On the way to Switzerland, we made our final stopover in Italy in Lake Como.
Lake Como is a glacial lake situated in Lombardy, in beautiful Italy. It is the third largest lake in Italy, coming after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore. It is one of the deepest lakes in Europe and it is over 400 meters deep and at the bottom around 200 meters below sea level with it being fed by the Adda River.
It is ‘Y’ shaped with the northern branch having beginnings in Colico and the towns of Como and Lecco create the start for the other two branches making views of the lakes ideal from each end and the lake flows out at Colico and Lecco. There is a boat service that runs between the tree inter sections making it a beautiful base to explore the sunning scenery. Lake Como is around 40km from Milan to the South and only a few minutes from the Swiss Border – and George Clooney has a home their too.
Lake Como has been a popular retreat for aristocrats and wealthy people since Roman times, and a very popular tourist attraction with many artistic and cultural gems. It has many villas and palaces (such as Villa Olmo, Villa Serbelloni, and Villa Carlotta).
Many celebrities have or had homes on the shores of Lake Como, such as Matthew Bellamy, Madonna, George Clooney,Gianni Versace, Ronaldinho, Sylvester Stallone, Richard Branson, and Ben Spies. Lake Como is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful lakes in Italy.
When we were there, I was so mesmerised by the beauty of the area as well as the expensive looking villas everywhere. They say money can’t buy happiness and looking at the place there, I thought, if I can buy the place there, I can be really happy 🙂 so go figure.
From the elaborate terrace of Villa Il Dosso Pisani, in the mountains above the lake, to the grand villas curving toward the water and the unspoiled parcels of hilltop land, beauty was everywhere in this place.
The weather was perfect with blue sky and sunshine.
Last weekend we went to the festival in Parramatta called Parramasala.
Parramasala is an international contemporary arts festival that celebrates the global impact of South Asian arts and cultures. The city of Parramatta comes alive with vibrant art and entertainment including music, dance, theatre, comedy, film, markets and visual arts from around the world.
Parramasala is also designed as a destination in the state of New South Wales for tourism and business development. The festival is at the forefront of the promotion of Parramatta as a great city in which to live, work and play.
We went there around 2pm and waited for the program to start in main dance area. In the mean time we went and found lunch which included samosa, masala dosa and chicken biryani. I have to say that the food was not tasty as it supposed to be but I guess it is normal in fairs like this.
There were lots of stalls setup to sell items like Indian style jeweller, Manchester, Indian outfits, book stalls and henna painting area. I wanted to get a henna but then I was going to have a massage afterwards so didn’t seems like a good idea.
The dances were good with some Bollywood, Indonesia, Indian Classical dance as well as modern dances. There was some Tablatronics program as well which was interesting.
We had fun.The audience for the festival is all embracing, and attracts a wide a varied audience.
But the day was really cold so we decided to leave at 7.30pm. The show was on till 11pm.
Remember a few months ago, I wrote about my travel to Venice, Italy. While we were there our guide, showing a line on the wall, had mentioned that sometimes the water comes up to that level. At that time I was thinking how it would be in Venice when the water is so high up. He said that in 1872, the whole Venice was flooded and still from time to time, the water goes up quite high.
And now I understand what he meant. The water in Venice has risen to be the sixth highest since 1872 and flooded 70 per cent of the city.
Heavy rains and high tides have brought some of the worst flooding to Venice in years. The “acqua alta”, or high water, is common this time of year but this year it went a lot higher than normal. Venice suffered its worst flooding in 22 years as water in the Italian city rose to more than 1.5 metres (five feet) deep before beginning to recede.
Makeshift wooden walkways had to be used to cross areas of St Mark’s square, with transportation proving difficult for residents.
BEFORE
AFTER
I really hope everything will be back to normal soon and the tourists there will be happy to go around and see the beautiful city.
Ani Choying Drolma also known as Choying Drolma and Ani Choying is a Buddhist nun and musician from the Nagi Gompa nunnery in Nepal. She was born on June 4, 1971, in Kathmandu, Nepal.
She is known in Nepal and throughout the world for bringing many Tibetan Buddhist chants and feast songs to mainstream audiences. Ani Choying Dolma is an exceptional singer, admired by fans in Nepal and throughout the world. People are moved to tears by the plaintive purity of her voice, and the haunting melodies of her ancient songs and hymes, passed from master to pupil for many centuries.
