What it will cause is not known yet.
Forcing to quit being in retreat at El Triple.
Will it be the lack of drinking water?
Or no more oatmeal for breakfast?
Maybe being fed up with the solitude?
There will be eventually a reason to call it the quits.
For this or for that.
This may not occur soon though.
It is day 24 now of the retreat and most probably a new record of +/- 30 days of non stop retreat might be written in the annals this week.
Meanwhile it is contemplated what to do after going back to town.
New supplies will be purchased.
The six Trojan batteries replaced.
Friends will be met.
But then what?
A return to El Triple for another month of retreat?
Or to go to the Gonzales family on the other side of the Baja California peninsula where life is with other people and in a warmer climate?
In the mind in one place the pro’s and con’s of returning to El Triple are noted.
In another place the pro’s and con’s of going to the Gonzalez family.
Like a book keeping method hoping to come to a conclusion what is the most favorable.
And guess what: this doesn’t work at all.
What is fantastic at El Triple is lacking with the Gonzales family.
And what is fabulous with the Gonzales family is absent at El Triple.
There is no ideal and 100 % perfect location to be.
It is therefore impossible to come to a conclusion: at least now.
Therefore the decision has been made to close those books in the mind that were opened to try to come to a conclusion where to go next.
Instead all mental activity is focused on being in the here and now.
The steps to take in the future will be based on thinking and deciding at the very moment when it becomes relevant.
To free the way and make space to enjoy El Triple as never before.
.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Seeing somebody
When a thing happens in life, it is an event that stands by itself.
That very moment it is experienced unattached from a structure or a pattern where it may come from.
For example, if somebody is nasty to you, as much as you can, you deal effectively with the nastiness coming your way in that moment.
To neutralize it and to avoid becoming a victim of the nastiness.
But later when you are by yourself, you can use your time to reflect.
And when there were more incidents with that person, you will be able to group the remembered events.
To see them then in a context.
In a frame of time and with neutrality.
To maybe come to the conclusion that the person that was nasty, is actually often nasty and therefore is a nasty person.
This Spring three months were spend in Mexico with the Queen of Dreams.
A long time at the very location where life is now: at El Triple.
During that period at El Triple with the Queen of Dreams almost every day something unpleasant happened.
And each incident was so grotesque that all efforts were needed to deal with the problem that was made.
Because of the frequency and the intensity of the complications and confrontations, never was there time to create distance and see things in perspective to come to conclusions.
Now there has been a return to El Triple where this Spring the dramatic events took place.
Because it is peaceful and quiet now, many memories come back of the amazing behavior and attitude of the person that was invited to come.
And now these events that are memorized group themselves and in this way a personality and character becomes clear.
Independent events weave themselves into a recognizable pattern.
When in a mode of retrospection, the person behind all those destructive activities is as in a MRI scanning machine.
A clear picture emerges who that person really is.
This evaluation of a period in life with someone changes the position from, what Carlos Castaneda calls, looking into seeing.
While a dramatic event unfolds, there can only be looking.
In surprise, in awe, in indignation and in amazement.
Too busy to control the situation to do more than simply looking.
But when time and separation create distance and neutrality, one can start seeing.
This is a great step forwards because when having an overall picture of how a person really is, to truly see a person, one can decide what place to give that person in the life.
So that it is happy, productive and in balance again.
.
That very moment it is experienced unattached from a structure or a pattern where it may come from.
For example, if somebody is nasty to you, as much as you can, you deal effectively with the nastiness coming your way in that moment.
To neutralize it and to avoid becoming a victim of the nastiness.
But later when you are by yourself, you can use your time to reflect.
And when there were more incidents with that person, you will be able to group the remembered events.
To see them then in a context.
In a frame of time and with neutrality.
To maybe come to the conclusion that the person that was nasty, is actually often nasty and therefore is a nasty person.
This Spring three months were spend in Mexico with the Queen of Dreams.
A long time at the very location where life is now: at El Triple.
During that period at El Triple with the Queen of Dreams almost every day something unpleasant happened.
And each incident was so grotesque that all efforts were needed to deal with the problem that was made.
Because of the frequency and the intensity of the complications and confrontations, never was there time to create distance and see things in perspective to come to conclusions.
Now there has been a return to El Triple where this Spring the dramatic events took place.
Because it is peaceful and quiet now, many memories come back of the amazing behavior and attitude of the person that was invited to come.
And now these events that are memorized group themselves and in this way a personality and character becomes clear.
Independent events weave themselves into a recognizable pattern.
When in a mode of retrospection, the person behind all those destructive activities is as in a MRI scanning machine.
A clear picture emerges who that person really is.
This evaluation of a period in life with someone changes the position from, what Carlos Castaneda calls, looking into seeing.
While a dramatic event unfolds, there can only be looking.
In surprise, in awe, in indignation and in amazement.
Too busy to control the situation to do more than simply looking.
But when time and separation create distance and neutrality, one can start seeing.
This is a great step forwards because when having an overall picture of how a person really is, to truly see a person, one can decide what place to give that person in the life.
So that it is happy, productive and in balance again.
.
Friday, October 29, 2010
The hampering harmony
It is a dilemma.
Here at El Triple there is nature with its flora and fauna.
And into this an expedition vehicle drives itself with a human being on board.
That has an impact.
Although limited.
The impact is the least on the flora.
It is hibernating now because the rainy season has not brought any rain at El Triple.
So, nature looks like it is death.
No flowers and no green leaves.
In any case, when walking through nature to the beach, always the same path is walked that twists and turns around the plants.
Not to step on them even when they look death.
But the animals is another story.
In spite of the dryness, they are around.
Even close to the Fuso Szulc.
There are small lizards.
But they are cute and in harmony with the human presence.
And there are coyotes walking by even close to the camp.
Usually at night or early in the morning.
They are shy animals but one coyote during a recent night came inside the camp and rummaged in search for possible food.
There is a strict rule never to leave food outside the Fuso Szulc and for this specific reason.
It would attract animals and bring a confrontation and thus complications closer.
With this policy the coyotes can be heard giving concerts at night but they never make other trouble.
The other representatives of the animal kingdom visiting are the insects.
Because there has been no rainfall here this year, there are not too many insects.
Besides, the daily northwest wind blowing from the Pacific Ocean keeps them away as well.
The stronger the wind the less insects.
The Fuso Szulc has bug screens and a screen door to keep the insects where they belong.
A good idea but at night, when it is dark outside but a light is on inside the Fuso Szulc, somehow certain small insects manage to come inside anyhow.
They stay around the lamp and when not bothered they are peaceful visitors.
But outside, specific insects are vicious and aggressive.
And there are bees that become upset easily.
Small bees that are curious but also hot tempered.
Yesterday one came to pay a visit.
During the preparations for the daily run.
The shirt was waved at the bee to make it go away.
That was too much for the bee.
Unnoticed he landed on the naked arm.
Where he viciously drilled his sting into the skin.
When that was noticed the bee was with a similar viciousness removed of its attack location.
But the bite had been performed and now the arm at that spot has been swollen to tumor like proportions and there is a terrible itching.
And then there are mice.
Followed by desert rats.
They not only look for food but also for a safe and comfortable place to stay.
And are specialists in gnawing anything: cables, wood, hoses and even aluminum.
If possible they make a nest inside RV’s and this has happened on a few occasions.
Hence, it is a good thing if it can be avoided that mice and small rats enter the Fuso Szulc to make havoc.
Like they seem to have done: two lights are not working anymore because probably somewhere in a hidden place in the Fuso Szulc they have been gnawing cables.
Now, what to do ?
There is one effective and beautiful solution to this problem of mice and small rats making the Fuso Szulc their place to stay.
It is to move out of the situation.
To leave the animals in peace and their world for themselves.
The confrontation harmoniously ended.
But this is not accepted as an option.
And that does not make feel full of pride, harmony and peace.
Because by staying, action has to be undertaken.
Like a small war.
The single human versus the multiple mice and small rats and El Triple is the battlefield.
Pretentiously the human is claiming that the mice and small rats have the whole desert to play in but not the small area where the Fuso Szulc is parked.
Obviously this is a proposition hard to understand for the rodents.
A man can talk forever and explain time and again, but they keep on coming and they insist on destroying what basically is a beautiful expedition vehicle.
On board the Fuso Szulc is a bottle with rodent poison.
Mice traps and one rat trap.
These are the weapons used in the battle against the persistent pestering predators.
To basically wipe out the rodent population in the vicinity.
It is a dilemma that has found this status.
A story that unravels anywhere on the planet when humans settle somewhere in nature.
Flora and fauna in combination with human beings.
Total harmony is impossible.
.
Here at El Triple there is nature with its flora and fauna.
And into this an expedition vehicle drives itself with a human being on board.
That has an impact.
Although limited.
The impact is the least on the flora.
It is hibernating now because the rainy season has not brought any rain at El Triple.
So, nature looks like it is death.
No flowers and no green leaves.
In any case, when walking through nature to the beach, always the same path is walked that twists and turns around the plants.
Not to step on them even when they look death.
But the animals is another story.
In spite of the dryness, they are around.
Even close to the Fuso Szulc.
There are small lizards.
But they are cute and in harmony with the human presence.
And there are coyotes walking by even close to the camp.
Usually at night or early in the morning.
They are shy animals but one coyote during a recent night came inside the camp and rummaged in search for possible food.
There is a strict rule never to leave food outside the Fuso Szulc and for this specific reason.
It would attract animals and bring a confrontation and thus complications closer.
With this policy the coyotes can be heard giving concerts at night but they never make other trouble.
The other representatives of the animal kingdom visiting are the insects.
Because there has been no rainfall here this year, there are not too many insects.
Besides, the daily northwest wind blowing from the Pacific Ocean keeps them away as well.
The stronger the wind the less insects.
The Fuso Szulc has bug screens and a screen door to keep the insects where they belong.
A good idea but at night, when it is dark outside but a light is on inside the Fuso Szulc, somehow certain small insects manage to come inside anyhow.
They stay around the lamp and when not bothered they are peaceful visitors.
But outside, specific insects are vicious and aggressive.
And there are bees that become upset easily.
Small bees that are curious but also hot tempered.
Yesterday one came to pay a visit.
During the preparations for the daily run.
The shirt was waved at the bee to make it go away.
That was too much for the bee.
Unnoticed he landed on the naked arm.
Where he viciously drilled his sting into the skin.
When that was noticed the bee was with a similar viciousness removed of its attack location.
But the bite had been performed and now the arm at that spot has been swollen to tumor like proportions and there is a terrible itching.
And then there are mice.
Followed by desert rats.
They not only look for food but also for a safe and comfortable place to stay.
And are specialists in gnawing anything: cables, wood, hoses and even aluminum.
If possible they make a nest inside RV’s and this has happened on a few occasions.
Hence, it is a good thing if it can be avoided that mice and small rats enter the Fuso Szulc to make havoc.
Like they seem to have done: two lights are not working anymore because probably somewhere in a hidden place in the Fuso Szulc they have been gnawing cables.
Now, what to do ?
There is one effective and beautiful solution to this problem of mice and small rats making the Fuso Szulc their place to stay.
It is to move out of the situation.
To leave the animals in peace and their world for themselves.
The confrontation harmoniously ended.
But this is not accepted as an option.
And that does not make feel full of pride, harmony and peace.
Because by staying, action has to be undertaken.
Like a small war.
The single human versus the multiple mice and small rats and El Triple is the battlefield.
Pretentiously the human is claiming that the mice and small rats have the whole desert to play in but not the small area where the Fuso Szulc is parked.
Obviously this is a proposition hard to understand for the rodents.
A man can talk forever and explain time and again, but they keep on coming and they insist on destroying what basically is a beautiful expedition vehicle.
On board the Fuso Szulc is a bottle with rodent poison.
Mice traps and one rat trap.
These are the weapons used in the battle against the persistent pestering predators.
To basically wipe out the rodent population in the vicinity.
It is a dilemma that has found this status.
A story that unravels anywhere on the planet when humans settle somewhere in nature.
Flora and fauna in combination with human beings.
Total harmony is impossible.
.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Life can be happy
The retreat is now in its 21st day.
And it feels better and better.
It may take even another week before the unique location has to be left due to failing supplies.
But for now: no real problems.
Still 30 liters of drinking water.
Propane tank at 56 %.
Watertank at 54 %.
And still food in fridge and freezer to survive living in a most simple way.
As so often though, there are minor technical problems.
A light used the most often at night has stopped working.
A technical inspection was made and there is no power on the cable.
Hence, somewhere between the light and the fuse board the cable is cut.
