Hi Crystal,
Thank you.
Always treasured your opinion, haha.


Agreed. for some of us (me) entire childhood was play. So when Tom posted, started recalling those moments with parents - although intense, were far and few

You know how life in Asia is. 6-day-weeks / rush time / hot & humid climate. Lately, increasing job insecurity, inflation, oil or no oil, annual inflation varies from 8% to 12% - every year.

Result: Fathers hardly see their children. Parent's dependency on grandparents & schools keeps increasing. Here, in high schools, its 'study for tests'.

So when teacher says:


To me it suggests / confirms taking a small break from the routine and considering options where entertainment + educational = memorable shared moments. Just exploring this theme and leaving it to parents. TY. I needed to talk this through for myself.
--xx

Thanks to all,
This thread's been a series of 'wow' moments

What worried me was the timings:

Sunrise this month around 5:15
Less travel time: 30 mins
Less prep time: 30 mins
Kids would be in a fuzzy state waking at 4:15 am


Update: Sunrise in Jan 6:30 am - makes it feasible.

https://sunrise-sunset.org/calendar

Thanks Bonnie - for the push.

Haha. In fact, fathers here still do think on those lines, rewarding good work

Mothers, 'punishing bad behavior'

A generation in India survived between these two policies.

Hi Bonny,
Children aged 7 and 8 - Class 1 & 2
As i said, if getting them out of bed is a project
may be the biological cycle is dominant and their control over their bodies relatively less. Don't recall waking up my daughter around 4 or 4:30 am - so I don't know.

Age 10 onwards - they seem to be in charge.

I would welcome your opinion though. If it is in favor of 7 or 8-year-olds - its valuable info.
Thanks

Am I glad I asked!

My mother seems to have an older view. I called her up just before your post. She's 85 and was saying, it's difficult to wake up kids to see sunrises. They are forced to get off the bed at 6 because of school. Weekends are theirs. (Small town life)

'Till they are 9 or 10, it's all kiddy stuff - At 10, bits of adult thinking begin to settle in their minds.' - Made sense, by 10 they have completed primary school.

Clearly children living in cities are at a great disadvantage.

Or settle for showing the sunrise on the smart phone

As you may know, I'm trying to develop a guidebook for Indian parents. No, not asking them to turn their kids to Spelling B or math prodigies or anything like that. To me, it's stealing away their childhood under pretext of false glory.

Something more like enjoying the outdoors - city kids here have almost nil playing grounds; gifting toys appropriate for their age, and not toys that fathers like, etc.

So I hit upon a sunrise moment. Here's the draft:



There's something fundamentally wrong in this narrative. Like kids need to go to the potty.

This means parents have to deny themselves an early morning excursions on weekends till kids grow older. What a shame.

Question is, how may kids be trained? Like skip dinner the night before or a 'trial run', like a quick drive towards the beach and back?

Any suggestions - to make family adventures practicable? Thanks in advance.

There's an article posted on the names of Republicans soft on Russia.

https://www.thebulwark.com/whos-soft-on-russia-meet-the-republican-anti-ukraine-caucus/

In that it lists 15 Republicans who also voted no to suspend oil and gas from Russia

Further, a list of: 10 Republicans



My point is, even with Democrats and MSM clamor for maximum military aid to support Ukraine, there are voices of dissent within the Congress. Although a weak minority, and their Dissent may haunt their political careers, fact remains they are exercising fundamental rights.

Therefore, in the overall schemes of foreign policies, if India is exercising it's sovereign right to dissent over NATO's world view - it could be that it's keeps doors open for negotiations.

I would like to end on a positive note with - PM Modi does not think the war will spill outside of Ukraine - but now there's some signals that China may (or may not) walk into Taiwan.

The Filipinos think so because they have recently voted in Marcos Jr. whose father was a long time ally of the US.

