January 26, 2007

What are you reading?

For the Hindu Goddess Test, Click HERE !
(Sorry guys about the messed up link on my previous post about it!)

I just got back to Kolkata from North Bengal and have plenty of pix and a beautiful update. While all this is still simmering in the kitchen, here is an appetizer :

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your LJ along with these instructions.
5. Don't you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.

Here is what the Beaver is reading (who would have thunk?)

-"Wilkins is nont pursuing religious controversies at Epsom - he is pursuing natural philosophy."
-"Seems a strange place for it."
-"The Earl's Son, Charles, could not attend Cambridge because of the plague, ans so Wilkins and some other members of the royal society are there to serve as his tutors."
(Quicksilver, Neil Stephenson)

I have not gotten this far in that book (I am not reading it consistently)- so I have no idea this would come up.


Although since i am also in the middle of reading the "Traite d'Atheologie" (also available in English here) by Michel Onfray, it is an amusing coincidence.


And now you know. Your turn to disclose !

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

January 19, 2007

At last, in the city of Joy (Bilingue)

ENGLISH VERSION IN ITALICS

Photos : Click here

Il est encore très tôt pour que je puisse donner des nouvelles vraiment intéressantes de l’Inde. Pour le moment, je suis à Calcutta, dans la province du Bengal Oriental. J’ai passe moins de 24 heures a Dehli et n’ai presque rien vu – sur la route de l’aéroport a l’hôtel il faisait sombre comme dans un four et je n’ai pratiquement rien vu. J’ai cru déceler sur un rond-point un mini-bidonville, mais dans l’obscurité, c’était presque un vision fantomatique. Dans la journée précédant avant-hier donc je suis arrivée a 1h du matin a Delhi, j’ai passe quelques heures a l’hôtel, je suis allée passer quelques heures au bureau, et a 16h je partais pour l’aéroport prendre mon vol sur Calcutta. En passant, j’ai manque mon vol, le chauffeur ne savait pas ou était l’aéroport !!!! This is India, I guess !

With regard to India, it is still very early for me to give you guys really interesting news. For the moment, I am in Calcutta, in the province of West Bengal. I have spent less than 24 hours in Dehli and so have almost not seen anything considering that on the road from the airport to the hotel the it was dark as in a furnace. I believe I noted on a roundabout a mini-slum, but in the darkness, it was a ghostly vision. The day before the day before yesterday I arrived at 1AM in Delhi, I spent a few hours at the hotel, I went to spend a few hours in the office, and at 4PM I left for the airport to take my flight on Calcutta. However, I missed my flight because the driver did not know where the airport was!!!! This is India, I guess!

Delhi 1

Depuis mon arrivée à Calcutta, je n’ai pas vu grand-chose, je fait la navette entre le bureau et l’hôtel. Les Indiens (devrais-je dire les Bengali) sont très gentils, très serviable. On sent en eux un désir de plaire et de faire plaisir très palpable, c’en est par moment même un peu gênant, je dois l’admettre. Calcutta pour le moment me semble très loin des stéréotypes qu’on a en tête lorsqu’on évoque la ville. En arrivant de l’aéroport, je ne pouvais pas m’empêcher de me demander : mais ou sont les gens ? Papa aurait été déçu (ou soulage?) : j’attends encore les grandes foules et les rickshaw promis par la Cite de la Joie.

Since my arrival in Calcutta, I did not see much, I have just been shuttling between the office and the hotel. The Indians (should I say the Bengali) are very nice, very obliging. One feels in them a desire to please which is per moments even a little awkward, I must say. Calcutta for the moment seems to me far from the stereotypes that one has in mind when the city is evoked. While arriving at the airport, I could not prevent myself from wondering: but where are the people? My dad would have been disappointed (or relieved?): I am still waiting to see the large crowds and the rickshaw promised by the City of Joy.

Kolkata Street scenes 07

En ce qui concerne l’insalubrité et les odeurs, je ne constate pour le moment rien qui soit bien différent de ce que nous connaissons de nos expériences africaines. Les odeurs ceci dit sont peut-être plus fortes que je ne le pense : je suis enrhumée jusqu’au front – donc je ne sens pas grand-chose pour le moment. Par contre, la légendaire humidité de Calcutta est très visible, les immeubles sont noircis par la mousse, un peu comme à Conakry. Tous les matins, je suis réveillée par les cris des corbeaux. C’est un peu sinistre, mais ca a l’avantage que je ne suis pas en retard au travail !

