ÅSGÅRDSTRAND (VG): Mary was a newlywed and ready to move to Norway, but was stopped at the airport because she didn't have enough money for the trip. Then a stranger turned up and paid for her.
Mary Menth Andersen was 31 years old at the time and had just married Norwegian Dag Andersen. She was looking forward to starting a new life in Åsgårdstrand in Vestfold with him. But first she had to get all of her belongings across to Norway. The date was November 2nd, 1988.
At the airport in Miami things were hectic as usual, with long lines at the check-in counters.
When it was finally Mary's turn and she had placed her luggage on the baggage line, she got the message that would crush her bubbling feeling of happiness: "You'll have to pay a 103 dollar surcharge if you want to bring both those suitcases to Norway", the man behind the counter said.
Mary had no money. Her new husband had travelled ahead of her to Norway, and she had no one else to call. "I was completely desperate and tried to think which of my things I could manage without. But I had already made such a careful selection of my most prized possessions," says Mary.
Although she explained the situation to the man behind the counter, he showed no signs of mercy. "I started to cry, tears were pouring down my face and I had no idea what to do. Then I heard a gentle and friendly voice behind me saying, 'That's OK, I'll pay for her.'"
Mary turned around to see a tall man whom she had never seen before. "He had a gentle and kind voice that was still firm and decisive. "The first thing I thought was, 'Who is this man?'"
Although this happened 20 years ago, Mary still remembers the authority that radiated from the man. "He was nicely dressed, fashionably dressed with brown leather shoes, a cotton shirt open at the throat and khaki pants," says Mary. She was thrilled to be able to bring both her suitcases to Norway and assured the stranger that he would get his money back. The man wrote his name and address on a piece of paper that he gave to Mary. She thanked him repeatedly. When she finally walked off towards the security checkpoint, he waved goodbye to her.
The piece of paper said 'Barack Obama' and his address in Kansas, which is the state where his mother comes from. Mary carried the slip of paper around in her wallet for years, before it was thrown out.
"He was my knight in shining armor," says Mary, smiling.
She paid the 103 dollars back to Obama the day after she arrived in Norway. At that time he had just finished his job as a poorly paid community worker in Chicago, and had started his law studies at prestigious Harvard university.
In the spring of 2006 Mary's parents had heard that Obama was considering a run for president, but that he had still not decided. They chose to write a letter in which they told him that he would receive their votes. At the same time, they thanked Obama for helping their daughter 18 years earlier.
In a letter to Mary's parents dated May 4th, 2006 and stamped 'United States Senate, Washington DC', Barack Obama writes: "I want to thank you for the lovely things you wrote about me and for reminding me of what happened at Miami airport. I'm happy I could help back then, and I'm delighted to hear that your daughter is happy in Norway. Please send her my best wishes. Sincerely, Barack Obama, United States senator"
The parents sent the letter on to Mary.
This week [we] met her and her husband in the café that she runs with her friend Lisbeth Tollefsrud in Åsgårdstrand. "It's amazing to think that the man who helped me 20 years ago could become the next US president," says Mary delightedly.
[Originally printed in VG newspaper in Norway; translated by Leisha Camden.]
Saturday, 8 November 2008
Monday, 3 November 2008
True story about a Brahmin who chose Jesus at the age of 19! Amazing!!
Anand Mahadevan is the editor of Outlook Business
I, The Convert
My conversion was not a change of religion; it was a change of heart
Anand Mahadevan
I was born a Brahmin and am the grandson of a priest whom I dearly
loved. I am educated and my current professional standing indicates
that I am reasonably intelligent. I am also affluent and my income
would put me distinctly in the upper middle class bracket. I guess
that would make me high-caste, rich and smart. In other words, I am
not a tribal, or poor or dim-witted. And yet, I chose to become a
follower of Jesus Christ.
