Utopia

 

Utopia

The concept of Utopia is first given daylight by the Athenian philosopher Plato in his book “Republic” written in or around 380 B.C.E . Though there is little doubt that the concept itself is much older. Pythagoras is mentioned by one source as establishing a Utopian community “Homakoeion” in Southern Italy in the 6^th Century B.C.E.  The term or idea  itself, is meant to define a society, community or culture of perfection or a perfect place in which to live. Its’ literal opposite is dystopia with the prefix “dys” having the same negative as it does in “dysfunction”.  Utopia as a concept is literally wide open to interpretation, for example: My idea of Utopia which would be unlimited access to unlimited books and ideas, e.g. University,  is almost certainly my semi-literate brother’s idea of Hell. Conversely his idea of Utopia which is a bottomless supply of VB and uninterrupted viewing of AFL would very quickly have me scratching my eyes out in sheer boredom.

The concept of Utopia has gained a lot of traction in the minds of political theorists and theologians. A search of “Utopian Communities” in Google produced a veritable ecosystem of Utopian Communities which range from Socialist to Christian to ecological to economic to scientific to feminist in orientation. Marx and Engels envisioned their political theories as a step towards the creation of a Utopian society which addressed inequalities of wealth, occupation and education. Perhaps the most extreme expression of socialist Utopianism in recent history would be Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge. Indeed it can be argued that Christianity itself is Utopian in nature with Heaven itself as the Utopian destination of Christianity. There is also an argument to be made that not only is Christianity Utopian in nature, in its simplest expression, it is also inherently socialist, this however is an argument for another time and essay. It could be argued that even the Taliban seek to create a Utopian society based on their interpretation of Islamic teachings.  Even the much disparaged Hippie movement which was founded in the 1960’s is Utopian in its ideals with the concepts of universal peace, equality and free love being its commonly understood philosophical pillars.

 A Utopia is meant to address what are seen as social, political, religious and economic wrongs. This explains why both religion and politics are so enamoured of the concept. The most atheistic of communists have the same goal as the most observant Christian or Muslim . They seek to create a world where the many imperfections and what they consider distractions from the true goal of humanity and society are removed and the goal of pure universal happiness is achieved. Whether this is achievable or even desirable, is open to question. The reason why after over 2000 years of effort in trying to create Utopia’s and an emphatic lack of success could well be it is impossible to build a perfect place from imperfect materials.

References

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/07/02/1056825453141.html

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/jul/26/christianity-politics-left-utopia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippie#Spirituality_and_religion

Bluewater Trail

I have recently walked the Bluewater Trail in Mackay, Queensland.
The trail is ten years old with initial construction beginning in May 2003. This is the first visit I've had where I've been in a position to walk it.

The Bluewater Trail is a mixed bag. When it's good...it's great. When it's ordinary it is truly ordinary. The great parts are the eastern and western ends. The ordinary bit is the middle which is along Bridge Rd. Mind you, even here it can be interesting as Bridge Rd is on the northern border of Mackay Airport and the planes here come in very low. I watched  a Cessna land and it was so low I felt I could have shaken hands with the pilot.

The Bluewater Trail begins and ends on the corner of River and Sydney Streets, which is right on the Pioneer River. So it is one big loop around the CBD of Mackay. There is some very nice public art works by local artists here.

The trail heads east along the river until it becomes Sandfly Creek Environmental Walk, which is in the mangroves which the locals have sensibly retained. A distinctly positive attribute is the many information boards on this walk. And they begin here. A number of local bird, plant and invertebrate species are listed.

 

As is the importance of the mangroves as a nursery for many species of fish. By now you are well away from the CBD and at the time of writing Mackay lacked buildings high enough to be seen over the mangroves.

It then turns south to follow the beaches for about 2 km. This is very scenic due to the very high tidal bore...when the tide is out, it's a long way out and there is easily a couple of hundred metres of beaches and unobstructed views to the south-east. The coal loading terminal of Hay Point is clearly visible....and uber pretty at night.

The ordinary bits begin when the trail departs the beaches and follows suburban streets. There is a reason for this...apparently it isn't finished and the work of putting a path completely along the beach hasn't been done.

