1st.Back from San Francisco to LA after two great days visiting good friends Chani and Gugi in Pleasanton and also visiting my sister in San Jose. She turned 70 last week! Grand nephew Ajay came to see us. No programs in San Francisco but discussions for sponsorship of Sukhmani Sahib double cd.

2nd. My responsibilities of being father move up a notch by youngest, Parvyn turning 21 today. I now officially move into the grandfather category, and the beard has started to grey!

Great day for Parvyn as it began being with Bicky and family one of her favourite families. We met Gurinder Chadha (Bend it like Beckham, Bride and Prejudice & Bhaji on the Beach fame) and her partner Paul for 'sholay--bheturay' near Hollywood. Lovely couple. Did I mention last month that I saw her distributing 'degh' in a gurdwara? Very down to earth - may Waheguru bless her with lasting success in the world of movie making. Loves Southall.

KIRTAN JAM IN LA

The day ended with blissful kirtan at the Guru Ram Das gurdwara in Hollywood titled 'Kirtan Jam with Dya Singh'. Numerous Sikh dharma devotees brought along their musical instruments and we had a wonderful time jamming kirtan for one hour. A special prayer and a special birthday song was sung for Parvyn on her 21st. Bibi Ji (Mrs. Yogi Bhajan) was present and extended her blessings. If I have not said so before ... this is my favourite sangat because the western Sikh dharma sangat comes with a view to doing satsang (collective meditation) when they come to gurdwara. Truly a heavenly experience every time! Waheguru give them even greater 'naam shakti' . Dheeraj left for Australia on 3rd.

Sunday - I spend a great day with Shalini and Vijay in San Diego. Took a leisurely train ride from Orange Co. to San Diego which goes along the beautiful south-western coast of California. Shalini showed me some sights of San Diego - a very pretty, laid-back city. Of note was the sprawling 'ashram' on the coastline, of Paramahansa Yogananda. truly a paradise on earth. Well maintained gardens and a beautiful church/prayer house which has pictures of the Paramhansa and his lineage. It has a 'church' feel and the spiritual facilitator dresses like a pastor. Very heavenly inside and conducive to prayer and reflection. Thank You Shalini for a great day finishing off with being her guest to watch Hindi smash-n-grab movie 'Dhoom-2'. We drove back at night with Bicky and family.

Monday - off day. Parvyn and I left for Australia on 5th. 14 hour non-stop flight across the Pacific Ocean from LA to Sydney - all overnight and we lose a complete day in the process arriving on 7th.

AUSTRALIA - WORST DROUGHT IN 1000 YEARS!

7th. There is a heatwave in Melbourne and some big fires in the country. The grip of the drought is worse. Watering of gardens and washing cars (except with buckets) has been banned. On the sporting front we have thrashed the Poms (The ol'enemy - England) in two tests out of five in cricket. Just saw (tv) India beat Pakistan in kabadi in the Asian Games being held in Doha. I did not know that kabadi (and our Malaysian sepak takraw) are now Asian Games events.

9th. Saturday - held our regular Saturday morning 'naam service' at home. Also, an attempt to come back down to earth and the realities of life including bill-paying! Good to be back after 3 heady weeks in US. Thank you Bicky, for a wonderful time!

INAUGURAL RIVERLAND SA SIKH YOUTH CAMP

W/E 17th. Weekend 'samelan' in South Australia's Riverland region. 45 Sikh youngsters turned up at Gurdwara Sahib Glossop for this two day program. Thank you to the organisers and gurdwara committee who took this initiative. My daughter Jamel and her two kids Saahiel and Saffal, S. Sarjit Singh, co-ordinator of the Melbourne annual camp, and his son Mandeep, and I drove from Melbourne (about 800km) while 'Dya Singh group' manager Keith Preston and new tabla recruit Jay (Dheeraj was not available) drove in from Adelaide (230kn).

Youngsters between the age of 15-19 were not expected but happily decided to turn up (20 of them) swelling an expected 25 children (6-14) to an attendance of 55. Over half stayed overnight at the gurdwara which also boasts an adjacent school building and it was a blissful two days in sunny Riverland.

Some of these youth have 'never' sat cross-legged in a gurdwara before !!! So, it was a challenge to make them sit cross-legged for up to one hour at a time joining in congregational kirtan and naam simran. I think the term 'no pain no gain' struck a chord when explained that to get anywhere in life and make a mark in life, one needs to be disciplined and go through 'pain'. Due credit to them, they stuck it out and there was very productive & meaningful dialogue with them about either going thru the paces of just 'living' or making their lives meaningful the 'Sikhi' way. This was a very encouraging weekend for me, because ...

I sometimes despair when I see our youngsters 'aping' western habits yet cannot really fit in a fully western society by adopting what is generally called the 'Coca Cola, MacDonald' culture by trying to look 'cool' yet finding that they are neither fully 'western' and they refuse to be 'eastern'. Another term used for them is the ABCD generation (American Born Confused Desi's, or in our case Australian Born Confused Desi's). They wear loose clothes, spiked (and sometimes coloured) hair, numerous ear-rings and eyebrow rings with Ipod hearing-aid wires stuck in their ears and mobile phones in their pockets, hanging around shopping malls or fast food places like MacDonald's, sleeping all day and prawling the streets or malls at night, just frittering their lives away. Yet, amazingly their parents are amritdhari's - but there is no meaningful dialogue between parents and children. 'Eh saadi gal ni sonedhay aj kal'! ('They don't listen to us, these days'!) Parents are living in the 18th. century while these youth want to be 21st century and not finding the answers from their parents who barely speak English and live in rural Australia, nor finding their answers in the so-called culture they are attempting to ape.

