Thursday, July 02, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
new website
For the last year I've known that I need to put together an online portfolio if I'm ever to launch into my next step. I've finally put my butt in the chair (literally) in order to accomplish that goal. I started last night and worked from 10pm to 4am and have tinkered on it some more today. I need to have it completed by Monday. So.....stay tuned.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Happy mothers day
Saturday, March 28, 2009
outsource
I'm increasingly outsourcing more of my life. You can see comments/pics of the Spain adventure
Here (Holly)
Here (Ryan)
Here (Paxton)
Here (Dan)
I will make some of my own comments and upload some pics from my iPhone eventually. Bare with me. ;-)
Here (Holly)
Here (Ryan)
Here (Paxton)
Here (Dan)
I will make some of my own comments and upload some pics from my iPhone eventually. Bare with me. ;-)
Labels: traveling
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
costa del sol
Dan has posted some pictures of our trip here: http://danieljgregory.blogspot.com/2009/03/las-alturas-of-southern-spain.html
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Embracing Community
Embracing Community
It was a dilapidated old room, with a worn wood floor and yellow walls antiqued by the years. A slight damp odor greeted us as we canvased the room, tossing out possibilities for how to setup for tonight's show. Ryan has a knack for this sort of thing and within 15 minutes we were busy moving tables, setting up lamps, and bringing in band equipment. The initial push finished, I sat down to work on a new poem that started in my mind during the drive up. I felt compelled to write a new piece for tonight's performance. I had been on and off tour with The Cobalt Season for the last month and they had set out a couple new tracks during that time. Seeing that creativity expressed I was inspired to put something new out; besides I was tired of doing the same material - it was time for something new.
As I sat in my chair to write I jotted down a few possible starting stanzas. Pen in my mouth, I read them back and let them rest on my soul. As they laid there I reflected on why I was writing, what was the impetus on this particular occasion that was compelling me? My eyes began wondering around the room as I watched the band setup. Ryan unraveling cords, Holly chasing their son Paxton around the room, Jared bringing in a few last pieces of equipment. These dear friends of mine were the reason I was writing - the relationship we shared, the adventures we had been on, the atmosphere of creativity they provided. All of these things created a safe, encouraging environment to express those words that were already weaved into my body.
As my gaze returned to my paper, the first line of my new poem immediately resonated in my eyes. Turning my notebook over, I re-wrote that line and with a peaceful flow the words and pattern of the poem simply illuminated in my mind. All I needed to do was transcribe them on the paper before me. This was one of those moments where the divine life living inside of me surged with life and could not be contained - it had to be released.
Looking back on this experience, the reason for such creative expression is as a bright as the winter sun on a clear morning - community. Had it not been for my relationships with the people in the room that evening that poem would never have been written. They provided not only the inspiration, but also the space for it's emergence. In our creative lives community plays a vital role. Our long term ability to live artfully is directly related to the relationships we have in our lives. We all need the encouragement and safety of close relationships. Our tribes will inevitably pull things out of use we never knew existed. They have a way of awakening the voice within us that we simply cannot do on our own. As we bring this particular experience to a close, think about how the relationships even in this environment affected your creative voice. What did you learn through other people? What did they awaken within you? Do you have some relationships in your life that will help you continue this creative journey? What steps can you take to deepen those relationships? We all need a community around us to help us discover and refine our voice.
It was a dilapidated old room, with a worn wood floor and yellow walls antiqued by the years. A slight damp odor greeted us as we canvased the room, tossing out possibilities for how to setup for tonight's show. Ryan has a knack for this sort of thing and within 15 minutes we were busy moving tables, setting up lamps, and bringing in band equipment. The initial push finished, I sat down to work on a new poem that started in my mind during the drive up. I felt compelled to write a new piece for tonight's performance. I had been on and off tour with The Cobalt Season for the last month and they had set out a couple new tracks during that time. Seeing that creativity expressed I was inspired to put something new out; besides I was tired of doing the same material - it was time for something new.
As I sat in my chair to write I jotted down a few possible starting stanzas. Pen in my mouth, I read them back and let them rest on my soul. As they laid there I reflected on why I was writing, what was the impetus on this particular occasion that was compelling me? My eyes began wondering around the room as I watched the band setup. Ryan unraveling cords, Holly chasing their son Paxton around the room, Jared bringing in a few last pieces of equipment. These dear friends of mine were the reason I was writing - the relationship we shared, the adventures we had been on, the atmosphere of creativity they provided. All of these things created a safe, encouraging environment to express those words that were already weaved into my body.
