Family footsteps-Susila

Susila was born in Melbourne and she was a youth worker. Her father was an Indian and her mother was English but, she had never been to India and her father didn't talk about his Indian heritage.She felt that she was herself just a typical Aussie kid. The ABC channel offered Susila to travel to India and find about Indian here.
Suila left Australia after she had had dinner with her parents and sisters. They discusses about Indian culture and what wouldto expect in the country. They enjoyed the dinner and had a good time.
When Susila arrived in India, she caught in a taxi and she was shocked that the place was crowded,bad stench and dirtiness. Many cows, sheep and roads chocking with traffic. Susila met her mentor at the home of Nandita who lives in a small apartment. She was an astrologer. Nanita gave Susila in a traditional way and showed their place-Susila's own room. Susila felt that place had her was same images of India as she had seen on television. The streets were so crowed and grimy,but she found that people were living ln such a terrible state os affairs.
Susila had an opportunity to learn India's traditional music with Nandita's friend Laillia. She taught Susila the traditional Hindu singing. They attended a traditional pre- wedding celebration. Susila was singing at the wedding. In India,people still follow the arranged marriage norm. The Groom and the bride were first time met briefly was in wedding celebration.
At the end of day, Susila was missing her family, she was counting the days of she could go home. Nandita wished traditional farewell and blessing before she left.
Susila enjoyed this trip. She knew that she couldn't turn her back on Indian, but she could do something for children or schools in India. She loves her family and her nation-India. Susila felt proud to be an Indian woman and she was one of them after this trip.

Ramadan

Ramadan, the Month of Fasting
Ramadan is a special month of the year for over one billion Muslims throughout the world. It is a time for inner reflection, devotion to God, and self-control. Muslims think of it as a kind of tune-up for their spiritual lives. There are as many meanings of Ramadan as there are Muslims.
The third "pillar" or religious obligation of Islam, fasting has many special benefits. Among these, the most important is that it is a means of learning self-control. Due to the lack of preoccupation with the satisfaction of bodily appetites during the daylight hours of fasting, a measure of ascendancy is given to one's spiritual nature, which becomes a means of coming closer to God. Ramadan is also a time of intensive worship, reading of the Qur'an, giving charity, purifying one's behavior, and doing good deeds.
As a secondary goal, fasting is a way of experiencing hunger and developing sympathy for the less fortunate, and learning to thankfulness and appreciation for all of God's bounties. Fasting is also beneficial to the health and provides a break in the cycle of rigid habits or overindulgence.
While voluntary fasting is recommended for Muslims, during Ramadan fasting becomes obligatory. Sick people, travelers, and women in certain conditions are exempted from the fast but must make it up as they are able. Perhaps fasting in Ramadan is the most widely practiced of all the Muslim forms of worship.
The Sighting of the Moon
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The much-anticipated start of the month is based on a combination of physical sightings of the moon and astronomical calculations. The practice varies from place to place, some places relying heavily on sighting reports and others totally on calculations. In the United States, most communities follow the decision of the Islamic Society of North America, which accepts bonafide sightings of the new moon anywhere in the United States as the start of the new month. The end of the month, marked by the celebration of 'Eid-ul-Fitr, is similarly determined
Since Ramadan is a special time, Muslims in many parts of the world prepare certain favorite foods during this month.