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Reviews by JD Piche, RCRs Producer and Pop Culture expert, follow him on Twitter at @misadventurer
In the era of Too Much TV, Hollywood's Biggest Night has shifted from The Academy Awards to The Emmy Awards. With over 1500 television shows submitting themselves for awards recognition, the Emmys spread over 3 days to accommodate the multitude of awards, the week between the Creative Arts and Primetime Emmys is one of the most celebratory in Hollywood, with primping and pampering and gifting suites! This was also a big season for gifting for a few reasons, Celebrity Connected, the reigning Best Gifting Suite not participating left the title up for grabs, and Red Carpet Report's first time back to the Old top suite, GBK Productions in years, but have they lost their luster? With a Strong showing from Secret Room Events and Debbie Durkin's Eco Luxe garden party there's some competition for who had the Best Gifting Suite of the TV Awards Season.
Starting with GBK Productions, previously a two day affair, GBK would operate the Friday and Saturday before a major Awards show, down to just Friday now. The email stating press was to park offsite, versus their standard of comping valet, as well as the same email directing attendees to the wrong room at the iconic Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Two Strikes off the bat, with 25 Vendors spread into two rooms on the Mezzanine level with WEN Haircare as the title sponsor and the largest booth, in the center back of the main room, GBK attendees were welcomed by a DJ, and front loading the big ticket vendors like Biotoc Skincare from Korea, Paccioni watches and a week at FitFarm (Only for Nominees). Austere wood frame Sunglasses and Bowties. Several Skincare and Make Up lines as well, drink ware from Simple Modern, premixed cocktails from Vitani, Candles designed to help pets with anxiety from Athenaroma, a new kind of resistance workout from Booty Sprout, placed next to a bamboo toilet paper vendor, Khi. One of the friendliest booths was Just Food For Dogs, human grade dog food, was one of the only LA Local booths. To utilize the gift from FitFam, GBK attendees would need to travel an hour outside Nashville, take a trip to Turks and Ciacos for the Sailrock vacation, Orange County for the menswear vendor or a trip to San Jose to make use of the $250 store credit from Harborside Dispensary. There wasn't much, from GBK's 25 Vendors someone could actually use. Lots of Niche vendors. We left pretty empty handed, and disheartened at how far GBK, once the gold standard of Gifting Suites has fallen so far.
Debbie Durkin's Eco Lux Lounge, at the Garden lawn at the Beverly Hilton felt like stepping into Midsommar with white frocked, flower children with floral laurels in their hair guiding guests around, the restrained 10 vendors. The only suite with a lunch buffet and seating, Debbie's working with tastemaker, Shae Savin added some InstaGlam to the lounge, with a set of feather and flower wings for guests to snap a soulful pic with, while enjoying the September sun. With JillJoanne.com's bags, learning Meal Prep with Flawless Cuisine from Chef Lauren Lawless, some cold therapy from Upgrade Labs, The Elephant Cooperation's #TrunksUp campaign, The Spa Dr, Etana Beauty (who also had a table at GBK), CBD Drink Mixers from Everyday Natural Products, supplements from SoCal Hemp Company, bamboo bedding from Ettitude, and unfortunately due to a shipping mishap, Hope CBD's products weren't delivered until midway through the festivities, but well worth investigating if you're exploring CBD. They're an independent grower, Veteran and Family owned. Hope-CBD.com
Here are links to the products listed above
ettitude.com
etanabeauty.com
thespadr.com
upgradelabs.com
Hope-CBD.com
flawlesscuisine.com
enpstore.com
socalhempco.com
That leaves us with The Secret Room, curated by Amy Boatwright, at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City. With 15+ Vendors featuring Neva Nude body art, one of a kind pieces from Desert Daisy Jewelry, Inika Organic Makeup, luxurious lace from Dentelle de Calais-Caudry, and The Original fashion compression sleeves from Sleevey Wonders. Ooh La Lemon handed out dog collars with matching leashes and bowties in very cute themed boxes with a sample of Gangsta Dog gourmet dog biscuits (my puppies couldn't get enough of them). Secret Room also teamed with NoKillLA's Best Friends shelter, and ChildLife Liquid Vitamins and 1More headphones. The HIGH-light of the suite was From The Earth Dispensary setting up a counter sampling and explaining products from Kushy Punch (edibles), Papa and Barkley (topicals) & Kurvana (smokable) as recreational cannabis has become less stigmatized, they were the belle of the ball, and helped crown Secret Room, the Best Gift Suite this Emmys Season.
Check out these amazing products from the Secret Room event below
NKLA.org
RafiaJewelry.com
DesertDaisyJewelry.com
FTEusa.com
InikaOrganic.com
oohlalemonstore.com
PrimoWater.com
SleeveyWonders.com
childlifenutrition.com
usa.1more.com
Cabot, Arkansas
Cabot Martial Arts and Karate
Karate for Kids Testimonial and Review
When my eight-year-old son first asked me if I would let him take Karate for Kids, I was a little worried. Karate seems so dangerous and I was concerned that my boy would end up injured. After talking with my husband, we agreed to give the program a chance and now we are so glad that we did.
First of all, I would like to state that Master Babin is wonderful with the children. While I was apprehensive that the Karate class would be all about fighting, I was relieved to learn that the focus was more on self-defense and moral values. Now my son is healthier than ever, doing an activity that he truly loves.
I would encourage every parent out there looking for a fun exercise-based activity for his or her child to participate in their Karate for Kids program a chance. My son is constantly talking about what he learned in his past karate lessons and practicing his blocks and punches in the living room. He is even playing his video games less.
After my initial reservations, I now cannot imagine my son participating in any other karate program. Consider this my highest recommendation.
David S
Reviews on Karate for Kids
When my son started karate instruction with Karate for Kids, he was timid, had few friends and had trouble paying attention in school. I didn't agree with the doctor who tried to tell me he had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and that I should put him on medication to control it. To me, my son just needed some loving guidance, not to be medicated.
That is when I asked my good friend about her children's experiences with the local martial arts Instructor. Like my son, her children did not have a father figure in their lives and suffered greatly as the result. When they were approaching their teenage years, she decided to enroll them in karate at Karate For Kids Within a matter of weeks, I saw her pre-teen son and daughter become more confident, focused and goal-oriented and knew I wanted the same for my child.
After his very first lesson, my son, then aged nine, was already a changed child. He overflowed with enthusiasm as he explained how the karate for kids program pushed him to reach goals, but was "really nice" about it. To this mom, that means that my son finally got the caring, personal instruction that he deserves.
Thank you for such a fantastic Karate For Kids Program
Samantha W
Testimonial and Review on Martial Arts For Men
I am a forty-eight year old man and, until about four months ago, I had really let myself go. Between work-related stress and the other pressures of my day-to-day existence, I made little time for exercise and gave almost no thought to a healthy diet. In short, I was a mess.
One day, a colleague at my office took me aside and recommended that I sign up for the martial arts program offered locally. He had recently signed up for a class and loved it. After some convincing, I agreed to accompany him to his next class.
Fast-forward to today and I now love my martial arts training. Martial Arts for men workouts feels less like training and more like fun. I have been losing weight and now have a new energy when facing the daily grind. I have gone from one class a week to two, and am thinking of adding a third.
If you are looking for a fun way to get in shape, I would advise you to come on down our Martial Arts for Men Academy. You will not regret it.
Getting younger…
Lisa F
Testimonial and Review on Martial Arts For Women
I never would have thought that taking up martial arts, would change me so much as a person and in so many ways. I still use every occasion to thank my friends, for recommending me the Martial Art courses for women taught by a martial arts school that teaches quality skill sets for women
I used to be a very shy person, and had become quite fearful after having my purse stolen one evening. Now, that is no longer the case. Since participating in the martial arts courses, I have felt more empowered than ever. I enjoyed the friendly and encouraging atmosphere right from the start, and did not feel ashamed of my initial clumsiness.
Now, I can actually impress my friends with some of the moves I learned. Also, I am fully aware that martial arts represent a life style just as much as anything else. My Instructor simply amazed all of us throughout the entire program, with his dedication and willingness to teach us. In fact, we could hardly wait for the next session.
I truly recommend anyone to make the same change I made in my life. Looking back, I really cannot see my weekly schedule without my martial arts training sessions.
C McCrae
Martial Arts For Women in Cabot, Arkansas
Taking a martial arts class was not something I had given much consideration prior to turning 30. Wanting to preserve my strength and flexibility for years to come finally enticed me to take the plunge. The immediate results were stunning and I found myself feeling more energetic and confident in just a few sessions.
Not only are his martial arts skills top-notch, but I find his enthusiasm and enjoyment of the sport to be infectious. Considering that this entire venture was foreign to me, I felt right at home during my very first class. In addition to training in martial arts my instructor has a great deal of patience and warmth, the other karate students in the session were just as receptive to me. They really know how to make new members feel welcome.
Learning the forms and methods involved in martial arts is a great experience, but what makes these classes truly exceptional is that we learn how to incorporate the philosophy and principals behind this art form into our everyday lives. I look forward to my sessions with my instructor, and find his classes to be a great way to invest in myself, while having some fun at the same time. It is more than just kicking and punching it’s a well rounded martial arts program.
With Great Thanks,
Jackie W
This is a boxer that came in this morning. He's a powerful boy, all sinewy and muscled up. Unfortunately, he has a terrible underbite, which has resulted in him losing his front lower teeth. He was a sweet boy, though, well-behaved, and only showed his boxer-ness while I was brushing him out, with his butt wiggling (his tail was just a stump) 90-outta-nothin the whole time.
The first time I met Johnathan Vance (1978) I lost to him 0-2 in a point karate tournament.
In 1978 he won the All-Hawaii State Karate Championships in both Kumite and Kata. In the years 1975-1980 Vance comprised a Full Contact record of 29-0 with 22 by knockout. I've seen him konk guys at Bloch Arena, Conroy Bowl, Blaisdell Center, and too many school gymnasiums to count.
In 1980, we were both part of the original crew of American Hawaii Cruises new inter-island cruise ships and consequently we were sent to Maryland for a month to get our Lifeboat certification.
The next time we squared off for a little kumite, in Maryland, I landed the first strike -- a quick front leg side kick that slipped in beneath his arm. Then I landed the same kick to his mid-section again. He nodded his approval, and countered with a barrage. JV did not like to lose.
That was the first of several sparring sessions between Johnathan and myself while employed with the cruise ships. He usually got the best of it, but there were occasions when I stole the show.
One night in the Makao room, a crew recreation room toward the back of the ship, JV, Danny Keao (also with Universal Kempo), and myself were working out together. After sparring with each other for a few rounds, Johnathan declared a finish to the workout, but I asked him if we could continue a little longer.
We started sparring again and shortly thereafter, I sank a front kick deep into his stomach. Despite the solid blow, Vance pressed forward... It was more of a reaction than a thought, but I spun and caught him square in the mouth with the most devastating spinning back fist that I've ever landed. Blood splattered like a squashed tomato, yet he relentlessly pressed forward. JV then landed a beautiful three punch combo to my head -- a left hook, straight right, and a right hand uppercut that knocked me off my feet.
"Get up, you wanted to go some more, get up" Vance demanded as he kicked me in the butt on the ground. I rose and put my hands up, and that's when I saw them, the black beady eyes of a ninja warrior locked on his prey. I knew that this was the void, the unknown, the point of no return...
I turned around and put my hands down at my side in surrender. He punched me twice in the back before he too knew that it really was time to call it quits for the night.
It was kind of ironic that we were roommates at the time, both of us in need of ice packs later that night. That exchange of punches was the defining bond between us - Budo blood brothers.
my dear friend, rival, mentor, and fellow karateka...
10th Degree Professor Johnathan Leroy Vance
Born: June 17, 1958 Fukuoka, Japan
Passing: February 10, 2007 Honolulu, Hawaii
Began his martial arts training in 1965 with Pearl City Judo Club. In 1972 he began training at Godin's Kula Ona Kupale Kempo-Karate (later Universal Kempo-Karate with Prof. M. Buell).
He won numerous awards in his career including a Full-Contact record of 29-0 with 22 knockouts (1975-1980) and the Grand Champion of the 1978 All-Hawaii State Karate Championship.
He began teaching Kempo-Karate as an Assistant Instructor. He later ran two Kempo-Karate Branches before opening and founding Advanced Kempo-Karate in July 2003. He continued teaching and training while raising his family and working as a Sherriff for the State of Hawaii.
He was born in Fukuoka, Japan. He was a former Senior Chief Instructor for Professor Martin Buell, Universal Kempo and Founder of Advanced Kempo-Karate System, 10th degree Black Belt. Also, a Civil Deputy Sheriff for 25 years.
Sadly, tragedy struck Johnathan Vance in 2007. A leukemia like blood disorder suddenly came upon him. He checked into Queen's hospital but passed away two days later.
After moving to Kauai I had not seen Johnathan since 1991 and am thankful to have seen him again in 2006 at Hanapepe where he had a fighter in an MMA event held there.
At the time of his passing, he had impacted the lives of over 3000 students and their families.
Survived by wife, Jowella Vance; daughters, DeRae Riturban, Cazden and Jazdee Vance; brothers, Alec and Lee Pacheco; sister, Normandie Enderton; mother, Kumiko Vance; mother, Audrey Vance; grand-children, Mahina and Lilinoe.
Attending the funeral of London Town crier Peter Moore - God bless him!
Noisy tribute for Peter Moore, London's town crierLucy Bannerman A tricorne, plumed with white ostrich feathers, and a brass bell were placed upon his coffin.
Then, proudly making more noise than the average mourner, a dozen men and women rang out their last respects for Peter Moore, the London town crier who has fallen silent after 30 years of service.
“Bells up,” boomed the man in gold-buckled shoes, as the coffin was carried by. “Goodbye Peter and God save the Queen.”
Hundreds of friends, family and colleagues gathered at St George’s Cathedral in Southwark, Central London, today to celebrate the man who has been making toasts and amusing tourists in the capital since 1979.
Mr Moore died in his sleep, aged 70, at his home in Wandsworth, South London, last month.
At the requiem, held this afternoon, fellow town criers from Banbury, Brighton, Colchester and Kidderminster joined colleagues from across the country to pay tribute to the man with the formidable voice.
They were accompanied by local mayors in full insignia, freemasons, men in red fur-trim and members of the Guild of Pearly Kings and Queens from across the capital.
One man was consipicuous by his absence, however.
“I thought Boris might have come,” muttered one crier, clearly disappointed that the Mayor of London was otherwise engaged.
Town criers have been proclaiming news around London’s marketplaces since the 13th century.
Mr Moore was brought up by Barnardo’s in Walsall, in the West Midlands, but “ran away to seek his fortune in London”, according to friends.
He became an actor and played Mr Sowerberry, the undertaker, in the original stage production of Oliver! in 1960, before accepting a role as a town crier for an event.
“It was almost his vocation,” said Canon James Cronin, the cathedral dean, during the Catholic service.
“He loved London, he loved England and its institutions. And he did love a gullible American.”
Mr Moore’s theatrical performances were heard regularly around Trafalgar Square, the Tower of London and Parliament Square. With the motto, "Have bell, will travel" he had appeared in every New Year’s Day parade since the event began in 1987, and was due to receive a lifetime achievement award at the latest parade. However, he died just days before the ceremony.
Tony Uppleton, a town crier from Essex, who boasts the twin titles of Lord of the Manor, Great Baddow and Town Crier of the Year 2001, remembered Mr Moore as a close friend and mentor.
“Peter helped me when I started out, giving me tips on how to project the voice and shout from the stomach.
“He also told me to get my white tights from the ballet shop, my bell from Bow’s in Whitechapel. But he did get annoyed when I got white ostrich feathers for my hat, just like him. Made me change the colours,” said Mr Uppleton, pointing to the feathers, which were respectfully changed to red and blue. “I had to go Union Jack,” he added.
“Peter was a wonderful crier,” recalled Alan Myatt, town crier for Market Stables, in Camden, as he prepared to ring out the funeral procession. Mr Myatt should know – he once recorded a cry of 112 decibels.
“London was lucky to have him,” said Barrie Anderson, mayor of Lewisham, dressed in his red mayoral insignia for the service.
“He seemed to know exactly how to make an occasion. He never ignored protocol and yet he could put everyone at their ease, and that is not an easy thing to do.”
Mr Moore suffered a heart attack in the summer but carried on promoting London up until his death.
Doreen Golding, a pearly queen from the Old Kent Road, said: “Peter had the presence and the personality. It will be a hard act to follow.”
In a statement paying tribute to Mr Moore, Boris Johnson said: “Peter Moore was a highly spirited, charismatic individual who dedicated his life to the historical art of town crying.
“He participated in thousands of high-profile events across the city and I am one of the many Londoners who will hold fond memories of his famous, unique cries. “
A spokeswoman for Mr Johnson said: "The Mayor was deeply saddened to hear about Mr Moore's death but unfortunately due to diary commitments he was unable to attend the funeral."
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6992866.ece?toke...
To my Dear China Plates (mates)
I had my coronation as the Pearly King of Peckham in 1958 down the Old Kent Road, after being a Pearly Prince from the age of seven.
In February 2008 will be my 50th Golden Anniversary as the Pearly King of Peckham.
During that time I have brought into the Pearly Kings and Queens World by introducing Ron Keeble the Pearly King of Shepherd's Bush and his trouble and strife (wife) Dot his Pearly Queen and in turn his two sons Steven and Wayne, and Daughter Nicola.
I know that I had made the right choice because they were a caring family who thought of others with the many charities needing support and of course not forgetting the good old cockney spirit to stand up and fight for those charities in great need.
That was in 1976 and since then has proved that my choice was that of the right one.
I take my hat off to them and another couple dear Eddie and Flo Cheer the Pearly king and Queen of Fulham who also held them qualities whom I introduced in 1976.
