Great Deals in Canada - Save between 10-40% on hotels deals in Vancouver! Book by 5/12/08 for travel from now until 5/19/08.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Canadian Ismaili Games - Vancouver May 2-5, 2008
If you have not booked your flights and hotels for the games check out the deals with these suppliers
Great Deals in Canada - Save between 10-40% on hotels deals in Vancouver! Book by 5/12/08 for travel from now until 5/19/08.
Great Deals in Canada - Save between 10-40% on hotels deals in Vancouver! Book by 5/12/08 for travel from now until 5/19/08.
Friday, April 18, 2008
1,100,000 hits in the last 12 months
Incredible - thanks to all our readers for your continued support - Morning Chai logged 1.1 million hits in the last 12 month period - when I started this it was strictly as a hobby - something that would be fun to do and meet interesting people - I had absolutely no idea that it would morph into being something Ismailis would embrace with such gusto - and the best part has by far been the people I have met over the past 3 years.
Thank You
Zee
Summary by Month
Mar-08
92,961
Feb-08
84,535
Jan-08
97,156
Dec-07
90,868
Nov-07
83,088
Oct-07
88,535
Sep-07
87,066
Aug-07
87,081
Jul-07
97,541
Jun-07
94,642
May-07
98,856
Apr-07
98,496
Totals
1,100,825
Thank You
Zee
Summary by Month
Mar-08
92,961
Feb-08
84,535
Jan-08
97,156
Dec-07
90,868
Nov-07
83,088
Oct-07
88,535
Sep-07
87,066
Aug-07
87,081
Jul-07
97,541
Jun-07
94,642
May-07
98,856
Apr-07
98,496
Totals
1,100,825
Canada - Golden Jubilee Visit 2008
The Registration for the Canadian Jamat (Phase One) officially was launched on April 4th. Here is the website to register online - deadline is May 4th
http://www.goldenjubileecanada.org/English/home.aspx
Phase 2 will be the International Jamat Registration.
For Vancouver the site of the Darbar has not been announced - here is the venue in 2005.
http://www.goldenjubileecanada.org/English/home.aspx
Phase 2 will be the International Jamat Registration.
For Vancouver the site of the Darbar has not been announced - here is the venue in 2005.
Most Merciful is not welcome on Morning Chai
I run Google Ads to help pay for some of the expenses for Morning Chai. I have to let you know that a constant thorn on my site has been the gentleman who runs the MostMerciful website. I believe he is an ex-communicated former Ismaili who lives in my hometown of Vancouver. Now I have nothing against anyone who chooses to believe or not believe in following the Ismaili faith - but I am certainly not one to encourage this individual to hate monger the Ismaili faith.
I'll come straight and say I am an Ismaili homey - that is I consider myself lucky to be born into the Ismaili faith and will defend it to my last day. Any faith that preaches the ethics of generosity, kindness, hard work, voluntarism, pursuing knowledge, living a balanced life and to have a living spiritual guide is A okay with me.
Anyway, the good news is that I discovered how to block Websites on my Google Adsense account and inshallah I hope, within the next 24 hours, never to see Mr. Most Merciful on Morning Chai again.
In the next few days I hope to have some more stories on my LA Darbar visit.
Cick here for my first one...
I'll come straight and say I am an Ismaili homey - that is I consider myself lucky to be born into the Ismaili faith and will defend it to my last day. Any faith that preaches the ethics of generosity, kindness, hard work, voluntarism, pursuing knowledge, living a balanced life and to have a living spiritual guide is A okay with me.
Anyway, the good news is that I discovered how to block Websites on my Google Adsense account and inshallah I hope, within the next 24 hours, never to see Mr. Most Merciful on Morning Chai again.
In the next few days I hope to have some more stories on my LA Darbar visit.
Cick here for my first one...
His Highness the Agha Khan.....in Texas
Posted by jillcarroll at April 15, 2008 07:15 PM
This past weekend I attended an event hosted by Governor Perry celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the imamate of His Highness the Agha Khan, who is the 49th in a hereditary lineage of imams stretching back to Prophet Muhammad. His Highness is the spiritual leader of the world community of Ismaili Muslims, who are a part of Shi'ite Islam.