As my gaze returned to my paper, the first line of my new poem immediately resonated in my eyes. Turning my notebook over, I re-wrote that line and with a peaceful flow the words and pattern of the poem simply illuminated in my mind. All I needed to do was transcribe them on the paper before me. This was one of those moments where the divine life living inside of me surged with life and could not be contained - it had to be released.
Looking back on this experience, the reason for such creative expression is as a bright as the winter sun on a clear morning - community. Had it not been for my relationships with the people in the room that evening that poem would never have been written. They provided not only the inspiration, but also the space for it's emergence. In our creative lives community plays a vital role. Our long term ability to live artfully is directly related to the relationships we have in our lives. We all need the encouragement and safety of close relationships. Our tribes will inevitably pull things out of use we never knew existed. They have a way of awakening the voice within us that we simply cannot do on our own. As we bring this particular experience to a close, think about how the relationships even in this environment affected your creative voice. What did you learn through other people? What did they awaken within you? Do you have some relationships in your life that will help you continue this creative journey? What steps can you take to deepen those relationships? We all need a community around us to help us discover and refine our voice.
Labels: creativity
Sunday, February 01, 2009
RSS Feed
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
shadows
Part of our Awakening Creativity class last week was to explore our shadows; those dark corners of our personality. We were to come in costume and character to have portraits made that will be incorporated in the Art Show on Feb 13th. Meet one of my shadows. A power hungry, maniacal, person obsessed with himself, money, and all the worldly pleasures. My brother dubbed him "Don Greasy"
Labels: creativity, shadows
Saturday, January 24, 2009
On a cloudy day
Friday, January 23, 2009
Office Alternatives
for those not keen to the Microsoft gig and not overly impressed with Neo/Open Office check out Lotus Symphony.
Pretty sweet and a good price tag ($0).
Pretty sweet and a good price tag ($0).
Labels: technology
Thursday, January 22, 2009
the finer things
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
confronting shadows
(this is not proof-read, so bare with me)
It's as if I looked into his eyes yesterday, not two years ago. And the conversation I had with Hal seems just as fresh. I was on my way home after a Sunday morning breakfast at Boogaloo's when I noticed Hal moving back and forth on the sidewalk in his wheelchair. It was one of those instances where just as soon as you notice someone conversation begins. I could see by his matted brilo salt and pepper hair that he'd been sleeping outside for at least the last few nights. No sooner did I ask how he was doing, than he was telling about his mother who was sick with cancer and reliving childhood memories with me. As he reached into his coat to pull out a pocket sized photo album I caught a glimpse of a frail body that no doubt had been through a lot. Hal spoke with a calm clarity on this particular morning and casually walked me through memory lane. His times of football as a child, his foray into jazz, and how his life had taken some turns that wound him living on the streets. It was here that his tone and demeanor took on a soulful intensity. Intently moving his head closer to mine, his brown tired eyes looking directly in mine, he instructed me “I've been to the dark places” He let those words sit there between us, allowing them to sink in before proceeding any further. With time frozen in this instance, he repeated himself “I've been to the dark places, seen the spirits there.” It's what his eyes told me, and what he didn't say that he really wanted me to understand. He had been there, and being revealed something to him. He went on to make it more explicit, explaining that what had been revealed in that darkness was indeed light.
I believe this is the case for all of us. We all have dark corners of ourselves that we carry with us. Sometimes they get the better of us, sometimes not, but mostly we ignore their existence. We're caught up in life, in to-do lists, and an over booked social life to pay them any attention. If only we would realize that through walking into our shadows we would find healing and light. Ranier Maria Rilke once wrote:
I love these lines. I believe they speak to a truth about becoming human. Namely, in moving into our darkness, or shadows we not only diffuse any power they have over us, but we also begin to understand the depth of our being. It's in this depth of being that we discover the strength to be with not only the light within but also the dark. Through confronting our shadows we open the door healing and begin to understand the importance of keeping them in the forefront.
There will inevitably be a shock when we first begin the work of looking into our darkness. However, once the initial surprise wears off we'll recognize that the pain we're feeling pails in comparison to the healing that follows. This is a vital component to living artfully. For when we hold the light in one hand and the dark in the other we can now “paint” about life from both directions. We are now able to more fully express the our human experience. In so doing, we demonstrate the freedom that comes from confronting our shadows.
