The story of a lifetime

Thursday, September 17, 2026

Hospitality

I felt that something in my stories was missing so I decided to write about hospitality in many countries that I experienced. You may say that I was lucky because not everyone visiting a foreign country gets to experience the hospitality I received so I thought that it must be mentioned for each country. It will then become a part of my story.

Vietnam

Vietnamese farmers catching fish in their rice paddies

I will take you to the war time Vietnam where there was violence, disruption of normal life, poverty and prostitution but here I found the poor farmers loved me and invited to their social events with food and drinks. They would often ask me to stop my car and prepare most delicious food one can imagine.

During the rice harvest, the farmers and their children caught a lot of fish in the rice paddy which they roasted on charcoal. They put the roasted fish in a paper-thin rice paper, add shredded cucumber, some lettuce, Vietnamese basil and roll it into a burrito that they dipped in a fish sauce they called Nuoc mam. It was heavenly in taste. They were poor but they had a big heart.

Japan:

Japanese fishermen with cormorants

Now I will bring you to Kyoto in Japan where I spent some time. One evening I was walking with an American ex Peace Corps volunteer through the narrow lane where we entered a pub to have some beer. The Japanese noticed us immediately and started to ask where we came from etc. and produced two large bottles of Asahi beer right away. Now mind you that the Japanese beer is served in large bottles that you will have a hard time to finish. The Japanese were now competing among themselves to show their hospitality by promptly serving two more bottles. Now we were in big trouble because they would not want us to leave and take no money for the beer. Somehow, we were able to leave after praising their hospitality, but it was just the start because a more interesting hospitality was waiting for us just down the lane.

There we saw an old person with Ho Chi Minh beard carving or making beautiful brass objects, so we stopped to watch his craftmanship. The old Japanese craftsman noticed us and invited us inside his house and politely asked us to sit down on the tatami floor. Soon his wife and children all came out to sit with us. Then his wife brought excellent Japanese food to feed us and insisted that we eat more. We were not expecting this level of hospitality, but the old man was not finished with us. He gave both of us a small gift to take home. It was a very nicely made brass object with intricate decoration on it. Can you imagine ?

The next surprise was waiting for us further down the lane. We saw a fisherman who was preparing for night sortie to catch fish in the ocean with the help of his cormorants. I had never seen cormorant fishing anywhere although I know that it is how people catch fish in China and now in Japan as well, so I was very interested. The fisherman then invited us to go with him fishing during the night, but the American was hesitant and told me that it could be risky, so I lost my chance to see how cormorants catch fish, but I greatly appreciated the invitation and said so. Three in a row was more than enough to say that the Japanese are very hospitable people

Hong Kong

People in Hong Kong invites you to sumptuous meal for free

Now we will go to Hong Kong. I have been to Hong Kong many times but once I decided to see the China border, so I took the train from Kowloon to get to the last station called Sheung Shui which is near the China border. Here a taxi man noticed me and agreed to show me the border, but he wanted to know if I had a place to stay. When I said no, he brought me to a small hotel run by a Chinese woman. She asked no question and gave me a clean room and clean bed right away at a low cost.

The taxi man had a name. He introduced himself as Kam Fat and we then drove to see the sights while Kam Fat talked mile a minute and asked me where I was going next, so I answered briefly that I was going to the USA to start my college education there. He was very surprised and impressed that I was on my own in an expensive country like USA. I had to tell him that I just came from Vietnam where I worked as a volunteer agronomist helping farmers.

He then invited me to his home to have dinner with him and his family in the evening. This surprised me more when I saw where he lived and how he lived. It was a slum full of wastewater logged area where people lived in ramshackle houses built on poles. There you had to walk on planks to get to their house. So, I met his family who were told about me that impressed them and were also excited so offered me excellent Chinese food. When the time came to leave, Kam Fat gave me a gift of a porcelain eagle.

They had a big heart that surprised me. I would meet Kam Fat again during my next visit to Sheung Shui. I wrote a blog called Kam Fats of this world that you can read.

USA:

Americans invite foreigners to their Thanksgiving dinner

My next experience was in California where I was enrolled at the University for my graduate studies. One day I started walking through the town in the evening just to get some fresh air. All of a sudden, a gentleman came out of his house and invited me to his home to share a meal with him and his family. I did not know that it was the Thanksgiving Day in the United States that people there take seriously and prepare a lot of food that may include a roasted turkey. I was naturally hesitant, but the gentleman insisted and introduced me as a student from India etc. It was amazing to experience such hospitality. His kids then asked me to tell them some stories which I did.

Algeria;

Algerians serve lamb and couscous dinner during Idd

I do not know how many of you have ever heard of Algeria or visited the country, but I was working there as an agronomist in the Mostaganem province. I used to ride my motorbike to go to the villages where I worked with my farmers. One day while I was riding my bike through the mountains, it started to rain cats and dogs getting me very wet. My Algerian gown made of camel wool they called Jellaba was soaked so one Algerian man came out of his house and invited me in saying Please come in. His wife then offered delicious food while my gown was being dried. Hot coffee followed while we chatted. He said that he often saw me riding my bike and wondered who I was and from which country. In Algeria only the gendarmes ride big motorbike, so he wanted to know so I said that I was working as an agronomist for the government and visit my farmers. I was very impressed by their hospitality and thanked them profusely.