She was trained formally in the sacred chants by her Lama, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. Her motivation in singing these great powerful mantras to the wider public is to bring benefit to all who hear them. Ani-la tours Europe, North America and many counties of Asia, has released numerous CDs. The funds she raises from her singing are supporting an increasing number of charity projects through her Nuns Welfare Foundation.
Ani Choying has always believed that nuns have a great desire and potential to make the world a better place, if only given equal opportunities. Arya Tara School, opened in 2000, aims to equip nuns to help and to serve their communities in a professional and humanitarian capacity. With a fully developed and realized potential, she believes that her nuns will be able to not only help themselves, but also to help others.
In brief, aims to help young nuns bring their compassion into fruition, actively, effectively, skillfully and meaningfully. Traditionally, says Ani Choying, women’s education is neglected in Asia. “most of the girls at my nunnery are from rural areas either in Tibet, India or Nepal, patriarchal cultures where women are expected just to cook, clean and bear children. Even in the nunnery, they are taught to read classical Tibetan in order to do the religious practice, but many cannot write their own names.” Her school would educate them in Literacy, Maths, Science, Medical and Nursing skills, and Buddhist philosophy.
To finance her school, Anila generates income through musical endeavors. In 1997, Ani-la began performing and recording Cho for audiences around the world, connecting Westerners to Tibetan culture and music. Ani Choying has gained wide popularity in Nepal as well, after she released her first Nepali CD “Moments of Bliss” in 2004 for which she was bestowed with laurels for her fantastic soothing voice.
A supporter of the school once wrote: “We were invited to see a concert by a Buddhist nun at a 500 year-old monastery in Patan. Thinking this would be a unique experience, we jumped at the opportunity. To our delight we were entertained by a talented, witty and charming woman performing traditional Tibetan songs and chants. At the end of the concert we learned that this humble Buddhist nun was performing to raise money to build a monastery and school for less fortunate woman and children in Nepal, India and Tibet. Her selflessness and commitment was so great that we felt we must help support her cause.”
She is currently here in Australia touring the country. Here is the extract of interview from Sydney morning herald by Jack Marx.
In person, the 41-year-old has a mesmerising presence, most of which is transmitted by her eyes – big, brown, expressive. To sit just inches from them, immersed in their sincerity, gives a journalist one of those rare moments when he knows he will fail his readers by not having them all there to experience it for themselves.
Drolma is also a trifle disarming for those with stereotypical expectations of a Buddhist nun. She has a fondness for Cadillacs (she was the first nun to drive a car in Nepal) and Whitney Houston, and when asked last year by the Himalayan Times why she had published her autobiography in the first place, she replied: “Honestly, it was money.”
She also betrays a peculiar fascination with Australian immigration officers.
“I do get distracted, like everyone else,” she says, when I ask her how a celibate Buddhist nun combats lustful thoughts. “But there’s a difference between getting distracted for a moment and getting distracted for a lifetime. I mean, if there’s a nice-looking guy then, okay, I will look.
I rejoice that this guy is looking really nice. For instance, when I first came to Australia, I faced the immigration officers, and I really liked them. They looked so … cool.”
Immigration officers? Cool?
“They were! They were happy and whistling while they were checking the passports and stamping them … and the guy I was dealing with had this tattoo and he was a cool dude. And I thought: ‘Wow!’ But that was it.
“You know, romantic love is a very popular habit, but it’s not something I like to practise. When you think carefully about it, it’s really just another addiction – an addiction to a certain person. ‘I love this person so much I can’t let him go!’ It’s not correct.
“If you really, truly love someone, you simply wish the best for them, not yourself. If you’re wishing the best for them on the condition that they’re making you happy, it’s more like a business. That’s not the kind of love we should develop for each other. It will hurt someone in the end, always.”
Drolma claims that the Buddhist faith cannot “do magic” (like, say, cure someone of addiction to the demon drink), but her performances suggest the contrary. Her voice is sweeping, dynamic and entirely in the control of its mistress – like a Himalayan Elizabeth Fraser (Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil), Choying Drolma’s voice is an intoxicating experience.
