ABC Wednesday? Ok, I'll play!

So today is ABC Wednesday (well, I suppose EVERY Wednesday is ABC Wednesday...) and today's letter is "O."

Keeping with the spirit of this blog's intent to be "Random and Interesting" I think I shall not write about something near and dear to my heart, as my mother often (if not always) does, but rather something that appears a little more random. **Edit** That is what I was PLANNING on doing, but I ended up with something that actually DOES mean something to me. Read on, dear reader, and you shall see why...

O is for Om

Taken from Wikipedia.org:

[Om]¹ is a mystical or sacred syllable in the Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religions. It is placed at the beginning of most Hindu texts as a sacred exclamation to be uttered at the beginning and end of a reading of the Vedas or previously to any prayer or mantra and also is said in the beginning of any puja (religious ritual). The Mandukya Upanishad is entirely devoted to the explanation of the syllable.


The Devanagari symbol, one of the more recognisable Om symbols.

The Sanskrit name for the syllable is praṇava, from a root nu "to shout, sound, praise", verbal pra-nu- being attested as "to make a humming or droning sound" in the Brahmanas, and taking the specific meaning of "to utter the syllable om" in the Chandogya Upanishad and the Shrauta Sutras. More rarely used terms are akṣara or ekākṣara, and in later times omkāra becomes prevalent.

The syllable Om is first described as all-encompassing mystical entity in the Upanishads. Today, in all Hindu art and all over India and Nepal, "Om" can be seen virtually everywhere, a common sign for Hinduism and its philosophy and mythology.

In Jainism, Om is regarded to be a condensed form of reference to the five parameshthis, by their initials A+A+A+U+M (o3m). The Dravyasamgrah quotes a Prakrit line:

"Om" is one syllable made from the initials of the five parameshthis. It has been said: "Arihanta, Ashiri, Acharya, Upadhyaya, Muni" .

Buddhists place om at the beginning of their Vidya-Sadaksari or mystical formulary in six syllables (viz., om mani padme hum) As a seed syllable (bija mantra), it is also considered holy in Esoteric Buddhism.

With Buddhism's evolution and breaking away from Vedic/Hindu tradition, Om and other symbology/cosmology/philosophies are shared with the Hindu tradition.


Notes:
1 - Om is a variant of the spelling "Aum" or "Ohm"

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So why is this "Om" important to me? Well, last summer when I was in the hospital for the 2nd time for my illness (see side bar 'about me' section) I made good friends with another 'inmate' (as we laughingly named ourselves). She was quite into Buddhism, and I have always had a great affinity for Eastern culture and philosophy, especially that of Tibetan Buddhists. Her Buddhism was spawned when she was travelling through Nepal. She too holds Eastern ways in high regards, and often would meditate using the above referenced "Om mani padme hum" mantra.

I decided I would try it, not as a religious mindset, but more of a spiritual one, if that makes sense...there's a difference between spiritual and religious. Anyway, I found it was quite useful to concentrate my mind onto one thing when it would race, as it often did (and still does).

One day when she and I were taking a walk along the street a few blocks from the hospital (we were on a pass, not escapees!) we decided to hit the Nepalese and Tibetan gift store that is located inside one of the hotels there. The first thing I was drawn to was a dish full of bone bracelets. The bone was carved into squares, then inscribed with symbols. The one I was drawn to most was, I discovered, the one with the symbol for "Om" (as seen above) carved onto it.

Wearing that bracelet reminded me to slow down and take time to ground myself when my mind was racing. I don't wear it all that often any more, but it still holds a strong power for me. Just holding it makes me feel calmer.

"My Beautiful Mommy" (sorry mom, not about you this time)

"I think a book like this could have been useful if it had a less superficial emphasis. Instead, the cover image alone suggests that if you look better, your child is going to be happy." -Julie Deardorff

And, from Julie's blog entry "Apparently cosmetic surgery causes you to be surrounded by fairy dust and butterflies, and your kid will throw open her arms because she finally loves the new, not ugly, you," medical librarian Rachel Walden seethed on Women's Health News.

So what exactly are these two women talking about? They're steaming mad about the book "My Beautiful Mommy". It's a book designed to "help patients explain their transformation to their children" and to guide "children through Mommy's surgery and healing process in a friendly, nonthreatening way." (from Big Ten Books)

Surficially, the book would seem to be a help - some women have to go under the knife for non-cosmetic surgical procedures. It could be scary for a child to see their mother covered in bandages, bruised, swollen, in pain.

This book, however, gives the impression to youngsters that if they're not happy with their physical appearance, that if they don't conform to the cookie cutter standards put forth by the media, they can simply have themselves remade into the perfect image the world seems to desire. The book also insinuates that looking 'perfect' means BEING perfect, feeling happy, and becoming a better person all over.

I strongly urge all parents, all aunts and uncles, all god parents, all people who have any influence on children whatsoever, to teach them the TRUE meaning of happiness, the TRUE meaning of beauty, and to make sure that tomorrow's adults don't turn into mindless look-alike drones intent only on how they look, rather than who they are.

First Blog - Where I live, a Primer.

So I've started this blog to post random and interesting things (hence the title) that I stumble upon on my daily random web surfings. For this first entry, here's an article from Wikipedia.org about the town I currently live in, Ladner BC.

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Overview
Ladner was created as a fishing village on the banks of the Fraser River. It is now part of the Municipality of Delta, British Columbia, Canada, and a suburb of Vancouver.

Named for one of the founding families, it developed as a center for farming and fishing. The ferry at Captain's Cove allowed for access across the river to Richmond, British Columbia. The George Massey Tunnel provided a permanent connection in 1959.