However struggle through this and you will be rewarded with the Mackay Botanic Gardens (http://www.mackayregionalbotanicgardens.com.au/). These gardens, like the Bluewater Trail were commenced in 2003. I've visited Mackay any number of times in the last 10 years and never visited them before. They are by any means great gardens with all plants labelled properly using scientific and common names. They are also located right beside the Lagoons, which are a paleo bed of the Pioneer River. It has both water and wild birds year round. There is a cafe and a basic bookshop on the grounds of the MBG.bI didn't sample the goods on sale in the cafe. The bookshop I did look at and it seems very good. There has been a lot of work on the indigenous flora of the Mackay Region and some much needed and very belated research into Aboriginal uses of the indigenous flora.

I was amazed at the sheer number and exquisiteness of local Hibiscus.

Head west out of the MBG and along a path towards some sheltered playgrounds and much appreciated public toilets. Off to the west you can see Racecourse Mill. Follow the concrete path as it turns right and crossing under two bridges makes its way to the Pioneer River and the local Base Hospital.

When I was young, the bridge here was across the Pioneer. Apparently on building a flood prove replacement they were going to remove the old bridge entirely. Local people mounted a successful campaign to keep it as a fishing platform. On the winters day I visited it was certainly being put to good use. Although I didn't do this, I imagine it is entirely feasible to pick yourself up a meal of fresh fish for cash here.

The walk here is pretty. The local council has made an attempt to plant local trees. Once you reach Canelands Shoppingtown the walk is pretty well over. Take care near here. The local wino's drink by the path.

Aung San

Was Aung San a Minlaung?

 Was Aung San a charismatic leader in a Western sense, or was he a uniquely Burmese creature who used concepts deeply rooted in the Burmese psyche and worldview?

I actually had to look up charisma. The word is used so frequently that I wanted to know if I was understanding it properly. The website: oxfordictionaries.com, had this to say on charisma:

Definition of charisma

Noun

1 [mass noun] compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others: he has tremendous charisma and stage presence

2 (plural charismata /kəˈrɪzmətə/) a divinely conferred power or talent.

Origin:

Mid17th century (in charisma (sense 2)): via ecclesiastical Latin from Greek kharisma, from kharis 'favour, grace'

And this definition certainly seems to describe Aung San.

In their essay “The Rise and Role of Charismatic Leaders” published in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science in 1965, Ann and Dorothy Wilner argue that charismatic leaders are more likely to arise in periods of intense change, in times of transition where the established order is being supplanted by a new order that hasn’t quite fully come into being. Charismatic leaders according to the Wilner’s are leaders who are without exception unifying figures. They co-opt cultural symbols. They have the ability to inspire love. Even their enemies admit to succumbing to their appeal. In a Burmese context this is true of the Minlaung, the Righteous King. It is certainly true of Aung San, every author I examined, from Viscount Field Marshal Slim to Maung-Maung, without exception remarks on Aung San’s charm[1]. Even in the midst of criticising other traits such as arrogance, these men observed that Aung San possessed a deep charisma. The Minlaung, holds a deeply central place in the Burmese concept of politics[2]. The Minlaung appear regularly in Burmese history, every time a dynasty begins to lose its hold on power, a Minlaung arises to set things straight again, they are part of the natural order of things. Far from being a relic of the past, the Minlaung is still a powerful force in Burmese politics into the 21^st Century[3].

What isn’t mentioned by the Wilner’s as a characteristic of charismatic leadership and certainly applies to Aung San, is his extraordinary intelligence. Aung San was one of the intellectual elite in the Burma of his time. Only Aung San’s political activities prevented him from completing his studies at the University of Rangoon. Had Aung San not fallen in love with politics, and in particular independence politics, he was assured of a leading role in Burma.

In “Burma: A Socialist Nation in S.E Asia”, Steinberg remarks that Aung San was viewed by some of his followers as a reincarnation of King Alaungpaya who ruled Burma between 1714 and 1760[4]. I found this deeply curious until I researched Alaungpaya.  Alaungpaya it turns out happens to be the Burmese equivalent of the Siamese monarch Chulangkorn the Great[5], who ruled between 1868 and 1910. Chulangkorn is the monarch who succeeded in avoiding Siam being colonised by the Western powers Britain and France and brought much of what is modern Thailand under the governance of Bangkok.  Alaungpaya not only founded the last dynasty in Burma, he also expelled the British in their first attempt at controlling Burma and excluded the French permanently.