The world - at least in the West and here in Texas - doesn't know enough about the Ismailis. And it's time we do. This worldwide, transnational community of Muslims supports major intellectual, artistic, humanitarian, cultural and archaeological projects around the world. Moreover, within the next 10 years or so, Houston will become the North American headquarters for Ismaili Islam, and they will construct a worship and community center on several acres of centrally located real estate at Studemont and Allen Parkway. Houston will join and elite handful of other large international cities in being a hub for the global humanitarian efforts of this impressive group.
I still get asked all the time: "where are the moderate Muslims?" Well, they are all over the place - here in Houston, in Texas, in the United States - all over the world in fact. The Ismaili community is but one of any number of groups and branches in Islam made up of people who, like most everyone else here, works hard to raise their families, have a nice life, and contribute to the community.
I encourage you to learn about this group. You can start your inquiry at an official site of Ismaili Islam - http://www.theismaili.org/. Check it out. I hope you'll be pleased.
Video on San Antonio Preparations - type in Ismaili in Search Videos then click box and play
This past weekend I attended an event hosted by Governor Perry celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the imamate of His Highness the Agha Khan, who is the 49th in a hereditary lineage of imams stretching back to Prophet Muhammad. His Highness is the spiritual leader of the world community of Ismaili Muslims, who are a part of Shi'ite Islam.
The world - at least in the West and here in Texas - doesn't know enough about the Ismailis. And it's time we do. This worldwide, transnational community of Muslims supports major intellectual, artistic, humanitarian, cultural and archaeological projects around the world. Moreover, within the next 10 years or so, Houston will become the North American headquarters for Ismaili Islam, and they will construct a worship and community center on several acres of centrally located real estate at Studemont and Allen Parkway. Houston will join and elite handful of other large international cities in being a hub for the global humanitarian efforts of this impressive group.
I still get asked all the time: "where are the moderate Muslims?" Well, they are all over the place - here in Houston, in Texas, in the United States - all over the world in fact. The Ismaili community is but one of any number of groups and branches in Islam made up of people who, like most everyone else here, works hard to raise their families, have a nice life, and contribute to the community.
I encourage you to learn about this group. You can start your inquiry at an official site of Ismaili Islam - http://www.theismaili.org/. Check it out. I hope you'll be pleased.
Video on San Antonio Preparations - type in Ismaili in Search Videos then click box and play
His Highness the Aga Khan visits Georgia
At the same time the Pope is visiting America, so too is another spiritual leader. Today, His Highness the Aga Khan arrived in Atlanta.The Aga Khan is spiritual leader to more than 15-million Ismaili Shia Muslims worldwide. More than 100-thousand Ismaili live in the U-S, including 20-thousand here in Georgia. More than three dozen supporters were on hand to greet the Aga Khan, as his plane touched down at Charlie Brown Field outside of Atlanta. He was greeted officially by Governor Perdue's Chief of Protocol. On Friday the Aga Khan will have lunch with the Governor. The trip is part of the Aga Khan’s Jubilee Celebration, commemorating 50 years leading the world’s second largest Shia community
http://gpbnews.blogspot.com/2008/04/his-highness-aga-khan-visits-georgia.html
http://gpbnews.blogspot.com/2008/04/his-highness-aga-khan-visits-georgia.html
Side Dish: Golden Jubilee requires caterer to fill large bill
Web Posted: 04/15/2008 04:01 PM CDT
Bonnie WalkerExpress-News Staff Writer
Consider your grocery list for feeding a group of more than 30,000 people over a long weekend.
Greg Kowalski, owner of The RK Group caterers, had such a list in hand as he and his staff, as well as volunteers, prepared to serve the event last weekend. It was part of the Golden Jubilee celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the Aga Khan IV. Other Golden Jubilee events will be in Atlanta, Chicago and Los Angeles.
The Aga Khan is the spiritual leader of the Shiite Ismaili Muslims and direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad.
Two examples from the food list were 9,000 pounds of basmati rice and 200,000 bottles of water. These qualified as out of the ordinary, even for this seasoned caterer.
"This event is so big — and it happened so quickly. It's really amazing," said Kowalski last Thursday as he contemplated the magnitude of his job. The group would be convening at the Alamodome and the Convention Center.
Originally, the event was planned to be in Houston, where the population of Ismaili Muslims is far larger than the number who live in San Antonio. It reportedly was moved here because of unavailability of convention space in Houston.
