Islamic banking – what is the difference? June 29, 2007

 photo by designIdg

Some years ago I was very active in the field of Intercultural communication (was even on Bord of Directors of SIETAR Europa, a huge interdisciplinary network of professionals).

I believed that knowing other cultures would help mutual understanding and collaboration in all spheres. Later I found out it was often even contra-productive! – but this is another story…

Editing a SIETAR newsletter on Islam I was enamored with the deep beauty and wisdom of that religion and culture around it. Apart from Sufis, fantastic architecture, ethics and the message of Mohammad I was fascinated by the idea if Islamic banking.

7 things about axinia June 27, 2007

 photo by axinia

I was tagged by sunshine (thank you!) to list 7 things about me. Hmm… I never did that before 🙂 There are 1000 things I can write about me, but in fact only one is relevant…

My dear blog exposes my nature pretty well. But let´s sum it up.

1. I love children, beauty and communication

2. People say I am charismatic, authentic and fresh. But too powerful –can become dominant 🙂

let me be thy florist… June 26, 2007

image by axinia

 

Let me be Thy florist

Let me pic up and arrange the flowers

of Thy sunshine lit garden…

Let me pic up the beauty-roses,

the purity-lilies, the generosity-peons

the joy-marguerites and the love-orchids

Let me arrange them all in the handmade vases

And fill in the rooms of Thy House of Love…

poem by axinia

People facing natural disaster June 25, 2007

Last week we had two terrific storms here in Vienna, Austria (3 people died). Surely no comparison to any American hurricane or Indian rain season –  but for the peaceful and safe Vienna is was an outstanding experience!

Day one. The worse time of the storm I stayed in my office: brute wind and dark rain could not really bother me in a huge modern building. But as soon as I came out there was a strange feeling: most of the public transport was out of order (broken brunches on the streets and railways). I tried a taxi line – constantly occupied (can imagine how many people had been calling up at the same time!). How to get home???

Suddenly I noticed a strange thing: cars stopping by and offering a ride. Just private cars! – Regular private persons offering their help to the poor pedestrians. Why was it unusual? – in many cultures, like in Russia it is a normal thing to ask for a ride somewhere on a street. Not the case in Austria. It seems to me that the people are so bothered about their privacy that they try to avoid any unnecessary contact.

Seeing the sudden change in the folks behaviour I realised that it is the only chance for me to get home – and just asked the first driver waiting for the green light for the lift. He was pretty surprised but quite happy 🙂

Children`s Land – one blog to fall in love with! June 21, 2007

 photo by youpidou

This is just to share with my dearest readers: one blog (of my friend) that is very special and EXTREMELY JOYFUL!!!

Normally I am not promoting any blogs, it is not my way of blogging 🙂

However looking at this treasure, amazing collection of the sweetiest things I can not keep myself away from telling everyone – please have a look!

Children`s Land

Let the child in you feel the joy!…

LOVE, axinia

What do you expect from God? June 19, 2007

  photo axinia

You believe that God is omnipresent, omnipotent and all-pervading. In fact, you believe that He is in every atom.

As natural corollary of this belief you must also know that God knows what you want or what your need is.

If the first proposition is true, then second proposition has to be true. It would follow, therefore, that those who know that God is omnipotent and all-pervading are bound to accept that God is all-knowledgeable and therefore is aware of all your problems.

In spite of this fact, we always go to God with certain expectations.

Expectations can be of various types, but are basically self-centered or are pertaining to people or relations you are attached to, and then you pray to God that He should grant you a particular relief, or a job promotion, or some benefit to you or your near ones, etc.

When you go with this frame of mind, then most of the time you are disappointed.

Hypothetically speaking, if your expectations are symolized in A and what you get is, let us say, B; then A minus B is your disappointment.

And then you have to attribute this disappointment to someone.

No challenge is worse than any challenge! June 18, 2007

 photo by axinia

I never use the word “problem”, as I don’t see any problem anywhere.

There are issues to be solved, there are challenges to be worked on but I can not make a tragic face and desperately cry” Oh, it is a problem!”

In fact, I found out that I not only like challenges but really need them. One very fresh experience. Today is my last day in the company where I have been working for 2 years (Russian Oil Trading). Before giving me the position of his assistant, the director said “I can see you are overqualified for this job, and I will be glad if you could stay at least for 6 month” . For several reasons it turned to be 2 years and I now am happy to switch to a more exiting and challenging branch. 

Indian classics versus Western classics: Kuchipudi versus ballet June 15, 2007

 photo by mina 

In my post about Kuchipudi course I attend I promissed to follow up on that fascinating art of dance.

Even with that tiny little experience that I have gained by now I can tell you – it is the most fascinating dace I have ever tried to learn (and I learned quite a bit of them!).

I am very lucky with my teacher, Siddhi Bhasale (born Austrian, married to an Indian) who is the best non-Indian Kuchipudi dancer I have ever seen. Many years of ballet-training before she started with Kuchipudi gave her a unique perspective on dancing.

I find it so interesting, especially the comparison of ballet and Indian classical dance that I am eager to share it with you. Most of the ideas are from Siddhi, but already now I can sign under some of them as well!

·         Dancing Kuchipudi engages your whole body, all the muscles and in particular those you are completely unaware of. Especially mudras require such flexibility of fingers that ones could get frustrated by own invalidity

·         The true challenge is in moving simultaneously and in different direction all parts of the body: my poor brain is not use to such physical multitasking and fights with adjusting to it.

·         In ballet movement the body has to build one line, it all happens like in one swing (here I find an interesting parallel to linear style of Western thinking). In Kuchipudi, on the contrary hands do not follow the impulse of feet but live their own life.

I do not believe in God. June 13, 2007

 photo by axinia

I do not belive in God. And I never did.

I grew up in the Soviet Union with my both parents being convinced atheists. However my grand-grandparents who were born and grew up in Czar Times, were very religious. One grand-grandmother was known to be a holy person in her village; another one could heal with praying.

Once, when I was 8 years old, I bet with my grand-grandma Nura (who was a deeply religious Christian-orthodox) that God did not exist. I said: “I will spit now in the sky. If there is God he will punish me immediately!” – Nothing happened afterwards; I won the bet and was even more convinced in my atheism.

Later I turned out to be a seeker. Already at school I was very keen on psychology as I wanted to find a method how to develop myself. But I wanted some sort of a crash course: a method how to grow fast! Unfortunately psychology (which I studied later at the University) made me extremely conditioned and showed only a tedious way to self-development. And I wanted to have it fast!

The Water is silent June 10, 2007

 

The fish in the water is silent,

the animal on the earth is noisy,

the bird in the air is singing.

But man has in him the silence of the sea,

the noise of the earth

and the music of the air.

The meaning of our self