It's as if I looked into his eyes yesterday, not two years ago. And the conversation I had with Hal seems just as fresh. I was on my way home after a Sunday morning breakfast at Boogaloo's when I noticed Hal moving back and forth on the sidewalk in his wheelchair. It was one of those instances where just as soon as you notice someone conversation begins. I could see by his matted brilo salt and pepper hair that he'd been sleeping outside for at least the last few nights. No sooner did I ask how he was doing, than he was telling about his mother who was sick with cancer and reliving childhood memories with me. As he reached into his coat to pull out a pocket sized photo album I caught a glimpse of a frail body that no doubt had been through a lot. Hal spoke with a calm clarity on this particular morning and casually walked me through memory lane. His times of football as a child, his foray into jazz, and how his life had taken some turns that wound him living on the streets. It was here that his tone and demeanor took on a soulful intensity. Intently moving his head closer to mine, his brown tired eyes looking directly in mine, he instructed me “I've been to the dark places” He let those words sit there between us, allowing them to sink in before proceeding any further. With time frozen in this instance, he repeated himself “I've been to the dark places, seen the spirits there.” It's what his eyes told me, and what he didn't say that he really wanted me to understand. He had been there, and being revealed something to him. He went on to make it more explicit, explaining that what had been revealed in that darkness was indeed light.
I believe this is the case for all of us. We all have dark corners of ourselves that we carry with us. Sometimes they get the better of us, sometimes not, but mostly we ignore their existence. We're caught up in life, in to-do lists, and an over booked social life to pay them any attention. If only we would realize that through walking into our shadows we would find healing and light. Ranier Maria Rilke once wrote:
I love the dark hours of my being.
My mind deepens into them.
There I can find, as in old letters,
the days of my life, already lived,
and held like a legend, and understood
Then the knowing comes: I can open
to another life that's wide and timeless.
So I am sometimes like a tree
rustling over a gravesite
and making real the dream
of the one its living root
embrace:
a dream once lost
among sorrows and songs.
My mind deepens into them.
There I can find, as in old letters,
the days of my life, already lived,
and held like a legend, and understood
Then the knowing comes: I can open
to another life that's wide and timeless.
So I am sometimes like a tree
rustling over a gravesite
and making real the dream
of the one its living root
embrace:
a dream once lost
among sorrows and songs.
I love these lines. I believe they speak to a truth about becoming human. Namely, in moving into our darkness, or shadows we not only diffuse any power they have over us, but we also begin to understand the depth of our being. It's in this depth of being that we discover the strength to be with not only the light within but also the dark. Through confronting our shadows we open the door healing and begin to understand the importance of keeping them in the forefront.
There will inevitably be a shock when we first begin the work of looking into our darkness. However, once the initial surprise wears off we'll recognize that the pain we're feeling pails in comparison to the healing that follows. This is a vital component to living artfully. For when we hold the light in one hand and the dark in the other we can now “paint” about life from both directions. We are now able to more fully express the our human experience. In so doing, we demonstrate the freedom that comes from confronting our shadows.
Labels: body, creativity, life
Sunday, January 11, 2009
laugh
Monday, January 05, 2009
Identifying Context
Tomorrow night marks the beginning of ReIMAGINE's Awakening Creativity learning lab.
Here's snippet of some the curriculum I wrote for tomorrow nights session:
Identyfing Context
The 30 mph wind turned the cool air into a savage force set out to rob me of all my comfort as a human being. At 3 am the cold air is expected, but the howling wind was an unpleasant surprise from a fictional winter torture-land. This wasn't exactly what I was hoping for as the temperature setting for my first 50 mile ultra-marathon. I, and all the others racers for that matter, hoped the wind would die down and give our bodies a more enjoyable temperament to run our 50 miles. As it was, we were already going to ascend over 10,000 feet during those 50 miles so any help the weather could give, the better. And it did. The wind gave way at around 4:45 am, just before the start of the race. Fifteen minutes later the 196 of us ran into the morning black abyss; our paths lit only by our LED headlamps. The day and the miles passed like a tapestry of adventure tales and some 9 hours and 45 minutes later I finished what was one of my most enjoyable race experiences yet.
I'm often asked: "Why do it?" Usually that simple question is accompanied by some of the most puzzling facial expressions I've seen on a human face. Why indeed. I have many reasons that I've discovered along the way. However the quintessential reason is: it's inside of me. Long before I ran 50 miles for the first time there was a small whisper that said one day I want to run an ultra-marathon. All I did was listen to that voice and make intentional choices to ensure that it could come to fruition. It was the same for my first Ironman. I can remember, at 16, swimming across a lake with my brother and girlfriend at the time and commenting that one day I'd like to participate in an Ironman. Eight years later that utterance became a reality. I believe that within each of us there are small inclinations of things we would like to do. The execution of those small voices is what I call creative living.
Embracing the voice we have inside and allowing it to express itself is our creative life's work. Think through the implications of that statement. If you began to view life as your canvas and time your brush and paint, how would that reorient your view of living?