The similarities between Alaungpaya and Aung San are obvious. Both of them expel the foreign coloniser, which in both cases happened to be the British, and they both unify Burma, or in Aung Sans’ case, making an effort to. Both were from relatively humble backgrounds and both of them were militarily successful. Both are remarked on for the depth of their charisma. Both emerge in a time of change. With the connection to Alaungpaya, Aung San is directly connected to the last time the Burmese were powerful and independent. At the time of his death Aung San was involved in trying to bring the ethnic minorities into the fold of a unified Burma. He is a centralising figure who is directly connected to a glorious past.

This seemed as far as the connection would go. At the point where I was about to throw my hands up in frustration at just where this essay wasn’t going, I came across an essay by Susanne Prager that tied Aung San into an aspect of Burmese culture that I have hitherto been ignorant of, and it changed everything. In her essay “The Coming of the "Future King": Burmese Minlaung Expectations Before and During the Second World War” published in the Journal of Burma Studies Volume 8 in 2003, Prager writes of a Burmese prophecy that British rule would end and that a “future or righteous king” would arise, we have already met this person and he is called the Minlaung.  

In 1939, a certain verse was very popular in Rangoon, perhaps the British knew of it, if they did, they apparently didn’t understand it.  The version of it in Prager’s essay is below.

And on the lake a Brah’miny duck alights

When with a bow a hunter bold, he killed it;

The umbrella rod laid low the hunter bold

But the rod by Thunderbolt was struck.

Prager writes that the verse was pregnant with Millenarian symbolism, with the lake being the Burmese Kingdom of Ava, the duck being the Burmese ethnic group the Mon who had been a major power in the South-east Asian mainland, the hunter being no less than Alaungpaya, last two lines of this short verse referred to the British who are the umbrella rod and that a thunderbolt was about to lay them low. Little wonder that when the Japanese invaded and rapidly vanquished the British, that they were viewed as the thunderbolt. The point is, that in 1939 the Burmese were viewing British rule as an event that was about to end. A view that no doubt caused much amusement in the halls of colonial power in Rangoon and beyond, for the British had no plans to leave Burma. In this Millenarian world view, the appearance of the Minlaung was only a matter of time. In fact he was not only expected, if anything, he was late. The portents for the appearance of the Minlaung were everywhere, the rice crops were failing, the countryside was in disorder, the peasants were becoming homeless, morals were collapsing and the Sangha and Buddhism were in decline. The Minlaung was about to set aright what was awry.

As if the above was not enough, there were events happening in Burma that were a great deal more pregnant with change and symbolism than the British apparently realised. An entire culture was in the process of orientating itself towards their expulsion.

“Whereas the newly established alliance was called “Freedom Bloc” in the English language, in Burmese it was called Htwet Yat Gaing, “Association of the Way Out.” This term alluded to a prevailing omen about the impending arrival of a magician, weikza Bo Bo Aung, who was supposed to help the Burmese in driving out the British and who would finally enthrone the Minlaung, the king to-come. After a public meeting of the Freedom Bloc in June 1940 in Mandalay, many Burmese testified that Bo Bo Aung had already revealed himself in the famous Mahamuni Pagoda (Ba Maw1968:93).

I believe that the name of the association is deeply significant. It operates on at least two different levels. The first level, as Prager argues above, is the level that is directly connected with the Minlaung, the other level is the implication that this association was The Way Out….of British Rule. That it is tied into the Minlaung prophecy only deepened the level of significance of the association for the Burmese and the depth of grief that was about to befall the British in Burma. To put it simply, the British were about to have a prophecy fall on them. I am left wondering whether the Japanese in a way actually did the British a favour by expelling them from Burma in a relatively tidy fashion when they invaded, for the impending revolt by large sections of the Burman population would have been messy to say the least.

We must remind ourselves that the Burmese in common with other Buddhist cultures, view time as cyclical, not linear. Understanding this is crucial to understanding events in Burmese history and it is not uncommon for non-Buddhist Westerners to experience difficulties with understanding time as being something other than linear. The Buddhist teaching of Anicca (Impermanence) means that dynasties, even foreign ones, are viewed in Buddhism and Buddhist cultures as ephemeral things. They come, they go. They arise, grow old and die, just like everything else. The colonial rule of the British was, in Burmese eyes, fated to end even as it was beginning. The British would come, and they would go, and the Burmese and their culture would remain.