All the cables in the Fuso Szulc are behind walls therefore it is still an unmet challenge to discover where exactly the cut has taken place.
This though should be found out because in normal life cables are not cut by themselves.
Someone or something is doing this.
As there is nobody else, it must be mice.
They are known for gnawing cables and hoses of cars and RV’s that are in one place for a longer period of time.
Another technical issue that has come up are the six Trojan batteries.
They are in use for four years now and have reached the end of their life span.
They need to be replaced because they can’t keep properly the 20 amp of electricity the six solar panels on the roof produce at noon.
Therefore, electricity is now being used as little as possible.
Because when the power of the batteries go lower than 9 volt, the Magnum inverter system switches everything off.
Besides these minor issues life is uncomplicated, prosperous and happy.
.
And it feels better and better.
It may take even another week before the unique location has to be left due to failing supplies.
But for now: no real problems.
Still 30 liters of drinking water.
Propane tank at 56 %.
Watertank at 54 %.
And still food in fridge and freezer to survive living in a most simple way.
As so often though, there are minor technical problems.
A light used the most often at night has stopped working.
A technical inspection was made and there is no power on the cable.
Hence, somewhere between the light and the fuse board the cable is cut.
All the cables in the Fuso Szulc are behind walls therefore it is still an unmet challenge to discover where exactly the cut has taken place.
This though should be found out because in normal life cables are not cut by themselves.
Someone or something is doing this.
As there is nobody else, it must be mice.
They are known for gnawing cables and hoses of cars and RV’s that are in one place for a longer period of time.
Another technical issue that has come up are the six Trojan batteries.
They are in use for four years now and have reached the end of their life span.
They need to be replaced because they can’t keep properly the 20 amp of electricity the six solar panels on the roof produce at noon.
Therefore, electricity is now being used as little as possible.
Because when the power of the batteries go lower than 9 volt, the Magnum inverter system switches everything off.
Besides these minor issues life is uncomplicated, prosperous and happy.
.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
an excellent critique
The last couple of years numerous stories about the project “The most beautiful people in the world” have been published.
On the internet, in newspapers and magazines.
Many journalists were excited and enlightened by the project “The most beautiful people in the world” and wrote wonderful things about it.
Often though journalists are under stress.
They are in a hurry and have deadlines.
Of course every story published about the project “The most beautiful people in the world” is warmly welcomed.
But there are good stories and less good stories.
Until yesterday.
When an excellent critique was published about the project “The most beautiful people in the world” .
By a Canadian woman called Dawn Pier who is a writer and an environmental biologist.
She publishes a blog and did a story yesterday on beauty.
Rarely such a good text has been published about the project “The most beautiful people in the world” .
Read for yourself:
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
To read the blog of Dawn Pier, click on:
http://dawnpier.blogspot.com/2010/10/what-is-beauty.html
.
On the internet, in newspapers and magazines.
Many journalists were excited and enlightened by the project “The most beautiful people in the world” and wrote wonderful things about it.
Often though journalists are under stress.
They are in a hurry and have deadlines.
Of course every story published about the project “The most beautiful people in the world” is warmly welcomed.
But there are good stories and less good stories.
Until yesterday.
When an excellent critique was published about the project “The most beautiful people in the world” .
By a Canadian woman called Dawn Pier who is a writer and an environmental biologist.
She publishes a blog and did a story yesterday on beauty.
Rarely such a good text has been published about the project “The most beautiful people in the world” .
Read for yourself:
Beauty - six letters, three vowels and three consonants, three syllables when pronounced – a round, fat, even lush “B” followed by a series of vowels, two that pair to create one sound and one that stands independent, punctuated with a “T” near, but not quite at the end…and finally ending in the lovely, particularly when written in cursive, and flowing “y.”
What does the word beauty mean to you? What do you consider beautiful? And do you consider it applicable to you? How do you respond to the question:
Are you the most beautiful person in the world?
Beginning in 2004, the photographic artist Michel Szulc Krzyzanowski posed this question to people around the world. He did so not knowing what to expect, how people would respond or even IF they would respond.
The question was asked in large advertisements placed in serious newspapers in 10 major cities around the world, asking readers who believed this to be the case to respond in writing with their reasons. Every person who responded was visited in their home where photographs where taken portraying how and with whom they were living. Finally, they were asked “Why do you believe you are the most beautiful person in the world?” and their responses were recorded.
Six years and a great deal of effort later, an amazing thing has resulted – a photo book of great spiritual and philosophical import, illustrating cultural and aesthetic differences and similarities among people living in various countries around the globe. But more than that - through his photos and the participants’ answers to the question “Why are you the most beautiful person in the world?” the artist has illuminated and expanded the ideas behind our notion of beauty. He has taken forceps to the concept, taken a closer look at an idea that is often expressed by a single six-letter word, something seemingly so simple and definable, and then, through the result of his investigation, challenges the viewer to examine their own limited ideas surrounding it. The book challenges our preconceived, culturally-imposed notions concerning beauty, while it sheds light on and expands our perception of a concept that, in the western world, has been squeezed down to Kate Moss-esque proportions by marketing and Hollywood-influenced media.
Michel takes us on a physical journey as well: to Africa where beauty is measured by the number of wives or head of cattle one has, the size of one's belly or the skills possessed that put food in the family's mouth; to China, where the beauty of a handicapped child is revealed through his love of song; and to Brazil where it is through her children that a mother sees her intrinsic beauty. And perhaps it is in the responses from people in Iran that, as a westerner, I felt my preconceptions dissolving, turning into something much more fluid.
Ultimately, it is the true measure of a person that Michel brings to light. By sharing this visionary project, he challenges the yardstick we use to measure a person’s worth, by which we judge ourselves and others.
The artist states that throughout the project the central theme of beauty informed and drove the process. Where previously he might have pushed to make something happen, in this case he allowed things to unfold naturally, making it possible for the beauty inherent in the process to shine through and drive it, even when things were looking bleak.
The beauty of the project shines so bright that the artist has decided that most copies of the book will be given away for free. A limited number of “luxury” editions are being produced for those who wish to support the project financially – the result being that the audience may directly participate in the project and, through a beautiful act, make it possible for someone to obtain the book who, under normal circumstances, might not have the resources necessary to.
And what about you? Are you the most beautiful person in the world? Tell us why.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
To read the blog of Dawn Pier, click on:
http://dawnpier.blogspot.com/2010/10/what-is-beauty.html
.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Order now !
The photo book of the project “The most beautiful people in the world” is ready !
Order your copy now from:
http://www.themostbeautifulpeople.org
.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Food and water we need
In Primary School was a smart boy who asked his friends:
“How far can you see? And a margin of error of one kilometer is tolerated.”
Many boys would think hard and harder and eventually come up with an answer like: 10 kilometers on a clear day.
The smart boy would then laugh and say:
“Can you see the moon and the stars?
They are much more far away than 10 kilometers!!”
There is always a smart boy who misuses his intelligence to make other boys feel stupid.
But next time the smart boy can be more precise.
Because a new galaxy has been discovered that is the most far away object we humans have ever seen.
Seen by the Hubble Space Telescope, the galaxy called UDFy-38135539 is some 13 billion light years away.
According to Bishop James Ussher (1581-1656) though, God created the universe on October 23, 4004 BC.
That would make the universe 6023 years old in 2010 AD.
James Ussher was an Irish Archbishop whose chronology of Biblical history was widely accepted throughout Christianity.
But this time we are not fooled.
It is a scientific discovery made with hardware and no God of any Church has been involved.
By itself, the discovery of galaxy UDFy-38135539 is of no extraordinary significance.
There are over 100 million galaxies in the cosmos.
It is just that this one is the most far away we have ever seen.
And this makes us speculate about another thing.
The majority of the scientists believe that the “Big Bang”, the point in time when the universe was coming into existence, is roughly 13,6 billion years ago.
Now we are able to see the light of a galaxy that was shining 13,1 billion years ago.
(Distance is time, remember)
If we can improve our telescopes we may manage to look back in time to the moment of 13,6 billion years ago and see our own moment of creation!
This is not absurd or impossible.
These days scientists and engineers are building the “European Extremely Large Telescope” that will be ready the end of this decade.
This revolutionary new ground-based telescope will be 42 meters in diameter and will be the world's biggest eye on the sky.
But Dutch ex-astronaut Wubbo Ockels says it will be impossible to see the Big Bang, no matter how big we make our telescopes.
He claims that there are different realities.
One is a reality we have in our thinking that is created by being based on earth.
But according to Mr. Ockels, in space a totally different reality exists.
Where questions we have now do not have answers.
This is in line with the own attitude in life.
For a long time it is accepted that there are fundamental questions we humans have but that one can also learn to be satisfied with accepting there are no answers.
To let things are simply the way they are.
And to not get lost in a search for answers.
This way of thinking makes those telescopes of course a waste of money.
And they are.
The money could better be spend on improving the life on earth.
Let that become the big bang.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
To learn more about the discovery of the most far away galaxy ever, click on:
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-10/hubble-glimpses-most-distant-object-ever-seen-galaxy-13-billion-light-years-away?page=
To learn more about the new European telescope, click on:
http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/e-elt.html
.
“How far can you see? And a margin of error of one kilometer is tolerated.”
Many boys would think hard and harder and eventually come up with an answer like: 10 kilometers on a clear day.
The smart boy would then laugh and say:
“Can you see the moon and the stars?
They are much more far away than 10 kilometers!!”
There is always a smart boy who misuses his intelligence to make other boys feel stupid.
But next time the smart boy can be more precise.
Because a new galaxy has been discovered that is the most far away object we humans have ever seen.
Seen by the Hubble Space Telescope, the galaxy called UDFy-38135539 is some 13 billion light years away.
According to Bishop James Ussher (1581-1656) though, God created the universe on October 23, 4004 BC.
That would make the universe 6023 years old in 2010 AD.
James Ussher was an Irish Archbishop whose chronology of Biblical history was widely accepted throughout Christianity.
But this time we are not fooled.
It is a scientific discovery made with hardware and no God of any Church has been involved.
By itself, the discovery of galaxy UDFy-38135539 is of no extraordinary significance.
There are over 100 million galaxies in the cosmos.
It is just that this one is the most far away we have ever seen.
And this makes us speculate about another thing.
The majority of the scientists believe that the “Big Bang”, the point in time when the universe was coming into existence, is roughly 13,6 billion years ago.
Now we are able to see the light of a galaxy that was shining 13,1 billion years ago.
(Distance is time, remember)
If we can improve our telescopes we may manage to look back in time to the moment of 13,6 billion years ago and see our own moment of creation!
This is not absurd or impossible.
These days scientists and engineers are building the “European Extremely Large Telescope” that will be ready the end of this decade.
This revolutionary new ground-based telescope will be 42 meters in diameter and will be the world's biggest eye on the sky.
But Dutch ex-astronaut Wubbo Ockels says it will be impossible to see the Big Bang, no matter how big we make our telescopes.
He claims that there are different realities.
One is a reality we have in our thinking that is created by being based on earth.
But according to Mr. Ockels, in space a totally different reality exists.
Where questions we have now do not have answers.
This is in line with the own attitude in life.
For a long time it is accepted that there are fundamental questions we humans have but that one can also learn to be satisfied with accepting there are no answers.
To let things are simply the way they are.
And to not get lost in a search for answers.
This way of thinking makes those telescopes of course a waste of money.
And they are.
The money could better be spend on improving the life on earth.
Let that become the big bang.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
To learn more about the discovery of the most far away galaxy ever, click on:
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-10/hubble-glimpses-most-distant-object-ever-seen-galaxy-13-billion-light-years-away?page=
To learn more about the new European telescope, click on:
http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/e-elt.html
.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Pivotal persons
Last Friday was the opening of the exhibition “Camden Interiors” in London, UK.
Large sized images of 50 living rooms with their occupants standing next to their TV set.
Made in 1972, they are now exhibited again for their artistic and historical value.
From the photo book "The First Twenty Years".
The next day an e-mail was received:
I have literally just come back from Swiss Cottage Gallery in London and I was absolutely fascinated by your photo project "Camden Interiors" from 1972 that the gallery will be exhibiting for the next few weeks. I am a journalism student and I would like to write an article about it and thus help raise awareness of your unique work.
Always these kinds of responses are motivating to continue to work.
And start yet another project.
But then there are the questions of the journalism student to answer.
Like these two:
1. Back in 1972, when knocking on doors trying to persuade people to have their apartments photographed, was there any incident, trouble or maybe a funny memory that you can recall?
2. Why, in the first place, did you decide to accept the offer of Camden Arts Centre and work on this one-of-a-kind project?