The next experience was even more interesting. One day my office mates invited me to their village where they were celebrating Idd which is a great event for the Moslems. So, I took the bus to their village and found them waiting for me at the bus stop. They brought me to their home where their mother and sisters soon brought huge platter of lamb meat and couscous and fed me until I cried uncle. They never asked me if I was a Moslem and treated me like royalty. Then in the evening they brought me to a cinema where we enjoyed a film on Algeria’s struggle for independence. It was a very unique experience for me.

During my travels through many countries, I experienced such hospitality that few can write about. Was I lucky? It shows that there are many nice people in many countries I mentioned above who have a big heart and treat you with hospitality but ask nothing in return.

I will not write about the bad behaviors in some countries that I experienced but perhaps among them too, there may be good people who will receive you with friendly gestures like one time I was in Sofia in Bulgaria where people fed me and did not want to accept money. In fact, all of my expenses of hotel stay and food etc. was paid by the Bulgarian Government which surprised me. If you have some bad experience during your travel to some countries, you will not easily forget. It may be the taxi driver who over charges you because his meter does not work, or vendors of tourist junks sell to you at a high price and laugh at your back. You cannot avoid such incidence unless you learn to avoid them by walking away.

You should not lose your faith in the humanity just because you were cheated somewhere. I assure you that there are Kam Fats in many countries. They will invite you because they see something in you, they appreciate and, they will see your honesty.

Cheaters and looters

If you want 5 meters of cloth, he uses the old yard stick that is short of one meter, so he sells you less cloth at full price. Once an American friend of mine visited my hometown where his wife wanted an Indian saree, but the shop keeper showed only the most expensive sarees that she could not afford. So, someone watching scolded the shop keeper and told him to show what the lady wants and can afford. The shopkeeper said in Hindi that they are rich foreigners so they can afford.

I went to a shop in Agra to buy some sarees for my wife and some silk cloth for myself. The shopkeeper turned out to be worse than a Shylock of Indian version and charged me a lot of money for the fake silk and saree of poor quality while the rikshaw driver waited outside the shop to get his commission from the shop owner. This sort of cheating so openly should not happen to a local person like me let alone a foreigner, but it does.

Cheaters always target Tourist buses

You will see buses clearly marked in the front in big letters TOURIST so you can imagine what happens next. This signboard on the bus attracts cheaters and looters like flies to... (I will not mention here). Now a cup of ordinary tea that normally sells for 10 Rupees is now sold for 100 Rupees, so the tourists pay and the tea seller smirks because he just made a lot of money by cheating. They have no shame or self-respect that gives India a bad name. The tourists going back home share their experience with their friends and relatives. This is how people develop stereotypes.

Once my brother was near the river during the Maha Kumbh Mela Festival that happens once every 12th year that attracts millions of pilgrims from all corners of the country and even from other countries. This creates the opportunity for the scammers, cheaters and looters who without an iota of shame take full advantage and charge the boat riders 10 times the normal rate that the poor pilgrims find difficult to accept. My brother could not tolerate it and scolded the boatman to charge only fair rate, but the Shylock here wanted his pound of flesh and said they will pay the exorbitant price because they are from South India, so it is a fair game. No one understands their language, so it is a problem.

Now I am not saying that it happens only in India because it happens in other countries as well where foreign tourists suffer. There is a market in Rome called Thieves market where you have to keep your hands in your pocket all the time because the thieves are breathing down you neck and follow you until the opportunity comes. They stole the camera of an American tourist who was carrying a backpack. The thief just unzipped his backpack and lifted his expensive camera. He complained to me, but what could I do? It is not called Thieves market for nothing. I myself was a victim of thievery in Rome when someone tried to slash the belt of the camera with a sharp blade. I was saved because the thief could not cut it through and got off the bus looking at me.

Once I was waiting for a Taxi in Manila so that he could bring me to the airport. I got one when the taxi driver asked me where I was going so I answered him that I was going to Saudi and I am a Cantero meaning a mason. He was satisfied and charged me the minimum rate. He did not know how I hoodwinked him. Such skills come in very handy in other countries.

So, if you are visiting another country, you have to know how to protect yourself from these looters and cheaters. You should wear simple clothes, carry a cheap Instamatic camera that no thief will steal in his right mind and wear a cheap 2-dollar watch that they sell on the sidewalk. Do not flash your Rolex or Omega to attract thieves. My own Tissot was stolen from my house twice, returned once but never the second time. Needless to say, that my Tissot was expensive, so I learned my lesson and stopped wearing watch now. I used to wear unwashed blue jeans and faded T shirt so I thought that I will be less visible, but the thieves have sharp eyes and have lifelong experience they keep honing at your cost.

