Cuba exports very few items that contribute to its economy. These are cigars, sugar, rum, pharmaceutical products, and medical services, especially doctors. Lately, the country has been in the news and commended for sending its doctors to Covid-19 plagued Italy in precarious and high-risk situations. For nearly 60 years, Cuba has been sending healthcare professionals … Continue reading CUBAN DOCTORS IN ITALY: HUMANITARIAN AND DIPLOMATIC

By Promod Puri Perhaps the least revealed an aspect of Khushwant Singh's colorful and long active life, was the fact that he perfectly balanced his cogitative pursuits with an active physical lifestyle of exercise, sports, and walks. Unlike most of the known contemporary thinkers and writers, Khushwant Singh realized that both mental and physical activities occupy equal … Continue reading Remembering Khushwant Singh: His Colorful Life And Humor

It may sound sweet that our fruits and vegetables are getting sweeter. While the bitterness in some of the known bitter fruits and vegetables is becoming far less or almost non-existent. Examples are grapefruit, brussels sprouts and bitter-melon (karela). The natural chemicals involved in creating bitterness are called phytonutrients that are responsible for imparting health … Continue reading BITTERNESS IS HEALTHY

By Promod Puri I have been an anti-national ever since I understood the nature of its allegiance to the country one belongs to. At the same time, I am not a patriot either with its blurred image as it is often a consequence of nationalism. Patriotism and nationalism have obscure borderline between them. It is … Continue reading Nationalism & Patriotism Are Threats To Global Peace And environment

By Promod Puri Ever since it was first introduced in the kitchen accessories section of departmental stores I am still debating to buy it or not. Over the last 15 years or more, when the object of my curiosity was first displayed as an innovative and somewhat bizarre item, it has been a challenge to … Continue reading My Curiosity For Banana Hanger And Other Interesting X-mas Gift Items

By Promod Puri I don’t know if she belongs to the class of housemaid, aka “bai”. If so, then her status could be upgraded in India’s class and caste society. She had a regular assignment at our home around 11 every morning and finishing her limited but reserved task in 15 to 20 minutes. It … Continue reading She Was Not “Supposed” To Enter Kitchen

By Promod Puri This Cherry never blossomed to the changing realities of diverse and culturally rich Canadian society. Don Cherry’s colorful (in costume only) long career as hockey commentator ended abruptly with a blot on his iconic stature. At the fag end of his life, after more than three decades on the air, his stylish … Continue reading Don Cherry’s Colorful Costumes Have Stains Of Racism Too

(This is an update to the article written a few years ago) By Promod Puri The fun in life includes some simple recreational activities in our daily life. And the one I like the most is just a few steps away as part of my every day up-and-down commute. These are the stairs leading up … Continue reading Stairs Excercise Controls Blood Sugar And For Healthy Heart

 By Promod Puri It was the early ‘50s, and I still remember going to the Hari Theatre in Jammu. There we were four or five us excited to see the Dilip Kumar starring blockbuster Aan. The songs of the film still reverberate in my nostalgic moods. Dilip Kumar, teasing actress Nadira and rocking with “maan … Continue reading Going To A Movie Theatre In The Turmoils of Jammu And Kashmir

By Promod Puri “Words are the tools of writing.” But not quite so! Words, in fact, are the bricks and mortars we select and gather to build a structure. Its architecture and construction are based on our thoughts, opinions, and feelings, perceptions and impressions, or sharing of information, knowledge, and experiences. In our learning faculty, … Continue reading WRITING IS A CONSTRUCTION JOB

I was 10-year-old when one day I severely broke my right arm. A local pehlwan, as the practice or custom was in those days, was called to fix the arm. His oil massage and turning and twisting the arm to align the broken bones was an extremely painful maneuver. After a few days, the rugged … Continue reading A BOX OF TOFFEES

by Promod Puri Back in 1972, when I immigrated to Canada and made my first home in Winnipeg, Manitoba, that I happened to know a very helpful and friendly person by the name of C. R. Bector. He was a distinguished professor of mathematics at the University of Manitoba. And out of respect, as being … Continue reading Home Sweet Home: The bliss of “Chajju Ka Chobara”