The answer to the first question is easy.
Hardly anything is remembered from trying to find 50 locations of which the occupants agreed to have a picture taken of them in their living room.
The job was done together with a young woman and it was very nice to work with her.
But in the memory not one visit to any of the living rooms is remembered.
Hey, it is 38 years ago!
Then the second question.
Why, in the first place, did you decide to accept the offer of Camden Arts Centre and work on this one-of-a-kind project?
The photo project “Camden Interiors” was a personal idea and proposed to the female Director of the Camden Arts Centre.
She wanted originally to show work that was already made:
sequences on the beaches of an island in the Netherlands.
But it was unacceptable to function as an artist photographer like all the other artists at the time: to make art and show it later in a museum.
There was this strong need to want to connect as many people as possible to the museum.
Through the own abilities to make art.
At the time, some museum people were open to new experiments and these curators were able to leave behind the traditional way of thinking about art and how to present it.
They opened their museum doors and gave the floors to progressive artists.
This is essential in the career of an artist.
To meet persons who become pivotal and instrumental in the development and presentation of the oeuvre.
There have been several of these generous angels in this career and the director of the Camden Arts Center in 1972 was for sure one of them.
.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Shaken by happiness
A very emotional day.
Feeling tremendous joy, exuberance, delight and relief.
Caused by a message sent by the printer of the photo book of the project “The most beautiful people in the world” .
The photo book is ready.
Next week distribution and shipping starts.
The strong feelings this message caused was because it was realized that finally the objective had been reached.
After six years of hard work and insistently believing in the project.
It all started in Sao Paolo, Brazil in April 2004.
At that time life was with Jacqueline Duncan and a photo project called “World of little heroes” had just been finished.
Discussing with Jacqueline what new photo project to start, she came up with a splendid idea.
She had seen in the photo book “The First Twenty Years” not only the sequences but also two pages on a project performed in the Netherlands in 1988.
The photo project was called “De mooiste mensen van Nederland” (The most beautiful people in the Netherlands) and for this six men and six women were visited and photographed in their homes who had responded to an advertisement.
In this advertisement published in newspapers people had been asked to respond in case they had the opinion they were the most beautiful.
Jacqueline Duncan in Sao Paolo suggested: why don’t you perform this photo project worldwide?
Immediately it was recognized this was a great idea and soon advertisements were published in several Sao Paolo newspapers and not much later the first most beautiful Brazilian people were photographed.
This is how the project “The most beautiful people in the world” started.
After Brazil, the project was performed in the United States, Mexico, Poland, Spain, France, Iran, Namibia, China and India.
And this took until april 2008.
Exactly four years.
To go to those countries, to collaborate with the assistants, to meet those most beautiful people, it was an extraordinary experience.
Very interesting, revealing, entertaining and educational.
It was the best part of the project meeting people who had managed to find beauty in their lives.
The last two years were needed to come to a book publication.
Originally this was organized from Paris, France but in spite of serious commitments the French publisher backed out.
In hindsight this was a good development but it delayed publication with one year.
Producing the photo book, an effort was made to have this as a beautiful process as well.
That the beauty was not restricted to the faces on the images in the book, but that every activity of the project “The most beautiful people in the world” was a celebration of beauty.
And now there is a result.
THE result.
Six years of hard work coming to a climax.
During the six years doing this photo project there has been a short period that it was believed the whole thing would collapse and end in misery.
That the project would not have as a result the publication of a photo book.
This was in 2009 when the French publisher suddenly backed out and the economic crises had begun.
In those tragic days it was believed it was all just impossible: the right pictures but the wrong time.
A failed and unfinished project therefore.
Circumstances not favorable.
There have been many, many people that have gotten involved in the project “The most beautiful people in the world”.
Many have participated and contributed in fantastic ways.
Now, in the soon available photo book, there are two pages with the names of these heroes and heroines.
But at that time of crises, in 2009, when it seemed that the whole project had come to an unfortunate end with no result, there was one man who refused to accept this.
Who saw the potential of the project “The most beautiful people in the world” and believed that no matter what, it should come to a publication of a photo book.
He talked convincingly when meeting and wrote messages insisting not to give up.
He introduced the ingenious book designer Teun van der Heijden who would play a vital role in the book publishing part of the project.
And insisted so much that he made the fire going again.
He pushed to return to a position of almost megalomaniac ambition and now there is a photo book.
His name is Gerrit Jan Wolffensperger and very likely, without him we would not have a photo book of the project “The most beautiful people in the world”.
As many fervent and loyal blog readers know, the photo book of the project “The most beautiful people in the world” can be obtained for free.
Part of the philosophy to have beauty in every aspect of the project and not to exploit commercially the people that have participated.
It can also be purchased as a “Luxury Edition”: the photo book signed by the author with a museum quality print in a beautiful box.
The proceeds of the “Luxury Edition” pay for the free copies.
Hence, now is the time to order your “Luxury Edition” and when not financially possible, to get the free copy.
Now that the photo book is ready, it is yours in a very short time!
Simply go to http://www.themostbeautifulpeople.org and be beautiful too.
.
Feeling tremendous joy, exuberance, delight and relief.
Caused by a message sent by the printer of the photo book of the project “The most beautiful people in the world” .
The photo book is ready.
Next week distribution and shipping starts.
The strong feelings this message caused was because it was realized that finally the objective had been reached.
After six years of hard work and insistently believing in the project.
It all started in Sao Paolo, Brazil in April 2004.
At that time life was with Jacqueline Duncan and a photo project called “World of little heroes” had just been finished.
Discussing with Jacqueline what new photo project to start, she came up with a splendid idea.
She had seen in the photo book “The First Twenty Years” not only the sequences but also two pages on a project performed in the Netherlands in 1988.
The photo project was called “De mooiste mensen van Nederland” (The most beautiful people in the Netherlands) and for this six men and six women were visited and photographed in their homes who had responded to an advertisement.
In this advertisement published in newspapers people had been asked to respond in case they had the opinion they were the most beautiful.
Jacqueline Duncan in Sao Paolo suggested: why don’t you perform this photo project worldwide?
Immediately it was recognized this was a great idea and soon advertisements were published in several Sao Paolo newspapers and not much later the first most beautiful Brazilian people were photographed.
This is how the project “The most beautiful people in the world” started.
After Brazil, the project was performed in the United States, Mexico, Poland, Spain, France, Iran, Namibia, China and India.
And this took until april 2008.
Exactly four years.
To go to those countries, to collaborate with the assistants, to meet those most beautiful people, it was an extraordinary experience.
Very interesting, revealing, entertaining and educational.
It was the best part of the project meeting people who had managed to find beauty in their lives.
The last two years were needed to come to a book publication.
Originally this was organized from Paris, France but in spite of serious commitments the French publisher backed out.
In hindsight this was a good development but it delayed publication with one year.
Producing the photo book, an effort was made to have this as a beautiful process as well.
That the beauty was not restricted to the faces on the images in the book, but that every activity of the project “The most beautiful people in the world” was a celebration of beauty.
And now there is a result.
THE result.
Six years of hard work coming to a climax.
During the six years doing this photo project there has been a short period that it was believed the whole thing would collapse and end in misery.
That the project would not have as a result the publication of a photo book.
This was in 2009 when the French publisher suddenly backed out and the economic crises had begun.
In those tragic days it was believed it was all just impossible: the right pictures but the wrong time.
A failed and unfinished project therefore.
Circumstances not favorable.
There have been many, many people that have gotten involved in the project “The most beautiful people in the world”.
Many have participated and contributed in fantastic ways.
Now, in the soon available photo book, there are two pages with the names of these heroes and heroines.
But at that time of crises, in 2009, when it seemed that the whole project had come to an unfortunate end with no result, there was one man who refused to accept this.
Who saw the potential of the project “The most beautiful people in the world” and believed that no matter what, it should come to a publication of a photo book.
He talked convincingly when meeting and wrote messages insisting not to give up.
He introduced the ingenious book designer Teun van der Heijden who would play a vital role in the book publishing part of the project.
And insisted so much that he made the fire going again.
He pushed to return to a position of almost megalomaniac ambition and now there is a photo book.
His name is Gerrit Jan Wolffensperger and very likely, without him we would not have a photo book of the project “The most beautiful people in the world”.
As many fervent and loyal blog readers know, the photo book of the project “The most beautiful people in the world” can be obtained for free.
Part of the philosophy to have beauty in every aspect of the project and not to exploit commercially the people that have participated.
It can also be purchased as a “Luxury Edition”: the photo book signed by the author with a museum quality print in a beautiful box.
The proceeds of the “Luxury Edition” pay for the free copies.
Hence, now is the time to order your “Luxury Edition” and when not financially possible, to get the free copy.
Now that the photo book is ready, it is yours in a very short time!
Simply go to http://www.themostbeautifulpeople.org and be beautiful too.
.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Shaked by an earthquake
Living in total liberty can drive someone insane.
Like this Saudi Arabian Prince that recently was convicted to many years in prison for killing in his hotel room his valet.
The Prince had all the money in the world and nothing to do and drowned in the pit of nothingness.
But at El Triple, the location in Mexico of the full emptiness, no signs of insanity can be noticed.
This is achieved by having a severe disciplined life.
A strict structure of moments of activities that is performed every very day.
Waking up and rising is always before the sun comes to shine from behind the mountains.
Breakfast is always a glass of orange juice with a multivitamin pill.
Followed by a bowl of four spoons of oatmeal and one spoon of Svelty milk powder.
And so it continues.
Every hour of the day is programmed and never there is a diversion of the schedule.
This may sound rigid and crazy but in fact it is a way to reach a fantastic state of happiness in the life.
This strict schedule opens the way to a higher level of being because the ordinary life that has become on purpose an endlessly repeating routine, kind of disappears.
When the ordinary life has vanished, the extraordinary life becomes available to live and experience and enjoy.
This is why yesterday at around noon it was the scheduled lunch inside the Fuso Szulc.
Two slices of toasted bread: one with Gouda cheese and one with organic raspberry preserves.
With a glass of apple juice and a prune to finish.
There was a wind outside of about 15 km per hour. ( 9 miles ).
And suddenly the Fuso Szulc started to shake.
As if a strong gust of wind had hit the vehicle making it dance on its six wheels.
Immediately the Davis Vantage Vue weather center was checked to learn how many km per hour this wind gust actually was.
But the indicator said it was not more than this 15 km per hour.
No more thought was given to this discrepancy.
As alone the consideration to put more stabilizers underneath the Fuso Szulc.
Later that day one of our fervent and loyal blog readers did send this message:
It was then it was realized it had been an earthquake shaking the Fuso Szulc.
Confirmed by this report from the Associated Press:
Powerful earthquake rocks Mexico's Gulf of California
Associated Press
Posted on October 21, 2010 at 2:25 PM
Updated today at 2:28 PM
MEXICO CITY -- A powerful earthquake struck offshore in Mexico’s Gulf of California on Thursday, causing people to flee into the streets in the western state of Sinaloa, causing fear but no immediate reports of damage or injury.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude of the quake that hit at 11:53 a.m. (1:53 p.m. EDT, 1753 GMT) was calculated as 6.9 and struck about 65 miles (105 kilometers) south of Los Mochis, a city just inland from the coast in Sinaloa.
The epicenter was 85 miles (140 kilometers) northeast of La Paz in Baja California Sur and was at a relatively shallow depth of 6.2 miles (10 kilometers).
Sinaloa civil protections authorities reported no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
Alberto Montoya Rodriguez, who runs the losmochis.com website from his home in Ahome, north of the city, said it seemed to shake for more than a minute, sending him and his neighbors into the streets.
"There was a lot a panic," he said, but there was no damage beyond "just a big scare."
Alejandra Cruz, a worker who answered the telephone at the Best Western Hotel in Los Mochis, said employees and guests were evacuated but returned to the building shortly after.
"We had customers in the restaurant that took to the streets," added Sujey Becerra, an employee of Las Fuentes Los Mochis, another hotel in the city.
The same region was hit by three moderately powerful earthquakes ranging in magnitude from 5.5 to 5.8 Tuesday night and early Wednesday, but they caused no known damage.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Check the recent earthquake by clicking gently on:
http://www.khou.com/news/Powerful-earthquake-rocks-Mexicos-Gulf-of-California--105461393.html
.
Like this Saudi Arabian Prince that recently was convicted to many years in prison for killing in his hotel room his valet.
The Prince had all the money in the world and nothing to do and drowned in the pit of nothingness.
But at El Triple, the location in Mexico of the full emptiness, no signs of insanity can be noticed.
