...

Do I ever cross your mind?

- Rouzeh, 2010

Giving 2nd impressions a chance !

"Tick, tick, tick, hhmmm cross": the rapid mental checklist as one builds the almost instantaneous 1st impression.

While I am a strong believer in instinct and the first sense and feeling one gets almost within 2-3 seconds of being exposed to a voice, photograph, physical acquaintance, or other scenario - I have become equally a supporter of 2nd impressions! Learning how to give a chance to a relationship, business deal or similar bond by investing in a 2nd impression and its sequel, is not always easy to do though. However I have realised that 2nd impressions can be opportunities to 'make' what may have been 'broken' at 1st impression - and in my experience - each time it has been so worth it :)

As I have given a second thought or chance to what initially came across as a right-off, it was as if now I could see the sun-rays reflect off a clean mirror, a mirror that 1st time around someone forgot to/could not dust.

For a moment...

In your arms….

Fleeting sanity and all glimmerings of reality

Melting in your smoldering charms….

I yearn – if only for a heartbeat – that you cradle my soul with the deepest charity

Drown me….

Suffer me to the quintessence of your affections

Only with you I am and I be….

I beg – if only for an instant – that your sultry magic engulf me

Nicety, subtlety, and nuance….

Diminish, as my being gels with yours

Delicately enchant my atoms, thus perchance….

I plead – if only for a flash – that your fervor penetrate my very pores

Free, liberated through our perfect fit….

I will carry your pain with ecstatic glee

Give me the torment riddling your pure spirit….

Be your eternal solace and balm, please let me be

With the gaze of your eyes, Paradise stands as a diminutive illusion….

My being is granted existence

I crave – if only for a moment, for a moment, a moment, moment – an electrifying fusion…..

With your essence.

- Rouzeh, 2010

Funky approach to ecosystem & A spiritual resolve

Though it has been around for a few years now, I find this initiative highly imaginative & seriously innovative!

The Funky Forest digital interactive ecosystem employs a hands-on approach where children create trees with their body and resultantly divert the water flowing from a waterfall to the trees to keep them alive. we know that the well-being of our trees (forests on a larger scale) contributes to the health forest life, including animals that live in it. This interactive model was created by design experts Emily Gobeille and Theodore Watson. When a tree is deprived of water, it withers, and standing against a wall and pressing your body into the forest creates new trees based on your shape and character. The purpose of this approach endevours to raise awareness amongst children about our eco-system, how everything is interrelated, and our actions have an influence on our environment and eventual well-being of human beings.

The Bahá'í viewpoint on environmental conservation pivots 3 main points:

1) Since the universe (in its natural state) is a reflection of the majestic qualities and attributes of the Supreme Being, it must be accorded the utmost respect;

2) The world of creation is intricately interconnected; and

3) The unity of humankind is the essential truth and compelling force in this age, and thus influencer of maintenance of a healthy ecosystem

Humanity can survive the serious environmental and developmental challenges facing it, as long as humanity honors its responsibilities and commitments to make necessary sacrifices and changes that will transform the world, and preserve its beauty.

"In such a world society... the economic resources of the world will be organized, its sources of raw materials will be tapped and fully utilized, its markets will be coordinated and developed, and the distribution of its products will be equitably regulated ...The enormous energy dissipated and wasted on war, whether economic or political, will be consecrated to such ends as will extend the range of human inventions and technical development, to the increase of the productivity of mankind, to the extermination of disease, to the extension of scientific research, to the raising of the standard of physical health, to the sharpening and refinement of the human brain, to the exploitation of the unused and unsuspected resources of the planet, to the prolongation of human life and to the furtherance of any other agency that can stimulate the intellectual, the moral and spiritual life of the entire human race" - Shoghi Effendi

Out of this world...

I am tripping...I'm falling

This so needs a calling

All up high..

Oooopppsss

I tumble down nigh !

Blending East & West in melody.....

I stumbled across this gorgeous blend of Eastern (Persian) and Western (American) melody and smooth voices!

And of-course it reminded me of the quotation below...

"A world federal system, ruling the whole earth and exercising unchallengeable authority over its unimaginably vast resources, blending and embodying the ideals of both the East and the West, liberated from the curse of war and its miseries, and bent on the exploitation of all the available sources of energy on the surface of the planet, a system in which Force is made the servant of Justice, whose life is sustained by its universal recognition of one God and by its allegiance to one common Revelation - such is the goal towards which humanity, impelled by the unifying forces of life, is moving." - (Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 203-204)

To know...

"To know that we know what we know, and to know that we do not know what we do not know, that is true knowledge."

- Nicolaus Copernicus

Art in Math...reciprocated !

Funky stuff...! Stumbled across this totally intriguing site Math Art http://math-art.net/ , a gallery of shots featuring artwork formed by mathematical imagery (and imagination) and conversely mathematical imagery illustrated via art! Its liberating & fun :)

Samples above: Lorenz Attractor - 3 D and The Klein Bottle

Sooooooon

I must must must find the time again! Will play the keyboard soon enough on here...... for now one of my macro-shots and some loveeee :)

A Tomorrow...our tomorrow

Burning white
The void melts
Seeds blooming fragrant
Can love be this right?

