A Time To Give Thanks

At the time when the Religious Wars of Europe ended, people through all of Europe sought religious freedom for what they truly believed in.  A specific group from England that were known as the Pilgrims received permission from the King of England to go to the New World to escape the turmoil Europe was enduring at the time.  They set out sailing to the Americas, a land newly discovered and unsettled.  At the time they made landfall, it was the season of winter.  This was bad for farming. Thankfully, the Native Americans took the settlers in and provided for them and taught them to survive.  When harvest came, thanks to the Native Americans, the settlers had obtained such a plentiful income that they hosted an enormous feast that included their mentors.  We celebrate this harvest in modern times as Thanksgiving.

Children receive a break from school for a few days, and the entire family celebrates by preparing food in their own household and most commonly, "carving the turkey."  Though we are celebrating the Pilgrims' landfall in North America, we also celebrate the essence of, "being thankful," for all we have, all the blessings and our lives in general.  Things like our family, household, friends, modes of transportation, life, culture, background, etc. are what people usually are thankful for in addition to much, much more.  No matter how challenging our lives can get, there is always a light to whatever situation we can be in.  "Where there is a dove, there is a serpent, and vice versa."

Music De Cordiality

The richness of music composition just consumes me.  When I close my eyes, a piece of music can transport me to another time, place, setting, or even another universe.  "Earhart-Sounds of Courage," by Robert W. Smith is a piece of such stature.  Last weekend, on a Saturday, November 10, 2012 at the Kinkaid School in  Downtown Houston, I was invited to witness the performance of a chosen few for the, "Regional Band," in the whole area of Houston, Texas.  When I came in, there were children all running around, being ushered onto stage to get ready to perform.  The Middle School and High School region bands were ready to play, to show the world of an arrangement of such a height that would never come together in that form again to play such a piece.  Another piece that transported me to another dimension and time was the piece, "Heroes Triumphant," by William Owens.  Both pieces had an air of magnificence about them with a march style of music.  Never had I witnessed such a change in my heart until I heard those two pieces.  I was on the verge of tears like never before.  The students joined in congress, gathered from all the schools in the Houston area.  I heard that they had difficulty at first, but worked together very well to form the master band I heard upon walking into the Brown Theater on the Kinkaid Campus.  To think they only accomplished this in a span of less than 8 hours!  These kids had to have had really sophisticated training in music.   I hope that all musicians throughout the world would be inspired to try and achieve great heights and pieces like such.

Operation Viral Treats Episode IV: My Halloween Evening

I am traipsing through the woods wearing tan and green tiger-stripe camouflage with a tactical vest hanging from my chest.  Trying to remain silent, I mask the sound of my radio telling me where reinforcements are being shipped in and where tangos are hiding, waiting to pounce on their prey.  I make sure my AK-47 airsoft replica is working, and also confirm that my sidearm of a Ruger P345 airsoft replica is still intact with speed-loader handy and dead rag also reachable.  Also important, I check my hydration pack to make sure there have been no punctures and see if my green parachute cord necklace is still there to alert people if I have been infected with the zombie disease, or if I am part of the Fort Bend militia trying to contain the disease.  This is how I spent my Halloween evening, trying to help the military as Fort Bend militia to control the outbreak of zombie disease from an explosion near Katy, Texas that caused many unknown civilians to turn into zombies, with only the possibility of an airstrike to bring them back as humans, but only so many airstrikes are allowed in this military simulation.  The main objective was to contain the disease and try to survive the Operation Viral Treats:  Episode IV, without turning into a zombie.  There were also minor objectives, like trying to locate food drops to make sure civilians not affected by the zombie disease are taken care of.  The airsoft game simulates a possible real life scenario, that does not have to be with zombies, but rather hostile forces that, as civilians, we may one day be forced into going against in real life.  It helps you simulate CQB scenarios, in which a possible force may break into your home or office building and you will have to retaliate.  It also helps with field games, in which you have to pretend you are like the military, out in the woods, trying to retaliate on a big scale of land and win over your rival's objectives.  Perfect way to spend a Halloween evening right?