If China does get into a Taiwan adventure then it becomes a game changer. Japan and Australia will get involved and India dragged in. Personally, I think China is wise and prefers to keep their silicon valley free and open to western market.

Sounds like a textbook argument since I'm given to understand all Ukrainians speak Russian.


Further, Zelensky is no longer in Kyiv. Maybe because of bounty.

Putin is eager to end it but now the point is reached where we see the tail wagging the dog.

From misery to more misery.

On second thoughts may not be so,



Explain this.


Or this.



This?

Your profile description makes an excellent read.

I suggest you retain the following



And drop the lines before and after - those wrapper lines do a dis-service to potential mates.

Having been on and off in this site, chances are, the right girl will find you; provided you don't go temporarily blind as I was.



To this I would add,
you may come across fake profiles - nothing to worry - these are the honest fakes

Then you may come across f.h. They think they are honest and you are fake. One wastes a lot of time

Then you may come across .., hey wait a minute
I should be paid for this.

Greece has announced that they are not sending 'anymore' arms to Ukraine. (Reasons may not be political as we know Greece economy is probably still recovering from the crisis in 2015)

PM Modi returned from his European tour with a few successful trade agreements with Finland and Germany.

With Germany, it was on €10 billion investment spread over next 8 years to boost the use of clean energy. This was in line with resolutions by US & Europe (or, in UN ?) to 'go green' ASAP.

While Chancellor Scholz sought to change India's stand from neutrality to that with Europe and United States stand toward Russia, Modi reiterated that "We believe that no party can emerge victorious in this war” - and that negotiations between Ukraine and Russia was the way.



If I was a Ukrainian living in western Ukraine, I would've said the same thing. Seems regions in Eastern Ukraine, Donbass; is pro-Russian. Update is, Donbass region was gifted by Russia during Ukraine's independence from Soviet Union. It was never part of 'old Ukraine'.

Whatever, we both agree that one man can end this war tomorrow. What we don't agree on is 'who that man is'.

Bhel-puri chaat, or what?

Welcome Hari.

Chancellor Olaf Scholtz speaking to a May Day rally said that he respected all pacifists but with a looming food crisis staring at Africa he is constrained to send arms to Ukraine worth 84 billion pounds

In other words, sending

100 billion euros or,

105 billion dollars

worth of military equipment to Ukraine

(which he says will be replaced by US soon)

so that Africans will receive Ukrainian wheat.

(There's some truth, but not the whole truth)

Mexico has declared 'neutrality'
And gone a step further,
'Will not apply sanctions on any country'

Fertilizer price hike in India up by 12%
Government subsidy expected shortly.

Factors:

Potash - Ukraine - large exporter - halted exports

Phosphates: From Russia - sanctions

LNG: in short supply
The methane in LNG is 'burnt' in Nitrogen rich atmosphere to produce ammonia which in turn is a contributor to nitrogen rich fertilizer. (process to be confirmed)

Pope Francis, "NATO started the war in Ukraine by barking at Russia’s door."

Nigeria has a 60 second math competition for young teens.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mUaLNhydCg

Incredible speed, worth watching
First 5 seconds is enough - rest is video repeat


2019: Aliyu Belo Ali - 60 seconds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vNOuPRXhc0



2018: Foluhan - 60 seconds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiE0LvqGK1U



2017: Oreofe - 60 seconds (girl)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8nmhi0cQHc

69th day of war:

Steel workers and other civilians caught up within a steel plant in Mariupol have been evacuated.

Subsequently, (yesterday's) videos show missiles striking the coal yard and coal crushing and transfer houses within the plant and blowing them up.

The steel plant was the last Ukrainian resistance point in Mariupol, a city that had sunk a Russian cargo ship Moskva while at harbor. CNN says this was a warship.

There's no news about the soldiers who were holed up inside the steel plant. Suspected, a few 'foreign fighters' among them. May have preferred death to surrender to the 'barbarians'.

Politicians don't fight wars.
We do.
War twists the soul out of you.