Then there is Ricky Conway a great Pearly who I already knew as a Pearly but found him and his family a title Pearly King and Queen of Deptford along with his Princesses all with the above qualities, who brought alive with his musical input.
Between all the above Pearlies mentioned they have raised thousands and thousands of pounds for many charities.
They have brought brightness into many dull lives which now brings me to my old china plate Sir Norman Wisdom who is so genuine whom I admire, who never forgot his roots even after a tough childhood that he survived.
Sir Norman Wisdom who is well known for bringing laughter happiness and smiles too many of faces, that is why I made him into the Honourable Pearly King of comedy, which again in turn has done so much for others.
Then finally we have Lord Jeffery Archer who I made into an Honourable Pearly King of charity who outstrips us all for his endless work raising bees and honey (money) for charity that amounts into millions and also a man who thinks of others.
He has most certainly helped me to be more determined to bring my dream of a Cockney Museum alive.
I am proud to put their names on my website www.pearlykingofpeckham.com.
Unfortunately, the great pearlys of by-gone days have left us.
The ones that have done so much for charity also that have given hope and happiness to many, long may they not be forgotten.
Raphy (I tagged him in the photo, so check his work out, if you haven't already, now) is the soul creators of this fabulous machine/4-wide. Recently...oh who am I kidding. A week or two ago, other creator made they're own with little touches of their own build style. So I decided to join the party. And by "Make my own with little touches of their own build style", I mean "do the best I could with the bricks I have". But I wanted to do more than that. I wanted to tune them. So here they are!Bon appetit
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington Martial Arts and Karate
Karate for Kids Testimonial and Review
When my eight-year-old son first asked me if I would let him take Karate for Kids, I was a little worried. Karate seems so dangerous and I was concerned that my boy would end up injured. After talking with my husband, we agreed to give the program a chance and now we are so glad that we did.
First of all, I would like to state that Master Babin is wonderful with the children. While I was apprehensive that the Karate class would be all about fighting, I was relieved to learn that the focus was more on self-defense and moral values. Now my son is healthier than ever, doing an activity that he truly loves.
I would encourage every parent out there looking for a fun exercise-based activity for his or her child to participate in their Karate for Kids program a chance. My son is constantly talking about what he learned in his past karate lessons and practicing his blocks and punches in the living room. He is even playing his video games less.
After my initial reservations, I now cannot imagine my son participating in any other karate program. Consider this my highest recommendation.
David S
Reviews on Karate for Kids
When my son started karate instruction with Karate for Kids, he was timid, had few friends and had trouble paying attention in school. I didn't agree with the doctor who tried to tell me he had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and that I should put him on medication to control it. To me, my son just needed some loving guidance, not to be medicated.
That is when I asked my good friend about her children's experiences with the local martial arts Instructor. Like my son, her children did not have a father figure in their lives and suffered greatly as the result. When they were approaching their teenage years, she decided to enroll them in karate at Karate For Kids Within a matter of weeks, I saw her pre-teen son and daughter become more confident, focused and goal-oriented and knew I wanted the same for my child.
After his very first lesson, my son, then aged nine, was already a changed child. He overflowed with enthusiasm as he explained how the karate for kids program pushed him to reach goals, but was "really nice" about it. To this mom, that means that my son finally got the caring, personal instruction that he deserves.
Thank you for such a fantastic Karate For Kids Program
Samantha W
Testimonial and Review on Martial Arts For Men
I am a forty-eight year old man and, until about four months ago, I had really let myself go. Between work-related stress and the other pressures of my day-to-day existence, I made little time for exercise and gave almost no thought to a healthy diet. In short, I was a mess.
One day, a colleague at my office took me aside and recommended that I sign up for the martial arts program offered locally. He had recently signed up for a class and loved it. After some convincing, I agreed to accompany him to his next class.
Fast-forward to today and I now love my martial arts training. Martial Arts for men workouts feels less like training and more like fun. I have been losing weight and now have a new energy when facing the daily grind. I have gone from one class a week to two, and am thinking of adding a third.
If you are looking for a fun way to get in shape, I would advise you to come on down our Martial Arts for Men Academy. You will not regret it.
Getting younger…
Lisa F
Testimonial and Review on Martial Arts For Women
I never would have thought that taking up martial arts, would change me so much as a person and in so many ways. I still use every occasion to thank my friends, for recommending me the Martial Art courses for women taught by a martial arts school that teaches quality skill sets for women
I used to be a very shy person, and had become quite fearful after having my purse stolen one evening. Now, that is no longer the case. Since participating in the martial arts courses, I have felt more empowered than ever. I enjoyed the friendly and encouraging atmosphere right from the start, and did not feel ashamed of my initial clumsiness.
Now, I can actually impress my friends with some of the moves I learned. Also, I am fully aware that martial arts represent a life style just as much as anything else. My Instructor simply amazed all of us throughout the entire program, with his dedication and willingness to teach us. In fact, we could hardly wait for the next session.
I truly recommend anyone to make the same change I made in my life. Looking back, I really cannot see my weekly schedule without my martial arts training sessions.
C McCrae
Martial Arts For Women in Wilmington, North Carolina
Taking a martial arts class was not something I had given much consideration prior to turning 30. Wanting to preserve my strength and flexibility for years to come finally enticed me to take the plunge. The immediate results were stunning and I found myself feeling more energetic and confident in just a few sessions.
Not only are his martial arts skills top-notch, but I find his enthusiasm and enjoyment of the sport to be infectious. Considering that this entire venture was foreign to me, I felt right at home during my very first class. In addition to training in martial arts my instructor has a great deal of patience and warmth, the other karate students in the session were just as receptive to me. They really know how to make new members feel welcome.
Learning the forms and methods involved in martial arts is a great experience, but what makes these classes truly exceptional is that we learn how to incorporate the philosophy and principals behind this art form into our everyday lives. I look forward to my sessions with my instructor, and find his classes to be a great way to invest in myself, while having some fun at the same time. It is more than just kicking and punching it’s a well rounded martial arts program.
With Great Thanks,
Jackie W
Miami, Florida
Miami Martial Arts and Karate
Karate for Kids Testimonial and Review
When my eight-year-old son first asked me if I would let him take Karate for Kids, I was a little worried. Karate seems so dangerous and I was concerned that my boy would end up injured. After talking with my husband, we agreed to give the program a chance and now we are so glad that we did.
First of all, I would like to state that karate for kids is wonderful with the children. While I was apprehensive that the Karate class would be all about fighting, I was relieved to learn that the focus was more on self-defense and moral values. Now my son is healthier than ever, doing an activity that he truly loves.
I would encourage every parent out there looking for a fun exercise-based activity for his or her child to participate in their Karate for Kids program a chance. My son is constantly talking about what he learned in his past karate lessons and practicing his blocks and punches in the living room. He is even playing his video games less.
After my initial reservations, I now cannot imagine my son participating in any other karate program. Consider this my highest recommendation.
David S
Reviews on Karate for Kids
When my son started karate instruction with Karate for Kids, he was timid, had few friends and had trouble paying attention in school. I didn't agree with the doctor who tried to tell me he had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and that I should put him on medication to control it. To me, my son just needed some loving guidance, not to be medicated.
That is when I asked my good friend about her children's experiences with the local martial arts Instructor. Like my son, her children did not have a father figure in their lives and suffered greatly as the result. When they were approaching their teenage years, she decided to enroll them in karate at Karate For Kids Within a matter of weeks, I saw her pre-teen son and daughter become more confident, focused and goal-oriented and knew I wanted the same for my child.
After his very first lesson, my son, then aged nine, was already a changed child. He overflowed with enthusiasm as he explained how the karate for kids program pushed him to reach goals, but was "really nice" about it. To this mom, that means that my son finally got the caring, personal instruction that he deserves.
Thank you for such a fantastic Karate For Kids Program
Samantha W
Testimonial and Review on Martial Arts For Men
I am a forty-eight year old man and, until about four months ago, I had really let myself go. Between work-related stress and the other pressures of my day-to-day existence, I made little time for exercise and gave almost no thought to a healthy diet. In short, I was a mess.
One day, a colleague at my office took me aside and recommended that I sign up for the martial arts program offered locally. He had recently signed up for a class and loved it. After some convincing, I agreed to accompany him to his next class.
Fast-forward to today and I now love my martial arts training. Martial Arts for men workouts feels less like training and more like fun. I have been losing weight and now have a new energy when facing the daily grind. I have gone from one class a week to two, and am thinking of adding a third.
If you are looking for a fun way to get in shape, I would advise you to come on down our Martial Arts for Men Academy. You will not regret it.
Getting younger…
Lisa F
Testimonial and Review on Martial Arts For Women
I never would have thought that taking up martial arts, would change me so much as a person and in so many ways. I still use every occasion to thank my friends, for recommending me the Martial Art courses for women taught by a martial arts school that teaches quality skill sets for women
I used to be a very shy person, and had become quite fearful after having my purse stolen one evening. Now, that is no longer the case. Since participating in the martial arts courses, I have felt more empowered than ever. I enjoyed the friendly and encouraging atmosphere right from the start, and did not feel ashamed of my initial clumsiness.
Now, I can actually impress my friends with some of the moves I learned. Also, I am fully aware that martial arts represent a life style just as much as anything else. My Instructor simply amazed all of us throughout the entire program, with his dedication and willingness to teach us. In fact, we could hardly wait for the next session.
I truly recommend anyone to make the same change I made in my life. Looking back, I really cannot see my weekly schedule without my martial arts training sessions.
C McCrae
Martial Arts For Women in Mesa, Arizona
Taking a martial arts class was not something I had given much consideration prior to turning 30. Wanting to preserve my strength and flexibility for years to come finally enticed me to take the plunge. The immediate results were stunning and I found myself feeling more energetic and confident in just a few sessions.
Not only are his martial arts skills top-notch, but I find his enthusiasm and enjoyment of the sport to be infectious. Considering that this entire venture was foreign to me, I felt right at home during my very first class. In addition to training in martial arts my instructor has a great deal of patience and warmth, the other karate students in the session were just as receptive to me. They really know how to make new members feel welcome.
Learning the forms and methods involved in martial arts is a great experience, but what makes these classes truly exceptional is that we learn how to incorporate the philosophy and principals behind this art form into our everyday lives. I look forward to my sessions with my instructor, and find his classes to be a great way to invest in myself, while having some fun at the same time. It is more than just kicking and punching it’s a well rounded martial arts program.
With Great Thanks,
Jackie W
Water & Light at Sassi Mazar Balochistan May30, 2015
SUN SHINES IN THE NIGHT
Sassi punnu mausoleum got Solar Energy
Every year thousands of peoples from various parts of Sindh, Baluchistan and Punjab gather at the shrine of Sassi and Punnu in Singher village to attend a 3 days carnival. Singher village is , 52 Kilometers away from Hub town. Singher means chain, as the village is surrounded by the chain of hills where it is believed that Sassi and Punnu were buried under a landslide.
Before the monsoon a carnival organizing committee receives donation from the Baloch tribal chiefs of Sindh and Balochistan to bear the expenditures of the event. Collected funds are mostly used for providing food, water and accommodation to all the devotees there. Sufi Faqirs (singers) from Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab travel to perform songs on the occasion to pay homage to Sassi Punnu, the popular tragic romance of Sindh and Balochistan. Besides folk songs, a traditional Sindhi game malakhro similar to Japanese wrestling sumo also attracts a large number of the people to come there.
Lands from mountains with old graves scattered in the area and rainy water ways are quite difficult to cross for the travellers. Despite this, devotees, males and females, travel long distance to visit the site the entire year. For the local people, camel is the only means of transport and people gather there during the occasion.
There is only one well, which is useful for the communities otherwise the entire area underground water level is unsafe for human consumption. In case the area receives monsoon rains the people use rainy water from ponds.
For the benefit of peoples living in surroundings as well as devotees who visit during carnival and over the year, Masood Lohar, country Manager UNDP, GEF small grant program decided to use solar energy for providing clean and safe water and lighting on the mausoleum.
On 30th May 2015, Shaan Technologies Private Limited installed a 3 HP Solar Powered pump on a 250 ft deep well that is located near the tomb. Operating on a 3 kilowatt solar panel bank this pump provide 30 Gallon water per minutes & eliminates requirement of diesel generator operated pump that organizing committee previously used to supply water during the festival.
Now solar pump serves as a continuous source of clean water without any additional cost. A water tank is provided to store pumped water. This tank helped as a 24 hours ready source of water for the local people.
In addition to that 2 solar powered floodlights were also installed in front yard of tomb. These 14 watt LED lights runs on a 35 watt solar panel that provide sufficient power to run LED lamps up to 12 hours. Dusk to Dawn photo sensors is also used in the system that automatically turns on the light just before the sunset and turns off at dawn. This project was financed by the UNDP GEF Small grant program. Lodhie foundation contributed 10% cost of the project under its poverty alleviation initiative.
Project Summary
Location: Sassi Punnu Moseleum, Singher Village, Near Hub Dam, Baluchistan
Coordinates: 25°18'41"N 66°53'21"E
Nearby cities: Karachi, Hub City, Sonmiani / Winder city
Initiated By: UNDP, GEF Small Grant Program in association of Lodhie Foundation
Implemented by: Shaan Technologies Private Limited Karachi
Implantation Date: 30Th May 2015
Equipment installed:
(1) One 3HP DC Submersible water pump with 3KW Solar panels and Pump Controller
(2) Two Solar Powered LED Floodlights
Beneficiaries: Up to 2500 people living in the Singher village and surroundings
Folktale of Sassi & Punnu
Sassi Punnu is a famous folktale of love told in the length and breadth of Sindh, Pakistan. The story is about a faithful wife who is ready to undergo all kinds of troubles that would come her way while seeking her beloved husband who was separated from her by the rivals
Sassi was the daughter of a Brahman Hindu Rajah from Rohri . Upon Sassui's birth, astrologers predicted that she was a curse for the royal family’s prestige. The Raja ordered that the child be put in a wooden box and thrown in the Sindhu, present day’s river Indus. However, she was saved by a washer-man belonging to Bhanbhor, near Gharo district, Thatta . The washer-man raised her as his own daughter.
When Sassui became a young girl, she was as beautiful as the fairies of heaven. Stories of her beauty reached Punhun a prince from Kech Makran Balochistan and he became desperate to meet Sassi. The handsome young Prince therefore travelled to Bhambore. He sent his clothes to Sassi's father (a washerman) so that he could catch a glimpse of Sassi. When he visited the washerman's house, they fell in love at first sight. Sassui's father was dispirited, hoping that Sassi would marry a washerman and no one else. He asked Punnhun to prove that he was worthy of Sassui by passing the test as a washerman. Punnhun agreed to prove his love. While washing, he tore all the clothes as, being a prince, he had never washed any clothes; he thus failed the agreement. But before he returned those clothes, he hid gold coins in the pockets of all the clothes, hoping this would keep the villagers quiet. The trick worked, and Sassui's father agreed to the marriage.
At last Punnu (Punhoon) married her. However, his father, Ari, the King of Ketch, did not like his son getting married to a low-caste girl, so he instructed his other sons to go to Bhanbhor and bring back Punnu at any cost. They visited Punnu as his guests and during the night they intoxicated him and his wife. Later, they put their brother on one of the camels and left. When Sassi woke up in the morning, she was shocked to find Punnu missing and all his brothers gone. She understood their trickery. She left Bhambhor immediately to Kech Makran on foot in search of him. The Kech Makran is located along the Makran Coastal Highway in Baluchistan, Pakistan.
After crossing Pab Mountain, she reached the Harho range. She could not proceed further when her path was blocked by the Phor River. So she started retracing her steps. Soon she was accosted by a beastly goatherd who intended to molest her. Sassi prayed to God for protection. Immediately the ground below her feet started caving in like quicksand and she disappeared within seconds. Seeing the miracle, the goatherd repented sincerely, and to make amends for his misconduct, he made a grave in the site and became its custodian.
Punnu found no peace of mind at Kech. He languished and soon became an invalid. Under the circumstances, his father allowed him to return to Bhambhor.
During his return journey, Punnu happened to pass by the site where Sassi had met her death. When the goatherd came to know his story, he told him as to what had happened to Sassi. Punnu was beside himself on hearing the horrible news.
He prayed to God to unite him with Sassi. Again the ground became quicksand and he soon disappeared into the bowels of the earth. So came to an end the tragic love story of Sassi and Punnu. The legendary grave still exists in this valley.
The famous Sufi saint and poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai sings this historic tale in his sufi poetry “Shah jo Risalo” as an example of eternal love and union with Divine.
Sassi’s resting place is said to be about 45 miles away in the Pub range to the west of Karachi. A local man of some importance constructed a simple mausoleum in 1980 over the joint grave of Sassi and Punnu. It is often visited by tourists.
Gave him my cold so he’s off ill today
Posted by rekha_is_batman on 2012-01-16 13:19:06
Tagged: , portrait , portraiture , self , 365 , days , rekha , garton , eyes , blue , colourful , tattoo , tattooed tattoos , heart , love , bed , couple , matt , male , guy , female , wo...
I passed him walking while hitchhiking. See his strange cap and coat, his stick with a wheel on the end for a toy, and his black eye. He didn't move or say anything when I said hello or tried to get a reaction and stood completely still just like this while I walked toward him a bit, took out my camera and took this photo. And he looked so sad. I think he'd been abused. I wish I'd looked for a neighbour to at least ask about him and his black eye.