 Another aspect of Buddhism that we must remember, and it is directly related to Aung San, Alaungpaya and the Minlaung prophecy, is the Buddhist teaching on Rebirth/Reincarnation. In Buddhism it is entirely logical and possible that you could have been in a past life someone such as King Alaungpaya. It was entirely logical and possible that Aung San could be/ could have been Alaungpaya. Theravada Buddhism teaches that it is possible to remember our past lifetimes. Alaungpaya himself as it happens, was a Minlaung.

Prager writes that the Nationalists in Burma actively co-opted the Minlaung for their own ends. Every action undertaken by Burmese Nationalists according to Prager, must be seen through this lens. Aung San and the Nationalists in Burma made calculated use of the Minlaung prophecy and were careful to be seen behaving in accordance with Burmese expectations and traditions associated with the prophecy. The formation of the “Thirty Comrades” was meant to fulfil the Minlaung prophecy. The blood drinking ceremony were loyalty is sworn, is a classic Minlaung tradition. Even the presence of a cadre of blood tied band of brothers is a Minlaung symbol. That Aung San and the Thirty Comrades left Burma and returned with the Japanese Army didn’t adversely affect the prophecy. What mattered to the Burmese was that they were Burmese fighting for Burmese independence.

According to Prager, Aung San went one step further and explicitly identified with the prophecy and presented himself as embodying the essence of the Minlaung. Aung San also identified himself as the current rebirth of King Alaungpaya (something it must be noted that his daughter cannot do, as she was alive at the time her father died. Su Kyi, however has been identified as another deeply powerful Buddhist concept. She has been identified as a Bodhisattva[6]). In Burmese terms, Aung San wrapped himself in a cloak made from two very potent threads of Burmese culture. Not only was he a Minlaung coming to restore order to Burma, he was also the last successful Minlaung returning to once again free his people from the British. Which of course with the help of the Japanese, he duly did. Aung San and the Burmese Nationalists took great care to fulfil and to be seen as fulfilling every aspect of the Minlaung. They very much wanted to be seen as fulfilling the verse I quoted earlier. We can imagine the utter potency of this to the average Burman. Aung San is not only a Minlaung which whilst important in a Burmese context, are hardly rare, he is also the embodiment of a man the Burmese looked back on with affection and pride, Alaungpaya was the last strong Burmese ruler…and he had returned for his people in their hour of need. I am left wondering whether the British ever stood a chance against such a man.

Now I will wrap this essay up. In it I have shown that Aung San was a charismatic leader, as defined by Anne and Ruth Wilner. Aung San essentially ticks all the boxes that the Wilner’s defined charismatic leaders as, in that he arose as a leader in a time of deep change, he co-opted cultural symbols, in this case the Minlaung and King Alaungpaya and he concentrated power into himself. The charismatic leader according to the Wilner’s is essential to the success of change and not too many of them are democrats by nature. Aung San is nowhere recorded as being what would be regarded in the West as a democrat[7]. What Aung San is, is a uniquely Burmese example of a charismatic leader, he was a Minlaung. At that point in time he was a completely new form of grief for the British, in that he was Western educated, understood modern Western politics and used deeply Burmese concepts in his efforts to remove the British from Burma.  Aung San stood astride two very different world views and used them brilliantly to achieve his goal of Burmese independence. Aung San was a charismatic leader, a Minlaung par excellence.

With this I give this essay into your gentle hands.

References

Aung-Thwin. M “The Return of the Galon King: History, Law and Rebellion in Colonial Burma”.

Baker. C and Phongpaichit. P “A History of Thailand”.

http://ann.sagepub.com.ezproxy.lib.monash.edu.au/content/358/1/77.full.pdf

 Maung-Maung “Aung San of Burma”.

McCarthy. S “The Buddhist Political Rhetoric of Aung San Su Kyi” page 78 of Contemporary Buddhism: An Interdisciplinary Journal. Published online February 17 2007

Prager. S  “The Coming of the "Future King": Burmese Minlaung Expectations Before and During the Second World War” published in the Journal of Burma Studies Volume 8 in 2003.

Slim. Field Marshal Sir William “Defeat into Victory”.

Smith. M “Burma: Insurgency and The Politics of Ethnicity”.

Steinberg. D “Burma: A Socialist Nation in S.E Asia”.

Steinberg. D “Burma: What Everyone Needs to Know”

---

[1] Slim. Field Marshal Sir William “Defeat into Victory” pages 500-5. Maung-Maung “Aung San of Burma” pages 5-15.

