Cette petite histoire de l' Inde

Big kiss from Taj Mahal / Gros becs de Taj Mahal

Voila, quelques jours a la maison. Augustin est malade depuis la semaine passé et je dois faire le ménage moi-meme. Je n’en me plaind pas, au contraire, cela me fait vraiment plaisir de pouvoir faire tout ce qu’il n’a pas fait pendant tout ce temps. Ce n’est pas parce que je ne lui ai pas dit mais tout simplement que je n’avais pas envie de repeter. Des fois, c’est plus simple de faire nous meme….n’est ce pas. Meme si je suis un peu deborde aujourd’hui, mais ce n’est pas grave. Hahahaha….j’ai fait notre lit seulement a 16h00. Hehehe….a la place de faire le lit a 16h00, il valais mieux de ne rien faire du tout car dans quel que heures je vais deja au lit.

Apres deux semaines de voyage, nous avons repris notre vie qotidienne: jouons au tennis et nous pensons deja a faire nos petites grillardes au bord de la piscine.

Hier, le dejeuner: c’etait le Penang Laksa. C’est un plat typique du Penang et Penang est une ile au nord-ouest de la Malaisie. Le Laksa est fait avec 100% du poisson (du maqueraux) et pour ce qu’ils n’aiment pas le poisson, ce plat n’est pas pour vous. J’ai eu trop faim et une envie trop forte de manger jusqu’a ce que j’oublie de prendre une photo. Desole, au moins vous ne baverez pas....n’est ce pas.

Ce matin, je me suis levee a 9h00 du matin. Quel bonheur. En prenant mon petit dejeuner, j’ai lu le journal d’aujourd’hui. Le journal local. Ben voila, encore deux filles qui se font violees. Quellle horreur. Il y a quelques semaine en arriere, il y a une fille qui s’est fait viole a Mumbai, elle vient de Latvie. Celle la est un peu conne. Elle est sortie d’une boite de nuit jusqu’a 1h00 du matin et elle etait seule evidemment. Un mec lui a demande de monter dans sa voiture, comme on tire une vache dans son nez, elle a suivi. Ce que j’ai lu ce matin, c’est une journaliste anglaise qui est venue en Inde pour passer ses vacances et elle aussi s’est fait viole a Udaipur par le maitre d’hotel ou elle dormait. Et une tourist americane qui s’est fait molestee a Pushkar. Alors, les filles, vous savez tres bien que les indiens ont envie de vous, donc faite attention quand meme. Ce n’est pas drole, quand on prend le petit dejeuner avec des nouvelles pareilles.

Voila, aujourd’hui, je ne sors pass…hehehe ce n’est pas a cause de ces nouvelles, c’est juste parce que Laurent a envoie la voiture pour faire le service. Et moi, je dois rester a la maison. Je ne prend plus le rickshaw-wallah toute seule.

28^th Dec 2007 – 29^th Dec 2007

From Varanasi, we came back to Delhi. We stayed for a night in Delhi and we were back on the track again in a train to Amritsar. In a ticket, it said that the journey would take 4 and ½ hours but it takes 5 and ½ hours. Amritsar is located in the northwest of India in the state of Punjab, 51 km from Lahore, Pakistan. Since we arrived in the afternoon, we took that opportunity to visit Attari/Wagah border 30km west of Amritsar.

We stayed one night in Amritsar as the city doesn’t offer much thing to see a part of Golden temple, Jallianwala Barg, Ram Barg, Mata temple and also Sri Durgiana temple. Laurent wasn’t in his best to walk around the whole day as he had a fever after catching a cold at Varanasi few days ago, but he kept on going and trying to stand on his foots. For a dinner we found a pleasant restaurant called Visra which is located not far away from a hotel where we stayed.

The next day, we started with the Golden Temple. The Golden temple is open to all and no-one asks for any money. It has a genuine spiritual atmosphere despite the crowds and, like the Taj Mahal, is worth visiting at different times of day, particularly sunrise and sunset.

The architecture, like the religion, is a blend of Hindu and Islamic styles but very different to both. The golden dome (said to be gilded with 750kg of pure gold) represents an inverted lotus flower, a symbol of Sikhism’s aim to live a pure life.

The Gentle Guru: Born in 1469 near Lahore in present-day Pakistan, Guru

Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, was unimpressed with both Muslim and Hindu religious practices. Unlike many Indian holy men, he believed in family life and the value of hard work - he married, had two sons and worked as a farmer when not traveling around, preaching and singing self-composed hymns with his Muslim musician friend, Mardana. He performed many miracles and stressed meditation on God’s name as the best way to enlightenment.

The saintly mystic believed in equality centuries before it became fashionable and campaigned against the caste system, the worship of idols, fasting and diet restrictions. He was a practical guru – ‘a person who makes an honest living and

shares earnings with others recognizes the way to God’. He appointed his most

talented disciple to be his successor, not one of his sons.