The world would call me a convert to Christianity. I have no problems
with that, though I see my faith more as a relationship with God
through Jesus Christ than as a religion. And for the record, I can
truthfully claim that no one financially induced or threatened or
deceived me into converting to Christianity.
I am fiercely proud of my national identity as an Indian and I am
completely at peace with my cultural identity as a Hindu. I retain the
name my parents gave me. My wife, who also shares my faith, continues
to go by her Hindu name. We have two children and we have given both
distinctly Hindu names. In fact, many of my colleagues and
acquaintances who may happen to read this column are likely to be
surprised. They have no inkling about my faith, for I generally don't
go about announcing it. But if someone does ask me the reason behind
the joy and hope that is everpresent in my life, I am always delighted
to share it with them.
I write this piece to make one point—that my conversion was not a
change of religion but a change of heart. To explain this, I need to
go back to my childhood in Chennai, similar to that of so many other
Tamil Brahmin boys like me. My grandfather, every bit the virtuous
priest, had enormous influence over me. I absolutely adored him and as
a toddler, always clung to him. He too loved me to a fault. There was
no wish of mine that he would not rush to fulfil. But even in my
early, formative years I was unable to relate to the religion he
fervently practiced. Later, in my school days, I once spent my summer
holidays with him in Trichy. Memories of dawn walks with him, for the
ritualistic dip in the Cauvery river, cow in tow, are still fresh in
my memory. I learnt many shlokas, some of which I still remember. But
I never understood any of it and none of it helped me connect with
God.
When I was 19, a Christian friend with whom I used to play cricket
invited me to his house for prayer. If he had invited me to a pub, or
party, I would have gone too. At his home, he and his sister prayed
for me. It was a simple yet delightful conversation with God that
lasted all of five minutes. I don't remember it verbatim, but they
articulated a prayer of blessing on my life, future, career and
family. It was a simple affair—no miracles, no angels visiting. All
they did was utter a deep human cry out to the creator God and His
only son Jesus Christ. When they said Amen, I felt in my heart a
desire to follow Jesus.
It was a faith encounter with God that I shall not even attempt to
understand, rationalise or explain. I simply accept it. It is my
faith. It is what I choose to believe. That evening I did not change
my religion, for in reality I had none. Hinduism was my identity, not
my religion. It still is.
The Christianity I acquired that evening is not a religion. On the
contrary, it is an intensely intimate relationship with Jesus. Over
the past fifteen years, I have come to know this Jesus even closer. I
know Him as the pure and sinless Son of a Holy God. And I know Him as
a dear friend to whom I pray and talk to every day—about my career, my
dreams, successes, failures, finances and even my sexuality.
If I read a good book, watch a good movie (Rock On is terrific, mate),
or eat a good meal at a new restaurant, I would naturally tell my
friends about it.In Jesus, I have discovered a truly amazing friend,
guide, leader, saviour and God. How can I not tell all my friends
about Him? And if anyone does listen and he too comes to believe in
Jesus, I am delighted. The world would call it a conversion; I call it
a change of heart, like mine.
But I would never force anyone to listen to me, leave alone
financially induce, coerce or con him into believing. That to me is
pointless and against the very grain of my faith. But I do have a
constitutional right to practice my faith and to preach it without
deception, force or bribery. It pains to see such basic rights of
mankind being cruelly violated every day in this great Hindu nation.
God bless India.
(I, Reshmi the blog owner, would like to add as a post script an emotive comment by my friend Kashmira, a Zoroastrian married to a Sikh army officer (retired). How true her words are!
I'm glad you posted this Resh...Anand has made a very profound statement somewhere in between.."Hinduism is not my religion, it is my identity!" How true. If only we all thought of our respective 'religions' like that! If at all there was meant to be a religion in the first place, it was that of humanity and humaneness! Personally, I feel ALL 'religions' lead us to the same destination....Eternity !!....like all flights to New Delhi will take you only there, so why fight over which airlines you've chosen to travel by ? It's entirely a personal choice. It's the destination we ought to focus our sights on, not the mode of transport! Besides, the people creating a ruckus today, over whose religion ought to be given the top priority, are doing it not because of their love for their faith - no, they couldn't give a hoot about it...it's power that they are after, and who best to fool than our mindless, guileless, directionless junta ? May God grant our people good sense and insight to be able to sift through the muck and glean the truth! God Bless!)