Paired together with its suburban neighbour to the south, Tsawwassen, these two communities make up the unofficial region known as "South Delta".

Ladner had a population of 21,367 in the 2001 census.

History
Like many areas around the Fraser River on what is now Greater Vancouver the area on the south side of the south arm of the Fraser was named for the original Europeans to settle there. First called Ladner's Landing, the area was settled by Thomas Ellis Ladner(1837-1922) and William Henry Ladner(1826-1907). They had travelled from their home in Cornwall, UK to pursue the gold rush in California and later on the Fraser River. Settling on the area of the Fraser River Delta either side of the Chilukthan Slough in 1868, both turned to farming and fishing.

Location and Features
Ladner is bound to the west by the Strait of Georgia, the south by Tsawwasen, to the east by North Delta, and north by the Fraser River. Ladner is bisected by Highway 17, which runs north-south from Highway 99 to the BC Ferries terminal. The term East Ladner is often applied to the portion of the community east of the highway. The major east-west artery is called Ladner Trunk Road - which, if traveled far enough east, turns into Highway 10. West of Arthur Drive, a north-south road that connects it with Tsawwassen, it is simply called 47A Avenue.

River Road runs east from the north end of Highway 17 along the Fraser River into North Delta and Surrey. The area between Highway 17 and North Delta is referred to as Tilbury and is one of the major industrial centres of the Lower Mainland, with many large warehouses, industrial parks and factories.

Lying to the south of the delta of the Fraser River, there are numerous islands just off the mainland that are part of Ladner. Most are small and only reachable by boat, with exceptions like Westham Island, which hosts a large bird sanctuary and is dedicated to protecting and preserving the numerous bird species found in the area, especially bald eagles and various owl species. Westham Island is a fairly large island and a popular destination for its numerous organic farms, especially its berry farms.

A major feature of Ladner is the portion called Ladner Village, which is in the section of the town north of Ladner Trunk Road and west of Arthur Drive. This is a heritage community with wide, boulevarded sidewalks, open-air cafes and local shops. There are some heritage residences in this area, mostly built in the 1930s, but apartment complexes replaced many of them some decades back. The Delta Museum and Archives are in the centre of Ladner Village, along with a town clock that is amongst the oldest in the Lower Mainland.

On Ladner Trunk Road, east of Arthur Drive, two malls with supermarkets, major restaurants and other modern shops and services is found. The town is experiencing a boom of condominium development in this area, and the population is growing accordingly. Numerous parks are found throughout the community, especially along the canals which used to be used for transport through the area. No longer passable for boats, today they are still clean and fresh enough to allow fishing along their banks.

Ladner is home to two public swimming pools, one of which is an older outdoor facility located near the public library and community centre. A much larger pool is located on Harvest Drive next to the Municipal Hall in the Ladner Leisure Centre. This indoor pool features a large 25m main pool, a smaller leisure pool, a swirl pool, sauna, waterslide and rock climbing wall. Also located in this facility is a skating rink and a gymnasium partially funded by Vancouver's Junior Hockey Team, the Vancouver Giants.

Ladner is the location of the Delta Municipal Hall, police station, and the Delta Hospital. Public education is administered by School District 37 Delta. Schools include Delta Secondary School and K-7 elementary schools including Hawthorne, Delta Manor, Holly, Ladner, Port Guichon and Neilson Grove Elementary School. Independent K-7 schools Sacred Heart and Delta Christian also serve local students.

On March 1, 2006, Ladner made national headlines when an out-of-control house party resulted in hospitalization of the 13-year old host for alcohol poisoning and nearly CA$70,000 in damage.

Holidays and Attractions
Each spring Ladner hosts the Ladner Pioneer May Days (commonly referred to by residents simply as May Days), the longest-running festival in Delta, which is held on the weekend following the holiday commemorating Queen Victoria's birthday. It includes a parade, a carnival, and other local events. Every other Sunday during the summer months the major streets in the village are reserved for Ladner Village Market, a farmer's market featuring live music, food, entertainment, fresh local produce and homemade arts and crafts. Vendors from as far away as Kelowna and Vancouver Island, along with many local farmers and artisans, set up stalls selling hand-crafted and locally grown products. This market has become a major draw to the community, attracting a few thousand out-of-town visitors each market day.

In September 2008 Ladner and Delta will host Delta Rivermania, a celebration of the 200th anniversary of Simon Fraser's journey down the Fraser River. This will be a weekend long event September 26-28, 2008. It will include theatrical performances, a pancake breakfast, clam chowder cookoff, midnight market and street entertainment. This will be the final weekend of BC Rivermania celebrations, part of the BC 150.

Telecommunications
Delta is serviced by Ladner-based Delta Cable for TV and cable internet services, one of only a very few areas in Canada not serviced by Rogers Cable or Shaw Cable.

Telephone services are run primarily by Telus. The CO Code servicing Ladner for years was 946, but as the population expanded, new numbers - 940 in the early 1990s and 952 recently - were added.


Ladner On Film
The Ladner Village area is popular with film crews for its "Main Street USA" feel, quaint coastal fishing settings, and heritage church buildings. The general South Delta area also provides open landscapes of farmland, ocean beaches, forest and wetlands, all within a few kilometres of each other. These features make the area a popular location for movie productions such as the Air Bud series, Final Destination, Josie and the Pussycats, Deck the Halls, and X-Men 3, as well as various television productions such as Smallville, The X-Files, Stargate SG-1, Supernatural and Three Moons Over Milford.

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So there's a primer on my town. I'll be adding more interesting articles as I find them (not always from Wikipedia, however). Should you have any suggestions of random things for me to research, I'd love to hear them!!

xox
JC