Guru Nanak died in 1539, but his hymns are still sung every day in every Sikh temple, and his picture hangs in millions of homes, from humble farm cottages to the prime minister’s residence.

The train from Amritsar to Delhi will leave only at 5.00 pm; we went from restaurant to other restaurant to kill time and also took a rickshaw going around the market, perhaps we would see something interesting.

We reached Delhi at 11.30 pm. Home sweet home.

Big kiss from NDH/Gros becs de NDH

The City Of Shiva, Varanasi previously called Benares.

(23^th Dec 2007 – 26^th Dec 2007)

Dear friends and family,

We would like to wish you all HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008. It may be a little bit too late but as you know that we weren’t around Delhi during the festivals end of the year 2007. Let me summarize about what we did during these two weeks.

We had Sandra and Christophe who came to visit us as well as India. Our first destination was Varanasi the Holy City. We took a train on 23^rd Dec 2007 to that city which we have known very little about it. As it shown it the photos and the interesting story behind it about the Hinduism, brought us there without to have a second thought.

The services in the train are divided in to two categories: they served food and never stop to serve chai, coffee and other drinks which I think the initiative is very good. But through all the cleanliness in general is very poor especially the toilets. The night seems so long and in the train it was hard to close the eyes as it was too cold. Funny thing with these Indians, they switched on the air conditioner while it was cold outside. We arrived at Varanasi train station the next day at 7.30 a.m. and at the train station, it is written in any travel books that the rickshaw-wallah always finds their way to cheat on the tourist. Well, some of us refused to believe what is written on the books as:

The predatory touts and rickshaw-wallahs in Varanasi pounce on visitors like starving tigers pouncing on a defenseless deer, and are the hassle that most travelers have to deal with. But Varanasi has a darker side and criminal element operates mainly around the airport, train station and bus station, so take extra care in these places.

Well, it did happen to us, when 4 of us tried to take 2 rickshaw-wallahs. When we didn't agree with their proposition to do a city trip with them, they had organized something behind us. What they tried to do was to separate us totally in a heavy city of Varanasi. Laurent and me, we were left at the fuel station, while Christophe and Sandra were left somewhere else. But at the end, we found each other at Assi Ghats with the help pf other rickshaw-wallahs.

It was 24^th Dec 2007, a Christmas Eve and most of the hotel were fully book. After trying and trying, at the end, we found one hotel which is next to the Haifa Hotel. We took a room on the roof top which has a small terrace. Sometime, came a cross my mind: what an idea to celebrate a Christmas in this city. It is so polluted.

About Varanasi:Varanasi, the city of Shiva, is one of the holiest cities in India. Hindu pilgrims come wash away all their sins in the Ganges. Varanasi was previously called Benares and Kashi (City of Life) and has always been as auspicious place to die, since expiring here offers moksha – liberation from the cycle of birth and death. The city is beating heart of the Hindu universe, a crossing place between the physical and spiritual worlds, and the Ganges is viewed as a river of salvation, an everlasting, ever flowing symbol of hope to past, present and future generations. The magical but sometimes overwhelming city where the most intimate rituals of life and death take place in public on the city’s famous ghats. The accessibility to the practices of an ancient but still living religious tradition is what captivates many visitors.
In the history, Varanasi has been a centre of learning and civilizationfor over 2000 years, and claims to be one of the oldest living cities in the world. Mark Twain wrote that ‘Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together.’

Its history dates back to 1400 BC, but it was around 8^th century AD that Varanasi rose in prominence when Shankarach Shiva worship as the principal sect. The Afghans destroyed Varanasi around AD 1300, after laying waste to nearby Sarnath, but the fanatical Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was the most destructive, looting and destroying almost all of the temples. The old city of Varanasi may look antique, but few buildings are more than a couple of hundred years old.

Helping The Great Mother To Breathe Again: The Ganges River, or Great Mother as it is known to Hindus, provides millions of Indians with an important link to their spirituality. Every day about 60,000 people go down to the Varanasi ghats to take a holy dip along a 7km stretch of the river. Along this same area, 30 large sewers are continuously discharging into the river.

The Granges River is heavily polluted at Varanasi that the water is septic – no dissolved oxygen exists. The problem extends far beyond Varanasi – 400 million people live along the basin of the Ganges River. The pollution levels mean that waterborne diseases run rampant among many villages that use water from the river.

2 days, we walked along the Ganges ghats, we witnessed a lot of thing: people taking a bath in this river, children playing around, the women washing their laundries and also the dead body has been burned on the riverside. Life looks harmony even though in the unpleasant condition.

