Pico Iyer writes at ‘New York Review of Books’ on Dalai Lama’s changing views about Chinese rule in Tibet, his wish to move aside and let new blood take over. The long and insightful article is a mix of Dalai Lama’s views and opinions along with Iyer’s observations based on his many travels with the head lama.
“…My trust in the Chinese leadership is this thin now” (he held his fingers a tenth of a centimeter apart). “I really don’t know what I can do.” In the meantime, as he often freely acknowledged in Japan, his “Middle Way” policy—of not seeking full independence from China for Tibet, but only a “genuine and meaningful autonomy,” whereby China could control Tibet’s defense policy and foreign affairs, while Tibetans might enjoy the freedom to take care of their culture, their religion, and their special environment—was coming under more and more criticism. So, he said, he would step aside and allow others to come up with a “new, wiser, realistic” approach.
Read A Hell on Earth by Pico Iyer on New York Review of Books.
If you are in Bangalore, this is an event not to miss
Gopal has been taking pictures of Bangalore’s streets, discovering many interesting things that the common Bangalorean has never seen or heard of.
30 photographs from the Bangalore Street Photoblog – Which Main? What Cross? will be on display on The Art Wall at F & B Restaurant.
Start Time: Monday, May 4, 2009 at 4:00pm
End Time: Sunday, May 31, 2009 at 10:00pm
Location: F & B Restaurant
Papanna Lane, St Marks Road
Bangalore, India
Phone: 08040333888
Came across this interesting story of someone quitting desk job in search of greener pastures. It is no longer a unique story in the days of broadband, but written very well, forcing me pause and read through the story. The article is full of witty remarks that are making it hard for me to choose the best few for the excerpt here.
…As an experiment, I decided to count the number of smiles I received around the office and cafeteria for one day. Other than one nearly mad and shaking engineer that was watching the coffee machine fill his massive one liter mug for the third time, the only smiling faces I saw on this beautiful June afternoon were the ones walking at a quickstep toward the door at closing time. Things were quickly beginning to make sense.
…In December, I gave myself the ultimate Christmas gift: I bought a one way ticket to Bangkok and turned in my letter of resignation.
Read Greg Rodgers on Vagabondish – Begin With a Single Step: Escape from Cubicle Hell
Although I personally do not believe that the cubicles are just a morphing of hell, I too have gone through my moments of lows. Those were the days at work when slow drizzle kissed the earth, enriched by a gentle breeze as the clouds covered the harsh summer sun. Those were the times when the morning fog descended on the earth inviting me to walk into it and explore the mystery behind its veil. It was one of those seasons when I too, after a week of brisk contemplation, said goodbye to my 9-6 work.