Now, let me tell you something about Japan. People automatically think that they have Yakuza and other criminal gangs roaming the streets and bothering the common people. However, I assure you that criminals do not bother the common people because they are always busy bothering their rival gangs who want to take over their territories.

Have you ever heard that the Japanese waiters do not accept tips in restaurants? They will feel happy if you say that the food was better than excellent. They will bow with sweet smiles. Now go to any restaurant in the United States, you will be received by a sour face woman who will give you a table near the toilet or exit door even if the restaurant is nearly empty. Because among the waiters, they attend to certain tables only and get their share of tips. You will be in trouble if you do not give them tips or an amount less than what they expect or you complain about their service. It is a far cry from the gentle Japanese.

If you are waiting for a train and the train arrives a bit late in Japan, you will be very surprised to see the train drivers and other staff will kneel down in front of the passengers and ask for your forgiveness for being 2 minutes late. That is how precise they are about time. They are very polite and very gentle. Read my blog about Hospitality in my previous blog.

It is against the law in Japan to make fake advertisement to fool the buyers of anything. What the picture on a packet shows must match what is inside. If not, then they punish the seller or the company that makes the product. But we see fake advertisement everywhere and specially on TV. A Sikh fellow in India saw the picture of KitKat on Tv and wanted to buy one. He was furious when he was sold a small packet of KitKat that was not what he saw on TV. You will be in trouble if you rile up a Sikh so watch out. The worst culprits are called the people who deliver something to your gate and ask for money when you have not ordered what he delivers. This sort of scam is very common here in the Philippines

I am not a pessimist by nature and usually think that most people are good and will not cheat you or loot you in a foreign country. I learned one thing that people love their native language they speak so they will like you if you speak their language being a foreigner. I will give you one example how my French speaking ability gave me a wonderful experience in Paris one day.

Once I was in Paris waiting for a Taxi to bring me to the Gare de Lyon from where I was to take a train to Marseille but was worried seeing the heavy traffic. So, I asked the driver if he could bring me to the Gare de Lyon quickly so that I could take the train. I promised extra money if he could do it. He smiled and said Monsieur, I know back roads so I will bring you to the station quickly and he did. I was relieved and gladly gave him some extra money. Inside, I had to get my luggage from the left luggage room where I explained to the concierge that my train is about to leave so please give me my luggage, so he brought it to me while many other passengers were waiting. It was because I spoke French. Learn a foreign language. You will find it handy when you travel.

So, learn to walk away from sellers who try to sell you fake Ray-Ban and other junks. They hang around the Termini in Rome and stay away from the Gypsies who will splash ketchup on you and pretending to clean it up with handkerchief, while the kids are busy checking out your pockets. They work as a gang and use the ketchup trick and many others. A 10 year old kid is an expert thief.

It helps if you go with a native who knows all these crooks and will protect you so get to know them in advance. People will become friendly if you tell them that you are a writer or a footballer or have visited many countries. Who Knows? They may ev

Sunday, September 6, 2026

Amazing birds and sounds

We hear birds chirping everyday, but have you heard them in their natural habitat? Each type of bird has its own sound that will amaze you as well as their beauty.

Just play these videos one by one and enjoy their beauty and sound .

Links to the videos

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rUPHH6O940s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd9Td3wXYnA

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3sXKIkJTs9g

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MugMXyw59ig

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BQf9adM9lFI

40 strange birds and their sound

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CemLxxy62EY

Spoiled children

I have often seen spoiled children who create a scene in public by making faces if someone looks at them or stick out their tongue to show their rude behavior. Their parents just look but do not scold them or castigate them. Often such action leads to more bad behavior that disturbs everybody.</p>

Now imagine such a child who starts throwing tantrums and misbehaves towards passengers in a plane. Once I was flying from Australia when a kid just made terrible tantrums, while his mother just ignored him. The other passengers silently looked but could do nothing. So, I asked the stewardess to approach the woman to ask her to control her kids. The kid finally stopped when his mother told to stop. The passengers thanked me for making this effort.

Here, I often see kids rolling on the ground in some Malls and crying with high decibel sounds because he wanted something his parents could not afford while everybody looked or ignored. Children behave badly at home, in schools, outdoors or in public places, in buses, planes or trains. Of course, the bad behavior is not limited to children because often you will see adults doing the same but that is another story. to ask here is Why children behave badly and why the parents do not teach them how to behave properly anywhere. If you really want to see really well-behaved children, just go to the Lancaster County in Pennsylvania where the Amish raise their children well and teach them good manners, so the Amish children are very well behaved. They are polite, live simple but honest life and rarely you hear anything negative about them. The Amish people are religious people who raise their children with religious teachings.

Often the bad kids come from families that have their own problems like frequent quarrels among the parents or other siblings that affects the younger kids who imitate the crude language they hear. The TV programs that highlight vulgar and crude language also has its effect of small children. They learn aggression from TV shows that show violent scenes, crying, beatings or worse although some parents try to turn off the TV but that leads to more tantrums.