- From Putna monastery (which I toured after taking this, later that same day and the next morning), I hitched or walked up to the 2E and then SE @ 40 km.s to the city of Suceava (Soo-cha-va). I don't recall but according to the map I passed through the town of Rădăuți whose "Princely Church [in Bogdana Monastery there] is the [2nd] oldest standing religious bldg. in Moldavia (@ 1360) and which contains the graves of Bogdan I [founder and 1st Voivode of Moldavia], his son Lațcu, Roman I [and all of Bogdan's successors, Voivodes/Princes of Moldavia,] to Alexandru cel Bun [the Good]. The graves were attended to, and marked properly by Ștefan cel Mare." (Wikipedia) What a miss, and I passed through. (Get a good guidebook!) www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeHM-SoNql8
- The first stud farm for the famous Huțul or Hutsul horse (which likely descends from the Dacian draft horse) was established at Rădăuți in 1856.
- Suceava (Soo-cha-va) had a population of @ 100,000 in 2000. Almost 3 x the size of Sighet, it was the largest city that I would tour in Romania until Sibiu in Transylvania, and the 4th largest in my 30 days in the country. "/B/ 1388 and 1564, it was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia, and the residence of the Moldavian princes." (In 1564, the seat moved to Iași.) From 1775 until after WWII it was within the Habsburg's 'Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria', then the Austian empire, and then the Austrian portion of the Austro-Hungarian empire, and then the newly enlarged Kingdom of Romania. It grew ten-fold during the Communist urbanization years until 1989.
- One prime attraction in Suceava which I toured well is a ruined medieval fortress or citadel (late 14th cent, fortified in the 15th with a concentric fortress surrounding the original, all surrounded in turn by a huge moat or ditch), the Cetatea de Scaun a Sucevei www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEAF9grNPjs , which served as the princely residence from 1388 to 1565, and which, under the leadership of Ștefan cel Mare, famously and successfully withstood and repelled a siege by the Turks led by none other than 'Mehmet the Conquerer' in the summer of 1476, 23 yr.s AFTER he had conquered and captured Constantinople on May 29, 1453. Constantinople fell to Mehmet but Suceava didn't.
- The fortress was then refortified and withstood 2 further sieges in 1485 and 1497. It was taken by Suleiman I ('the Magnificent') with an Ottoman force of 200,000 in 1538, which then pillaged Suceava and plundered the region. (It's said that boyars disaffected with Petru Rareș assisted Suleiman and "handed him" the fortress.) It was taken again in 1563 following a 3 month siege by hetman Ștefan Tomșa, and by Wallachian prince Mihai Viteazu w/o a fight in 1600, and again a few mos. later by a mixed army of Cossacks and Poles who then invested Ieremia Movilă as ruler of Moldavia. It was the scene of "many devastating battles" in the 2nd 1/2 of the 17th cent., incl. a siege and a battle in 1653, and a 6-month-long battle /b/ "a Polish garrison installed by Ștefan Petriceicu, and Turkish forces". The latter won. And in 1684, a huge earthquake left the structure in ruins." roamingromania.com/fortress-of-suceava/#:~:text=Fortress%.... Very much DNA has been spilled there.
- There was a museum in the dungeon in 2000 which I don't recall but I think I toured, and a chapel built by Ștefan cel Mare which had been restored in the 60s.
- Ștefan is the most celebrated figure in Romanian history. Nothing succeeds like success, nor like winning 34 out of 36 battles, defeating 'Mehmet the Conqueror', building many of the country's most celebrated monasteries and churches, and defending a Christian Europe from the infidel Turks, earning rare praise from R.C. pope Sixtus IV (rare for any non-Catholic) as 'the Athlete of Christ'. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5gS7KW5kHA He was also the first cousin and sometime (but inconsistent) ally of Vlad III Dracula, 'Vlad the Impaler', Voivode of Wallachia. Vlad was released from captivity in Hungary at Ștefan's request in 1475, and Ștefan helped Vlad take the throne of Wallachia in 1476.
- theibtaurisblog.com/2013/08/27/draculas-perfect-cousin/
- I spent some time one day at the Mănăstirea Sfântul Ioan cel Nou ('of St. John the New') (1514-22). "Construction was begun by voivode Bogdan III the One-Eyed, following the destruction of the Mirăuți Church (the former metropolitan cathedral of Moldavia) in 1513, and was completed by his son, Ștefăniță. The monastery church served as metropolitan cathedral of Moldavia until 1677. ... It has some exterior frescoes, but which are barely discernible. The monastery is dedicated to 'St. John the New of Suceava', a local monk who preached during Turkish occupation and was martyred in Cetatea Albă, present-day Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi in Ukraine. Alexander I of Moldavia brought his relics to Suceava, to this church, in 1402. The complex includes a bell tower (1589) built during the reign of Peter the Lame, and a chapel founded in the 1620s." (wikipedia) This church is one of the 8 Moldavian monasteries designated together as Unesco world heritage.
- I toured the church and the complex well enough, but my most memorable experience in Suceava was some time I spent people-watching at this monastery. I stood and watched as supplicants standing in a queue met individually with a local bearded monk (or priest?). The monk and the attendee would kneel together, the monk would spread a cloth or veil over both their heads, they'd remain kneeling together veiled in that position for several minutes, and would then stand up, that supplicant would leave and the monk would then meet the next in line, kneel with him or her, and repeat. Now this monk was an extraordinarily handsome young man. He seemed to know it, as he should. One of the attendees was a beautiful, shapely but svelte young woman, well-coiffed (in 1940s style), impressively dressed and done up for church in her best knee-length skirt, gloves, stilettos (!), and with bright red lipstick. When it came to her turn, she and the monk both kneeled and remained together under the veil for @ 10 min.s or so, and when they stood up, she was in tears, thanking him, and he nodded and smiled. If she didn't have a crush on him, I couldn't be blamed for thinking she did. I'm advised that this ritual, with the veil and the kneeling, is the Romanian Orthodox confessional, and so she was dressed to the nines just to attend to meet with and to confess to him.
- Suceava has at least 4 museums: history, village, ethnographic, and natural history. I don't recall it but I know I toured the history museum as I took a photo of a group of wax figures standing in royal robes in a 'throne hall', incl. Ștefan cel Mare, his queen Maria Voichița, and Prince Bogdan-the-One-Eyed, all with their heads tilted slightly back so that they look up and away in noble fashion, and the men with hippy-length hair. This scene is of "an allotment of land for peasants, reconstituted on the basis of medieval documents and frescoes." (Wikipedia) I don't recall if I toured the Biserica Sfântul Gheorghe, aka the Mirăuți church (1390, rebuilt in the 17th cent.), "the Metropolitan cathedral where early Moldavian princes were crowned, incl. Ștefan cel Mare."
- From Suceava, I hitched the 12-15 km.s to the Dragomirna monastery (a convent) and back. "Massively walled like a fortress, the Dragomirna monastery was founded in 1602, and is dramatically proportioned at 42 m.s high but only 9.6 m.s wide, with cable moulding @ the exterior." It's so tall, narrow and unusual that I don't think I've seen another building like it. easterneuropeeastereggs.wordpress.com/dragomirna/ At the time it reminded me of a battleship, although it might remind one of the Flatiron bldg. in NYC or the Gooderham bldg. on Front st. in Toronto.
- "The octagonal tower, set on 2 star-shaped pedestals, is carved with meanders and rosettes. Inside it has an unusual star-shaped vault and a very ornate, baroque iconostasis. ... The solid walls and towers of the complex were added in 1627 owing to the threat of foreign invasions. These were so frequent that wooden village churches were sometimes mounted on wheels so that they could be towed to safety. [!]" (RG)
- "During the Habsburg and later the Communist purges of the Orthodox church, Dragomirna remained inhabited. The dying wish of Bishop Crimca was that a day should not pass without prayers being said in his monastery. Thus 7 elderly nuns defied Communist orders and remained at the monastery throughout the 1960s and 70s. Today more than 60 nuns call Dragomirna their home."
- Leaving Suceava, I hitched SW on the 17 to the 2E and then north to Cacica (Ca-chee-ka). I'd heard or read about the salt mine there, a subterranean work of art in salt, and seeing as I hadn't managed to cross into Poland from Bardejov 2 mos. earlier and so missed the world-famous Wieliczka salt mine, I went out of my way to visit Cacica's contribution. There was a photogenic communist-era complex of bldg.s there above-ground, but I don't recommend Cacica. What little art there was in the mine was unappealing and seemed cheesy, although it does have a couple of plain chapels and a 'ball-room'. I might appreciate it better today, but w/o any expectations. I don't think I've toured a salt mine before or since (although the world's largest is in Goderich, ON - !, a 'Sifto salt' mine), and according to the captions in the video in the next link, the rooms in the mine were important to the life of the local mining community in the 19th cent. www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqmTa4c4X2A The mine was established by Austrian authorities in 1798 who brought in Poles from Galicia to work it. These Poles "named the village after wild ducks found nesting in nearby swamps." (RG) (Today @ 20% of the town's population is Polish.)
- I'd considered hitching a little further north to Arbore, to tour yet another painted monastery, but I headed south instead down the 2E and 15C to Targu Neamț, south of southern Bukovina, and a 10-15 km. jog west to the 15th cent. Mânăstirea Neamț (Nee-amts), which was recommended.
- One miss in Targu Neamț was a well-preserved fortress from the days of Ștefan cel Mare, more intact than the one in Suceava.
- If I'd continued 50 clicks, another hour, down the twisty 15C to Piatra Neamț I could've toured the Ba’al Shem Tov synagogue, one of a very finite number of wooden synagogues which still stand in Eastern Europe today where there had been hundreds. This 'jewel-box of Judaism' dates in part from 1766, and could be the oldest standing wooden synagogue anywhere. (At least it's older than any that remain standing per this incomplete list on Wikipedia, which omits it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wooden_synagogues?msclkid=0... ) So that was a miss. www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2000/02/26/jewel-box...
- Neamț (Nee-amts) is the oldest and largest of Moldavia's monasteries, housing 70 monks and dozens of seminarians. "Originally a 12th cent. hermitage, it became a monastery under Petru I Musat (1376-92) and was rebuilt and fortified by Alexandru cel Bun (1400-32). The [sturdy, central] 'new church' was built by Ștefan cel Mare in 1497, following the Moldavian victory in battle over King John I Albert of Poland, and became a prototype for Moldavian churches throughout the next century [although it has no exterior frescoes, apart from a series of saints in small niches]. www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXHoeAypzWw www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D8Xl9lXuro Neamț resembles a fortress, with high stone walls and one remaining corner tower. On the wall of the bell-tower, a painted 'Eye of the Saviour' sternly regards the monks’ cells." (RG) That eye was the most memorable feature of the monastery for me for some reason. www.capper-online.de/Travel/Romania/assets/images/19_Neam... I'll scan a photo.
- This was the most spacious and the busiest of the monasteries I toured in Romania. It was wet when I was there and I toured it in the rain. I was the guest that evening of a monk in his room or 'cell' in which I slept on a pull-out bed. He was a smart, well-informed man and we spoke @ international politics at some length. More wonderful hospitality.
- The monastery has a rich history (which I'll write more about in this space sometime, it was a centre for transcription and for printing) and a suitably rich museum which I toured but don't recall. There's a large Agheazmatar bldg. (1836-47) on the grounds for 'the blessing of the water' which is a library today (with over 18,000 volumes, many of them unique), and which is mostly dome, somewhat resembling a huge, chocolate covered marshmallow cookie. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neam%C8%9B_Monastery#/media/File:Ma...
- One miss was an ancient ossuary under the monastery (which might not've been open to the public in 2000), the largest monastic ossuary in Romania with 530 interments, and with ancient writing painted on the domes of the skulls of interred monks indicating their names, significant dates, etc. www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3bp1W25XqE
- There was more exceptional hospitality the next day, for as I was heading down the road just beyond the monastery en route, a group enjoying a feast on picnic tables (for some occasion) called me over, asked where I'm from, and invited me to join them, and tuck in. :)
- From the Neamț monastery, I hitched SW on the 15B, and up the 17B and E58 to the 1200 m. Tihuța pass (Ti-hootsa) where I said goodbye to Moldavia and hello to Transylvania at the site of the cheese-fest which is the Hotel Castle Dracula (1983), located at that pass. The Tihuța pass is the Bârgau (Boar-go) or 'Bârgaului' pass of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, where Jonathan Harker embarked in Count Dracula's carriage to be taken to his castle on a bloodcurdling journey into the Bârgau valley. (I read the novel when I was home sick one week from school in grade 5, and I've just reread parts of chap. 1 now for the first time since.) It's an inspired choice as a setting for the castle, as "the surrounding mountains harbour more bears than any other part of Europe, as well as boars and WOLVES [emphasis added]." (RG) www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPHTi7Ja44Y (Murnau, 1922)
- www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU3t_9TdbE8 (Coppola)
- www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZwL_PXdEy0 (Herzog with Kinski, 1979)
- I entered the said hotel to have a look and to ask about the place, and don't recall what I was told, but the fun-loving concierge asked cryptically if I suffered from any form of heart disease ("Nope. ... ?"), and then suggested I follow his colleague downstairs into the basement. I was taken down a flight of steps /b/ walls painted to look like they were built with large, old, brown blocks of cut stone or field-stone, to a small, dark room in which all the walls were painted with murals of scenes in which Dracula, dressed like a cross /b/ Bela Lugosi and John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever, and Elvira-type female vampires run @ the countryside under a full moon with all their cleavage and their fangy mouths open. There was a coffin to one side in the room, and its lid flew open to reveal a snarling, hostile character in a cape and a rubber mask of a bald, white, fanged Nosferatu. Later I was told by hotel staff that they would put on this little show quite often for tourists and patrons until several years earlier when an American died of a heart attack after the coffin jump-scare.
- The author of this article refers to claims that Ceaușescu had banned the name 'Dracula', and states that the novel wasn't published in Romanian until 1990. !! www.historytoday.com/grand-tour/hotel-castel-dracula
- Rereading chap. 1 of 'Dracula', I've found some entertaining and surprising moments and elements in the setting of the Bârgaului valley that I'd forgotten and which have been ignored in all the many films. (The fun, interesting portion of the novel is the 1st 3rd, set in this valley and in the castle in the valley; the rest, most of which is set in England, is dull by comparison.) The old landlady at the hotel in Bistritz (Bistrița), where Jonathan Harker spends his last night before heading out for the valley and the castle, implores him not to go, warning him that it is May 4, "the eve of St. George's Day. ... [T]onight, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things of the world will have full sway. Do you know where you are going and where you are going to?" All the movie scripts get it wrong when Harker arrives at the pass and the carriage driver won't dare stay and scoots off after leaving him there. In the novel, the driver arrives after dark but early and just before Dracula's calèche appears, and says “There is no carriage here. The Herr is not expected after all. He will now come on to Bukovina, and return to-morrow or the next day; better the next day,” seeking to persuade Harker to continue on to Bukovina, but just then "the horses began to neigh and snort and plunge wildly" and "amongst a chorus of screams [!] from the peasants [fellow passengers] and a universal crossing of themselves" Dracula's calèche with 4 "splendid, coal-black" horses arrives. The driver of the calèche, whose gleaming eyes "seemed red in the lamplight", but whose face cannot be seen in the dark beneath the brim of his hat (and who could have been the Count), says “You are early to-night, my friend.” The carriage driver responds in a stammer “The English Herr was in a hurry,” to which the calèche-driver replies: “That is why, I suppose, you wished him to go on to Bukovina. You cannot deceive me, my friend; I know too much, and my horses are swift.”
- Once Harker boards the calèche which sweeps "into the darkness of the pass", things get interesting.: "The carriage went at a hard pace straight along, then we made a complete turn and went along another straight road. It seemed to me that we were simply going over and over the same ground again; and so I took note of some salient point, and found that this was so. ... By-and-by, as I was curious to know how time was passing, I struck a match, and by its flame looked at my watch; it was within a few minutes of midnight. ... Then a dog began to howl somewhere in a farmhouse far down the road - a long, agonized wailing, as if from fear. The sound was taken up by another dog, and then another and another, till, borne on the wind which now sighed softly through the Pass, a wild howling began, which seemed to come from all over the country, as far as the imagination could grasp it through the gloom of the night. At the first howl the horses began to strain and rear, but the driver spoke to them soothingly, and they quieted down, but shivered and sweated as though after a runaway from sudden fright. Then, far off in the distance, from the mountains on each side of us began a louder and a sharper howling - that of wolves - ... the horses ... reared again and plunged madly, so that the driver had to use all his great strength to keep them from bolting. In a few minutes, however, ... the horses so far became quiet that the driver was able to descend and to stand before them. He petted and soothed them, and whispered something in their ears, as I have heard of horse-tamers doing, and with extraordinary effect, for under his caresses they became quite manageable again, though they still trembled. The driver again took his seat, and shaking his reins, started off at a great pace. This time, after going to the far side of the Pass, he suddenly turned down a narrow roadway which ran sharply to the right. [It's fair to assume that he made that turn shortly after midnight.]
- "Soon we were hemmed in with trees, which in places arched right over the roadway till we passed as through a tunnel; and again great frowning rocks guarded us boldly on either side. Though we were in shelter, we could hear the rising wind, for it moaned and whistled through the rocks, and the branches of the trees crashed together as we swept along. It grew colder and colder still, and fine, powdery snow began to fall, so that soon we and all around us were covered with a white blanket. The keen wind still carried the howling of the dogs, though this grew fainter as we went on our way. The baying of the wolves sounded nearer and nearer, as though they were closing round on us from every side. ... The driver, however, was not in the least disturbed; he kept turning his head to left and right, but I could not see anything through the darkness. Suddenly, away on our left, I saw a faint flickering blue flame. The driver saw it at the same moment; he at once checked the horses, and, jumping to the ground, disappeared into the darkness. I did not know what to do, the less as the howling of the wolves grew closer; but while I wondered the driver suddenly appeared again, and without a word took his seat, and we resumed our journey. I think I must have fallen asleep and kept dreaming of the incident, for it seemed to be repeated endlessly ... Once the flame appeared so near the road, that even in the darkness around us I could watch the driver’s motions. He went rapidly to where the blue flame arose - it must have been very faint, for it did not seem to illumine the place around it at all - and gathering a few stones, formed them into some device. Once there appeared a strange optical effect: when he stood between me and the flame he did not obstruct it, for I could see its ghostly flicker all the same. ... Then for a time there were no blue flames, and we sped onwards through the gloom, with the howling of the wolves around us, as though they were following in a moving circle.