I, The Convert
My conversion was not a change of religion; it was a change of heart
Anand Mahadevan
I was born a Brahmin and am the grandson of a priest whom I dearly
loved. I am educated and my current professional standing indicates
that I am reasonably intelligent. I am also affluent and my income
would put me distinctly in the upper middle class bracket. I guess
that would make me high-caste, rich and smart. In other words, I am
not a tribal, or poor or dim-witted. And yet, I chose to become a
follower of Jesus Christ.
The world would call me a convert to Christianity. I have no problems
with that, though I see my faith more as a relationship with God
through Jesus Christ than as a religion. And for the record, I can
truthfully claim that no one financially induced or threatened or
deceived me into converting to Christianity.
I am fiercely proud of my national identity as an Indian and I am
completely at peace with my cultural identity as a Hindu. I retain the
name my parents gave me. My wife, who also shares my faith, continues
to go by her Hindu name. We have two children and we have given both
distinctly Hindu names. In fact, many of my colleagues and
acquaintances who may happen to read this column are likely to be
surprised. They have no inkling about my faith, for I generally don't
go about announcing it. But if someone does ask me the reason behind
the joy and hope that is everpresent in my life, I am always delighted
to share it with them.
I write this piece to make one point—that my conversion was not a
change of religion but a change of heart. To explain this, I need to
go back to my childhood in Chennai, similar to that of so many other
Tamil Brahmin boys like me. My grandfather, every bit the virtuous
priest, had enormous influence over me. I absolutely adored him and as
a toddler, always clung to him. He too loved me to a fault. There was
no wish of mine that he would not rush to fulfil. But even in my
early, formative years I was unable to relate to the religion he
fervently practiced. Later, in my school days, I once spent my summer
holidays with him in Trichy. Memories of dawn walks with him, for the
ritualistic dip in the Cauvery river, cow in tow, are still fresh in
my memory. I learnt many shlokas, some of which I still remember. But
I never understood any of it and none of it helped me connect with
God.
When I was 19, a Christian friend with whom I used to play cricket
invited me to his house for prayer. If he had invited me to a pub, or
party, I would have gone too. At his home, he and his sister prayed
for me. It was a simple yet delightful conversation with God that
lasted all of five minutes. I don't remember it verbatim, but they
articulated a prayer of blessing on my life, future, career and
family. It was a simple affair—no miracles, no angels visiting. All
they did was utter a deep human cry out to the creator God and His
only son Jesus Christ. When they said Amen, I felt in my heart a
desire to follow Jesus.
It was a faith encounter with God that I shall not even attempt to
understand, rationalise or explain. I simply accept it. It is my
faith. It is what I choose to believe. That evening I did not change
my religion, for in reality I had none. Hinduism was my identity, not
my religion. It still is.
The Christianity I acquired that evening is not a religion. On the
contrary, it is an intensely intimate relationship with Jesus. Over
the past fifteen years, I have come to know this Jesus even closer. I
know Him as the pure and sinless Son of a Holy God. And I know Him as
a dear friend to whom I pray and talk to every day—about my career, my
dreams, successes, failures, finances and even my sexuality.
If I read a good book, watch a good movie (Rock On is terrific, mate),
or eat a good meal at a new restaurant, I would naturally tell my
friends about it.In Jesus, I have discovered a truly amazing friend,
guide, leader, saviour and God. How can I not tell all my friends
about Him? And if anyone does listen and he too comes to believe in
Jesus, I am delighted. The world would call it a conversion; I call it
a change of heart, like mine.
But I would never force anyone to listen to me, leave alone
financially induce, coerce or con him into believing. That to me is
pointless and against the very grain of my faith. But I do have a
constitutional right to practice my faith and to preach it without
deception, force or bribery. It pains to see such basic rights of
mankind being cruelly violated every day in this great Hindu nation.
God bless India.
(I, Reshmi the blog owner, would like to add as a post script an emotive comment by my friend Kashmira, a Zoroastrian married to a Sikh army officer (retired). How true her words are!
I'm glad you posted this Resh...Anand has made a very profound statement somewhere in between.."Hinduism is not my religion, it is my identity!" How true. If only we all thought of our respective 'religions' like that! If at all there was meant to be a religion in the first place, it was that of humanity and humaneness! Personally, I feel ALL 'religions' lead us to the same destination....Eternity !!....like all flights to New Delhi will take you only there, so why fight over which airlines you've chosen to travel by ? It's entirely a personal choice. It's the destination we ought to focus our sights on, not the mode of transport! Besides, the people creating a ruckus today, over whose religion ought to be given the top priority, are doing it not because of their love for their faith - no, they couldn't give a hoot about it...it's power that they are after, and who best to fool than our mindless, guileless, directionless junta ? May God grant our people good sense and insight to be able to sift through the muck and glean the truth! God Bless!)
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Happy Diwali to all
Diwali (or Deepavali) is a major Indian holiday, and a significant festival in Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Many legends are associated with Diwali. Today it is celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs across the globe as the "Festival of Lights," where the lights or lamps signify victory of good over the evil within every human being.
In many parts of India, it is the homecoming of Lord Rama of Ayodhya after a 14-year exile in the forest, after he defeated the evil Ravana. The people of Ayodhya (the capital of his kingdom) welcomed Rama by lighting rows (avali) of lamps (deeva), thus its name: Deepavali. This word, in due course, became Diwali in Hindi. But, in South Indian languages, the word did not undergo any change, and hence the festival is called Deepavali in southern India. There are many different observances of the holiday across India.
In India, Diwali is now considered to be a national festival, and the aesthetic aspect of the festival is enjoyed by most Indians regardless of faith.
(Wiki)
Monday, 20 October 2008
My only son Tom as an early teen..and Tom even younger..and now...
Well, I could not leave my son out..but could not find a clear picture that I liked..so here's whatever came my way..taken at three stages in his life. The oldest picture was taken at the International School in Thailand, the early teen taken when living in Vietnam and the current one in the UK! That's Tasha and friend Sharon having a jolly good laugh....with Tom in the background!
My home in India where I grew up
Such wonderful memories...the boys (includes my dad and four brothers) and my sister playing badminton every morning. I would be the water girl...it is the house where I spent the formative 20 years of my life and where I still go every holiday! The kids love that house, as much as I do!!! After all, their grandparents live there...
Must try and find a picture of my current home ...
Sunday, 19 October 2008
Me with my good friend Jenny
Jenny and I share the same birthday and she's Tanya's best friend Alison's mother. They have been the best of friends from age 4..and still are at age 12 nearing 13!
Tasha's second skydive
Tasha plans to take this new hobby far. This is at 3500 feet in the beginning stage. She would like to freefall from 15,000 feet but that would be after 30 jumps. Good luck, Tasha, my brave princess! I know I couldn't do it!
Take care! And Tom plans to join you when his dissertation is over! And Tanya when she turns 18!
Tash with her Black Belt
Tasha fulfilled her dream of gaining her Black Belt in Kai Zen Do (kickboxing)in December 2007. Her speech was ab fab and everyone loved it. Her 6 friends had come to support her too. She will carry on with this at university. Good Luck!
Friday, 19 September 2008
Tasha and her friends at another of the legendary parties at our home
My Tasha's parties at our home have become legendary. This was a for-the fun-of-it gettogether in April and 75 teens arrived for lamb curry etc etc. Believe it or not, usually we have 200 teens in our home but this was a day of heavy rains and was an indoor party and we needed it 'small'! J and I are always ready to host these events and that is why we have become a bit of a 'celeb' parent duo; the kids love coming! Let's face it, they need to go somewhere, after all, and these days young people get so much abuse from society as people have lost faith in them totally. I absolutely love them and working with teenagers, to me, is my niche. God put me there!
Thursday, 18 September 2008
Tuesday, 16 September 2008
17 Sept to ABji
One singular individual that took that walk and changed the world. If all of us decided to be that one individual, the world would change !!'
So true indeed! And I agree with you that every one of us has the ability to make a difference...why don't we TODAY do a Pass It On? Thant means each person will do one good act for someone else...and tell them to pass it on..so that person will do something nice for someone else..and so on. Remind them to say the words, 'Pass it on'. While we may not see the difference it makes, it surely will. That is the Domino Effect!
I thought of this before the movie came out by the same name. It all happened around 17 years ago when I crashed into a parked car and the owner came out to see her car in a 'written off' state. Yet, despite the fact she was at work and could not even get home that day, she turned to me with a comforting smile and said, 'the important thing is, 'are you okay?' I was so relieved with her reaction and in my own heightened sense of upset and shock, I made the decision I would pass on a similar reaction in similar situations.
Oh, the opportunity came several times. I have had cars bump into the side, reverse into me, knock mirror off etc over the years and even when Tanya and I were in a major accident on a dual carriageway owing to the fault of the other driver, despite cuts and bruises and a written-off car, I hugged the other driver and said, 'the important thing is 'you are okay?'
I hope I pass this onto the thousands who read this today.
And ABji, I love the fact you have us as your extended family and you are the Head. We hope anytime we say to you when (not if) we meet you that we are your blogging family, we get a precious moment of your time and a warm handshake.
Can we shake on that?
Reshmi
So true indeed! And I agree with you that every one of us has the ability to make a difference...why don't we TODAY do a Pass It On? Thant means each person will do one good act for someone else...and tell them to pass it on..so that person will do something nice for someone else..and so on. Remind them to say the words, 'Pass it on'. While we may not see the difference it makes, it surely will. That is the Domino Effect!
I thought of this before the movie came out by the same name. It all happened around 17 years ago when I crashed into a parked car and the owner came out to see her car in a 'written off' state. Yet, despite the fact she was at work and could not even get home that day, she turned to me with a comforting smile and said, 'the important thing is, 'are you okay?' I was so relieved with her reaction and in my own heightened sense of upset and shock, I made the decision I would pass on a similar reaction in similar situations.
Oh, the opportunity came several times. I have had cars bump into the side, reverse into me, knock mirror off etc over the years and even when Tanya and I were in a major accident on a dual carriageway owing to the fault of the other driver, despite cuts and bruises and a written-off car, I hugged the other driver and said, 'the important thing is 'you are okay?'
I hope I pass this onto the thousands who read this today.
And ABji, I love the fact you have us as your extended family and you are the Head. We hope anytime we say to you when (not if) we meet you that we are your blogging family, we get a precious moment of your time and a warm handshake.
Can we shake on that?
Reshmi
Monday, 15 September 2008
Hilarious YouTube video on Onam Festival of Kerala. A Must Watch!
This is what Onam is all about, courtesy of www.malayalifestivals.com
Enjoy the video made by an American Malayalee by clicking on it!(Mallus for short:people of Kerala!)
Onam is one of the most significant harvest festivals of Kerala and is an attraction for thousands of people outside and within the state. All the activities during this season are centred on worshipping, music, dance, sports, boat races and good food. This festival is celebrated in the Malayalam month Chingam (ending of August and beginning of September). Onam is a harvest festival and celebrates the reward of nature after a year of hard work. The merry making of the festival includes an elaborate procession of Trichur and amusing boat races on River Pampa. Women dress up
in heavy jewellery and new saris and make complex and detailed designs of “rangolis” and “pookkalam”(with flowers) in front of their homes.
