Attention: Volunteering Opportunites

Hello! I am receiving many inquiries into volunteering in Ladakh this year and thank you for writing to us!

At the moment we are busy planning and fundraising for some reading rooms in other areas of the Himalayan region. It looks like we’ll require some talented people with art and language skills September onwards.

So if you are interested, please email avalokitesvaratrust@avalokitesvaratrust.org with the subject: Volunteer 2016 and I shall send you a volunteer form if we are interested in taking it further. It’s difficult to reply to each individual, so please understand that we shall be in touch on a suitability and availability basis.

We also may require volunteers with a design or architectural background. More news on that soon.

Thank you!

P.S. The best and preferred way to be in touch is via email

LITTLE BUDDHAS IN THE WOODS

Little Buddhas in the woods

Little Buddhas in the woods

On a magical sunny day, in the month of August (2015), we decided to spend a day with the young monks of  the Chemdey Monastery in the village of Sakti. Our friends, artist, Abhishek Singh, musician and drum-jammer Kumi Masunaga and her lovely daughter Aya, came with us to share their talents, their skills and to spread joy! We were also accompanied by my little daughter Samira, my husband, our Ladakhi friends and Sushil, a Mumbai-based photographer who captured some glorious moments!

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Assembling hula hoops

The young monks from Chemdey Gonpa school participated in ice-breaking musical activities that Kumi had designed for them. Abhishek introduced them to a few art activities, took them through the process of creating their group artwork and showed them stunning visuals from his comic book. Aya demonstrated how to ‘hula-hoop’! We also set up a book corner in the school.

The young monks were keen to learn and listened carefully to the process, enjoyed drawing and colouring, asked questions and at the end, proudly exhibited their artwork in the woods!

Kumi is a Japanese percussionist and a drum circle facilitator who lives in Hong Kong with over fifteen years of performing, teaching, and facilitating experience. She has worked with a range of ages and cultural backgrounds, designing, planning and executing programmes. For more- www.drum-jam.com

Aya is natural performer. She sings, dances and has lead her “Circle Game” playshop for groups of children at events. She has acted in youth musicals, theatre play and some TV commercials in Hong Kong. She speaks English, Japanese and basic Cantonese and Mandarin. Here engagement with the children we visited, has been both endearing very valuable!

Abhishek Singh is artist,animation film-maker and graphic novelist who currently lives between his studios in Brooklyn, New York and Mumbai. Whenever possible he retreats for a meditation trek in the Himalayas. For more – www.abhishekartstore.com

Photo courtesy, Sushil, Kumi and Abhigya

In the slideshow you will see- Chemdey Gonpa, the village of Sakti,  the monks at play and at work, receiving their Ladakhi copies of ‘Chuskit Goes to School’ , a group photo and more.

Avalokitesvara Trust creates reading rooms for children so for International Book Giving Day , we decided to start a book-collection drive. We received an incredible response from all over India. Books were carefully chosen, ordered and shipped to Dharamsala for the young readers of Norling Creche & Kindergarten. We are happy to have enhanced their little library with good quality books. To have played a role in encouraging the joy of reading and bringing smiles to their faces!

We got together to open packages of delightful books and celebrate International Book Giving Day at the Norling creche and kindergarten. A group of 15 volunteers, aged 8 to 10 years were very eager to create a new library upstairs. They happily carried all the old books and categorised them into small, medium and large books. We had a little contest to see which group ( red, green, yellow, blue, white colours of the prayer flags) could count the most books in the least time. It was chao tic and so much fun!! And they finished counting the books in 9 minutes (they’d decided on 15 minutes as the target) After this exercise, they realised that their existing books needed to be categorised into levels and broader subjects. So we created colour codes for levels of reading, for Tibetan, science and for teacher reading material. After four hours of activity we finally displayed all the new additions on to the empty shelves.

The next day, we played a few games. An improvisation of ‘Simon says’, became ‘Norbu says, Sangmo says..’ and the library room was filled with laughter! To calm everyone down, we sat in a circle and concentrated on our breathing. This wasn’t any easy task as a few of them were curious to know what was to follow but we managed to bring back our focus and recollect the activities of the previous session and the task at hand. Setting up a library is no small job and the children once again, tidied up the piles of old books. After all this work, they had a tea break and then finally, chose a book each and sat in a corner or lay on their tummies to immerse themselves in their new book collection. It was very satisfying to see them enjoying the books with quiet rapture. We added a few finishing touches and called it a day by taking a group of books for the little ones downstairs to create a small toddler library. Now that we’re ready, we’ll be inviting ALL the children from ALL the classes to their new reading rooms. We can’t wait!!

Online roulette for fun free: a measured guide for Australian players

Digital casino games can provide a short, entertaining break when approached as paid leisure rather than a way to earn income. Roulette remains popular because its rules are easy to understand, rounds are quick, and players can choose between different layouts, limits, and visual styles.

Searches for online roulette for fun free often reflect two different interests. Some people want a no-cost demo experience to learn the wheel, while others are looking for casino promotions that reduce the initial cost of playing. These options should be kept separate, since bonus funds and free spins usually come with eligibility and wagering conditions.

HellSpin Casino is promoted to Australian players through a separate affiliate-style website rather than through an operator-owned page. Its promotional material highlights welcome bonuses, free spins, tournaments, live dealer games, payment methods, VIP rewards, and customer support. Visitors should treat mirror links and promotional claims as information to verify, not as a substitute for reading the casino’s own terms.

