THE BEAUTY OF LIFE

I was recently on a short trip to Kannur, a place I most wanted to visit, whenever I visit Mangalore and was a much a do, of the bloodshed and the anxiety the country portrays to values and its people. In my recent expedition I was invited to participate in the State Peace Convention, organized by the local community and in honor to felicitate the son of the soil Mr Rajagopalachari, founder of Ektha Parishad and Gandhian, in a much a do of the conversation, I was happy that I met him and was much elated to understand what it takes to speak to him of life he had been, in districts of Chambal and the million march to freedom. The event was a one day mixed with panelists and thought provoking sessions and was much delighted to be part of a great bunch, the evening had come and I returned back to the place I was given to rest for the night and was already quite tired and was back, to plan for the next day, tomorrow is a Sunday and I have my train to catch at 15: 40 back to Chennai, in the evening was in a quiet conversation with my fellow co partner carlos, who is presently in Scotland, and who assisted me in the local travel. I decided since I have only half a day left, matter of just few hours, let me visit St. Angelo Fort, Arakkal Museum, and the Holy Trinity Church, since it was a Sunday and I am a catholic J so had took a walk over to eat biriyani and beef and to my surprise, It was much cheaper than Chennai, delighted to have, feasted on the dish and I was back to my room to rest for the night.

The Sunday began by around 0830 am, when I was ready and I went nearby to have tea and some chota wala snacks, and was much happy by the warm welcome, the cheta (elderbrother) owner of the shop who gave a cup chai (hot tea) in cup and saucer for just 10 rupees. J , the day began with a auto ride to St Angelo Fort, which was something special , I can cherish to keep in life.

Some Precepts of History

(Courtesy Wiki)

St. Angelo's Fort was built in 1505 by Dom Francisco de Almeida, the first Portuguese Viceroy of India on the Arabian sea coast about 2 km from Kannur town. It was attacked in vain by the local Indian ruler Zamorin and kolathiri in the Siege of Cannanore (1507).

The fort is in the Cannanore Cantonment area. It is fairly well preserved as a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India. St Angelo's fort is a most important historical monument and a popular tourist attraction. Six Tourism Policeman are posted here for protection duty.

In 2015, thousands of cannonballs weighing several kilos were discovered from the Fort premises. The Archaeological Survey of India, which led the excavation, believes these were buried as part of military preparedness.

There is an on-line 2010 PhD thesis on Fort St. Angelo (with a comparison to Bekal Fortress), with numerous photographs and the author has worked on the fortress as an archaeologist.

The Arrakkal Museum is a museum dedicated to the Arakkal family, the only Muslim royal family in Kerala, India. The museum is actually a section of the Arakkalkettu (Arakkal Royal Palace). The durbar hall section of the palace has been converted into a museum by the Government of Kerala. It was opened in July 2005 after a Rs. 9,000,000 renovation.

Although renovated by the government, the Arakkalkettu is still owned by the Arakkal Royal Trust and does not fall under the control of the country's archaeology department, the Archaeological Survey of India. The government had taken a keen interest in preserving the heritage of the Arakkal Family, which had played a prominent role in the history of Malabar. A nominal entry fee is charged by the Arakkal Royal Trust from visitors to the museum.

                It was a delight to land up there, since it was a fortress, that you can sit back and spend the entire day over there, it also gave me an wonder, how beautiful life is, and why is that we are doing so much bad to the society we live in quoting deforestation, why not leave earth to leave life as it is.

And took a stroll about 2 kms from there on to Arakkal Museum, the famous dynasty which is still history, possibly even life was made to realize, this dynasty was at its very best and owned majority of them.

Since it was Sunday I decided to take a visit to the Holy Trinity Cathedral Church, which is still #InnerPeace and the me time to cherish.

It was a stunning experience, as it was a solo expedition after quite a long time and a much needed break before the new year2019!

And took back an auto back to the station to catch my train back to Chennai and was happy to relish some fond memories to be back to home.

Cheers

Joseph Kamal Francis

#wiki #metime #insta #kannur #angelofort #solo #tripforlife #decembertoremeber #walktoremeber #memories #discovery #beautyoflife #understandingme #society #sociallife #history #arakkaldynasty #facts #bio #whenwalkingwasagift #gift #understandinglife #differentpeople, 

INSPIRING LEADERS TO CHANGE

Long time back, when was Invited to address Young Leaders on Change and for a better tomorrow, organized by Universal Solidarity Movement and Rotary Club of Indore

On a cold day of Indore of December , a Year Back

#Indore #USM #leaders #values #change #understandingmyself #honestyawards

Joseph Kamal Francis

For someone who has never seen Rome, it is hard to believe how beautiful life can be

And it was the same to me, who stood life as an experience of cherishing every minute, It was a gifted opportunity, when I was selected along with few other participants to participate in the IYCS Global Training Session on “Educating Today and Tomorrow, Students Building a Safe Learning Environment” from 10th to 20th September 2018.

