Never say never

As I disembarked the Norwegian Gem in Sydney Nova Scotia, in the Fall of 2011, I was filled with a meditative sense of peace and calm and instantly knew in my heart, that Nova Scotia would, someday be my home. I recalled feeling like this way once before. It was when I first landed in Canada in 1989. I knew then like I knew now, that I was home.

When would this happen?  That was just another one of a billion unanswered questions, in my life.

I was on a New England cruise with my parents and my caregiver. It was a surprise from my parents. We had travelled from Toronto, by Greyhound coach to New York and taken the cruise to New England, Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. What was funny was that the trip to and from New York and the cruise, cost less than flying directly from Toronto to Nova Scotia. The airline companies seem to have gone a little mad with their prices! Not to mention we also received accommodation and food!

On returning to Toronto, I could not stop thinking about moving to Nova Scotia.  My research took me from looking for homes, to exploring the various climatic zones, the availability of medical practitioners and naturopaths and of course  having some proximity to an Ismaili Muslim mosque and community center.

I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2006 and have been treating the illness without any prescription drugs but with natural therapies, diet, nutrition and the whole mind, body and spirit approach. My illness was not the focus in my life but even then, it seemed that everything else in my life revolved around my illness. I had to plan my days and my activities around my energy level and the ability to cope with the mental and physical strain of each task.
A big part of my life has been the community center where I am a story teller, a religious teacher and an ESL to adults. My doctor is only a thirty minute drive from home. The pharmacy is another forty five minutes away. These conveniences have become a big part of my life and any change would disrupt my otherwise well planned perfect routines.

The day I set foot on Nova Scotia soil, I was fully prepared to give up my conveniences. I was in love with the openness of the land, with the kindness and warmth of the people, and with the peace and tranquility of the life there. The difference was like night and day. I was to break free from being at the mercy of neon signs invading my space, forcing my gaze to the ugly advertising and the billboards; I was never again to be a victim nor give in to road rage - I could drive the speed limit and would not be chastised or insulted and the best part of it all was that I would not have to put up with people who were in a constant hurry, who were in competition with the world around them as well as with themselves. Just this stress in Ontario was enough to give me an MS attack!

In the Winter of 2011, I drove to Nova Scotia with my caregiver and my mother, from Ontario, a mere 21 hour journey, to search for a home. Today, four months after I first set foot in Nova Scotia, I have put my house up for sale and have purchased a home that closes in a couple of months.

The Annapolis Valley is to be my new home. Green pastures, fertile lands, the north and south mountains, the snaking Annapolis river, and clean air offer the right scenic environment and the climatic and environmental condition (not to mention tranquility) are perfect for healthy, stress-free living, especially for me, living with multiple sclerosis.

 The Annapolis Valley offers the best climatic condition for living with MS It has shorter milder winters and longer milder summers. Its peaceful setting make it an ideal environment for starting a new life in a new province I am soon to call home.
I can now call myself a Maritimer.

Now begins the arduous task of packing..
I was sure my previous home was to be my last home. Well, here I am, once again, preparing to move to another home, in another province.

I guess, the idiom “Never say never’ really is true!

What Liberty stands for.........................

Liberty is a concept in political philosophy that identifies the condition in which human beings are able to govern themselves, to behave according to their own free will, and take responsibility for their actions.

The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of light and freedom to all who see it and dream of a new life in America. Built in France and shipped to New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty officially opened for visitors in 1886. Since then, it has been a beacon for immigrants the world over and a destination for tourists from all over the U.S

There are different conceptions of liberty, which articulate the relationship of individuals to society in different ways, including some which relate to life under a "social contract" or to existence in a "state of nature", and some which see the active exercise of freedom and rights as essential to liberty.

I have just come back from a trip to New York and had the opportunity to actually see the Statue of Liberty for the first time in my life.

It evoked a feeling a awe, wonder and regret. It's mere stature in the entry way of the Port of New York, the symbolism in everything from Lady Liberty's crown to her sandals and her forward walking motion were the source of awe and wonder.

