Story of my job in New Zealand and a hidden surprise

As I start my career in New Zealand during this new normal era, let me pen my reflections and some positive vibes. Sometimes even if we try hard, we might encounter some delay in having what we seek. Once I was feeling low and my year 12 teacher told, “You Can, You Try”.
In 2019 me and my husband came to explore this beautiful country for a look around to decide whether New Zealand is a good country for our life ahead. Being an IT Engineer with quite good experience, I did some job hunting as well. I spend my days on job sites
and many recruitment agencies. I went through the depressing phase of knocking the doors for an opening and succumbed to the reality of rejection due to my visa status.
In 2020 I was back to New Zealand, accomplished the dream of completing my Masters and started a new chapter in my career in 2021. As I went to collect my laptop, memories flashed through my mind. I collected the laptop from an office right next to another office where I dropped my CV in 2019. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The nostalgia of rejection and the spirit of new beginnings made me laugh. God has destined a better surprise for me, something better than what I tried to get. Just want to tell, despite the clouds, there will be a sunrise after the sunset.

Malayalees and their proud ethnicity

Happy Onam to all My Malayalee Friends and all those love to have Sadya in banana leaf. This year it was coronam and I didn’t have the energy to prepare delicious Sadya. So it was a throw back Onam for us.

#athapookalam during an Onam with friends and family in Qatar

I thought I would write something about Malayalees and their love for their land. Once my Canadian colleague asked me do you love to be called as a Malayalee or a Keralite. I told definitely Malayalee. Then she asked what’s the difference between both. Malayalam is our mother tongue and that’s why we are known as Malayalees. Kerala is the name our State and that’s why we are known as Keralites. We love to be called as Malayalees because it defines our ethnicity.

Recently I went to a tech event and wanted to write some tech post but I got to write something more interesting. The event was attended by multicultural community and during the break I got to meet one girl. How Malayalees identify other Malayalees is quite interesting. When we see a Malayalee in the crowd our heart says he/she is a Malayalee. We started chatting and she asked – are you from India. Yes I told . Where in India. I told Kerala. Then she became so excited. You know I am a Malayalee- a 7th generation Malayalee from Malaysia .

Her forefathers went to Malaysia and she is from the 7th generation. She told I am a pure Malayalee. Then she asked – Can you speak in Malayalam ? And started I speaking in Malayalam. But I had to translate every single bit to English. Finally I asked – Why you want me to speak in Malayalam. She said I want to hear how Malayalam sounds like, how my mother tongue sounds like. My parents never spoke to us in Malayalam.

This is the story of Mallus and their love for Malayalam.

My parents didn’t talk to me in my mother tongue – Fiji Indians and their missing roots

This is about an amazing group of Indian descendants Fiji Indians and their missing roots.

When I came to New Zealand, as a Keralite I thought I will miss the lovely coconuts from Kerala. The state name Kerala came from the word – Keram meaning coconut. During my stay in Auckland, my house owner showed me one coconut and she said -“you know its from Fiji. They are Indian descendants and their cuisine is Indian and has almost all the Indian vegetation including coconut. And these fresh coconuts come to New Zealand from Fiji.” It was interesting.

I was at Sylvia park shopping centre and I met a Fiji Indian during my haircut. Her grandparents were from Chennai. And she said – “My grandparents used to speak in Tamil. But my parents never spoke to me in Tamil and I don’t know my mother tongue.”It was nice to meet her and that conversation gave me some insight, I should be a responsible parent and I should speak authentic Malayalam to my child. My child should never regret like the Fiji lady.

One day I was in a Uber from Hamilton and the Uber guy was looking like a typical Indian. He was also from Fiji. I asked him, “have you ever been to India.”He told, “I never went but I want to go some day.”He was curious about the travel and accommodation costs in India. He was talking about how they are trying to connect to their roots. He said, “this weekend there is a tamil festival celebration in Hamilton organized by Tamilians in New Zealand. And we Tamil descendants from Fiji are also participating in the event. We are doing a tamil folk art as well.We always want to connect to our roots.”