                We are actually a group of so many who got selected but we had to face lot of confusions and issues with our Visa Process on our Travel and finally we were only 4 representing India to attend, as you know it’s quite obvious we are in India, and the rest I don’t have to explain.

                We made all much to sacrifice and finally landed to Rome on a day after the start of the Program, better late than never, 11^th September landed in Rome, a dream finally come true, personally, many said, Europe quite an expensive, even the time I started, everything was expensive, and I had just 1000 rupees which is 10 Euros on the day I landed in Rome, but matters is the experience of seeing what western is! Mattered most.

                It was beautiful moment when landing up finally to get introduced to all other friends who had been travelling like me to participate in this session! So much so one Argentinean all the way travelled 4 countries to visit Rome, was a little awe struck in wonder! For me! As an Indian I was hearing al stories of travel like that, but for the 1^st time, experiencing it in real.

                We had a strong foothold for over 8 beautiful days, was like “stopping by the woods on a snowy evening” by Robert frost, so I would request I am consolidating all that happened under various headings! Join me along in this beautiful journey for a fortnight of heaven in real life.

Sessions:

1.       Global Reality of Education

Where it was the matter of serious importance, as we head to understand what is happening, on the Global Context of Education happening in Countries from the Testimonies and Presentations from Various Participants, which made us understand, the key research of drawbacks, the country is facing on education in General, many emphasis are being made but at some point of time, there is the art of making things in a standstill by many in the top management which makes the country still poor, poorer than what we think it is. As India is a country of diversity, we have so many indifferences, but still we can be sure we are making a progress which is not seen in real life, but it is.

2.       Global Citizenship Education and Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainable Development Goals, a concept which I was quite amazed of, though I knew it bits and pieces, was quite satisfied is was able to get a clearer picture, we have 17 SD Goals and the prime focus of understanding was on the 4^th Quality Education. Understanding on Global Citizenship Education made me think that to really understand something is to be liberated from it. When learning and teaching continually improves, Education in Global Level is never an accident it is always the result of an intelligent effort. To see is to be with relation with people, working is when you are an active part, was the art which was imbibed on the workshop on SDG’s and the importance to understand the impact of the same, in different contexts of countries.

3.       Education as Human Right and Human Rights Education

This made me understand these aspects.

                                                               i.      Church needs to come to the People to Understand

                                                             ii.      Understanding the Role of Pope Benedictus who emphasized

1.       Solidarity education as a art of life

2.       Lack of solidarity for today world

                                                            iii.      Church admits the flavor of education as the human right but still needs to look into the teachers who hold the key.

4.       Education at the Service of Humanity

This made me understand these aspects.

1.       World is where you are and not somewhere else.

2.       Value of service matters today but still a dream to come out to life

3.       Practical knowledge is still a dream to many

4.       Evangelization system is the need of the hour

5.       Place based education- A trend that needs to be thought in India.

6.       Economy to serve for the common good

7.       We should change the world when they are powerful

8.       Peace is a gift of god but work of humans

9.       Education cannot be reduced to moral principles

5.       Youth Engagement and Advocacy

Understanding the 3 pillars of participation

1.       Wanting to?

2.       Being able to?

3.       Do it knowing how?

6.       Theological Reflections on Young People in Church Today and the 2018 Youth Synod

Was the session that I was more curious to participate, coz, Synod and the buzz around it that’s been happening over a period of time. Understanding more on the necessity and the importance of the intervention of Youth was a priority, and was much happy the Catholic Church is finally addressing!

7.       Personal Reflection

We also had to witness the words from which made us reflect on the key aspects of education in the biblical aspects, and on the messengers of education for the common good.

Others:

1.       Visit to the Parliament- was something special and also the participants we given an opportunity to observe a session in the Parliament which was a dream come true, coz Rome is History and I finally was convinced after seeing the parliament that it was not built in a day.

2.       Papal Audience- Where the golden moment of seeing our beloved Holy Father, was given to all our participants, which was a favorite moment that will go down in History until I lead in the Earth.

3.       Culture & Friends- It was a awe in wonder because of the difference the culture this training program has brought out, an extraordinary chance to meet friends And culture from 18 different countries was something special and the flavor it adds to myself, is not but “ Knowing Thyself”

Conclusion

It has been one life time journey that has made me to realize that life is a journey, and you got to cherish every minute, the value counts. We may have ups and downs and several struggles, but fall down 7 times get up 8. This world is still a dream to many, to realize, and we are born in this unjust society, and it is we who need to take up this cleaning system, for the good of many!

I am grateful to all who have supported me in this never ending journey and this is not the end but the beginning of a dream of a just society.

Joseph Kamal Francis
#rome #seejudgeact #catholicchurch #human #values #metime #culture

WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A BETTER “ME”

In life we have always been fascinated, by the personalities we meet and personalities we hear and come across, and yet thousands to people come and go, we still believe that we still have a long way to understand what it takes to be a better “ME”.

To start off with, I have always been a silent guy who probably tries to listen more than to speak it out, but at few instances, try not to be like that, because I am also a human, and emotions play a big deal.