This is achieved by having a severe disciplined life.
A strict structure of moments of activities that is performed every very day.
Waking up and rising is always before the sun comes to shine from behind the mountains.
Breakfast is always a glass of orange juice with a multivitamin pill.
Followed by a bowl of four spoons of oatmeal and one spoon of Svelty milk powder.
And so it continues.
Every hour of the day is programmed and never there is a diversion of the schedule.
This may sound rigid and crazy but in fact it is a way to reach a fantastic state of happiness in the life.
This strict schedule opens the way to a higher level of being because the ordinary life that has become on purpose an endlessly repeating routine, kind of disappears.
When the ordinary life has vanished, the extraordinary life becomes available to live and experience and enjoy.
This is why yesterday at around noon it was the scheduled lunch inside the Fuso Szulc.
Two slices of toasted bread: one with Gouda cheese and one with organic raspberry preserves.
With a glass of apple juice and a prune to finish.
There was a wind outside of about 15 km per hour. ( 9 miles ).
And suddenly the Fuso Szulc started to shake.
As if a strong gust of wind had hit the vehicle making it dance on its six wheels.
Immediately the Davis Vantage Vue weather center was checked to learn how many km per hour this wind gust actually was.
But the indicator said it was not more than this 15 km per hour.
No more thought was given to this discrepancy.
As alone the consideration to put more stabilizers underneath the Fuso Szulc.
Later that day one of our fervent and loyal blog readers did send this message:
“You feel what is reported to be a big earthquake today? You ok?”
It was then it was realized it had been an earthquake shaking the Fuso Szulc.
Confirmed by this report from the Associated Press:
Powerful earthquake rocks Mexico's Gulf of California
Associated Press
Posted on October 21, 2010 at 2:25 PM
Updated today at 2:28 PM
MEXICO CITY -- A powerful earthquake struck offshore in Mexico’s Gulf of California on Thursday, causing people to flee into the streets in the western state of Sinaloa, causing fear but no immediate reports of damage or injury.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude of the quake that hit at 11:53 a.m. (1:53 p.m. EDT, 1753 GMT) was calculated as 6.9 and struck about 65 miles (105 kilometers) south of Los Mochis, a city just inland from the coast in Sinaloa.
The epicenter was 85 miles (140 kilometers) northeast of La Paz in Baja California Sur and was at a relatively shallow depth of 6.2 miles (10 kilometers).
Sinaloa civil protections authorities reported no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
Alberto Montoya Rodriguez, who runs the losmochis.com website from his home in Ahome, north of the city, said it seemed to shake for more than a minute, sending him and his neighbors into the streets.
"There was a lot a panic," he said, but there was no damage beyond "just a big scare."
Alejandra Cruz, a worker who answered the telephone at the Best Western Hotel in Los Mochis, said employees and guests were evacuated but returned to the building shortly after.
"We had customers in the restaurant that took to the streets," added Sujey Becerra, an employee of Las Fuentes Los Mochis, another hotel in the city.
The same region was hit by three moderately powerful earthquakes ranging in magnitude from 5.5 to 5.8 Tuesday night and early Wednesday, but they caused no known damage.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Check the recent earthquake by clicking gently on:
http://www.khou.com/news/Powerful-earthquake-rocks-Mexicos-Gulf-of-California--105461393.html
.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Opening doors
In 1972, there was an invitation from a museum in London, UK, the Camden Arts Center, to participate in an exhibition called “Photography into Art”.
At the time photography was seen as an applied art form.
Like fashion and ceramics.
Work made to serve another purpose not decided by the photographer.
But even as a student the thought had come up never to work for anybody else but only to do the fantastic ideas that came up constantly in the own mind.
Using photography as a tool as artists use painting and sculpting.
This has been a major development in photography and it happened in the early 70’s of last century.
Artists who transformed photography from an applied art form into an independent art form.
The clever curators of the Camden Arts Center in London, UK were one of the first to notice this development and therefore organized the exhibition “Photography into Art” in 1972.
A very good title, “Photography into Art”, because it explained that photography had been upgraded by artists to become a serious art form.
A catalog was published with this exhibition “Photography into Art”.
A large book and if it is in your library it is an asset of great value now.
When the proposal came to participate in this exhibition “Photography into Art”, it was refused to show existing work.
Instead, the request was made to go to Camden, London and make work especially for the exhibition.
Somehow there was money for this and soon weeks were spent in London doing three different photo projects.
One of them was called “Camden Interiors”.
The plan was to try to get as many persons living in Camden to this exhibition “Photography into Art”.
Not only the elite but the common man and woman and children as well.
To change the museum from being the ivory tower it very much was in the early 70’s into a public place interesting for anybody.
The trick was to show and promote something in the museum the people had created themselves to make those the objects of the exhibition.
Obviously, the self made object was their living room.
An environment the result of the private taste, history and creativity.
Another reason to chose for this particular expression of personal taste was the knowledge that always there is curiosity to want to see how exactly the neighbors live.
It was a laborious job to find 50 persons who were accepting to let the photographer and his charming assistant in and to be photographed in the living room standing next to the TV set.
It took two weeks of knocking on doors, using never failing enthusiasm and never accepting disappointment.
The assistant was truly great for this job.
The persons that accepted to be photographed and to be in the exhibition received a document.
With this they could come to the show in the Camden Arts Center and receive a free copy of their image.
Another way to promote to come to the museum.
Meanwhile the Camden Arts Center had informed their press contacts about this unique photo project.
Result was that the newspaper The Times did a story and the BBC radio as well.
This had the fantastic effect that many people from Camden and elsewhere in London came to see the exhibition to check how other people were actually living.
“Camden Interiors”, a series of 50 black and white pictures, was purchased by the Camden Archives shortly after the exhibition.
And guess what, again they are doing a show of these images!
Why?
Aidan Flood, the curator:
Voila.
When in London between October 22 and December 19, 2010, go and see this exhibition of the “Camden Interiors” in the Swiss Cottage Gallery on 88 Avenue Road.
.
.
At the time photography was seen as an applied art form.
Like fashion and ceramics.
Work made to serve another purpose not decided by the photographer.
But even as a student the thought had come up never to work for anybody else but only to do the fantastic ideas that came up constantly in the own mind.
Using photography as a tool as artists use painting and sculpting.
This has been a major development in photography and it happened in the early 70’s of last century.
Artists who transformed photography from an applied art form into an independent art form.
The clever curators of the Camden Arts Center in London, UK were one of the first to notice this development and therefore organized the exhibition “Photography into Art” in 1972.
A very good title, “Photography into Art”, because it explained that photography had been upgraded by artists to become a serious art form.
A catalog was published with this exhibition “Photography into Art”.
A large book and if it is in your library it is an asset of great value now.
When the proposal came to participate in this exhibition “Photography into Art”, it was refused to show existing work.
Instead, the request was made to go to Camden, London and make work especially for the exhibition.
Somehow there was money for this and soon weeks were spent in London doing three different photo projects.
One of them was called “Camden Interiors”.
The plan was to try to get as many persons living in Camden to this exhibition “Photography into Art”.
Not only the elite but the common man and woman and children as well.
To change the museum from being the ivory tower it very much was in the early 70’s into a public place interesting for anybody.
The trick was to show and promote something in the museum the people had created themselves to make those the objects of the exhibition.
Obviously, the self made object was their living room.
An environment the result of the private taste, history and creativity.
Another reason to chose for this particular expression of personal taste was the knowledge that always there is curiosity to want to see how exactly the neighbors live.
It was a laborious job to find 50 persons who were accepting to let the photographer and his charming assistant in and to be photographed in the living room standing next to the TV set.
It took two weeks of knocking on doors, using never failing enthusiasm and never accepting disappointment.
The assistant was truly great for this job.
The persons that accepted to be photographed and to be in the exhibition received a document.
With this they could come to the show in the Camden Arts Center and receive a free copy of their image.
Another way to promote to come to the museum.
Meanwhile the Camden Arts Center had informed their press contacts about this unique photo project.
Result was that the newspaper The Times did a story and the BBC radio as well.
This had the fantastic effect that many people from Camden and elsewhere in London came to see the exhibition to check how other people were actually living.
“Camden Interiors”, a series of 50 black and white pictures, was purchased by the Camden Archives shortly after the exhibition.
And guess what, again they are doing a show of these images!
Why?
Aidan Flood, the curator:
“Your photographs, apart from being beautiful, have acquired an added dimension as historical documents showing fashion, furnishings, and living styles from an era that has passed but which will resonate with many of the viewers”.
Voila.
When in London between October 22 and December 19, 2010, go and see this exhibition of the “Camden Interiors” in the Swiss Cottage Gallery on 88 Avenue Road.
.
.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
rolling retreat
It is now two weeks of retreat at El Triple, the abandoned and desolate location on the West coast of Baja California in Mexico.
With on one side the Pacific Ocean and on the other side a desert.
And pelicans flying by in formation.
Concerning supplies, it is still a good time.
Well, of course all the bananas have been eaten.
And the melons and papayas as well.
But this is because they cannot be kept in this warm weather for a long time.
There is still 50 liters (13 gallons) of drinking water.
In two weeks 30 liters (8 gallons) have been used.
With an average of 2 liter per day, the supply will last for at least 25 days.
The main water tank of the Fuso Szulc, water that is used for washing the dishes and the face and hands, containing about 300 liters (80 gallons) is still having 71 % of capacity.
30 % in 14 days means plenty of water for another month.
The large propane tank, supplying gas for cooking and the fridge, is at 56 % of capacity.
Three weeks of propane left.
Dinner is also not really strangling the pilgrim and forcing to go to a supermarket soon.
The strategy is applied of cooking double portions each time.
One is eaten and the other goes into a Ziplock bag into the freezer.
Once the vegetables in the fridge have all been eaten, it is time to eat the frozen food.
A more precarious issue are fruits.
After two weeks there are still grapefruits, mangoes, prunes, apples and pears.
But probably after two more weeks it will be apples only.
Because they can be kept the longest in warm weather.
As of then, it is an apple for breakfast mixed with the oat meal at 07.00 h., an apple at 10.30 h., an apple after lunch at 12.30 h., and an apple after the afternoon walk at 15.00 h.
There are many apples on board.
What also decides how long the Fuso Szulc can stay at El Triple is the hardware.
For the moment everything operates normally.
Although, this analogue clock broke down.
But one can live easily without an analogue clock.
At the place where this clock was is now a Casio World Watch showing the analogue time.
Again every day running is performed.
On Nike Air shoes.
And they are ready to be replaced.
The souls have cracks and one lace hole broke.
But they still serve.
No reason to run away to town.
Then, maybe a human factor decides how long this retreat may take?
Because it is a time now of solitary existence with no other human beings coming close as alone the pilot in the Mexican Air Force Pilatus PC7 airplane flying by sometimes and the fishermen on the shrimp boats far away on the Pacific Ocean.
Maybe a desire develops eventually to want to be among others?
This is the beauty of the current existence.
It is in total freedom that life is lived.
If there is still food on board but the desire starts dominating to want to be with people, immediately the Fuso Szulc will head for the nearest town.
It is life lived from intuition: what feels good is the right way.
And how good El Triple still feels!
.
.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
No enemy but prepared to fight
Why is it, fervent and loyal blog readers, that a smile comes on our face when we hear about the Mexican Airforce?
That we don’t feel even a beginning of being serious about them?
This starts with the general conviction that a military air force in Mexico will always be a paradox.
And for a military force to be a paradox is a wrong foundation when you want to fight and win.
Imagine, to the east Mexico has a sea as a border: the Gulf of Mexico where the only enemy found are hurricanes and oil spills.
To the west Mexico has the Pacific Ocean as a border and the nearest enemy there is Japan that has been taught in WW2 not to be so naughty anymore.
To the south Mexico has real neighbors: Guatemala and Belize.
The air force of Guatemala consists of 93 airplanes of which not one can attack.
Most are transport planes and helicopters.
Belize has an air force consisting of 5 planes all for transportation and training.
One doesn’t need to be a military expert on air war fare to conclude that Mexico has nothing to be afraid of from the South, the East and the West.
Now, what about the North?
Big Brother USA lives there and has the largest air force in the world.
More than 6.000 airplanes and many of them can drop bombs.
Now, it is no secret that those + 6.000 fighter planes are not all positioned with their noses towards Mexico.
But nevertheless, a smart air force general will never even begin to think of fighting an enemy that has over 6.000 planes when having yourself only 363 outdated flying machines.
Because that is the amount of planes the Mexican Air Force has.