When trying to find a romantic match, we’re often overwhelmed with options. Reddit/WittyRepost Thomas Saltsman, University at Buffalo, The State University of New YorkLog onto Netflix, and you’ll be presented with a menu of nearly 6,000 titles. Create an OkCupid account, and you’ll have the chance to connect with 5 million other active users. Search … Continue reading Contemporary Society Loaded With Choices

While space scientists can continue their exploration of the moon and establish more communication links with the cool-light planet, I along with most of us of the Indian heritage were told in very early childhood that the guy up there in the sky is a close relative from the mother side. He was referred to … Continue reading Featuring Moon In The Hindi Filmi Songs

Boredom is a very commonly expressed feeling even in this age when we have 24-hour entertainment at our convenience. There is a stream of entertainment and information from our smartphones and social media in the company of self. But still, there are occasional experiences of boredom. Why do we feel bored? Generally, they say boredom … Continue reading FEELING BORED?

Centuries ago, people used to migrate from one place to another for reasons which were natural calamities, local violence, or community upheavals. Or just seeking better pastures. But there were no borders. It was freedom of unrestricted movement. Now, in the present age peoples also want to migrate for the same reasons as well as … Continue reading FREEDOM TO MOVE IN OUR OWN “GLOBAL VILLIAGE “

“Inhumanity, it seems, is contagious. In Italy, babies and children have been repeatedly kept at sea for days by a government that fears—hates, even—migrants, no matter their age. In Turkey, authorities are cracking down on the Syrian refugees that Europe didn’t want. Globally, more people have been forcibly displaced from their homes in the past … Continue reading Inhumanity Sweeping The World

1. “Be Positive.” What is wrong being negative? Rather Keep the balance, and be rational. 2. “Forget the past…..”      How that is possible? With experiences of the past, and dreams of the future, live the present.

By Promod Puri The sign on the front door read, “please remove your shoes.” It was not a Hindu temple, Gurdwara or a mosque, where such is the custom or a religious edict. But the newly-build home of a friend who had a house-warming party a few years ago. When we arrived, there already was … Continue reading “Please Remove Your Shoes”: Is It Custom, Hygiene Or Both

By Promod Puri I confess a feeling of guilt erupted within me after buying a pair of pant the other day. This despite the fact, in my otherwise sparse closet, there are enough pants to last till next five to six years or more. But I purchased it anyway with disregard to my needs. Adding … Continue reading Passion For Buying New Clothing, But How Much We Need

People worked for healthy teeth long before nylon brushes hit the market. Mila Davidovic/Shutterstock.com Jane Cotter, Texas A&M University Dental hygiene has come a long way since the days of wine-soaked toothpicks and the urine mouthwash once thought to disinfect mouths and whiten teeth. Some of the earliest tooth-cleaning artifacts archaeologists have found are ancient … Continue reading How People Cleaned Teeth In Olden Days

An atoll in the Republic of Kiribati, an island nation in the South Pacific that’s in danger of disappearing due to climate change. (Shutterstock) Sarah M. Munoz, Université de Montréal Global climate change is endangering small island countries, many of them developing nations, potentially harming their ability to function as independent states. As international environmental … Continue reading Some Island Countries Are On The Verge Of Drowning

(This article is an approach to get into the praxis of simple living and to realize its efficacy. The article does not make a list of things as what to do or what not to do, rather it is left to the reader to work out his or her own simple living lifestyle and make … Continue reading SIMPLE LIVING: THE ULTIMATE JOY OF LIFE

Megan Bradley, McGill UniversityRecord-breaking years for refugee flows have become the norm. UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, just released its annual tally of displacement worldwide. Once again the numbers rose, with 70.8 million people displaced by conflict and violence — more than at any point since the Second World War.In media coverage on refugees, … Continue reading Canada Needs To Help Millions Of Displaced Inside Their Own Countries