- "At last there came a time when the driver went further afield than he had yet gone, and during his absence, the horses began to tremble worse than ever and to snort and scream with fright. I could not see any cause for it, for the howling of the wolves had ceased altogether; but just then the moon, sailing through the black clouds, appeared behind the jagged crest of a beetling, pine-clad rock, and by its light I saw around us a ring of wolves, with white teeth and lolling red tongues, with long, sinewy limbs and shaggy hair. They were a hundred times more terrible in the grim silence which held them than even when they howled. ... All at once the wolves began to howl as though the moonlight had had some peculiar effect on them. The horses jumped about and reared, and looked helplessly round with eyes that rolled in a way painful to see; but the living ring of terror encompassed them on every side; and they had perforce to remain within it. I called to the coachman to come, for it seemed that our only chance was to try to break out through the ring and to aid his approach. ... How he came there, I know not, but I heard his voice raised in a tone of imperious command, and looking towards the sound, saw him stand in the roadway. As he swept his long arms, as though brushing aside some impalpable obstacle, the wolves fell back and back further still. Just then a heavy cloud passed across the face of the moon, so that we were again in darkness. When I could see again the driver was climbing into the calèche, and the wolves had disappeared. ... The time seemed interminable as we swept on our way, now in almost complete darkness, for the rolling clouds obscured the moon. We kept on ascending, with occasional periods of quick descent, but in the main always ascending. Suddenly, I became conscious of the fact that the driver was in the act of pulling up the horses in the courtyard of a vast ruined castle, from whose tall black windows came no ray of light, and whose broken battlements showed a jagged line against the moonlit sky."
Chapter 1 ends there. See? The Bârgau valley's quite a place in the wee hours after midnight on May 5.
- In Chapter 2, in the course of a discussion Harker asks Dracula as to the blue flames that he'd seen the night before. "I asked him ... why the coachman went to the places where he had seen the blue flames. He then explained that it was commonly believed that on a certain night of the year - last night, in fact, when all evil spirits are supposed to have unchecked sway - a blue flame is seen over any place where treasure has been concealed. “That treasure has been hidden,” he went on, “in the region through which you came last night, there can be but little doubt; for it was the ground fought over for centuries by the Wallachian, the Saxon, and the Turk [!]. Why, there is hardly a foot of soil in all this region that has not been enriched by the blood of men, patriots or invaders. In old days there were stirring times, when the Austrian and the Hungarian came up in hordes, and the patriots went out to meet them - men and women, the aged and the children too - and waited their coming on the rocks above the passes, that they might sweep destruction on them with their artificial avalanches. [Note that according to Dracula, the Hungarians were not the 'patriots'. Is he referring here to Wallachians {Romanians} or Szekelers or both?] When the invader was triumphant he found but little, for whatever there was had been sheltered in the friendly soil.”
“But how,” said I, “can it have remained so long undiscovered, when there is a sure index to it if men will but take the trouble to look?” The Count smiled, and as his lips ran back over his gums, the long, sharp, canine teeth showed out strangely; he answered: - “Because your peasant is at heart a coward and a fool! Those flames only appear on one night; and on that night no man of this land will, if he can help it, stir without his doors. And, dear sir, even if he did he would not know what to do. Why, even the peasant that you tell me of who marked the place of the flame would not know where to look in daylight even for his own work. Even you would not, I dare be sworn, be able to find these places again?”
“There you are right,” I said. “I know no more than the dead where even to look for them.” Then we drifted into other matters. ... "
Stoker's other-worldly Bârgau valley is a mystical Oak Island. As to the legend or tradition that on St. George's eve "all evil spirits are supposed to have unchecked sway," it seems that Dracula arranged for Harker to arrive and attend at his castle on that particular night, and that the local 'peasants' knew that he'd done so, and it seems that his calèche had been driving back and forth or up and down until just after midnight when it could then (and only then?) turn "sharply to the right" down "a narrow roadway ... hemmed in with trees ... arch[ing] right over the roadway" as if it was "a tunnel" with "great frowning rocks guard[ing] boldly on either side" beneath "branches of trees crashing together" in the "moaning, rising wind." Now I wish I'd reread Dracula before that trip, or at least the first few chapters. I would've liked to have asked the locals about St. George's day and the treasures under the blue flames. And to think I was in Romania ON St. George's eve and St. George's day .
- It's known that Stoker had read 'Transylvanian superstitions', a remarkable and entertaining article written by Emily Gerard which includes the following: "Perhaps the most important day in the year is St. George’s, the 23rd of April (which corresponds to our 5th of May [?]), the eve of which is still frequently kept by occult meetings taking place at night in lonely caverns or within ruined walls, and where all the ceremonies usual to the celebration of a witches’ Sabbath are put into practice. The feast itself is the great day to beware of witches, to counteract whose influence square-cut blocks of green turf are placed in front of each door and window. This is supposed effectually to bar their entrance to the house or stables, but for still greater safety it is usual here for the peasants to keep watch all night by the sleeping cattle. This same night is the best for finding treasures, and many people spend it in wandering about the hills trying to probe the earth for the gold it contains. Vain and futile as such researches usually are, yet they have in this country a somewhat greater semblance of reason than in most other parts, for perhaps nowhere else have so many successive nations been forced to secrete their riches in flying from an enemy ... Not a year passes without bringing to light some earthen jar containing old Dacian coins, or golden ornaments of Roman origin, and all such discoveries serve to feed and keep up the national superstition.
- "In the night of St. George’s Day (so say the legends) all these treasures begin to burn, or, to speak in mystic language, to ‘bloom’ in the bosom of the earth, and the light they give forth, described as a bluish flame resembling the colour of lighted spirits of wine, serves to guide favoured mortals to their place of concealment. The conditions to the successful raising of such a treasure are manifold, and difficult of accomplishment. In the first place, it is by no means easy for a common mortal who has not been born on a Sunday nor at midday when the bells are ringing, to hit upon a treasure at all. If he does, however, catch sight of such a flame, he must quickly stick a knife through the swaddling rags of his right foot, and then throw the knife in the direction of the flame he has seen. If two people are together during this discovery they must not on any account break silence till the treasure is removed, neither is it allowed to fill up the hole from which anything has been taken, for that would induce a speedy death. The lights seen before midnight on St. George’s Day, denote treasures kept by benevolent spirits, while those which appear at a later hour are unquestionably of a pernicious nature." www.gutenberg.org/files/52165/52165-h/52165-h.htm
- I've read more than once that Stoker didn't know much about Vlad III Dracula, that he had initially planned to set his novel in an uncanny Styria (in Austria), as Le Fanu had done with 'Carmilla', as the interest in Eastern European vampires in the west had begun with reports from Serbia (newly incorporated into the Austrian empire following the ouster of the Ottomans) in the 18th cent., investigated and debunked by Austrian authorities. In Chap. 18, Van Helsing says this of the Count.: “He must, indeed, have been that Voivode Dracula who won his name against the Turk, over the great river on the very frontier of Turkey-land”. But in a discussion with Harker, the Count reveals that he was a Szekeler (ethnically Hungarian or Magyar), very much unlike the Wallachian Voivode, and gives the following, impassioned, (very) lengthy speech.: “We Szekelys have a right to be proud, for in our veins flows the blood of many brave races who fought as the lion fights, for lordship. Here, in the whirlpool of European races, the Ugric tribe bore down from Iceland [Northern Russia or Siberia?] the fighting spirit which Thor and Wodin gave them [?], which their Berserkers [Vikings] displayed to such fell intent on the seaboards of Europe, ay, and of Asia and Africa too [? Ugric tribes weren't Viking/Norse, but often suffered and were slaughtered in that "display of fighting spirit"], till the peoples thought that the werewolves themselves had come. Here, too, when they came, they found the Huns [the Skelelers claim descent from Attila], whose warlike fury had swept the earth like a living flame, till the dying peoples held that in their veins ran the blood of those old witches, who, expelled from Scythia had mated with the devils in the desert. Fools, fools! What devil or what witch was ever so great as Attila, whose blood is in these veins? ... Is it a wonder that we were a conquering race, that we were proud, that when the Magyar, the Lombard, the Avar, the Bulgar, or the Turk poured his thousands on our frontiers, we drove them back? Is it strange that when Arpad and his legions swept through the Hungarian fatherland he found us here when he reached the frontier, that the Honfoglalas was completed there? And when the Hungarian flood swept eastward, the Szekelys were claimed as kindred by the victorious Magyars [the best current evidence is that the Szekelys WERE Magyars], and to us for centuries was trusted the guarding of the frontier of Turkeyland. Aye, and more than that, endless duty of the frontier guard, for as the Turks say, "water sleeps, and the enemy is sleepless." Who more gladly than we throughout the Four Nations received the 'bloody sword', or at its warlike call flocked quicker to the standard of the King? When was redeemed that great shame of my nation, the shame of Cassova, when the flags of the Wallach and the Magyar went down beneath the Crescent? Who was it but one of my own race who as Voivode crossed the Danube and beat the Turk on his own ground? [Vlad III Dracula. He seems to be discussing himself in the 3rd person.] This was a Dracula indeed! [See?] Woe was it that his own unworthy brother ['Radu the Handsome'], when he had fallen, sold his people to the Turk and brought the shame of slavery on them! Was it not this Dracula, indeed, who inspired that other of his race who in a later age again and again brought his forces over the great river into Turkeyland, who, when he was beaten back, came again, and again, though he had to come alone from the bloody field where his troops were being slaughtered, since he knew that he alone could ultimately triumph! They said that he thought only of himself. Bah! What good are peasants without a leader? Where ends the war without a brain and heart to conduct it? Again, when, after the battle of Mohacs [the 2nd battle of Mohacs, Aug. 12, 1687, a victory for the Habsburgs and a defeat for the Ottomans under Mehmed IV], we threw off the Hungarian yoke, we of the Dracula blood were amongst their leaders, for our spirit would not brook that we were not free. Ah, young sir, the Szekelys, and the Dracula as their heart's blood, their brains, and their swords, can boast a record that mushroom growths like the Hapsburgs and the Romanoffs can never reach. The warlike days are over. Blood is too precious a thing in these days of dishonourable peace, and the glories of the great races are as a tale that is told."”
- If Stoker had seen any reproductions of images of Vlad III in any of the books he'd been reading at the British museum, that might account for the Count's "aquiline" face "with [its] high bridge of the thin nose"; "bushy", curly hair; long, heavy moustache (while otherwise he's clean-shaven); "fixed and rather cruel-looking mouth"; and firm though thin cheeks. Access to a description of Vlad provided by a 15th-cent. papal legate as having "a cold and terrible appearance, a strong aquiline nose, swollen nostrils" and "bushy black eyebrows", might account for the Count's flaring nostrils and "massive" eyebrows. All quite un-Lugosi-esque. (Acclaimed Dracula expert Elizabeth Miller [a Torontonian] claims that the differences /b/ the appearance of Vlad III Dracula in any of "the portraits" and Stoker's description of the count "are overwhelming." ? I don't know what she's on about.)
- That night I was the guest of a family just a short walk down from the pass and the hotel. (See the next photo of the girl in bed.)
Our OLD pet puggle loves the granddaughter and she follows him around too, petting him every chance she gets!
When I opened my eyes early this morning and looked at the mountain range behind our cabin - we no longer had "termination dust" on the front range - we had "snow". So I thought I'd go outside and see if I could find Old Man Winter and have a little chat with him. Since all flying insects have now disappeared, I decided to sit and listen to the sounds of the forest. Pretty soon I heard the soft sound of someone creeping through the leaves. I remained very still - practically holding my breath, and the next thing I knew . . . he appeared. I managed to get a couple of quick shots before he gave out a weird cackle and sped off into the forest. He's about as elusive as Big-foot - but this image proves he does exist. *LOL ;)))
Marty: "Let's land on him, we'll cripple his car."
Doc: "Marty, he's in a '46 Ford. We're in a DeLorean. He'd rip through us like we were tin foil."
— As the DeLorean hovers over the Ford
The Ford Super De Luxe was a model of vehicle manufactured by Ford during the 1940s. Biff Tannen owned a 1946 version in 1955 which was a convertible, painted black with a red interior, and had the nickname "Shiela". Its license plate number was 6H 96472.
Biff was the only person who knew the trick to starting the ignition, as he told Terry: "You just gotta have the right touch. Nobody can start this car but me." Biff still remembered the technique in his old age — much to the amazement of his younger self, who demanded to know how this "old codger with a cane" knew how to do this.
History
After being provoked by Marty McFly in Lou's Cafe on November 8, 1955, Biff and his gang chased him in the Ford around Courthouse Square before slamming into a manure truck. By November 12, Biff had the car repaired. In order to repair the damage to his car, Biff was pressured by Terry to pay $300 for the job, but refused payment. As he argued with Terry, both Marty and Biff's older self jumped into the Ford, with Marty hiding in the back seat. Old Biff drove the Ford back to his house and parked it in his garage before displaying the Grays Sports Almanac.
Later that night, Marty snuck away in the back seat again as Biff drove to the Enchantment Under the Sea dance at Hill Valley High School. Biff parked the vehicle outside the door of the gymnasium and returned to it after discovering that Marty had been after the almanac. Biff drove the Ford towards River Road Tunnel on the way home before Marty swooped in using the hoverboard. Biff and Marty fought over the almanac outside and in the tunnel, with Biff sideswiping the wall of the tunnel with the right side of the Ford. When Biff reached the end of the tunnel, he turned completely around and faced Marty who was still halfway inside. Biff charged the car towards Marty in the hopes of running him over, but failed when Marty grabbed a string of pennants attached to the DeLorean time machine. As Biff watched the DeLorean hover away, he crashed the Ford into a manure truck again, filling his car with manure.
It is unclear what became of the Ford after 1955, but it reappeared newly restored in 1985A where it was on display at the entrance to the Biff Tannen Museum, alongside a waxwork figure of Biff.
[Text from bactothefuture.wikia.com]
backtothefuture.wikia.com/wiki/Ford_Super_De_Luxe_Convert...
This Lego miniland scale 1946 Ford Super Deluxe Convertible (Back to the Future I & II) has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 96th Build Challenge - The 8th Birthday, titled - 'Happy Crazy Eight Birthday, LUGNuts' - where all previous build challenges are available to build to. This model is built to the LUGNuts 6th build challenge, - "Your Claim to Fame" - a challenge encouraging the builder to create an iconic model with some level of popular culture reference (to ensure lots of interweb exposure) - in this case, this model is created and loaded to the interweb in the lead up to October 21st 2015 - the day that Marty and Doc Brown arrive in 2015 from their original timeline in 1985.
I woke up and found that Seth's arm was locked around me, I wanted to get up and tell him to go home and change but part of me said enjoy the moment. I had to agree with the second part of me because I liked to watch him sleep, he was so peaceful. I loosened the grip on his arm trying to not to stir his deep sleep, but it was too late. Seth shoot up almost falling out of the bed and would if I hadn't caught him.
"Wha-what's wrong?" He asked grabbing my shoulders as his eyes blinked many times to keep focus. I giggled at his messy hair and tried to flatten it out.
"You should go home and take a shower and meet me at The King's Grill for lunch," I smiled as he turned his back on me and slipped and his shoes. I locked my arms around his shoulders leaning on his back. "Are you going to speak?"
"Yeah, I'll met you there what time?" He asked scratching his head and smiled slightly back at me.
"It's ten now so how about twelve?" I suggested and he nodded walking to my door. I cleared my throat and smiled as he ran back over to me bed. He gave me a quick kiss and was out the door. I fell back smiling and kicked my feet. He was mine at last, I jumped up and my hands shot in the air. A spark-or something rather bright-escaped from my hand. I examined my hands and stumbled over to the mirror. I was wearing a totally different outfit, my little black number was no where to be found. I was now wearing kaki kapris and a light blue shirt it was all to big on me.
A scream sounded from downstairs and I followed it emmedietly, but when I found out who the scream was from I wished I hadn't. My mother was now wearing my little black number and I was wearing her big blue and kaki number.
"What the hell was that?" My mother asked wide eyed. Her hands were shaking and I could see that she had dropped her salad bowl. I couldn't speak partially because I really didn't know what was going on and also because the outfit didn't fit her style at all. "I said what the hell was that?"
"I don't know...here have your clothes," I said stripping down to my undergarments.
"No...Sabrina we're having company over," She hissed pointing to the red van outside.
"Fuck," I cursed and then covered my mouth as she crossed her arms. "Sorry, then hurry get down and we'll change quickly."
I grabbed my back dress and pulled it on quickly and she did the same. "Isn't it funny how crazy stuff happens to us?"
"I guess but I have to take a shower and meet Seth at the King's Grill at twelve," I said helping her up and kissing her cheek before zipping up the steps. I jumped into the shower real quick and scrubbed my hair, by the time I finished my shower, got dressed, and fixed my make-up it was eleven-thirty. I rushed down the steps and grabbed my mom's car keys.
"I'll be back later maybe three or four, if you need the car just call me okay?" I asked while she served Mrs. Silverman a plate of my her famous diet omelete.I rolled my eyes and ran out the door to the car. I started the ignition and was on my way.
**Later At The King's Grill**
"Hey," I smiled hugging Seth as he stood up from our table to greet me. I inhaled his fresh springy smell, and sat down in the seat across from him.
