Three Cups of Tea....

This book is on a mountaineer ”Greg Mortenson” who failed his attempt to climb K2 (Second highest peak in the karakoram ranges standing tall at more then 28,000 ft) who turned to a humanitarian… and have build more then 50 school in northern Pakistan (Baltistan)

Three Cups of Tea…. Its an old saying in the Balti province:
" The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger. The second time you take tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share a cup of tea, you become family... "

The story starts in 1993 when decide to scale K2 to honor his deceased sister “Christa” who had dies at the age of 23.


1993 - He attempt along with 4 other people after 70 days of trekking and with only 3000 feet to reach the summit they were forced to call of their expedition due to bad weather and injuries…. And on his way down he got lost and trek all alone and end up reaching a village (Korphe) by the time he reaches he is barely breathing and frequently collapsing due to lack to strength…
The villagers do take care of the unknown climber and get him back to health…

The village headmen “Haji Ali” took him to the village school, which was on open ground (with a backdrop of K2) with 78boys and 4girls studying math (4th grade) most of them using a twig and writing on the dirt, and few fortunate to have slate and using twig dipped in muddy water to write…..and the teacher was shared between 2 villages as Pakistani government could no afford to pay $1 pay day for a teacher, but was able to maintain a standoff with India at “Siachen glacier” (highest battleground located at 18,000ft)

So Greg finally return back to Montana (USA) with a promise made to Haji Ali (headman of Korphe) that he would return and build a school…

Once back he start his nurse jab and in the quest of saving money end up sleeping in his car daily… he do send on 580letter and 16 grant petition to all famous and rich, but end up getting one check of $100… his mother help him to speak in front of her school where children start a penny (1 paisa) and end up collecting $680…

Finally he get help from “Jean Hoerni”(who himself a mountaineer and been to karokoram range) who helped in with $12,000 check (that the amount estimated by Greg to build a school) with a note “don’t screw up”

1994 --- Finally he reach with all the material and supply, but the Korphe had a separate problem as it was connect only by a rope bridge “with basket” spanning 400 feet above Indus (which is roaring down)… so know he wants a bridge to be build….

1995 --- So Greg return back to Montana(USA) and calls up “Jean Hoerni” for more help he agrees ask him to get him a picture of the bridge and school once complete… so in the next summer and end up building a bridge of 400ft length, and promises he will come back again next year to start the work of school

1996 --- Greg returns to build the school, but faced with a new problem there been a landslide 40kn before Korphe, and his supplies had to be carried. So the villagers determined that their children’s be educated, trek to and fro (3 days each time) carrying all the material on their back (cement, wooden planks)… so finally after 3 summer and lot of determination the school is build…

Meanwhile “Jean Hoerni” is on death bed get to see the photo of his school and is happy end up making Greg Director of a new organization to help people and a million dollar sponsorship….

I have just finished to this far… will scrib more one I do finish the book..

Hope you also end up reading the book…

/Ani

Before Sunrise ----- Before Sunset

This is a two part movie staring by “Ethan Hawke & Julie Delpy”

The first part was release in 1995 and the second part was release in 2004
This movie follows along a young American Jessie and a French girl Celine,

Before Sunrise – 1995
This start when Jesse is travelling form Budapest to Vienna and Celine is travelling from Budapest to Paris… They happen to sit across each other… and the conversation begins between, their discussion is all about human / feeling / love / emotions… and it just carries on… after couple of hours the train reached Vienna (As he is having a flight back to New York the next day) where Jesse is to get down, but is hate to discontinue their discussion and ends up asking is it possible to her also to get down at Vienna and if she is not interested in the discussion she can board the next train to Paris… And he tells her that he does not have money to stay in a Motel so they will roam whole night and just talk…

Funniest moment: Celine agrees to get down at Vienna, and they do realize that they have not introduced themselves till know….


The movie do have a real good discussion among them on all the above mentioned topics…at midnight they end up sleeping in a public park… and in the morning they are not able to say good bye….

But they do wanted to meet again… so they do decide to meet after 6 months at the same place… but they do believe not in sharing number or address as it might loss the meaning of the relationship they shared…


Before Sunset -- 2004

9 Years has past… and they never happen to meet during this time…
Meantime Jesse (and currently Jesse has married and do have a 4 year old kid) has written a book which narrates their first meet and how they spent their time…. his book is released and do get real nice fame… and for publicity he does visit many cities only in the quest he might meet Celine… and in one of the reading they do meet… And the story do continue they talk about hoe they meet and they again continue the discussion… and this time also Jesse has to travel back and has 6 hours before his flight departs…

So this time will Jesse to able to catch his flight is left for the audience to think over….

p.s. the nice part of the movie is show only 2 unknown people can have such a intense conversation

One evening walking by the crematory….

To tell the truth I have never walked down a crematory… This happened today 14th Feb what a day for many lover’s to celebrate and be together and the way I spend was totally different….. Worth not spending for a person who will ever be in love….

I was walking to the grocery shop (shop rite) which is just 5 minute walk from my apartment… And on the way I do have to pass a crematory (please, please do not get scared it not a horror movie narration)
As I had all the time on earth I was talking down I was just reading the details which were inscribed on the tomb stone, (like year, name and a line about the loved one)

And for my amazing part most of the inscription was more then 50 years and i was able to find few with more then a century old…. All had one or the another story this they were telling or wanted to tell..
Few were kids teen and some were really old the same I remember was 85yeras (John) and the youngest I saw was Mary (1899-1900),
- One which cough my attention was where in this person has seved in 2 war (WW-11) he was a commissioner for 40 yrs , Mayor for 28 years
- One was of family name ”Flemming” where in most of the family was resting in peace
- Few of them just had their First name engraved
- Few of them did not mention any details
- At couple of spot I did saw Happy birthday card for he loved
By the time, I saw a family arriving to pay respect, A man, women & their teenaged daughter, They walked slowly to the spot, and started removing weeds / dried grass laying around… waited to couple of minute and drove by

And I did saw a father and his teenaged son, I guess their visit was just like mine, passing by, as that Dude was talking some snaps of old and nicely engraved stone which are telling a tale more then a century.

The best which I witness was a felling of free, calmness and peace for what al reason I am not sure… I really do feel some time its way to hard or impossible to express your thought… I felt that I should be visiting just in case I want to divert my thinking process or just to spend some time lonely among many unknown people…

btw.. Happy Valentines Day, I guess you would have spent the day with your loved one…