I have lived in many African countries where I watched the old people in their villages keep an eye on the kids while sitting under a tree and do not hesitate to spank the kids if they step out of line. Try this in other countries and see what happens. The parents will come running to confront the old man and may even call the police. It gives the bad kids the assurance that their parents will always back them up no matter how much nuisance the kid creates.

In many countries, the corporal punishment of misbehaving kids is normal. They do not run to the school where the teacher punishes the kids who bully others, show disrespect and break the school rules intentionally just to test the limits of their teacher or Principal. When such kids are expelled from the school, the parents confront the teacher or the School Board but do not or cannot control their children. Such children once expelled go down the wrong road and become the social deviants meaning they start keeping the company of similar students who get into drugs and sex early. Often such children come from broken homes.

Once I was in Messina in Italy where I wandered into a campsite where I saw many children playing while their mothers and grandmas looked and smiled. They were naturally curious because rarely they got to meet an Indian, so they all surrounded me and started to ask questions like who was I and where I came from etc. So, I thought that I could teach them a simple game they could learn easily and play. They did and got very excited to learn a new play which was so much fun for them. They simply needed attention that I gave them. In return they showed so much love that I was surprised. When I got tired and sat down, they started to bring food for me and started to stuff grapes, pasta etc. into my mouth. They cried when it was my time to go. Why these Italian kids were so sweet and so well behaved? You have to understand how their parents and grandparents raise them with love and attention. That is the key.

When kids do not get the attention and love they demand, they look for mischief to attract attention. Often, they grow up with siblings, that can create jealousy among them. So, it really comes down to the atmosphere the family creates where often the kids are left to their own devices that can mean more trouble.

The effect of watching cartoon shows on the TV can be tragic where the kids watch the bandits shooting people with a toy gun and say bang bang so the kid picks up a loaded gun his father had left carelessly, pointed at his 2-year sister and pulled the trigger saying bang bang. He was just imitating what he watched on TV and did not know the difference between toy gun and a real gun, so he just watched while his baby sister was bleeding to death.

This is an extreme example of neglect that had serious consequences. The parents are responsible to raise their kids properly and teach them all the good manners and right conduct. When they grow up, they become even worse in High School where they learn how to be mean from other bad girls. The humility, respect for others, develop a helping others nature, honesty, being religious, having apathy, good conscience etc. are all good traits. The schools do not teach them, so the parents are responsible. Dropping out of high school, getting pregnant because of promiscuity and into drugs and alcohol are all due to lack of restraint and bad behavior that starts at home.

Perhaps they should visit the Amish people and learn something good.

What she will be like when she grows up? Good question.

Ellora caves are a World heritage site

Kailash temple in Ellora in Maharashtra, India

If you visit the city of Aurangabad in the Maharashtra state of India, you will easily reach the World famous Ellora caves that is just a few kilometers away. The UN has designated Ellora caves as the World Heritage site that has 34 caves dug out of rocks centuries ago.

The most famous of the entire complex is the Kailash temple that was carved out of the mountain over a very long period of time by thousands of workers from top to bottom. It means that the entire complex was carved out of solid rock starting at the top and gradually giving its final shape as it is now maintaining its symmetry and very precise architectural and engineering aspect using just primitive tools of hammer and chisel.

What will surprise you is the fact that you will not find any trace of the millions of tons of rock waste that came out of the mountain after the completion of the temple. Where did the workers throw it is a mystery that baffles everybody. I was very impressed by the carved temple and the various figurines under the massive awning although the Muslim invaders damaged some of the intricate carved statues of Hindu Gods. Still, what remains will take your breath away.

There is an underground complex below the temple ground that has been sealed shut by the government after the archeologists found traces of alien technology and some artifacts that remain a great mystery so no one will know what is hidden there and what it all means.

So, watch the video and visit all the caves that an expert guide will explain to you in great details and understand why the Ellora caves are a World heritage site. There exists nothing like it anywhere in the world. To make a temple from ground up using blocks of stone can make sense because it was the normal practice since antiquity but to carve an entire complex from the top and give shape to an imaginary complex structure is great detail and keeping the form and sheer engineering used in the temple is mind boggling.

Link : https://youtu.be/6jgbM6i67dU?si=ifsKORJK7wMT_1Vg

Ajanta caves are a world heritage site

Ajanta caves in Maharashtra, India

Ajanta caves near Aurangabad in India is a World heritage site that was accidentally discovered by a British hunter who came upon it centuries ago. It was found in an area covered with grass, vines and other vegetation that the British hunter partially removed to find many caves on the side of a hill. He had discovered a World Heritage site not knowing what he had stumbled upon purely by chance.

Today, Ajanta caves are easily accessible by bus from Aurangabad. With a guide, anyone can visit the caves the guide will show you and tell you the history of the caves in detail. He will tell you that it took hundreds of years by the Buddhists monks and workers to carve out of solid rocks all the caves.

The majesty of the carved statues inside the caves will take your breath away. It is a world heritage site that attracts millions of tourists to see what a wonderful site it is.

The video will explain to you in detail all about the Ajanta caves. If you wish to visit Ellora and Ajanta caves, then start from the city of Aurangabad in the Maharashtra state in India.

https://youtu.be/InmFDhVyszw?t=66

Anil the benefactor

Why Did Anil Deserve Better?