By Promod Puri Paldi, named after a small town in Hoshiarpur District of Punjab, is located about seven miles south-west of Duncan, off the road to Lake Cowichan on Vancouver Island in BC. The village of Paldi was established in 1917 by an enterprising Punjabi by the name of Mayo Singh, who came to Canada … Continue reading Paldi: South-Asian Canadian Heritage Village

Why? That is a big question mark Rabba Hun Kee Kariye does not answer. Nor does it intend to answer. But it does shake our morality when we are drawn on religious fronts of hate. Rabba Hun Kee Kariye is a documentary on bloody mayhem following the partition of India in 1947. “It constitutes a … Continue reading Rabba Hun Kee Kariye: A Powerful Documentary On ’47 Genocide

By Promod Puri The grey stucco building at the south-east corner of Main Street and 6th Avenue in Vancouver was once a hub of the Indo-Canadian community in the early ‘70s and part of ‘80s. It was the Indo-Canadian media center along with small businesses owned by the community members having their offices in the … Continue reading The Historical Building At Main And 6th In Vancouver

Statement by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, May 23, 2019 “One hundred and five years ago the Komagata Maru steamship arrived in Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet. On board were 376 Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus of South Asian origin hoping to settle in Canada and build a better life for themselves and their families. “Few of them ever … Continue reading Remembering Komagata Maru

by Promod Puri Countries worldwide seem to be facing an escalating problem as to where to dump their daily accumulation of non-composite garbage. Shiploads of containers carrying all kinds of waste from electronic to plastics and even household garbage are floating the world seas finding their final resting or burial place. After China changed its … Continue reading Garbage Is An Escalating World Problem

Recently I read an interesting article on 7-Eleven stores and their worldwide growth in 17 countries besides the ones in the USA where the company was founded in 1927. Around the world, 7-Eleven has 68,236 stores, and the largest presence is in Asia. The new owners are a Japanese holding company who bought 7-Eleven from … Continue reading WHEN I WORKED AT 7-ELEVEN STORE:

Every time I notice these in the Indian grocery stores, even at the Walmart, my recurring memories fly me back to those teenage days in India. We did not call them as “Peepaewale” biscuits. These were just plain cookies custom-made from a local bakery shop. Also referred to as Punjabi biscuits, these non-smooth and little … Continue reading Peepaewale Biscuits

by Promod Puri An objective parallel can be drawn between the racial caste system, known as Jim Crow in the history of the United States between 1877 to late 60s, and the inhumane treatment of low-caste Hindus triggered by the centuries-old caste culture of India. Jim Crow was a legitimized and even legalized anti-black racism … Continue reading Manusmriti And America’s Jim Crow Laws Against Blacks

By Promod Puri Ever since the car manufacturers introduced the Cruise Control feature, I have rarely used it. And I think many people like me seldom bothered about this extra driving maneuver. They might have their own reasons. But in my case, it is simple. My conscious mind does not feel relaxed in this mode. … Continue reading Why I’m Not Buying Self Driving Car

By Promod Puri In my school days as the bell ring, all the kids assembled for the morning prayer which was quite secular in nature. I don’t remember the whole prayer which was in Hindi, but a couplet of that I can still recall. The words of advice in that morning ritual go like this: … Continue reading In The Habit Of Postponing Things

This story is not an attempt to downgrade his personality, but it reveals how Gandhi became from ordinary to an extraordinary human being. He learned from his experiences, moved on, and became one of the great leaders of the world in the contemporary history of the world. by Promod Puri While Mahatma Gandhi's nonviolence activism got … Continue reading A Love Story Hacked By Mahatma Gandhi

Nepal's menstrual huts: what can be done about this practice of confining women to cow sheds? Sara Parker, Liverpool John Moores University and Kay Standing, Liverpool John Moores University The tragic recent deaths of a mother and her two sons in a chhaupadi hut in Nepal has again brought the issue of this exclusionary practice … Continue reading Nepal’s Menstrual Huts