The RK Group's chef and vice president of culinary operations, Jeffrey Magatagan, had been working "around the clock" since the catering company got word of the event the previous week, according to Kowalski. "He's (Magatagan) an incredible logistician."
One challenge was that there had been little notice before the announcement that the Aga Khan would be in attendance, which pushed the numbers into the stratosphere.
Contrast this to another event coming in October. The RK Group will be serving the American Dental Association at the Convention Center, with an estimated attendance of between 40,000 and 50,000, he said.
"But I knew about this convention six years ago," he said. RK won't be serving organized meals for the dental association, though. Food service for the Golden Jubilee attendees of last weekend's event started at 9 p.m. Friday and went through Saturday and Sunday, including tea breaks in between meals.
Volunteers from the group, more than 300, were to be on hand to help with the food service, said Kowalski. Part of Magatagan's job was to organize and manage these people, who all were "eager and anxious to help."
Some of the dishes included chicken "naan-wiches," sandwiches made with traditional naan flatbread, the spicy chicken tikka masala and sweet snacks such as bundi ladoo, fried balls of bean and rice flours and nuts.
Back to that grocery list: Kowalski said that his group worked directly with purveyors in New York and New Jersey to obtain the right products in mass quantity.
bwalker1@express-news.net
Side Dish appears on alternate Wednesdays in Taste.
San Antonio Side Dish...
Bonnie WalkerExpress-News Staff Writer
Consider your grocery list for feeding a group of more than 30,000 people over a long weekend.
Greg Kowalski, owner of The RK Group caterers, had such a list in hand as he and his staff, as well as volunteers, prepared to serve the event last weekend. It was part of the Golden Jubilee celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the Aga Khan IV. Other Golden Jubilee events will be in Atlanta, Chicago and Los Angeles.
The Aga Khan is the spiritual leader of the Shiite Ismaili Muslims and direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad.
Two examples from the food list were 9,000 pounds of basmati rice and 200,000 bottles of water. These qualified as out of the ordinary, even for this seasoned caterer.
"This event is so big — and it happened so quickly. It's really amazing," said Kowalski last Thursday as he contemplated the magnitude of his job. The group would be convening at the Alamodome and the Convention Center.
Originally, the event was planned to be in Houston, where the population of Ismaili Muslims is far larger than the number who live in San Antonio. It reportedly was moved here because of unavailability of convention space in Houston.
The RK Group's chef and vice president of culinary operations, Jeffrey Magatagan, had been working "around the clock" since the catering company got word of the event the previous week, according to Kowalski. "He's (Magatagan) an incredible logistician."
One challenge was that there had been little notice before the announcement that the Aga Khan would be in attendance, which pushed the numbers into the stratosphere.
Contrast this to another event coming in October. The RK Group will be serving the American Dental Association at the Convention Center, with an estimated attendance of between 40,000 and 50,000, he said.
"But I knew about this convention six years ago," he said. RK won't be serving organized meals for the dental association, though. Food service for the Golden Jubilee attendees of last weekend's event started at 9 p.m. Friday and went through Saturday and Sunday, including tea breaks in between meals.
Volunteers from the group, more than 300, were to be on hand to help with the food service, said Kowalski. Part of Magatagan's job was to organize and manage these people, who all were "eager and anxious to help."
Some of the dishes included chicken "naan-wiches," sandwiches made with traditional naan flatbread, the spicy chicken tikka masala and sweet snacks such as bundi ladoo, fried balls of bean and rice flours and nuts.
Back to that grocery list: Kowalski said that his group worked directly with purveyors in New York and New Jersey to obtain the right products in mass quantity.
bwalker1@express-news.net
Side Dish appears on alternate Wednesdays in Taste.
San Antonio Side Dish...
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Golden Jubilee USA 2008 - Los Angeles April 15th
Morning Chai publisher Zahir 'Zee' Karim was part of the Canadian contingent of Ismailis in LA for the Darbar held April 15th. This is the first in a series of articles to follow on his observations and experiences in the City of Angels.
Shukran - Thank You - Merci - Gracias - Ahsante sana - Shukriya - Arigatou !!!!!!!
While we can certainly say thank you in well over 465 languages - how do we use words to convey the appreciation of well over 10,000 visitors who convened in the City of Angels for 3 days that may never be forgotten and in my view will be hard to equal. So here is my quick summary of the Canadian experience at the LA Darbar.
