My video made from the phone call to The Dalai Lama's office

Here is a little video that I made from the recording of my call to The Office of H.H.  The Dalai Lama.
You get to hear from the GMG!

More about The Dalai Lama and meeting him!

At Birks, two other people saw H.H. The Dalai Lama.  Our watch repairman, Ernie Tisseman, met The Dalai Lama as he returned from coffee.  He told me that The Dalai Lama gave him a nice smile and a little bow.
Also, a girl in the diamond department saw the group walking by, but was afraid that they were a new type of Hari Krishnas!  So, she turned away!!!  She was quite upset when I told her who it was!
In 1980. The Dalai Lama was not well known in Canada.  It was his first visit here, in fact.
I was so lucky to have been reading a newspaper the night before, because there was a photo.  That was how I knew who it was!
I asked the Birks' office if they had been notified of the visit.  They had not.
The funny part of this was how the older staff would say, "Who?  The Dolly Lama????"

How I met The Dalai Lama. And my journey with my book, "Hugo and Fluffy Tales|

Hugo and Fluffy Tales

I met H.H. The Dalai Lama in 1980, when working at Birks Jewellers in The Toronto Eaton Centre!  I was a salesperson in the watch repair department.
I had seen an article in The Globe and Mail newspaper the night before that The Dalai Lama would be speaking at The University of Toronto the next day.
I was sad that I had to work that Tuesday.
But....There I was, the next day.  A slow, boring Tuesday morning!  I had been left alone at the counter, and saw a few men in burgundy robes coming around a corner.
I was astonished to see H.H. The Dalai Lama in the midst of them!!!  And,  Even more astonished that he started to walk over to me!!!
I did not know what to do!  Should I curtsy???
H.H. The Dalai Lama came over, as I stood there (mouth hanging open?)!
He did a little bow to me, so I bowed back, looking up to him to see if that was the right thing to do.  He nodded and smiled at me!!!
Then, he looked at our watch band tower, grinning.  He pointed to a watch band that was exactly the same colour as his burgundy robes.
I took it out, and handed it to him.  The Dalai Lama HAD to show it to everyone with him!  He held it next to his robes, grinning away!
It was infectious!  Even the solemn security guards began to also grin ear to ear, as, of course, I did, too!
He handed the band back to me, and left the store.


This was always a very happy memory for me.  H.H. The Dalai Lama just glowed with holiness and loving kindness!  I would feel better on a bad day, just by remembering.

I told many friends and family this story.  I'd say that The Dalai Lama would never remember me, though!!  
My friend Nik Beat said to me that it was unusual enough that perhaps The Dalai Lama DID remember!

I decided to take a risk, and sent 2 chapters of my book to the office; asking if I could dedicate my book to His Holiness.
A couple of months later, I got this lovely letter back from Tsultrim Dorjee!

The link to my book:  
http://www.lulu.com/shop/penel-j-smith/hugo-and-fluffy-tales/paperback/product-20008021.html

Working very hard!

I am working so hard now that I finally got what I was looking forward to. that I don't have much time for it all to sink in!!
Today, I went to a church tea.  The editor of my church's newsletter will be doing an article on my book, "Hugo and Fluffy Tales", that will have pictures from the book, and photos of Hugo and Fluffy!!
I think that she will like this pic of Fluffy!

An email from The Office of His Holiness The Dalai Lama!!!

I finally got an email from The Dalai Lama's Office!!!
Turns out that they didn't understand my English very well, so had written my email address down wrong.
I emailed them the correct email (attention GMG) and 10 minutes later got the email!!
Now, I won't have to nervously phone them again.  I do admit, though, that I will miss the GMG!!!
Here is the copy of my email!

More Office Blues!

I called The Dalai Lama's office again tonight.  I got another promise of an email to come!  
That was an hour ago.  Man, is it EVER hard to wait!!!  :p

x

The World Famous Fluffy: a short story from my ebook "Servant and Several Sillinesses"

"THIS IS THE WORLD FAMOUS FLUFFY SPEAKING!!!"  the huge voice erupted from the clouds.  People barely glanced up, tired and bored from their Tuesday blahs.

What could be happening on a Tuesday, after all?  Must be some sort of advertisement, they shrugged.  For cat or dog food.

So...nobody saw the tiny spaceship coming down from the sky, with eyes gleaming out from it.

The voice roared again, though!

"SURRENDER, HUMANS!!!!"

"Huh??"

The roar of fighter jets superseded the great voice from on high.  They circled the tiny craft, seeming to wonder what to do with it.

Not one shot came from the spacecraft.  It just circled lazily in the sky, with  fighter jets whirling around it.

"OR ELSE!!!"  The great voice roared out again!

Finally, one of the fighter jets seemed to have found a loudspeaker, to answer;

"OR ELSE WHAT?"

People on the ground stood and stared upwards with large , frightened eyes.  Waiting for disaster. Unable to move.  Just waiting.

There was no answer from the tiny craft with the large voice.

"WE ARE PREPARED TO SHOOT YOU DOWN!!!"  the fighter jet pilot announced.