The Retrospective View on Things

Whenever I am in a retrospective mood, I think about events of the past in my memories, and events in history that shaped the life that I am living today.  Memories that I think about while in a retrospective mood include those of major events in my life, or events that shaped who I am, how I think, how I live, and influence my goals and dreams.  Events in history that I think about while in a retrospective mood include those like past natural disasters, past political events, past cultural changes, and evolutions that formed the world that we recognize today.  Being in a retrospective mood makes me feel grateful and blessed about my life and all the blessings in it.  It also makes me feel so young, as if I was a baby, compared to all the events in history that preceded my life by many years, whether it is a decade, a century, a millennium, or even an eon.  Lastly, they put me in a reflective mood or feeling that makes me contemplate about many things within society today, and what is in my life now, and what will be in my life forever.

Service: Hidden Among Us

Whenever I am lonely or am in need of help, there always seems to be someone who is around to get me out of the mess I got myself into.  It seems as if they are a kind of guardian angel that is there for me when I need it the most, and it makes my day a whole lot better than it was before.  Now, I am starting to see that when I help others, it makes me feel a lot better and is a sort of therapy or a break for my mind.  Doing the small services to others like helping a friend who has been wrongly accused of a mischievous act or comforting a person who grieves or is burdened by matters in life that can make a person go crazy.  Even the seemingly-large acts of service like signing up for food drives, or events at church like a bazaar, or even just signing up for volunteer events for school.  All of these acts of service, big or small, make an impact that could start a domino effect out of kindness.  Once others see you do it, they are inspired to begin this.  Thus, you become, "A city of light set on a hill that cannot be hidden."  I myself used to think that service could not be productive and is not practical for my own schedule.  But the more I allow myself to do it, the more I realize that service is one of those activities that has been hidden away, because I never tried to do it before.  It gives me a different peace of mind that actually lets me say, "Wow, I'm actually doing something that will make a difference in someone's life."

Bombay Pizza Company

Experience a culinary twist where Italian and Indian cuisine come together at the Bombay Pizza Company.  Here you'll find classic pizzas that everyone will recognize along with others that feature exotic spices and unique ingredients.  Examples of these pizzas are Mr. C's Pizza, Gateway to India, Bombay Ranch, etc.  They also have vegetarian options like the Berry Bombay, The Munshi, and Mr. Nehal's.  They also have soups, salads, mini-burgers, rolls, side dishes that complement your entree, and desserts that are the perfect finale to your meal.  They even have a private dining room that seats up to 20 people and can wirelessly stream music from your own Smart Phone.  To satisfy your desire to be outside, they have a patio, and to quench your thirst for finer beverages, a full service bar.  The Bombay Pizza Company was even featured on Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" and has everything to accommodate all diners from the regular customer to the sophisticated food critic.  The service is excellent, and after a while, they learn your name. The facility is very clean, and the staff always make sure the table is open, and ready to seat their next customer.

Martial Arts Theory & Practice

Have you ever been to a martial arts tournament? How about seeing one on TV? Well they are fun to watch, but are harder than they seem... It all starts off with martial arts itself, which originally was a form of self defense only meant for defense against others in times of need.  Gradually throughout all the ages, generations after generations have helped it evolve into many different fighting styles, with a style unique to their own country or origins.  Martial Arts has also become more complex and involved in today's society.  There are weapons now that involve some traditional ones like swords and nunchaku or bows and arrows. Then there are some modern forms of martial arts like shooting and military training.  The main goals for martial arts that have constantly withstood the changes of centuries are the need for self-discipline, confidence, speed, agility, strength, and honor that are uniquely known to each discipline of martial arts.  I myself got to see from a firsthand experience when working at a martial arts tournament today.  Not as easy as when I myself used to compete, rather this time I had the privilege of  helping out behind the scenes by score-keeping, time-keeping, attacking during a self defense division, and even the opportunity of being a judge in the ring.  The tournament took place at a school where honor and virtue is the martial artist's pride because of the people who built it up from a small business to a successful chain of martial arts schools.  It shows the true qualities of a martial artist, because you don't have to be very athletic to be one.  All you have to do is to have honor, self-discipline, and confidence in yourself in defending yourself and/or others.