There are some people whose lives cannot be measured simply by wealth, position, or material success. Anil is one of them. Highly educated and widely experienced, he spent much of his life serving others. He worked in six countries, took on challenging assignments, and received international recognition and awards for his contributions. Yet, despite all that he achieved, perhaps his greatest quality was not his education, career, or awards—it was his generosity.

Anil believed that whatever he had was meant to be shared. He was generous to his siblings and friends, often helping them without expecting anything in return. When someone needed money, advice, encouragement, or practical assistance, he tried to help. He gave away much of what he had accumulated through a lifetime of hard work. He performed numerous favors for people simply because he believed it was the right thing to do.

But life taught him a painful lesson: generosity does not always produce gratitude.

Some of the very people Anil helped eventually disappointed him. Some siblings did not treat him with the affection and respect he deserved. Friends for whom he had sacrificed time, money, and energy sometimes disappeared when he needed understanding or support. There were occasions when he was treated poorly by people who had benefited from his kindness.

That raises a difficult question: Why does a good person sometimes receive such poor treatment from others?

Perhaps because goodness can be mistaken for weakness. A person who is always willing to help may be taken for granted. Someone who rarely says “no” can become the person everyone expects to rescue them. And when generosity is repeatedly available, people may forget that behind it is a human being with feelings, disappointments, and needs of his own.

There is another painful truth. We often expect the people closest to us to understand our worth. But closeness does not always produce appreciation. Sometimes strangers recognize our value more clearly than relatives or old friends.

Anil’s story therefore is not simply a story of disappointment. It is also a story of character. He remained honest. He continued helping those who genuinely needed help. He did not become cruel simply because others had been unkind to him. His generosity was a choice, and his goodness was part of who he was.

But being a good person does not mean accepting endless disrespect. Perhaps one of life’s final lessons is that generosity needs wisdom. Helping others is noble, but a person must also protect his dignity, set boundaries, and recognize who truly values him.

Anil deserved better—not because he was highly educated, internationally recognized, or financially generous, but because he treated people with humanity.

If some people failed to appreciate him, that does not diminish his worth. Sometimes the tragedy of a good heart is that it gives too much to people who understand its value only after it is gone.

Just ask

I wanted to write this blog based on my own personal experience that opened up doors for me in a very unexpected way.

A long time ago when I was young and applied for a passport so that I could go to Vietnam as a volunteer agronomist, the passport office kept telling me that it was under process, so I patiently waited. Many months passed but no passport came. So finally, I decided to go to the passport office to ask why my passport was being delayed. The officer was a gentleman who explained to me that I was going to Vietnam where there was a war going on so the government wanted to discourage me by the delaying tactics. India did not support the American war there and did not want any Indian to go there.

So, I asked what I should do to convince that I am going to Vietnam for a noble cause to help and work with the farmers there as an agronomist. He said that my file has been sent to Delhi where the big boss will decide what to do with my case and gave me a name and the address of someone who may be of some help in this matter.

I then took the train the same day and arrived in Delhi the next day and went straight to the address I was given. There I met the big boss who received me right away and asked me the reason why I was risking my life to go to Vietnam where a fierce war was going on and that too for 80 dollars a month stipend. I said that many young people like me from other countries were working in Vietnam for a stipend of only 80 dollars a month so why couldn’t I? I did not believe that anything bad will happen to me there.

He smiled and said my cause in noble so I should return home and promised to do what needed to be done. My passport came just after 7 days. If I had not asked him to help me, I would have never received my passport, and my life would have been very different.

My second experience was more interesting that had a profound effect on my life and my career. It so happened that once I was in Los Banos in the Philippines where the International Rice Research Institute is located where I went to see a friend who worked there. While we were talking, the Deputy Director General walked in, and I was introduced to him as an agronomist who worked in Vietnam. He was curious and asked me a few questions and was about to go back to his office. I asked him very boldly if IRRI will consider me as an applicant for a fellowship so that I could come to IRRI to learn about modern technology in rice research that I could then use to help the farmers better.

He was a real gentleman and asked me to fill up a form that he got from his office and attach my credentials and certificates of my degrees and send it all to him. IRRI will then evaluate my eligibility and make a decision. I then went to California where I was to get my MS degree from a good college. Imagine my surprise when one day I received a letter from IRRI that said that it had found my education and experience of working with the farmers in Vietnam was impressive that helped them to decide that I was to be given a one-year fellowship.

I was at that time enrolled at Cal Poly for a graduate degree in soil conservation, so I informed IRRI that I was not free to go to the Philippines at that time. They replied that their offer will be reevaluated when I was ready after my studies at Cal Poly. I was then sent to work in Algeria for two years so I wrote to IRRI if they will still accept me as a fellow. Four years had passed since that day when I met with the Deputy Director General of IRRI. They said that their offer was still valid. This life changing opportunity came my way just because I asked.

