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13th Year: 2011
Jan
- Piano Recital by Robyn, Mosaic Art Portrait & CNY Reunion Lunch
Feb
- Chinese New Year, PA Got Talents, Alvin's Birthday & Opening of Clay-Street New Studio
Mar
- Bye-bye Heni
Seva Wk 01: Art of Living Ashram, Bangalore
Seva Wk 02: 1st Seva with Divine Karnataka Project & On Course
Seva Wk 03: Sponsoring Rural Village Sport Clubs & Bridge at Chikmagalur
Seva Wk 04:
'WHY DKP' Corporate Fund Raising
Apr
Seva Wk 05: DKP Helps Rural Farmers, Gadag & Koppal, Karnataka
Seva Wk 06: Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, Konark, Puri & Sri Sri University
Seva Wk 07: Tribal School Project, Jharkhand
Seva Wk 08:
Tribal School Arts Festival on Facebook
May
Seva Wk 09: Tribal School @ Dumuria & Ranchi
Seva Wk 10: Tribal School Digital Contest & Kolkata
Seva Wk 11: Kolkata to Delhi to Himachal Pradesh
Seva Wk 12: Shoghi, Shimla & Tirthan Valley in Himachal Pradesh

Jun
Seva Wk 13: Homestay @ Tirthan, Kullu Valley
Seva Wk 14: Sangla, Peo, Nako, Kinnaur Valley
Seva Wk 15: Tabo, Kaza, Kye, Spiti Valley
Seva Wk 16: Demul to Komic on Yaks, Spiti Valley

Jul
Seva Wk 17: Kaza to Manali to Gurgaon, Delhi
Seva Wk 18: Gurgaon & Barefoot College,Tilonia
Seva Wk 19: Jaipur & back to Bangalore
Seva Wk 20 & 21: With the Murthys in Bangalore

Aug
Seva Wk 22-24: Meridian 101 Ambassadors for India & Bye Bye India
Seva Wk 25: Seva in Africa - Jumbo Kenya!
Seva Wk 26: Seva at the Children's Garden Home
Sep
Seva Wk 27: More Seva Projects at CGH
Seva Wk 28: Self-drive Safari to Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha, Hell's Gate
Seva Wk 29: Short Break to Arusha, Tanzania
Seva Wk 30: Safari at Nairobi National Park & Children's Day Celebration
Oct
Seva Wk 31: Launching BEADwear for Christmas
Seva Wk 32: Robyn turns 13 in Kampala, Uganda
Seva Wk 33: Rafting the White Nile, Jinja, Uganda
Seva Wk 34: Sipi Falls, Uganda & African Child Mega Dance in Kenya
Nov
Seva Wk 35: Nairobi to Mombasa, Malindi & Lamu
Seva Wk 36: Seva@Lamu - Donkey necklace + Kaya
Seva Wk 37: Seva@Lamu - Hands Up 4 Kids
Seva Wk 38: Bye Africa, Hello Istanbul, Homeward-bound Singapore
Dec
- Home Sweet Home in Singapore
 
   

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BACK HOME IN SINGAPORE...

Upon returning to our flat in Yew Tee, we discovered moulds all over due to the 9 months of absence, a gigantic stack of letters and correspondences, and many things to sort out in order to resume our daily life. So we started an early spring cleaning and delightfully thrown or donated away tons of extra stuff. We needed a car to get around and bought the first car that we viewed. Alvin took over the white Suzuki Vitara SUV on the 8th day upon our return. There were many friends to meet and catch up with but the priority went to those kind friends who ordered the Beadwear necklaces from Children's Garden Home.

 

Old friends catching up after many years is always a heart warming affair. Some of Jin's NTU Gang - Michael and Henry - gathered at Henry Toi's home to celebrate his 50th birthday. Henry also invited some of his old pals from secondary school to Army buddies.

We all had a joyous time reminiscing over old photos that showed their youthful faces, funny hairdos and completely outdated fashion!

 

We lugged back 8kg of Beadwear made by the children of CGH. Now it was time for Robyn to sort them out, print and attach labels and pack them for Alvin to drive around and deliver to the kind buyers before Christmas.