Audibly residing forever in the hearts of Hindi filmy music lovers is Noor Jehan’s renditions of Aawaz de kahan hai (a duet with Surendra); Mere bachman ke sathi muje bhool na jana, dekho dekho hase na zamana; and Jawan hai mohabbat hasin hai zamana, lutaya hai dil ne khoshi ka tarana (film Anmol Ghardi). Malika-e-tarannum … Continue reading NOOR JEHAN’S VOICE KNOWS NO BOUNDRY BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN:

  I have company in my lonely abode Arriving and departing, the door is open and revolving The guests come, some offer bloom, others gloom. They’re the memories, family, and friends, Karmas’ notes, complaints, and compliments Environments, weapons, wars, and fights Politics, poverty, religions, and human rights Cherishing hopes, jokes, and anecdotes In this lively, … Continue reading PARTY IN MY LONELY ABODE!

It is the case of old wine in new bottles. And a lot of new bottles are needed by some provincial governments in India when it comes to filling up with new names to the ancient cities and towns in the country. While they can’t change the historical and cultural character of the cities, but … Continue reading TRAVEL ADVISORY: India Changing Names Of Its Major Cities

Convert us, We’re adaptable But we’re poor. We’re hungry too. Passing by a temple, a man of god advised “come on in, become Hindu, and be happy and wise.” So, we put on the Hindu hats. “Now close eyes to forget the hunger.” “Meditate for transcendental wonder.” Then a voice was delivered from a nearby … Continue reading SEEKING SOLACE AMID POVERTY AND HUNGER

“Adarsh Bahu,” that is not the title of an old Hindi movie or a forthcoming Bollywood release. But it is a newly-introduced three-month study offered by a university in Bhopal, India.   After the completion of the “Adarsh Bahu” curriculum, a certificate will be handed to the “Adarsh” (ideal) graduates.   Unlike most other courses … Continue reading “Adarsh Bahu” University Certification

Have we lost our grip on the truth? Shutterstock Arie Kruglanski, University of Maryland The concept of truth is under assault, but our troubles with truth aren’t exactly new. What’s different is that in the past, debates about the status of truth primarily took place in intellectual cafes and academic symposia among philosophers. These days, … Continue reading Concept Of Truth In Jeopardy

By Promod Puri Sometime back my nieces and nephews along with a few of their aunties and uncles formed a family group on the social media and named it “The Intellectuals.” The idea was to stay in touch with each other wherever we’re globally settled. Since its formation, the group, despite being calling itself as … Continue reading THE PUN IN BEING AN INTELLECTUAL

(Looking at the growing worldwide popularity of the game of football, this article is about the importance of the sport, especially for the poor and developing nations). Cricket has been a national obsession in most of the developing and Third World countries. It is about time that the game should be dropped from the status … Continue reading Time To End Cricket Hype With Football

  Sculptor in the sugar factory of machete man to recognize the tough job of harvesting the sugarcane fields manually. Photo and Caption by Rita Puri Part 1: Life In Cuba Rather than the politics of communism or socialism, the face of Cuba is much reflected by its vibrant culture. In their healthy and shining … Continue reading With Small Doses Of Capitalism Cuba Can Achieve Its Socialist Idealism

NY Times April 9, 2018 By Jeff Seb, director of the animal studies program at New York University. You might be aware that chimpanzees can recognize themselves in a mirror, communicate through sign language, pursue goals creatively and form long-lasting friendships. You might also think that these are the kinds of things that a person … Continue reading Court Considering Case For Chimps As Persons

By Promod Puri Hyped, and promoted by the controversy, I got induced to view Padmaavat on the big screen. Besides, seeking some entertainment, my scrutiny was also aiming at any scene, dialogues or actions which could support all the reported fuss and anger in India about Padmaavat extravaganza. Does the movie devalue Rajputs or covet … Continue reading Padmaavat Glorifies Immolation Custom & Stereotypes Muslims

By Akshat Rathi Most of us don’t change our minds. Whether the issue at hand is the repeal of net neutrality in the US or Brexit in the UK, we avoid information that might shift our viewpoints, assuming that our opponents are simply dumber than we are. But recently, I had a change of heart about an important issue—and it showed … Continue reading Carbon Capturing Worth Believing To Save Environment