The small spaceship shot up suddenly.  Then, it shot down in a blur.  It slipped onto its side, and then just disappeared!  Then just as suddenly, it reappeared, closer to the ground.

"THIS IS THE WORLD FAMOUS FLUFFY SPEAKING!!!

SURRENDER, HUMANS!!!

OR ELSE!!!"

"WE AREN'T AFRAID OF  YOU!!" was the terrifying response.  The people on the ground cried out, and wondered where they could run to.

"OK!!!!  I WARNED YOU!!! TWICE!!!

I WILL PURR AT YOU NOW!!!"

"PURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!......................"

Suddenly, we all found ourselves relaxing.   People grinned at whoever was next to them, and laughed a little.  The fighter jets kind of wobbled a bit, and then flew off--rather erratically--back to their bases.

And that was how cats took over the world.  And why we all have to pay Queen Fluffy in fresh, sushi grade salmon every week.

At least she doesn't eat much.

Here is the photo that inspired this story!

video of my first call to The Office of The Dalai Lama

Finally!!!  I figured out how to synch the mp3 recording with a video!  
Here is a montage of my photos (the artsy ones were ugly pics of me!) with the tape.
Ah, well.  At least I know now how to do one of these, for the next call.  When I hope to get the GMG!!  The only one who seems to know what is going on!  

Just like all companies!  The mailroom knows it ALL!!!!

Video woes!!!

Good News!
I managed to figure out how to put a video with my Mp3!!!  Yayyyy!!!
Bad News!!!
The recording is only heard clearly when I don't have the little video running!!!!  Blehhhh!!!
Good News!

Here is a great video of The World Famous Fluffy!!!  Purring!!!

New woes...putting my tape online!

Well....
I  am now having trouble getting a way to put my audio file with pictures, so that I can upload it to social media!!!
I tried the one recommended by YouTube and it keeps on saying that it's too big a file for my computer!!!
Aaaaaggggghhhhh!

Ah, well.  At least it inspired me to take a half decent photo of The World Famous Fluffy and me!

A Very Confusing Conversation!

Here is a recording of my call to The Dalai Lama's Office.  It's very confusing to me, and they still haven't emailed me,  as promised twice, now!  
I have partial confirmation of my book, "Hugo and Fluffy Tales", having been presented to The Dalai Lama....I think.  At least the guy knows my book...  I hope that this comes through, too.
There is no button for uploading recordings!  (picture me tearing my hair out)

I just found out from YouTube that if I add a video to this, it CAN be uploaded!!!
Now, you won't have to just imagine me tearing my hair out, but you will actually SEE it happen!!!   Happy, fun times!!!  Yeah!

My computer takes lousy photos!!!

Here is the photo that I like the most from my computer...it takes yucky pics!!!

It works!!! Happy Dance!!!

I tested recording my voice on the call recorder, Amolto.  It worked!  The sound seems a little bit low, but as long as it works!!

just screwed up my search

I wanted to just check my posts quickly, and deleted the fast track to my blogs! Bleh1

The World Famous Fluffy and me

Here is a pic of Fluffy and me, nervously waiting to record that call!

After all, The World Famous Fluffy has to be ready to purr at the GMG, to cheer him up!

Fianlly, a Skype recorder that works!

I finally found a Skype recorder that works with my Windows 8!!!
It's called Amolfo, (I think).
Anyway, the free one only records voice, but that is exactly what I need!!!  I can hardly wait to record the GMG and friends!!!  I bet that they are eagerly awaiting my calls!!!  (NOT!!!)
I'll try my sister first, to make SURE that it really DOES work.  It sure looks like it does, so far.  Has stuff that can be clicked on, and all!
Man!  I am so nervous and all of that, too!  Can't wait to get the ordeal over with!  At long last, I should have real PROOF of what they told me over the phone last month!  That The Dalai Lama has my book, and is keeping it in his library!
I just hope that when I call on Tues or Wed. night, that the GMG (who is the only person who knows what's going on with mail) is there!  That he isn't on a several weeks vacation, or something!
I will post the recording as soon as I get it.  My icky voice and all!  (be afraid!!! be very afraid!)

Unsleeping and worried because I worry!!!

I need to get to sleep!  Too nervous about getting my call recorder working, so that I can get PROOF that The Dalai Lama has my book!  The free call recorders don't seem to work with my computer!
I bet that the GMG is missing me, too!!!  :p
Here's a pic of me reclining, and flustrating!!!!
Wishing I was someplace else!

skype woes

I am still trying to figure out how to record my Skype conversation with The Dalai Lama's office!  It seems that I need an mp3 player!  I don't have one of those!  Eeek!

more complaining

I still don't have an email from the GMG (Grumpy Mail Guy) at The Dalai Lama's office!
Now, I will have to phone them again, to try for pity!  Aaaaghhh!!!  I need to see if I can record my Skype conversations, to get at least a little bit of proof.  Doesn't help that they answer the phones there with just "Hello?"
Next week???  Will I finally have the nerves ok enough to phone???
Hmmmm......maybe I can get Fluffy to purr loudly at the GMG, to soften his heart!!!