This is what I hear Jesus saying when he declares "Time's up! God's kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message." (MSG)
He is telling us, life is different than we imagined. God is present, active and wants to work through us to bring about the goodness of the Maker's vision. I see two things coming out this:
1) Recognizing the voice of God within us. Jesus is recorded as saying "the kingdom of God is within you." Part of our waking up to the reality of love is to cultivate that seed, that original Gensis vision within us. One of our tasks is allowing it to take root within our soul. Depending on where we are at in the process this could take years. We have wounds to get over, shadows to wrestle with, misconceptions to root out. We start that essential understanding though that there is a good voice within us leading forward.
2) Expressing the whispers of the Spirit. Once we recognize the Spirits movement within us we need to figure out a way to express it. God has granted each of us with an imagination for what our life could look like and how we could impact the world around us. Here is where creativity really begins to take shape. How we express the voice within is unique to us for two reasons: 1) someone with our DNA and personality has never heard God's voice before 2) the path we choose to express that voice noone will have done before. Even if it is similar in manifestation the creation process, which changes us and those around us, will be different and our sharing of that experience will be different.
These are the 3 great creative tasks at hand. 1) Figuring out ways to remove the layers of clutter and shadows that hinder us from hearing the voice of God and 2) Learning to see our own life, with our unique personality, family tree, gifts, time, geographic and sociographic place as a unique sacred gift, 3) developing ways to express the creativity that lies within.
Suddenly, now our life is a creative expression. We've discovered a voice within, began to understand it's origin, what skills it might take to express it and have started the process of expressing it. For instance, my experience of the world is very visceral. I had/have this sense that much of life is tied to how we live in our bodies. And I mean beyond eating right, and mild exercise. There's something found outside our limits. This started off as a hunch (imagination), and as I dove in deeper (cultivating skills) I was able to push myself further and further into the boundaries of bodily existence (expressing). This is one voice of the many voices I have inside that I've chosen to indulge. While many people consider it crazy, I do have conversations that allow me reveal the deep meaning and revelations I've had along the way. Trying to fit all the training in while running my consulting company, a non-profit organization and participating in a faith community has been a process and passion of mine.
Organizing our lives in order to express our complete selves takes a lot of time to work out and often a lot of creativity. This is the beautiful task of artful living. Forging new paths in life that allow us to express the image of God we carry is a creative endeavor that we must embark on.
This workshop is an introductory course to this very idea of artful living. We look forward to journey ahead.
Here's snippet of some the curriculum I wrote for tomorrow nights session:
Identyfing Context
The 30 mph wind turned the cool air into a savage force set out to rob me of all my comfort as a human being. At 3 am the cold air is expected, but the howling wind was an unpleasant surprise from a fictional winter torture-land. This wasn't exactly what I was hoping for as the temperature setting for my first 50 mile ultra-marathon. I, and all the others racers for that matter, hoped the wind would die down and give our bodies a more enjoyable temperament to run our 50 miles. As it was, we were already going to ascend over 10,000 feet during those 50 miles so any help the weather could give, the better. And it did. The wind gave way at around 4:45 am, just before the start of the race. Fifteen minutes later the 196 of us ran into the morning black abyss; our paths lit only by our LED headlamps. The day and the miles passed like a tapestry of adventure tales and some 9 hours and 45 minutes later I finished what was one of my most enjoyable race experiences yet.
I'm often asked: "Why do it?" Usually that simple question is accompanied by some of the most puzzling facial expressions I've seen on a human face. Why indeed. I have many reasons that I've discovered along the way. However the quintessential reason is: it's inside of me. Long before I ran 50 miles for the first time there was a small whisper that said one day I want to run an ultra-marathon. All I did was listen to that voice and make intentional choices to ensure that it could come to fruition. It was the same for my first Ironman. I can remember, at 16, swimming across a lake with my brother and girlfriend at the time and commenting that one day I'd like to participate in an Ironman. Eight years later that utterance became a reality. I believe that within each of us there are small inclinations of things we would like to do. The execution of those small voices is what I call creative living.
Embracing the voice we have inside and allowing it to express itself is our creative life's work. Think through the implications of that statement. If you began to view life as your canvas and time your brush and paint, how would that reorient your view of living?
This is what I hear Jesus saying when he declares "Time's up! God's kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message." (MSG)
He is telling us, life is different than we imagined. God is present, active and wants to work through us to bring about the goodness of the Maker's vision. I see two things coming out this:
1) Recognizing the voice of God within us. Jesus is recorded as saying "the kingdom of God is within you." Part of our waking up to the reality of love is to cultivate that seed, that original Gensis vision within us. One of our tasks is allowing it to take root within our soul. Depending on where we are at in the process this could take years. We have wounds to get over, shadows to wrestle with, misconceptions to root out. We start that essential understanding though that there is a good voice within us leading forward.
