Yesterday was a quasi-holiday mostly celebrated by Americans looking for libations.
Celebrating the victory of the Mexican army over the French in 1862, the day is now more popular in America then it is in Mexico.
For a clearer picture of the 5th of May, and the Battle of Puebla, you can watch this video from The History Channel.
Went down to Central America, and the second day had computer problems. Blessing in disguise? Probably. Mostly I stayed offline and incommunicado for the duration.
Spent time down in Jaco, on the Pacific coast. The large surf community of Southern Costa Rica has a relaxed vibe. Great little town, with lots of cool little restaurants and shops. Had a vegan burger and fries at Maraja. The Argentinian spot had this as a daily special. But, there were plenty of vegetarian options (I’ve been meat free for two years now).
Also up in Monteverde, to visit the cloud forest. The bus ride from San Jose up the mountains took nearly five hours. However, I think the ride was certainly worth it – the weather up there was beautiful.
Trekking through the forest, we saw animals such as the quetzel, sloth, aguti, and howler monkeys.
Now being home, I was able to get my computer back up and running. Heading into December I’ve got fundraising and grant writing to finish. So I’ve hit the ground running!
My first introduction to Japanese culture was an anime my brother gave me to watch when I was around thirteen. I still remember watching it. Ninja Scroll, a little film about a traveling samurai, and I remember being amazed by both the culture depicted as well as the entirely new style of animation that I was seeing. It was captivating, and I was absolutely hooked.
Shortly thereafter, after making some friends in high school who shared my love of all things Japanese, we discovered that one of our teachers had lived in Japan, and spoke fluent Japanese. We decided that, as freshman, our school needed a Japanese class. We set about creating the petition, getting the signatures, and convincing him to teach the class. He accepted, and then in sophomore year, we started Japanese 1.
It still ranks as one of my two favorite classes that I’ve ever taken. (The other was a choir class that I took.) I learned more Japanese language (hiragana, katakana, and a decent amount of kanji) in that first year than I did in any subsequent class or tutoring session. We also delved into culture, issues of politeness and honor. Our instructor was also an Eastern medicine practitioner, and he did a live demonstration of acupuncture on another teacher during our class. He made the language a fun and exciting proposition for us – learn Japanese, explore the world.
Unfortunately, our beloved Japanese instructor moved on to bigger and better things, though many of us have kept in touch with him over the years. The incoming teacher was of a more traditional countenance, and suddenly the joy that inhabited the class was lessened.
Since then I spent much of my time in vocal or acting training, and spent several years working as a professional actor in Central Florida. I received my bachelor’s in business administration, considering running my own theatre someday. Upon hearing of the closing of the Kabuki-za theatre, I had wanted to travel to Japan then and see a performance. Regrettably I was unable to make the trip at that time.
It had long been my dream to travel, but the common everyday things made it impossible, or so I thought. In 2016, following the end of a three-year relationship, I decided to travel to Europe. So, in just over a month I booked airline tickets, a couple of nights in a hostel, and bought some gear. From the decision made in the second week of February to travel, and at the end of March when I actually left, I had just five weeks to prepare.
Then, last year, another month in Europe. Still, Japan has been calling to me the entire time. My Dad and Step-Mom are even getting over there in two months, before I have the chance to.
That then is my intention for this year. To make it to Japan. Possibly a few other places (Nepal, Bhutan, China and Thailand, perhaps).
Hopefully something will work out, in the way it always seems to do.
Sayonara!
My shorthand for tarot readings, Nine of Pentacles Reversed. I had a rough day at work, and decided it was time to move on; time to leave there and find a new job. I wanted to ask the Universe what today taught me. This was the card I drew.
“This card in reverse may be telling you that something you are spending a lot of time on will not yield financial or personal gain. You may be wasting effort. Consider if it’s time to throw in the towel on something that is not giving you the results you had hoped for.”
Thank you Universe.
I’m listening to Dvorak’s New World Symphony right now, to relax. I picked up a used album at a library sale a few weeks back. I’ve been wearing that vinyl down. There’s something supremely reassuring about the notes of No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95.
I had listened to a Chamber Ensemble in Prague, and the Second Movement of this symphony was played. It’s one of my all time favorites.
The title of this blog post comes courtesy of watching Shut Eye, on Hulu. I just got around to seeing it, and really enjoyed. Each episode was titled after a Tarot card, and was relevant to the plot.
The overall thoughts on my mind are new beginnings. Learning that life has a path, a plan. To quote Tosha Silver, “Let what wants to come, come. Let what wants to go, go.”
Amen!
Where are we going?
This great spinning rock carrying us along?
Could it have a destination?
Does this globe know its course?
This dance with its sisters, and with the sun; an endless, graceful performance piece with music from the stars.
What are we, then, both onlookers and passengers?
Looking up, we know that beyond the veil there is something more.
