Japan back into power

Japan votes LDP back into power.

Emperor and LDP will continue to be in Japan. DPJ has a long way to go to become an opposition that can ever aspire of power.

World News Article | Reuters.co.uk

Zee

Know what they say for Zed (Z) in English?

Zee

Thus goes first week of schooling for Ian here

No mistakes in One Red. Only learning opportunities

The class motto of her class "One Red" gives Irene a lot of confidence

Ian becomes schoolboy too

On a silent Sep 2 morning, Ian started school in Japan.

I could not see him off, rather I left first as I had to go for a meeting. But I did come back to receive him at his bus stop by 3:25PM. He was fast asleep when the bus reached and took a while to recognise he is back.

His biggest wish last year was to take bus to school like Irene did. Now he is happy, while Irene bikes to school. One week over and he seems to be enjoying. Not much to do. They are starting off with small alphabets. Guess what? One week they had been teaching him to write "l". Good thing is he goes to school barehanded. No books, no bags, no lunch. Lunch and snack is provided at school.

Cycle of Life

Does human life too have seasons? Fall followed by spring?

Holy Quran [65:8]
"Let him who has abundance of means spend out of his abundance. And let him whose means of subsistence are straitened spend out of what Allah has given him. Allah burdens not any soul beyond that which He has bestowed upon it. Allah will soon bring about ease after hardship"

[94:2] Have We not opened for thee thy bosom,
[94:3] And removed from thee thy burden,
[94:4] Which had well-nigh broken thy back?
[94:5] And We have exalted thy name.
[94:6] Surely, there is ease after hardship.
[94:7] Aye, surely, there is ease after hardship.
[94:8] So when thou art free from thy immediate task, strive hard,
[94:9] And to thy Lord do thou turn with full attention

If the leaves not fallen, how can the fresh ones blossom? How can I fell the leaves. As tears? As supplication? As alms? As service?

Lord, help me.

Earthquakes, Floods put man to test

Tsunami greeted new year taking off 180,000 lives. We blamed lack of early warning.

Katrina gave enough of warnings. It still shook off US. Many times the area of 9/11, many times the 'damages', many times lives (damages are calculated by what it costs to insurance companies. Value of an un-insured life = 0). Bush orders an enquiry.

Sure, blacks have lives too. But they did not have cars to escape. No transportation arranged. Bad, I said. My French colleague corrected - No, its US.

Whatever, flesh that runs red blood carrying human souls.

Five plane crashes in one month. Black boxes yet to tell a story.

Typhoon Nabi, even with the strong warnings from Katrina could take off 18 lives. And enough 'damages'.

Acts of God. NY times reports that we felt safe with our technology. We should not have. Realise that. This year is an eye opener for a new era for the military. Rescue operations. Let us stop wars. Dont worry military will be out of job. We have all these around to keep them busy. All the trainings they are given proves useful.

And, silently, in Niger, there are thousands dying of hunger.