The Quotation of the Week (August 22 - 28, 2010)

A quotation of John F. Kennedy on 'war,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Silhouette Photography

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Photo of a shadow of me photographing my shadow
on Nick's Restaurant wall!

Photo (Sauble Beach, Ontario, Canada: August 16, 2010) © Jerome D'Costa

A Doodle: ADAM AND EVE

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A doodle on Adam and Eve

Doodle (Dhaka: April 25, 1995) © Jerome D'Costa

Flirting With the Past: Tall, Taller and Tallest (October, 1975)

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(L-R) Joe Mutebi (from Uganda), Yasutaka Okayama (Japan)
and Jerome D'Costa (Bangladesh) at the University of Portland,
Oregon, USA

Photo (October, 1975) by Koh Kok Yan

Yasutaka Okayama, a Japanese student, joined the University of Portland, Oregon, USA, to be trained as a basketball player. Being 7 feet 9 inches, he was the tallest person in the university. We could see him over the heads of all others. He was like a sunflower looking over a field of lilies.

One day, Ugandan student Joe Mutebi (5 feet 8 inches), Malaysian student Koh Kok Yan (5 feet 4 inches) and myself (5 feet 5 inches) were in front of our hall. At one time, as Yasutaka Okayama was passing by, I requested him to pose for a photo. He obliged me immediately. Later, I came to know that he played in the basketball teams of several other universities in the USA.

After these many years, I wonder where Yasutaka Okayama, Joe Mutebi and Koh Kok Yan are now.

The Quotation of the Week (August 15 - 21, 2010)

Clouds over Toronto

Photo (Aug. 7, 2010) by Mary D'Costa

Some Super Rich Vow to Help the Poorest of the Poor

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(L-R) Billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill Gates
Photo courtesy: www.news.com.au/

A recent exemplary decision by a number of American billionaires sounds the sweetest to the ears of the poor.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates (worth US $ 53 billion), investor and industrialist Warren Buffett ($47 billion), Media owner and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg ($18 billion), CNN founder Ted Turner ($1.8 billion) and 40 other US billionaires pledged to donate half of their fortunes to the cause of the poor, reports the National Post. Their causes vary from art to HIV programmes to brain research.

Bill Gates and Warren Buffet recently gave the "Giving Pledge" challenge to about 80 American billionaires listed in the Forbes list. Forty of them made a pledge for causes of the poor.

This is a good effort in bringing billionaires into a common fold of givers for the cause of the poor.

Ramadan Starts in Canada

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The Ramadan moon as seen on the second evening in Toronto
Photo (August 12, 2010) by Mary D'Costa

For the Muslims of Canada, the holy month of Ramadan (also called Ramzan) started yesterday. In this ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Muslims, all over the world including Canada, live a sacrificial life by full-day fasting, praying and giving alms to the poor. Fasting from food, except liquids, is practised from sunrise to sunset. Fasting is broken by eating iftar communally (in a group). The intention is to strive for greater holiness and purity of heart and be closer to God spiritually.

To know more on the Ramadan in Bangladesh and Canada, you may visit the following:

• Ramadan in Bangladesh
• Ramadan in Bangladesh (in photos)
• Ramadan in Canada