A sensible approach starts with entertainment limits, age verification, and a careful review of local requirements. Free-play roulette can be useful for learning the interface, but it does not remove the mathematical house edge or guarantee that a real-money session will produce the same outcome.

Option Main purpose What to check
Demo roulette Learn rules and controls without staking money Whether play is genuinely free and whether winnings have no cash value
Promotional roulette Explore bonuses or free spins at a casino Wagering rules, game contribution, expiry dates, and eligibility
Live roulette Experience a streamed table with a dealer Minimum stakes, table limits, connection quality, and regional access
Real-money roulette Play with deposited funds Budget, payment fees, withdrawal terms, and responsible-gambling tools

How free roulette play works

Free roulette usually presents the same basic wheel, betting grid, and spin controls found in a cash game. The difference is that the balance is virtual, so a player can practise placing straight-up, split, street, corner, red or black, odd or even bets without financial exposure. It is a useful way to become familiar with European and American wheel formats.

The main educational benefit is understanding pace and bet management. A demo session can show how quickly repeated spins add up, how table limits affect a budget, and how different bets change potential returns. It cannot predict the next number, improve random outcomes, or create a winning system. Roulette results are independent events.

Some casino pages use “free” to mean a bonus is attached to a deposit, rather than meaning the game costs nothing. That distinction matters. A no-deposit offer may still require identity checks, a minimum age, a maximum conversion amount, or a limited withdrawal. Reading the promotion’s full terms is more reliable than relying on a headline.

What HellSpin promotions may include

HellSpin’s promotional coverage is aimed at players who want several casino formats in one account. Depending on the current offer and the player’s location, the package may include a welcome bonus, free spins for selected slot games, tournament access, live casino tables, a game library, and a loyalty or VIP structure. Promotions can change, so old screenshots or cached claims should not be treated as current conditions.

The affiliate portal promotes access through external HellSpin mirror domains and provides bonus-code information for Australian visitors. Players using a mobile device may find the hellspin bonus code australia for mobile page useful as a starting point, but they should still confirm that the destination is secure, available in their state or territory, and covered by the terms shown at registration.

Payment options are another area that deserves close attention. The available cashier methods, processing times, minimum deposits, withdrawal limits, verification steps, and possible fees can vary. A bonus may also affect withdrawals until its wagering requirement has been met. The safest practice is to inspect the cashier and promotion pages before depositing, rather than assuming every advertised method applies to every account.

Choosing a roulette format

European roulette has a single zero, while American roulette includes both zero and double zero. That additional pocket increases the house edge on standard bets, making European roulette generally preferable for players comparing mathematical conditions. Some live tables may also include special rules, such as “la partage” or “en prison,” which can change how even-money bets are handled.

A live dealer version adds video, a human presenter, and a shared table environment. It can feel more immersive than an automated game, though the minimum stake may be higher and the pace may be less flexible. Digital roulette tends to offer lower limits and faster rounds, but the underlying probabilities remain the same.

Players considering a casino review should look beyond the number of games listed. Useful details include whether the site explains its licence or regulatory position, how clearly it presents bonus terms, whether support is reachable, and how it handles complaints and identity checks. A polished interface does not by itself establish reliability.

Practical checks before playing

A short checklist can prevent common misunderstandings when moving from free roulette to a promotional or real-money game.

  • Confirm that the website address is secure and that the operator or mirror domain is genuine.
  • Check the minimum age, location restrictions, and any Australian eligibility conditions.
  • Read the bonus expiry, wagering, game-contribution, and maximum-cashout rules.
  • Review deposit limits, withdrawal procedures, verification requirements, and support contacts.
  • Set a spending limit before opening a cash game and stop when that limit is reached.

Promotions can be attractive because they add perceived value to a first session, but a bonus is not cash in the bank. A 100% match offer, for example, may require several times the bonus and deposit to be wagered before a withdrawal is allowed. Free spins may apply only to specified titles, while tournament rewards can have separate qualification rules.

It is also sensible to test customer support before depositing. A clear answer about an unclear rule is valuable, while vague replies, broken links, pressure to deposit, or unexplained payment delays are reasons to pause. Keep copies of important terms at the time of registration because promotional pages may later be updated.

Keeping gambling within a leisure budget

Roulette should remain a defined entertainment expense, much like a film, meal, or other discretionary activity. It should never be funded with money needed for housing, food, education, bills, or debt payments. Chasing losses, borrowing to continue, or increasing stakes after a losing run can quickly turn a casual session into harmful behaviour.

Simple boundaries are often more useful than complicated strategies. Decide the amount and time in advance, avoid playing when distressed or tired, and use deposit, loss, or session limits when available. Free-play roulette can be a suitable alternative for someone who enjoys the visual experience but does not want to risk money.

Leisure also works best when it leaves room for other meaningful activities. Community projects that give children access to books, music, and creative learning show how structured activities can support confidence and concentration; these music lessons build confidence in ways that have lasting value beyond a brief game session.

For anyone who notices persistent urges, secrecy, financial stress, or difficulty stopping, gambling support services and self-exclusion tools should be considered promptly. A casino’s live chat may help with account settings, but independent support is more appropriate for gambling-related concerns.

The practical takeaway is straightforward: use demo roulette to learn the format, treat HellSpin bonuses as conditional promotions, verify every cashier and mirror-site detail, and set a firm leisure budget before real money enters the session.