There are many good people who will give you their time and ask you what you need. You just have to be bold, answer truthfully and just ask their help. Chances are good that they will help you if you are qualified and can convince them that your motive is noble. I have written about it all in my Biography called Story of Anil, Chapter three -Philippines that appears in anilthebard.com website.

Another way you can ask your mentor who may be your professor in college who will be happy to give you a recommendation letter that you can submit for a scholarship somewhere for your bright future. There are many fellowships and full scholarships available in many noted Universities or research centers that will accept your application and evaluate your education and experience of working in many countries. You just have to be bold and apply. If you have the right qualification, then there is the possibility that your application will be positively evaluated. If you do not succeed the first time, then try again somewhere else.

Life can be hard if you do not make the effort of asking. I do not mean that you will ask for money or other favors from people. Most people will not help you but there are good people who will guide you in the proper direction in your life. My professor in college who signed my application for a passport without the slightest hesitation because I just asked. Another mentor gave me a job in the college library so that I could earn to pay for my tuition. So, do not be shy and do not hesitate to approach the good people boldly. You will be surprised to know that there are many good people who will see something in you that will impress them.

Some people think that asking for help from others like a recommendation letter is shameful, so they do not approach. They also feel that they should not accept charity because it hurts their pride. A letter to introduce you to someone important is not a charity. They can become your mentor who can give you a helping hand and guide you toward the right direction. You may not know all the opportunities that are available so ask Chat Gpt to make a list for you based on what you want or ask Google.

Lastly, I will give you an example of what persistence means in achieving your goal. Have you ever seen a Woodpecker knocking on the hard bark of a tree to make a hole? It is hard work, but the bird does not quit. It keeps pecking until a small hole appears that it meticulously enlarges and makes a nest for the female to lay the eggs. So be like a woodpecker and keep trying. Thus, you will be able to overcome all your challenges this way.

Arrival songs for Mr. Modi in France

Mr. Modi arrives in France

Women in many countries sang soul touching songs they wrote to honor and welcome the Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The welcome songs sung in many countries went viral and spread the hope for peace in the world. Mr. Modi was very impressed and blessed the beautiful singers.

I present some 5 videos here that you will want to see and listen and appreciate. The songs sung in many languages but have English subtitles in some videos for you to follow the lyrics.

There are five videos for you to watch. Just click on the link ,that will send you to another link. Click that to listen to the video and watch.

https://youtu.be/fSlogYF1680?t=7

Italy

https://youtu.be/WM1_Ij7_2ik

Australia

https://youtu.be/n7WsD_3EyaQ?list=RDGMEM916WJxafRUGgOvd6dVJkeQ

Uzbekistan

https://youtu.be/CNjHLpW2dQ0

Tajikistan

https://youtu.be/YLD7Yqmo1a0

France

Friday, June 12, 2026

Bullies

A bully boy beats up a boy who does not fight back.

Many young boys and girls are faced with bullies in the school years that traumatize them to the extent that they decide to find another school but bullying in schools is more widespread than you can imagine. In American schools, bullying is done by boys who enjoy tormenting new students just because they are of different skin color or of another ethnic background who may be very smart and consistently get high grades from their teachers.

Bullying is a curse that does not spare even a new teacher until the teacher fights back and expels the bully from his or her class. This sort of behavior is often the subject of many movies or U tube that really makes me think why it happens and why the school authorities do not take strict actions against such people. Do they offer counseling to such boys and girls or try to reform them by other means.

In the movie Forrest Gump, the boys tormented the young Forrest who had polio and could not walk or run so the young boy started to run away from the bad boys and strengthened his legs.

There was a bully in our college in India who thought that he could bully anyone anytime without any consequence so one day he got a big dead insect and tried to put it in my shirt pocket. He was very surprised when I put the big insect back in his pocket in return. He said that he did not know that I was in the second year so underestimated me. He never bothered me again. It made me think that most bullies are cowards and back off if someone challenges them.

I also think that a bully does not act alone because he is always seen in the company other bad boys who enjoy his bullying because to them it is just entertainment. They often drop out of high school or expelled by the principal, so they are seen selling hot dogs or cleaning tables in some eateries while the bullied boy or the girl graduates with honor, goes to college and excels there as well to become a doctor or engineer or a scientist in the future.

Students who do not show respect to their teachers in the classrooms or on campus may come from broken families where the parents fail to teach them good values and moral lessons, so the kid starts to keep the company of bad boys of similar background. In Asia, the teacher is highly respected by his students and in the community where he or she lives but there are also cases of bullying by other students in some colleges.

It is also known that some girls bully new female students out of jealousy because the new student is very smart, dresses well, is polite to the teachers and always respectful. She does her homework well and spends her time in the library instead of gossiping with other girls. She soaks up knowledge from books and in her classroom like a sponge and is a wide reader on all subjects. She also excels in learning musical instruments and participates in many games like volleyball or badminton where she wins trophies and medals in competition with other schools.

Such students are remembered by their teachers long after they have graduated and moved on to some prestigious colleges on scholarship while the bad bully boys and girls make no progress in their life.