Skilled Migrant Immigration Process

Please find below the links and the process that that can be followed for skilled migrant immigration.

(New Zealand and Australia requires Washington accord recognized engineering degree for skilled migrants and the process is almost similar)

Corresponding to each of the links below you can find a similar organization and website for Australia.

Online Expression of Interest (EOI) under the Skilled Migrant Category can be done in the below website

https://onlineservices.immigration.govt.nz/?EOI

For submitting EOI you don’t require anything its just entering all your details. But once you submitted they are going to ask all the below. So better to get all the below done before submitting interest.

IELTS Score

NZQA to recognize bachelors degree – for this you need academic transcript from your University

http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/qualifications-standards/international-qualifications/international-qualifications-assessment/

Eventhough you get an NZQA they will ask for engineering certification from Engineers New Zealand.

https://www.engineeringnz.org/

But for IT professionals I have found another organization- IT Professionals New Zealand

https://itp.nz/

For Engineers New Zealand certification you have to show some professional development undertaken recently, so if you haven’t done any IT certification recently please do something online.

(You can do something free or with say 50$ in https://www.lynda.com/   or https://www.coursera.org/  )

After you have done all this start job hunting in below websites. Mostly the response will be regret but you can understand the job market. According to an immigration adviser,if you are not there or if there is no one there to push your job application usually CV screening wont happen. That’s where you require an immigration adviser. They can help you get a job offer. Without a job offer you can’t be a skilled migrant.

https://www.looksee.co.nz/

https://www.workhere.co.nz/

https://www.seek.com.au/

You should also update your LinkedIn profile and you should apply for LinkedIn jobs as well.For any profile the qualifications has be recognized in a similar way to secure a job offer.After your engineering certification is done, you will be a member of Engineers New Zealand and  you can apply jobs listed in their page as well. But what I have seen is mostly Core Engineering Field Jobs ( Mechanical, Electrical, Civil etc).

IELTS Tips from my experience

#1 Read Instruction

#2 Understand Question

#3 Practice with Timer

1. Writing

Read, Read and Read and improve your vocabulary.

Practice writing and correct the grammatical errors.

Understand the question.

Part 1

If the question demand to write an informal letter, make it informal.

If the question demand to write a formal letter, make it formal.

Part 2

It’s a thesis presentation. It should have an introduction to conclusion pattern.

You should state your opinion in the introduction and conclude it in the last paragraph. You should not go away from your opinion.

2. Speaking

Speaking is not about the content/ depth of the matter presented. It’s about how freely and fluently you speak and interact.

3. Reading

I followed answer to question approach. First I read the questions to assume the answers and then I read the article to find the answers. It’s all about skimming and scanning.

Different people has different pattern of reading an article. Some read each and every word and try to understand everything. Then try to answer the questions. For IELTS Reading exam, you won’t get the time for that extensive reading. Read the comprehension to just answer the questions. You will achieve it by practice.

4. Listening

Listening needs practice. The more you practice more you score. You will grasp the conversation quickly and can answer the questions.

Helpful Links

https://www.ieltsonline.com.au/ieltsmaster/

https://www.examenglish.com/IELTS/index.html

https://www.clarityenglish.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKPpfQUSfHhesyjbskDKSEg

IELTS Liz YouTube channel

Writing Practice Sample Answers

Practice Test 1

Writing Task 1

20 minutes (150 words)

A friend has agreed to look after your house and pet while you are on a holiday.

Write a letter to your friend. In your letter

Give contact details for when you are away

Describe other household duties

Answer: Informal letter (Informal phrases and words italicized, Start sentence with subject say I, Don’t start sentence with connecting word say and)

Dear [First name only of friend]

All the best

Keep in touch.

[Your first name only]

Dear Paul

I hope you are doing great. I am writing this letter to tell you about my short vacation. My family and I are going for a one month vacation to India. We are leaving this Thursday and we will be back on the 10 May 2018.