The city of Varanasi is a heavy city and there is no place where you can be alone. Sometime it is easier to take a rickshaw to move around and also easier to see most of the thing around us. We took the train back to Delhi on 26^th Dec 2007. The train was 2 hours late. We reached Delhi end of the day.

Big kiss from Delhi/Gros becs de Delhi

Wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Eid Ul-Adha

MINA during the haj.

Fascinated by a Christmas decoration in one of the biggest shopping mall in KL.

Hello everybody, it has been a long time since my last update on this blog. This period of the year, I guessed for each one of us must be very busy. By Oct and Nov, I was working and had no time at all to run my finger on my computer after working 8 hours a day. Then, I traveled back to Malaysia for two weeks. I can tell that it was awesome: ate to much, enjoyed the seafood and of course visited a shopping malls for shopping. What else can I say accept for my credit card had a high fever?

Forget about Malaysia for a while, now I’m back in Delhi and preparing for Idle and Christmas is just few days more. So, two celebrations are almost at the same time. In Malaysia, the idle celebration is today but India is always one day later and it will be tomorrow. I’m baking a cake to visit our friends at the Malaysian High Commission and also for a raclette dinner at our Swiss friends also tomorrow night. What a day?

Few months back, when I visited few gift shops in Delhi, I found so many interesting thing, but these two days, I went around in circle and I still don’t find what I want accept for the candles.

Alright people, we wish you all Happy Eid Ul-Adha for our Muslim friends and Merry Christmas to who celebrate it. HAPPY NEW YEAR to all.

Big kiss from NDH/Gros becs de NDH

Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary

This is my surprise today for Laurent and Sarah. We had a small problem to find the place since that I didn’t allowed both of them to look at the map and finally we reached there, to the Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary. It isn’t far from Delhi and it is nice to have a walk on Saturday or Sunday morning. We are happy to find this place which is not far from Delhi. I would recommend this Bird Sanctuary to all of friend who is living in Delhi to go and have a look. It is worth it.

About Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary.

Sultanpur Bird Sancturay is located in Gurgaon district of Haryana, about 50 km from Delhi and 15 km fom Gurgaon and the Gurgaon Farukh Nagar Road. This park is best visited in winters, when a large number of migratory birds come here. In the old map and district gazetteer of Gurgaon district, this area is shown as marshy land having a ‘salt pan’ where water accumulates during rains and dries our during summer. A number of organisms like crustaceans, fish and insects thrive during floods which attract a number of birds to this area. Its sanctuary potential was first identified by an enthusiastic bird watcher, Mr. Peter Jackson. He convinced Mrs. Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, of the need for giving protection to this area keeping in view it’s importance and potential, the area covering 359 acres was declared a bird sanctuary in 1971 and was upgraded to the status of National Park in 1991 by Haryana Government.

Big Kiss from NDH/Gros becs de NDH

Incident at the airport.

We were at the Indira Gandhi International Airport last night, waiting for Stephanie and Oliver: the friends that we have met in Abuja, Nigeria. I was watching at the people on arrival hall and realized that among them, a lot of senior citizen from Europe. They have chosen this country (India) for their vacation. They looked tired after a long journey and at that moment, they had to wait for their luggage. The airport is smaller then what they thought: I had the same in my head when the first time, I arrived in New Delhi. The airport itself, isn’t really pleasant for one country who considered itself as a develop nation.

I look up on the ceiling; there I saw a lot of electric cable hanging around and I look down on the floor; some mark of the “panne” on it. I asked myself; when they will have a world class airport like what they said all the time while there is still a lot of thing has to be done starting from the mentality of the people.

I turned to the immigration counters and still there was no sign of Stephanie and Oliver. I look around the place, look at the people. After a while, I saw Laurent moving forward to the escalator to welcome our friends and at the same this one immigration officer asked me step back. I found that so ridiculous because Laurent and me are from the same Embassy and both of us having the same authorization batch. It was clear for me that was only about our skin color. Laurent is a white man and he is allowed to do what he wants while for me as an Asian there is a line I have to follow. Neither what I felt that time was the racisms are very much alive and it wasn’t the first time anyway nor the last. As long as I’m living in this country, I know that I will face this discrimination. The

It is hard to be in the place where you feel that you are not belong to and it is hard to face all these thing in your everyday life, and that you can’t integrate with the local people. I use to tell all of my friends and family who would like to come and visit us here and at the same to visit this magnificent pays about what they will face here: about how rude they can be, how arrogant they are most of the time, about their hygiene or most of the time about my opinion of this country. I do regret to tell the people about what is really happening here and I don’t like at all to do that but I think it is also can help other who wish to spend their time here for the next vacation. India is a very nice country which offered variety of culture and religion. From north to south, east to west: India is shown its different color of life.