So, if there is no enemy to the East and to the West, and no enemy to take serious to the South but an enemy to the North that makes anyone run away for cover, why have an air force?
Frequently this fundamental question is answered by the Mexican Air Force.
They have the 9th Military Air Base near La Paz, the town about three hours from El Triple, the current location of living and working.
At this Air Base is the 2nd Air Group consisting of the 203 Air Squadron.
They fly the Pilatus PC-7 from there.
The Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer is a low-wing tandem-seat training aircraft, manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland.
This aircraft is capable of all basic training functions including aerobatics, instrument, tactical and night flying.
Sometimes they come right above El Triple when teaching new pilots how to fly.
And on rare occasions they even do loop-the-loops!
Hurray for the Mexican Air Force!
.
Monday, October 18, 2010
In Holland life is worth $ 110.000
It is a figure that is astonishing and probably is valid for many more countries: one out of three persons from the Netherlands will get cancer.
That is a pretty high risk.
If flying had the same figures, every plane out of three having an accident, not many people will feel comfortable to book a trip.
But life is not a plane ticket and we are traveling on a forced upon journey.
Not to be the one out of the three getting cancer remains a lottery although it may help not to smoke and to eat healthy and to do exercises and to be happy and relaxed.
The issue that is coming up in the Netherlands these days is the costs of treating patients with cancer.
It is becoming a moral and ethical matter.
For example, there are people with cancer who are terminal.
They will die of the cancer no matter what and often the doctors can say how much time more they can live.
There was this man who had cancer of the bladder that had spread to the lymph nodes.
He was soon going to die.
A matter of weeks.
But in the hospital they had a strong medicine that would guarantee he would have two months more of painless and comfortable living.
After he also would die.
The man was excited to be able to live happily for another two months.
But the issue was that the medicine was costing € 4.000 ( $ 5.600 )
Should the health insurance of this unfortunate man pay for this medicine?
The answer is, they don’t know.
Not yet.
There are no unlimited amounts of money for health care.
Choices need to be made.
Is it responsible to pay to have somebody live two months longer?
For the moment the Government of the Netherlands have a guideline:
the financial limit of costs for medical treatment should not surpass the amount of € 80.000 ($ 110.000 ) annually.
This means that the chemotherapy a cancer patient is getting may be halted once it is costing over € 80.000 within 12 months.
Or the chemotherapy will not even be started if the doctors know it will exceed the financial limit.
A disturbing aspect to this dilemma is that in the case of oncology a lot of the treatment is not more than slowing the tumors therefore only extending the time of life.
Sometimes with weeks, sometimes with months.
Therefore the question lives how much money the community should make available for this purpose.
For the people who can’t pay for it themselves.
In Africa it has been witnessed that the old man of a Kraal who could not assist anymore in feeding the family by working on the land took a jar and walked away into the mountains.
To die and not be a burden to his family.
But this sense of responsibility for the community has been terminated once societies adapted capitalism and liberalism.
In the end, these days, money decides how long a person will live.
You can go far, in case you have a good health insurance.
But more far if you are rich: you can buy your own time.
.
That is a pretty high risk.
If flying had the same figures, every plane out of three having an accident, not many people will feel comfortable to book a trip.
But life is not a plane ticket and we are traveling on a forced upon journey.
Not to be the one out of the three getting cancer remains a lottery although it may help not to smoke and to eat healthy and to do exercises and to be happy and relaxed.
The issue that is coming up in the Netherlands these days is the costs of treating patients with cancer.
It is becoming a moral and ethical matter.
For example, there are people with cancer who are terminal.
They will die of the cancer no matter what and often the doctors can say how much time more they can live.
There was this man who had cancer of the bladder that had spread to the lymph nodes.
He was soon going to die.
A matter of weeks.
But in the hospital they had a strong medicine that would guarantee he would have two months more of painless and comfortable living.
After he also would die.
The man was excited to be able to live happily for another two months.
But the issue was that the medicine was costing € 4.000 ( $ 5.600 )
Should the health insurance of this unfortunate man pay for this medicine?
The answer is, they don’t know.
Not yet.
There are no unlimited amounts of money for health care.
Choices need to be made.
Is it responsible to pay to have somebody live two months longer?
For the moment the Government of the Netherlands have a guideline:
the financial limit of costs for medical treatment should not surpass the amount of € 80.000 ($ 110.000 ) annually.
This means that the chemotherapy a cancer patient is getting may be halted once it is costing over € 80.000 within 12 months.
Or the chemotherapy will not even be started if the doctors know it will exceed the financial limit.
A disturbing aspect to this dilemma is that in the case of oncology a lot of the treatment is not more than slowing the tumors therefore only extending the time of life.
Sometimes with weeks, sometimes with months.
Therefore the question lives how much money the community should make available for this purpose.
For the people who can’t pay for it themselves.
In Africa it has been witnessed that the old man of a Kraal who could not assist anymore in feeding the family by working on the land took a jar and walked away into the mountains.
To die and not be a burden to his family.
But this sense of responsibility for the community has been terminated once societies adapted capitalism and liberalism.
In the end, these days, money decides how long a person will live.
You can go far, in case you have a good health insurance.
But more far if you are rich: you can buy your own time.
.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Growling growl
Suddenly whenever a person comes on line when using Skype, a message appears on the computer screen saying who it is.
First it was believed this was really neat.
While puzzled how this suddenly could happen.
But then yesterday out of the blue a similar message came on the screen saying that now there was an update of “Growl” available.
“Growl” ?
What is “Growl” ?
A new trick to have a computer worm enter the hard disk?
To be on the safe side, “Growl” was Googled.
And it is indeed a software program.
That can do things on the computer like informing who has come on line for Skype.
Officially it says this: “Growl is a notification system for Mac OS X: it allows applications that support Growl to send you notifications”.
But how then can “Growl” suddenly become manifest if it is totally unknown and therefore never downloaded, installed and made operational?
Who here is in control, fervent and loyal blog readers?
How far can it go in others controlling your computer?
More research revealed that Growl is sometimes packaged with other software program.
And this is the explanation.
Recently, in the new Apple shop in Temecula, California, USA, the latest version of Photoshop was acquired.
CS5.
It was installed on the MacBook Pro and used with great pleasure and satisfaction ever since.
Now it has become clear that Adobe, the maker of Photoshop, includes “Growl” and simply installs it without informing the customer.
“Growl” might be perfect for Photoshop but it also affects other programs like Skype.
A ghost is put into the machine.
The policy of Adobe is to pretend this is an acceptable way of doing.
While “Growl” says they believe it is very unfortunate in this way their software is distributed.
And they offer on their website another program to uninstall “Growl”.
Of course “Growl” is not very sorry at all.
And very few people will ever go through the hassle to uninstall “Growl”.
What to do?
One can see “Growl” as a gift.
A present.
And make the best use of “Growl” as possible.
What the heck.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
To learn more about “Growl”, see:
http://growl.info/
.
First it was believed this was really neat.
While puzzled how this suddenly could happen.
But then yesterday out of the blue a similar message came on the screen saying that now there was an update of “Growl” available.
“Growl” ?
What is “Growl” ?
A new trick to have a computer worm enter the hard disk?
To be on the safe side, “Growl” was Googled.
And it is indeed a software program.
That can do things on the computer like informing who has come on line for Skype.
Officially it says this: “Growl is a notification system for Mac OS X: it allows applications that support Growl to send you notifications”.
But how then can “Growl” suddenly become manifest if it is totally unknown and therefore never downloaded, installed and made operational?
Who here is in control, fervent and loyal blog readers?
How far can it go in others controlling your computer?
More research revealed that Growl is sometimes packaged with other software program.
And this is the explanation.
Recently, in the new Apple shop in Temecula, California, USA, the latest version of Photoshop was acquired.
CS5.
It was installed on the MacBook Pro and used with great pleasure and satisfaction ever since.
Now it has become clear that Adobe, the maker of Photoshop, includes “Growl” and simply installs it without informing the customer.
“Growl” might be perfect for Photoshop but it also affects other programs like Skype.
A ghost is put into the machine.
The policy of Adobe is to pretend this is an acceptable way of doing.
While “Growl” says they believe it is very unfortunate in this way their software is distributed.
And they offer on their website another program to uninstall “Growl”.
Of course “Growl” is not very sorry at all.
And very few people will ever go through the hassle to uninstall “Growl”.
What to do?
One can see “Growl” as a gift.
A present.
And make the best use of “Growl” as possible.
What the heck.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
To learn more about “Growl”, see:
http://growl.info/
.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
They are back!
We call them “sand dollars”.
But by experts they are known as Clypeasteroide.
And they can explain that this beautiful object we find on the beach is in fact the skeleton of an animal.
A sea urchin that lives in the sand and eats crustacean larvae, small copepods, algae and deritus.
When alive, the sand dollar is covered with fine hair and it can move slowly.
When it dies it can wash on the beach without any covering anymore.
And then one sees something exceptionally perfect and astounding.
Something that is perfect in its design, in its symmetry, in its decoration.
In the past, on the beach of El Triple, sand dollars were frequently found.
And always brought back to the encampment.
Because of their beauty and perfectness, no wonder they managed to play a role in many of the sequences, VISTA pictures and the images of the PS-series.
But over the last few years less and less sand dollars were found.
It became exceptional to find one.
Until this time of retreat.
In the last seven days five beautiful sand dollars have been found.
Somehow they are back.
.
But by experts they are known as Clypeasteroide.
And they can explain that this beautiful object we find on the beach is in fact the skeleton of an animal.
A sea urchin that lives in the sand and eats crustacean larvae, small copepods, algae and deritus.
When alive, the sand dollar is covered with fine hair and it can move slowly.
When it dies it can wash on the beach without any covering anymore.
And then one sees something exceptionally perfect and astounding.
Something that is perfect in its design, in its symmetry, in its decoration.
In the past, on the beach of El Triple, sand dollars were frequently found.
And always brought back to the encampment.
Because of their beauty and perfectness, no wonder they managed to play a role in many of the sequences, VISTA pictures and the images of the PS-series.
But over the last few years less and less sand dollars were found.
It became exceptional to find one.
Until this time of retreat.
In the last seven days five beautiful sand dollars have been found.
Somehow they are back.
.
Friday, October 15, 2010
E.T., you are not welcome!
Probably all of the fervent and loyal blog readers are aware we have the United Nations.
Based in New York they discuss the problems of the world and rarely have adequate solutions.
But the United Nations have sub-divisions too.
Like Unesco and Unoosa.
Now, probably not many fervent and loyal blog readers have ever heard of Unoosa.
Unoosa stands for: United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.
And for sure, this is not made up.
It is seriously a body of the United Nations.
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs is headed by a woman from Malaysia called Mazlan Othman.
She is an astrophysicist.
And yesterday the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs was having a General Meeting on cooperation in the peaceful use of outer space.
There Ms. Mazlan Othman made a remarkable statement.
She said in her speech:
“We Earthlings are poorly prepared to respond should there be contact from aliens”.
To this statement we should strongly protest!
How come an astrophysicist from Malaysia is allowed to speak for all of us?
Because ask yourself: are you prepared to respond should there be contact from aliens?
Probably many people will be very prepared.
They get their shotgun and shoot the bastard.
Or call the police seeing the intruder.
And many people will have a more peaceful attitude.
Inviting the alien into the living room, offering a cup of tea and asking how it is at home with the family.
Even here at El Triple: a most likely place for aliens to land their flying saucer.
There is nobody to witness the event and there is just one simple and harmless Earthlink to deal with.
Who is most friendly and willing to receive them cordially.
To the contrary of what Ms. Mazlan Othman believes.
But there is a twist to the story.
Ms. Mazlan Othman also says that statistically, extraterrestrial life is a possibility.
And that we could find life, though when discussing extraterrestrial life, it is not always green aliens with large lovely eyes, but most likely bacteria.
Now that changes the matter.
Bacteria from other planets are definitely not welcome here.
They can wipe us out, fervent and loyal blog readers, and then there are no more blogs anymore to read.
And in that sense Ms. Mazlan Othman is right.
When alien bacteria come to Earth, what can we do?
Even now, fighting our own bacteria with antibiotics we are losing the battle.
Conclusion: alien bacteria are not welcome on Earth!
And in fact green aliens with large lovely eyes either.
Imagine, these days the film studios in the San Fernando Valley in California, USA where they make porno movies are closed because of the HIV-Aids virus.
Green aliens with large lovely eyes may carry unknown viruses closing down eventually all of Earth.
Let’s make a huge sign in the Mojave Desert and the Kalahari desert and the Australian desert saying:
E.T.’s NOT WELCOME.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
cold and warm
So often we hear about climate change and the poles melting and the sea levels rising.