2) Expressing the whispers of the Spirit. Once we recognize the Spirits movement within us we need to figure out a way to express it. God has granted each of us with an imagination for what our life could look like and how we could impact the world around us. Here is where creativity really begins to take shape. How we express the voice within is unique to us for two reasons: 1) someone with our DNA and personality has never heard God's voice before 2) the path we choose to express that voice noone will have done before. Even if it is similar in manifestation the creation process, which changes us and those around us, will be different and our sharing of that experience will be different.
These are the 3 great creative tasks at hand. 1) Figuring out ways to remove the layers of clutter and shadows that hinder us from hearing the voice of God and 2) Learning to see our own life, with our unique personality, family tree, gifts, time, geographic and sociographic place as a unique sacred gift, 3) developing ways to express the creativity that lies within.
Suddenly, now our life is a creative expression. We've discovered a voice within, began to understand it's origin, what skills it might take to express it and have started the process of expressing it. For instance, my experience of the world is very visceral. I had/have this sense that much of life is tied to how we live in our bodies. And I mean beyond eating right, and mild exercise. There's something found outside our limits. This started off as a hunch (imagination), and as I dove in deeper (cultivating skills) I was able to push myself further and further into the boundaries of bodily existence (expressing). This is one voice of the many voices I have inside that I've chosen to indulge. While many people consider it crazy, I do have conversations that allow me reveal the deep meaning and revelations I've had along the way. Trying to fit all the training in while running my consulting company, a non-profit organization and participating in a faith community has been a process and passion of mine.
Organizing our lives in order to express our complete selves takes a lot of time to work out and often a lot of creativity. This is the beautiful task of artful living. Forging new paths in life that allow us to express the image of God we carry is a creative endeavor that we must embark on.
This workshop is an introductory course to this very idea of artful living. We look forward to journey ahead.
Labels: creativity, writing
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Highlights
The last two weeks have been what the holiday season should be in my mind. Laughing so hard your stomach hurts, drinking amazing wine, buying amazing wine, eating homemade Italian food, celebrating birthdays (Dan, Holly, Aaron, & Andrew), experiencing family tension and shadows, making new friends, being lethargic, engaging in traditions and making new ones. Here's to 2009.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
PhD
I've been thinking lately about going back to school to get a PhD. Currently, I'm looking at programs in "organizational theory." I'm fascinated by big, complex systems with lost of dependencies and nuances and how they influence and are influenced by the individual. If you know of a program along these lines drop me a comment.......thanks!
Labels: school
Poetry
It's been a while since I last a wrote a complete poem. I've got some scribbles down. In the meantime, in effort to become more skillful in my craft I've taken to reading some the well known poets of our time. Tonight I was reading E.E. Cummings and Joyce and ran across this pontification by James Joyce:
"Poetry, even when apparently most fantastic, is always a revolt against artifice, a revolt in a certain sense, against actuality. It speaks of that which seems unreal and fantastic to those who have lost the simple intuitions which are the tests of reality. Poetry considers many of the idols of the market place unimportant - the succession of the ages, the spirit of the age, the mission of the race. The poet's central effort it to free himself from the unfortunate influence of these idols that corrupt him from without and within...."
"Poetry, even when apparently most fantastic, is always a revolt against artifice, a revolt in a certain sense, against actuality. It speaks of that which seems unreal and fantastic to those who have lost the simple intuitions which are the tests of reality. Poetry considers many of the idols of the market place unimportant - the succession of the ages, the spirit of the age, the mission of the race. The poet's central effort it to free himself from the unfortunate influence of these idols that corrupt him from without and within...."
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Tour
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
The Aftermath
You wanna know something interesting about running 50 miles? The race is the easy part. On the front end you have day after day, week after week, month after month of running miles upon miles. Up to 120+ miles in one week at the peak. Then you start to rest, and all that fatigue that's been living in your body starts to rise to the surface. Bringing with it all sorts of irritable emotions. You finally start to feel better and it's race day. And what a glorious day it is indeed. All the hard work paying off, the excitement of seeing other crazy people running with you, and all those loyal loving friends and family who come out to watch. It's amazing. Then the race is over and you celebrate that night. The ensuing days after the race - those are just as brutal - if not more so than the preparation. You're digestive system is all out of whack. You're constantly hungry - or so it seems. Walking turns into shuffling around and walking stairs becomes like climbing a mountain with someone stabbing needles in your legs. This is only the physical aspect of recovery. Then there's the emotional side of things. It's like a mild case of postpartum depression. I remember this from my first endurance race and luckily now I recognize it for what it is, but it still isn't the funnest of times. Oh well, in time it'll all be good again.