[2] Aung-Thwin. M “The Return of the Galon King: History, Law and Rebellion in Colonial Burma”.

[3] Smith. M “Burma: Insurgency and The Politics of Ethnicity” page 455

[4] Steinberg. D “Burma: A Socialist Nation in S.E Asia” page 114

[5] Baker. C and Phongpaichit. P “A History of Thailand” pages 52-8.

[6] McCarthy. S “The Buddhist Political Rhetoric of Aung San Su Kyi” page 78 of Contemporary Buddhism: An Interdisciplinary Journal. Published online February 17 2007

[7] Steinberg. D “Burma: What Everyone Needs to Know” page 142.

A Formal Diagnosis.....at last.

Well it's a little over a week since I was finally formally diagnosed as having Aspergers Syndrome.  The confirmation of what has been strongly suspected and all the research was pointing towards being a certainty is a mixed bag. Though in a lot of ways I rate it as a blessing. I will try to map Aspergers.


Now I know that things that don't make sense...like a lot of the social graces and interactions will never make sense to me. I'm part relieved, part saddened because I want to be able to interact as the rest of you do. The Book of Social Rules that you have and know by heart will always be closed to me and nothing I can do will ever open it. The lack of understand goes both ways. As much as I will never understand your world, you will get at best fleeting glimpses of mine. Selina likes her glimpses of the world through Aspie eyes and I need her interpretations of a world that just doesn't make sense and is the source of much sadness to me.

I know that in many ways I will always be someone looking in on your world and never truly part of it and that brings its' own sense of loneliness. There is freedom in this in that I have my own path to tread and  have seen things in my meditation and apparently in the world in general, that precious few of you ever will. Still there is a deep sense of aloneness and at times isolation. I see the world differently and that difference in perspective is something I would never relinquish . I have, and always will ask my own questions and seek my own answers. And this believe it or not is the most positive aspect of Aspergers.

I do like a lot of time alone.
I will consitently sit in the same place whenever I enter a room.
I used to drive my ex-wife screwy by happily eating the same breakfast for months at a stretch.

I love being able to find things out. I have recently written an essay on Jemaah Islamiyah and tracking down what was due to the word limit of 2200 a somewhat limited biography of this group was wonderful. I loved fleshing out the incredibly sparse biography of Abu Bakr Ba'asyir. In this respect an Aspergian intellect has all the grace of a Great White Shark in that when it latches onto something it never lets it go until the curiousity is satisfied. I could live without the Rain Man impersonations at times, but this would be another positive.

 A net and quite large negative, actually it's a mixed situation. Aspergers is  rare. We are by some numbers I have seen as low as 0.3% of the population. So not a lot of people actually know what to do with an Aspie when they meet one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fTBM_3sdwE
And I have had fully 90% of what is said in that clip said to me. My way of dealing with it...depending on how tired I am...is to let the person know that when it comes to intellect there are two animals in the room. One is a retarded mouse, the other a very switched on cat....and I'm not the mouse.

The absolute drive to achieve goals is something I like...alot. Once that goal is decided on Hell and high water won't get in the way. This is, apparently quite the sight.
I am, apparently pretty well a bullshit and self pity free zone. When something is happening that I don't much like, I find a way to fix it.
I am often indifferent to diet, climate and sleep.

There are some profound negatives  to Aspergers.

1. I desperately need routine and if I lose my routine for more than a couple days, I become: short fused, less patient, less accepting and I tire of people quicker. I begin to stop functioning as a person.
2. The hardest thing I will do all day isn't a 20 km walk...it's interacting with people. After a period of interaction I need time out. Time totally alone.
3. The obsessives. A mixed one. It gets things done, but I HATE not being in control.
4. When the obsessives strike I completely miss social queues.
5. I take a lot of interactions that aren't meant to be personal as personal. I see people's behaviour as other than what it is e.g. people not including me as being them not liking me, when they are simply being indifferent. This results in anger, depression, feelings of exclusion  and general crankiness.
6. I often use alcohol as a coping mechanism
7. Impatience with what I perceive as being the proper progress of weight loss, studies, fitness regime.

Methods of mitigating Aspergers: 

1. Accept that  Nypie's and the Nypie world are a place that you are never going to understand and should stop stressing about and trying to understand. Just accept they are illogical monkey's and make no sense.
2. Obviously the first is to allow me to keep a routine.
3. If routine is broken, allow me to re-establish it quickly.
4. Allow time out. Accept that solitude is necessary and rejuvenating. 
5. Meditation.
6. See if diet and exercise will mitigate Aspergers.

