dallysingh101

@Premi5 Can you read Gurmukhi btw?

Not if the vast majority of the target audience are still semi-literate pendus. Might be the katha stays the same, but intelligent people can get quality stuff to read.

I've talked to some of the high ranking ones. They usually stay at someone I know's house, when in E. London. Some of them seem very intelligent. I think they are like professors trying to teach special needs kids, if you get the analogy. I think they go for the lowest common denominator, maybe out of necessity? They are like the literati of the pend scene. As, we've (now) discussed ad nauseam here, apnay routinely have personality worship going on. I think they do this with the parchaarak more than pay close attention to what is being said. They also attend Gurdwaras for social purposes, or affiliate with various jathas/personalities to increase their social standing. I think urban Sikhs are more likely to read. By this term, I also mean rural Sikhs who've put themselves in that literati culture and moved to urban environments and have adopted that culture. . In this respect we have had some quality work being put on by people like Piara Singh Padam, Shamsher Singh Ashok, Bhai Randhir Singh (not the AKJ one) etc. We've actually got some quality stuff out there. It's not all perfect but it's there. People shouldn't discount that.

A preacher bench like this is real good too:

@Premi5 A pull up bar like this for door frames is a whole gym in itself and cheap as chips! Something like this too:

You have to gradually build up, and make sure you get sufficient protein in. Like I said previously, it's not just any old calories. Muscle itself is protein, you have to get the amino acids (precursors to protein) in to build them after training. Watch out for long term ligament/tendon damage from long periods of high impact stuff. I might get an elliptical. The gym is very well insulated. It doesn't need a heater plus when you train you naturally heat up. PS - Bis and Tris are important. A good dip station can help. Plus pull ups.

If you get into it, you can get relatively cheap 'machines' now too. All of what you said is required. Also get dumbells. Some kettle bells aren't amiss either. Get your budget together. You don't have to get it all at once.

Truth be told, it might also be down to learning style preferences. Most of us in the UK (especially anyone who's ever taught) are familiar with the concept of 'Learning Styles' from school i.e. VAK visual, auditory and kinesthetic. But we should also know that we also have personal learning style preferences. So we seem to have intrinsic, innate dispositions to how we actually take in information. In that respect, katha wouldn't be suited to all, I'm probably one of them. I know I'm not the only one. I know I put the boot in (just my style), but I am glad that some people are at least doing something to try and educate pendus about their Sikh heritage. I'm just (unfortunately) not able to learn this way. I prefer written stuff because you can pause and reflect on concepts/ideas. You can absorb info at your own pace. Writers themselves (if they have the talent!) can take their time and craft sentences. You get to learn new words. This is superior to what we call 'passive learning' when you sit there silently and get your head filled up - in my opinion.

Get a little budget together. If you work, I'd say start with £500. I'll give you some advice on what to get. Clear the space for the equipment too. If you've got a brother, go halves with him.

Take your time. Me and relatives have built up a reasonable gym for personal use over years. Put money aside regularly for this.

I think that you REALLY struggle to grasp what I say. And often get the wrong end of the stick. But let me tell you how I think it went. The 80s were appalling for nonwhites in the UK. Openly racist abuse, attacks, a large part of the population especially hated 'p**is' (as in brown people), the smell of the food, the alien dress codes (turbans, shalwaars etc.), goofy accents. Parents were also highly conservative then too. Children were frequently not allowed to socialise outside of school. In that background, when certain 'bhangra groups' started doing concerts (like Alaap, Apna Sangeet,Heera, Premi etc), all young brown people jumped on it. It was an identity they could be proud of. It was Sikh Panjabis who dominated the actual groups, but all brown people were turning up to concerts. This also took place with the spread of drinking in the youth, which many had learnt from their fathers or older relatives. People (mainly apnay) were off their heads bhangra paa-ing. Gigs took place during school hours because many parents wouldn't let kids go out in the evening. Now whilst this was happening, another movement was taking place that came from the north. It was the precursor to what we know now as Islamic fundamentalism. These people disliked the perceived wanton, hedonistic culture of 'Sikhs' and how it was infecting their own community. They stopped sulliyan going to the gigs essentially, and those sullay that went had an impression of drunken sl@gs being available for easy sex. So more and more predators would come to these things. Some apnay (especially in B'ham) clocked what was going on. This led to conflicts. For a while this industry grew and morphed in various ways. A lot of nonSikhs jumped on the bandwagon to try and make money. Opening up labels, sponsoring gigs trying to make money. That all being said, it's our own lots fault for promoting this so much. Predators exploited what apnay put out. In the meanwhile, bhangra paa-ing, drinking, and a variety of negative things have come to be strongly associated with apnay. And this 'balle balle' caricature has formed, and many apnay live up to it. The historic reality of bhangra is that it was originally a dance performed at celebrations (like giddah for women) but especially at Vasaikhi by Juts. The word bhangra itself derives from the use of 'bhang' or cannabis used around this time of celebrating getting the harvest in. Drink is also strong feature of Jut culture, so that is the original source of this 'cultural phenomena'. Thinking people believe that Dasmesh pita specifically chose Vasaikhi for the revelation of the Khalsa to give an alternative to this way of celebrating it. Like Hola Mohalla was given as an alternative to Holi. Your point of how british bhangra had global impacts, including on Panjab itself is a very interesting one.