Labels: body
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Race Updates
Sorry to those that suffered through reading the last post with all the missing & extra words.....my brain isn't functioning as well it should today. I've edited it, and hopefully it's a bit more readable. I checked the race results and it looks like I finished in about 46th (out of 170) place overall and 8th (out of 41) in my age group. Yes, admittedly I'm slightly competitive immediately following a race, but it will fade. For those that are curious, below is a chart of my heart rate, pace, and elevation over the 50 miles.
Labels: body
Yesterday & 50 miles
Yesterday I ventured into uncharted territory as I ran my first 50 mile ultra-marathon, the North Face Endurance Challenge. The day started at 2:30 am as I rose to eat breakfast, gather the rest of my gear and drive over to the Marin Headlands for the race start. Driving over I had a sense of excitement rising inside of me, and at one point yelled out it the car "50 miles baby!!" Arriving in Marin the sky was black, sprinkled only with stars and no moon. The temperature was a mild 55 degrees, but the wind howled and whisked away any emanating body heat. There was a calm buzz in the air as the athletes drove in, parked, and made final preparations before boarding the shuttle to the race start. At the start we huddled around portable heaters to ward of the chill from the wind and I watched as the other athletes ran through their morning rituals. Some applying vaseline to their feet, last minute snacking, stretching and some other odd routines. Some had looks of eager anticipation and others a slight look of concentration and focus. One thing I enjoy about events of this nature is the ecclecticness of the group. The energy in the air says we've found something we enjoy and many people may not understand it, and that's okay. We enjoy it, it awakens something inside and we will follow that voice inspite of looking a bit odd. There were people of all shapes, sizes and genders getting ready.
Getting ready came to a close as the announcer called the 150+ racers to the start, gave final instructions and sent us off into the dark night for the beginning of what was to become a great adventure. We immediately starting a hill ascent, one of the dominant themes of the day. I was in the first 1/4 of runners and as I looked down the winding trail that hugged the side of the mountain, all I could see was a string of lights. Each runner with their headlamps illuminating their path as they weaved their way up the mountain. It was as if the stars were earth bound and were making their way back to the heavens. My own headlamp was, in the simplest terms - useless. I don't know if it was the batteries or the light itself but it did nothing to illuminate my path. So, I run upward in the dark. At one point thinking back the lights moving up the hill, I felt as if I was in Middle Earth and the Orks were marching there way to battle.
As dawn began to crest, I entered the coastal trail. The cliffs were shadows set against the sea that was beginning to glow. At one point there were two bluffs, the left hand side made an immediate drop down, the other a slow gradual drop. Nestled in between - a beach that crawled out to the ocean. Looking over the top of them, the lights of the city were being woken up by the dawn sky. Clouds stretched out like fingers, the hills of the city, being warmed by orange and fuchsia sky. One of the prettiest sunrises I've seen. I've heard it said that things worth something in life - you work for - and in this moment that saying took on all new meaning. I had been working for an hour and a half and my reward was one of the most stunning skylines I've seen in my short lifetime. At this point my imagination took me to Pirates of the Caribbean and I was on the look out for a Pirate ship to come up to the ocean cliffs.
Time was evaporating as my mind wandered, my legs began to ache, and the hills kept rolling. At some point it was mid-morning, I had been running for 4 hours and the day had just begun. The miles ticked past and before I knew I was at the mile 20 aid station. I stopped to have my camelback refilled, at some potato chips and proceeded into the 3rd environmental arena. The trees and plants shifted. There were overgrown ferns, and towering redwoods - now I was on the moon of Endor surrounded by Ewoks. The terrain was no less grueling. Rocks and roots jetted out of the dirt trail and each step took concentration. It was absolutely amazing. An adventure through the woods, never knowing what sight was around the next corner. It was a steep descent to the valley floor before an equally steep ascent back up and back to the aid station and mile 30. It was here that I would meetup with my friend Arthur who would run with me for the next 6 miles. It was great to have company. Before I knew it the 6 miles were up and we were at the next aid station where I would depart once again be on my own. Before I left the station, and elderly gentlemen who lived in town asked about the race, and when I told him of the distance and elevation profile he was dumbfounded - what?! why?! Ya, I said, I know, and not only that but I've paid to be here. :-)
The next four miles were through what was more like a jungle. Moss covered trees, with pretzel looking trunks, and thick plants lined the trail. It was after these 4 miles that I began to really feel the distance I'd covered. My inner thighs began to cramp, which is excruciatingly painful and I was forced to stop, breath deep for a moment and down 5 enduralyte pills, full of sodium and potassium in hopes that they would alleviate some of the cramping. It worked - for a mile or two, but cramping returned as I reached yet another insanely steep ascent. Everyone was forced to walk. At many of the ascents we were forced to walk. Some so steep that the trail had stairs so we could make our way up. Up, and up, the trail weaved, and I grew slightly tired. Finally at the top my energy rose and I could feel the end of the race in sight. On the downhills, and flats I could let my legs fly, and run. I was hopped up on caffeine and had taken enough motrin that I could ignore the pain. It was now mile 44, where I would meet my good friend Dan, who would run the remaining 6 miles with me. As soon as we left the aid station, we hit, yes another steep ascent. The race organizers weren't kidding when they rated this race the most challenging and gave it 5 out of 5 stars for elevation change. I was again reduced to walking up the immense hill. As we ran, I recounted the previous 8+ hours to Dan. Told him of the sure enjoyment of the day. My encounters with other runners, etc. Something happens to me on these adventures. I go completely outside myself, tell jokes, banter with other runners, and aid station staff, and generally have a blast. The last mile was up a gradual hill on asphalt which returned the cramping to my legs, but I pressed on and crossed the finish line some 9 hours and 45 minutes after starting.