As you know I need your help in taking care of my pet dog, Dawn. He is friendly and potty trained as well. Please give him food every evening at about 5 pm. Also fill up his water bowl. I would also like you to bathe him every alternate day. Also water my plants twice a week. Thank you so much for doing this. I really appreciate it.

Please contact me on my Indian number 0091 94472 12345. You can also reach me by email.                Say hello to your wife for me.

Thank you once again.

Regards

Ann

Writing Task 2

40 minutes (250 words)

Some people believe that teaching children at home is best for a child’s development while others think that it is important for children to go to school. Discuss the advantages of both methods and give your own opinion

Give reasons for your answer and include relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Answer: Include 5 paragraphs to present a thesis on the matter

1 Introduction

2 Paragraph A – advantages of homeschooling

3 Paragraph B – advantages of regular schooling

4 Paragraph C – your opinion

5 Conclusion

Points

Play is the highest form of research – Albert Einstein

Wisdom

Regular schooling – adapting, interacting, adjusting, patience to wait for a chance

Homeschooling –precious parent child bonding, loneliness with reading

Resourcefulness of parents to answer children, finding sports clubs for interaction

In higher classed seek subject matter expertise

Answer:

• Article (a, an, the) to be used with singular noun, a parent, an additional responsibility, the child etc.,
• use comma before a quote and enclose quote in double quotes, remember to put full stop before ending quotest Albert Einstein says, “Play is the highest form of research.”
• Use transition words such as firstly, secondly, in addition etc. to show better organization of content.

Education is the holistic development of a child. Each child is unique and parents opt for either teaching their children at home or sending them to school. The resources and environment may be different but the goal remains the same – help a child to reach his or her best. Although homeschooling has its own advantages I consider regular school as a better option.

Homeschooling has the advantage of parent child bonding. A parent is the mentor and resource person and the precious time spent together contributes to an intimate bonding and understanding between the two. Furthermore parents are knowledgeable about the child’s questions and get involved in their activities. In addition to curriculum they takes an extra effort to engage kids in extracurricular activities such as arts and sports to provide them an environment to interact and mingle with other children.

Regular schools are a bigger environment where a child gets ample opportunities to interact and adjust in a multicultural community. They learn to respect and express their needs. They also learn to wait patiently for certain day to day needs such as wash rooms. The greatest benefit of being, the school provides expertise to teach each subject. They learn to win a race proudly and loose gracefully.

In my opinion apart from the benefits of homeschooling, it has the additional responsibility entrusted in a parent. The parent has to find the opportunities for the child to interact with other children. There are situations when the parent is busy and the child may feel lonely. One way to cope with the scenario is to engage the child in arts or reading. In this competitive world, communication is an aspect that up brings a future leader and I prefer my child to be in a regular school where he or she learns to communicate.

Homeschooling or regular schooling is totally an individual choice but it should bring a society of wise individuals. Apart from knowledge, the child should be molded to possess the wisdom to distinguish right and wrong. Albert Einstein says, “Play is the highest form of research.” Let our children play and learn and grow into fruitful individuals.

Practice Test 2

Writing Task 1

20 minutes (150 words)

Last year you attended an intensive English course at the Darwin College of English. Your new employer has asked you to provide copies of your reports and assignments as quickly as possible. Write a letter to the director of the language school and request these documents.

Answer: Formal letter

Dear Sir/Madam

I look forward to hearing from you. / I thank you for your consideration. / Please respond at the earliest convenience.

Yours faithfully

[Your Full Name]

Corrections in bold (Use Simple Past (did) instead of Present Perfect (have done) because you know the time. If you don’t know the time in the past, then you use the Present Perfect.

Dear Sir

I am writing this letter with regard to an intensive English course I attended at Darwin College of English. I am working as an Admin Assistant at the Institute of English, Doha, Qatar and my manager has requested copies of reports and assignments I did as a part of the course.

I attended the intensive English course in March 2018. For the course completion I did 2 assignments and 1 report. It was evaluated and graded and I received the course completion certificate. Please find attached my course completion certificate for the enrolment details.