Big kiss from NDH/Gros becs de NDH

Un petit souvenir avec Madame La Presidente

Well, luckily it is a long weekend here in India after receiving Mrs President and for us, I mean everyone at the Embassy feels tired after this visit. These three days is really to stay at home and take a rest. But for sure there will be some more event in the coming weeks.
The locals are celebrating the festival of light and I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone whose celebrate this festival:

Best wishes on Diwali and New Year

On this auspicious occasion of lights. May each moment shine with peace and prosperity and leave behind wonderful memories, that assure happy days ahead.

Big Kiss from Ndh/Gros becs de Ndh

1st day of Mrs President visit to India

Mrs. Micheline Calmy-Rey - The President of Swiss Confederation.

These are parts of the program of her on her 1st day visit here in Delhi. On this afternoon, she and her delegation of 12 persons will make a trip to Hyderabad and will spend the night there.

Voici la partie du programme officiel de la premiere journee de la presidente de la confederation a New Delhi. Cette apres midi, Madame Calmy-Rey et sa delegation vont faire un voyage a Hyderabad et vont passer une nuit dans cette ville.


The Swiss flag made of flower was a wife of the ambassador creation. I guessed that she watch the Hindi movie that is why she knows how to roll on the grass ;-) or perhaps she take the courses with the Bollywood stars during their shooting in Switzerland....hihihi.

Le drapeau suisse fait avec des fleurs est la creation de la femme de notre ambassadeur. Je pense que Madame Calmy-Rey a bien regarde les films de Bollywood c'est pour cela et comme cela qu'elle a appris a faire des roulade dans l'herbe ;-) ou peut etre qu'elle a fait des cours lors de tournage de films indien dans nos alpes......hihihi.


Laurent had created something that I thought that it might not working at all and I have tried it. It is a wooden box with a small door and from that door the water should fall on the tree that Mrs President planted. It is such a small creation that made everybody smile:-). Anyone need this box for personal use, need to ask the right of the copyright.....hihihihi.

I hope my story from Delhi will beat all the journalist that has turned up at the embassy today.

Laurent a cree quelque chose que je ne pensait pas que ca fonctionnerait et j'ai quand meme pu l'essaye. C'est une boite en bois avec une petite porte qui s'ouvre apres avoir coupe un ruban et l'eau qui se trouve dans le reservoir coule au pied de l'arbre que Madame Calmy-Rey a plante. C'est juste une petite creation mais avec ca tout le monde a pu rire :-). Si quelqu'un a besoin de cette invention, il doit demander l'accord de Laurent pour le coptright......hihihi.

J'espere que cette histoire de Delhi arrivera plus vite que celles des journalistes present aujourd'hui a l'ambassade.

Big kiss from NDH/Gros becs de NDH

Dar Es Salaam

DAR ES SALAAM

‘………This is my first glimpse of Dar es Salaam…………a vast rippling blue-black lagoon and all around the rim of the lagoon there were pale yellow sandy beaches, almost white, and breakers were running up onto the sand, and coconut palms with their little green leafy hats were growing on the beaches, and there were casuarinas trees, immensely tall and breathtakingly beautiful…..And then behind the casuarinas was what seemed to me a jungle, a great tangle of tremendous dark-green trees that were full of shadows and almost certainly teeming….with rhinos and lions and all manner of vicious beasts. Over to one side lay the tiny town of Dar es Salaam, the houses white and yellow and pink, and among the steeple and a doomed mosque and along the waterfront there was a line of acacia trees splashed with scarlet flowers…..’

(from Going Solo by Roald Dahl)

Dar Es Salaam has come a long way since the late 1930s when Roald Dahl first glimpsed it. With a population of over two million and on area of more than 1350 sq km, it is Tanzania’s major city, capital in everything but name, and one of the least likely places in the country for sighting rhino or lion.

However, despite its sizes, Dar is pleasant city with a picturesque seaport, a vaguely oriental feel, and much of its colonial character still intact. While there’s not much to actually do, there are enough historical building, attractive nearby beaches, shops and good restaurants especially on the fast developing Msasani Peninsula – to keep most visitors busy for at least several days.

Big Kiss from NDH/Gros becs de NDH

Celebrating Eid-ul Fitr.

Well this year, I’m happy that we could celebrate the Eid-ul Fitr and tried to make it much more alive like we have in Malaysia. On Sunday 14^th Oct, we were invited at the Malaysian High Commission for an Open House or in another version is “eat as much as you can”. Ada rendang, and other rendang and biscuits, and a lot of other foods, they also had the ketupat (sticky rice in the coconut leaf). Feels like at home but sometime, even we celebrate at home we don’t receive a lot of people at the same time.