Looking behind life, I try to figure out looking at the various instances, we have had the opportunity to showcase, what it takes to understand values and that’s when you try to realize the better of you.

In life, we may had many hardships and trials but it matters how we deal with it, dealing with students and a quite a lot of people, the art of being better, is not like you try to do it in one shot, but rather it gains with experience as age comes by.

It’s beautifully quoted, that as age progress, you got to leave behind that’s life, but certainly the one that you carry with you is nothing but the art of being a better person.

It was on a journey of understanding with it takes to be a better human, when on my first travel to Hyderabad, to partake in a training program for leadership for Young school students in the year 2012, when I went all the way to reconnect with a lost family connection, possibly many years back. It felt nice, because I could understand what it takes to reconnect with your lost loved ones after almost a decade, the emotions, of each individual family members, made me understand that life’s doesn’t require you to have price, possession, designation, what mattered most it the art of portraying what it means to be a better “me” and the start of being brave enough in the world to “Care”.

In this world of fast moving technology, do you have time to care? Have you ever asked anyone are you ok? Have you shown what it matters most than anything, Your valuable time for somebody who is in need?

At the end it doesn’t matter whether you are rich or poor? But what it takes you to be a better human person?

Small ways in which you can give back the ME TIME!

Try to meet as much as people and try to reconnect them, to stay connected and keep them going, we may not whether our friend is in some need! But always anyone will always look to keep up things to somebody whom they can trust! And it can be you.

Never regret, whoever it is, is always there even when they need, presence matters, than moral support.

Start a little extra to understand the emotions and feeling of the ones whom you meet, which will help you understand, life a little better.

Understand in this world, every small thing matters and the difference is left to you, to make it meaningful to a greater extent.

Joe

Joseph Kamal Francis

WHEN WRITING CHANGED ME!

Do you know what it takes to have a good handwriting? Sources say, you need to write as many pages as possible, and writing changes with times, and also with age!

Here’s what I wanted to tell you? When, in this modern world, fountain pens are replaced by modern ball point pens, where we don’t know what the value a fountain pen holds for one’s primitive formation in life.

In this world of rapidness and no me time connect, do you still write? Not about writing letters to your loved ones but also about writing what you want and feel like doing?

Do you ever believe that as times changed, do we also stop writing? Despite all odds, when they stopped Telegram, the oldest way of communication, I promised myself and took a vow that I wil,l till the end of my lifetime, wish people only by writing letters, and to be personal, I have sticked with it till today, coz it has helped me improve, a lot of things!

What made me feel when I wrote a letter?

We always had this idea, of amidst Whatsapp, and Facebook, and Instagram and blab la whatever communication we possess, who is going to read what I write? The very 1^st time when I sent a letter writing about all what has happened in the daily life for a fortnight , to my friend in Patna, life seemed quite different coz it lended me that perspective of understanding, what has progressed, also a reflection, on what has happened, and what do I need to change to be better?

The letter went through a common speed post, when the letter reached, my friend was so happy, why because, there is somebody she feels happy and it comes all the way from a quite far off place since I am in Chennai.

Writing helped me to be personal to myself and also you feel happy to read when somebody writes especially to you.

Why do you need to write?

1.       Writing helped me to have a more personal connect, coz you can express what your heart wishes to say, you don’t need an emoji, nor an acronym nor any modern syllable, but mere expression of what’s in yourself deep down.

2.       It creates a lot of buzz  coz you can be proud of to be a user to proudly say, I do atleast one thing which keeps my phone away. #personal time.

3.       You can stand different among others in owing a passionate hobby, which recent trend of Young Minds would’nt have ever been aware.

4.       Your friends or well wishers will get inspired coz they read about your life and whats happening and not what happening with the trend of Whatsapp status and facebook story.

5.       You feel happy that you also find ways to keep yourself stress- free coz writing makes you let out what you have and what you also expect.

6.       You also share your views in public and also to express in magazines and articles which can make you feel inspired and many will wait to hear from you.

7.       You also get another hobby of penning down beautiful poems and articles, which makes the reader to know something interesting

8.       You define who You are! Signature Hall mark of yourself when you write!

It took  me a year to understand ,what emotions feel like when you write letters and it also encouraged me to bring out my opinions through articles  for the common context for change, and also still I am trying to understand what it takes to do this hobby differently.

Overall, I am happy in the Recent trends to understand the era of bloggers and social media , #hashtag world, but still we find the writing of any form that matters is slowly dying, many are still unaware in themselves “ Actually Even I can write?” is a question in dilemma for many of our Youth.

History quotes so beautifully that To Make or Rewrite History, what mattered most is the smallest of writing that was done, that ignited spark, and that’s through which we see change. We may find many greats who made change, did nothing, but through their writing they made their voices speak.

In recent days, Issues on Recent Govt Issues, we may be uprooted, by a little but the many who brought a change, started with a small writing, on Newspaper, Journals, Magazines and Social Media.If they can why can’t we?  

We need to understand this epitome of rapid change and it’s time we do something more to change what’s happening in today’s context of fast change.

JosephKamalFrancis

Live for Nothing, but die for something