The stampede started as early as Thursday (one week ago) and built to a crescendo by the weekend as Ismailis from Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto started landing at LAX.
On many Alaska Airlines flights the flight attendants welcomed the Golden Jubilee travellers on the public speaker and wished them a great time - what a start. Many flew direct from their cities but many had 1-2 hour stop overs in cities such as Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Salt Lake, Chicago and Houston. Indeed many drove 3 hrs from Vancouver to Seattle to take advantage of the cheap fares - in some cases under $200 - there was also a seniors group that started their journey at 11:00 pm at Burnaby Lake JK on a bus to Seattle airport where they arrived at 3 am for a 6:30 am flight and landed at LAX at 9:30 am - almost 12 hours later. I happened to be at LAX when this group arrived and I think they just wanted to see a bed...
At LAX , since Friday, every visitor was greeted by LA Ismaili volunteers who welcomed them with a cheery 'Darbar Mubarak' and a package of information of events. If you happened to be at the baggage claim at LAX on the weekend you would have run into literally hundreds of Ismailis from your hometown.
Downtown LA was abuzz with Ismailis from around the globe and all the hotels were filled many weeks prior. My guess is that 75% of the rooms around the Convention Center were taken by the Golden Jubilee visitors. While LA is a major city the Downtown core is not the most tourist friendly on weekends and evenings - though there were no incidents that I know or heard of for the 3 days. As you entered the hotel lobby there was an information desk set up with volunteers who gave out a little goody bag of snacks - another great touch.
The organizers of the LA Darbar also threw another surprise on Friday and Saturday by renting a hangar at the airport with a dinner and dandia raas program. The Barker Hangar was alive with Canadians who were by now starting to settle in and feel the LA welcome.
Sunday the official program started with JK at the Convention Center and dinner and entertainment in the evening. For Vancouverites it was like being at the PNE - probably the same for our neigbors in Calgary and Edmonton. The LA convention facility is a massive structure and the first 2 days the events were held in the converted giant underground parking lot. The main worry for the visitors were their Darbar entry cards and a separate hall was set up to handle the International registrants - it seemed the largest line up would have been 6 minutes at the most - though the time passed so quick as you met fellow Ismailis and conversation flowed about the weekend, where they had gone shopping etc.
Another nice touch and a huge benefit was the shuttle services provided to the Convention hall from the hotels in the downtown core as well as at Airport hotels. The buses ran every 15-30 minutes from Sunday evening to Tuesday evening.
Monday was a full day with events planned from 10:00am onwards and it was an early evening to prepare for the next day as visitors retreated to their hotels just after 9:00 pm after a quick meal. The LA organizers had catered all the meals for the 3 days with a contractor in San Jose as it would have been a logistic nightmare for our volunteers to cook and transport the food - it turned out to be a very wise move and as with the registration there were no line ups whatsoever - the Darbar program was moving along seamlessly by the day. For the day of the Darbar the doors were to open at 4 am - the shuttles would start at 3:00 am with MHI scheduled to arrive at approximately 11:00 am.
Tuesday morning - Downtown LA was a sight to behold. Picture this - starting at 2:30am hundreds of cabs zipping back and forth between the hotels and the Darbar hall - seems a lot of visitors decided to beat the shuttle crowd. The punch line here is that with well over 15,000 Ismailis going into the facility between 4am and 8am there were no lineups as 24 security scanners processed all the entrants with relative ease. The Darbar was held in the massive main hall and each individual was provided a continental snack pack to hold them for the morning - not many restaurants open at 3 am in downtown LA - so no quick Tim Hortons or Starbucks.
While I won't go into the specifics of the Darbar itself I would be remiss if I didn't say that Tuesday was a magical day. The main comment that came out of the Darbar was that MHI was extremely happy. He spoke longer than I have ever remembered in a Darbar and he was very specific about defending your faith, being united, educational opportunities in the knowledge society, to be prudent as the economic outlook for not only the US but for the rest of the world would be soft and that when the jamat rejoices later in the dandia raas he would be there in spirit. In talking to many people on Wednesday - when most visitors went back home and again LAX was taken over by Ismailis - the Dandia program on Sunday night was simply the best they have ever experienced - seems the band was extraordinary or was it simply the excitement of the morning - either way it was the perfect ending of an incredible journey.