Unfortunately, there was also regret brought about by the demise of societal values where human beings are only viewed as dollar signs by the corporations, where the medical and pharmaceutical industries only view illnesses only by how much revenue they generate, where human lives are valueless while their illnesses make these pharmaceutical industries trillions in profits, and where the true meaning of liberty of taking responsibility for actions is completely ignored by those in power, be they doctors, politicians, gas companies or (one more time) the greedy pharmaceutical corporations.

As Lady Liberty continues to stand in the gateway to New York city, she may one day inspire the true characteristics of Liberty in human beings.

Will that day really ever come?.

I Am Back!

I am a back after a long break.
Time seems to fly. and it seems I just blinked and six months have gone by!

What have I been doing?
Well let me see, I have been writing (obviously not the blog), spent time with my parents (they were visiting me) and in fact, they surprised me with a New England cruise which was fabulous!
I took a TEFL course and am now a certified teacher (yay), and I have continued with my tutoring and story telling and absolutely love it.
I was selected to be a medal bearer for the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary cross country relay, which was a fantastic honour and I had the opportunity to meet some wonderful people who make a difference in the lives of others

. The last thing I did in 2011 was that I participated on stage in an African dance. I was the chief and it felt so good to be back on stage again. I stopped performing after I was diagnosed and had a thrill of a lifetime!

That was all I did and before I knew it it was January 2012.
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545 vs. 300,000,000 People

I had to put this article, written by Charlie Reese in my blog. It tells us who is at the root of all the problems in the country. Here in Canada, we suffer the same plight as the U.S.


Charley Reese's final column for the Orlando Sentinel...
He has been a journalist for 49 years.
He is retiring and this is HIS LAST COLUMN.



Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House now? He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it's because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan ...

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees...

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.

Thank you Charlie. Happy Retirement!

LIFE IS A DANCE

Your life within God's arms,
Your dance within God's arms,
Is already Perfect!
- Hafiz

Life is like dancing.
If we have a big floor, many people will dance.
Some will get angry when the rhythm changes.
But life is changing all the time.
- don Miguel Ruiz

When you get the choice to sit it out or dance,
I hope you dance.
- Lee Ann Womack

Today is your day to dance lightly with life,
sing wild songs of adventure,
invite rainbows and butterflies out to play,
soar your spirit, and unfurl your joy.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Teaching Tolerence................

When my story telling session started this evening, I was a little worried because here I was in a mosque, talking about Passover and the story of Moses.
Muslims believe that Moses was a prophet of God and came with a message for the people. He was Mussa Nabi. The kids did not know that and to my amazement, neither did some of the parents.

I started off with some trepidation, expecting the parents to yell or walk out but the faces of the children lit up with curiosity and as the story proceeded, I got more and more bold and used the ‘H’ and ‘J’ words – Hebrew and Jews.
It is this cultural illiteracy that is the root of hate. By telling the story of Moses and then of Jesus (after all it is Easter), I educated the kids that both Jesus and Moses were our prophets – Issa and Mussa. Now they had something in common with their friends at school.

We even discussed the importance of eggs during Easter and Passover and made a connection to Navroz, our New Year, which was celebrated on March 21st, and during which we also give an importance to eggs. Eggs symbolize renewal and all three of these holidays – Navroz, Passover and Easter are holidays celebrating renewal and rebirth. Whether it was the birth of freedom and a new nation, or the resurrection of Christ or the renewal of spring, they are all connected. We are all connected.
I came out of the story telling session elated, having educated the kids on the similarities of cultures and maybe even reduced the inherited hate that exists.

We already recognize that early childhood education sets the stage for future development. Why then would we not educate the kids about other cultures so that they can grow, already being familiar and comfortable with other cultures, especially where similarities exist? Especially if these teachings will help encourage peace, love and brotherhood!

A Letter to Dalton James Patrick Mc Guinty Jr. and his fellow Liberals

This letter was sent to Dalton McGuinty two days ago. I am so sick of paying more for everything.............................


My name is Alnoor Rajan and I am a resident of Brampton, Ontario.

Five years ago, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and have just been granted my disability of $600.00 a month.

Before being diagnosed with MS, I was a small business owner offering corporate catering services for breakfasts, lunches, business meetings, seminars, etc as well as running two office cafeterias. Due to the illness, I could not work and lost a big part of my business and income.

