Sunday, May 21, 2006

United SSSS

United SSSS
Can you see the ssss that means you've been marked for extra security checks. It's not a government regulation only United do this, how do they pick the passengers for marking? Racial profiling, according to the security guard at Toronto Airport, 90% of people who get the mark are non-white, even groups that pose no terrorist threat such as Chinese people. So in sum don't fly United.

Home

Home
Almost home

Reflection

I enjoyed every part of my trip, from seeing family to seeing places, everyone has been so kind and have really looked after me well. It has also been brilliant to get a little insight into North American culture, albeit through the eyes of the minority for the most part. I think that the American and even Canadian mindset is very different in some ways from that of Europe, I find that in Europe after centuries of war and empire people tend to be a little less enthusiastic about foreign conquests and flags and nationhood and wars.

But the people there are genuine and beautiful and kind just the same as people all over the world, America is not full of malicious people trying to take over the world, just as the empires of times gone by were not spread by people who were devoid of humanity, maybe misguided or unthinking but not fully evil. Every person has a connection with humanity, a sense of justice that no matter how much we try to deaden and dirty it can never be put to death.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Drawing to a close

So we had our last supper it was kinda cool, have had a cool time here in the US and also in Canada, back home tommorow, my only regret has been missing New York, its been raining there this whole week so I didn't fancy it, anyway I have to leave for the airport in 3 hours so I will see those in the UK soon and those who are not slightly less soon! Don't forget to check my flickr for all the 300+ photos and check back here for a little bit of comment on the trip and POV & reflections on culture, experiences and other titbits, including why you shouldn't fly United.

Ravi Mama

Ravi Mama

Deepshikha Acca

Deepshikha Acca

Vishu & Sheila Mami

Vishu & Sheila Mami

georgetown sunset

georgetown sunset

rays

rays

Me & the Capitol Building

Me & the Capitol Building

Mesmorised

Mesmorised

In the palm of my hand

in the palm of my hand

MLK View

MLK View
This is where Dr Martin Luther King Jr stood as he made his historic speach.

Lincon

Lincon

me & the reflecting pool

me & the reflecting pool

Freedom's price?

Freedom's price

Washington Monument

Washington Monument

24hr Dinner

24hr Dinner
Vishu's Friends Steve and Chris

USA Crowd

USA Crowd
Great hospitality in the USA

Ravi Mama BBQing

Ravi Mama BBQing

Saturday, May 13, 2006

Deepshikha Acca & Akil

Deepshikha Acca & Akil

lion's head

lion's head

Darkness at the end of the tunnel

Darkness at the end of the tunnel

Great Aunt

Great Aunt
We went to see my great aunt and her daughter in Delaware, it was cool, great to meet them hope to again one day.

huge book store

huge book store
6 floors of books, bit like the waterstones nr picadilly circus

Sheila Mami & Deepshikha Acca

Shiela Mami & Deepshikha Acca
Sheila mami & Deepshikha Acca took me to Baltimore, it's really nice down there by the harbour

Baltimore Trade Centre

Baltimore Trade Centre

Catching shrimps

Catching shrimps
He went round throwing prawns to everyone to catch in your mouth, vishu managed to catch 6 in a row or something!

cooking

cooking

Onion volcano

Onion volcano
He made this tower with an onion then somehow made this huge volcano like thing! mad!

FIRE

FIRE
We went to a Japanese steak house, they cook right there infront of you, at the start he lights the plate!

Shiela Mami & Ravi Mama

Shiela Mami & Ravi Mama

Siblings

Siblings

Flag mania

Flag mania

Teg got stuck

Teg got stuck

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Georgetown in the sun

Georgetown in the sun
vishu and shikha acca took me to georgetown it is really nice in the sun

Deepshikha Acca

Deepshikha Acca
This is how I was greeted in the USA

3 generations

3 generations

playing cards

playing cards

bbq

bbq

:)

:)
there are loads more pix of the bbq on flickr

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Mumum & Raji Mami

Mumum & Raji Mami

eating

eating

Jonathan & the smallest violin

Jonathan & the smallest violin

Dueting

dueting
Jessiah and Ivana played a duet, it was tres good

cannal

cannal
In the winter time this cannal freezes over and people skate here!

lochs

lochs
Not sure if I have spelt that right, there is a cannal up high which runs down to the main river through a series of lochs.

The flame of parliament

The flame of parliament

Eternal Flame

Eternal Flame

Everyone

Everyone
Left to right: Sorna Periamma, Me, Jonathan, Culam Periappa, Edmund Uncle

Proud Canadians

Proud Canadians

Senate

Senate

Halls

Halls

Commons

Commons
The house of commons

Tour

Rooms
We did the whole guided tour of parliament, it was pretty cool acctually. Should do the same in London

crazy police man

crazy police man
this man was acctually insane. He insisted on giving me this canada pin and making me wear the hat, as soon as he found out I was from the UK, and this man is guarding the Canadadian Parliarment! Nice guy, only in Canada.

parliament

parliament

Related

Related
I won't go through all the relationships its quite complicated, we stayed with sorna periamma's cousin, incidentally she is married to my mum's 2nd cousin! mad, they were really nice anyway, big thanks!

breakfast

breakfast

Going to Ottawa

getting there
It's around 5 hours driving to Ottawa, Periappah and Periamma took me up on friday night

Monday, May 08, 2006

cool hat

cool hat
storm clouds gathering

stop sign

stop sign

visiting

Uncle
Left to right: Left to right: Sunderam Chiniyah, Kamali Cinammah, Mumum & Manoja Aunty

Friday, May 05, 2006

K' Mama

K' Mama
Went to see K' Mama and family today, was great fun.

Drumming

Drumming

family shot

family shot

school concert

school concert
I went to see Jesiah and Jonathan at the school concert today, was only able to stay for the first half but it was really cool!