"What do you need to talk about? You sounded in a rush on the phone when you called," He asked holding my hand.
"Well when you left I was...um happy because you kissed me and I shot up with my hands in the air and all of the sudden I was wearing my mother's clothes!" I hissed in a whisper so no one could possibly hear except for Seth. He stared at me.
"Did you see a form or a spark...something like that?"
"Yes well I think I did," I tried to explain the brightness and the color of the glow but I only saw it for a split second.
"Okay I only ordered fries and soda's so we can finish up here and go back to your place and then talk about this...power your gaining."
"Power?" My voice cracked in excitment and Seth nodded slowly. "Holy...crap I get powers?"
"Shhh, you're sounding like a freak," He laughed as people turned their head to us. Seth's face got red, "Great, just what we need; attention."
"Oh my god, I love your higlights where did yo get them done?" A girl about my age ran up to me asked. I grinned and looked over at Seth.
"Oh...I got them done when I went to England last week," I lied as her bright expression changed.
"Oh okay...well thanks anyways," She walked away frowning. I turned back to Seth and shurgged.
"What did I say?" I asked and he was still staring at her.
"Did you even smell her? She's a vampire...but don't worry your sense's will catch on Sabbs."
"Ew can't believe you still call be that," I smiled taking a bite into the fry. Seth watched me eat silently. "Want some?"
"I can't I already have been through the full change...I only drink what I can digest," His face wreaked of his sly grin.
"Oh ew...that's the only thing I hate about this whole process. It must be terrible eating bunnies or bears!"
"Yeah that's why I don't eat them. I get packaged blood from a source," Seth said brushing is hair from his face. "So I'm not hurting anyone or anything."
"Oh well that's sort of good...I guess," I sat back in my chair finishing up the fries and half of my soda.
"We sould get going. I have alot to teach you," Seth said grabbing my hand as we left the resteraunt and took out seperate cars to my house. When we got to my house the red van was gone but the front door was open. I ran to the door and looked inside, it was trashed. It looked as if a hurricane blew through my house, and my mom was no where to be found.
"Mom!" I began to scream frantically. Seth ran in and helped me look for her again. "Seth she's not here! What's going on?"
"I-I don't know...but we'll find her. Maybe she took a nap and began to sleep walk or something."
"The which way would she go...the only was is where I came from and she wasn't there. Seth she was kidnapped we have to call the police!"
"No! It wasn't a human who took her it was vampire. I told you, your sense's will come soon along with more powers," He explained holding my wrists so I couldn't freak out or cause more stress.
"Vampire? What vampire?" I asked and Seth began to sniff around.
"I don't know but his or her smell is very decayed so he or she must be very powerful for their age," He said letting go of my wrists and walked around some more.
"Oh wait there's a note!" Seth called from the kitchen. I ran over and read the note along with him.
'By now you realize that your mother is gone and your house is a mess. I will only return her on one condition; meet me on 5th Avenue tomorrow at six and we'll talk about arrangements. Oh and don't think to bring anyone...this is a private conversation'
- Isis
"Oh mom, imagine what that horrid creature is doing to her!" I cried closing the front door. "Stay with me tonight please?"
"Sure," Seth smiled kissing my forehead. "Anything for you."
"I love you," I felt a shock of electicity when he leaned down to kiss my lips and took me up stairs. I fell onto the bed and laid in his arms, I watched the stars peacefully and drifted into a soundless sleep. I couldn't I sleep well when my mother was being held hostage...I couldn't dare imagine what she knows about vampires now other than being murderous freaks and I couldn't think about how Seth must feel now. He was now one of those monsterous freaks; maybe he brought another one back by accident and they were attracked to me. I couldn't think of it anymore I just had to sleep; and so I did.
This family had four kids ranging in ages from approx. 9 mos. to the boy up there on the right ... maybe 7 years old? Santa paid a visit to Culver's restaurant (frozen custard establishment very popular in WI) this weekend and the family came to see him.
As a previous shot proved, the very smallest of the children have absolutely no interest in leaving Mom or Dad's arms to meet this freak with the beard. They are too young to be convinced, bribed or otherwise tricked into understanding the story of Santa Claus or in believing that they'll ever see their parents again if they're deposited into the velvet lap of the gloved hohoho'ing guy.
Give 'em a couple of years though, and a very specific magic happens. Their eyes light up. A kid can become nearly apoplectic with excitement when Santa reaches into his bag for a coloring book or some other goodie especially for her. Little hands will reach out tentatively toward his for a brief shake and a shy whisper about what special treat she might like to find on Christmas day.
This is another reason I think kids are beautiful.
I need to reduce my contacts/workload. Can I ask my contacts who look but do not comment, to simply delete me as a contact? I won't be offended as I will never make Photographer of the Year lol. That makes it easier for me as I am reducing my contacts and groups - keeping the daisies but cutting back on the deadwood.
Steelwing: You! This is your fault!
Soundwave grabs Steelwing and quickly flips him into the air and transforms. As the Decepticon's body rapidly shifts and folds, Steelwing lands atop Soundwave's vehicular form. The communicator wastes no time and drives off in retreat.
Steelwing: Where are you taking me? Those are missiles! Missiles headed towards my home! My money bin! My workshop! My life!
Soundwave sees the drones alter course toward him but the missiles soon find their mark. Steelwing's workshop burst into flame!
Steelwing: No!
Soundwave leaves no time for Steelwing to mourn as he motors away from the flaming wreckage and tries to outrun the jets. The drones open fire with a burst of lasers from their nose-guns, peppering the landscape around the speedy Decepticon. Soundwave drives in a zig-zag pattern in an effort to avoid the blasts erupting all around him. The horror of the moment forced Steelwing from despair and focuses him on survival. He points to the west.
Steelwing: Over there! There'll be cover over that way!
Soundwave alters course as the jets fast approach. The Decepticon accelerates towards a maze of silos, pulling free of the random explosions erupting around his original trajectory. The drones shift their course as well but their speed is too great and they overshoot the Decepticon ground vehicle, giving Soundwave a few precious moments to duck between the silos. He is now only visible if the planes were directly above him, now hidden between the tall containers. Soundwave slowed down to explore the immediate area.
Soundwave: How did you know of this place?
Steelwing looked upwards, fully alert to incoming danger. He answered Soundwave but dared not take his optics off the sky.
Steelwing: I come here all the time. It's where I steal my energon from.
Soundwave froze with dread.
Soundwave: These are energon silos?
Steelwing: Well yes, they are... oh...
Steelwing lost his voice as he came to the same obvious mental conclusion that had immediately occurred to Soundwave. Soundwave instantly accelerated, just in time for the drones soar directly above him. The drones looped around and began tailing the Decepticon.
Soundwave: Which way is out?
Steelwing: You weren't supposed to run, you were supposed to hide!
Soundwave: Which way is out?!?
Steelwing: That way! That way!
Once upon a time, I guess Kingsnorth was a small leafy village, set in loamy countryside, rarely visited. Indeed this is what Hasted suggests.
Set a mile or two outside Ashford, all was calm and peaceful until the railways came to Ashford and the town grew and grew.
In the 21st century, Kingsnorth is found from the main road into the town centre, along a busy road to where the old village pub still sits. And opposite is the start of Church Hill, at the top, not surprisingly, sits the church.
Inbetween now is a large and modern housing estate, and beside the church, a busy school, even busy on a Saturday morning due to football practice and the fleet of MPVs and Soccer Moms taking their darlings for a kickabout.
It is the modern way, after all.
St Michael sits quietly next door to the school, the end of a footpath leading to another housing development on the Brenzett road, were an old friend once had a house. And I can remember him leading us on a walk over the fields through clouds of Gatekeepers where we found, as today, the church open.
I took a few shots then, but am back now to complete the task.
First highlight was the 17th century graffiti in the porch.
In truth it is a small and simple church, mostly clear what looks like modern glass, though a single panel of ancient glass is in one of the north have windows and a single panel of wall painting on the side of the north chancel arch.
-------------------------------------------
KINGSNOTH,
THE next parish south-eastward is Kingsnoth, sometimes called Kingsnode, and by Leland written Kinges-snode.
THIS PARISH is so obscurely situated as to be but little known, the soil in it is throughout a deep miry clay; it is much interspersed with woodlands, especially in the south-east part of it, the whole face of the country here is unpleasant and dreary, the hedge rows wide, with spreading oaks among them; and the roads, which are very broad, with a wide space of green swerd on each side, execrably bad; insomuch, that they are dangerous to pass except in the driest time of summer; the whole of it is much the same as the parishes adjoining to it in the Weald, of which the church, which stands on the hill nearly in the middle of the parish, is the northern boundary, consequently all that part of it southward is within that district. There is no village, the houses standing single, and interspersed throughout it At no great distance eastward from the church is the manor house of Kingsnoth, still called the Park-house, the antient mansion, which stood upon a rise, at some distance from the present house, seems from the scite of it, which is moated round, to have been large, remains of Mosaic pavement, and large quantities of stone have been at times dug up from it. South-eastward from the church is Mumfords, which seems formerly to have been very large, but the greatest part of it has been pulled down and the present small farm-house built out of it; westward from the church stands the court-lodge, now so called, of East Kingsnoth manor, it is moated round, and seems likewise to have been much larger than it is at present, and close to the western boundary of the parish is the manor-house of West Halks, which has been a large antient building, most probably of some consequence in former times, as there appears to have been a causeway once from it, wide enough for a carriage, which led through the courtlodge farm towards Shadoxhurst, Woodchurch, and son on to Halden, remains of which are often turned up in ploughing the grounds. In the low grounds, near the meadows, is the scite of the manor of Moorhouse, moated round. The above mansions seem to have been moated round not only for defence, but to drain off the water from the miry soil on which they were built, which was no doubt the principal reason why so many of the antient ones, in this and the like situations were likewise moated round. There is a streamlet, which rises in the woods near Bromley green, and slows along the eastern par to this parish northward, and joining the Postling branch of the Stour near Sevington, runs with it by Hockwood barn and under Alsop green, towards Ashford. Leland in his Itinerary says, vol. vii. p. 145, "The river of Cantorbury now cawled Sture springeth at Kinges Snode the which standeth sowthe and a lytle by west fro Cantorbury and ys distant of Cant. a xiiii or xv myles."
THE ROYAL MANOR OF WYE claims paramount over this parish. The lord of that manor, George Finch Hatton, esq. of Eastwell, holds a court leet here for the borough of East Kingsnoth, which claims over this parish, at which a borsholder is yearly appointed; subordinate to which is THE MANOR OF KINGSNOTH, which in early times was the residence of a family to which it gave name, who bore for their coat armour, as appeared by seals appendant to their antient deeds, Ermine, upon a bend, five chevronels; and John de Kingsnoth, who lived here about the latter end of king Edward I. sealed with that coat of arms; yet I find that Bartholomew de Badlesmere, who was attainted about the 17th year of king Edward II had some interest in this manor, which upon his conviction escheated to the crown, and remained there until Richard II. granted it to Sir Robert Belknap, the judge, who had, not long before, purchased that proportion of this manor which belonged to the family of Kingsnoth, by which he became possessed of the whole of it; but he being attainted and banished in the 11th year of that reign, that part which had belonged to Badlesmere, and was granted by the king to Sir Robert Belknap, returned again to the crown, a further account of which may be seen hereafter. (fn. 1) But the other part of this estate, which belonged to the family of Kingsnoth likewise, henceforward called the manor of Kingsnoth, which seems to have been the greatest part of it, on the petition of Hamon Belknap his son to parliament, to be enabled in blood and lands to his father, notwithstanding the judgement against him, was restored to him, and he was found by inquisition to die possessed of it in the 7th year of king Henry VI. Soon after which I find Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth castle, treasurer of the king's houshold, to have become possessed of it; for in the 27th year of that reign, he obtained licence for a fair in this parish, on the feast of St. Michael, and that same year he had another to embattle his mansion here and to inclose a park, and for freewarren in all his demesne lands within this manor; and in a younger branch of his descendants this manor continued down to Richard Browne, esq. of Shingleton, in Great Chart, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Andrews, of Lathbury, in Buckinghamshire, and dying soon after the death of king Charles I. Elizabeth, their only daughter and heir, carried it in marriage to Thomas, lord Leigh, of Stoneleigh, who afterwards alienated it again to Andrews, in which name it continued till Alexander Andrews, executor and devisee of William Andrews, in 1690, conveyed this manor, with the farm called the Park, the manor of Morehouse, and other lands in this parish, being enabled so to do by act of parliament, to the company of haberdashers of London, as trustees, for the support of the hospital at Hoxton, commonly called Aske's hospital, in whom they are now vested. There is not any court held for this manor.
THE OTHER PART of the above-mentioned estate, which had formerly belonged to the family of Badlesmere, and had escheated to the crown on the attainder of Bartholomew de Badlesmere in the 17th year of king Edward II. remained there until Richard II. granted it to Sir Robert Belknap, on whose attainder and banishment in the 11th year of that reign it returned again to the crown, whence it seems, but at what time I have not found, to have been granted to the abbot and convent of Battel, in Sussex, by the name of THE MANOR OF EAST KINGSNOTH, together with the manors of West Kingenoth, in Pluckley; Morehouse, in this parish; and Wathenden, in Biddenden, lately belonging to that monastery, in as ample a manner as the late abbot, or any of his predecessors had possessed them, (fn. 2) and they continued part of the possessions of it till its dissolution in the 30th year of Henry VIII. when they came into the hands of the crown, where they staid but a short time; for the king that year granted these manors to Sir Edw. Ringsley for his life, without any rent or account whatsoever; and four years afterwards the king sold the reversion of them to Sir John Baker, one of his council, and chancellor of the first fruits and tenths, to hold in capite by knight's service. He died in 1558, possessed of this manor, with the advowson of the church of Kingsnoth, and the manors of West Kingsnoth and Morehouse, held in capite, in whose descendants the manor of East Kingsnoth, with the advowson of the church, descended down to Sir John Baker, bart. who, in the reign of king Charles I. passed it away by sale to Mr. Nathaniel Powell, of Ewehurst, in Sussex, and afterwards of Wiarton, in this county, who was in 1661 created a baronet; and in his descendants it continued down to Sir Christopher Powell, bart. who died possessed of it in 1742, s.p. leaving his widow surviving, whose trustees sold this manor and advowson, after her death, to Mrs. Fuller, widow of Mr. David Fuller, of Maidstone, attorney-at-law, who in 1775 devised them by will to her relation William Stacy Coast, esq. now of Sevenoke, the present owner of them. There is not any court held for this manor.
MUMFORDS, as it is now called, though its proper and more antient name is Montfort's, is a manor in this parish, which was once the residence of the family of Clerc, written in antient deeds le Clerc, and afterwards both Clerke and Clarke, in which it continued till about the latter end of the reign of king Edward I. when Henry le Clerc leaving no issue male, Susan his daughter and heir carried it, with much other inheritance, in marriage to Sir Simon de Woodchurch, whose descendants, out of gratitude for such increase of fortune, altered their paternal name from Woodchurch to Clerke, and in several of their deeds subsequent to this marriage, were written Clerke, alias Woodchurch. They resided at Woodchurch till Humphry Clerke, esq. removed hither in Henry VIII.'s reign. (fn. 3) His son Humphry Clerke, about the end of queen Elizabeth's reign, sold this manor to John Taylor, son of John Taylor, of Willesborough, who afterwards resided here. His son John Taylor, gent. of Winchelsea, alienated it, about the beginning of king Charles I.'s reign, to Edward Wightwick, gent. descended of a family originally of Staffordshire, who bore for their arms, Argent, on a chevron, argent, between three pheons, or, as many crosses patee, gules, granted in 1613. He afterwards resided here, as did his descendants, till at length Humphry Wightwick, gent. about the beginning of king George II.'s reign removed to New Romney, of which town and port he was jurat, in whose descendants this manor became afterwards vested in several undivided shares. At length Mr. William Whitwick, the only surviving son of Humphry, having purchased his mother's life estate in it, as well as the shares of his brother Martin's children, lately sold the whole property of it to Mr. Swaffer, the present possessor and occupier of it.
WEST HALKS, usually called West Hawks, is a manor, situated near the western bounds of this parish, being held of the manor of Kenardington; it formerly was the residence of a family of the name of Halk, who bore on their seals a fess, between three bawks, and sometimes only one, and were of no contemptible account, as appears by old pedigrees and writings, in which they are represented as gentlemen for above three hundred years. Sampson de Halk, gent. died possessed of this manor about the year 1360, and held besides much other land at Petham and the adjoining parishes; but about the latter end of king Henry VI.'s reign, this manor had passed from this family into that of Taylor, in which name it continued till the latter end of king Henry VII. when it was alienated to Clerc, whose descendant Humphry Clerke, esq. about the end of queen Elizabeth's reign, passed it away to Robert Honywood, esq, of Charing, who settled it on his fourth son by his second marriage Colonel Honywood. How long it continued in his descendants, I cannot learn; but it has been for some length of time in the name of Eaton, of. Essex, Mr. Henry Eaton being the present owner of it.
Charities.
HUMPHRY CLARKE, gent. of this parish, left by will in 1637, a parcel of land, called Pightland, containing about three acres, in the eastern part of this parish, for the benefit of the poor of it.
MRS. ELIZABETH MAY, in 1721, gave by will 9l. every third year, chargeable on Bilham farm, to be paid, clear of all deductions, to this parish in turn, during a term of years therein mentioned, to be applied yearly towards the binding out a child an apprentice, of the poorest people in three parishes in turn, as has been already mentioned more at large under Sevington. One girl only has as yet been put out apprentice from this charity, by this parish.
The number of poor constanly relieved are about twentyfive, casually twelve.