This HST has put an even bigger strain on my finances. As it is, since my diagnosis I am surviving on a meagre income and now I am paying HST on almost everything. This is quite ridiculous.
Instead of helping the population you are too busy trying to raise funds for a deficit caused by your own inefficiencies and incompetence.
Instead of gouging the public, why not reduce your spending, such as the benefits that you and your employees make and your own expenses that tax payers are paying for? Why should I have to pay twice for your gross misjudgments and errors?
You have no problem digging up roads, only to fix them again in the name of 'creating jobs'.
You have no problem spending millions when you could as easily, identify the waste of tax payer funds by making your government more efficient.
You have no problems 'faking it' to the public in your ads that you are improving the economy and creating jobs. Lies!
One of the 'accomplishments' you brag about in your ads is the "HST refunds". This is a joke. Why take it in the first place when you are only going to refund it? Doesn't the administration of taking it and refunding it cost? Is this how you are creating jobs?

I used to be proud of living in the best country in the world, Now I am sad that I live in a country run by inefficient politicians like you, who can take the food off my table to fund their own inefficiencies and incompetence. I thought this only happened in places like the corrupt African countries. But it happens here too. The only difference is that here it is done in the name of God and Country and by politicians who are white and who wear expensive suits.
Do not tell me what you are doing for me when I can clearly see what you are not doing for me. Do not tell me how this is for my benefit when all I see is an eternal dark tunnel that you have helped build.

Let me tell what I cannot do because of the HST:
I cannot fill my car up with gas because I cannot afford the hike in the price of gas,
I cannot shop for groceries like I used to because of the price increase,
I cannot live like I used to (which was not ostentatious to begin with) because everything I consume and all the services that I use are now more expensive and not within my budget.
But, there is one thing I can do:
I can shop at the local Goodwill stores because they do not charge the cursed HST. It is unfortunate that they do not sell gas, groceries and basic necessities that I need to live.

On top of this, the increase in the cost of living, does not warrant an increase in my benefits or in the monies I receive. How unfair is that?
Could you live on $600.00 a month?
Maybe all incomes should increase in the same proportion as the increase in taxes.
Do you even recognize this phenomenon?

My medical expenses are already very high and now I have to live with your blunders and and increase in my expenses to reduce the quality of my already value less life.
I have chosen not to take the prescription drugs which are only symptomatic and still cause side effects, and half the time do not work. Instead, I have chosen an all natural route which seems to work miracles. The only problem is that your government does not cover natural remedies and treatments.
You will cover the poisons that kill and cause more illness but not cover the natural remedies that work. So, now my medical expenses are out of my pocket and since you can only allocate $600.00 per month to me, how do you expect me to live in a society of your creation?

There are so many issues that need your attention.
What are you doing about the poisoning and the toxicity of our food, water and air?
What are you doing about the greed of the gas companies?
What are you doing about the illnesses that have increased disproportionate to the increase in population?
What are you doing about the greed of the pharmaceutical industries who create illnesses and drugs with side effects, so that they can make more money?
Where are all the funds raised for medical research going? Millions, billions and trillions are raised in the name of research and in the name of 'finding a cure' to illness. What has your government done to ensure that these funds go to those who need them and not to the pharmaceutical industry who already thrives on the sick and ailing society.
Why would you be proactive in resolving these issues when you can create new problems and expenses for your constituents, by increasing taxes?

I guess you are expecting a pat on your back for your numbered accomplishments.

Unfortunately, I am not in a position to be generous with my pats, especially not to politicians who spit on and stab their constituents in the back on the pretext of helping them. I am not so generous with my pats, especially not to politicians who make their constituents lives difficult, only to fund their own pockets, their own inefficiency and their own incompetence. I am not generous with politicialns who feed the greed of the gas companies the greed of the pharmaceutical industry to take advantage of the citizens so that your government can earn more in taxes.

There is one thing you can count on and that is that my vote will never come to you - definitely not in the next election, which I hope is soon because I can hardly wait for you and your party to leave.

Sincerely,
Alnoor Rajan