What an amazing day. I felt euphoric. Tired, stiff but euphoric. My right hip was in agony. I made my way over the message/soft tissue therapy tent, where for the next 20 minutes a couple cute therapists began work on my hip. I just relaxed and enjoyed the treatment. Not a bad way to end the race.
After all this, it was time to get back to my flat. I had a party to get to ready host. In order to recoup quicker, Dan hooked me up with an IV of saline (see below); which was amazing. The party was fabulous, and other than some stomach issues I felt pretty good. By around 10pm I started to fade - the early morning combined with the race had taken it's toll and at 11pm I called it. Strange part was my body had a hard time relaxing as I laid in bed, but did finally fall sleep. Only to wake up at 3am some extreme hunger pain. So, up I got and made food.
I think I'll take it easy today.
Getting ready came to a close as the announcer called the 150+ racers to the start, gave final instructions and sent us off into the dark night for the beginning of what was to become a great adventure. We immediately starting a hill ascent, one of the dominant themes of the day. I was in the first 1/4 of runners and as I looked down the winding trail that hugged the side of the mountain, all I could see was a string of lights. Each runner with their headlamps illuminating their path as they weaved their way up the mountain. It was as if the stars were earth bound and were making their way back to the heavens. My own headlamp was, in the simplest terms - useless. I don't know if it was the batteries or the light itself but it did nothing to illuminate my path. So, I run upward in the dark. At one point thinking back the lights moving up the hill, I felt as if I was in Middle Earth and the Orks were marching there way to battle.
As dawn began to crest, I entered the coastal trail. The cliffs were shadows set against the sea that was beginning to glow. At one point there were two bluffs, the left hand side made an immediate drop down, the other a slow gradual drop. Nestled in between - a beach that crawled out to the ocean. Looking over the top of them, the lights of the city were being woken up by the dawn sky. Clouds stretched out like fingers, the hills of the city, being warmed by orange and fuchsia sky. One of the prettiest sunrises I've seen. I've heard it said that things worth something in life - you work for - and in this moment that saying took on all new meaning. I had been working for an hour and a half and my reward was one of the most stunning skylines I've seen in my short lifetime. At this point my imagination took me to Pirates of the Caribbean and I was on the look out for a Pirate ship to come up to the ocean cliffs.