KINGSNOTH is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Limne.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Michael, is small, consisting only of one isle and one chancel, having a square tower steeple at the west end, in which are five bells. In the isle is an antient gravestone, coffin-shaped, with old French capitals round it, now illegible. In the chancel is a stone, with an inscription on it in brass, for Thomas Umfrey, rector, no date; and a monument for Thomas Reader, A. M. son of Thomas Reader, gent. of Bower, in Maidstone, obt. 1740. Against the north wall is the tomb of Humphry Clarke, esq. made of Bethersden marble, having the figures of him and his wife remaining in brass on it, and underneath four sons and five daughters. Over the tomb, in an arch in the wall, is an inscription to his memory, set up by his daughter's son Sir Martin Culpeper, over it are the arms of Clarke, Two pales wavy, ermine, impaling Mayney. In the glass of the south window of the isle are several heads remaining, and in the north-west window the figure of St. Michael with the dragon. The north chancel fell down about thirty years ago. It belonged to the manor of Mumfords, and in it were interred the Wightwicks, owners of that manor; the gravestones of them, nine in number, yet remain in the church-yard, shut out from the church; and on one next to theirs, formerly within this chancel, is the figure of a knight in armour, with a lion under his feet, and an inscription in brass, for Sir William Parker, son of William Parker, esq. citizen and mercer of London, obt. 1421; arms, On a fess, three balls.
The advowson of the rectory of this church was formerly parcel of the possessions of the priory of Christ-church, and at the dissolution of it in the 31st year of Henry VIII. came into the king's hands, where it remained till that king in his 34th year, granted it in exchange, among other premises, to archbp. Cranmer, (fn. 4) who did not keep it long; for four years afterwards, he reconveyed it, with the consent of his chapter, back again to the king, (fn. 5) who soon afterwards granted it to Sir John Baker, one of his council, and chancellor of his first-fruits and tenths, who died possessed of the manor of East Kingsnoth, together with the advowson of this church, in the year 1558, in whose descendants it continued down to Sir John Baker, bart. who in the reign of king Charles I. alienated it, with that manor, to Mr. Nathaniel Powell. Since which this advowson has continued in the like succession of ownership with that manor, as may be seen more fully in the account of it before, to the present patron of it, William Stacy Coast, esq. now of Sevenoke.
There was formerly a pension of forty shillings payable from this church to the abbot of Battel.
¶This rectory is valued in the king's books at 11l. 9s. 9½d. and the yearly tenths at 1l. 2s. 11¼d. In 1578 it was valued at sixty pounds, communicants one hundred. In 1640 it was valued at fifty pounds only, and there were the like number of communicants. It is now worth about one hundred and forty pounds per annum. The rector takes no tithes of wood below the hill southward. There are about seventeen acres of glebe land.
www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol7/pp583-592
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There has been a Church in Kingsnorth from Saxon Times but the present building probably dates from the 11thC. There are examples of 13thC and 14thC stained glass remaining in some of the windows. The chancel was rebuilt in the 18thC following a storm and the two side chapels were demolished at this time. Major restoration was carried out in the 19thC at which time the stained glass in the East Window was installed. At this time and again in the 1920s work was carried out to try and cure the problem of rising damp due to the high water table. In 2006 major restoration was once again required and in addition to repairs to the tower and external stonework it was decided that an extension would be built on the site of the old chantry chapel on the north side of the building and that the interior of the church would be re-ordered. This involved digging out the interior of the church and laying a new suspended floor to try and cure the problem of the rising damp (This has been largely successful). The old pews and choir stalls were replaced with modern stackable pews to enable a more flexible use of the space, new lighting and a new heating system was installed. This has resulted in a light airy user friendly building. At the back of the church a glass screen was erected forming a separate area. This provides a space where parents can take their children if they become restless during the services. The ground floor of the extension consists of a large meeting room with kitchenette plus toilet. On the first floor there is a choir vestry and church office. There are currently plans to install a second toilet on this floor. On the second floor there is a further small meeting room and a store room.
I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast.
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Allah’s peace be upon Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), the glorious Prophet of Islam, and on his Companions and his followers.
TASAWWUF
"There is no doubt that Tasawwuf is an important branch of Islam. The word itself may have been derived form the Arabic word "Soof" (Wool) or from "Safa" (cleanliness), but its foundation lies in one’s personal sincerity in seeking Allah’s nearness and trying to live a life pleasing to Him. Study of the Quran, the Hadith, and the practical life of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) and his faithful Companions provide unmistakable support to this reality." (Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A)
SUFISM, AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ISLAM
Doubts exist not only in the minds of the Muslim faithful but also among the Ulema, notably the exoteric about Tasawwuf and its votaries. Often they lead to misunderstanding, as if Shariah and Tariqah were two separate entries, or that Tasawwuf was some obscure discipline foreign to Islam, or that it was altogether above the established laws and injunctions of our Religion. To help remove these misgivings and to reassure seekers, as well as scholars, our Sheikh Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), Sheikh Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia, wrote Al-Jamal Wal Kamal, Aqaid-O-Kamalaat Ulmai-e-Deoband, Binat-e-Rasool (S.A.W), Daamad-e-Ali (R.A), Dalael-us-Salook, Ejaad-e-Mazhab Shia, Hayat-un-Nabi (S.A.W), Hayat Barzakhia, Ilm-o-Irfan, Niffaz-e-Shariat Aur Fiqah-e-Jaferia, Saif-e-Owaisi, Shikast-e-Ahdai Hussain and Tahkeek Halal Haram books.
BIOGRAPHY
Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chakrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The very year, he met Shaykh Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Shaykh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was right away established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century) and he started receiving spiritual beneficence. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years. In 1962 he was directed to carry out the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular enthusiasm and devotion for a period spanning half a century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss as per his/her sincerity and capacity. Shaykh Allah Yar Khan's mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and distinction.
Although Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A) have lived a major portion of his life as a scholar, with the avowed mission of illuminating the truth of Islam and the negation of fallacious sects, and this would appear quite removed from Tasawwuf, yet the only practical difference between the two, namely the use of the former as a media to expound the truth, and the latter to imbue people with positive faith. Nevertheless, people are amazed that a man, who until the other day, was known as a dialectician and a preacher of Islam, is not only talking of Mystic Path, but is also claiming spiritual bonds with the veteran Sufi Masters of the Past. This amazement is obviously out of place in the view of Quranic injunction: This is the bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills. (62:4)
THE PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL
The purification of the soul always formed part of the main mission of the Prophets; that is, the dissemination and propagation of the Devine Message. This responsibility later fell directly on the shoulders of the true Ulema in the Ummah of the last Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), who, as his genuine successors, have continued to shed brave light in every Dark Age of materialism and sacrilege. In the present age of ruinous confusion, the importance of this responsibility has increased manifold; of the utter neglect of Islam by Muslims has not only driven them to misery, but also grievously weakened their bonds of faith in Allah and His Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). The decay in their belief and consequent perversion in their conduct has reached a stage that any attempt to pull them out of the depth of ignominy and the heedless chaos of faithlessness, attracts grave uncertainties and apprehensions rather than a encouraging will to follow the Shariah, to purify the soul and to reform within. The Quranic Verse: Layers upon layers of darkness… (24:40) provides the nearest expression of their present state.
SHARIAH & SUFISM
Any action against the Sunnah (Prophet’s way of life) cannot be called Sufism. Singing and dancing, and the prostration on tombs are not part of Sufism. Nor is predicting the future and predicting the outcome of cases in the courts of law, a part of Sufism. Sufis are not required to abandon their worldly possessions or live in the wilderness far from the practical world. In fact these absurdities are just its opposites. It is an established fact that Tazkiyah (soul purification) stands for that inner purity which inspires a person’s spirit to obey the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). If a false claimant of Sufism teaches tricks and jugglery, ignoring religious obligations, he is an impostor. A true Sheikh will lead a believer to the august spiritual audience of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). If you are fortunate enough to be blessed with the company of an accomplished spiritual guide and Sheikh of Sufism, and if you follow his instructions, you will observe a positive change in yourself, transferring you from vice to virtue.
ISLAM, AS A COMPLETE CODE OF LIFE
Islam, as a complete code of life or Deen, was perfected during the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). He was the sole teacher and his mosque was the core institution for the community. Although Islam in its entirety was practiced during that blessed era, the classification and compilation of its knowledge into distinct branches like ‘Tafsir’ (interpretation of the Quran), Hadith (traditions or sayings of the holy Prophet- SAWS), Fiqh (Islamic law), and Sufism (the soul purification) were undertaken subsequently. This Deen of Allah passed from the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) to his illustrious Companions in two ways: the outward and the inward. The former comprised the knowledge defined by speech and conduct, i.e., the Quran and Sunnah. The latter comprised the invisible blessings or the Prophetic lights transmitted by his blessed self. These blessings purified the hearts and instilled in them a passionate desire to follow Islam with utmost love, honesty and loyalty.
WHAT’S SUFISM
Sufism is the attempt to attain these Barakah (Blessings). The Companions handed down Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) teachings as well as blessings to the Taba’een. Their strong hearts were capable of infusing these blessings into the hearts of their followers. Both aspects of Islam were similarly passed on by the Taba’een to the Taba Taba’een. The compilation of knowledge and its interpretation led to the establishment of many schools of religious thought; famous four being the Hanafi, the Hanbali, the Maliki, and the Shafa'i, all named after their founders. Similarly, in order to acquire, safeguard and distribute his blessings, an organized effort was initiated by four schools of Sufism: The Naqshbandia, the Qadria, the Chishtia, and the Suharwardia. These schools were also named after their organizers and came to be known as Sufi Orders. All these Orders intend to purify the hearts of sincere Muslims with Prophetic lights. These Sufi Orders also grew into many branches with the passage of time and are known by other names as well. The holy Quran has linked success in this life and the Hereafter with Tazkiyah (soul purification). He, who purified, is successful. (87: 14) Sufi Orders of Islam are the institutions where the basics of Tazkiyah (soul purification) and its practical application are taught. They have graded programs in which every new seeker is instructed in Zikr-e Lisani (oral Zikr) and is finally taught the Zikr-e Qalbi (Remembrance in heart).
ZIKR-E QALBI
However, in the Naqshbandia Order, Zikr-e Qalbi is practiced from the very beginning. Adherence to the Sunnah (Prophet’s way of life) is greatly emphasized in this Order, because the seeker achieves greater and quicker progress through its blessings. The essence of Zikr is that the Qalb should sincerely accept Islamic beliefs and gain the strength to follow the Sunnah with even greater devotion. ‘If the heart is acquainted with Allah and is engaged in His Zikr; then it is filled with Barakaat-e Nabuwwat (Prophetic blessings) which infuse their purity in the mind and body. This not only helps in controlling sensual drives but also removes traces of abhorrence, voracity, envy and insecurity from human soul. The person therefore becomes an embodiment of love, both for the Divine and the corporeal. This is the meaning of a Hadith, “There is a lump of flesh in the human body; if it goes astray the entire body is misguided, and if it is reformed the entire body is reformed. Know that this lump is the Qalb”.’
PAS ANFAS
Recent History Khawajah Naqshband (d. 1389 CE) organized the Naqshbandia Order at Bukhara (Central Asia). This Order has two main branches – the Mujaddidia and the Owaisiah. The former is identified with Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi, known as Mujaddid Alif Sani (literally: reviver of the second Muslim millennium), a successor to Khawajah Baqi Billah, who introduced the Order to the Indo- Pakistan sub-continent. The Owaisiah Order employs a similar method of Zikr but acquires the Prophetic blessings in the manner of Khawajah Owais Qarni, who received this beneficence from the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) without a formal physical meeting. The Zikr employed by the Naqshbandia is ‘Zikr-e Khafi Qalbi’ (remembrance of Allah’s Name within the heart) and the method is termed ‘Pas Anfas’, which (in Persian) means guarding every breath. The Chain of Transmission of these Barakah, of course, emanates from the holy Prophet- SAWS.
SPIRITUAL BAI’AT (OATH OF ALLEGIANCE
It is necessary in all Sufi Orders that the Sheikh and the seekers must be contemporaries and must physically meet each other for the transfer of these blessings. However, the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order goes beyond this requirement and Sufis of this Order receive these Barakah regardless of physical meeting with their Sheikh or even when the Sheikh is not their contemporary. Yet, it must be underscored that physical meeting with the Sheikh of this Order still holds great importance in dissemination of these Barakah. Sheikh Sirhindi writes about the Owaisiah Order in his book ‘Tazkirah’: ‘It is the most sublime, the most exalted, and the most effective…and the highest station of all others is only its stepping stone.’ By far the greatest singular distinction of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order is the honor of Spiritual Bai’at (Oath of Allegiance) directly at the blessed hands of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W).
SHEIKH HAZRAT MOULANA ALLAH YAR KHAN (R.A)
The Reviver Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chikrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The same year, he met Sheikh ‘Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Sheikh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was immediately established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century CE) and he started receiving spiritual beneficence. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years, after which he was directed to undertake the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular zeal and dedication for a period spanning half a century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss commensurate with his/her sincerity and capacity. Sheikh Allah Yar Khan’s mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and eminence. He authored eighteen books, the most distinguished being Dalael us-Sulook (Sufism - An Objective Appraisal), Hayat-e Barzakhiah (Life Beyond Life) and Israr ul- Haramain (Secrets of the two holy Mosques). He was undoubtedly one of the most distinguished Sufi saints of the Muslim Ummah and a reviver of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order. He passed away on 18 February 1984 in Islamabad at the age of eighty.
THE CHAIN OF TRANSMISSION OF NAQSHBANDIA OWAISIAH
1. Hazrat Muhammad ur-Rasool Allah (Sall Allah-o Alaihi wa Sallam), 2. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (Radhi Allah-o Unho), 3. Hazrat Imam Hassan Basri (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 4. Hazrat Daud Tai (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 5. Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 6. Hazrat Ubaid Ullah Ahrar (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 7. Hazrat Abdur Rahman Jami (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 8. Hazrat Abu Ayub Muhammad Salih (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 9. Hazrat Allah Deen Madni (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 10. Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi).
THE SPIRIT OR RUH
The spirit or Ruh of every person is a created reflection of the Divine Attributes and it originates in Alam-e Amar (Realm of Command). Its food is the Light of Allah or the Divine Refulgence, which it acquires from the Realm of Command through the holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s choicest favors and peace be upon him), whose status in the spiritual world is like that of the sun in the solar system. The Quran refers to him as the ‘bright lamp’. Indeed, he is the divinely selected channel of all Barakah. All Exalted Messengers themselves receive these Barakah from him.
LATAIF
The human Ruh also possesses vital organs like the physical body; through which it acquires its knowledge, food and energy. These are called Lataif (singular Latifah: subtlety). Scholars of various Sufi Orders have associated them with specific areas of the human body. The Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order identifies these Lataif as follows. First - Qalb: This spiritual faculty is located within the physical heart. Its function is Zikr. Its strength increases one’s capacity for Allah’s Zikr. Second – Ruh: The site of this Latifah, which is a distinct faculty of the human Ruh, is on the right side of the chest at the level of Qalb. Its primary function is concentration towards Allah. Third – Sirri: This is located above the Qalb and functions to make possible Kashf. Forth – Khaffi: This is located above the Ruh and functions to perceive the omnipresence of Allah. Fifth – Akhfa: This is located in the middle of chest, at the centre of the first four Lataif and makes it possible for the Ruh to perceive the closeness of Allah, Who is closer to us than our own selves. Sixth – Nafs: This Latifah is located at the forehead and functions to purify the human soul. Seventh – Sultan al-Azkar: This Latifah is located at the top centre of the head and serves to absorb the Barakah of Allah into the entire body, so that every cell resonates with Zikr.
FIVE EXALTED MESSENGERS OF GOD
There are Five Exalted Messengers among the many known and unknown Messengers of Allah. They are Hazrat Muhammad, Hazrat Nuh (Noah), Hazrat Ibrahim (Abraham), Hazrat Musa (Moses), and Hazrat Esa (Jesus), peace be upon them all. Hazrat Adam is the first Prophet of Allah and the father of mankind. Each Latifah is associated with a particular Prophet. The Barakah and lights from Hazrat Adam (peace be upon him), descend on the first Latifah Qalb; its lights are reflected from the first heaven and are yellowish. The second Latifah is associated with Hazrat Nuh and Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon them). Its lights descend from the second heaven and appear as golden red. The lights descending upon the third Latifah are from Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) and are white. One the fourth Latifah, the lights of Hazrat Esa (peace be upon him) descend from the fourth heaven and are deep blue. The fifth Latifah receives its Barakah directly from the holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s choicest favors and peace be upon him). The lights associated with this Latifah are green, descend from the fifth heaven, and overwhelm all the first four Lataif. The Lights descending upon the sixth and seventh Lataif are the Divine Lights, whose color and condition cannot be determined. These are like flashes of lightening that defy comprehension. If Allah blesses a seeker with Kashf, he can observe all of this. The vision is slightly diffused in the beginning, but gradually the clarity improves.
SULOOK
Stages of the Path After all seven Lataif of a seeker have been illuminated with Divine Lights through Tawajjuh of the Sheikh and his Ruh has acquired the ability to fly, the Sheikh initiates its journey on the sublime Path of Divine nearness. The Path is known as Sulook, and its stages are not hypothetical imaginations but real and actually existing stations on the spiritual Path. These are also referred to as Meditations, because a seeker mentally meditates about a station while his/her Ruh actually ascends towards it. The first three stations that form the base of whole Sulook are described as; Ahadiyyat, a station of Absolute Unity of Divinity. It is above and beyond the seven heavens. It is so vast a station that the seven heavens and all that they encompass are lost within Ahadiyyat as a ring is lost in a vast desert. Its lights are white in color. Maiyyat station denotes Divine Company, ‘He is with you, wherever you might be.’ This station is so vast that Ahadiyyat along with the seven heavens beneath are lost within it as a ring is lost in a desert. Its lights are green in color. Aqrabiyyat station denotes Divine Nearness, ‘He is nearer to you than your life- vein.’ Again, Aqrabiyyat is vast as compared to Maiyyat in the same proportion. Its lights are golden red and are reflected from the Divine Throne. It is indeed the greatest favor of Almighty Allah that He blesses a seeker with an accomplished Sheikh, who takes him to these sublime stations. The final station that a seeker attains to during his/her lifetime becomes his/her Iliyyeen (blessed abode) in Barzakh and his/her Ruh stays at this station after death.