Robyn engaged her good freinds like Faith, Yee Khoon, RanXuan to help sort and pack the Beadwear.
Robyn engaged her good friends like Faith, Yee Khoon, RanXuan to help sort and pack the Beadwear.

> Our guestroom became the packing factory with beadwear necklaces stacked all over the floor!

The Safari series of Beadwear from Children's Garden Home
   
Robyn being drilled on...

After a year's absence from dental care and with loads of chocolates, Robyn needed a drill-and-fill operation in the dental chair.

Robyn's tooth decay

We met Sorabh Gupta at the Art of Living Ashram in Bangalore in March 2011. He later kindly sponsored the prizes for the art competition we organized at the Tribal Schools in Jharkhand, India.

Sorabh happened to come to Singapore for a somatic coaching workshop and so we met up. He is a professional who helps senior executives and leaders of organizations undergo transformation from within. We talked about using clay art as a transformation medium so Alvin brought him to Clay-Street Studio to experience clay moulding as a creative expression.

Something will cook up from here... : )

Sorabh Gupta at Clay-Street Studio
   

Jin's yoga teacher, Huay Lin, organizes an annual charity yoga. This year, she decided to work with us to help raise fund for the Children's Garden Home. Last year, we did a 108 Sun Salutation charity yoga.

On this Sunday morning, Huay Lin shared with the class the knowledge of yoga and conducted a wonderful yoga lesson. We gave a talk about our seva experience at CGH and raised a total of S$2,630 for the children. It was so meaningful a morning for everyone. Thanks!

Huay Lin's yoga class is always enjoyable and we always improve with her guidance.
Huay Lin's yoga class is always enjoyable and we always improve with her guidance.

The donors were given a Beadwear necklace handmade by the children from CGH as a token of thanks.The donors were given a Beadwear necklace handmade by the children from CGH as a token of thanks.
   

Today was Robyn's registration for her secondary education at the Unity Secondary School. We met Robyn's form teacher, Mr Siva, and purchased her books, uniform, etc. We particularly like the school's slogan:

"Leading Self, Serving Others
Actualizing Self, Inspiring Others."

It seems to be describing our seva experience...

In less than 2 weeks' time, Robyn would be starting her Secondary One education, after one year's break in schooling. It's gonna be fun!

Robyn and Jin at Unity Secondary School

 

 
Jin, Robyn and Alvin in African royale outfit


29 Dec 2011: Avita Year End Party "Royale"

Thanks to Moses and Sylvia of Children's Garden Home who gave us our African costumes, we immediately wore them to good use at our Royale Night at Avita.

This ultra fun party was a grand celebration to end 2011 with fun, prizes and warm friendship at Avita. Everyone dressed to 'kill'.

Alvin won the best dressed African king while Amy Liew was crowned the Indian queen
Alvin won the best dressed African king while Amy Liew was crowned the Indian queen.
 Princess Theingi was mad when I mistaken her outfit to be that fo a witch!
'Princess' Theingi was mad when I innocently mistaken her outfit to be that of a witch!
The real and beautiful princesses: Victoria, Cassandra, Robyn and Julianna.
The real and beautiful princesses: Victoria, Cassandra, Robyn and Julianna.

The Scent'al World family group photo with everyone in Royale outfit.
The Scent'al World family group photo with everyone in Royale outfit.

 

Question: Dear Guruji, what is your message for the New Year? What should we focus on for the coming year?

Sri Sri: A better world! Our service should be focused on a better world and a better society. And in personal life, have a strong conviction and faith that all is well and good is going to happen. According to the Vedic calendar, you must have heard that this is the last year of the Mayan calendar and Doomsday is going to come. There are many movies about the World coming to an end. I am telling you nothing is going to happen and the world will continue. According to Vedic Calendar, from March 2012, this year is called ‘Nanda’. ‘Nanda’ means happiness; the year of happiness. First comes happiness and the year that follows is called Victory. You will be happy and victorious, so do not worry. Resolve to do some good work in society and spread knowledge. You will see by end of next year more and more people will turn to spirituality. All those engaged in terrorism will be cornered and people who are in violence, their strength will be reduced. It will happen and you are a part of that happening.

 

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