We had an Open House at home on Tuesday 16^th Oct and we invited everyone from the Malaysian High Commission, few friends from the French Embassy, all the Swiss staff from Swiss Embassy including the Ambassador and his wife and all of the friends working with the NGO in India. It is ‘Meriah’ (hilarious) like in Malaysia. The advantage is, I cooked only one time, and it is enough for everyone, (I mean more than enough). At the end, it is just about fun and the most important thing is to share it with everyone, and it is the same with other celebration: eating…drinking and chatting and laughing at the same time we also thought about our family, without them, the celebration will never be the same.

SELAMAT HARI RAYA KEPADA SEMUA, DAN MAAF ZAHIR BATIN

HAPPY EID FOR ALL AND I SEEK THE FORGIVENESS, PHYSICALLY AND SPIRITUALY

Big Kiss from NDH/Gros becs de NDH.

Stone Town - Zanzibar

27th - 29th August 2007

STONE TOWN - ZANZIBAR

The Old Stone Town of Unguja is a fascinating place to wander around and get lost in, though you can’t really get lost for too long because you will end up either on seafront or on Creek Rd. Nevertheless, every twist and turn of the narrow alleyways will present you with something of interest – be it a school full of children chanting verses from the Quran, a beautiful old mansion with over hanging verandas, a shady square studded with huge old trees, a collection of quaint little hole-in-the-wall shops, or a gaggle of women in bui bui (veils) sharing a jake and some local gossip.

Much of the fabric of this historic place has fallen into disrepair and you’ll see a lot of crumbled and crumbling buildings as you walk around. Fortunately, a determined effort is now being made to restore some of Stone Town’s more important architecture.

While a large part of attraction of Stone Town is walking around and simply letting it unfold before you.

RELIGION.

Most of Zanzibaris are Sunni Muslims. Zanzibaris claiming direct descent from Omanis follow Ibadhism. Christians comprise barely 1% of the population. There is also a small Hindu community.

Big kiss from NDH / Gros becs de NDH

SELAMAT HARI RAYA UNTUK SEMUA.

"Happy Eid" or "Selamat Hari Raya" to all ; family and friend. Maaf Zahir batin "I seek forgiveness (from you) physically ans spiritually". Kalau makan rendang tu, ingat-ingatlah orang yang jauh macam kita ni. Harap-harap tahun hadapan kita dapat balik kampung bagi merayakan hari yang mulia ini....(macam pernah dengar jer).

Lets me explain a little about Hari Raya.
Hari Raya Aidilfitri (also Hari Raya Puasa, literally "Fasting Day of Celebration") is the Malay Term for the Muslim festival of Eid ul-Fitr. Hari Raya is also known as Lebaran. Muslims in Malaysia and Singapore celebrate Eid like other Muslims throughout the world. The term "Hari Raya" literally means "Day of celebration" -- it is also occasionally used to refer to Eid ul-Adha in the form of "Hari Raya Aidiladha". The main greeting used by Muslims in Malaysia and Singapore is "Selamat Hari Raya" which means "Happy Eid" in Malay. Another greeting is "maaf zahir dan batin" which translates loosely to "I seek forgiveness (from you) physically and spiritually" for Hari Raya is a time to reconcile and renew relationships with others.

Big Kiss from NDH/Gros becs de NDH

The Maasai

Haiiiii...kena bayar RM180 pasal nak ambik gambar dengan dia orang ni. Mahalkan? Kat sini semuanya mahal. As we were curious about how the Maasai can live with the wild animals, we decided to visit one of the village around Ngorongoro Crater, but everything is not for free. We had to pay at least some certain amount that already fixed; no bargain....hihihihi. Another thing for the tourist to see but has to pay. There was a group of Italian group arrived right after us and obviously they didn't want to pay but has taken the photos for free. What happened was, the Maasai got angry and started to stone toward them until they had to leave immediately. Sometime, it is worth it to pay and just follow what the guide says.

About the Maasai.
Travelers in northern Tanzania are almost certain to meet some Maasai, one of the region's most colorful tribes. The Maasai are pastoral nomads who have actively resisted change, and today still follow the same lifestyle that they have for centuries. Their culture centers around their cattle, which provide many of their seeds - milk, blood and meet for their diet, and hide skins for clothing - although sheep and goats also play and important dietary role, especially during the dry season. The land, cattle and all elements related to cattle are considered sacred.

Maasai society is patriarchal and highly decentralized. Elders meet to decide on general issues but ultimately it is the lives of cattle which dominate proceedings. One of the most important features of Maasai society is its system of social stratification based on age. Maasai boys pass through a number of transitions through out life, the first of which is marked by the circumcision rite. Successive stages include junior warriors, senior warriors, junior elders and senior elders; each level is distinguished by its own unique rights, responsibilities and dress. Junior elders for example, are expected to marry and settle down somewhere between the ages of 30 and 40. Senior elder assume the responsibility of making both wise and moderate decisions for the community. The most important group is that of the newly initiated warriors, Moran, who are charged with defending the cattle herds.

