The topic of Tibet was the topic of conversation among my friends today. Many of them are concerned about the latest developments there. A few monks who had the courage to interrupt a press conference has given a human face to this Tibetan problem.
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AP photo courtesy of the BBC
What do you expect when you board a flight? You expect to see flight attendants, fellow passengers, maybe a peek through the pot holes occasionally, a free drink or some on-board food. And of course you expect to see a monkey…….what!
This is what passengers were horrified to find on a flight from Lima, Peru to New York. A monkey? It baffles me how he managed to smuggle it on board undetected…maybe next time, I will smuggle Benghui too…save money. If I pump iron often enough, maybe I will be able to smuggle Mrs Bengbeng too on top of my head hahahahahaha.
To read more, monkey on board-BBC
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visit to the flood-hit Fuyang region in East China recently brought him a lot of unexpected praise.
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An amazing discovery has been made. A secret 2000 year-old underground chamber 30 m deep close to the tomb’s terracotta warriors has been found. It is inside the Chinese imperial tomb guarded by the famous Terracotta Army, Chinese archaeologists say.
It is believed to be the tomb of Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of China’s Qin dynasty. It was found near the old imperial capital of Xian using remote sensing technology. It could possibly have been built for the soul of the emperor.
So far excavation has not begun for fear of damaging this national treasure until better archaeological techniques are available for the task.
To read more, here
Prince William and Prince Harry have been busy of late at a labor which can be called a labor of love : the Princess Diana Concert in memory of their beloved mum but to the rest of us - the peoples’ princess, Princess Diana, Princess of Wales.
It promises to be a memorable night with the participation of Joss Stone, Sir Elton John , Lily Allen. Rod Stewart, Natasha Bedingfield, James Morrison, and Take That. Princes are basically human too and we can assume they are excited too to be involved in ’showbiz’ even if it’s just for a short while and to rub shoulders with the above performers whom perhaps they have been listening to for ages but never met.
The concert will be tonight at Wembley Stadium on Sunday to commemorate Princess Diana’s life almost 10 years after she died.
The princes toured the stadium to oversee preparations for the event. Sixty plus thousand fans are expected at the event. It would be incredibly difficult for security to put up adequate security measures though.
With the car bomb threat still fresh on every body’s mind, I expect there will be extra security measures. Knowing the British, the show will go on, and the fans in a disciplined manner bear with the extra security if any. This is the cost of living in modern times.
Pics of the incident at Glasgow Airport.terminal one
Airport incident was terrorism
pic and story courtesy of BBC
Pic courtesy of msn.groups.com
Oh my God! Has it been ten years already?
I still remember the moment. Mrs Bengbeng and I were in town when it was announced on the radio. Princess Diana of Britain had been killed in an accident. It seemed like a member of the family had passed away. Everybody in the photocopy shop were stunned.
She was neither an actress or singer but she was the most photographed person in the world. Due to the media coverage: slanted or not we may never know but the whole world was sympathetic to her cause. Even the shot of her in front of a kindergarten in a see through skirt ( unintentational of course ) - the sun was behind her when the shot was taken is still fresh in my mind. Nothing was seen of course. It just showed her as a fresh young woman, a little naive when like in a fairy tale movie, the not-so-handsome prince came to woo her. The whole world loved her.
Like every one else I thought it incredulous that Prince Charles would leave her for Camilia.
As she plunged head-long into emotional turmoil, all over the world, from New York to Bombay, to Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo and Tahiti - everyone was rooting for her. She was the peoples’ princess.
This 1st July, there will be a concert to remember her . Her two princes, Prince William and Prince Harry are excited over the prospect. To read more about the princes’ reaction to the concert and more, click here
Prince William has said he would like the Princess Diana memorial concert to be a chance to remember all the “amazing things” his mother did. The concert will mark the 10th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death. It will feature Sir Tom Jones, rapper P Diddy, Sir Elton John and band Supertram
It is a testimony to her greatness that she is still fondly remembered today all over the world. She did a lot through her charities. She just loved caring for people and she loved helping.
Princess Diana died, aged 36, along with her companion Dodi Al Fayed, 42, when the Mercedes they were in crashed in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in 1997.
This is also a good opportunity for us to reflect on the past ten years. What we have done or not done…..
Hey, have you heard? If you want to make a fortune, set up toilets in Nakaru, Kenya and charge by admission. What happened? Has there been a surge in gay activities or rise in people suffering from diarrhoea? 
It is the Nakaru, Kenya council’s new policy. The council authorities passed a by-law banning smoking in public places . Now they are jam packed at rush hours. Occasionally people have to queue to access them. Smoking can land you in jail or lead to a fine of up to $140 :).
Plans to build special smoking areas have met with opposition from non-smokers who brand it a waste of public funds.
What will happen if the government implements the same laws strictly in Malaysia . That will be interesting. Very interesting.
Statistics show that the number of children in Japan are at a record low and are expected to continue falling. As of 1 April, there were 17.38 million children aged 14 or below in the country - down 140,000 from last year.It has been on the decline for 26 years.
This poses problems to the country where a small number of productive citizens has to support the large number of elderly citizens. Life span has lengthened due to better medical facilities and a more health conscious population.
Correspondents say the current trend is caused by women marrying later in life and having fewer children. When you transplant this article to Malaysia, you will see there is also some parallel. More women are delaying marriage plans in favour of a higher education and career advancement. Families are getting smaller and starting later. In consequence, the number of children are limited.
Living in condominiums does not augur well for large families. Increased living costs and education makes it a necessity to practice birth control. This phenomenon affects the different communities in varying degrees. One fine day, the demographics of the nation will noticeably be different and the whole political equation landscape will forever be changed.
Just as a thought to female readers: Do not wait. A Buddhist monk once quipped to me or at least I think he was just jesting : Bengbeng, somewhere out there is a soul waiting to be reincarnated. The child is waiting to be born. It is the child’s destiny. Let it happen. Be a good parent. The reincarnation cycle must go on.
Pic thanks to the BBC
The archaelogical world is abuzz with amazing artifacts dating back to the 12th century. It will shed some light on questions long asked.
Labeled a treasure trove, it comprises paintings of Buddha detailing his life in 55 murals. It was originally discovered by a local sheep herder in a cave in a remote area of Nepal’s north-central region. 250km (160 miles) northwest of Kathmandu. “What we found is fantastically rich in culture and heritage and goes to the 12th century or earlier,” American writer and conservationist Broughton Coburn told the AP news agency.
It is an exciting find: a glimpse into the past. Some believe Buddha was born in Nepal.
To read more, here
The London Appeal Court yesterday reduced an elderly 81 year-old-woman’s jail sentence from 6 months to four months. Dorothy Evan’s offence :harassing her neighbours, shouting abuse and hitting them with her walking stick.
The woman arrived at the Appeal court in a wheelchair with a plaster over one eye and using a hearing aid to listen to the proceedings.
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