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May 2006
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Thursday, May 4th

HISTORY OF THE SEHMI FAMILY OF TAJPUR VILLAGE, LUDHIANA, PUNJAB


The British conquered the Punjab in 1848. According to the 1881 census, of the 1.7 million Sikhs, the agriculturalists (farmers and peasants) formed the largest group - 66%.The artisans (carpenters, masons, blacksmiths, barbers and tailors) formed an unusually larger second group - 10.1%. In the post-independent India, the artisan group was a major factor in the rapid industrialisation of the manily agricultural Punjab.

Apparently, the sehmi "clan" was well spread over the Punjab. This became evident in East Africa where a large atrisan Sikh community came to work on the construction of the railways, in the first third of the last century. In the 1950's there was a sufficiently large number of Sehmi families, especially from northern and central Punjab (Majha and Doaba), in Nairobi Kenya, that they have constituted a clannish "Sehmi" Union. This union has survived to the present day, in fact the union has continued to function in the UK.More on roots, I was recently invited to join the Sehmi Brotherhood. About the "SEHMI UNION", Rajinder Sehmi has sent today (04.05.2006) the following information:


[Karma: 8 (+/-)] naginder on 05.04.06 @ 04:09 AM CET [more]


Tuesday, May 2nd

LE SENTIER DES VISIONS CÉLESTES par Naginder SEHMI


LE SENTIER DES VISIONS CÉLESTES (Ce journal de voyage à apparu dans le Bulletin, No. 3 d'AMICALE DES ANCIENS DE L’OMM, novembre 2005)

Tous ceux qui sont entrés au Valais en venant du Léman ont été impressionnés par le promontoire rocheux qui se dresse sur la gauche, à l’endroit nommé ‘coude du Rhône’. C’est l’entrée dans le Valais central. C’est aussi une réserve naturelle: Les Follatères, une région protégée dont les sentiers sont balisés par une trentaine de panneaux. Au bénéfice d’un climat déjà méditerranéen, ses merveilles consistent en plus de 200 espèces végétales du sud et de l’orient, ainsi que d’insectes, d‘oiseaux et de reptiles rares. On y trouve les premières fleurs en février déjà, et elles sont à leur apogée à la fin du printemps, au chant des rossignols.


[Karma: 3 (+/-)] naginder on 05.02.06 @ 10:21 AM CET [more]


THE PATH OF CELESTIAL VISIONS by Naginder SEHMI


THE PATH OF CELESTIAL VISIONS (This travel log was published in Bulletin N0. 3 of the
Association of Former WMO Staff - AMICALE, November 2005)

The steep rocky promontory on the left where the Rhone River makes an elbow bend has impressed whoever has entered Valais from Lake Leman side. It marks the entrance to central Valais. It is also the site of a nature reserve: Les Follatères, a protected area with 30 signposts marking out trails crisscrossing it. Benefiting from a modified Mediterranean climate, its wonders consist of over 200 species of southern and oriental vegetation, rare insects, birds and reptiles. Flowers start coming into bloom in February, and reach their climax at the end of spring, to the song of nightingales inter alia.
That was the season that an Amicale group took off early in the morning of Friday 3 June 2005.

[Karma: 1 (+/-)] naginder on 05.02.06 @ 10:10 AM CET [more]


CALIFORNIANS IN GENEVA


GENEVA-CALIFORNIA CONNECTION IN 2005

Two landmark events dragged, I mean airlifted, our Californian branch of the family to Geneva, a globally famous haven of peace and security, centre of the civilized world. According to educated well-informed European press, a reign of insecurity seems to prevail in the bushy California governed by a super muscleman. Is it a nostalgic return to old uncivilized cowboy times?

Upi, Marcin, Maya, Jes, and Maneka first shared with us the celebration of Amita's marriage in July 2004. It would not have been the same without them. Jes helped transport carpets to the marriage hall in France and laying them out while Maneka decorated her palms with henna and Maya amused everyone with her adorable prattle.

[Karma: -2 (+/-)] naginder on 05.02.06 @ 09:44 AM CET [more]


LONDON: REVISITED


(Initially indended as a letter of thanks to friends I had met in London it became my first attempt at writing a travel log. My ten-day stay is described in four parts)

LONDON REVISITED- Part 1: EX-KENYA FRIENDS

You will recall Friday 3 September when I flew from Geneva to London (Luton) by Easy Jet. There were hostesses for ease of passengers. The pilot eased around Luton for twenty minutes and could not see the runway; nor could Davinder who so kindly came to receive me. The plane had an automatic pilot and could have tried to land without the pilot. The kindly pilot did not take the risk. He knew that besides himself there was at least one important person in the plane! So he tried Swindon and finally landed at Birmingham, refueled, took off again and reached Luton at about 10.30 about three hours late. On the ground Davinder's car could not see its way through fog and found its parking place at the airport with great difficulty. Since then he has been talking of installing an automatic driver: "write the address on a piece of a paper, put it on the dash board and the car will find its way to the destination", although to go from Wembley to Earl's Court the car might drive via Glasgow.

[Karma: -8 (+/-)] naginder on 05.02.06 @ 07:30 AM CET [more]


Sunday, April 23rd

Greetings from California - Return to Santa Rosa


I’ve already been in California for more then two weeks. It is Sunday 9 April. As forecast we (Upi, Marcin, Maneka, Maya and I) reached home in Santa Rosa almost exactly at 6 pm having driven in a relaxed manner from Yosemite National Park. We had gone there to enjoy the beauty of nature and to ski at Badger Pass Ski Area. Warm spring had already started to melt the snow, ski lifts had stopped and not a single skier was to be seen. What an unsolicited appropriate timing of our visit! That left the roads with a rather light traffic and scanty visitors allowing us to stop at every picturesque sight and absorb the beauty at our leisure. The spring melt has swollen the numerous water falls which thunder down from hanging valleys thousands of feet high. The Yosemite Fall, the world’s fifth highest, tumbles 740m. In a few months these falls will shrink to a trickle. If I were to describe the pine forests, the giant Sequoia groves, noisy cascades, glittering lakes and walking the trails it would become a copy of the Yosemite publicity brochure. So another time - insha Allah.

[Karma: -5 (+/-)] naginder on 04.23.06 @ 07:05 PM CET [more]