Maasai women play a markedly subservient role and have no inheritance rights. Polygamy is widespread and marriages are arranged by the elders, without consulting the bride or her mother. Since most women are significantly younger that men at the time of marriage, they often become widows; remarriage is rare.

Big kiss from NDH/Gros becs de NDH

Safari in Tanzania from 22nd August - 27th August 07

Tarangire National Park ~ Day 1. We arrive from Dar es Salaam to Arusha early in the morning and the travel agent proposed us to do Tarangire Park to kill the time and of course we agreed. When we reached to the park there were a lots of people already.

About Tarangire National Park.
Tarangire is a beautiful area stretching south-east of Lake Manyara around the Tarangire River. During the dry season, particularly between August and October, it has one of the highest concentrations of wildlife of any of the country's park. Large herds of zebra, wildebeest and elephant can be found here until October when the short wet season allows them to move on to lush new grasslands. Eland, lesser kudu, gazelle, giraffe, water buck, impala, and the occassional leopard or rhino can be seen at Tarangire year-around. The park is also very good for bird watching, with over three hundred different species recorded. For ornithologists and birdwatchers, the best time to visit is between October and May.

Bordering Tarangire to the north-east is the Tarangire Wildlife Conservation Area, which was created to address the varying needs of local conservation projects in the area. Visitors can enjoy walking safaris here while local villagers - who have set aside some of their land for the project - benefit directly from tourist revenue and remain involved in management of the conservation area.


NGORONGORO CRATER ~ Day 2 and 3 We arrive at Ngorongoro Crater late in the afternoon and we have the view like in picture above in front of us while we are on the way to hotel. It is just so beautiful and the weather is cold. We stay 2 nights in Ngorongoro but in two different hotels.

About Ngorongoro Crater
Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa's best known wildlife-viewing areas and one of Tanzania's most visited. At about 20 km wide it is also one of the largest calderas in the world. Within its walls are a variety of animals and vegetation, including grasslands, swamps, forests, salt pans and a freshwater lake. You are likely to see lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and many of the plains herbivores such as wildebeest, Thomson's gazelle, zebra and reed buck, as well as thousands of flamingos wading in the shallows of Lake Magadi, the soda lake at crater's base.

Despite its steep walls, there's considerable movement animals in and out of the crater - mostly to the Serengeti, since the land between the crater and Lake Manyara is intensively famed. Yet it remains a favored spot for wildlife because there's permanent water and grassland on the crater floor.

The animals don't have the crater to themselves. Local Maasai tribes have grazing rights and you may come across them tending their cattle. During the German Colonial era there were two settler' farms in the crater; you can still see one of the huts.


SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK ~ Day 4
It has been the whole day we are in the park. Kind of a tired a little by counting the gazelles, they are all along the way that we take. From time to time, I fall to sleep; I am not counting the mutton but the gazelle.

About Serengeti National Park.
Serengeti, which covers 14,763sq km and is contiguous with the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, is Tanzania's largest and most famous national park. On its vast treeless plains are several million hoofed animals, constantly on the move in search of fresh grassland. The wildebeest, of which there are up to two million, is the chief herbivore and also the main prey of large carnivores such as lion and hyena.

One of the Serengeti's biggest attractions is the annual migration of wildebeest herds in search of better grazing. During the rainy season between March and May, the herds are widely scattered over the southern section of the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. As these areas have few large rivers and streams, they dry out quickly when the rains cease. When this happens, the wildebeest concentrate on the few remaining green areas, forming large herds which more north and west in search of food. The wildebeest spend the dry season in these parts of the Serengeti, only moving back east in anticipation of the rains.

The best time to see the wildebeest migration in the Western Corridor of the Serengeti is between May and July, although the actual viewing window can be short. The Serengeti is also famous for its lions, many of which have collars fitted with transmitters so their movements can be studied and their location tracked. It's also known for its cheetah and large herds of giraffe.


Lake Manyara National Park ~ (Day 5).
We end up our safaris here at Lake Manyara. What a nice trip and we really had fun.

About Lake Manyara National Park.
The serene and beautiful Lake Manyara National Park is often underrated in tourist literature; many visitors are surprised by how nice the park really is. in addition to its peaceful setting, Manyara's main attractions are its rich bird life, its tree climbing lions and its hippos, which you can see at closer range here than at most other places. There are also a fair number of elephants although the population has been declining in recent years. The park, which lies between 900m and 1800m above the sea level, is bordered to the west by dramatic western escarpment of the Rift valley. To the east is the alkaline Lake Manyara which at certain times of year hosts thousands of flamingos, as well as a diversity of other bird life and a substantial hippo population. Depending on the season, about two-thirds of the park's total 330sq km area is covered by the lake. Although Manyara is one of the smallest parks, its vegetation is diverse, ranging from savanna to marshes and acacia woodland, enabling it to support a variety of wildlife habitats.