Sadly, here in the Riverland, their parents are locked in court battle over control of the gurdwara (what's new, you say!). The 'ultra-amritdhari's' feel that the gurdwara should be run by 'them' with the nomination of 'Panj Pyaray' and the sangat should be dictated to by them, while the majority feel that the gurdwara should be run by sangat reps. Bills of up to Aus$200,000 have been chalked up by both sides in legal expenses so far. THEY COULD HAVE PUT UP ANOTHER GURDWARA FOR THAT SUM!!! Or better still, a youth centre for their children.

Now, why should their youth not stay away from such a farcical supposed 'way of life'? Yes, we were asked to do this camp by the sangat, not the ultra-amritdhari's. They do not like my middle-of-the-road ways.

CRICKET: MONTY PANESAR - AUSTRALIA WINS THE ASHES

Monty has done us proud. Inexplicably left out for the first two tests, he fired up with 5 great wickets in his debut Ashes match in Perth (w/e 17th.) followed by another 3 in the second innings. He ties his 'joorha' at the back of his head under a black patka. He is the toast of Australia and we as Sikhs should be proud of him. At last a great (non-Indian-born) ambassador for Sikh youth worldwide. Australian papers headlines said "Australia gets the full Monty", and 'Monty Python'. Nevertheless, Australia is now 3-0 up with two tests to go. The Ashes are 'ours'!

GOINGS-ON WITH THE MELBOURNE SIKH YOUTH CAMP ORGANISATIONAL COMMITTEE

This Sikh youth camp is three weeks away and the 'liberal' camp organisers (or supposed main organiser rather) have walked out. They wanted the camp along the lines of what their children want - more play and less 'religion'! Children should be allowed to stay up late and get up at a decent hour like 8am, they believe. Quite rightly, some main sponsors were not happy because a Sikh Youth Camp is firstly about instruction and 'practicals' about a Sikh way of life. Interestingly, these (liberal) folks spend 51 weeks of the year pandering to the needs and materialistic aspirations of their children and they want yet more of the same for this one week of the year as a holiday. Strange people, if you ask me. 'O, YOUNGSTERS WILL NOT COME IF YOU MAKE IT RELIGIOUS!' So, at the expense of sponsors they want their children to have a 'good time'.

The new organisers expect to draft in some 'gurmatt' (a dirty word with previous organisers), yet attempt to keep a balance between youth having a good time, networking, and learning something about their way of life, their parents and grandparents' way of life, the 'Sikhi' way of life. This camp is from 5-9 January followed by the Sydney Youth Camp with which I have been involved for the past 7 years, from 9 to 13 January. Sewadhars are coming from Malaysia to help run these two camps. If interested in coming or sending your kids, contact me (!). I am still involved, now in both camps. They will be beneficial to 'you' and youth, and even oldies. Oldies will feel young again!! Melbourne organisers are looking for good, like-minded sewadhars to help at the camp. So, if you want to volunteer and bring your children, then here is a great opportunity for true sewa. The Sydney camp is well established and those who wish to come to Sydney, just put 'Sydney Sikh youth camp' in your google search' and contact them. They are well organised.

FIRST 'YOUTH CAMP' ANAND KARAJ IN SYDNEY.

'Sardar' Hartaaj Singh married Bibi Taren Kaur at Parklea Gurdwara, Sydney, Australia on 16th. December. Both have been attending the Sydney Youth Camp for the past 8/9 years. Love blossomed at camp and today they are happily married. THIS IS, ONE OF THE PURPOSES OF THESE CAMPS FOLKS! Both have learned a great deal about Sikhi, they are camp 'seniors' now and today happily married. These camps are opportunities for Sikh youngsters to mingle, learn about Sikhism and even find life partners. May more camp goers find their life partners in these camps. I make this point because often, in the past, I have heard 'parents' complaining that boys are allowed to mingle with girls at these camps - GOOD LORD! IS THAT NOT A GOOD THING? Then they wonder why their sons and daughters find partners in other races! It is because some of you parents do not allow your sons and daughters to interact with other Sikh youth !

I am closing this last month of 2006 early to be able to wish all readers - friendly and hostile, a very happy festive season. In amongst all the frivolities, fun and frolic, I hope you find the time to 'keep conNected' to Waheguru through 'naam simran'.

Time has come to consider new year resolutions for 2007 and beyond. Do not forget to put 'getting closer to my Guru, and thru my Guru, Waheguru' on the resolution list. Naam is the panacea of all ailments, pain and heartache and the bringer of all joy. Naam also brings love - so, also remember - Manes ki jaat sebhai aikai pehchanbo (All of humankind is but one family) Guru Gobind Singh. As the Sikh slogan says - IF YOU DO NOT SEE GOD IN ALL, YOU DO NOT SEE GOD AT ALL.

I am finishing this month early to wish all readers, fans and friends a happy new year.

MAY THE NEW YEAR BRING GREATER PROSPERITY, TRANQUILITY, HARMONY, HEALTH, LOVE, A GREATER AWARENESS OF GOD, AND HAPPINESS.

The girls are on their way with their 'bhangra' and 'Bollywood' dance group to perform at the Woodford Festival in Queensland while I am on my way to Sydney for a few days of fun and frolic and the Peats Ridge Festival on the last 3 days of the year with new tabla player Jay, Keith (santoor and bouzouki) and Josh on dilruba and guitar. This is a new festival for us and i will tell you how it went in the next edition.

PS - The sikhpoint calenders have not yet turned up in Australia. They will be made available in all centres as soon as they arrive! Great collectors' item!

2. This column is available on front page (bottom) of sikhpoint.com every month.

Dya Singh (26th. Dec.06)