I often see young kids throwing tantrum in a restaurant disturbing everybody while the mother smiles but does not control the kid. I had to call a stewardess in a flight to ask the woman to control her kid who was making a lot of noise and throwing tantrum. Finally, the indifferent mother told the kid to behave and not disturb other passengers. Several people on that flight thanked me for confronting the situation. Such a kid who is not taught good manners and never reprimanded becomes a bully later on in his school and reaps its consequences when he is expelled. Some schools have strict rules and implement them.

There were a Muslim boy and a girl in our college who teamed up to make trouble on campus by calling a strike on some issues that very few understood including myself, so the classes stopped and some kids threw stones on the majestic glass window of the library. After some time, the classes started again but the two miscreants were summarily expelled from the college who could never get a clean transfer certificate, so their studies came to an end. I do not know what happened to them.

The anger, the jealousy and the sense of entitlement in them helps create in them the aggressive attitude they show toward anyone that leads to bullying. I was told by a friend that in his college, there was a bully who tormented others so tired of his bad behavior, some students lured him into a forested area just off campus, where they all beat the devil out of him, so he never bullied anyone again. Perhaps such measures were drastic, but some kids need to learn their lessons in a hard way while other efforts failed. Physical punishment often has desired results. In African villages, the punishment of a kid who is misbehaving becomes a communal responsibility so by and large the rural kids are well behaved.

In some countries where the physical punishment is not allowed, the kids tend to be more aggressive towards others as adult and behave that way to any newcomer later on. You will see it repeated in the cowboy movies that leads to violence and even death. These movies are based on real events played out in hundreds of saloons everywhere.

A man killed a pregnant woman over a parking slot dispute here in the Philippines that led to his arrest and long jail time while the woman and her unborn child died so needlessly over a parking slot dispute. Where does such dangerous aggressiveness come from? Was he a bully growing up and had behaved badly over silly matters in the past?

In some countries the inherent suspicion shown when they meet a stranger in a public place like a bar or a shopping area often leads to unpleasant situations that can quickly escalate to something no one wants. This suspicion comes from their isolationist attitude because they do not meet new people and their poor knowledge of the outside world where people grow up practicing different faiths, culture, food and social manners. Their poor education, isolation and lack of knowledge about the world makes them aggressive and suspicious. If you want to learn how such people grew up under what situations, you will find the answer. Their behavior is a learned behavior from their parents and other people who live in their communities.

When the time comes for a boy or girl to go to a college, they find out that the bad boys and girls form their fraternities and sororities and constantly seek new recruits. They put pressure on new students to join them, but it ends badly if then join. There are fights between different fraternities over silly issues that have resulted in physical harms and other consequences. The bad girls also gang up on other sororities to prove their dominance over them because it makes them feel good.

Saturday, May 9, 2026

What is life

Evolution of life from birth to death

We all know a basic fact of life. We know that once we are born, we live for a certain length of time and then die one day. This is also true of all living beings be they insects, animals or even plants. Each one is born with the fact that one day they will perish and they will be replaced by the next generation. This fact is eternal because we see and find the remains of those perished but left their bones or history written on walls, in caves or in written documents for the generations coming after them to know about them.

Some have perished due to wars and the famines or the epidemic of diseases while others died due to other causes from time to time but most people today die of old age or diseases caused by eating unhealthy food or introduced virus like COVID that caused a worldwide epidemic .There are those who have died due to accidents or during terrorist attacks on innocent people and those who decided that their life was not worth anything anymore, so they ended it.

So, we ask the question what life is and how it sustains us and why one day it decides to leave our body. The answer to this question is not so simple because there are numerous reasons why the life leaves our body as I have enumerated in the previous paragraphs.

If you consider our physical body is nothing but a composition of organs that continue to function to keep our body in good shape and healthy but a time comes when these organs start to wear down due to food we eat or what we think as food that are detrimental to the functions of the various organs so they start showing signs of wear and loss of functions . The heart slows down so the blood is not pumped efficiently. The kidneys malfunction, the liver no longer works efficiently, the immune system deteriorates so various germs and infections start making problems. The overall effect of all these difficulties makes the body, and its various functions deteriorate and eventually your life comes to an end.

But those who are healthy, also die one day because of old age although they may live a bit longer than those who are malnourished or have bad habits of not eating proper and nourishing food and hurt their organs with alcohol, smoking and drugs.

So, what is this life we talk about and why and when it leaves our body? In Sanskrit it is called Prana that is explained as energy that is found in every living being that keeps our body alive up-to a certain time. Then one day it leaves our body when the body deteriorates to the point when its organs cannot support it any longer.

Prana leaving the body after death

So, what happens to this bundle of energy or Prana after it leaves the body? Where does it go? Does it seek a new body somewhere? Does it reincarnate itself by giving new life to a baby that is under the process of developing in the womb somewhere?

There are numerous reports of children who remember who they were in the past and give detailed description of where they lived in the past, what was their name and how they died so some people go to verify and find the truth. It verifies the ancient belief that the life or the Prana is eternal and often comes back with a new body, so this cycle of birth and death continues to some extent.