ZIKR
Why is Zikr Necessary for Everyone? Allah ordains every soul in the Quran to Perform Zikr. This not only means reciting the Quran and Tasbeeh but also Zikr-e Qalb. It is only through Zikr-e Qalbi that Prophetic Lights reach the depths of human soul and purify it from all vice and evil. Zikr infuses a realization of constant Divine Presence and a seeker feels great improvement in the level of sincerity and love towards Allah and the holy Prophet- SAWS. Such levels of sincerity, love and feelings of Divine Presence can never be obtained without Zikr. It would be a mistake to believe that Zikr may be a requirement only for the very pious and virtuous people. Zikr provides the Prophetic blessings which are in effect the life line of every human soul. It transforms even the most corrupted humans into virtuous souls by bringing out the best in them. The fact is that Zikr is the only way to achieve true contentment and satisfaction in life. The holy Quran has pointed to this eternal fact that it is only through Zikr Allah that hearts can find satisfaction. Such satisfaction and peace are the ultimate requirements of every person, regardless of religion, race and ethnicity. Practicing Zikr regularly removes all traces of anxiety and restlessness, and guides the human soul to eternal bliss and peace.
KHALIFA MAJAZEEN
Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), during his life time in 1974, presented a nomination list to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), during Maraqba, of expected Khalifa Majazeen for Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia. Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) approved some names, deleted some of the names, and added down the name of Major Ghulam Muhammad as also Khalifa Majaaz of Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia (which was not previously included in the list)
The approved names at that time included:
1. Mr. Muhammad Akram Awan Sahib,
2. Mr. Sayed Bunyad Hussain Shah Sahib,
3. Mr. Major Ahsan Baig Sahib,
4. Mr. Col. Matloob Hussain Sahib,
5. Mr. Major Ghulam Muhammad Sahib of Wan Bhachran Mianwali,
6. Mr. Molvi Abdul Haq Sahib,
7. Mr. Hafiz Abdul Razzaq Sahib,
8. Mr. Hafiz Ghulam Qadri Sahib,
9. Mr. Khan Muhammad Irani Sahib,
10. Mr. Maolana Abdul Ghafoor Sahib,
11. Mr. Syed Muhammad Hassan Sahib of Zohb.
These Majazeen were authorized to; held Majalis of Zikar (Pas Anfas) in their respective areas, arrange Majalis of Zikar in neighboring areas, train them on the way of Sulook, prepare them for Spiritual Bai’at (Oath of Allegiance), and present them to Sheikh Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan for Spiritual Bai’at at the Hand of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), in the life of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), and were all equal in status as Khalifa Majaaz of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A).
Presently we are following Hazrat Major ® Ghulam Muhammad Sahib, Khalifa Majaaz of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A).
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas Martial Arts and Karate
Karate for Kids Testimonial and Review
When my eight-year-old son first asked me if I would let him take Karate for Kids, I was a little worried. Karate seems so dangerous and I was concerned that my boy would end up injured. After talking with my husband, we agreed to give the program a chance and now we are so glad that we did.
First of all, I would like to state that Master Babin is wonderful with the children. While I was apprehensive that the Karate class would be all about fighting, I was relieved to learn that the focus was more on self-defense and moral values. Now my son is healthier than ever, doing an activity that he truly loves.
I would encourage every parent out there looking for a fun exercise-based activity for his or her child to participate in their Karate for Kids program a chance. My son is constantly talking about what he learned in his past karate lessons and practicing his blocks and punches in the living room. He is even playing his video games less.
After my initial reservations, I now cannot imagine my son participating in any other karate program. Consider this my highest recommendation.
David S
Reviews on Karate for Kids
When my son started karate instruction with Karate for Kids, he was timid, had few friends and had trouble paying attention in school. I didn't agree with the doctor who tried to tell me he had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and that I should put him on medication to control it. To me, my son just needed some loving guidance, not to be medicated.
That is when I asked my good friend about her children's experiences with the local martial arts Instructor. Like my son, her children did not have a father figure in their lives and suffered greatly as the result. When they were approaching their teenage years, she decided to enroll them in karate at Karate For Kids Within a matter of weeks, I saw her pre-teen son and daughter become more confident, focused and goal-oriented and knew I wanted the same for my child.
After his very first lesson, my son, then aged nine, was already a changed child. He overflowed with enthusiasm as he explained how the karate for kids program pushed him to reach goals, but was "really nice" about it. To this mom, that means that my son finally got the caring, personal instruction that he deserves.
Thank you for such a fantastic Karate For Kids Program
Samantha W
Testimonial and Review on Martial Arts For Men
I am a forty-eight year old man and, until about four months ago, I had really let myself go. Between work-related stress and the other pressures of my day-to-day existence, I made little time for exercise and gave almost no thought to a healthy diet. In short, I was a mess.
One day, a colleague at my office took me aside and recommended that I sign up for the martial arts program offered locally. He had recently signed up for a class and loved it. After some convincing, I agreed to accompany him to his next class.
Fast-forward to today and I now love my martial arts training. Martial Arts for men workouts feels less like training and more like fun. I have been losing weight and now have a new energy when facing the daily grind. I have gone from one class a week to two, and am thinking of adding a third.
If you are looking for a fun way to get in shape, I would advise you to come on down our Martial Arts for Men Academy. You will not regret it.
Getting younger…
Lisa F
Testimonial and Review on Martial Arts For Women
I never would have thought that taking up martial arts, would change me so much as a person and in so many ways. I still use every occasion to thank my friends, for recommending me the Martial Art courses for women taught by a martial arts school that teaches quality skill sets for women
I used to be a very shy person, and had become quite fearful after having my purse stolen one evening. Now, that is no longer the case. Since participating in the martial arts courses, I have felt more empowered than ever. I enjoyed the friendly and encouraging atmosphere right from the start, and did not feel ashamed of my initial clumsiness.
Now, I can actually impress my friends with some of the moves I learned. Also, I am fully aware that martial arts represent a life style just as much as anything else. My Instructor simply amazed all of us throughout the entire program, with his dedication and willingness to teach us. In fact, we could hardly wait for the next session.
I truly recommend anyone to make the same change I made in my life. Looking back, I really cannot see my weekly schedule without my martial arts training sessions.
C McCrae
Martial Arts For Women in Las Vegas, Nevada
Taking a martial arts class was not something I had given much consideration prior to turning 30. Wanting to preserve my strength and flexibility for years to come finally enticed me to take the plunge. The immediate results were stunning and I found myself feeling more energetic and confident in just a few sessions.
Not only are his martial arts skills top-notch, but I find his enthusiasm and enjoyment of the sport to be infectious. Considering that this entire venture was foreign to me, I felt right at home during my very first class. In addition to training in martial arts my instructor has a great deal of patience and warmth, the other karate students in the session were just as receptive to me. They really know how to make new members feel welcome.
Learning the forms and methods involved in martial arts is a great experience, but what makes these classes truly exceptional is that we learn how to incorporate the philosophy and principals behind this art form into our everyday lives. I look forward to my sessions with my instructor, and find his classes to be a great way to invest in myself, while having some fun at the same time. It is more than just kicking and punching it’s a well rounded martial arts program.
With Great Thanks,
Jackie W
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart).
I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast.
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Allah’s peace be upon Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), the glorious Prophet of Islam, and on his Companions and his followers.
TASAWWUF
"There is no doubt that Tasawwuf is an important branch of Islam. The word itself may have been derived form the Arabic word "Soof" (Wool) or from "Safa" (cleanliness), but its foundation lies in one’s personal sincerity in seeking Allah’s nearness and trying to live a life pleasing to Him. Study of the Quran, the Hadith, and the practical life of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) and his faithful Companions provide unmistakable support to this reality." (Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A)
SUFISM, AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ISLAM
Doubts exist not only in the minds of the Muslim faithful but also among the Ulema, notably the exoteric about Tasawwuf and its votaries. Often they lead to misunderstanding, as if Shariah and Tariqah were two separate entries, or that Tasawwuf was some obscure discipline foreign to Islam, or that it was altogether above the established laws and injunctions of our Religion. To help remove these misgivings and to reassure seekers, as well as scholars, our Sheikh Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), Sheikh Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia, wrote Al-Jamal Wal Kamal, Aqaid-O-Kamalaat Ulmai-e-Deoband, Binat-e-Rasool (S.A.W), Daamad-e-Ali (R.A), Dalael-us-Salook, Ejaad-e-Mazhab Shia, Hayat-un-Nabi (S.A.W), Hayat Barzakhia, Ilm-o-Irfan, Niffaz-e-Shariat Aur Fiqah-e-Jaferia, Saif-e-Owaisi, Shikast-e-Ahdai Hussain and Tahkeek Halal Haram books.
BIOGRAPHY
Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chakrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The very year, he met Shaykh Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Shaykh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was right away established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century) and he started receiving spiritual beneficence. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years. In 1962 he was directed to carry out the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular enthusiasm and devotion for a period spanning half a century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss as per his/her sincerity and capacity. Shaykh Allah Yar Khan's mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and distinction.
Although Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A) have lived a major portion of his life as a scholar, with the avowed mission of illuminating the truth of Islam and the negation of fallacious sects, and this would appear quite removed from Tasawwuf, yet the only practical difference between the two, namely the use of the former as a media to expound the truth, and the latter to imbue people with positive faith. Nevertheless, people are amazed that a man, who until the other day, was known as a dialectician and a preacher of Islam, is not only talking of Mystic Path, but is also claiming spiritual bonds with the veteran Sufi Masters of the Past. This amazement is obviously out of place in the view of Quranic injunction: This is the bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills. (62:4)
THE PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL
The purification of the soul always formed part of the main mission of the Prophets; that is, the dissemination and propagation of the Devine Message. This responsibility later fell directly on the shoulders of the true Ulema in the Ummah of the last Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), who, as his genuine successors, have continued to shed brave light in every Dark Age of materialism and sacrilege. In the present age of ruinous confusion, the importance of this responsibility has increased manifold; of the utter neglect of Islam by Muslims has not only driven them to misery, but also grievously weakened their bonds of faith in Allah and His Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). The decay in their belief and consequent perversion in their conduct has reached a stage that any attempt to pull them out of the depth of ignominy and the heedless chaos of faithlessness, attracts grave uncertainties and apprehensions rather than a encouraging will to follow the Shariah, to purify the soul and to reform within. The Quranic Verse: Layers upon layers of darkness… (24:40) provides the nearest expression of their present state.
SHARIAH & SUFISM
Any action against the Sunnah (Prophet’s way of life) cannot be called Sufism. Singing and dancing, and the prostration on tombs are not part of Sufism. Nor is predicting the future and predicting the outcome of cases in the courts of law, a part of Sufism. Sufis are not required to abandon their worldly possessions or live in the wilderness far from the practical world. In fact these absurdities are just its opposites. It is an established fact that Tazkiyah (soul purification) stands for that inner purity which inspires a person’s spirit to obey the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). If a false claimant of Sufism teaches tricks and jugglery, ignoring religious obligations, he is an impostor. A true Sheikh will lead a believer to the august spiritual audience of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). If you are fortunate enough to be blessed with the company of an accomplished spiritual guide and Sheikh of Sufism, and if you follow his instructions, you will observe a positive change in yourself, transferring you from vice to virtue.
ISLAM, AS A COMPLETE CODE OF LIFE
Islam, as a complete code of life or Deen, was perfected during the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). He was the sole teacher and his mosque was the core institution for the community. Although Islam in its entirety was practiced during that blessed era, the classification and compilation of its knowledge into distinct branches like ‘Tafsir’ (interpretation of the Quran), Hadith (traditions or sayings of the holy Prophet- SAWS), Fiqh (Islamic law), and Sufism (the soul purification) were undertaken subsequently. This Deen of Allah passed from the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) to his illustrious Companions in two ways: the outward and the inward. The former comprised the knowledge defined by speech and conduct, i.e., the Quran and Sunnah. The latter comprised the invisible blessings or the Prophetic lights transmitted by his blessed self. These blessings purified the hearts and instilled in them a passionate desire to follow Islam with utmost love, honesty and loyalty.
WHAT’S SUFISM
Sufism is the attempt to attain these Barakah (Blessings). The Companions handed down Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) teachings as well as blessings to the Taba’een. Their strong hearts were capable of infusing these blessings into the hearts of their followers. Both aspects of Islam were similarly passed on by the Taba’een to the Taba Taba’een. The compilation of knowledge and its interpretation led to the establishment of many schools of religious thought; famous four being the Hanafi, the Hanbali, the Maliki, and the Shafa'i, all named after their founders. Similarly, in order to acquire, safeguard and distribute his blessings, an organized effort was initiated by four schools of Sufism: The Naqshbandia, the Qadria, the Chishtia, and the Suharwardia. These schools were also named after their organizers and came to be known as Sufi Orders. All these Orders intend to purify the hearts of sincere Muslims with Prophetic lights. These Sufi Orders also grew into many branches with the passage of time and are known by other names as well. The holy Quran has linked success in this life and the Hereafter with Tazkiyah (soul purification). He, who purified, is successful. (87: 14) Sufi Orders of Islam are the institutions where the basics of Tazkiyah (soul purification) and its practical application are taught. They have graded programs in which every new seeker is instructed in Zikr-e Lisani (oral Zikr) and is finally taught the Zikr-e Qalbi (Remembrance in heart).
ZIKR-E QALBI
However, in the Naqshbandia Order, Zikr-e Qalbi is practiced from the very beginning. Adherence to the Sunnah (Prophet’s way of life) is greatly emphasized in this Order, because the seeker achieves greater and quicker progress through its blessings. The essence of Zikr is that the Qalb should sincerely accept Islamic beliefs and gain the strength to follow the Sunnah with even greater devotion. ‘If the heart is acquainted with Allah and is engaged in His Zikr; then it is filled with Barakaat-e Nabuwwat (Prophetic blessings) which infuse their purity in the mind and body. This not only helps in controlling sensual drives but also removes traces of abhorrence, voracity, envy and insecurity from human soul. The person therefore becomes an embodiment of love, both for the Divine and the corporeal. This is the meaning of a Hadith, “There is a lump of flesh in the human body; if it goes astray the entire body is misguided, and if it is reformed the entire body is reformed. Know that this lump is the Qalb”.’
PAS ANFAS
Recent History Khawajah Naqshband (d. 1389 CE) organized the Naqshbandia Order at Bukhara (Central Asia). This Order has two main branches – the Mujaddidia and the Owaisiah. The former is identified with Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi, known as Mujaddid Alif Sani (literally: reviver of the second Muslim millennium), a successor to Khawajah Baqi Billah, who introduced the Order to the Indo- Pakistan sub-continent. The Owaisiah Order employs a similar method of Zikr but acquires the Prophetic blessings in the manner of Khawajah Owais Qarni, who received this beneficence from the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) without a formal physical meeting. The Zikr employed by the Naqshbandia is ‘Zikr-e Khafi Qalbi’ (remembrance of Allah’s Name within the heart) and the method is termed ‘Pas Anfas’, which (in Persian) means guarding every breath. The Chain of Transmission of these Barakah, of course, emanates from the holy Prophet- SAWS.
SPIRITUAL BAI’AT (OATH OF ALLEGIANCE
It is necessary in all Sufi Orders that the Sheikh and the seekers must be contemporaries and must physically meet each other for the transfer of these blessings. However, the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order goes beyond this requirement and Sufis of this Order receive these Barakah regardless of physical meeting with their Sheikh or even when the Sheikh is not their contemporary. Yet, it must be underscored that physical meeting with the Sheikh of this Order still holds great importance in dissemination of these Barakah. Sheikh Sirhindi writes about the Owaisiah Order in his book ‘Tazkirah’: ‘It is the most sublime, the most exalted, and the most effective…and the highest station of all others is only its stepping stone.’ By far the greatest singular distinction of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order is the honor of Spiritual Bai’at (Oath of Allegiance) directly at the blessed hands of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W).
SHEIKH HAZRAT MOULANA ALLAH YAR KHAN (R.A)
The Reviver Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chikrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The same year, he met Sheikh ‘Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Sheikh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was immediately established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century CE) and he started receiving spiritual beneficence. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years, after which he was directed to undertake the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular zeal and dedication for a period spanning half a century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss commensurate with his/her sincerity and capacity. Sheikh Allah Yar Khan’s mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and eminence. He authored eighteen books, the most distinguished being Dalael us-Sulook (Sufism - An Objective Appraisal), Hayat-e Barzakhiah (Life Beyond Life) and Israr ul- Haramain (Secrets of the two holy Mosques). He was undoubtedly one of the most distinguished Sufi saints of the Muslim Ummah and a reviver of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order. He passed away on 18 February 1984 in Islamabad at the age of eighty.
THE CHAIN OF TRANSMISSION OF NAQSHBANDIA OWAISIAH
1. Hazrat Muhammad ur-Rasool Allah (Sall Allah-o Alaihi wa Sallam), 2. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (Radhi Allah-o Unho), 3. Hazrat Imam Hassan Basri (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 4. Hazrat Daud Tai (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 5. Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 6. Hazrat Ubaid Ullah Ahrar (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 7. Hazrat Abdur Rahman Jami (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 8. Hazrat Abu Ayub Muhammad Salih (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 9. Hazrat Allah Deen Madni (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 10. Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi).