“You should come to Nepal,” she urges me. “You really should! You would love it there, and I think it would be very enlightening for you. And, if not, we have many great bars you might enjoy.”
Here is some of her music. Even you don’t understand the wording, I am sure you will fall in love with the melody.
This is my favourite song from her albums.
Her songs and original music has also appeared on various albums, including “Head Massage” by Soul Flip, BMG company and the “Buddha Bar” compilation by George V Company in France.
Ani Choying began recording the melodious Chö songs in 1996, and the first album, Choying Drolma and Steve Tibbetts Chö, was released in 1997. In the spring of 2000 Ani Choying’s second CD was released, Sina Vodjani & Choying Drolma Dancing Dakini. Immediately after this release, Ani Choying began to record her third CD, Choying, in a local Kathmandu studio. Although one hundred copied of this CD were sold in April, Choying’s official release is still in the works. Ani Choying has performed Chö in concert in both the United States, in 1998 and 1999, and in Europe, in 1999. In 2000 she has performed at festivals in both the United States and Europe. Ani Choying recorded her first Nepali CD Moments Of Bliss with local musicians in Kathmandu itself and released her album in 2004. Again in 2004, Ani Choying Drolma released another album with Steve Tibbets- Selwa (meaning “clear” or “awake”) for Six Degrees Records.
In June 2005, she released her second Nepali album titled “Smile” and “Inner Peace” is Ani Choying’s sixth CD and it consists of 4 mantras sung in melody. All of the money raised through Ani Choying’s performances and record sales go directly to the Nuns Welfare Foundation.
At the age of 13, she joined Nagi Gompa, a Buddhist nunnery on Shivapuri Mountain on the northern slope of the Kathmandu valley. Her education and spiritual training was supervised by the renowned meditation master, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. She was educated in Buddhist meditation, chants, rituals and ceremonies and quickly advanced to the position of the chanting master in the nunnery.
Later, she resigned from this position to become Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche’s personal health attendant and served him until his parinirvana (passing away) in February 1996. From seeing Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche’s altruistic life-style, always giving to others, without considering his own welfare, she developed a sincere desire to use whatever capacities she has to benefit beings as much as possible. Because Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche himself held nuns in the same regard as monks, Ani Choying Drolma believes that creating more opportunities for nuns to study and to develop their own capacities for skillful and compassionate action is the best way she can dedicate herself to her teacher’s vision throughout her life. She is committed to do whatever she can to promote the advancement of nuns, not only for their own benefit but because they will then be better prepared to serve and benefit others.
The last day of Tihar is Bhai Tika which is also called Bhatridutiya in Sanskrit. “Bhai” means brother in Nepali. The festival culminates in Bhai Tika, a day that rests on the premises of love, rituals, beautiful hues, reverence and puja done especially for one’s brother. This occasion honors brother-sister relationships, celebrating the holy emotional bond that they share. It is marked by offering special prayers for one’s brother’s prosperity and long life.
Legend holds that when the Kirati King Bali Hang fell mortally ill, his sister Jamuna looked after him and guarded him. When Yamaraj, the God of Death, came for Bali Hang’s soul, Jamuna pleaded with him to wait until she finished worshipping her brother; that is, until Panchami (Bhai Tika). She then conducted a long and elaborate ceremony for her brother, and performed the same for Yamaraj. She also put forth some conditions: that Yamaraj should not take Bali Hang until the tika, which she had smeared on his forehead, fades away; until the water sprinkled on her brother dries; and until the makhmali flowers wilt. Over the years Yamaraj sent his messengers to inspect the flowers, and when the next Bhai Tika puja arrived Yamaraj admitted that he had lost Bali Hang’s soul to his pious sister and granted him a long life.
The modern day Jamunas remember the legend and perform the rituals with much enthusiasm, love and gaiety. They believe that the required rituals will protect their brothers from untimely death and that they will enjoy a long life, health and prosperity.
In this day, sisters apply sacred Tika on their brother’s forehead and pray to Lord Yama for her brother’s long life and prosperity.
Some of the ethnic groups in Nepal use the Pancha Rangi Tika (Five coloured Tika) for Bhai Tika. First a base, rice flour is applied vertically on the forehead then yellow, green, red, blue and white colour Tika are put on top of this line in a row.