A choreographer, who created these steps long ago. Also, as architect, built the floor for our waltz through the sky; set these heavenly spheres on their course, and insisted we hang on for the ride.
This week more than twenty people lost their lives in an explosion. This week more than twenty families grieve the loss of loved ones. This week a world, once again, looks for reason and rationale.
When everything is tragedy, where does one find hope?
I don’t know the answer. I know that there are cries for justice. Cries for a cessation to needless killing. Cries for understanding, for tolerance, for recourse.
But where should we look? What is the meaning, the purpose? Why does it keep happening?
It feels as if we’re on the edge of something, and pretty soon it’s going to tip. What will we find on the other side?
When everything is tragedy, where does one find love?
To wit, I’ve been back stateside now for nearly a month. I had every intention of keeping this blog going while I travelled through Europe, but there was so little time to sit and ruminate, let alone write.
I did finish On the Road, which I started on the flight from Toronto to Amsterdam. I think I wrapped up the book on the ferry ride from Swinoujscie, Poland to Ystad, Sweden. Since being back, I’ve read a few more. Right now I’m working through Brian Weiss’s Many Lives, Many Masters. Most of the time back has been spent working, or applying to jobs, and practicing music.
I’m enjoying the warm Florida weather and a cool tropical breeze out on the back patio. My dog is lounging by my feet, drooling contentedly. I had started a blog post two weeks ago, but it’s been lost in the nether regions of cyberspace, likely never to be seen again. I was lamenting the fact that many people will call someone who is well-read nerdy.
Mind you, it’s been a long time since someone called me a nerd. Dork, yes. But I’ve been a gym rat for years, at least I was before I developed RA. I was also an avid partier, so people forgave my intelligence and habit of being well-read. No, I was volunteering, writing in one of my notebooks, and someone asked if I liked to read. Of course I like to read. She said that she didn’t, but her son did. He’d even started a book club with his friends, and was trying to read a book a week this year. I thought that was an admirable aspiration. She called him a nerd. So, I ask you, when did reading books & being generally well-educated become nerdy?
That was the crux of that lost post. More later!
There’s excitiement, waiting for the day of travel. Richard (my traveling companion for this trip) and I just had southwestern style egg burritos. His cat Jay is now wandering around the dining room table looking for scraps. In less than an hour we head to the airport and prepare to take off for Amsterdam.
This is a new country for me – Netherlands. It’s one of those places that, in my youth, I had always joked about going to. Prevalent drug use, partying, the looser moral systems. I suppose I thought that as I got older I may not go. Now, in going, I’m actually excited to visit the canals, see the open air markets and take a walking tour.
It may not be quite what I had anticipated in my youth, but I look forward to the journey of discovery that is Amsterdam.
I’m laying in bed reading, and I felt like writing some. Doctor Strange is playing on the television, background noise at this point, as I’ve probably watched it half a dozen times since it arrived courtesy of the Disney Movie Club two weeks ago. My mutt, One, can’t decide if he wants to lay on the bed with me or be let out. He’ll jump down, run around the room, and then half hop up, waiting for me to lift his back half. He’s half-boxer, half-pit bull, as lazy as he is spoiled, and I’ll miss him when I leave on Friday.
The time has come for travelling back to Europe, a 24-day trek through six countries and nine cities.
I’m thinking of course of the London attacks today, and wishing for a safer world. I’m thinking of last year’s trip to Ireland and Scotland, and wonder why I didn’t explore more of the world before. I’m thinking of the stack of unread books I’m leaving in wait for me, and of the beat-up copy of On the Road I’ll be taking with me. And I’m thinking of what I’ll do when I get back.
One is curled up beside me, as I reread Susan Orlean’s intro to The Best American Travel Writing 2007. This passage stood out: “I’d also figured out something about the nature of travel. For the first time, it seemed clear to me that travel is not about finding something: it’s about getting lost – that is, it is about losing yourself in a place and a moment.”
Well, here’s to getting lost!
Hanging out up in Atlanta for a few days. Just had a good breakfast with old friends, and talked about the film industry here in town. It’s thriving, and with all the growth it seems that Atlanta is really prospering from it. I wonder if the state will keep its tax credits as is, or if it’ll get greedy like Florida did.
There was a time when Florida was Hollywood East, and Disney and Universal had studios built west of Orlando. Seeing the potential revenues the State decided to get a bigger slice of the pie. Then the industry said, “no”, and took the pie away almost completely. I watched Paper Towns for the first time recently, and was amazed at the Orlando location. How had I not heard that it was filming there?
Turns out, it wasn’t. North Carolina hosted that production, and stock footage was used of the downtown Orlando area. The same kind of thing happened with Fresh Off the Boat, the tv series filmed in California but based in Orlando. It’s an interesting phenomenon. I guess we’ll see what happens here in Atlanta…
Michael's Musings 