By Promod Puri I don’t know if she belongs to the class of housemaid, aka “bai”. If so, then her status could be upgraded in India’s class and caste society. She had a regular assignment at our home around 11 every morning and finishing her limited but reserved task in 15 to 20 minutes. It … Continue reading INDIAN MAID: But She Was Not “Supposed” To Enter Kitchen

By Promod Puri Living in Canada for the past 45 years, my nostalgic window often opens to the blissful sounds of popular Hindi film songs and music. From this retreat, the flights to the past are the pleasures of the present. In the voyage, tuning in on Aye mere pyaare vatan, aye mere bichhade chaman, … Continue reading Joy With Old Hindi Filmi Songs

By Promod Puri In split second, rather much sooner, memories can take us to revisit some interesting spots in our lives. For me, one of such repeat visits is to the primary class where I graduated myself from grade 5th to grade 6th and started learning English from alphabets to making small sentences. Towards the … Continue reading Despite Difference Of Opinion Friends Are Friends

In recent weeks, there has been one major terrorist attack in Afghanistan where over 150 people died, and two such strikes in Britain killing innocent people. The terror surge is continuing, rather escalating over the years. The question is how far governments and security forces can go to protect their citizens. Every available procedures, technologies, … Continue reading SEEKING WAY TO END TERRORISM

CREATION, CULTIVATION, AND DEVELOPMENT OF THOUGHT By Promod Puri Simple Thought: Infuse purity and ethics in thoughts, base karmas on those thoughts, and enjoy the fruits of those karmas. Mahatma Gandhi says: thoughts become words, words become behavior, behavior becomes habits, habits become values, and values lead to destiny. In the creation of words, behavior, … Continue reading THOUGHTS ON THOUGHT

By Shyami V. Ramani In 2013, India became the fourth country in the world (after Russia, the United States and the European Union) and the only emerging nation to launch a Mars probe into space. But it remains part of the group of 45 developing countries with less than 50% sanitation coverage, with many citizens … Continue reading Why it’s easier for India to get to Mars than to tackle its toilet challenge

LIFE IS A GAME OF SOCCER   By Promod Puri All our thoughts and actions are influenced and regulated by the consciousness of the landscape of reality around us. In this landscape, one makes a selection of his or her own space in life’s playfield. And the game starts. It is a collective game, a team … Continue reading LIFE IS A GAME OF SOCCER

1. To all the volunteers who strive for dedication and devotion preparing the divine langar and washing dishes in Gurdwaras and Mandirs for the devotees and visitors, as well as for sharing the meals among hungry and homeless people irrespective of their faiths. 2. To those poor and destitute trash collectors who carry shopping carts … Continue reading My Canada Day Salutation Goes:

The uncle and auntie is a social phenomenon making an impressive entry in the cultural evolution of societies where it is poised to create an informal yet respectable relationship between young and old. It is smart, respectable and even practical. Uncles and aunties' designations have become popular among the younger generation of South Asians to … Continue reading Uncles and Aunties

By Promod Puri “Agree to disagree” is a declaration of face saving justification. It happens when two or more parties or individuals after an argumentative discussion fail to agree. And in all civility, the agreement results in agree-to-disagree compromise. With that declaration egos remain intact, but time wasted. Nothing is lost, nothing is gained either. … Continue reading Agree to disagree

By Promod Puri This brief article is inspired by widely acclaimed Vancouver-based spiritual writer Eckhart Tolle’s “Power of Now”. It is not an attempt to give a motivational advice. But coming up with an idea, in line with the basic theme of the “Power of Now” in realizing, accepting, capturing and enjoying every moment happening … Continue reading LIVING IN THE PRESENT

A multi-million-dollar sports carnival of athletic strength and spectacle by physically super human beings has started in Rio De Janeiro amidst the sharp realities of poverty, Zika threat, foul waters and the on-going political instability in Brazil. The show must continue every four years to thrill the interested watchers worldwide if one does not switch … Continue reading THE OLYMPIC SHOW