With regard to insalubrity and odors, I do not note for the moment anything which is quite different from what I have experienced in Africa. The odors however are perhaps stronger than I think: I have been down with a bad cold for a while - thus I do not smell much for the moment. On the other hand, the legendary moisture of Calcutta is very visible, the buildings are blackened by moss, as in Conakry. Every morning, I am awakened by the cries of the crows. It is a little sinister, but it has the advantage that I am not late at work!

Kolkata Street scenes 09

L’hôtel a Calcutta est très confortable – il y a un gym que j’ai teste hier matin – j’ai couru un beau 20 minutes avant le petit déjeuner, et j’ai recommence ce matin. J’ai du mal a trouver des repas légers par contre – me croiras-tu si je te dis que ca fait deux soirs de suite que je mange de la soupe, faute de trouver de la salade? J’ai décidé d’essayer d’arrêter de fumer hier. Comme en Inde il est socialement inacceptable pour une femme de fumer, le contexte se prête a une tentative.

The hotel in Calcutta is very comfortable - there is a gym which I tested yesterday morning - I ran a beautiful 20 minutes before breakfast, and again this morning. I however am having trouble to find light meals - will you believe me if I tell you that two evenings in a row I ate soup, since I can’t get my hands on any bunny food? I decided to try to stop smoking yesterday. As in India it is socially unacceptable for a woman to smoke, the context lends itself to an attempt.

Kolkata - Victoria Memorial 6

Ce dimanche je prends encore l’avion pour un trou perdu du Nord-Bengal du nom de Siliguri – je vais y passer 4 jours avec un partenaire. Comme il y aura une journée fériée dans le milieu de mon séjour, je vais passer une journée en visite dans la province voisine de Darjeeling, ou je pourrais visiter un hospice tenu par un prêtre canadien. Ca devrai être intéressant. Dans la province de l’Ouest Bengal, le gros de nos activités se définit en distribution de nourriture aux indigents. Notre plus gros sous-récipient : les Missionnaires de la Charité de Mère Theresa – je m’attends donc à voir des lépreux et autres miséreux pendant mes visites de terrain. En quelque part, c’est bien. Je pousse mon intérêt pour l’humanitaire à l’ extrême.

westbengal-tourist-map

CLICK ON THE MAP FOR LARGER IMAGE

This Sunday I still travel by plane for a godforsaken hole in North-Bengal by the name of Siliguri - I will spend there 4 days with a partner. Because there is going to be a statutory holiday in the middle of my stay, I will spend one day visiting the nearby state of Darjeeling, where I will visit an hostel held by a Canadian priest. It should be interesting. In the province of West Bengal, our largest activities is food distribution to the needy. One of our larger sub-recipients are Mother Theresa’s Order of the Missionaries of Charity - so I expect to witness leprosy and other miseries during my field visits. In a way, it is fitting. I am pushing my interest for humanitarian affairs to the extreme.

The Beaver


My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

January 17, 2007

Which Hindu Goddess Are You?

Gayatri

You scored 75 intellect, 11 prosperity, 31 sexuality, and 49 goodness!

Gayatri, the many-headed symbol of Devi, or the divine feminine. As you can see she is closely associated with the lotus and with feminine beauty. She is a wise and good goddess and carries the weapons and items carried by other gods in her many arms. She is a reasonably good goddess and intellectually inclined, as she can see in all directions from the eyes on her heads.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:



Link: The Which Hindu Goddess Are You? Test written by mirchini on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test


The Beaver


My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

January 16, 2007

News of the weird

I am going to have some updates for you guys - while I write them up, enjoy the News of the weird !






The Beaver



My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

January 05, 2007

Updated pictures !!!!

In there you will find (just click on the pix to access the sets).:

- last pictures of Haiti (curtosy of Naya), including some sunsets and more shots of Moulin Sur Mer ;
IMG_0204

- Pictures of Baltimore, including a visit of the port of Baltimore and some fireworks at the Washington Monument ;
Baltimore monument fireworks5
Port of Baltimore 21

- Pictures of Toronto, mostly street scenes and cityscapes ;
In Yorkville (Toronto) 3

- Pictures of Montreal, street scenes and cityscapes mostly.
MTL by night Jan 2007 (34)
If you are my Friend on Flickr, you will also find pix of Nights out and holiday celebrations.

May 2007 be kind to you !



The Beaver


My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !