PRE TRIP =)

so thank God i came back 3 days before the flight. i mean its been a mad dash anyway and if I'd come back at the last minute it would have been realllly messy.hehe.
so anyway i did not sleep at all the whole nite before coming back. even when I reached home I couldnt sleep yet, so in the end I had like 2 hours sleep for like 2 days. haha.
obviously once we were in Mid Valley I was awake ;P
so we shpped away and headed home. (after abt 4 or 5 hours hehe)
then, I met up with a good friend, Gurpreet who wanted to give me my Birthday present.
thank you so much! it was awesome and I love it. Its a really cool Deuter backpack which is like of really good quality and heavy duty and stuff.
I got home from the teatime meeting (bt I drank coffee ;D) and chilled for a bit while mum cooked and fed us.
then, it was out again to get some warm wear and stuff. phew. by the time we were done there, I was sooo tired!
but I still hung around before going to bed.
Day 2
slept in (like really slept in) and then chilled til mom came home then we went out to get some more supplies. earlier in the day dad had already gone to get souvenirs, a new luggage for me and he ran some errands methinks.
so we see these cute shoes, and my sis says, lets get them and she can get the green ones and I take the pink. hahaha..well the sizes weren't available so then she got the pink and me green. pretty cool anyway,so now I'll be more colorful ;P
Day 3
dad takes the kiddies out while I decide to stay home and sort out my stuff i.e, wash,iron,pack. haha..and then watch tv and blog. alrite time to unload the washer, stay tuned for more updates! (and I'll post the pics;P)
love, Ash.
p.s
the temperature is like 1 to 5 degrees at night!

HARJAS KEERTAN IN MALAYSIA!

HAR JAS KEERTAN SEMAGAM..

1ST TIME LIVE IN MALAYSIA!!

30th nov(tues) 6.30-9.30pm:titiwangsa gurdwara

1st dec(wed) 5.00-8.00am:titiwangsa gurdwara

6.30-9.30pm:pj gurdwara

2nd dec(thurs) 5.00-8.30am:titiwangsa gurdwara

6.30-9.30pm:kg pandan wadda gurdwara

3rd dec(fri) 5.00-8.30am:titiwangsa gurdwara

6.30-9.30pm:klang gurdwara

4th dec(sat) 5.00-9.30am:parliament gurdwara

7.00pm-5.00am:rehansbhai at titiwangsa gurdwara

for further info call veer Dheeraj: 016-3055 218 or Fareed : 016 637 1347

keertanis include : Bhai Gurbir Singh Tarn Taran

Bhai Mehtaab Singh Amritsar

Giani Gurdev Singh Australia

Har Jas Keertan Semagam Promo

shabad kirtan

i was watching Delhi 6 again yesterday, after a long time. i feel the movie has pretty good messages and also, MUSIC!!masakali and genda phool were the tracks i still remembered, but now i've realised there are 2 other tracks which were really awesome.

the first is a qawalli type, arziyan, which shows the muslims (lots and lots of people) praying at one of the huge mosques in Delhi and its 8 plus minutes long.well i think the long tracks are nice. =)

then there is the Bade Ghulam Ali Khan composition- bhor bhaye which has been edited with Shreya G's voice in. now this track was shown in the movie at the raamlila part where Sita awaits Ram Ji to save her (i think). and also the heroine (Sonam K) realizes that's the best song to sing for her Indian Idol audition. hahah.

so what are the nice messages??

one, racism/religiousism haha. the people somehow managed to bring in racism, so its nice to see how they put away those differences, as is said in the beginning, everything exists in a delicate balance. different, but existing simultaneously, together.

then there's the whole Caste thingie. when they act all silly, not even allowing the lady who takes the trash in their house and stuff, the kiddies poin out that Ram also ate the jhoot (leftover) of a low caste person. hah!the aunties and uncles couldnt reply to that.

then i posted the song to FB, being excited and all, and darling Manpreet posted a link to a blog on Raag compilations! i may have seen it before, but now i've saved it and it should be an interesting and informative read =) thx babe.

so, i should stop talking abt the movie and get back to water treatment.

Head loss awaits (hope my head is not lost in the process hehe!)

check out the site by clicking the icon in the bloggies list or click here:

http://shabadkirtan.blogspot.com/

take care and lots of love!

updates?

well well. there was like a whole week after the last paper, during which i did nothing much.- as opposed to the multitudes of activities that ideally should have been carried out, i.e. studying water treatment eg how to design a tank??? and completing my proposal properly. so now on sunday the latest paper was done with, which i have to say, thankfully it wasnt just me frowning about the first question after the exam was over. we were all like, phew.the calculation was just weird for one part. so then on the day obviously i do nothing, due to feeling like i was the one who was in the Futsal tourney- CONGRATS ballu, gurleen,pinday and everyone in Inspire Girls team and the other teams(not too sure who came in 2nd and 3rd) and well done to the coaches (Ajeet Veerji and Gurpreet - sorry if there's anyone else) and go to bed only to be jolted awake after the first few minutes of drifting off.
and I proceed to watch Charlie and the chocolate factory, smiling and stifling laughs watching the oompa loompas and remembering.
I remember the time in (primary?) school when Har, Rish? and I found the book and we read it delightedly =) =) and Mathilda too. ah. those were the days.
the oompa loompa songs are just way too cute too!
then today the whole day is gone again (seriously, i dont know how) and its almost 4 am now. so i m gonna read some notes and feeling a tiny bit relieved that (like Thuls said) at least we looked at the method for our proposal.
also the lack of panic might be due to the fact that the paper is MCQ (althou the true false is just gonna be mad mad mad)
anyway, to the SPM folks: Jiwan, Harjeet and urm anyone else, i forget now, GOOD LUCK!! u guys are gonna totally ace it ;D
muaxx everyone. good night. hope everyone had a blessed time for the BIRTH OF GURU NANAK DEV JI and enjoyed the full beautiful moon :)

Praylist =)

currently three tracks are playing pretty much on repeat, all raags;
1) mere hai avgun too gunsagar
jat rasathal ooat teeharee
which is just lovely, sung by bhai ranjit singh
2) ਬਿਰਹਾ ਬਿਰਹਾ ਆਖੀਐ ਬਿਰਹਾ ਤੂ ਸੁਲਤਾਨੁ ॥
Birhā birhā ākẖī▫ai birhā ṯū sulṯān.Many talk of the pain and suffering of separation; O pain, you are the ruler of all.
ਫਰੀਦਾ ਜਿਤੁ ਤਨਿ ਬਿਰਹੁ ਨ ਊਪਜੈ ਸੋ ਤਨੁ ਜਾਣੁ ਮਸਾਨੁ ॥੩੬॥
Farīḏā jiṯ ṯan birahu na ūpjai so ṯan jāṇ masān. 36Fareed, that body, within which love of the Lord does not well up - look upon that body as a cremation ground. 36
sung by bhai niranjan =D
3) track of the video i posted below, Baba Akhey Hajiaa =)
totally awesome for accompaniment of studying/notes taking ;D

Baba Nanak - baba akhey Hajian loving this!=)

Akhand path

during the diwali/bandi chorr/holidays in general, there was akhand path going on at gurdwara. it was a good time as always for me, as going to gurdwara is something i welcome fully when back home, thanks to the lack of, here. so anyway, the first two days went on as usual and at night on the second day some friends had some fireworks display. =) then on friday after the path da bhog, Gianiji and veer Surjit did kirtan. it was lovely, and here are the shabads sung.


ਕਹਿਆ ਕਰਣਾ ਦਿਤਾ ਲੈਣਾ ॥
Kahi▫ā karṇā ḏiṯā laiṇā. As You command, I obey; as You give, I receive.
ਗਰੀਬਾ ਅਨਾਥਾ ਤੇਰਾ ਮਾਣਾ ॥
Garībā anāthā ṯerā māṇā. You are the Pride of the meek and the poor.
ਸਭ ਕਿਛੁ ਤੂੰਹੈ ਤੂੰਹੈ ਮੇਰੇ ਪਿਆਰੇ ਤੇਰੀ ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਕਉ ਬਲਿ ਜਾਈ ਜੀਉ ॥੧॥
Sabẖ kicẖẖ ṯūʼnhai ṯūʼnhai mere pi▫āre ṯerī kuḏraṯ ka▫o bal jā▫ī jī▫o. 1 You are everything; You are my Beloved. I am a sacrifice to Your Creative Power. 1


ਐਸੀ ਲਾਲ ਤੁਝ ਬਿਨੁ ਕਉਨੁ ਕਰੈ ॥
Aisī lāl ṯujẖ bin ka▫un karai. O Love, who else but You could do such a thing?
ਗਰੀਬ ਨਿਵਾਜੁ ਗੁਸਈਆ ਮੇਰਾ ਮਾਥੈ ਛਤ੍ਰੁ ਧਰੈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Garīb nivāj gus▫ī▫ā merā māthai cẖẖaṯar ḏẖarai. 1 rahā▫o. O Patron of the poor, Lord of the World, You have put the canopy of Your Grace over my head. 1Pause


ਜਾ ਕਾ ਮੀਤੁ ਸਾਜਨੁ ਹੈ ਸਮੀਆ ॥
Jā kā mīṯ sājan hai samī▫ā. Those who have the Lord as their Friend and Companion -
ਤਿਸੁ ਜਨ ਕਉ ਕਹੁ ਕਾ ਕੀ ਕਮੀਆ ॥੧॥
Ŧis jan ka▫o kaho kā kī kamī▫ā. 1 tell me, what else do they need? 1
ਜਾ ਕੀ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿਉ ਲਾਗੀ ॥
Jā kī parīṯ gobinḏ si▫o lāgī. Those who are in love with the Lord of the Universe -
ਦੂਖੁ ਦਰਦੁ ਭ੍ਰਮੁ ਤਾ ਕਾ ਭਾਗੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Ḏūkẖ ḏaraḏ bẖaram ṯā kā bẖāgī. 1 rahā▫o. pain, suffering and doubt run away from them. 1Pause

and also
paavan pavithr mithr aaj maerai aaye hai
divali di raat divey baliyan
then langgar - which was a feast! was served, full of love and seva by the veers from india. they even had jalebis and laddoo made!
the whole time i was thinking, i wonder how does Harmandar Sahib look like at that time, lit all over..ah bliss.. =)

GATKA (Bibi Rashpal Kaur)

Gatka demo
Kg Pandan Wadda Gurdwara
14th November Sunday
7 p.m.
Bibi Rashpal Kaur is the blind exponent of Dance India Dance
Bhai Kuljit Singh (gold medalist) will also join
Langgar will be served thereafter
please forward as well.

enjoying this now :)

Raag Bhairo

want my waja now ;)

RAAG ooh RAAG :D

as you may have noticed i have posted two videos. it all began with gurmukh veerji saying to me yesterday to listen to raag chander kauns. i was so excitek;klkljkhgd i went to check it out and found that video. then i totally stumbled upon bhai nirmal singh, and it was so coicindental as i wanted rain (thanks to the mosquitoes bugging me). and look!well,Gurujee has everything we can ever think of. haha.. so from now on i am going to post videos on raags daily, mainly for myself to learn. so what better way than raag mala? the first would be raag bhairao. here goes!hope its the right one.

well as for me, finals have begun!it really and seriously does not feel like it though. had the first paper today, and i was thinking, i need a raag to calm me down and help concentrate. is it hindol?

then i found another track, bhai parminder, sydney 08 thurs.

ਰਾਮਈਆ ਹਉ ਬਾਰਿਕੁ ਤੇਰਾ ॥

Rām▫ī▫ā ha▫o bārik ṯerā.

O Lord, I am Your child.
ਕਾਹੇ ਨ ਖੰਡਸਿ ਅਵਗਨੁ ਮੇਰਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

Kāhe na kẖandas avgan merā. 1 rahā▫o.

Why not destroy my sins? 1Pause

and im just enjoying now!=)

time to start for the next paper after this.

oh yes, sunder, congrats ;P upsr was like a long time ago haha..

raag malaar very awesome!Barse Megh Ji

raag of the day (thx Gurmukh veerji)RAAG CHANDRA KAUNS-BAHADUR KAUNS

weee ;D

going home tomorrow!!!!=D =D cannot wait. ;) ok, on that positive note, i'm off to the lab now!

lalalalala

phew..its yet another week that's going to fly past, and its action packed!yesterday was molecular spectroscopy test, which Dhan Baba Nanak was pretty okay, then next up there are three presentations, one test and one assignment. oh and one report. then there's labwork and finals are just round the corner.hahah! yesterday after class i decided not to worry and watched a movie. then i listened to Sukhmani Sahib. and then watched mahabharat. yesterday the episode i was watching was interesting, the pandavs started living in the forest and get this, they had jooray!haha..yeaps..so then i decided to go to bed early. today, i am feeling allright and its time to get the work done!take care and God bless =) the picture is of us at the sampling/expedition =D

sikhi 101 crash course

I changed the video to Veer Gurmukh singing Mere lalan ki sobaa in raag kalyan. (will post full shabad later) He's totally awesome in the raag department and I just saw that video so, enjoy people!

since I have quite a bit to write about I decided to break it up into a few posts. the first post was about something I have been wanting to vent about. Now, there are people always asking me about Sikhi and being an Amritdhari, so for now, I'll just post wikipedia's version for general knowledge. please excuse or point out mistakes, its from wiki.sheesh i should have gotten it from sikhiwiki at least ;)

Khālsā (Punjabi: ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ, IPA: [xaːlsaː], literally "Pure") refers to the collective body of all baptized Sikhs. The Khalsa was originally established as a military order of "saint-soldiers" on March 30, 1699, by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru. It was the name given by the Guru to all his disciples baptized in the Amrit Sanchar ceremony.
The symbolic meaning of Khalsa literally translates as "pure" from the Arabic word Khalis meaning "pure." Guru Gobind Singh describes in his book, the Sarbloh Granth the qualities of Khalsa:[1]
The Khalsa is the reflection of my form, The Khalsa is my body and soul, The Khalsa is my very life.... ....Our enemies are vanquished by the steadfastness of Khalsa, Unlike countless others, we are adorned by the Khalsa.
Khalsa Sikhs can be identified with the given Five Ks and given names Singh and Kaur. This happens after being baptised to Sikhism. The tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh at the Baisakhi Amrit Sanchar in 1699 initiated that every Sikh must follow the Five Ks; they are not merely symbols but commitment of faith which collectively form the external visible symbols to identify and clearly and outwardly advertise and display one's commitment.
A Sikh who has been initiated in Khalsa is known as a Khalsa Sikh or Amritdhari, as opposed to Sahajdhari the non-baptized Sikhs who believe in all the tenets of Sikhism and the teaching of the Sikh Gurus. Sahajdhari Sikhs do not don all the Five Ks.
Thus, the Khalsa (Arabic خالصة) ("pure/devoted") word khāliṣa[h] is the recognition of every Sikh that follows the disciple and text from the Granth Sahib.

In 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru of the Sikhs was executed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. In 1699, his son and the tenth Guru, Gobind Singh decided to establish a military order to stage resistance against the Mughals. He sent hukmanamas (letters of authority) to his followers throughout the region, requesting them to congregate at Anandpur on 13 April 1699, the day of Baisakhi (the annual harvest festival).[5]
Guru Gobind Singh addressed the congregation from the entryway of a tent pitched on a hill (now called Kesgarh Sahib). He drew his sword and asked for a volunteer who was willing to sacrifice his head. No one answered his first call, nor the second call, but on the third invitation, a person called Daya Ram (later known as Bhai Daya Singh) came forward and offered his head to the Guru. Guru Gobind Singh took the volunteer inside the tent, and emerged shortly, with blood dripping from his sword. He then demanded another head. One more volunteer came forward, and entered the tent with him. Guru again emerged with blood on his sword. This happened three more times. Then the five volunteers came out of the tent unharmed. These five, who were willing to sacrifice their lives for their Guru, were called Panj Piare ("the five beloved ones").[5] These five volunteers were the first Khalsa Sikhs: Daya Ram (Bhai Daya Singh), Dharam Das (Bhai Dharam Singh), Himmat Rai (Bhai Himmat Singh), Mohkam Chand (Bhai Mohkam Singh), and Sahib Chand (Bhai Sahib Singh).
Guru Gobind Singh then took an iron bowl, and poured some water in it. Sahib Devan (later Mata Sahib Kaur) added some sugar crystals to the water in the bowl, and Guru stirred this mixture with a double-edged sword whilst reciting the Five Banis.
These actions allude to the nature expected of the inductees to the Khalsa: that they must have the will and the strength to fight oppression (symbolized by the sword), but must always remember that their actions are born from protection and not hatred (symbolized by the sweetness of the sugar).
Each of the Panj Piares were given five handfuls of the Amrit to drink, and had amrit sprinkled in their eyes five times. Each time, they repeated the phrase, "Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh" ("The Khalsa belongs to God, the victory belongs to God"). Then they received five sprinkles in their hair and sipped from the bowl of amrit.
Guru Gobind Singh gave them all the middle name "Singh" (meaning "lion"). Similarly, every subsequent male who takes the ceremony are also given the surname "Singh", and every female is given the name "Kaur" (meaning "princess,").
The Panj Piare were thus the first baptised Sikhs, and became the first members of the Khalsa brotherhood, who symbolically regard Guru Gobind Singh as their "father", and Mata Sahib Kaur as their "mother".[5] Khalsa claims Anandpur, where they were created by Guru Gobind Singh, as their home, and celebrate Vaisakhi as their birthday.[5]

The Five Ks, or panj kakaar/kakke, are five articles of faith that baptised Khalsa Sikhs wear at all times at the command of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh who so ordered at the Baisakhi Amrit Sanchar in 1699. The Five Ks are not just symbols but Articles of Faith which collectively form the external identity and the Khalsa devotee's commitment to the Sikh Rehni (Way of Life).

Kesh - uncut hair. Sikhs believe that hair, like everything else, is a gift from God, therefore it remains uncut.
Kanga - a wooden comb. Used for combing the hair and keeping it tidy and in place under the turban.
Kara - an iron bracelet. Serves as a reminder for Sikhs to follow the morals of their faith.
Kachera - a specific style of cotton underwear. Reminds Sikhs of the Guru's message regarding the control of the Five Evils.
Kirpan - a strapped curved sword. Symbolises the safety of all and the carrier's personal duty and responsibility as a Sikh to protect the innocent in the message of peace.
[edit] Kesh
Main article: Kesh
ਜੋ ਪਗ ਨੂੰ ਬਾਸੀ ਰਖੇ ਸੋ ਤਨਖਾਹੀਆ। ਇਸ ਲਈ ਹਰ ਗੁਰੂ ਕੇ ਸਿੱਖ ਲਈ ਲਾਜ਼ਮੀ ਹੈ ਕ ਉਹ ਰੋਜ਼ ਦਸਤਾਰ ਸਜਾਵੇ।One who does not tie a fresh turban is liable for penalty. For this reason it is mandatory for every Sikh of the Guru to tie a turban every day.
– (Rehitnama Bhai Chaupa Singh ji)
The Kesh or unshorn long hair is an indispensable part of the human body. It was created by Waheguru as the mainstay of the 'Jivan Jaach', the Rehni that was prescribed by Guru Gobind Singh Sahib by which a Sikh is clearly and quickly identified. A Sikh never cuts or trims any hair to indicate the perfection of God's creation. The uncut long hair, and the beard in the case of men, form the main kakaar for Sikhs.
A Dastaar is a turban worn to protect the Kesh and guard the Dasam Duaar (the Tenth Gate), a spiritual opening at the top of the head. The turban is a spiritual crown, which is a constant reminder to the Sikh that he or she is sitting on the throne of consciousness and is committed to living according to Sikh principles. Guru Gobind Singh jee told his Sikhs: "Khaalsa mero roop hai kaas. Khaalsa mai ho karo nivaas... The Khalsa is my image. Within the Khalsa I reside." Wearing a turban declares sovereignty, dedication, self-respect, courage and piety.
[edit] Kangha
Main article: Kangha

Kangha - one of the five articles of faith for the Sikhs
ਕੰਘਾ ਦੋਨਉਂ ਵਕਤ ਕਰ, ਪਾਗ ਚੁਨਹਿ ਕਰ ਬਾਂਧਈ ॥Comb the hair twice a day, covering it with turban that is to be tied from fresh.
– Tankhanama Bhai Nand Lal Singh
A Kangha is a small wooden comb that Sikhs use twice a day. It should be worn in the hair, and only the hair, at all times. Combs help to clean hair and remove tangles from it, as well as being a symbol of cleanliness. Combing their hair reminds Sikhs that their lives should be tidy and organized, too. The Sikhs were commanded by Guru Gobind Singh to wear a small comb called a Kangha at all times.
The comb keeps the hair tidy, a symbol of not just accepting what God has given, but also an injunction to maintain it with grace. The Guru said hair should be allowed to grow naturally. For men, this includes not shaving. At the time of Guru Gobind Singh, some holy men let their hair become tangled and dirty. The Guru said that this was not right. Hair should be allowed to grow but it should be kept clean and combed at least twice a day.
[edit] Kara
Main article: Kara

kara, kangha, and kirpan
Kara - one of the five articles of faith for the Sikhs
The Sikhs were commanded by Guru Gobind Singh at the Baisakhi Amrit Sanchar in 1699 to wear a steel bangle called a Kara at all times. The Kara is a constant reminder to always remember that whatever a person does with their hands has to be in keeping with the advice given by the Guru.The Kara is a steal circle to symbolize life as never ending.
[edit] Kachera
Main article: Kachchhera

The Kachera - one of the five articles of faith for the Sikhs
ਸੀਲ ਜਤ ਕੀ ਕਛ ਪਹਿਰਿ ਪਕਿੜਓ ਹਿਥਆਰਾ ॥The sign of true chastity is the Kachera, you must wear this and hold weapons in hand.
– Bhai Gurdas, Var. 41, pauri 15
Originally, the Kachera was made part of the five Ks as a symbol of a Sikh soldier's willingness to be ready at a moment's notice for battle or for defense. The confirmed Sikh (one who has taken the Amrit) wears a kachera every day. Some go to the extent of wearing a kachera while bathing, to be ready to at a moment's notice, changing into the new one leg at a time, so as to have no moment where they are unprepared. Further, this garment allowed the Sikh soldier to operate in combat freely and without any hindrance or restriction, because it was easy to fabricate, maintain, wash and carry compared to other traditional under-garments of that era, like the dhoti. The Kachera symbolises self-respect, and always reminds the wearer of mental control over lust, one of the Five Evils in Sikh philosophy.
Kachera follow a generally practical and roomy design. It features an embedded string that circles the waist which can be tightened/loosened as desired, and then knotted securely. The Kachera can be classed between underwear and an outer garment, as in appearance it does not reveal private anatomy, and looks and wears like shorts. As with all of the Five Ks, there is equality between men and women, and so women are also expected to wear it too. Considering the hot climate in India, the Kachera is often worn by men as an outer garment, keeping the wearer cool and being practical in manual work such as farming, however it is generally not considered respectful for women to wear the Kachera as an outer garment (on its own) as it is considered too revealing.
[edit] Kirpan
Main article: Kirpan

Typical Kirpan worn by modern Sikhs
ਸ਼ਸਤਰ ਹੀਨ ਕਬਹੂ ਨਹਿ ਹੋਈ, ਰਿਹਤਵੰਤ ਖਾਲਸਾ ਸੋਈ ॥Those who never depart his/her arms, they are the Khalsa with excellent rehats.
– Rehatnama Bhai Desa Singh
The Kirpan is a short dagger which symbolizes a Sikh's duty to come to the defence of those in peril. All baptised Sikhs should wear a short form of Kirpan (approx. 6" to 9" long) on their body at all times as a defensive side-arm, just as a police officer is expected to wear a public-defensive weapon when on duty. Its use is only allowed in the act of self-defense and the protection of others. It stands for bravery and protecting the weak and innocent.
Originally, the kirpan was kept sharp and was actually used to defend others, such as those who were being forcibly converted by Mughal rulers, women who were raped in the streets, or a person who was being robbed or beaten. The true Sikh cannot turn a blind eye to such evils, thinking that they are "someone else's concern." So today, it is the duty of the true Sikh to help those who suffer unjustly, by whatever means available, whether that means alerting the police, summoning help, or literally defending those who cannot defend themselves, even if that means putting yourself in harm's way.

lab.work.

allrite.i've just put a different video on my video tab. its a lovely track from Asa di Vaar, and the shabad is written by Dhan Guru Nanak Dev Ji about women.

anyway, the reason I'm actually typing away here is that I couldnt carry out the planned labwork today =( its one of those parameters I was dreading to do, and after getting up early and heading to lab, I started with the little things to do; soaking the sampling bottles, getting the reagent ready and weighing crucibles etc. Then it is sad to determine that in order to get accurate readings the scales at the other (closed) lab should be used and my new samples are frozen so I head back. on the big scale it is actually nothing to write about but at the moment the whole day of a weekend seems to have been wasted due to not doing labwork. but in reality, it may be Gurujee's way of making me come back and study for the quiz tomorrow and test on Monday. Also there are other pieces of work waiting patiently for me to attend to them.so I guess I should put a smile =) on my face, suck it up and move ahead (to the meeting at 4.30).

In only 5 days from now, we will be going for the next sampling. The gap between the previous and next sampling is pretty tight, nevertheless, the next one is estimated to be pretty interesting.

when my sv said, the sampling is an expedition, and will last 3 days, we were ecstatic. Then when he said 4 days, k yen got worried as we have a full day sunday. now it has been confirmed that we only need to go for two days each, and return after the sampling. we are pretty looking forward to it, Guru Rakha to ensure all goes well and smoothly. this week I will have to work hard to finish off whatever is possible, be it project or other subjects. allrite, enough of my ramblings for now, take care and love as always =)

the busiest ppl ever =)

it always seems in my posts that im going on and on about being busy, doing this and that and generally sounding swamped. but i think its pretty true though!haha..this past week has been another eventful one, with the entrepreneurship expo held for us to showcase (um..our skills??) and perform sales. although tiring - 8 am to 10pm, it was a fun filled time for us, and writing about that will require another post =)

so anyway as you might have noticed, our work always (always) comes in bulk (bulky groups, chappard padh ke) hahaha and today was another one of those. after the expo ended on sunday, we had the following today : 1. quiz- 2 chapters- a lot of memorizing and words involved 2. presentation - water softening hahaha where it was quite allright for me as I didnt have to prepare slides 3. handing in prof yati's assignment on IPM - pest management.

so, Dhan Baba Nanak, what happens today is, in the morning xinnie and I are all geared up and go to the lab to try out our little experiment when the news comes ~ we present the next week! weehoo, although the efforts of getting seawater late in the evening was all futile after all then? hmm not really, we managed to prove it anyhow. (more on that later)

then after class its edit and finish off IPM time and after lunch, another piece of good news comes abuzzing on my phone ~ quiz postponed to sunday. oh the joy. but no rest for the evil, a meeting at 9pm and then tomorrow its heavy dating time with the lab =D Rehraas time now, more later. love!

some of the sampling pics =D

alahai muka cute-nyer..hahah

the rest of our sampling pictures (the other half is on FB)

enjoy, Goodnight folks!

Dr Marinah's 21st =D

pada suatu hari, seorang budak bernama Ash mencadangkan kepada Hamka, jom lah kita celebrate bezday dr (since they didnt know abt it). Semua orang berasa hyper dan agak ter-excited dan bersuka ria. hahahaha.. Gana telah direkrut sebagai mangsa kejadian untuk membeli kek dan mesej dihantar dengan segera kepada budak2 lain. inilah plan segera yang di-initiate-kan jam 2 lepas kelas polisi dan di-elongate-kan malam itu. further elongation dilakukan pagi seterusnya (yana beli card,serviette sape beli entah hahah dan lighter diketemui). then director yang drama queen cakap pada Hamka, msg her la buat appointment nak jumpa. lepas dapat reply baru lega (kang tiba2 ada kat kL??hahah) then, director kate, fyp students pi la masuk dulu.. buat2 tanya soklan (mummy shila's word).. so depa pun did some pura2 apa entah, then kitorang light the candle sume dah, masuk bilik..

masa tuh dr nih tengah hadap pc..kekeke then masuk tu she say wah ramainya, kejap.

sambil tu aku fikir, oh, tak nampak ke nih cake i pegang??hahah i guess i was hidden behind the line of defense (the boys) - switched to english- faster i suppose. hahaha! so, she turns and we sing while i bring the cake to the table..she seems pleased (no dramatic reactions like me all, just a smile) and reacts very cool and calmly by blowing out the candles, cutting the cake and everything.

the funny thing was, she totally cut the cake and served us!!ahahaahah..i know rite she is just too much of a moommmy. well there can never be too much if a good thing and i guess her mom (and lec) radar just knew we would probly make a mess if we did it. so, anyway, cake passed around, some feeding session by me where i totally urm, let a small piece slip onto her scarf (oopsie, sorry love!!) and she claims im messier/worse than her lil girls. hahah well. then there was some speech giving, talking session, and salam/hugging ( i knw, still time for graduation) =P and off she was to class, me, lab awaited and the others dispersed as well. all in all, I have just found one of my handmade cards that now I remember we could have just given to her (aww shucks) instead of the store bought one. it is very late, im drained. goodnite folks, God bless.love lots =)

p.s p.s : the juniors thought the day before class was cancelled because it was her bday!hahahahah

nope, not a physician - she just treats our brains =D

happy bday =D

happy birthday dr marinah!!facebook was just way too slow so here the picture is. God bless!

palwin ohh palwin

after palwin commented on the post i realized my thank u to her lacked what it had on FB and so here it is:

she was so awesomely helpful, being the mighties phenji for our kids session. palwin was the one who would run down to get the supplies; more pencils, paper, scissors, magic markers, u name it. she was the one I would turn to for something during the lectures - yes, when the kids made their mala bracelets, she was the one helping them tie them, and I asked her to help me too =P

since my hands were oily. (but in the end i did some thanks to my talons ;D ) well palwin, for all that and more (just being a sweetie) thnks babe. ur a darling. (but u gotta talk more la bebeh!) hehehe..muaxx.tc n God bless =D

back to work!

and so the rest of my short break contnued (only ten days).
there was a ggood program, sukhmani sahib jaap but we only managed to go for a couple of hours (and heard some kirtan) as I would be returning to uni that day.
during the holidays we went to watch we are family (remae of stepmom) and it was good. it was really sad when kajol died haha.
then it was time to come back. felt like it was so fast, but hey, that means this torturous sem is coming to an end soon (ten weeks to go)
so reached on sunday morning. prepared everything for sampling as well as had discussions for TWO presentations on tue (also one test)
did not study much for the test.
monday:sampling day. spent all day on the lake and it was awesome!!we had an adventure, with taking the samples, almost losing the van Dorn sampler(it got caught in the bottom part which was methinks having trees etc). but we didnt give up and with some navigation by the boatman it got loose and we took it out.next we saw an amazing waterfall, at the end of one side of the lake. the boatman then stopped there (tourist spot) and we hung around for a bit. He gave us a scare by going up into the foresty looking area to get to the toilet. kar yen scolded me for talking about ghosts etc in the jungle area and our supervisor with the netloft staff guy called out for him and everything. (very dramatic) he soon appeared. meanwhile my camera suddenly was not showing the pictures we had taken earlier (more scolding from them - they said it was too coincidental at that point) .
so we continued on and went pretty close to the sultan mahmud (kenyir) dam. it was very beautiful there (boatman said at nite its really pretty)
at one point i laughed hard as one of my sample bottle's cap went overboard. but the quick thinking of mr.boatman (en.manaf) and the oar: rescued bottlecap.
the sampling was a good experience with the surface water (pail), van Dorn ( bottom) and YSI for every 2m parameters. it was pretty heavy pulling the water filled vandorn out though, kudos to karyen and xinhui for doing most of it (with the abang netloft) as my arm was already hurting. I did try it out though.
then after the last station we took pictures and relaxed on the hull- spacious and made it easier - we could walk there to take the samples, keep the ice box etc.
also, it was packing time. we had a good laugh with the cable for the YSI, wrapping it around my pail haha!
it was going to rain and got really windy. the water was really ripply too!but thank God we got to the shore safe and it didnt rain heavily on us. once we were at the shore it really rained cats and dogs..
got back at about 6 and had to stay at the lab till 8 to keep my BOD samples. tiredd!
settled the presentation (only one, thank God-the other was postponed) and fell asleep. studying to be done!!the test was today.
so this morning ran through the notes and went for presentation at 1 pm. test 3 pm. class 4 pm. phewwww..
now 2 more tests and a gazillion things to do. God bless us =)
take care all and happy bday to Manu Ka, Chenniye and karan/asees' mum..hahah =P

Sentul mini samelan

i have a lot to write as its been a while and there is quite a bit to catch up on =)

so lets start with sampling being postponed and i am (pretty) overjoyed as i can go for the samelan..

i reached home to a pleasant surprise by ballween and deybu (he came back!) =)

and after two days of chilling at home, per n i packed our bags n mom dropped us off at sentul gurdwara.

i actually did not have any expectations for this one, come to think of it. all i knew was, it would probably be fun as the boys (sanggat, ajit etc) were giving lots of excited comments and updates.

day 1 : so we got there, and started meeting everyone (haha well I did since ppl were like: ur back!! and the likes)

it felt so good to tek matha and walk about in GURDWARA!!

then I helped out with the remaining registration (impromptu secretariat) and got myself a name tag.

sheetal, meanwhile had already asked me to help her out with the kiddies lectures (meaning I would talk) as it turns out, she said go ahead and talk, she would assist me. hahahaha..I know, storyteller rite.

day one was KIRT KARNI which means working with your won two hands or laboring.

so I told the kids the sakhee of Guru Nanak with Bhai Lalo and Malik Bhago. besides that we had to discuss with smaller groups on is kirt karni important, how to apply it and us as kids;applying it.

after that I talked to Ajit seeing that I felt I was still pretty free. haha.. and I asked for darbar sewa. okiedokie, he said go ahead. then spoke to Ajeetpal veerji (the usual in darbar) and he was of course very encouraging.

The first IPS was done by Raja. Father spoke on wealth for the other world (as we cant bring material wealth- Guru Nanak's story of the needle)

That night the IPS was done by Kemey Veerji. it was also alright. (oh wait was it him who told the needle sakhee now?) hmmmm..

then we hung out and laughed badly. (Menin and I)

then we like heroes went for heart to heart (the elder girls) conducted by Manpreet Pannu's mum. As the kids were a little quiet we started things off and lightened the mood with jokes and laughs. then the kids seemed a bit ready to talk. (not really but they wrote it down anyway)

Jiwan's mum had told us to get to bed early and we were tired so we did but I couldnt sleep!all night long..haizzzz...

First we were laughing alot. which was not helped by menin saying funny(and puthi sidhi) punjabi phrases. it was also freezing since the dorms had like 50 airconds on (in reality there were 2) and then enters Amit. now, she's supposed to be the 'checker' i suppose, but at one point she shines the torchlight on Menin's chaddar (blanket) which was Sabha/Gurdwara property and exclaimes

: aa ki ah? bling bling. viaah di chaddar

and that set me off la. we laugheddddd!!

because it was blingy..

then there was a group of girls that muz have had red bull in their cha coz they talked all night and yet , the next day I saw them looking fresh as daisies!

Day 2: wake up (when did I sleep) and after Menin goes for her shower fall asleep.

she comes back and scolds me to go shower. tell myself to hurry as Deybu is doing simran.

go for about half the simran session. The Japji Sahib for all kids would start at 7 so I filled up time before that and got the appropriate kids to see me for Ardass etc.

After morning Darbar (Japji, Ardass,Hukamnama) it was breakfast then nishan sahib selami and exercises.

the bhangra-robics and malaysian workout was led by Ajit,manjeet and Sanggat and Aukhvinder gave the Dhol music. The kids enjoyed it! and we did it along amidst much laughter.

then the kids had sewalogy. I did Darbar Sahib station (thanks to Nirmal who joined me) for the younger kids while Father was with the elder kids.

This time actually unknowingly I had spent time with the kids (eventhough I dont consider myself to be a Mighties phenji). But I have to say it was very entertaining and refreshing with them (and I think they had fun too;D)

So it was great to ask the kids about Darbar Sahib as very often we see children running about, playing and dressing shabbily etc to the court of the Guru. they responded very well, even the littlest ones were alright (I wanted to laugh at the things they did and said!)

me: why do we do kirtan /simran?

one little tiny cutie (girl) :so that it will cleanse our soul

me:look at Nirmal who's looking at me..

then Deybu did the IPS.

the theme for the day was Vand Shakne.

so for my story and lectures it was Guru Nanak's Sacha Sauda and also other sakhees.

the kids had Khalsa Challenge and Miri Piri had their Explorace / Amazing Race.

Sometime on Friday Jiwan had come (and contrary to what she says I never forced her mom to bring her! =P)

she went home and came back on Sat.

Pinday and Gurleen also came on Sat as well as Balween (oh no no she came on Fri)

Pinday asks me to help her in the station (DRama Minggu INi) like I know. its verry me. hahaha.

so Menin agrees to join me and we quickly plan on what to do.

the kids I think enjoyed it hahahah; especially kids would come to me saying phenji u so naughty just now (during the short skit). We did naughty kids and incorporated the 3 pillars of Sikhi.

That night was the Campfire. the Kg Pandan Gatka team did a short demonstration (my hairs stood on end at some points:it was really josh filled) and the atmosphere was one of much josh and chardikala.

there was Uncle Chamkaur doing his funny rendition of the Hindi song man dole mere tan dole in hindi, tamil, malay, chinese, english and raag versions. there ws also a four year old playing the dhol. the guys : Sanggat, Raf, Amritpal,etc showed some drums

and played some stuff (also the vuvuzela)

after the campfire we dispersed to talk and chill out together. that night I slept happily and everyone woke up (kinda late) the next morning.

Day 3: Naam Japna.

Sentul Jatha was doing Asa di Vaar and so the kids did their japji at almost 8 a.m. after he usual it was time for lectures. Spoke on Prahlaad Ji and the kids were totally into it, telling me the next part that comes and so on. then they made thier own mala bracelets with the beads given to them.

after that we had a small feel good package and hugging session with the kids. since we let them off early to go for langgar we joined in with the big kids. I think they were havin a bit of a recap session and so we managed to piece together what the elder kids had been doing.

For their challenge they had some Sikhi inspired games and they got to apply how the people (Singhs, MAta Gujree jee and Sahibzadas) had felt a little.

one game was where they had to keep their arms in icy icy cold water. there would be much 'encouragement' to wiggle their fingers, shake their arms etc but they held their ground and stayed still (to not feel so frozen)

besides that they had a lunch box of ginger, yucky juice etc which they must finish (sharing)

also, a caterpillar formation where they moved on the floor. I heard their hands and knees hurt and such, so the moral was to understand the pain of the SIkhs back then.

we stayed back to see what else we could do, as Gurleen phenji had to leave early.

the IPS was by the sentul Jatha.

there was no fear since Deybu was there! =P

and so after gotong royong, packing up, closing ceremony we had our cha and chit chat and went home.

the winning Jatha was jatha 4.

we got home at 5 i thnk and I talked to mum, ate etc. fell asleep at 10 pm.

so the samelan was in conclusion awesome. I got to learn A LOTTTT and feel glad that I went for it.

also would like to thank the following people for making it so eenjoyable :

Menin

Deybu (s.p - only certain ppl know this code =P)

Ballu

Jiwan

Sheetalee

Palwin

Pinday

Gurleen

Ajit

Manjeet

Per

nisha

deshy

dheeraj

himmat

that's all for this post, pictures coming soon (+ videos)

SUKHMANI SAHIB JAAP

just a quick post, the sentul mini samelan was a great way for me to spend the raya (eid) weekend. will be reporting soon on that. for now, being at home is an absolute joy!=D and am trying to absorb as much as possible. another program coming up is the

SUKHMANI SAHIB JAAP

18th SEPTEMBER

GURDWARA SAHIB PARLIAMENT

9.00am - 6.00pm - Sukhmani Sahib Jaap

6.30pm - 7.00pm - Rehraas Sahib

7.00pm - 10.00pm - Kirtan Darbar

so for those of us still free or wondering how to fill your saturday, get yourselves there! for further info pls dont hesitate to give veer ajit a buzz at

014 6299 639 Ajit Singh

alritey time for me to go watch a movie or something!videos and pics coming soon =)

Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia

TODAY Bibi Baljit Kaur Khalsa LAST KIRTAN TOUR KL:

1st Sept (Wed) - Gurdwara Sahib Kg Pandan Settlement: 7.30pm - 8.30pm

sikhi movies

i was saying how i am longing to go home.

that would mean physically leaving behind the workload and a stress free (i hope) time.

amongst the planned to do stuff i have thought of (dreaming of good times to come), i have now a new plan.

to find all the movies on sikhi that i've wanted to watch but missed, and watch them. there are some really good movies out there, by ish amitoj kaur and the likes, which have inspired me, but somehow i did not get my hands on. so, this holiday would be a good time to search for these. i've always liked watching movies like sat sri akal ucha dar babe nanak da, dukh bhanjan tera naam and so on, but like the article on sikhnet says, punjabi movies for me are basically those of the sikhi nature. once in a while,yes, I'll watch something, but on the whole like many other NRI punjabi sikh, its hollywood and bollywood.

so, kambi kalaai, ocean of pearls etc, here I come =)

realized the actor of chevaa dariya (sixth river) is the sat sri akal guy (a good looking guy too ;D )
Guru rakha and love!

kirtan

For those of you in the Klang Valley:

Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia
TODAY

Bibi Baljit Kaur Khalsa Kirtan Tour:
31st Aug (Tues) - Gurdwara Sahib Titiwangsa

8.00pm - 9.00pm

mini samelan sentul (raya)

Drop by and participate in one of the most happening camp during the holidays...══════════MINI SAMELAN SENTUL══════════“ SAACHA DHAN GURMATEE PAAY. KAACHAA DHAN FUN AAVAI JAAY ”True Wealth is obtained through the Guru's Teaching. False Wealth continues coming and going.▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀VENUE : GURDWARA SAHIB SENTUL, KLDATE: 10TH, 11TH & 12TH SEPTEMBER 2010 (FRI - SUN, HARI RAYA HOLIDAYS)REGISTRATION STARTS AT 8.00AM ON THE 10TH SEPTEMBERFREE OF CHARGEFROM AGES 5 TO 23▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀SIMRAN FUN & GAMES DISCUSSIONS AMAZING RACE GROUP DYNAMICS INSPIRATIONAL SESSIONS TALKS ON SIKH GURU'S & THEIR TEACHINGS ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀★★★★★ GURMAT PARCHAAR ★★★★★Sharing the message of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is one of thegreatest importance & central core of the Samelan.★★★★★ MIGHTY KHALSA PROGRAMME ★★★★★A children's Programme where the children learn about Sikhism and the Sikh way of life with some fun.★★★★★ YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ★★★★★Where youths accquire the cognitive, social and emotional skills & abilities required to navigate life.▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀Contact :Manjeet Singh - 016 390 7077, Ajit Singh - 014 6299 639Organised by : Gurdwara Sahib Sentul, Sentul Naujawans with Support from Sikh Naujwan Sabha MalaysiaSee More

someone shared this from sikhnet =)

Becoming a Princess
August 20, 2010 by Harminder Kaur
It is easy to tell people that our last name means princess, but actually living as that is very hard to do. All my life, I have explained to people what Kaur means, but I think I never really understood it myself. Does a girl become a princess by perfectly styled hair, jewelry; make up, a gorgeous dress and an attitude to match? Or does a girl become a princess by her very presence and her words and actions?What is more important look, actions or both?I spent 20 years of my life chasing after the beauty queen look so I could be a princess just like my name. Fortunately (well, at the time unfortunately) for me my parents were against make up, cutting hair, revealing clothes and just about everything that I believed would make me glamorous. Yes, my parents were against it, but that didn’t stop me from trying. After all, I wanted to live up to my name. For 20 years I tried to do whatever was possible in order to look like a princess. But I never achieved anything more than becoming my daddy’s little princess, just like every other girl.Then one day I met a true Kaur who showed me what being a princess is really all about.She stood there, tall and proud, shining out in a crowded room and no one else could even compare to her. She was one of the three turbaned women in the room that day, but she was nothing like the others. She had on the simplest white bana, turban (with no ornaments) and an easy smile.I knew immediately that I wanted to be like her and approached her to ask her secret; how did she become a real princess? I asked question after question and she just smiled, laughed and answered each question. I quickly learned she had discovered Sikhi less than a year before and immersed herself so deeply into it that she wore her bana and turban at all times. I had been a Sikh for 20 years and had never worn the bana or a turban. She was going to take amrit after having been a Sikh for less than a year. I had been a Sikh for 20 years, considered taking Amrit but had never been so passionate about it, not like her. Talking to her that day, made me realize she was the true daughter of Guru Gobind Singh Ji and I was just an imposter. I wanted to be a princess, a true daughter of Guru Gobind Singh Ji and I knew I couldn’t do it alone.I asked this princess to give me a crown, a turban of my own. The next week she showed up to Gurudwara Sahib with enough turban material to tie turbans on the whole Punjabi class. That day, only two students had the desire to receive the beautiful gift she brought; luckily I was one of them. After that she came just one more week and helped me tie my turban. In those two weeks the sangat got used to seeing me in a turban and I got scared of going without it to the Gurudwara because I thought that people might think I was wearing it just to impress my new friend. So every Sunday for about a month or two I would tie a turban and if it didn’t work out nice, I would just cover it with my chuni. After Gurudwara Sahib I would head to work in my bana and talk to my customers about Sikhi and the turban.I became the Sunday Sikh.The Sangat didn’t mind, but my customers quickly caught up and questioned my Sunday Sikh appearance and attitude. I Realized I was still an imposter, and still not a princess. So, I started wearing the turban a couple of times a week. I figured it’s hard to wear a turban because it comes with great responsibility. Every time I tie it, I have to always smile, be kind, live up to Sikhi and represent the image of my Guru and pretty much really be the perfect princess. It is not easy work being a princess and I just wasn’t ready for it. It is easy to look like a princess but hard to become a true princess. It requires, grace, strength and real commitment. As I struggled to wear my turban every day and act like a true princess, the good Sikh Sangat in my life began pestering me about reading my nitnem. Slowly but surely with help of the good Sangat in my life I incorporated nitnem in my life and with the encouragement from the customers at work, I incorporated the turban as my daily wear.I took a big step towards becoming a princess by doing that.The Nitnem brought about a change within me and the bana supported that change on the outside. Without even realizing it, when I least expected it, I became a real princess.I am not a full-fledged princess of Guru Gobind Singh Ji yet because I have not received the blessings of Amrit to officially proclaim me a princess. But I am a princess in training who is almost ready to be blessed. Today a random stranger came up to me and said I looked like a princess because of the beautiful turban on my head. Here is random stranger who has no clue who Sikhs are or what the turban means but who was struck by the radiance of my bana and understood that I was a princess.I am sorry Guru Ji that I came so late to you and wasted 20 years of the precious life you gave me by trying to be a false princess. But I know that everything happens for a reason, that You are teaching me every day, and that it all unfolds according to His hukam. Guru Ji, please bless me with Amrit soon and allow me to remain your true princess for life.