A week of recipes

These recipes all feed a family.

 

Wonderfully hearty meal which just so happens to be vegan.

Moroccan Chickpea and Lenil Stew

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion chopped

1/2 cup celery chopped

3 garlic cloves (or more to taste)

1 can diced tomatoes undrained

3/4 cup dried lentils (red works fine)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon

1 tablespoon tomato paste

4 cups Vegetable Broth

1 1/2 cups of cooked or 1 can of chickpea drained and rinsed

1 tablepoon chilli sauce

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons freshly chopped coriander leaves.

Method:

Heat oil in pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, garlic. Cover and cook until softened...5 minutes. Add tomatoes, lentils, cinnamon, coriander, turmeric, gnger, cumin, salt, pepper & cardamon. Cook 5 minutes longer. Stir in tomato paste, add broth, bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cook until lentils are tender. Add chickpea & chilli sauce. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. 

Garnish with chopped coriander. Enjoy!!!

Beetroot & Tahini Salad

Simplicity itself. The tahini makes the yoghurt thicken incredibly quickly. Also eat this and mess with peoples heads. My urine turned bright red and even my stools turned the water in the bowl the colour of red wine.

Ingredients

beetroot...I used 5 medium...cooked and peeled

4 tablespoons of tahini

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

salt & pepper to taste

3 hard boiled eggs.

Method

 Combine tahini, yoghurt, S&P.

Pour over beetroot, mix.

Garnish with quartered eggs.

Leb Lebi: Tunisian Chickpea Stew

Wonderfully filling. You need a pressure cooker for this recipe.

Ingredients:

11/2 cups of raw dried chickpea. Your option to soak them overnight. If you do it halves the cooking time.

6 cups of vegetable stock

2 cups roughly chopped onion

 1 1/2 teaspoons of Caraway seeds.

Crusty, preferably sourdough bread.

1/4 ground cumin seeds

olives & capers to taste

chilli sauce.

Method:

Cook chickpea, onion, vegetable stock & Carway seeds. If soaked it should take 20 minutes in the pressure cooker. Unsoaked 40 - 45 minutes.

In bowl place bread torn into pieces and olives and capers.

Pour cooked chickpea over bread.

Mix.

Add chilli sauce to taste

Egg and Lentil Salad

Couldn't find a photo for this one. Wonderfully filling.

Ingredients:

250 grams green lentils

1 medium sized tomato or a handful of cherry tomatoes

1medium capsicum

2 spring onions finely sliced

1 large clove of garlic

1/4 cup organic olive oil.

Balsamic vinegar to taste

1 1/2 cups of finely shredded parsely

2 hard boiled eggs.

Salt to taste.

Method

Cook lentils and let cool. Cook eggs in the same pot as the lentils.

Combine other ingredients.

Peel and quarter eggs.

Mix all ingredients together.

Cracked Wheat Pilaf

Vegan Indian food.

Ingredients: 

1 cup Bulgur

2 tablespoons of oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 cup of thinly sliced brown onion
6-8 curry leaves
2 teaspoons of chana dhal
1/2 cup finely sliced green beans
1 cup finely diced carrot
cayenne pepper to taste
3/4 teaspoon of salt
2 cups water
peanuts to garnish.

Method
Dry roast  Bulgur in a wok until it turns light brown. Transfer to a separate plate..
In same wok heat oil over medium heat fry mustard seeds until they begin popping. Add onion & fry until golden brown. Add curry leaves & chana dhal. Cook until dhal is light brown.
Add green beans, carrot, cayenne & salt. Stir for a few seconds. Add water and bring to the boil.
Add Burghul. Stir to break lumps.
Cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes...or until water is mostly absorbed. Turn off heat and let stand until ready to serve. Garnish with peanuts.

Why silence

Simple. I've been working on a book on Tantra as well as practising a lot of yoga and exercising as much as I can.
The GSWW is a walk I have yet to complete. I packed way too much, couldn't sleep for some reason and ultimately was forced off by an injury to my left ankle. Also some little sweetheart had burnt down the Warnambool phone exchange so the entire South-West was offline...and my phone was about to go flat.
I will be back blogging more regularly when the book writing bug is excised.