Onam is celebrated in the memory of King Mahabali. It was said that King Mahabali ruled Kerala a long time ago and looked after the welfare of the people. Thus Onam shows the blissful rule of the King and the freedom, which the people enjoyed under his rule. The people also believe that during Onam, the King returns to Kerala to pay a visit to his people.
The people in Kerala arrange for this festival by cleaning up their houses and decorating them. On the occasion of Onam, everybody in the family wears new clothes. Delicious sweets and dishes are prepared and served on the banana leaves. “Pookalam” a flower mat is visible outside every house. This mat is a symbol of welcoming King Mahabali. On the eve of Onam, traditional rituals are performed and the people celebrate the occasion with a grand feast. “Payasam” a sweet and tempting porridge is one of the favorite dessert served on the eve of Onam.
“Vallamkali” or a great boat race is an attractive feature of this festival. In this game hundreds of men row the boats to the beat of drums and cymbals. An interesting thing to note is that above each boat there is a scarlet silk umbrella and gold coins are hung from the umbrella. This event is extremely popular with various boats competing with each other in order to win the race.
Onam is celebrated not only by Hindus but also by Christians and Muslims. It is one such festival that unites all the people regardless of race and religion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvWWX_0I3zQ
Enjoy the video made by an American Malayalee by clicking on it!(Mallus for short:people of Kerala!)
Onam is one of the most significant harvest festivals of Kerala and is an attraction for thousands of people outside and within the state. All the activities during this season are centred on worshipping, music, dance, sports, boat races and good food. This festival is celebrated in the Malayalam month Chingam (ending of August and beginning of September). Onam is a harvest festival and celebrates the reward of nature after a year of hard work. The merry making of the festival includes an elaborate procession of Trichur and amusing boat races on River Pampa. Women dress up
in heavy jewellery and new saris and make complex and detailed designs of “rangolis” and “pookkalam”(with flowers) in front of their homes.
Onam is celebrated in the memory of King Mahabali. It was said that King Mahabali ruled Kerala a long time ago and looked after the welfare of the people. Thus Onam shows the blissful rule of the King and the freedom, which the people enjoyed under his rule. The people also believe that during Onam, the King returns to Kerala to pay a visit to his people.
The people in Kerala arrange for this festival by cleaning up their houses and decorating them. On the occasion of Onam, everybody in the family wears new clothes. Delicious sweets and dishes are prepared and served on the banana leaves. “Pookalam” a flower mat is visible outside every house. This mat is a symbol of welcoming King Mahabali. On the eve of Onam, traditional rituals are performed and the people celebrate the occasion with a grand feast. “Payasam” a sweet and tempting porridge is one of the favorite dessert served on the eve of Onam.
“Vallamkali” or a great boat race is an attractive feature of this festival. In this game hundreds of men row the boats to the beat of drums and cymbals. An interesting thing to note is that above each boat there is a scarlet silk umbrella and gold coins are hung from the umbrella. This event is extremely popular with various boats competing with each other in order to win the race.
Onam is celebrated not only by Hindus but also by Christians and Muslims. It is one such festival that unites all the people regardless of race and religion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvWWX_0I3zQ
Friday, 22 August 2008
Colin and I
Colin put me up for this! He's so funny that I think it is a shame that 'fame' passed him by! He makes me roar!
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
Richard Fleeshman and Tanya
Tanya with Richard Fleeshman and his girl friend. Richard's mother, a former Brookside actress introduced her talented actor/singer son!
My Tanya with a Spice Girl!!!!!
Lovely Mel C aka Sporty Spice with my 12 year old! Mel's mum sang a solo as well, a very talented woman.
Me with the Boardmans
This is at the after-show party for Rhys Jones charity fundraiser after Stan brought the house (all 9000) down!
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Me in South Africa
This was taken at a family wedding in Johannesburg around three years ago!
I am just playing around with uploading images!
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