Scientifically this is a true and proven fact but what do we notice in our daily lives?
One of the things that always has been done when living at El Triple in Baja California, Mexico was to measure the highest and lowest daily temperatures.
And to store this data in a document on the computer.
This is why we can compare now the temperatures of these October 2010 days with the ones when also bivouacking at El Triple in October 2007.
Date Lowest Highest
10-10-2007 20,1º C 33,4º C
10-10-2010 17.8º C 28.8º C
11-10-2007 19,9º C 33,4º C
11-10-2010 16.7º C 28.5º C
12-10-2007 19,1º C 32,5º C
12-10-2010 13.4º C 30.6º C
13-10-2007 19,0º C 34,0º C
13-10-2010 18.4º C 30.8º C
Three years ago during those four October days it was warmer at El Triple compared to the current days.
But that has not necessarily anything to do with the truth about climate change.
It might be just a cooler Autumn this year.
.
Scientifically this is a true and proven fact but what do we notice in our daily lives?
One of the things that always has been done when living at El Triple in Baja California, Mexico was to measure the highest and lowest daily temperatures.
And to store this data in a document on the computer.
This is why we can compare now the temperatures of these October 2010 days with the ones when also bivouacking at El Triple in October 2007.
Date Lowest Highest
10-10-2007 20,1º C 33,4º C
10-10-2010 17.8º C 28.8º C
11-10-2007 19,9º C 33,4º C
11-10-2010 16.7º C 28.5º C
12-10-2007 19,1º C 32,5º C
12-10-2010 13.4º C 30.6º C
13-10-2007 19,0º C 34,0º C
13-10-2010 18.4º C 30.8º C
Three years ago during those four October days it was warmer at El Triple compared to the current days.
But that has not necessarily anything to do with the truth about climate change.
It might be just a cooler Autumn this year.
.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
What it costs
Here some prices of products recently purchased in a Mexican supermarket.
Compared also to prices paid in the past.
Check this out with the prices in your own store.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 liter of fruit juice
In 2010:
10 Mexican Pesos
0.81 $
0,58 €
In 2009:
14,00 Mexican Pesos
1.06 $
0,74 €
In 2008:
13,60 Mexican Pesos
0,77 €
1,02 $
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 kilo of mangoes
In 2010:
14,90 Mexican Pesos
1.20 $
0,86 €
In 2008:
1 kilo of mangoes
39,90 Mexican Pesos
2,27 €
2,98 $
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 kilo of Red Delicious apples
In 2010
26,90 Mexican Pesos
2.17 $
1,56 €
In 2009:
18,90 Mexican Pesos
1.43 $
1,00 €
In 2008:
27,90 Mexican Pesos
1,59 €
2,08 $
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 kilo of avocados
In 2010:
23 Mexican Pesos
1.86 $
1,34 €
In 2009:
48,90 Mexican Pesos
3.70 $
2,60 €
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 kilo of yellow peppers
In 2010:
49,90 Mexican Pesos
4.03 $
2,89 €
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 kilo of grapefruits
In 2010:
12,90 Mexican Pesos
1.04 $
0,75 €
In 2009:
13,60 Mexican Pesos
1.03 $
0,72 €
In 2008:
8,90 Mexican Pesos
0,51 €
0,66 $
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 kilo of melons
In 2010:
11,90 Mexican Pesos
0.96 $
0,69 €
In 2008:
9,95 Mexican Pesos
0,57 €
0,74 $
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 kilo of bananas
In 2010:
13,90 Mexican Pesos
1.12 $
0,80 €
In 2009:
13,80 Mexican Pesos
1.04 $
0,73 €
In 2008:
12,90 Mexican Pesos
0,73 €
0,96 $
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 kilo of tomatoes
In 2010:
19,90 Mexican Pesos
1.61 $
1,16 €
In 2009:
17,50 Mexican Pesos
1.32 $
0,92 €
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 kilo of Danjou pears
In 2010:
31,90 Mexican Pesos
2.58 $
1,85 €
In 2009:
33,90 Mexican Pesos
2.56 $
1,80 €
In 2008:
27,90 Mexican Pesos
1,59 €
2,08 $
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Colgate toothpaste 75 mg
In 2010
47,83 Mexican Pesos
3.86 $
2,77 €
In 2009:
20,00 Mexican Pesos
1.51 $
1,06 €
In 2008:
16,50 Mexican Pesos
0,94 €
1,23 $
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Compared also to prices paid in the past.
Check this out with the prices in your own store.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 liter of fruit juice
In 2010:
10 Mexican Pesos
0.81 $
0,58 €
In 2009:
14,00 Mexican Pesos
1.06 $
0,74 €
In 2008:
13,60 Mexican Pesos
0,77 €
1,02 $
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 kilo of mangoes
In 2010:
14,90 Mexican Pesos
1.20 $
0,86 €
In 2008:
1 kilo of mangoes
39,90 Mexican Pesos
2,27 €
2,98 $
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 kilo of Red Delicious apples
In 2010
26,90 Mexican Pesos
2.17 $
1,56 €
In 2009:
18,90 Mexican Pesos
1.43 $
1,00 €
In 2008:
27,90 Mexican Pesos
1,59 €
2,08 $
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 kilo of avocados
In 2010:
23 Mexican Pesos
1.86 $
1,34 €
In 2009:
48,90 Mexican Pesos
3.70 $
2,60 €
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 kilo of yellow peppers
In 2010:
49,90 Mexican Pesos
4.03 $
2,89 €
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 kilo of grapefruits
In 2010:
12,90 Mexican Pesos
1.04 $
0,75 €
In 2009:
13,60 Mexican Pesos
1.03 $
0,72 €
In 2008:
8,90 Mexican Pesos
0,51 €
0,66 $
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 kilo of melons
In 2010:
11,90 Mexican Pesos
0.96 $
0,69 €
In 2008:
9,95 Mexican Pesos
0,57 €
0,74 $
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 kilo of bananas
In 2010:
13,90 Mexican Pesos
1.12 $
0,80 €
In 2009:
13,80 Mexican Pesos
1.04 $
0,73 €
In 2008:
12,90 Mexican Pesos
0,73 €
0,96 $
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 kilo of tomatoes
In 2010:
19,90 Mexican Pesos
1.61 $
1,16 €
In 2009:
17,50 Mexican Pesos
1.32 $
0,92 €
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 kilo of Danjou pears
In 2010:
31,90 Mexican Pesos
2.58 $
1,85 €
In 2009:
33,90 Mexican Pesos
2.56 $
1,80 €
In 2008:
27,90 Mexican Pesos
1,59 €
2,08 $
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Colgate toothpaste 75 mg
In 2010
47,83 Mexican Pesos
3.86 $
2,77 €
In 2009:
20,00 Mexican Pesos
1.51 $
1,06 €
In 2008:
16,50 Mexican Pesos
0,94 €
1,23 $
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Doctors for the heart needed
Recently lunch was in Newport Beach south of Los Angeles on a terrace of an Italian restaurant with a good friend.
The sun was shining and the food was good.
What do two men talk about when in such heaven-like circumstances?
Eventually always about women.
Not about women as such but about the experiences with them.
As life has organized it, both men on that Newport Beach terrace had separated recently and therefore a lot was to share.
One thing that for both was clear is that it is better now.
That it is a difficult period in the life but that the direction it is going in is good and that better times are coming.
Concerning women and a possible relationship with one of them.
The good friend speeds up the process by seeing a psycho-therapist weekly and being subscribed to a dating agency.
Regularly he dates women whose profile he likes but until now a suitable candidate has not been found.
At the foundation of this activity is the strong desire to want to have a partner.
To wish to share life with a woman.
And the mysterious question is whether it is a good method to actually have a desire.
To have the ambition to want to be with a woman.
That this desire and ambition gets too much in the way of falling in love in a pure way without any strings attached.
Desire and ambition are personal interests and a partner is asked to fulfill them.
So, how much chance has that woman to be chosen because of who she is?
With a lot of desire and ambition a partner might be found that will suit the own needs only.
And is it that a relationship is about?
The psycho-therapist is an older woman and when the good friend tells her that he is still full of anger towards the ex-wife he has separated, she responds by saying that anger is in fact pain.
Anger is pain.
That is something to think about.
It suggests that if the pain is accepted for what it is, the anger will not be there.
Fine.
But how to leave pain behind then?
How to dissolve it?
It is obvious that someone must first deal efficiently with pain that is a result of a separation before to get involved with a new partner.
To be without pain to have to offer a clean and healthy heart.
There must be experts among the many fervent and loyal blog readers who have ideas how to deal with pain after a separation.
What are they?
.
The sun was shining and the food was good.
What do two men talk about when in such heaven-like circumstances?
Eventually always about women.
Not about women as such but about the experiences with them.
As life has organized it, both men on that Newport Beach terrace had separated recently and therefore a lot was to share.
One thing that for both was clear is that it is better now.
That it is a difficult period in the life but that the direction it is going in is good and that better times are coming.
Concerning women and a possible relationship with one of them.
The good friend speeds up the process by seeing a psycho-therapist weekly and being subscribed to a dating agency.
Regularly he dates women whose profile he likes but until now a suitable candidate has not been found.
At the foundation of this activity is the strong desire to want to have a partner.
To wish to share life with a woman.
And the mysterious question is whether it is a good method to actually have a desire.
To have the ambition to want to be with a woman.
That this desire and ambition gets too much in the way of falling in love in a pure way without any strings attached.
Desire and ambition are personal interests and a partner is asked to fulfill them.
So, how much chance has that woman to be chosen because of who she is?
With a lot of desire and ambition a partner might be found that will suit the own needs only.
And is it that a relationship is about?
The psycho-therapist is an older woman and when the good friend tells her that he is still full of anger towards the ex-wife he has separated, she responds by saying that anger is in fact pain.
Anger is pain.
That is something to think about.
It suggests that if the pain is accepted for what it is, the anger will not be there.
Fine.
But how to leave pain behind then?
How to dissolve it?
It is obvious that someone must first deal efficiently with pain that is a result of a separation before to get involved with a new partner.
To be without pain to have to offer a clean and healthy heart.
There must be experts among the many fervent and loyal blog readers who have ideas how to deal with pain after a separation.
What are they?
.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Hurry to die
There is a famous Dutch poem called “The gardener and Death”.
It is written by the poet P.N. van Eyck.
It goes like this:
This poem was translated by David Colmer
And that goes as follows:
This poem came to mind because of the recent death of Solomon Burke.
The famous soul singer.
Some time ago he was booked to perform at a private party in the Netherlands.
That must have been for quite an amount of money because Solomon Burke is a successful business man.
Besides, he moves his 300 kilos body around in a wheelchair, therefore flying long distance through crowded airports is for him not an easy thing to do.
On top of everything, it turned out that his concert at the private party in the Netherlands was canceled.
While waiting for a flight back to the USA, he decided to go to a concert of a Dutch band called “De Dijk”.
A band that is together for over thirty years and does light Rock and Roll and ballads in the Dutch language.
Solomon Burke was very enthusiastic about “De Dijk” and when he met the band members he learned that he was one of their idols.
This contact resulted in “De Dijk” translating into English their best songs and Solomon Burke came again to the Netherlands and sang those songs that became his new CD.
Next, “De Dijk” and Solomon Burke decided to give a concert together in the Netherlands tomorrow.
For this he flew last Sunday to Amsterdam again where after arrival, he died at the airport, finding his Ispahan.
.
.
It is written by the poet P.N. van Eyck.
It goes like this:
De tuinman en de dood
Een Perzisch Edelman:
Van morgen ijlt mijn tuinman, wit van schrik, Mijn woning in: "Heer, Heer, één ogenblik!
Ginds, in de rooshof, snoeide ik loot na loot, Toen keek ik achter mij. Daar stond de Dood.
Ik schrok, en haastte mij langs de andere kant, Maar zag nog juist de dreiging van zijn hand.
Meester, uw paard, en laat mij spoorslags gaan, Voor de avond nog bereik ik Ispahaan!" -
Van middag (lang reeds was hij heengespoed) Heb ik in 't cederpark de Dood ontmoet.
"Waarom," zo vraag ik, want hij wacht en zwijgt, "Hebt gij van morgen vroeg mijn knecht gedreigd?"
Glimlachend antwoordt hij: "Geen dreiging was 't, Waarvoor uw tuinman vlood. Ik was verrast,
Toen 'k 's morgens hier nog stil aan 't werk zag staan, Die 'k 's avonds halen moest in Ispahaan."