Hindus believe that the Prana often becomes free and does not return with a new body so they pray and do penance to reach the state of Nirvana for the soul or Prana so that their soul will be free from the cycle of life and death forever. They go to bathe in Holy rivers and make pilgrimage to pray at numerous temples for the freedom of their soul. No one really knows if it works.

The science says that the energy that floats around us in the Universe is eternal and cannot be destroyed. It can take a new shape for a while, but it cannot be destroyed. This idea that the Prana is eternal gives sustenance to numerous theological beliefs that encourages people to live a healthy and honest life and avoid the sinful life so that their soul or Prana will become free and will not return in another body. It returns when you deserve to be punished for all your sins. It is like a sinful person is given a second chance in his new life to atone for all the bad things he or she had done in their past life.

I have some strange ideas about the soul or Prana that I want to write about here.

At a certain age we all start to think about the end of our life and how it will end. We all wish that we go to sleep one night and do not wake up again, while the Prana leaves a smile on our lips. Mind you, this does not happen to everyone but a few lucky ones. I think it happens to those who have remained honest until their last day and have contributed somehow to make the world a better place for others using their talent, their knowledge gained through education and sacrifice. Such a person dedicates his life to the service for others and is incorruptible. In short, they live their life on their own terms and never compromise their ethics and their helpful nature. Such people are never forgotten so they are revered so their sacrifice and their lifelong struggle for justice and humanity is mentioned in golden letters in the history books. However, history books are often written by biased people or under pressure. Just imagine what would happen to you if you wrote that Genghis Khan was a very bad person?

So, you have to ask yourself this question.

Why I came to this world? Why I was born in a certain family and what was the purpose of my life? If I came with a purpose, then what was it? Did I complete my mission then how many people I was able to help? In what way I was able to help them? These are very valid questions most people do not ask because they did not have a mission or a purpose in their life so they achieved nothing and died leaving nothing behind in the form of a legacy except a faded photograph on the wall that the next generation does not care about so takes it down after some time to stow away in the attic.

I do not like to write about bad people who leave a legacy of crime, sins and dishonesty that leaves a permanent stain on their epitaph to remind how bad the person was.

I write about the common people who may be honest and religious, but who did not help others and opted for a boring life they led. They too left no legacy, so people soon forgot them. They did not teach their offspring good values, decency, honesty, good manners and right conduct so in their adulthood, such children grew up to be monsters earning them disdain and social disapproval.

So, your prana or soul leaves you and your body becomes dust or ashes according to your religion or wishes. Your relatives mourn you or do not mourn you depending on what you have left for them in terms of material wealth. Some will show their greed or disappointment even when the workers lower your remains to a hole 6 feet deep and leave only to forget you after some time. The Hindus do not believe in preserving the body, so they burn it to ashes and throw the ashes in the rivers to pollute its waters. Those who bury the body, do it for rituals and leave, never to return to pay their respect. I have seen plenty of gravestones broken and shattered that no one visits so the weeds take over to hide the sad relics of a person who may have been a good person but now forgotten.

Now your soul is free and starts to wander aimlessly but some people say that it lingers around for a few days near his wife and children but just for a few days. Some souls never become free to wander because they lived a life of sin, so they appear in haunted house as ghosts where they lived before. They wait eternally for redemption and freedom until a priest releases them through exorcism or a Hindu priest using religious rituals forgives them and offers them freedom. Hindus go to Gaya where they perform some religious rituals and offer prayers to their ancestors so that their souls or Prana become free from the cycle of life and death.

The souls or Prana that become free from life and death are those who have spent their life as good people who helped those who needed their help. They earned this reward as freedom.

I often think of whether or not my soul or prana will become free because another life somewhere does not appeal to me. I have seen the world, its evil nature, its corruption, its racism and prejudices. There is no country that is ideal, where there are no corrupt and evil-minded people. If I have to come back again to be born somewhere, then I will have to search for a beautiful country where I will look for a wonderful couple who will raise me to be a wholesome worthwhile being and instill in me a purpose for my life but that is just a wishful thinking. The ideal solution will be if my prana decides not to come back to be born again somewhere then it just becomes a part of the energy that permeates the Universe and twinkles as a star in the galaxy forever. I cannot think of a better way to go out in style.

But I will not know what my Prana decides and I will never be able to share its decision with anyone unless I tattoo the words Amal.wordpress.com on its arm so that my new parents in a distant country will be curious about the blue tattoo on their newborn child and type the link on their computer. Lo and behold, it will open up my entire biography in 6 languages instantly to their surprise, but I am not sure if it will work so I think the easiest way would be to get a tattoo on my arm that my prana or soul will copy and take it to the next level.

However, if someone can tell me how to put a tattoo on the arm of my soul, I will greatly appreciate it because it will save me from getting a painful tattoo on my arm.

Monday, February 9, 2026

New publications

I have brought to you the following links that will enable you to read the books that are waiting to be published as e- books. My pen name is Anil the bard. You may share these links with anyone anytime.

My biography —Story of Anil