Monthly

SELFISH GENEROSITY

To be described as generous is for me a very high compliment. And at times I have been told this. However I believe I live an oxymoron in this regard. I am happy to give, but on my terms. I am happy to sacrifice, a little, yet still live comfortably. I am happy to compare myself with my peers who I consider to have more or live more extravagantly.

I left my home culture in 2004 and made some sacrifices. Over the ensuing years I became comfortable in my level of sacrifice and generosity. Now what should I give? I don't know. But I have been convicted recently that I am too caught up in seeking my own comfort. As Blaise Pascal said, "All men seek happiness." That is our natural bent.

What is my motivation in being generous? What is yours? I fear that often I seek the applause of men rather than the unseen applause of heaven. I want to pour my life out as an offering.

WHERE'S WALLY?

UKRAINE CONNECTIONS

I write this update the night before I jump on a jet plane to head to Ukraine (via Dubai).

I am happy to report that Natasha skyped me last week and said that she has decided to continue running UTSIM for another year. I am really happy about this and I am sure both students and Sveta, the teacher, are also glad. I will be helping them move into new premises this week when I arrive. The town council have helped provide a better room in an even better location at a better price. (Sometimes it isn’t wrong to overuse a word, ‘better’ sounded really good just then)

My house. I am excited to go back to my house. It is easy to become attached to a place or a piece of real estate. It got me thinking about the first time I went back to this house in 2005.

LIVING DOWN UNDER

SENSORY OVERLOAD

India is an intense place! Well I can't judge all of India but 3 days in Mumbai have left me a plethora of experiences, emotions and challenging notions. I will continue to take processing time. Here the ears are bombarded with the varying pitches of the honkng of horns. The eyes are kept busy with an explosion of constant colour and constant movement. The nose is greeted with an array of aromas, curries and spices, incense near every corner shrine, and the reminders of how difficult sanitation is in over populated areas. The mouth has been host to a wonderful gourmet experience, yes even Jono has been loving the curries, garlic naans and mango lassis. And all you need to do is ride the train system to know what it means to touch a lot of people at one time. One certainly needs to redefine one's meaning of personal space.

When is culture right or wrong? Can more than one opposing idea be right? Ghandi wrote: "I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.”

CHILDREN

One of the quotes on my website says: “When I grow up I want to be a little boy.” It is by Joseph Heller an American author. One of his well-known books is Catch-22 which I read a while back. If you read a lot of what Heller has to say about life and about God – he is very cynical. The quote almost seems to say – don’t grow up because then everything just gets too complicated.

Maybe you feel like that – sometimes I do. But I want us to think about children. Can you think back to your childhood? I’m sure there are a mixture of good and bad memories and feelings. But the chances are that one overshadows the other and you look back on childhood with a pleasant feeling or it is very painful for you.

UKRAINE CONNECTIONS