P.N. van Eyck
This poem was translated by David Colmer
And that goes as follows:
The Gardener and Death
A Persian Nobleman:
This morning, with a face turned pale from fright,
My gardener rushed in, "Sir, if I might!
"At work, just now, I stopped to take a breath,
And looked up from the roses. There stood Death.
"Startled, I quickly left the work I'd planned,
But saw full well the menace of his hand.
"Lend me a horse and I will make it run.
Before night falls I'll be in Ispahan!"
This afternoon (I'd long since watched him flee),
I chanced on Death beneath a cedar tree.
When he just stood there in his cloak of grey,
I asked about the threat he'd made that day.
He smiled, "It was not threat as he surmised.
I raised my hand because I was surprised,
"To find a man here working in the sun,
Whom I must fetch tonight in Ispahan."
This poem came to mind because of the recent death of Solomon Burke.
The famous soul singer.
Some time ago he was booked to perform at a private party in the Netherlands.
That must have been for quite an amount of money because Solomon Burke is a successful business man.
Besides, he moves his 300 kilos body around in a wheelchair, therefore flying long distance through crowded airports is for him not an easy thing to do.
On top of everything, it turned out that his concert at the private party in the Netherlands was canceled.
While waiting for a flight back to the USA, he decided to go to a concert of a Dutch band called “De Dijk”.
A band that is together for over thirty years and does light Rock and Roll and ballads in the Dutch language.
Solomon Burke was very enthusiastic about “De Dijk” and when he met the band members he learned that he was one of their idols.
This contact resulted in “De Dijk” translating into English their best songs and Solomon Burke came again to the Netherlands and sang those songs that became his new CD.
Next, “De Dijk” and Solomon Burke decided to give a concert together in the Netherlands tomorrow.
For this he flew last Sunday to Amsterdam again where after arrival, he died at the airport, finding his Ispahan.
.
.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
When to apply.
The incident involved three victims being held against their will by as many as nine assailants who beat them in a vacant apartment and sodomized two of them.
A fourth victim was beaten and robbed in connection with the attacks.
The string of attacks, which occurred Sunday one week ago, began when members of a street gang calling themselves the Latin King Goonies in New York learned that an aspiring member is gay.
The 17-year-old pledge was forced into an unoccupied apartment around 3:30 a.m. Sunday and questioned about his contact with a 30-year-old man.
He was thrown into a wall, forced to strip naked, hit in the head with a beer can, cut with a box cutter and sodomized with the wooden handle of a plunger.
His assailants let him go, but threatened to hurt him or his family if he talked.
The victim went to a hospital for treatment, but claimed his injuries were from an attack by unknown assailants on the street.
At about 8:30 p.m Sunday, another 17-year-old was beaten and questioned about the same 30-year-old man, robbed of jewelry and held against his will in the same vacant apartment.
At 9:30 p.m., the 30-year-old man was lured to the location where that 17-year-old was being held, was forced to strip naked and was tied to a chair opposite the teenager.
The teenager was forced to hit the older male several times in the face and burn him with cigarettes, after which the suspects assaulted him with their fists and a chain and sodomized him with a small baseball bat.
The 30-year-old man was later dumped outside his home.
Five of the suspects then went to the apartment the 17-year-old victim shared with his older brother and let themselves in using a key they'd taken from the man.
They beat the man's brother and demanded money from him.
When he refused, the assailants put a cell phone to his ear and he heard his younger brother say that he was being held against his will and to "give them the money,".
The older brother told the suspects where they could find the money, after which they tied him up and left the apartment.
The police was informed and arrested Bryan Almonte, 17, Steven Caraballo, 17, Brian Cepeda, 16, Nelson Falu, 17, Ildefonzo Mendez, 23, Denis Peitars, 17 and David Rivera, 21, on Friday.
Pending charges against them include unlawful imprisonment, abduction, sodomy, assault, robbery, and menacing, all as hate crimes.
One suspect is still at large.
22-year-old Ruddy Vargas-Perez.
If you see him, call the cops.
And if you meet this 17-year old boy that applied to become a member of the Latin King Goonies, tell him not to do so anymore.
.
.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
A crazy woman?
The first morning of the new retreat at El Triple had right away a rather weird experience.
Working early in the morning on the Apple Macbook Pro computer with a cup of Twining’s English breakfast tea and the sun rising from the horizon, suddenly a woman arrived.
A woman of Indian heritage with black hair and an olive colored skin.
Maybe about thirty years old.
Carrying a bag and a blanket.
This was a huge surprise: in the thirty years time has been spend at El Triple, never a single woman has been coming by.
And this on foot.
This location is far away from any settlement: the nearest village would need half a day of walking.
Sometimes an old battered up pick up truck may come by: usually fishermen looking for lost lobster traps.
But by foot never anybody came by, let alone a woman.
Usually it takes weeks and weeks at El Triple before to see another human being.
But this morning a woman who immediately came to the open door of the Fuso Szulc.
Asking for water.
She had an old Gatorade bottle with a little water left.
Very soon it became clear it was a confused woman.
Irrational and incoherent.
Not able to answer questions like where she lived and where she came from.
Instead rattling about factories and other nonsense subjects.
She spotted a cool box with grapefruits and asked if she could have one.
And then started to take off her clothes.
Obviously she had been sleeping on the beach.
Her blanket was still full of sand.
And her hair wild and face unwashed.
Off came her sweater to reveal a tanktop.
She had large breasts free to be.
Then she took off her pants and underneath she was wearing a pair of long shorts.
Obviously the rising sun made her warm.
The clothes went into her bag and while continuing to talk about things maybe in the universe of spirits make sense, she prepared to continue her walk.
She was asked if a picture could be made of her but this was not of her liking.
Then she took off.
Continuing her walk.
Who is confused?
.
Friday, October 8, 2010
How to become Tarzan again
The solar system is fixed: Xavier managed to find a part that was fitting and all the cables are in the right place again.
The caps of the exhaustion pipes of the tanks on the roof of the Fuso Szulc have been cleaned, painted and with a new and better system attached securely.
Already part of the food supplies needed for a month long stay at El Triple, the abandoned bay at the Pacific Ocean, have been purchased.
This morning fruit and vegetables will be bought, the water and diesel tank filled and then slowly the road will be driven to this unique location.
For an ascetic and meditative life for weeks to come.
One important thing that will be worked on while at El Triple is the health.
When traveling and staying in Europe, life is in fact very disorganized compared to the regular life style.
Very often the location where to stay is changed and this creates a kind of unrest.
Also the food that is eaten is often not as is preferred and what is good for the body.
Too often dinner is with friends in restaurants and that is often not very good food.
Too fat for sure.
And then there is the drinking.
When living in the life that is considered truly the own and the best, no alcohol ever is consumed.
But when with family and friends in Europe, especially wine with dinner almost always is present.
And consumed often in a quantity of a bottle per person.
And when this happens almost every evening and this for months, the effects can easily be noticed.
One of them is that the body becomes more heavy.
Gains weight.
Another habit while in the own life are the daily exercises.
Usually the day starts with gymnastics.
In the afternoon there is yoga and before dinner a good run of at least 40 minutes.
But when traveling in Europe nothing of all this finds a place and a time to be performed.
Another reason why in fact the body deteriorates.
But now it is back to business as usual.
No more excuses.
The muscle pain will be terrible...
.
The caps of the exhaustion pipes of the tanks on the roof of the Fuso Szulc have been cleaned, painted and with a new and better system attached securely.
Already part of the food supplies needed for a month long stay at El Triple, the abandoned bay at the Pacific Ocean, have been purchased.
This morning fruit and vegetables will be bought, the water and diesel tank filled and then slowly the road will be driven to this unique location.
For an ascetic and meditative life for weeks to come.
One important thing that will be worked on while at El Triple is the health.
When traveling and staying in Europe, life is in fact very disorganized compared to the regular life style.
Very often the location where to stay is changed and this creates a kind of unrest.
Also the food that is eaten is often not as is preferred and what is good for the body.
Too often dinner is with friends in restaurants and that is often not very good food.
Too fat for sure.
And then there is the drinking.
When living in the life that is considered truly the own and the best, no alcohol ever is consumed.
But when with family and friends in Europe, especially wine with dinner almost always is present.
And consumed often in a quantity of a bottle per person.
And when this happens almost every evening and this for months, the effects can easily be noticed.
One of them is that the body becomes more heavy.
Gains weight.
Another habit while in the own life are the daily exercises.
Usually the day starts with gymnastics.
In the afternoon there is yoga and before dinner a good run of at least 40 minutes.
But when traveling in Europe nothing of all this finds a place and a time to be performed.
Another reason why in fact the body deteriorates.
But now it is back to business as usual.
No more excuses.
The muscle pain will be terrible...
.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Building up what broke down
Several personal messages were received because of the recent blog in which some words were written about the Queen of Dreams.
Among many fervent and loyal blog readers there is slight concern for her.
But this is probably not necessary.
The separation was in June and within one week the Queen of Dreams had a new boyfriend.
Proudly she came by to tell that she was in love again.
Recently she told she was having an unbelievable harmonious relationship with this man.
Never a quarrel.
So, we can only be happy for her.
Meanwhile many shops and places were visited in La Paz, Mexico, to find a replacement for the solar cable control box.
It requires a specific state of mind.
Such items are not easy to find or are even not available at all.
The hunt must be done without any emotion.
The conclusion for the solar cable control box is that in La Paz it is not for sale.
Nor the cable connecting parts that are in it.
However, that doesn’t matter.
We always have Javier who is a master in improvisation.
He will make out of metal by hand the parts.
There are other issues with the Fuso Szulc.
The air conditioning has stopped working completely.
It makes no sense to take the truck to a Mitsubishi dealer in the United States: the guarantee on the vehicle has been expired.
Experts say that it can be fixed here in La Paz: it seems to be a matter of replacing the compressor.
Probably that can wait because the plan is to go in retreat at El Triple: that means a few drives in the next coming months and while on location the AC is not used anyway.
Another issue was that a loudspeaker in the cabin had broken.
A Kicker Marine loudspeaker.
That was easy to fix because in Mexico shops can be found that sell car audio and install.
Now two Panasonic loudspeakers have been installed: they come in pairs only…
Three more issues to resolve besides the solar cable control box.
On the roof one metal hood of the exhaust tube of the waste water tank has broken off.
Rust again…
And a ventilator in the back of the refrigerator has stopped working.
An analogue clock gave up.
This is life in an expedition vehicle.
When using it permanently, things break down.
Also because of the extreme weather circumstances.
Heat.
Sunshine.
Salty moisture.
Fixing all these problems has become part of life as of the day life came to be in the Fuso Szulc.
One important effect is that it doesn’t upset anymore.
And that is amazing because the Datastorm Satellite System to get on the Internet is completely broken and connection can only be made manually…
But the sun shines, the sky is blue, life is free of tension and stress, it is again in the own hands so the technical challenges don’t matter at all.
.
Among many fervent and loyal blog readers there is slight concern for her.
But this is probably not necessary.
The separation was in June and within one week the Queen of Dreams had a new boyfriend.
Proudly she came by to tell that she was in love again.
Recently she told she was having an unbelievable harmonious relationship with this man.
Never a quarrel.
So, we can only be happy for her.
Meanwhile many shops and places were visited in La Paz, Mexico, to find a replacement for the solar cable control box.
It requires a specific state of mind.
Such items are not easy to find or are even not available at all.
The hunt must be done without any emotion.
The conclusion for the solar cable control box is that in La Paz it is not for sale.
Nor the cable connecting parts that are in it.
However, that doesn’t matter.
We always have Javier who is a master in improvisation.
He will make out of metal by hand the parts.
There are other issues with the Fuso Szulc.
The air conditioning has stopped working completely.
It makes no sense to take the truck to a Mitsubishi dealer in the United States: the guarantee on the vehicle has been expired.
Experts say that it can be fixed here in La Paz: it seems to be a matter of replacing the compressor.
Probably that can wait because the plan is to go in retreat at El Triple: that means a few drives in the next coming months and while on location the AC is not used anyway.
Another issue was that a loudspeaker in the cabin had broken.
A Kicker Marine loudspeaker.
That was easy to fix because in Mexico shops can be found that sell car audio and install.
Now two Panasonic loudspeakers have been installed: they come in pairs only…
Three more issues to resolve besides the solar cable control box.
On the roof one metal hood of the exhaust tube of the waste water tank has broken off.
Rust again…
And a ventilator in the back of the refrigerator has stopped working.
An analogue clock gave up.
This is life in an expedition vehicle.
When using it permanently, things break down.
Also because of the extreme weather circumstances.