The LA organizers left no detail untouched in how to make this visit the most welcome for their visitors - every touchpoint was a positive one and from my viewpoint no stone was left unturned - the attention to detail was simply amazing. It will be said that the LA Darbar will be one that sets the standard for any in terms of venue, facilities, transportation, meals, logistics and organization. If the President of the USA Council Dr. Mahmoud Eboo s well as the Western USA Council Samia Rashid were reading this here is what I would say to them:
MHI mentioned 2 things at the Darbar which makes me think of the LA Darbar organization. The first is the notion of best practices to achieve results. The LA experience, to me, seemed to be the culmination of probably the lessons learned of previous Darbars though in this case the execution of the event was like a painting - truly a work of art - I can imagine the planning that has to be coordinated and the thousands of hours required to carry out this mammoth undertaking - but in the end the people of Los Angeles were empowered to deliver an unbelievable Darbar and they delivered - with flying colors - whether they gave time or money.
Secondly, the LA Darbar created a unique bond of unity for all the visitors. In many cases it felt like a reunion where families got together from different parts of the world and lifelong friendships were made at the many events during the week - so when the visitors remember the uplifting experience of LA they will remember the people of LA who made it possible - for me what I took away from LA was the fact that I am 'darn' lucky and proud to be an Ismaili - thank you Los Angeles!!!
I have heard that people often compare the London Darbar 14 years ago and the Dubai Darbar 2 years ago as being the ones to remember, though I was not at any of those, it will be very difficult to match LA for the overall experience. In the coming days we will hear of the many stories of why and I hope to share with you some of those.
If you were in LA or for that matter in any of the other US cities let me know your comments so we can share with our readers.
YAM or as they say in Los Angeles - ADIOS !!!
See The Ismaili.org for more details on MHI's US Visit
Shukran - Thank You - Merci - Gracias - Ahsante sana - Shukriya - Arigatou !!!!!!!
While we can certainly say thank you in well over 465 languages - how do we use words to convey the appreciation of well over 10,000 visitors who convened in the City of Angels for 3 days that may never be forgotten and in my view will be hard to equal. So here is my quick summary of the Canadian experience at the LA Darbar.
The stampede started as early as Thursday (one week ago) and built to a crescendo by the weekend as Ismailis from Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto started landing at LAX.
On many Alaska Airlines flights the flight attendants welcomed the Golden Jubilee travellers on the public speaker and wished them a great time - what a start. Many flew direct from their cities but many had 1-2 hour stop overs in cities such as Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Salt Lake, Chicago and Houston. Indeed many drove 3 hrs from Vancouver to Seattle to take advantage of the cheap fares - in some cases under $200 - there was also a seniors group that started their journey at 11:00 pm at Burnaby Lake JK on a bus to Seattle airport where they arrived at 3 am for a 6:30 am flight and landed at LAX at 9:30 am - almost 12 hours later. I happened to be at LAX when this group arrived and I think they just wanted to see a bed...
At LAX , since Friday, every visitor was greeted by LA Ismaili volunteers who welcomed them with a cheery 'Darbar Mubarak' and a package of information of events. If you happened to be at the baggage claim at LAX on the weekend you would have run into literally hundreds of Ismailis from your hometown.
Downtown LA was abuzz with Ismailis from around the globe and all the hotels were filled many weeks prior. My guess is that 75% of the rooms around the Convention Center were taken by the Golden Jubilee visitors. While LA is a major city the Downtown core is not the most tourist friendly on weekends and evenings - though there were no incidents that I know or heard of for the 3 days. As you entered the hotel lobby there was an information desk set up with volunteers who gave out a little goody bag of snacks - another great touch.
The organizers of the LA Darbar also threw another surprise on Friday and Saturday by renting a hangar at the airport with a dinner and dandia raas program. The Barker Hangar was alive with Canadians who were by now starting to settle in and feel the LA welcome.
Sunday the official program started with JK at the Convention Center and dinner and entertainment in the evening. For Vancouverites it was like being at the PNE - probably the same for our neigbors in Calgary and Edmonton. The LA convention facility is a massive structure and the first 2 days the events were held in the converted giant underground parking lot. The main worry for the visitors were their Darbar entry cards and a separate hall was set up to handle the International registrants - it seemed the largest line up would have been 6 minutes at the most - though the time passed so quick as you met fellow Ismailis and conversation flowed about the weekend, where they had gone shopping etc.