If you work and have space at home, start building up a gym. In a garage, spare room or something.

Do you train Premi?

Yes it is. Drinking like a fish and bhangra paa-ing are central parts of jut culture that have spread to the rest of Panjabis. Plus, you've even confessed to being on the slow, gullible side yourself. There's probably a lot you don't understand.

It took you that long to come out with this?? I just said he was good compared to most I've seen. Not spoilt for choice are we? Well, who is it that YOU think is great then? Let me know, I might be unaware of them. It might change my life!

Just try and keep your head up. It's never good for anyone to wallow in their pain. Seek and find distractions. Meet new people, get some new hobbies/interests. Develop new skills. And make sure you're f**king training in some way. Helps big time.

I didn't say life goes on, I said the world goes on. You know, maybe the truth is that we don't fully heal from deep wounds of the past. Maybe just getting to a point where we aren't frozen by them is enough, and enough to aim for.

Life keeps throwing stuff at some of us. I'm not going to ever give up on trying to be strong, tough, resilient and stoic (and not just physically but mentally too), maybe that stuff doesn't help you but it most certainly helps me deal with all manner of crap. Otherwise I'd have probably slashed my wrists or overdosed or something like that years ago. I don't want to be any whining victim. So whilst it might not be for you, don't knock it because it may well be a saving grace for some others. I remember the story of your wife. It's been a while now, try looking for someone else, and let go of the old stuff as much as you (or anyone can). You're still young, get into another relationship but don't carry the hurt of the past into it (easier said than done I know). This world goes on, despite our hurt and pain. That's the bitter truth. And some tough talk: I think it was a b1tch move from you to pick up on and make an issue of a little use of slang by myself.

Well, get on with it then brother. And a little rough and tough banter (online no less) shouldn't derail you. It looks like the panth is going to face drama in future. We need to toughen it up.

Maybe you need to sort your own head out first then? Did it occur to you that we all might be at different stages? Plus some of us might want to know what is going on in the world. It effects us, whether we like it or not. I don't want to be a closeted, overly sensitive person. I don't think any Sikh should be, we've had enough of that already.

I think there is a big problem with many apnay hiding behind 'spirituality' but not facing up to what is going on in the world around them. It's miri/piri, not just piri. We need worldly knowledge. I think your attitude is dangerous to the panth, because it's the same puritan streak that has some fools calling CP vulgar, erotic etc. because some of language and contents are for grown ups. I used that phrase you quote because it has a particular meaning in London that isn't swearing. Look it up. And I'm surprised at your sensitivity here, because I swear you were the one who said he had been to a Paul Chowdhry gig? If you want to be all puritan, you shouldn't go out to things like that because he swears a lot. What happened to your spirituality then? Some of us might use other sources for our spiritual development, or maybe they keep that private.

This bit is hilarious and shows you where people's heads are at: Historically Captain has not betrayed the Panth as much as other Akali factions have.

I think the standards are really low compared to what we are used to in the west. I've got a pubbhee whose got a 'masters' (no less) in history from Panjab. She told me the exam was multiple choice........she has very little genuine interest in history. When asked if she reads, she literally said to me: "Nahin, mai bore ho jundheeya."

Also, whenever possible, challenge and disrupt and share knowledge with others. Maybe we have to go down into the gutter for us to fight our way to the top again? And keep a good eye out for who is really disloyal to the panth, even if they hide behind respectful orgs and big pags and beards.