Take me with you
Seal me in your soul
Wrapped and bound in all entirety
What else is there to do?

Let me bring you a tomorrow
Reversing all yesterdays
Surpassing all bliss you knew
Will you feed this intention to grow?

You are my Knight, brandishing your sword in suave conquer of my being, sweep me on your stallion - we gallop to win our tomorrow

- Rouzeh

The soul of a poet outlives the finest looks

You and I Whole
Refreshing my core
I immerse in your allure

The call of the heart
Falls feeble on the mind
But I must start
Ploughing only what love can bind

Will the toils and tears go?
When will they go?

Denying my resistance
I blend with your existence

The cry of reason
Fades on the soul soaked in devotion
Rays of treason
Are vacuum in this intricate emotion

Will the love conquer?
When will it conquer?

Believe in it and brew faith, take my heart and stamp in it your soul…..
Give reason and love a rhythm to dance, and perchance make you and I whole…..

- Rouzeh, 09

Love for Life ... :)))

For years I took it for granted that loving oneself and being 'ok' in oneself just came naturally (yeah yeah naive or ? ). And thereof came the Love for Life.....taking pleasure in the simple things......sharing and expressing freely and without borders and boundary.....brewing laughter at any instant, however silly or simplistic, and being positive in whatever instance (including stress and problems).

Recently I experienced a series of harrowing and border-abuse incidents - stretched over several months - that awakened me to how this whole concept/ideology does not apply to all - and in fact I realised it seems harder for some! And it reinforced what I had witnessed growing up, that: the ability to be happy and at peace with oneself comes from within and will simply not last if it is catalysed by externally driven 'masking behaviours'. To be happy is about making others happy - not waiting for someone to make you smile. As my adverse experiences have ceased, I begin to take back my "Love for Life" the way I always knew it, with laughter and content enjoyment of the simple things in life - and a glow in anticipation of the bigger things which are always awaiting us. Reminded that the blessings are all around - waiting to be noticed by the positive inner eye. How could I have forgotten?

Of-course there are always mixed feelings surrounding the desire to maintain one's 'Love for Life', especially when one experiences imbalanced or unjust instances, and this reminds me of the Kite Runner. A superb movie, remarkable in the making and compelling in its storyline, but of-course quite tearful too (for me at least). I watched it thrice in the past few months, and one (partial) statement I relate to strongly - "....there is a way to be good again". Those of you who have watched it will appreciate how this fits into the injustice and betrayal faced by Hassan from his friend Amir - though not intentional, but because Amir just did not know how to deal with the situation and resolved to take the easy way out. Much later in life Amir was presented an opportunity to 'make-up-for' the betrayal. And I wondered, in my own context, will 'it be made good' one-day? Will having upheld faith that the wrongs will be 'made-up-for' be worth it in the end? And will my love for life be influenced by this?

I guess the beauty of waiting for tomorrow to unfold and give the answers, is the mysteries and wisdom it will bring with it. But today - I am content to nurture my Love for Life :)

Possibility of turning 'Problems into Motivators'

I love Winnie the Pooh...do you?

Not just because he is adorable and always friendly and kind and saying the right thing in the simplest manner, but also because he gives off such 'positivity' : "If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.”(Winne the Pooh) !

Clearly he speaks to not only kids, but adults as well! His statements are riddled with wise life lessons and guidance....

So what made me think of Winnie the Pooh this afternoon? Problems...problems and more...do we create them? Do we have problems because we are strong and they present a testing strategy in our path? Do we have problems because we are weak and failing to cope? Honestly I have no answer...just thoughts, but for now will share a bit on one of those thoughts: 'The possibility of turning our problems into motivators' !

While problems we face may not start with us, motivation to aspire towards a positive conquering status DOES start with us! Often anger and depression brews when we get into a difficult situation (sometimes aligned with panic, fear and apathy). Now both these negative emotions - anger and depression - can be turned into beneficial motivation. I wont go into the nitty-gritties (enough on the www as it is), but it IS possible to break the cycle of anger and depression and develop a chain of focus and positive channeling, and thus help oneself (and others around us).

It is important to understand why one is angry and depressed, understanding the source of the negative emotion is the root for turning it into positive energy. For example, if I am angry because I cannot lose 4 kg, I could use that to motivate myself into trying harder, eating right or even exercising more. Anger alone will not help me process information efficiently, and will actually prevent me from realising the real reason why you I am feeling low or upset. Once I understand that, I can work to make a difference in my life and ofcourse subsequently the life of those around me :)

Functional fixedness: overcome it!

Heard of 'The Candle Problem' - ever tried to solve it? Lets hear what Dan Pink has to say :)

io9 - LUV it!

Some of you may already be familiar with this website

But for those of who are not familiar with it - give it a hit next time you are online, especially if you are a sci-fi fan or intrigued by arb and visionary scientific break throughs and facts/tit-bits :)

It a year today since io9.com was launched, and I can only testify to its delightfully 'futuristic' watchdog state - hence I felt impelled to share with others.

Enjoy :)