THE SPIRIT OR RUH
The spirit or Ruh of every person is a created reflection of the Divine Attributes and it originates in Alam-e Amar (Realm of Command). Its food is the Light of Allah or the Divine Refulgence, which it acquires from the Realm of Command through the holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s choicest favors and peace be upon him), whose status in the spiritual world is like that of the sun in the solar system. The Quran refers to him as the ‘bright lamp’. Indeed, he is the divinely selected channel of all Barakah. All Exalted Messengers themselves receive these Barakah from him.
LATAIF
The human Ruh also possesses vital organs like the physical body; through which it acquires its knowledge, food and energy. These are called Lataif (singular Latifah: subtlety). Scholars of various Sufi Orders have associated them with specific areas of the human body. The Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order identifies these Lataif as follows. First - Qalb: This spiritual faculty is located within the physical heart. Its function is Zikr. Its strength increases one’s capacity for Allah’s Zikr. Second – Ruh: The site of this Latifah, which is a distinct faculty of the human Ruh, is on the right side of the chest at the level of Qalb. Its primary function is concentration towards Allah. Third – Sirri: This is located above the Qalb and functions to make possible Kashf. Forth – Khaffi: This is located above the Ruh and functions to perceive the omnipresence of Allah. Fifth – Akhfa: This is located in the middle of chest, at the centre of the first four Lataif and makes it possible for the Ruh to perceive the closeness of Allah, Who is closer to us than our own selves. Sixth – Nafs: This Latifah is located at the forehead and functions to purify the human soul. Seventh – Sultan al-Azkar: This Latifah is located at the top centre of the head and serves to absorb the Barakah of Allah into the entire body, so that every cell resonates with Zikr.
FIVE EXALTED MESSENGERS OF GOD
There are Five Exalted Messengers among the many known and unknown Messengers of Allah. They are Hazrat Muhammad, Hazrat Nuh (Noah), Hazrat Ibrahim (Abraham), Hazrat Musa (Moses), and Hazrat Esa (Jesus), peace be upon them all. Hazrat Adam is the first Prophet of Allah and the father of mankind. Each Latifah is associated with a particular Prophet. The Barakah and lights from Hazrat Adam (peace be upon him), descend on the first Latifah Qalb; its lights are reflected from the first heaven and are yellowish. The second Latifah is associated with Hazrat Nuh and Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon them). Its lights descend from the second heaven and appear as golden red. The lights descending upon the third Latifah are from Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) and are white. One the fourth Latifah, the lights of Hazrat Esa (peace be upon him) descend from the fourth heaven and are deep blue. The fifth Latifah receives its Barakah directly from the holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s choicest favors and peace be upon him). The lights associated with this Latifah are green, descend from the fifth heaven, and overwhelm all the first four Lataif. The Lights descending upon the sixth and seventh Lataif are the Divine Lights, whose color and condition cannot be determined. These are like flashes of lightening that defy comprehension. If Allah blesses a seeker with Kashf, he can observe all of this. The vision is slightly diffused in the beginning, but gradually the clarity improves.
SULOOK
Stages of the Path After all seven Lataif of a seeker have been illuminated with Divine Lights through Tawajjuh of the Sheikh and his Ruh has acquired the ability to fly, the Sheikh initiates its journey on the sublime Path of Divine nearness. The Path is known as Sulook, and its stages are not hypothetical imaginations but real and actually existing stations on the spiritual Path. These are also referred to as Meditations, because a seeker mentally meditates about a station while his/her Ruh actually ascends towards it. The first three stations that form the base of whole Sulook are described as; Ahadiyyat, a station of Absolute Unity of Divinity. It is above and beyond the seven heavens. It is so vast a station that the seven heavens and all that they encompass are lost within Ahadiyyat as a ring is lost in a vast desert. Its lights are white in color. Maiyyat station denotes Divine Company, ‘He is with you, wherever you might be.’ This station is so vast that Ahadiyyat along with the seven heavens beneath are lost within it as a ring is lost in a desert. Its lights are green in color. Aqrabiyyat station denotes Divine Nearness, ‘He is nearer to you than your life- vein.’ Again, Aqrabiyyat is vast as compared to Maiyyat in the same proportion. Its lights are golden red and are reflected from the Divine Throne. It is indeed the greatest favor of Almighty Allah that He blesses a seeker with an accomplished Sheikh, who takes him to these sublime stations. The final station that a seeker attains to during his/her lifetime becomes his/her Iliyyeen (blessed abode) in Barzakh and his/her Ruh stays at this station after death.
ZIKR
Why is Zikr Necessary for Everyone? Allah ordains every soul in the Quran to Perform Zikr. This not only means reciting the Quran and Tasbeeh but also Zikr-e Qalb. It is only through Zikr-e Qalbi that Prophetic Lights reach the depths of human soul and purify it from all vice and evil. Zikr infuses a realization of constant Divine Presence and a seeker feels great improvement in the level of sincerity and love towards Allah and the holy Prophet- SAWS. Such levels of sincerity, love and feelings of Divine Presence can never be obtained without Zikr. It would be a mistake to believe that Zikr may be a requirement only for the very pious and virtuous people. Zikr provides the Prophetic blessings which are in effect the life line of every human soul. It transforms even the most corrupted humans into virtuous souls by bringing out the best in them. The fact is that Zikr is the only way to achieve true contentment and satisfaction in life. The holy Quran has pointed to this eternal fact that it is only through Zikr Allah that hearts can find satisfaction. Such satisfaction and peace are the ultimate requirements of every person, regardless of religion, race and ethnicity. Practicing Zikr regularly removes all traces of anxiety and restlessness, and guides the human soul to eternal bliss and peace.
KHALIFA MAJAZEEN
Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), during his life time in 1974, presented a nomination list to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), during Maraqba, of expected Khalifa Majazeen for Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia. Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) approved some names, deleted some of the names, and added down the name of Major Ghulam Muhammad as also Khalifa Majaaz of Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia (which was not previously included in the list)
The approved names at that time included:
1. Mr. Muhammad Akram Awan Sahib,
2. Mr. Sayed Bunyad Hussain Shah Sahib,
3. Mr. Major Ahsan Baig Sahib,
4. Mr. Col. Matloob Hussain Sahib,
5. Mr. Major Ghulam Muhammad Sahib of Wan Bhachran Mianwali,
6. Mr. Molvi Abdul Haq Sahib,
7. Mr. Hafiz Abdul Razzaq Sahib,
8. Mr. Hafiz Ghulam Qadri Sahib,
9. Mr. Khan Muhammad Irani Sahib,
10. Mr. Maolana Abdul Ghafoor Sahib,
11. Mr. Syed Muhammad Hassan Sahib of Zohb.
These Majazeen were authorized to; held Majalis of Zikar (Pas Anfas) in their respective areas, arrange Majalis of Zikar in neighboring areas, train them on the way of Sulook, prepare them for Spiritual Bai’at (Oath of Allegiance), and present them to Sheikh Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan for Spiritual Bai’at at the Hand of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), in the life of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), and were all equal in status as Khalifa Majaaz of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A).
Presently we are following Hazrat Major ® Ghulam Muhammad Sahib, Khalifa Majaaz of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A).
Dusk settles on Carlos Gonzalez Torrez's crops that are giving him education and experience at the Agricultural Land Based Training Association (ALBA); who receives assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Farm Service Agency (FSA); he is a 2015 graduate of their Farmer Education Course (PEPA) and is now in his third of five (possible) incubator years where he rents farm land, currently 4.35 acres of ALBAâs 100 acre facility in Salinas, Ca., on Nov. 14, 2018.
The Agricultural Land Based Training Association (ALBA) is a training program that helps low income farmworkers and others learn how to become farmers. New farmers begin with a series of classroom courses and on-hands training, and graduate to farming their own piece of land on the farm. Eventually these new graduates hope to become successful farmers.
ALBAâs Farmer Education and Enterprise Development (FEED) Program educates and trains new farmer-entrepreneurs to plan, launch, and establish viable organic farm businesses or advance their careers. To accomplish this, ALBA has 100 acres of organic land, an experienced team with diverse expertise, and a hands-on, 5-year farmer development program. FEED is comprised of three main components:
1.The Farmer Education Course (PEPA) is a one year, bilingual, 300-hour curriculum featuring classroom instruction and field-based training, readying participants to launch an organic farm business.
2.The Organic Farm Incubator allows course graduates to launch their farm on ALBAâs land. Starting at ½ acre, farmers gradually scale up to 5 acres over 4 years under ALBAâs supervision before transitioning to fully independent farming.
3.ALBA Organics, aggregates, markets and ships participantsâ products to growing markets around California. Doing so gives farmers access to clients that would otherwise be out of reach and allows them to focus on growing and business management in their initial years.
For more information about PEPA please see www.albafarmers.org/programs/
Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the USDAâs focal point for the nationâs farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs. The FPAC team includes, Farm Service Agency (FSA) (www.fsa.usda.gov/), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) (www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/national/home/), and Risk Management Agency (RMA) (www.rma.usda.gov/).
Farm Service Agency (FSA) is equitably serving all farmers, ranchers, and agricultural partners through the delivery of effective, efficient agricultural programs for all Americans. FSA is a customer-driven agency with a diverse and multi-talented work force, dedicated to achieving an economically and environmentally sound future for American Agriculture. The vision is to be a market-oriented, economically and environmentally sound American agriculture delivering an abundant, safe, and affordable food and fiber supply while sustaining quality agricultural communities.
Here, FSA works with non-profit organizations such as ALBA to provide program information and outreach to beginning farmers, socially disadvantaged farmers and limited income farmers. ALBA works with a unique farmer base of nontraditional, diverse and beginning farmers.
FSA staff has worked with ALBA for many years in the following ways:
1. Provide classroom training to new ALBA students at the ALBA farm during their regular coursework. FSA provides training on:
a. How to apply for a farm loan and prepare a cash flow statement.
b. How to apply for FSA programs that help with risk management on the farm, such as the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) or other regional crop insurance options.
c. How to apply for Disaster Assistance through FSA in case of an adverse weather event or other emergency.
2. FSA has provided micro loans, operating loans and ownership loans to help ALBA farmers become independent and successful in their operations. FSA has provided Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Noninsured Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) payments to these farmers.
3. FSA has provided bookkeeping training courses to ALBA students, on farm tours, and has helped students apply for USDA scholarships to attend agricultural conferences and other trainings.
4. FSA has referred ALBA farmers to NRCS for help with resource management issues.
âThese farmers are the future face of American Agriculture. It is so important for FSA to help them get a strong start in ensuring the success of their operations, said FSA County Executive Director Vivian Soffa. Carlos will need support when he graduates from ALBA and hopefully FSA will be able to assist him with his capital needs when he is farming on his own in this very competitive agriculture market. Familiarity with FSAâs programs at the beginning of a new farmerâs endeavor may be the difference between success and failure.â
For more information please see www.usda.gov.
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Volunteer review Joshua Manning in Honduras La Ceiba PreMed Program at local hospital
1.-How was the local ABV Coordinator and the support provided in-country?
Our ABV coordinator, was a trooper. He dealt with our constant nonsense, our heartless mangling of his language, and our odd hours with no complaints. Without him our efforts would have collapsed into a haphazard mess. John Nurse, our contact at the clinic and hospital, was a stronger character. The nurses and doctors almost universally enjoy helping us gringos, and the ABV office keeps a presence with occasional emails. I always felt as if there was a safety net.
2- What was the most surprising thing you experienced?
At the program: Don’t expect the same standard of sterility and urgency which is commonplace in the States. As frustrating as it will likely become, the laid back central american nature encapsulated by the word ‘siesta’ permeates into even the emergency rooms. At the same time, their ‘sterile field’ is usually nothing more than the paper they took their gloves out of.
At the accommodation: I did not stay with the coordinator, and I was surprised to find that my host family was changing their daily lives to accommodate our program schedule, to an extent. Señora Argentina was wonderful, and the food at the house was great. Bear in mind that if you live with a different family, they need to be kept in the loop. Don’t stroll up at 9pm for dinner when they eat at 5:30 unless you told them beforehand, follow the local time for meals.
About the country: La Ceiba doesn’t reflect the reputation Honduras has garnered in recent years. Expect relative poverty, expect a language barrier if your Spanish is no bueno, but don’t expect to fear for your life. Don’t be too stupid, don’t wander the streets at midnight, don’t challenge people on the streets, and you’ll be A-OK.
3- What was most difficult to experience?
At the program: Pain is a constant presence in Honduran medicine. I understand that it exists everywhere, and sometimes medicine requires it. However, I feel for our patients here. It broke my heart nearly every morning to see an old woman cry in the clinic while simply having an ulcer on her foot cleaned. It’s necessary here, but was almost alien to me.
At the accommodation: Our showers are cold, and my water shut off at 10. It’s a petty complaint, don’t let it deter you. The trip is well worth it.
The country: Honduras is beautiful, often in a mind-bending sort of way. The most difficult, and fun, experience here was navigating the city while still coming to terms with Spanish.
4- Any tips for future volunteers…
Clothing: Definitely a must. There are options for washing clothes, but they will cost you money, so prepare for a small expense, something in the realm of $5-10. Pack for a week, wash your clothes on the weekends. Also, watching surgeries requires changing into a clean pair of scrubs, so always have one with you. At least 10 or a week.
Donations: Everything on the emailed list is important. They need medicine like ibuprofen, desperately need antibiotic creams and medicines, and treat medical tools and supplies like gold. For things like sterile gloves, BP cuffs, Pulse Oxes, and tape, I would suggest keeping it in case you need it and donating it at the end. Also, anything you leave out or set on a table and lose sight of will likely become a donation as well.
Weather: It’s so hot here. The only time I don’t feel like I am or might start sweating is when I’m in the shower. Don’t worry about it though, it builds character.
4.1-Other things volunteers should know:
a.- If you speak high school Spanish, and you’re comfortable looking like a bit of an idiot sometimes, just go for it. If you don’t speak any, be clear on wanting the translator, else you’ll be relying on your new volunteer friends a lot if they know spanish.
b.- Decide beforehand what you’ll be comfortable doing. The possibilities are nearly limitless. You won’t be performing an appendectomy, but you’ll be able to learn procedures here that would be more off-limits back home. Also, definitely have sterile gloves, along with normal gloves, if you can find them.
c.- Figure out spending money beforehand as well. The exchange rate is L22 lempiras to a dollar, taxi rides to the volunteer sites are L25 limps, you’ll be taking between two and four on a normal day, if the coordinator can he will give transportation (its not included) so be flexible, and weekend excursions could be as little as US$50 or as much as US$250, depending on what you want to do and spend.
d.- Be vocal. Learn the word for ‘can’ (poder) and ‘try’ (tratar), and use them. ‘I want to learn’ (Quiero aprender) is a great sentence to have and use. If you ask, they’ll usually let you, and if you don’t know how, they almost invariably will show you.
5- Personal Paragraph (ABV Program Testimonial), don’t leave blank:
A Broader View offers an extremely fascinating and largely unique opportunity with this type of trip. I figured out early on that as a pre-med student, my donations were invaluable, and my help was tolerated, though tolerated happily as near as I could tell. In the clinic, we took blood pressure, cleaned wounds, and removed stitches. At the hospital, we were able to watch some surgeries and live births. In the emergency room, we set casts, helped with suturing, and witnessed real life for a group of impoverished people. Sometimes, tragically, people didn’t make it. This trip was real, and most certainly not a vacation. On top of everything else, one of the most valuable things I gained was perspective.
6- How would you describe your accommodation, meals and security:
The accommodations were better than I honestly expected, despite the lack of AC. My fan was usually perfectly fine. I never really felt unsafe, and didn’t take any undue risks. The meals were mostly tremendous, with a couple of exceptions involving white bread, beans and rice. I was never hungry, frequently tired, and always hot. I’m also strongly considering coming back.
7- What was your favorite memory of this trip?
Program: Picking out a single memory is difficult. My first really good memory with the program helping with casts in my first couple of days. I got along well with the doctor, I could understand a lot of what he told me, we got a good picture with the girl, and she asked us to sign her cast. The medical interns here are used to crazy volunteers making a near-spectacle in the ER, and it’s cool so long as there isn’t an emergency at the time.
Country: I only had one weekend excursion, and it was amazing. Utila is a beautiful island similar to Roatan, but infinitely cheaper. I went with some new friends I met here, we visited bars and the beach, went shopping, and played cards incessantly. I wish I could’ve had more weekends like it, but I’m thankful for the one I had.
8.- How was the ABV USA support prior traveling?
Communication (Phone/emails/Online chat): While I was setting up my trip here, I relied heavily on phone calls to the office with random questions. Their hours are somewhat short, and you may not always have someone pick up on the first ring, but they always get back. Email communication is more frequent and consistent. Read the emails thoroughly, there could always be important information in them. They also sent me a ‘Happy Birthday’ email, which was pretty nice.
Website Information: From what I recall, the website info is generally correct, but almost slightly misleading. A lot of things done here are free form. If you pay for classes, but would rather go to the hospital one afternoon, you certainly can. Just make sure your teacher finds out. If you don’t want to go to the clinic that morning, or you want to work a night shift in the ER, it can usually be worked out. Be ready and willing to change tracks quickly.
9 – Are you willing to speak to other potential ABV volunteers?
Sure, we can be pen pals. Emails would probably be your best bet. I’m more than happy to answer questions.
10 – Can you tell us how did you find or know about A Broader View?
A group of my friends found the trip, we planned it together, and then they decided to go later. As a result, I’m here by myself, and I couldn’t be happier with the way things worked out. However you found this trip, don’t be afraid to leave your comfort zone.
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