My Friend Kumar the Dude

Kumar Christopher Lewis
11 April 1975
- 16 March 2006
www.kumarlewis.com

The rhythm of your soul will beat in us forever more.

We can't even begin to comprehend why this has happened. That such a peaceful person with a love for life as vibrant as yours has met death so prematurely and in such a senseless way.

Maybe there are no answers. There are so many more questions than answers...Perhaps finding answers is a journey that would take us beyond the horizon.

Kumar - your energy and passion has always inspired me. I admire so much your dedication; to wanting to get things right and make a real go of it. Thank you for teaching me about working together - hand in hand with all partners.

You know I still remember the very first conversation we ever had. You rang up the office from California and I answered the phone - with an image of you being an Indian guy with a thick Cali accent. Yeah - I know you get that a lot. Even back then - probably summer 2003 - I could feel your zest for life and enthusiasm - it was really contagious - and I recall feeling super hyped after talking with you.

I love this photo of you. Playing djembe onboard the ship and totally lost in the moment. Digging the vibes and giving the music all your soul.

May you only know peacefulness now. You deserve to be in the most beautiful place, and feeling nothing but sheer happiness. I know you are there now.

March 5, 2006 Celebrating the end of a successful meeting

After-hours Conferencing in Seoul

March 2, 2006 Trying North Korean Ramen

Too spicy for me, but okay for Yi Han!

We were at a restaurant in "Kumgangsan" - a special administrative region of North Korea
金剛山觀光地區

Beautiful seascape on the eastern coast of North Korea

March 1-2, 2006 GPPAC meeting in North Korea

GPPAC Northeast Asia Regional Consultation meeting in Mount Kumgang, DPRK

For more about the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) program - which I have been focusing on for the past two years, see http://www.gppac.net and also http://www.peaceboat.org/english/rsic/gppac

Here is a short description that I wrote for the GPPAC Bulletin:

Historic meeting of Northeast Asian GPPAC community in North Korea

The GPPAC Northeast Asian network of conflict prevention actors met for an historically symbolic consultation meeting in Mount Kumgang, in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Close to 40 NGO representatives from regional cities including Vladivostok and Beijing, Ulaanbaatar, Tokyo and Seoul gathered from March 1 - 6, 2006 on the Korean Peninsula.

Focusing on key regional issues such as the Six-Party Talks; historical recognition and reconciliation; and the revision of Japan's "peace" constitution, the group worked together to produce a joint statement on how civil society can work to overcome divisions and build peace, as well as a comprehensive 5 year workplan in which a variety of innovative proposals are put forward.

The meeting was felt to be very successful both in terms of productivity, and trust-building and cooperation within the group. The results were presented to the media at a press conference in Seoul on March 6, 2005 and the two key documents also formed the basis for discussion at a multi-stakeholder roundtable between representatives from NGOs, foundations, the UN, and regional governments, held at UNESCO House in Seoul.

February 23, 2006 in Chiang Mai, Thailand

With new friends Ohmar and Farha

Ohmar is an amazing activist and is also a key member of the Burmese Women's Union http://www.womenofburma.org/bwu.htm

Farha works for Davao-based NGO Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID), which is initiating the Southeast Asian process of the GPPAC program. http://www.iidnet.org

February 20, 2006 Mae Tao Clinic

In Mae Tao Clinic with Dr Cynthia Maung

To read about the inspiring work of Dr Cynthia and her staff, as well as the Mae Tao clinic in Mae Sot, please see http://www.burmaborderprojects.org/clinic as well as http://www.burmachildren.org and also http://faculty.washington.edu/kwangett/burma

February 20, 2006 Thai-Burma border

Dinner in Mae Sot with Burmese and SE Asian friends

Studying on a Saturday Night

Having just started my first ever blog, I feel like this actual place in time is a relatively uneventful place to start. But being a blog -- it seems I'm compelled to post my message under today's date.

Hmm, I'd like to work out how to backdate my entries. Is that possible? In that way, I could come up with a little travelogue about my February / March adventures to NZ, Oz, Thai-Burma border and North and South Korea...no doubt a lot more interesting than what I'm doing today - March 11 - which is trying to digest some fairly insipid civil ligitation reading. For example, I'm still trying to get my head around "interlocutory" vs "interrogatories"...or at least their pronunciation! haha.

February 18, 2006: Lounging in Auckland

Ben, Koyu, Ogata (the band) and Joh over to George and Joel's home

Ben's good friends from his Telecom days, George and Joel, invited us over for dinner at their beautiful home in the west of Auckland. They recently got engaged and will be marrying in Feb 2007 - so hopefully Ben and I will be back in NZ at that time.

It was great to meet up with Ben's friends from another stage of his life, especially to hear them all reminisce about the early days of his exploration into the music scene. Apparently he used to strum away after work for hours, tucked into some corner of the room - pretty oblivious as to what was going on around him...and some of his current, recorded tunes were conceived back then. Also got to catch sight of Ben's ID card from his corporate days -- looking extremely cleancut and pure. Hahaaa. What a relic!

Daniel and Benjamin having a brotherly moment amongst the olive groves at "Bracu", the new restaurant south of Auckland that Daniel is managing.

Here is the amazing gannet colony that is located within walking distance of Mandy and Simon (Ben's sister & bro-in-law) 's place in Muriwai Beach

February 11, 2006: The BIG WEDDING!

Ben, Jack, Joh, Paula, John, Al, Lisa, Shirley infront of our lodge at Thredbo
[morning after the wedding]
http://www.talara.com.au

Saturday, February 11, 2006 Thredbo Village, NSW, Australia

What a perfect day!

My dear brother John married the Love of his life Paula Bousles on the rooftop of Australia. And we had to take chairlifts to get there! Except for the bridal party of course, who ventured up the mountain by 4WD. The ceremony was at the foot of Mt Kosciuszko - Australia's highest peak. And being mid-summer, the weather was golden and the sky so clear and blue. Very lucky!

And we all glowed with such pride. I shed some tears of emotion and happiness during the ceremony, especially on hearing their vows - which were so exceptionally beautiful and moving that another engaged couple proposed using them for their own wedding later this year. hee hee.

I was emceeing the reception, which was held at a restaurant called "Credo" down by the Thredbo Creek. It ended up being a very fun job to do, not to mention a real honour!

Memorable moments in the evening included

i) Con - the Father of the Bride's speech -- which was an absolute classic. Especially when he recalled his school teacher-like report card that he'd made about John, back in the early courting days; using himself as the benchmark to which to measure John's suitability - haha.

ii) Greek dancing ... and lots of it! No plate smashing but lots of traditional Greek tunes, hand-holding and circular dancing. Not to mention Paula's lovely solo.

iii) Photo Portraits of all the Guests -- but wearing a brown mullet and big plastic ears. Yep -- a nice prank cleverly arranged for Marty to execute, at the request of J & P.

Particularly meaningful were the numerous references and thoughts of Dad, whom we all so desperately wished could have been with us to celebrate such a special day. His photograph was put on a table-like alter (alongside Paula's grandfather's photo) during the ceremony, and we all mentioned our beautiful Dad at different stages in the evening. How we miss him so, and how incredible proud and happy he would no doubt be. Well we know he was with us that day..."hiding in the bubbly" as Penny said.