Bhutan, The Last Paradise!

Bhutan is a land of soaring snowcapped peaks, alpine meadows and densely forested hills and ravines abounding in exotic flora and fauna. It is located between Tibet in the north, Indian states of West Bengal and Assam in the south, and Arunachal Pradesh in the east. Bhutan, the happiest country in the world despite relatively low life expectancy, a literacy rate of just 47%, and a very low GDP per capita. Where other countries measure their success by their Gross National Product, Bhutan measures their success by their Gross National Happiness. It is estimated that between two thirds and three quarters of the Bhutanese population follow Vajrayana Buddhism, which is also the state religion. About one quarter to one third are followers of Hinduism.



You will be enthralled with the breath taking view once you landed to the Paro Airport. Apparently there is only one airline to Bhutan which is the Druk Airway. Granted, things are slower and much more easy going in Bhutan, so it’s no coincidence that they place a premium on quality of life. 700,000 people live in the kingdom, a country with one airport and two commercial planes, where the east can only be reached from the west after four days’ travel on mountain roads.






Another breath taking view and Tibet is just next to the snowy mountain. On your right you can see a well preserved beautiful valley with magnificent view from the mountain top.



The architecture of the structure and building symbolize Bhutanese tradition is deeply steeped in its Buddhist heritage.



Me in traditional Bhutanese dress thanks to the hotel staff. Bhutanese traditional dress is called the gho (men’s robes) and kira (women’s dress). The women’s dress is a length of woven material (kira) that is draped across the body over a blouse, and held in place over the shoulders with silver clasps. A toego (or jacket) is usually worn over the dress. The man’s gho is a stitched robe, which reaches the ground when first worn. This is then pulled up to knee length and tied in place at the waist with a hand-woven belt. Long socks and shoes, or traditional hand made boots complete the attire.


The little boy asked me "Do you have chocolate? I reply no and asked him whether he would like to have an apple. He node his head and I ran to the car to get him an apple taken from the hotel. I'm so happy looking at him happily crunching the apple. On your right is a kind of artistic movement suggested by our partner and wala a beautiful and artistic piece of art.



The sacred water as offering to the GOD turned into ice under an extreme cold wind at -5'C. On your right is my Bhutanese partner and I’m amazed on the traditional dress under such an extreme cold weather. I have to admit he looks perfectly cool and handsome couple with dark glasses.

Hamburg, Germany

Hamburg is the second-largest city in Germany and the eighth-largest city in the European Union. Hamburg is a showpiece of modern architecture, in which historic buildings stand alongside towering steel-and-glass skyscrapers. Much of the city’s attractions are located quite far apart, so visitors are forewarned that taxis and the various means of public transport will be needed to cover more than the sites of interest that are clustered in the centre. Hamburg is a major transportation hub in Northern Germany and is one of the most affluent cities in Europe. It has become a media and industrial centre, with plants and facilities belonging to Airbus, Blohm + Voss and Aurubis.

Dresden, Germany

On the 13th February 1945, 773 Avro Lancasters bombed Dresden. During the next two days the USAAF sent over 527 heavy bombers to follow up the RAF attack. Dresden was nearly totally destroyed. As a result of the firestorm it was afterwards impossible to count the number of victims. Recent research suggest that 35,000 were killed but some German sources have argued that it was over 100,000. Built in the 18th century, the church was destroyed in the firebombing of Dresden during World War II. It has been reconstructed as a landmark symbol of reconciliation between former warring enemies. The reconstruction of its exterior was completed in 2004, its interior in 2005 and, after 13 years of rebuilding, the church was reconsecrated on 30 October 2005 with festive services lasting through the Protestant observance of Reformation Day on 31 October.

 

Egypt - Giza

It’s one of the best scenery in the world knowing this was built 3200 B.C! If you wonder what B.C. means, Before Christ (abbreviated as BC or B.C.) are designations used to label or number years in the Gregorian calendars. 3200 B.C means 2000 + 3200 = 5200 years ago.  How can you imagine this gigantic monuments were being built 5000 years ago with no advance technology! Back then it is a complete flat surface and the calculation and dimension of the pyramid was so accurate. 

The age of the first ancient wonders of the world began with the pyramids of Sneferu, he built three pyramids and may have had a hand in others. His pyramid at Medum began as a step pyramid and was then modified to form the first true pyramid. He built two pyramids at Dahshur one called the Bent Pyramid because its upper part has a shallower angle of inclination than the lower part. The shape of Egyptian pyramids is thought to represent the primordial mound from which the Egyptians believed the earth was created. The shape of a pyramid is thought to be representative of the descending rays of the sun, and most pyramids were faced with polished, highly reflective white limestone, in order to give them a brilliant appearance when viewed from a distance.

It’s amazing how the ancient Egyptian build this mega pyramid with no forklifts and cranes. Sometimes I wonder whether it is being built by “something” else like aliens or transformer :-)

Famous camel ride at the Giza. Well you have to pay either you ride on the camel or just snap some pictures :-) Cheese!

The protector of the pyramid, Sphinx. The Great Sphinx is one of the world's largest and oldest statues, but basic facts about it, such as who was the model for the face, when it was built, and by whom, are still debated.

Grandma 95th Birthday

"Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been." - Mark Twain

This is a special birthday wish,

That comes with love to you It brings warm and heartfelt thanks,

For all the thoughtful things you do, It also comes to let you know,

You mean more to me each day,

And to everyone your lives have touched In such a loving way

Year of the Rabbit!

Welcome to the year of Rabbit! New Year New Hope May everything be as you wish!

Family reunion during Chinese New Year. Your family and your love must be cultivated like a garden. Time, effort, and imagination must be summoned constantly to keep any relationship flourishing and growing.

You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance. One thing for sure, they laugh from their heart and they always wish seeing you laughing together with them. Play and learn from them and you will wonder how much you miss in life and what’s life is all about!

Out of LOVE <3

There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.

 

Togetherness: Falling in love with someone isn't always going to be easy... Anger... tears... laughter.. It's when you want to be together despite it all. That's when you truly love another”

My mini little pond

It's been a while since I updated my blog. Today I would like to share my little mini pond and my guppies to you. I bought two guppies two years back (1 male/1 female) and with the introduction of Diamond water, I would say the reproduction of my guppies is 400x. After so many generations of grandson...son son son, I lost my count. Till not my pond is filled with guppies and fries (baby guppy) and with my mother's excellent care, I'm very impressed with the overall eco system of the pond.