Another nice touch and a huge benefit was the shuttle services provided to the Convention hall from the hotels in the downtown core as well as at Airport hotels. The buses ran every 15-30 minutes from Sunday evening to Tuesday evening.
Monday was a full day with events planned from 10:00am onwards and it was an early evening to prepare for the next day as visitors retreated to their hotels just after 9:00 pm after a quick meal. The LA organizers had catered all the meals for the 3 days with a contractor in San Jose as it would have been a logistic nightmare for our volunteers to cook and transport the food - it turned out to be a very wise move and as with the registration there were no line ups whatsoever - the Darbar program was moving along seamlessly by the day. For the day of the Darbar the doors were to open at 4 am - the shuttles would start at 3:00 am with MHI scheduled to arrive at approximately 11:00 am.
Tuesday morning - Downtown LA was a sight to behold. Picture this - starting at 2:30am hundreds of cabs zipping back and forth between the hotels and the Darbar hall - seems a lot of visitors decided to beat the shuttle crowd. The punch line here is that with well over 15,000 Ismailis going into the facility between 4am and 8am there were no lineups as 24 security scanners processed all the entrants with relative ease. The Darbar was held in the massive main hall and each individual was provided a continental snack pack to hold them for the morning - not many restaurants open at 3 am in downtown LA - so no quick Tim Hortons or Starbucks.
While I won't go into the specifics of the Darbar itself I would be remiss if I didn't say that Tuesday was a magical day. The main comment that came out of the Darbar was that MHI was extremely happy. He spoke longer than I have ever remembered in a Darbar and he was very specific about defending your faith, being united, educational opportunities in the knowledge society, to be prudent as the economic outlook for not only the US but for the rest of the world would be soft and that when the jamat rejoices later in the dandia raas he would be there in spirit. In talking to many people on Wednesday - when most visitors went back home and again LAX was taken over by Ismailis - the Dandia program on Sunday night was simply the best they have ever experienced - seems the band was extraordinary or was it simply the excitement of the morning - either way it was the perfect ending of an incredible journey.
The LA organizers left no detail untouched in how to make this visit the most welcome for their visitors - every touchpoint was a positive one and from my viewpoint no stone was left unturned - the attention to detail was simply amazing. It will be said that the LA Darbar will be one that sets the standard for any in terms of venue, facilities, transportation, meals, logistics and organization. If the President of the USA Council Dr. Mahmoud Eboo s well as the Western USA Council Samia Rashid were reading this here is what I would say to them:
MHI mentioned 2 things at the Darbar which makes me think of the LA Darbar organization. The first is the notion of best practices to achieve results. The LA experience, to me, seemed to be the culmination of probably the lessons learned of previous Darbars though in this case the execution of the event was like a painting - truly a work of art - I can imagine the planning that has to be coordinated and the thousands of hours required to carry out this mammoth undertaking - but in the end the people of Los Angeles were empowered to deliver an unbelievable Darbar and they delivered - with flying colors - whether they gave time or money.
Secondly, the LA Darbar created a unique bond of unity for all the visitors. In many cases it felt like a reunion where families got together from different parts of the world and lifelong friendships were made at the many events during the week - so when the visitors remember the uplifting experience of LA they will remember the people of LA who made it possible - for me what I took away from LA was the fact that I am 'darn' lucky and proud to be an Ismaili - thank you Los Angeles!!!
I have heard that people often compare the London Darbar 14 years ago and the Dubai Darbar 2 years ago as being the ones to remember, though I was not at any of those, it will be very difficult to match LA for the overall experience. In the coming days we will hear of the many stories of why and I hope to share with you some of those.
If you were in LA or for that matter in any of the other US cities let me know your comments so we can share with our readers.
YAM or as they say in Los Angeles - ADIOS !!!
See The Ismaili.org for more details on MHI's US Visit
Zahir Bhaidani - Live in Ottawa
Wow - this video we shared with our readers just 10 days ago has now got over 8,000 views - I believe it was less than 2,500 just prior to our newsletter going out - thanks to all - I still have tears everytime I watch this...
Here is a spellbinding version of a Ginan we all learned as children - this one will send chills up your spine...
Here is a spellbinding version of a Ginan we all learned as children - this one will send chills up your spine...