But in the Newar culture, we just use rice, vermilion and yogurt, mix them and use that as a Tika.
Those who do not have a brother or sister visit Yamarajeswor Temple at Rani Pokhari, in downtown Kathmandu. There they pay homage to Lord Shiva and receive bhai tika. Interestingly, the temple remains locked up all year round except on this particular day.
For this occasion, I had invited my brothers and their families to my place and we did the Bhai Tika on my balcony.
Before the Bhai Tika, just like in Maha Puja, the floor was purified by sprinkling water on it, and then we made Mandaps in front of a row of seats on the floor where my brothers were sitting. I used a copy of the same Mandap which was designed by AS but this time I printed them on A3 paper.
In Nepal, the Mandaps are made by hand on the floor using oil, rice flour, vermilion, puffed rice and sometimes beans. The number of the Mandaps needed is three plus the number of people doing the Puja. So I had two big Mandaps, for my brothers, in a row and three smaller Mandaps at the top of the row for the Family Deity (Kuladevata), Yamaraj and Janmaraj, and one crow drawn at the end of the row symbolising Lord Yama.
Beside the three Mandaps at one end, I also had a Sukunda with a candle on it.
Then I put all the sweets and Rotis that I had made or bought as well as some fruits around the Mandap along with the sweets, Masala and Sagun.
Then I had trays with fruits like mangoes, oranges, apples, cup-cakes, lamingtons and cakes. I bake it and wrote Happy Bhai Tika on it.
I made Masala at home this year with dry coconuts, dry dates, raisins, almonds, pistachio nuts, apricots, dry figs, cashews, cloves, cardamoms, beetle nuts, hard shelled walnuts, palm sugar cubes and lots of Chocolates. I used clear cello wrap and colourful bows to make it look beautiful.
For Sagun, I boiled the eggs, took the shell out and fried them in a pan. I made Bara, fried some chicken, fish and cut fresh garlic.
I made Mala out of tinsel and bought Jajanka in a Nepali grocery store.
Jajanka is made of many rounds of a white cotton thread forming a circle of about two feet in diameter and tied with a small piece of colourful cloth in order to have no ends. Jajanka symbolizes the integration of the beginning with the end. It is about creation, maintenance and fullness of life. Normally the Mala is supposed to be of Makhmali ful/Supadi ful (Globe Amaranth) as it never dries and always looks fresh.
My Bhai tika process
First I gave Nasala, a few drops of water, in the palm of the right hand of my brothers to sprinkle some into the mouth and rest over the body for purification.
I worshipped the Family Deity and Yama’s Mandap with water, rice, flowers, and vermilion powder.
I gave water, rice, flowers, and vermilion powder to my brothers, first to worship the Mandap of the House God and then the crow, then to worship their own Mandaps. The Mandap is used as a medium to present the various offerings to the self.
Then I put Tika made of vermillion, rice and yogurt on my brothers’ forehead and gave them flowers to put on their head as a blessing form God. This was followed by Mala and Jajanka around their neck.
Normally in Nepal, they use Itaa (special long strands made using white cloth soaked in mustard oil) but here we used tea light candles instead. I gave both my brothers the candles. They took the candle from my hand, lit them and put them on their Mandap. This light is believed to brighten the inner self and keep evil at bay.
Then I took some water in an Ankhura (a small pitcher for Puja) filled with oil and water and Dubo in my hand and circled around my brothers three times.
Then I gave them some rice and flower in their hand. I then gave trays of Rotis, fruits, Masala, sweets and clothes to them and they had to hold them and keep them from touching the ground. Then I took some rice and flower in my hand and showered each of them and worshipped the god within them. Only after that could they put the trays down.
Then my brothers put Tika on my forehead, touched my feet for my blessings and gave me the gifts they had brought for me.
I gave them the Sagun. For Sagun, you put a plate of egg, Bara, meat and fish in the right hand and yogurt or alcohol in the left hand.
Once everyone finished eating the Sagun, we used Kucho (broom) to sweep the mandaps starting from the top end of the row of Mandaps to the bottom of the row, touching each Mandap to erase them and concluded our Bhai Tika.
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