The Fear No mention of the fear. That's good news. I found this to be very similar to my thinking at the beginning of our trip to Cuba last week: "Distracted and drained by the leech of employment, I have participated in no trip thinking and less planning."
The girls look great, as well as your writing. Hope you're all well.
Your visit to Railey was much more dramatic than mine... Bringing a baby does have its complexities. I brought my 20 year old son and had a great time...although he spent most of his time with Aussies of his age group.
Paradise should pay you for this writing. God Colin- again- you impress me SO FLIIPIN much with how beautifully you write. Thank you for documenting that last story- of course I died laughing at Karen's telling of it. omg. What a martian. xoxoxoxoxo
ThaiWand I remember this place with much nostalgia, the tide allowing the crossing between Railey and Tonsai, the breakfasts on the beach, the evening massage in the hands of Apple, as she was called... and the climbing: You shouldve dug your fingers into the lovely limestone!
What's Wrong with Right? I've joked for a couple of decades now that I'm writing a book and it's called "What's Wrong with Right." Of course, I haven't gone any farther than that. And now I find I don't need to worry about it, thanks to Jonathan Haidt. It's intuitive that the vast majority of us all believe what we do is "right," except for those few of course who think they're free to do things that are universally seen as "wrong." Whether it's the way we cook, or eat, or drive our cars, or start our fireplace...we just don't deliberately do something contrary to what we believe is the "best" way to proceed. Enter religion. From an early age we're programmed with beliefs about "rightness" that directly affects so much of what we do, and how. To this point, "The dark rigidity of fundamentalist rural America--A view from the inside" sheds some light on what happened in the election. This not a link but if you Google it you'll find the piece in Raw Story. P.S. I enjoy your posts. Insightful and well written. Bravo!
Can your country break your heart? I felt gut-shot after this last election. I didn't know that this many of my fellow citizens were this exclusionary and this unable to understand cause and effect. I have always recognized and been glad of the privilege that being a US citizen gave me. I am afraid that this status has been tarnished.
I am reminded of the words of the Gettysburg Address:
"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."
I hope that as a nation we can live up to it.
Colin! Good to hear frpm you... Pia alerted me to this and it was a delight! I do hope I can join you there sometime, and will let you know if I am passing thru., Take care, all the best from a chilly Brooklyn. S.
You have a special privledge of seeing a once in a lifetime event... the mourning and then cremation of a King. I remember as a young child attending the cremation of a high ranking royal at the Sanam Luang across from the Grand Palace, and will never forget it. And thanks for your description of the markets and food. It brings everything back to me. I hated durian...
Mourning the King We were on a day-long tour with tourists from our cruise ship in Phukett about a week after the king had died and saw all the mourning banners, etc. At the one-hour Thailand culture performance, we all sat for a moment of silence for the dead king before the performance could commence.
Smells, sights and noise! So many people, cars and animals pressed into a very small space..think maybe claustrophobia for a few days? This entry describes beautifully the world of Thailand in the city. I could see, hear and smell the surroundings..so well written, Colin. Your writing has improved dramatically...perhaps another Paul Theroux in the making.. Thanks for posting!
believe it or not, this is a sanctuary What we learned when we were in Bangkok, is that Thais pay respect to their ancestors on a daily basis. What you see in the photo is them building a temple to the spirits of the people who lived in that area and are now dead. Usually when they wrap this colorful cloths around old trees is because they believe that spirits live within these trees. When they build small houses at the entrance of a building, is to give a place to live to the spirits of the people who lived and died in that place before the new building.
Prams and carriers... Feel your pain... Our 11-month-old just started expressing her displeasure after being strapped in a pram or a carrier if it's any longer than 15 minutes... Good luck! Fantastic blog!
Welcome back, Colin! I'll certainly stay tuned for the next installment. Thank you, my friend. You're a delightful read. Grace and good fortune to the three of you (and the cat, now that I think about it).
Lalibela's 11 Rock-hewn Churches: 7 are like caves and 4 are connected only at their base I'm currently watching History Channel 2 (H2) 'Cities of the Underworld' - 'Secret Holy Land' where they are exploring Ethiopia's great ancient churches. King Lalibela built 11 rock-hewn churches: 7 are like caves and 4 are connected only at their base. This is an example of the GOD=7_4 algorithm/code (google that) that the ancients knew from the heavens.
Andrew
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Happy Birthday!
Hope it is / was good. We are thinking of (and praying for) you. Great write up, as usual.