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Preparations underway for GJ Games....
In just about every city where Ismailis live there is great excitement about the GJ games. Whether it's Vancouver, Toronto, Houston, Atlanta, London, Karachi, Mumbai, Dar-es-Salaam etc individuals and teams are making preparations for a once in a lifetime opportunity to compete in various sports - not only will there be rivalries created but moreso lifetime friendships will be cemented.
In March 1989 the first ever World Ismaili Cricket Festival was organized in Pakistan. Teams from Canada, England, India, Pakistan, the UK, Tanzania and Kenya played in various venues throughout Karachi - this event coincided with the first graduation of the AKU nursing school - and yes Hazar Imam was there for many days including a darbar held at the Aga Khan cricket ground in the Garden area of Karachi. Twenty years later the memories and events are so vividly etched in my mind - walking in the largely Ismaili Garden enclave and immediately the memories of Africa flooding through - kids playing cricket in the gulleys, understanding the language while walking down the streets, music from the latest movies blaring from the apartments, street vendors (photos of HI visible in their booths) outside the Jamatkhana serving blazing hot servings of bhel and sugar cane juice and off course pan....for you youngsters reading this you'll never be able to truly understand the emotions of this picture.
So if are lucky enough to be part of this event in June - make the most of it as it will be a life altering experience in many ways - whether you play or just be there to watch...
In March 1989 the first ever World Ismaili Cricket Festival was organized in Pakistan. Teams from Canada, England, India, Pakistan, the UK, Tanzania and Kenya played in various venues throughout Karachi - this event coincided with the first graduation of the AKU nursing school - and yes Hazar Imam was there for many days including a darbar held at the Aga Khan cricket ground in the Garden area of Karachi. Twenty years later the memories and events are so vividly etched in my mind - walking in the largely Ismaili Garden enclave and immediately the memories of Africa flooding through - kids playing cricket in the gulleys, understanding the language while walking down the streets, music from the latest movies blaring from the apartments, street vendors (photos of HI visible in their booths) outside the Jamatkhana serving blazing hot servings of bhel and sugar cane juice and off course pan....for you youngsters reading this you'll never be able to truly understand the emotions of this picture.
So if are lucky enough to be part of this event in June - make the most of it as it will be a life altering experience in many ways - whether you play or just be there to watch...
Kenya - a nation burns...
I'm following the events unfold in Kenya with much interest. Back in the early 70's I lived in the beautiful city of Nairobi and some of my most memorable moments, as a teenager, were spent wandering around the Parklands neighborhood. Our family lived in the Hirani Estates complex and I attended Aga Khan Academy. So yes, I ache when I hear of the trouble in a nation that has been called the most stable in Africa politically over the past 40 years. Hopefully the efforts of the worldwide leadership to calm the waters succeed. I am surely looking forward to the GJ games to be on as planned at the end of this June - this will be the first time back for me after leaving in 1972.
Kenya talks suspended...
More Stories on what lies ahead for Kenya...
Kenya talks suspended...
More Stories on what lies ahead for Kenya...
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Golden Jubilee Games - Nairobi
We are now just a few months away from the GJ Games to be held in Nairobi June 22-29. If things settle down by then and the games are pulled off this promises to be a once in a lifetime opportunity to see some really talented Ismaili athletes in one venue. I am really looking forward to being there, inshallah, and see some of our elite play in the various sports. I am of the age where I remember the Triangular Games of the early 80's when the games featured the cities of Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa also joined in subsequent years for it to be truly a National Sportsfest. One guy I will always remember and thank will be Zip Dhanani, a nationally ranked Badminton player in his heyday, who was so instrumental in pushing for the games and making them a big event when he was the BC Member for Youth - he even pulled off bringing the Minister of Sport at the time Jean Charest, now the Premier of Quebec, to the presentation banquet in Burnaby, BC - i think a 1,000 people attended that one. I also played Cricket and incredible memories and friendships were created throughout Canada - in fact in 1996 we even had a team from the US join us in Vancouver and a Vancouver team went to Houston to participate in a Cricket Fest.
So if you are participating in the Regional or National Games - have fun and hopefully we will see you in Nairobi in June - it should be a good one....
So if you are participating in the Regional or National Games - have fun and hopefully we will see you in Nairobi in June - it should be a good one....