In order to prove my efficiency, I have to participate in a performance review in my current organization and I need the documents to be attached for the same. Please send me your address so that I can schedule a DHL courier pick up to collect the express shipments.

Looking forward to receiving a favorable response from your office.

Yours faithfully

Ann Babuji

Writing Task 2

40 minutes (250 words)

As a part of a class assignment you have been asked to write about the following topic.

There have been many technological development in the 20^th century, for example in transport, telecommunications and health.

What technological development do you think has been the most important? How has it changed people’s lives? Have all the changes been positive?

Points 10 minutes gone for points

Intro

Important development-Telecommunication Particularly Information Technology

Change in people’s life – reduced time and distance barriers

Effect of change – positive and negative impacts,

In my opinion people became gadget centered

Para A

telecommunication particularly mobile, ipad, apps skype interviews, search and type alphabets

transportation changes

Para B

Visual media fast pace slow paced reading , nature etc

Four critical factors necessary to achieve healthy child development are movement, touch, human connection, and exposure to nature.

Para C

My opinion

For example friends daughter and siri

technology should not exceed our humanity

Conclusion

Opt for a time for everything balance between technology and nature

David Wong American humor writer says- New technology is not good or evil in and of itself. It’s all about how people choose to use it.

Corrections in bold

(lives not life’s) (use ; before however and use , after however)( centered not centred) (the 20^th century, don’t use without article the) (savvy not savy)

The 20^th century marked the advancement of technological developments in many arenas say transport, telecommunication, health etc. Though many inventions and innovations changes    people ‘s lives, for me the most influential was telecommunication and particularly information technology. In my opinion on a positive note technology has reduced the time and space barriers;however, it has made people gadget centered.

Telecommunication has evolved to reach people in different parts of the world and always keep them connected. It leads to the globalization impact on everyone’s life. People can access the wider market and can choose the products they need. They don’t need to compromise on what is available next door. Companies can recruit talents all over the world.

The aforesaid advancements changed people’s lives positively and negatively. The advancements started in the 20^th century and by the 21^st century, the world became faster and more competitive. There are four critical factors for a child’s healthy development- movement, touch, human connection and exposure to nature. Visual media has increased the screen time and has reduced the exposure to nature. Parents are gadget centered and if they are not motivated to dedicate time for children, the upcoming generation will be tech savvy but with less humanity.

In my opinion technology should not exceed our humanity. Firstly, we should always keep a balance between the use of technology and the time spend to appreciate and preserve our environment. In addition to that we should be responsible users of technology, for example when we communicate something in social media, we should authenticate the truth of the information being spread. Finally, we should act respectfully in our social networks.

American writer David Wong says, “New technology is not good or evil in itself. It’s all about how people choose to use it.” I strongly believe technological advancement can be used in the betterment of human lives if used wisely. Children should be brought up by connecting them to their surroundings along with connecting to the wider world by internet.

Practice Test 3

Writing Task 1

20 minutes (150 words)

A friend is already attending a TAFE college in Australia. You will be going to Australia next year. Write and ask him/her about what you should do before you go. Ask him/her about any problems he/she has had.

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this to tell you about my vacation plan in January 2019. My family and I will be coming for a short vacation to Australia.

Since you have been there for the past year I hope you could answer a few of my concerns. First of all, what is the weather like in Sydney in January. Weather statistics show a moderate climate. Since I’m travelling with the little ones, I’m wondering whether I should take some warm clothes for them.

Secondly I want to know if I can bring food say some cookies for cupcakes for my kids. Is it ok to bring food for personal consumption? I would like to have your suggestion on the best destinations and accommodations that will suit a family with kids. Also, could you tell me about local transportation options? We are going to buy travel insurance but I prefer to carry necessary medications for the kids. Is this ok to do?

I’m looking forward to hearing from you. Awaiting your reply soon. All the very best for your studies.

Keep in touch.