Arusha.
There we are enjoying our local food; Ugali which made from maizes flour, served with a local spinach and lamb brochettes. Just love it....

About Arusha.
Arusha is a northern city Tanzania surrounded by some of Africa's most famous landscapes and national parks. Beautifully situated below Mount Meru on the eastern edge of the eastern branch of the Great Rift Valley, it has a pleasant climate and is close to Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Oldurai Gorge, Tarangire National Park, and Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as having its own Arusha National Park on Mount Meru.
Big kiss from NDH/Gros becs de NDH

Manuel is an important and necessary man - I

Dedicated to all. Just take your time and read this small story of Manuel.

Manuel needs to be busy. If he is not, he thinks that his life has no meaning, that he's wasting his time, that society no longer needs him, that no one loves or wants him.

So, as soon as he wakes up, he has a series of tasks to perform: to watch the news on television (something might have happened in the night); to read the newspaper (something might have happened during the day yesterday); to tell his wife not to let the children be late for school; to take the car or catch a taxi or a bus or the metro, all the time thinking hard, staring into space, looking at his watch or, if possible, making a few calls on his mobile phone, and ensuring that everyone can see what an important man he is, useful to the world.

Manuel arrives at work and sits down to deal with the paperwork that awaits him. If he's an employee, he does his best to make sure that his boss has seen that he's arrived on time. If he's a boss, he sets everyone to work immediately. If there are no important tasks to be done, Manuel will invent them, create them, come up with a new plan, develop new lines of action.

Manuel goes to lunch, but never alone. If he is a boss, he sits down with his friends and discusses new strategies, speaks ill of his competitors, always has a card up his sleeve, complains (with some pride) of overwork. If Manuel is an employee, he, too, sits downs with his friends, complains about the amount of overtime he's doing, states with some anxiety (and with some pride) that various things in the company depend entirely on him.

Manuel - boss or employee - works all afternoon. From time to time, he looks at his watch. it's nearly time to go home, but he still has to sort out a detail here, sign a document there. He's an honest man and wants to justify his salary, other people's expextations, the dreams of his parents, who struggled so hard to give him a good education.

Finally, he goes home. He has a bath, puts on some more comfortable clothes, and has supper with his family. He asks after his children's homwork and what his wife has been doing. Sometimes, he talks about his work, although only to serve as an example, because he tries not to bring his work problems home with him. They finish supper, and his children - who have no times for examples, homework, or other such things - immediatelty leave the table and go and sits down in front of the computer. Manuel, in turn, goes and sits down in front of that piece of apparatus fom childhood called the television. He again watches the news (something might have happened during the afternoon).

He always goes to bed with some technical book on his bedside table - whether he's a boss or an employee, he knows that competition is intense, and that anyone who fails to keep up to date runs the risk of loging his job and facing that worst of all curses: having nothing to do.

He talks a little to his wife; after all, a nice, hard-working, loving man who takes care of his family, and is prepared to defend it whatever the circumstances. He falls asleep at once, and he sleeps knowing that he wll be very busy tomorrow, and that he needs to rebuild his energies.

That night, Manuel has a dream. An angel asks him: 'Why are you doing this?' He replies that it's because he's a responsible man.

The ange goes on: 'Would you be capable of taking at least fifteen minutes of your day to stop and look at the world, and at yourself, and simply do nothing?' Manuel says that he would love to do that, but he doesn't have time. 'You're lying to me,' says the angel. 'Everyone has time to do that. It's just that they don't have the courage. Work is a blessing when it helps us to think about what we're doing; but it becomes a curse when its sole use is to stop us thinking about the meaning of our life.'

Manuel wakes up in he middle of the night in a cold sweat. Courage? How can a man who sacrifies himself for his family not have the courage to stop for fifteen minutes a day?

Its best to go back to sleep. It was just a dream; these questions will get him nowhere; and tomorrow he's going to be very, very busy.

Le Manuel est un homme important et nécessaire - I


Manuel doit être occupé. S'il n'est pas, il pense que sa vie n'a aucune signification, qu'il perd son temps, que la société n'a besoin plus de lui ou ne le veut.

Ainsi, dès qu'il se réveillera, il a une série de charger d'exécuter; pour regarder les nouvelles ou la télévision (quel que chose pourrait s'être produit la nuit); pour lire le journal (quel que chose pourrait s'être produit pendant le jour hier); pour dire à son epouse de ne pas laisser les enfants d'être en retard pour l'école; de prendre la voiture, d'attraper un taxi, un autobus ou le métro, toutes les heures à reflechir serieusement, regardant dans l'espace, regardant fixement sa montre ou, si possible, faisant quelque appels sur son téléphone portable, et s'assurer que chacun peut voir ce quel homme important il est, et utile au monde.