Heat.
Sunshine.
Salty moisture.
Fixing all these problems has become part of life as of the day life came to be in the Fuso Szulc.
One important effect is that it doesn’t upset anymore.
And that is amazing because the Datastorm Satellite System to get on the Internet is completely broken and connection can only be made manually…
But the sun shines, the sky is blue, life is free of tension and stress, it is again in the own hands so the technical challenges don’t matter at all.
.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Store like an anchor
The Fuso Szulc had been parked during the four months in Europe very near the Los Cabos Airport in Mexico.
On the large property of a company called Anchor Storage.
The expedition vehicle had been treated during those four months like a friend.
Frequently having its doors and windows opened to let the heat out.
And right before the owner returned, the whole vehicle was cleaned inside and outside.
Reception was like returning to friends.
Gregorio was there and his friend and on request the water tank of the Fuso Szulc was filled with fresh water and it was hooked up to the main electricity.
When it was time to have dinner, the friend offered to drive to the nearest supermarket to get supplies.
Some time later, all together, food and beer was enjoyed chatting and exchanging experiences.
The night was spent in the Fuso Szulc at Anchor Storage’s place and in the morning beautiful general manager Ana Hulko, a woman with style and dignity, introduced herself.
Offering to make use of the WIFI-system of Anchor Storage.
And later to have a coffee.
A large cup of vanilla flavored coffee with a set of Oatmeal cookies.
When the truck needed a boost of power to start the engine, Gregorio hooked the Fuso Szulc up to the company’s car batteries solving that challenge.
The Fuso Szulc was at Anchor Storage for four months.
Costing US$ 74
That includes fabulous service.
The Fuso Szulc had developed a problem over the last four months.
On the roof are six solar panels and their cables come all together in a central box there.
From this central box one cable goes to the Heliotrope Solar Charger Controller.
Somehow moisture or even rainwater had managed to get into the central box.
Making the metal parts rust.
Some metal was even completely eaten away.
This causes the solar system not to be effective.
Today the hunt is on in La Paz, Mexico, for a new central box for the cables of the solar panels.
Another issue is the air conditioning of the truck.
That serves the cabin of the Mitsubishi Fuso FG truck.
This AC has never worked properly.
Many times at the dealership in San Diego complaints have been made but the reply was always that everything seemed fine.
In June the AC system began to rattle.
It was checked by a specialist and indeed something is the matter.
Now, after having been idle for four months, the AC doesn’t work at all.
One thing that can be done is to have again the pressure of the AC gas checked.
But it looks that the Mitsubishi Fuso needs to return to a Mitsubishi dealer in the USA.
Because also a letter has been received from Mitsubishi for a recall.
Something is wrong with rubbers holding the cabin to the chassis.
A new trip to the USA in the time to come.
How exciting!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Anchor Storage in Cabo San Lucas next to the Los Cabos Airport.
US cell 3036566755
US Office 3035452279
Mexican Office 6241722319
www.anchorstorage.com.mx
.
On the large property of a company called Anchor Storage.
The expedition vehicle had been treated during those four months like a friend.
Frequently having its doors and windows opened to let the heat out.
And right before the owner returned, the whole vehicle was cleaned inside and outside.
Reception was like returning to friends.
Gregorio was there and his friend and on request the water tank of the Fuso Szulc was filled with fresh water and it was hooked up to the main electricity.
When it was time to have dinner, the friend offered to drive to the nearest supermarket to get supplies.
Some time later, all together, food and beer was enjoyed chatting and exchanging experiences.
The night was spent in the Fuso Szulc at Anchor Storage’s place and in the morning beautiful general manager Ana Hulko, a woman with style and dignity, introduced herself.
Offering to make use of the WIFI-system of Anchor Storage.
And later to have a coffee.
A large cup of vanilla flavored coffee with a set of Oatmeal cookies.
When the truck needed a boost of power to start the engine, Gregorio hooked the Fuso Szulc up to the company’s car batteries solving that challenge.
The Fuso Szulc was at Anchor Storage for four months.
Costing US$ 74
That includes fabulous service.
The Fuso Szulc had developed a problem over the last four months.
On the roof are six solar panels and their cables come all together in a central box there.
From this central box one cable goes to the Heliotrope Solar Charger Controller.
Somehow moisture or even rainwater had managed to get into the central box.
Making the metal parts rust.
Some metal was even completely eaten away.
This causes the solar system not to be effective.
Today the hunt is on in La Paz, Mexico, for a new central box for the cables of the solar panels.
Another issue is the air conditioning of the truck.
That serves the cabin of the Mitsubishi Fuso FG truck.
This AC has never worked properly.
Many times at the dealership in San Diego complaints have been made but the reply was always that everything seemed fine.
In June the AC system began to rattle.
It was checked by a specialist and indeed something is the matter.
Now, after having been idle for four months, the AC doesn’t work at all.
One thing that can be done is to have again the pressure of the AC gas checked.
But it looks that the Mitsubishi Fuso needs to return to a Mitsubishi dealer in the USA.
Because also a letter has been received from Mitsubishi for a recall.
Something is wrong with rubbers holding the cabin to the chassis.
A new trip to the USA in the time to come.
How exciting!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Anchor Storage in Cabo San Lucas next to the Los Cabos Airport.
US cell 3036566755
US Office 3035452279
Mexican Office 6241722319
www.anchorstorage.com.mx
.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Smoking out helps
Returned to the world that surrounds the Fuso Szulc.
A different temperature, a different culture, a different life style.
A situation where things are done with intensity as if worshiping life.
Every activity a celebration.
Returning to the Fuso Szulc also brings back memories.
Of the last three months that life was in the expedition vehicle together with the Queen of Dreams.
Remembering that time in all harmony now and with enough distance in time and away from emotions made a disrupting conclusion follow.
It was an awful time.
From the beginning.
To the end.
Although a strong effort was made, nothing can be remembered that was really nice.
All experiences were having difficulty, complexity and disharmony.
The fervent and loyal blog readers should keep in mind though that here and now the Queen of Dreams is not being blamed.
It is not about who was responsible.
If a person has Borderline Personality Disorder it depends how a partner respond to it how happy life together will be.
Obviously the pioneering photographer was unable to deal with it appropriately and effectively.
And has learned important lessons.
Like lesson number one.
No person ever will be invited anymore to come and live in the Fuso Szulc and experience the specific and unique life style and locations that are visited unless that person has been known for enough time to be assured there are no unknown sides to the personality.
Now symbolic ceremonies are taking place in the Fuso Szulc to chase out the evil spirits that came to it this Spring to have the center where life evolves pure and natural as it used to be.
.
A different temperature, a different culture, a different life style.
A situation where things are done with intensity as if worshiping life.
Every activity a celebration.
Returning to the Fuso Szulc also brings back memories.
Of the last three months that life was in the expedition vehicle together with the Queen of Dreams.
Remembering that time in all harmony now and with enough distance in time and away from emotions made a disrupting conclusion follow.
It was an awful time.
From the beginning.
To the end.
Although a strong effort was made, nothing can be remembered that was really nice.
All experiences were having difficulty, complexity and disharmony.
The fervent and loyal blog readers should keep in mind though that here and now the Queen of Dreams is not being blamed.
It is not about who was responsible.
If a person has Borderline Personality Disorder it depends how a partner respond to it how happy life together will be.
Obviously the pioneering photographer was unable to deal with it appropriately and effectively.
And has learned important lessons.
Like lesson number one.
No person ever will be invited anymore to come and live in the Fuso Szulc and experience the specific and unique life style and locations that are visited unless that person has been known for enough time to be assured there are no unknown sides to the personality.
Now symbolic ceremonies are taking place in the Fuso Szulc to chase out the evil spirits that came to it this Spring to have the center where life evolves pure and natural as it used to be.
.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Pools and blood
One of the great things of traveling is that each day there are new experiences.
That are educational, fascinating and sometimes shocking.
Like yesterday, having brunch with dear friends in a golf club, they explained that there are swimming pools, eternal pools and endless pools.
A swimming pool is just a basin to swim in.
Usually a rectangular stonewalled hole in the ground.
Eternal pools are made in a hillside.
The pool is level with the ground surface and the water can go out of the pool to be pumped back into it.
Swimming in this pool is being on one side at eye level with the world around it.
One doesn’t look at the wall of the pool but while swimming sees the surrounding landscape.
And then we have the endless pool.
This is also a rectangular pool but not much bigger than the body of a human being.
The water in this pool is pumped at very high pressure once a swimmer has pushed a button in the pool.
It means the person in the pool must start swimming not to be crashed against the wall.
Because of the circulating water the swimmer remains in one place.
Very educational information!
Anther fascinating fact was explained by another friend last night.
At a high school there was a homecoming ball.
What that exactly is was not very much understood but in any case, the students dress up and come to the school to have a dance.
These days, in this particular Californian town, the students must sign a contract when they enter the hall for the dance.
In this contract they promise not to perform any “dirty dancing” on the dance floor.
Among other promises.
Makes one think.
And lastly, a shocking experience.
Very focused loyal and fervent blog readers will remember a story published right here some time ago about a couple in California, USA, that had an imitation castle where they lived and had paying guests.
The story was how dinner and hospitality was enjoyed in that castle one day.
The persons owning this castle are friends of friends.
Therefore last night the friends were asked how the castle owners were doing.
A long silence resulted.
Obviously the story was hard to tell.
But eventually the truth was told.
The castle owners were financially not successful.
They developed a huge debt with the bank.
In order to turn things around they moved out of the imitation castle and leased it to another couple.
Hoping they would manage to make a profit.
But also those people couldn’t turn the imitation castle into a money making machine.
They missed more and more the monthly payments to the owners who got therefore even deeper into trouble.
Then one day something snapped in the head of the male imitation castle owner.
He went to his property where he found the leasing woman alone at home.
She was tied to a chair and beaten up and then they waited for her husband to come home.
When he came, he was shot to death by the imitation castle owner.
Who is now in jail waiting for his sentence.
Which will be life and maybe the death penalty.
It is very strange to have known and have dined several times with a man that turns out to be a killer.
To have been in an imitation castle that turns out to have been the scene of a dramatic murdering scene.
Today the border will be crossed.
Mexico is waiting.
.
That are educational, fascinating and sometimes shocking.
Like yesterday, having brunch with dear friends in a golf club, they explained that there are swimming pools, eternal pools and endless pools.
A swimming pool is just a basin to swim in.
Usually a rectangular stonewalled hole in the ground.
Eternal pools are made in a hillside.
The pool is level with the ground surface and the water can go out of the pool to be pumped back into it.
Swimming in this pool is being on one side at eye level with the world around it.
One doesn’t look at the wall of the pool but while swimming sees the surrounding landscape.
And then we have the endless pool.
This is also a rectangular pool but not much bigger than the body of a human being.
The water in this pool is pumped at very high pressure once a swimmer has pushed a button in the pool.
It means the person in the pool must start swimming not to be crashed against the wall.
Because of the circulating water the swimmer remains in one place.
Very educational information!
Anther fascinating fact was explained by another friend last night.
At a high school there was a homecoming ball.
What that exactly is was not very much understood but in any case, the students dress up and come to the school to have a dance.
These days, in this particular Californian town, the students must sign a contract when they enter the hall for the dance.
In this contract they promise not to perform any “dirty dancing” on the dance floor.
Among other promises.
Makes one think.
And lastly, a shocking experience.
Very focused loyal and fervent blog readers will remember a story published right here some time ago about a couple in California, USA, that had an imitation castle where they lived and had paying guests.
The story was how dinner and hospitality was enjoyed in that castle one day.
The persons owning this castle are friends of friends.
Therefore last night the friends were asked how the castle owners were doing.
A long silence resulted.
Obviously the story was hard to tell.
But eventually the truth was told.
The castle owners were financially not successful.
They developed a huge debt with the bank.
In order to turn things around they moved out of the imitation castle and leased it to another couple.
Hoping they would manage to make a profit.
But also those people couldn’t turn the imitation castle into a money making machine.
They missed more and more the monthly payments to the owners who got therefore even deeper into trouble.
Then one day something snapped in the head of the male imitation castle owner.
He went to his property where he found the leasing woman alone at home.
She was tied to a chair and beaten up and then they waited for her husband to come home.
When he came, he was shot to death by the imitation castle owner.
Who is now in jail waiting for his sentence.
Which will be life and maybe the death penalty.
It is very strange to have known and have dined several times with a man that turns out to be a killer.
To have been in an imitation castle that turns out to have been the scene of a dramatic murdering scene.
Today the border will be crossed.
Mexico is waiting.
.
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