The Xenophobe's Guide to the Japanese

I was given a book on the Japanese for Christmas this year. It is called 'Xenophobe's guide to the Japanese' and it is part of the xenophobe's series.

The book talks about the Japanese culture from a variety of perspectives and discusses a wide range of topics, such as education, lack of street names and the language. It gives a comic introduction to the culture and certainly makes the reader intrigued to learn more about the culture. I am definitely going to get my hands on other books of the series and learn about other countries!

Here is the link for the series if anyone is interested in knowing more:

http://www.ovalbooks.com/xeno/index.html

Iraq Inquiry

So what is Tony Blair up to nowadays? He is trying to facilitate peace in this world after helping to start out a number of conflicts and aiding in the killing on innocent civilians.

This week, he will be in London attending the Iraq inquiry. Will this inquiry bring about anything useful and concrete?

If you are against the Iraq War and want to show this to Mr Blair and other politicians, come along to a protest that the Stop the War Coalition is organising this Friday. See more details below:

http://www.tonyblairoffice.org/

http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

Thoughts for the Beginning of 2011

I recently read an excellent book by Thict Nhat Hanh. In this book, there was a story and a poem that really made me reflect on them. I want to share them here with you, as a good beginning for 2011. May this year will be filled with peace, happiness and love for all of you!
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'One day, while sitting in the Great Forest outside of Vaishali, the Buddha saw a farmer passing by. The farmer asked the Buddha if he had seen his cows which had run away. And besides that, he said, maggots had eaten the two acres of sesame that he had planted last year. He said that he was the unhappiest person alive, and maybe he should kill himself. The Buddha told him he had not seen his cows so he might find them in another direction. After he had gone, Buddha turned around and smiled to the monks who were sitting with him, and said, 'Monks, do you know that you are happy and free? You do not have a single cow to lose.'

What are your cows? Are you stressed out, hang up on your profession, feel pressure to perform well? Do you feel the need to boost up your selfimportance? Can you try to lose your cows in 2011 and feel happier and freer?
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DISCOURSE ON LOVE
May everyone be hapy and safe, and may all hearts
be filled with joy.

May all beings live in security and in peace-
beings who are frail or strong. tall or short,
big or small, invisible or visible, near or farway,
already been or yet to be born.
May all of them dwell in perfect tranquility.

Let no one do harm to anyone.
Let no one put the life of anyone in danger.
Let no one, out of anger
or ill will, wish anyone any harm.

Just as a mother loves and protects her only child at the risk of her own life,
cultivate boundless love
to offer to all living beings in the entire cosmos.
Let our boundless love pervade the whole universe,
above, below, and across.
Our love will know no obstacles.
Our heart will be absolutely free from hatred and enminty.
Wheter standing or walking,
sitting or lying, as long as we are awake, we should maintain this mindfullness of love in our own heart.
This is the noblest way of living.'
THICH NHAT HANH