Manuel arrive au travail et s'assied pour traiter les écritures qui l'attendent. S'il est un employé, il fait son meilleur pour s'assurer que son patron a vu qu'il est arrivé à l'heure. S'il est in patron, il place chacun pour travailler immediatement. S'il n'y a d'autres affaires importantes, Le Manuel les inventera, les créent, monté avec un nouveau plan, développent de nouvelles lignes d'action.

Manuel ne va jamais seul pour déjeuner, mais, si il est un patron, il s'assied avec ses amis et discutent de nouvelles stratégies, parlent de la défectuosité de ses concurrents, a toujours une carte dans ses manches (avec de la fierté) du surmenage. Si Manuel est un employé, lui aussi, s'assied avec ses amis, se plainent au sujet de son patron, se plainent au sujet de la quantité d'heures supplémentaires qu'il fait, l'états avec une certaine inquiétude (et avec de la fierté) que les diverses à la compagnie dépendent entièrement de lui.

Manuel - patron ou employé - travaille tout les après-midi. De temps en temps, il regarde sa montre. Bientôt, il est temps de rentrer à la maison, mais il doit encore trier un détail ici, signer un document là. Il est un homme honnête et veut justifier son salaire, les espérances des autres, les rêves de ses parents, qui ont tellement lutté dur pour lui donnent une bonne éducation.

En conculsion, il va à la maison. Il prend un bain, des vêtements confortables, et dîne avec sa famille. Il demande après le travail à ses enfants et à son épouse ce qu'ils ont fait. Autrefois, il parle de son travail, bien que pour servir seulement comme exemple, parce qu'il essaye de ne pas apporter ses problémes de travail à la maison. Ils finissent de dîner, et ses enfants - qui n'ont pas de temps pour des exemples, le travail, ou d'autres telles choses - ils laissent immédiatement la table et vont s'asseoir devant l'ordinateur. Manuel, alternativement, entre et s'assied devant un apareil qu'il cotoillait pendant de son enfance et qui est appellé la télévision. Il observe encore les nouvelles (quelque chose auait pu se produire pendant l'après-midi).

Il va au lit toujours avec un certain livre technique sur la table de chevet - s'il est un patron ou un employé qu'il sait que la concurrence est intense, et que n'importe qui qui ne continue pas a ce mettre a jours, les risques de perdre son travail et faisant face au plus mauvais de tous destin; n'avoir rien à faire.

Il parle à son épouse; il est après tout, un gentil homme, assidu, affectueux qui prend soin de sa famille, et est disposé à la défendre quelques les circonstances. Il s'endort immédiatement, et il dort en sachant que demain, il sera très occupé, et qu'il doit reconstruire ses énergies.

Cette nuit, Manuel a un rêve. Un ange lui demande; 'Pourquoi faites vous cela?' Il répond qu'il est un homme responsable.

L'ange continue; 'Est-ce que vous êtes capable de prendre au moins quinze minutes par jour de vous arrêtez et regarder le monde en face et vous-même, et tout simplement de ne faire rien?' Manuel dit qu'il n'a pas le temps. 'Tu me ment', dit l'ange. 'Chacun a le temps de faire cela. C'est juste qu'ils n'ont pas le courage. Le travail est une bénédiction quand il nous aide à penser à ce que nous faisons; mais ça devient une malédiction quand son utilisation unique est de nous arrêter de voir la signification de notre vie.

Manuel se réveille au millieu de la nuit avec une sueur froide. Courage? Comment un homme qui se sacrifie pour sa famille n'a pas le courage de s'arrêter pendant quinze minutes par jour?

Il est mieux de retourner dormir. C'était juste un rêve; ces questions l'amméneront nulle part; et de toute façon demain il sera très, très occupé.

Happy Birthday ~ Meenz

Congratulation to india for its 60 years of Independence Day.

India's Independence Day is celebrated on August 15 to commemorate its independence from British rule and its birth as a sovereign nation on that day in 1947. The day is a national holiday in India and it is celebrated all over the country through flag hoisting ceremony and distribution of sweets. The main celebration takes place in New Delhi, where the Prime Ministre raises the natonal flag at the Red Fort and delivers a national ly televised speech from its ramparts.

Bonne fete a Meenz.....une annee de plus. Happy Birthday to Meenz.......one year more. How come you had two cakes?? Thank you to all for the nice dinner and see you guys soon. Thank you Christine for the nice surprise and have a nice holiday too. We'll see again soon somewhere in winter. Gros becs a tous et a bientot.

Another goodbye.....good bye Claudio. We wish you all the best on your next posting. We'll definately meet again somewhere in Stolkholm. Ciao bello.

Big kiss from NDH /Gros becs de NDH