Categories: uncategorized
Date: 24 September 2008 20:48:22
This evening we attended a get to gether to celebrate the arrival of a posse of Global Exchange people from the UK and India. They are going to be spending 3 months working in our local deprived community - if you don't believe that bit then please come round.
I couldn't help wondering how a group of Indians would relate to a deprived area in the UK. I mean compare it with much of India and you'd wonder if deprived is the right term. How can you compare the poor and oppressed in India with the poor and depressed here?
We have clean water, little disease, a higher level of employment and even the majority of our deprived are better off than many Indian families. Then again everything is relative to your surroundings. Even the poor, deprived areas of 17th-20th century Britain were a damn sight better than many other countries.
I know that some of the Indians are already effectted by the "cold" that they're encountering here. Someone asked FW if it would get much colder here?
Colder, this is a mini heatwave for Torfaen matey!!!
History Today:
622 : Muhammed, the founder of Islam, arrives in Medina after fleeing Mecca - the Islamic 'Hegira'. It's right what the bible says about prophets not being welcome in their own towns and villages.
1493: Columbus leaves Spain on his second voyage of discovery. All he did was find a bit more of the Americas. Talk about repeats...
1852: Henri Giffard, a French inventor, makes the first manned airship flight, which is powered by a steam engine.
1877: The Japanese Imperial Army quashes the Satsuma Rebellion with victory at the Battle of Shiroyama. What had the Satsuma's ever done to them. Talk about over reaction.
1890: Mormon leaders reluctantly issue the Mormon Manifesto in which they command all Latter Day Saints to uphold the anti-polygamy laws of the USA. Who in their right mind wants more than one wife - or mother in law?
1971: The British government expels 90 Russians for espionage.
1988: Ben Johnson wins the 100m Gold medal at the Seoul Olympics. He's later found to be a big, girly drug cheat.
1994: Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy is founded to oppose the repressive Burmese military Junta. They're still in power but scared ******** of the people. See Rambo 4 for cultural reference...
1998: A bad day for lovers of English literature. The Iranian government states that it will no longer seek to harm Salman Rushdie.