Regards

Ann

Writing Task 2

40 minutes (250 words)

As a part of a class assignment you have been asked to write about the following topic.

The average British child between ages 4 and 15 watches more than 20 hours of television a week. Studies show she/he only spends about 7 hours per week on physical exercise. How does this compare with the situation in your country? How can parents make sure children get enough exercise? Give reasons for your answer.

Facts and figures mention that an average British child spends 20 hours watching television whereas he spends only 7 hours of doing physical exercise. I live in Qatar and here on an average a 4 to 15-year-old child spends 14 hours of watching television and 4 hours doing physical exercise. If I compare this to my home country, it would be 10 hours spent watching television and 7 hours of physical exercise. In my opinion there should be balance between the hours spend on television and physical exercise.

In order to change the statistics and bring an equilibrium between multimedia and outdoor or indoor activities there needs to be a huge dedication and effort from parents. First of all, children should get interested in sports. They should have fun and the parent has to foster the need of being active by providing ample opportunities. They should enjoy sports rather than winning or losing.

Let’s consider the benefits of physical exercise. Firstly, active movement is important for the development of children. Secondly it cultivates a self-esteem in children. They learn through experiences say success and failure. When they explore the different ways of doing an activity, it will build their creativity and independence. Finally, increased participation in physical activity enhances cognitive functioning (information processing).

I believe sports activities play a vital role in the holistic development of a child and has to be taken care. Parent has a pivotal role in ensuring a child’s involvement in physical exercise and should not be avoided. Despite the tight schedules and limited family time parents should be committed to providing children with enough exercise so that they can be brought up healthy and active.

As Billie Jean Kings says, “Sports teaches you character, it teaches you to play the rules, it teaches you to feel what it feels like to win and lose- it teaches you about life”. In conclusion as parents we should at least balance the time spent on physical exercise and visual media so as to raise an energetic and fruitful generation.

fake smile

the glass that hide my tears
eyeliner that hide my swollen eyes
and the foundation that hide my dull face
makes me happy in that fake smile

but there was someone who saw me
beyond all this fakeness
my very own counselor colleague
who came for a technical help

who offered me snickers and bounty
to make my smile genuine
that little act of kindness
made me smile genuinely

my dear friends who came with me for an ice cream
to cheer me up, to bring back the strong me, to bring back the positive me
even in this clouds of darkness
I see the little rainbow

let me smile
let laugh
let me be strong
and positive

I love to live in my dreams
in my dreams of happiness, in my dreams of success
that will prove me strong
to this fake world

What google taught me on being emotionally independent

You are at the whim of no one! Every emotion you want to feel, you can. Every emotion you don’t want to feel, you don’t have to. Happiness is just a decision away.

Decide for yourself.

When you have decided for yourself, work up to speaking out about it.You may also bring up a good point that no one else considered.

Say “no.

The next time you have an opportunity to do something that you just don’t feel like doing, say no.  It’s totally fine if you don’t live up to others’ expectations because it doesn’t bother you.

Learn to fix your own problems

When you’re successful, this can show you that you have the power to make everything better, not other people.

Expect little from others.

There’s a line from a James Bond theme that says, “Arm yourself because no one else will save you.”

Do your own thing.

When you find who you are and stick to it, no one can stop that inner sense of happiness that’ll prevail as a result.

Remembering Pappa

Remembering Pappa

It has been long that I wish to post about Pappa my dad. It’s a story of a life.
He is my motivation and my strength, one and only one. When dad was promoted to glory, we were down and one of the few words that inspired us is “Babuji, Is”. It was one of our priest who told the same and it gave us the assurance and comfort of dad’s presence. Beautiful smile that he carried and the pat on my shoulder in times of distress was always an inspiration to go ahead.

Here I note down a few memories.