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
2008 - Year of the Rat
The Chinese New Year was celebrated a few days ago in a major way across the world. In Vancouver, where I reside, there is a sizeable Chinese Community - in fact the second largest in North America next to San Fran. Anyhow the reason this year is important to me is that I was born in the year of the Rat - so this will be a double whammy for me as it is also the year of the Golden Jubilee. So a special Happy New Year - or should I say Gung Hai Fat Choi - as we are but a month away from our New Year celebration of Navroz. So I hope you will have a great year and hope you will join me in wishing all our fellow Ismailis a fantastic 2008 and that all your wishes come true and that Allah's blessings flow multifold to you and your loved ones.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
I can't believe its been 6 months since I posted my last blog. At that time it was just to see if I could master the intricacies of setting up a blog and writing with any consistent basis - never underestimate the value of time and how little one has - however blogging avails one to the incredible opportunity to interact with your readers and subscribers. Of which, you must have noticed there hasn't been any action on www.morningchai.com for some time and there is no other bigger reason than to admit negligence on my part as I try to envision where Morning Chai needs to be in the whole scheme of creating and building community - we are 15 million strong after all. So I'll say this much - Morning Chai is coming back soon and inshallah with much more gusto - in fact many subscribers have demanded that it do so and very quickly - one even offered to buy it out - though I think he was trying to offer a foreclosure price - must have been from one of the Wall Street banks - though I must say he woke me up from my slumber and made me realize what a good thing this could be and I would hate myself in the morning if I didn't give it my all - with passion and conviction - you readers would want no less....thanks to everyone who has been in touch - I do sincerely appreciate it....YAM
Monday, September 18, 2006
September 19th, 2006
What a week to start a blog. So much to write about so why not dig right in...
Major news from Aiglemont announcing the marriage of Prince Hussain to his college sweetheart Khaliya. The Nikkah ceremony was on Saturday Sep. 16th...click on to to the www.hellomagazine.com site for pictures....
Next weekend HI is expected to be in Hydrebad and a deedar is planned in Kompally - is it true they are expecting 125,000 Ismailis to be there ? I think the largest one i've been to was in Karachi in 1989 at the Agakhan Cricket Club grounds though i don't think there were half that many...
Shocking is too tame to describe the words from no less than the Pope himself on Islam and on the Holy Prophet (S.A.S). You would think after all that's happened in the last 5 years since 9/11 the #1 of the Catholic church would have thought through the reaction of his words - just doesn't make sense unless there is something i'm missing in raising the fury of the Muslim world...Ian Bell of the Herald offers this interesting perspective...
Hockey season is but a month away and for a Canadian like moi it is the most exciting time - for those of you in Europe or the Indian Sub-continent you will understand when cricket or soccer season is underway - a new season and hopes for the success of your favorite team - mine is the hometown Vancouver Canucks - though they have disappointed for so many years they are like your favorite child and all shortcomings are forgiven until they run into a losing streak and then watch out...
Thanks for coming by - leave a note if you want - that's what this space is for...a conversation !!!
Major news from Aiglemont announcing the marriage of Prince Hussain to his college sweetheart Khaliya. The Nikkah ceremony was on Saturday Sep. 16th...click on to to the www.hellomagazine.com site for pictures....
Next weekend HI is expected to be in Hydrebad and a deedar is planned in Kompally - is it true they are expecting 125,000 Ismailis to be there ? I think the largest one i've been to was in Karachi in 1989 at the Agakhan Cricket Club grounds though i don't think there were half that many...
Shocking is too tame to describe the words from no less than the Pope himself on Islam and on the Holy Prophet (S.A.S). You would think after all that's happened in the last 5 years since 9/11 the #1 of the Catholic church would have thought through the reaction of his words - just doesn't make sense unless there is something i'm missing in raising the fury of the Muslim world...Ian Bell of the Herald offers this interesting perspective...
Hockey season is but a month away and for a Canadian like moi it is the most exciting time - for those of you in Europe or the Indian Sub-continent you will understand when cricket or soccer season is underway - a new season and hopes for the success of your favorite team - mine is the hometown Vancouver Canucks - though they have disappointed for so many years they are like your favorite child and all shortcomings are forgiven until they run into a losing streak and then watch out...
Thanks for coming by - leave a note if you want - that's what this space is for...a conversation !!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