The day I learned “No matter who you work for, it’s your output and make it the best”. Dad was a civil engineer and we grew up seeing his plans and estimates. He was making a wall design. I could see him paying attention to the minute things. Out of curiosity I asked him “Why you put so much effort to make this one. And you are doing voluntary work for someone who is not very important. “Child in me was still reluctant to accept people beyond social barriers.
Then he corrected me “No matter who you work for, it’s your work and make it the best”

“My father didn’t tell me how to live, he lived and let me watch him do it” – Clarence Budington Kelland. Papa was exactly what Clarence says.

Let me note down another memoir. It was when I went for my first on the job training. I was doing my bachelors in microbiology and had a one-month training at Central Institute of Fisheries Technology Cochin. And I was about to explore a new place. He drew a beautiful map of Cochin with all the important landmarks – bus-stop, railway station, my training institute, my hostel and everything that is important. And on the backside of the paper he wrote his mobile number and office landline. He didn’t restrict me from roaming with my friends. He told me “Just call me before you roam around and mention where you will be”. Since I wished to have a different career he gave me the freedom to drop the course and join engineering. It’s another story.

“Education and Career is a gift from Lord”. That’s what Pappa taught me. Dad was against all the private sector education in India. So we studied in government schools and government aided schools. When I was a small child people used to ask me “Are you studying in that so called big private school.” Then I had to correct them “No, I’m studying in the government aided school”. Child in me used to get embarrassed. Once Pappa happened to see this conversation. Later on when the guest had left our house he patted me on my shoulder and told” Do you know where I studied. You might have seen that small government primary school on the road side. It’s a government school and that’s where I started my education. Later on Lord gave me the privilege to study in College of Engineering Trivandrum and then All India Institute of Engineering Calcutta. It’s not my merit, its Lords blessing”. It does matter whether you study in a government aided school or a so called big private school. You work hard, study well and be truthful, Lord will bless you”.

 

 

 

 

 

Georgia Travel Diary

Starting from Tbilisi airport on the way to Gudauri, the first spot was Zhinvali Dam a hydroelectric dam on the Aragvi River.Then Ananuri church a 17th century architecture. We were so early and the church was closed. Our guide told that all churches will be open by 8:30 only. Since sacraments has to be taken care odd hours it will be closed.

Its a breathtaking church on the bank of reservoir

We checked into Tsar Bani Spa Resort Gudauri, our homely Georgian stay.And now on the way to Mt Kazbek .We had a beautiful Georgian breakfast starting with a rice porridge. We could see herds of sheep. It was a nice drive where you can feel the cloud and smell the sheep . And here comes the tunnels that are used in winter when the roads are covered with snow.Now we are at 2400 m above sea level.

14th century Gergeti Trinity Church

We had an awesome ride to Kazbegi with Mr Gocha in a Russian car latanova . George took us from Gudauri to Stepantsminda. From Stepantsminda it was Gocha who took us. Now we are back to Gudauri with George. On the way back here comes another tunnel.And we were back to Tsar Bani spa resort.

An amazing Georgian experience.

We just went out for a walk down the hill. We had to pass two to three hairpins to reach out restaurant Gia where we had khachapuri, khinkali, sheep barbecue and Georgian drinks. Then we were back to our room and had a sound sleep. Got up at 700 pm and the sun was there shining so bright. The sunset was by 8:30 pm. We had dinner and went to sleep. Morning we got up at 7:00 had the Turkish coffee.Went for a walk and then had the Russian steam bath and aromatherapy. The eucalyptus steam filled our spirits and we were relaxed and refreshed.We had the homely breakfast and checked out for another journey. George is here to collect us. On the way we stopped to buy Georgian wild honey and blackberry honey.

Georgia Travel Akhaltsikhe

Now on the way to Akhaltsikhe Rabati Castle. We stopped at Pori restaurant and had sheep soup , cow barbeque , kebab and bread with tomato soup.We started from Russian border and now at 20 km to border of Turkey. From the petrol station we could see the shining golden dome of Rabati Castle .After visiting Rabati castle now on the way back to Tbilisi. Rabati castle is of 12 th Century and renovated in 2012. It tells the history of all abrahamic religions. A mosque, synagogue and church can be seen. There is also museum that displays artifacts that was unearthed by British petroleum during their exploration.

On the way from Akhaltsikhe to Tbilisi visited Green Monastery, a monastery in the midst of trees, plants and streams.Sparkling water from the green hills filled the silence of Green Monastery.

“I love Kakheti.Now we are at telavi main city of Kakheti .”

Visited Prince Alexander museum and wine estate. Prince Alexander started first winery in Georgia . The museum has his room which displays his belongings,200 year old piano, a dining room with Russian and French vessels ,chandeliers with candles and much more to add to its beauty.Georgian and European style wine tasting as well.In the wine estate there is a wish tree where people put a ribbon to fulfill their wishes.

On the way to ilia lake we stopped to take a snap of Gremi monastery 16th centaury architecture.We had a lovely lunch at kudigori restaurant .Tolma(vine leaf filled with meat),roasted chicken,Georgian bread made of corn flour and green salad.

Now on the way to St Nino(Georgian evangelist of 4th century) monastery at Bodbe located 2 km from the city of love Sighnaghi. Monastery is nested among tall cypress trees and has an amazing view of Alazani valley.

Mtskheta and Tbilisi City Tour

Tunic(Seamless robe of Jesus) of our Lord lies in Mtskheta. Its a belief that passed from generation to generation. According to the Gospel of John, the soldiers who crucified Jesus did not divide his tunic after crucifying him, but cast lots to determine who would keep it because it was woven in one piece, without seam.The original church was built in 4th century A.D. during the reign of Mirian III. St. Nino is said to have chosen the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers as the place of the first Georgian Church.

According to Georgian hagiography, in the 1st century AD a Georgian Jew from Mtskheta named Elias was in Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified. Elias bought Jesus’ robe from a Roman soldier at Golgotha and brought it back to Georgia. Returning to his native city, he was met by his sister Sidonia who upon touching the robe immediately died from the emotions engendered by the sacred object. The robe could not be removed from her grasp, so she was buried with it.The place where Sidonia is buried with Christ’s robe is preserved in the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.

On the way to Svetitskhoveli Cathedral there are lot small shops where you can get Churchkhela-Georgian traditional candy, threaded walnut dipped in grape sauce, blackberries and raspberries.Then we had our lunch and went for some souvenir shopping.Mtatsminda Amusement Park was another attraction where we had a giant wheel experience, some selfies in the wax museum and a cable car ride down the hill. Hospitality of Georgians is something that I should not miss to mention. We came down the hill via Funicular train and was waiting for our guide. We were standing idle for few minutes and the locals were so good and asked us do you need any help. Our cellphone  had no network and they were generous to give their mobile to make any calls.

And now back to our own Qatar a home away from home.

 

 

Easter Gift

It was an Easter gift from my awesome manager.

A fresh rose plant. Easter is celebration of resurrection and the gift was so refreshing and meaningful. The freshness of the plant reflected life and energy. I was so happy to keep it in my office bay window. Easter is always a promise of eternal life.

And here I share the definition I read for eternal life.

John 3:16  New International Version
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Jesus defined eternal life for us in John 17:3. That verse says,
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

Eternal life is knowing God. The key lies in understanding what the Bible means by this word “know. “It can be seen in hundreds of Bible scriptures, like, “Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain” (Gen. 4:1). Adam didn’t just know Eve intellectually. He had an intimate, personal experience with her.
When Jesus said eternal life was knowing God, He was speaking of having an intimate, close, personal relationship with God.

I will also share the most beautiful message I ever heard about Christmas.

Angel said “Joy to the world”. That is Christmas

Joy is something entirely different from happiness.Happiness is an emotion; joy is an attitude of the heart.When we reciprocate love, happiness and peace it becomes joy.
Dictionary says reciprocate – to give or feel in return
Luke 2 New King James Version (NKJV)
Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

This was the Christmas devotion by Father Tom. Back in 2002, he was the principal of St. Berchmans College in Changanassery,Kerala, India.