Time was evaporating as my mind wandered, my legs began to ache, and the hills kept rolling. At some point it was mid-morning, I had been running for 4 hours and the day had just begun. The miles ticked past and before I knew I was at the mile 20 aid station. I stopped to have my camelback refilled, at some potato chips and proceeded into the 3rd environmental arena. The trees and plants shifted. There were overgrown ferns, and towering redwoods - now I was on the moon of Endor surrounded by Ewoks. The terrain was no less grueling. Rocks and roots jetted out of the dirt trail and each step took concentration. It was absolutely amazing. An adventure through the woods, never knowing what sight was around the next corner. It was a steep descent to the valley floor before an equally steep ascent back up and back to the aid station and mile 30. It was here that I would meetup with my friend Arthur who would run with me for the next 6 miles. It was great to have company. Before I knew it the 6 miles were up and we were at the next aid station where I would depart once again be on my own. Before I left the station, and elderly gentlemen who lived in town asked about the race, and when I told him of the distance and elevation profile he was dumbfounded - what?! why?! Ya, I said, I know, and not only that but I've paid to be here. :-)
The next four miles were through what was more like a jungle. Moss covered trees, with pretzel looking trunks, and thick plants lined the trail. It was after these 4 miles that I began to really feel the distance I'd covered. My inner thighs began to cramp, which is excruciatingly painful and I was forced to stop, breath deep for a moment and down 5 enduralyte pills, full of sodium and potassium in hopes that they would alleviate some of the cramping. It worked - for a mile or two, but cramping returned as I reached yet another insanely steep ascent. Everyone was forced to walk. At many of the ascents we were forced to walk. Some so steep that the trail had stairs so we could make our way up. Up, and up, the trail weaved, and I grew slightly tired. Finally at the top my energy rose and I could feel the end of the race in sight. On the downhills, and flats I could let my legs fly, and run. I was hopped up on caffeine and had taken enough motrin that I could ignore the pain. It was now mile 44, where I would meet my good friend Dan, who would run the remaining 6 miles with me. As soon as we left the aid station, we hit, yes another steep ascent. The race organizers weren't kidding when they rated this race the most challenging and gave it 5 out of 5 stars for elevation change. I was again reduced to walking up the immense hill. As we ran, I recounted the previous 8+ hours to Dan. Told him of the sure enjoyment of the day. My encounters with other runners, etc. Something happens to me on these adventures. I go completely outside myself, tell jokes, banter with other runners, and aid station staff, and generally have a blast. The last mile was up a gradual hill on asphalt which returned the cramping to my legs, but I pressed on and crossed the finish line some 9 hours and 45 minutes after starting.
What an amazing day. I felt euphoric. Tired, stiff but euphoric. My right hip was in agony. I made my way over the message/soft tissue therapy tent, where for the next 20 minutes a couple cute therapists began work on my hip. I just relaxed and enjoyed the treatment. Not a bad way to end the race.
After all this, it was time to get back to my flat. I had a party to get to ready host. In order to recoup quicker, Dan hooked me up with an IV of saline (see below); which was amazing. The party was fabulous, and other than some stomach issues I felt pretty good. By around 10pm I started to fade - the early morning combined with the race had taken it's toll and at 11pm I called it. Strange part was my body had a hard time relaxing as I laid in bed, but did finally fall sleep. Only to wake up at 3am some extreme hunger pain. So, up I got and made food.
I think I'll take it easy today.
Labels: body
Saturday, December 06, 2008
#3
Another pic
My recovery cocktail
Monday, December 01, 2008
A night w/ an author
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Tree pt3
Tree pt2
Tree time
Saturday, November 29, 2008
The tap
kegerator, and the finale - The tap. Yes.
Monday, November 17, 2008
being missed
Monday, November 10, 2008
this weekend
Yesterday was interesting. I woke up after sleeping for 3 hours and started my 5 hour run for the day. Right on time at 5am. It was very slow going. Most likely a combination of little sleep and running for 4 hours the day before. As I made my way up the steep part of Laguna St, I couldn't help but feel a bit crazy. Even now as I write this it feels strange to think about. Is it an obsession? What fruit is producing? What will be curious is when the race is over and the training has dwindled what will my energy levels be like and how will my mind function. After I was finished running, yesterday was a normal day. I didn't feel extremely tired or exhausted. I took a 45 minute nap, but that was about it. Today however, I have a headache and my energy is all over the map. Mentally I have fairly good focus - I just a little strange.
Labels: body
Saturday, November 08, 2008
running view
A couple snapshots of the view from my run this morning.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Monday, November 03, 2008
creative imperative
Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Martin Luther King Jr.
Labels: quote
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Portland colors
with close friends only intensified their vibrancy.
Monday, October 27, 2008
too long...
Lately I've been running (literally and figuratively) around so much that I haven't made much time for creativity. Today though, I headed over to Four Barrel Cafe to meet up with Dan, Bethany, Kyle and Noah for creative indulgence. I had the taste for coffee - so ordered a cappuccino. Now normally, like 95% of the time I don't drink coffee. Not because I don't like the taste - because I do, especially black - but caffeine really affects me. That small cappuccino was at 4:30pm - I sit here now at 12am with my leg still shaking up and down. I digress. I sat with my cappuccino headphones resting my ears, as the beats of Heiroglyphics, NAS and Blacklicious hypnotized me with their rhythmic inflections. As I sat, body bobbbing, I wrote. It was awkward at first, my mind not used to letting the poetic flow drip out through the fingertips. After a spell of minutes the music became fluid and the words came forth. Nothing ready to share at the moment but the start of a few pieces. Now about that thing they call sleep.......hmmmm.
Labels: poetry
Friday, October 24, 2008
abolition
A piece that I helped put together for the abolition art show last night. it was a great evening, with a good vibe all night. Artist's Statement:
Propaganda, or the marketing of ideas has the potential to be a change agent in our world. A collection of people changing a seemingly insignificant consumer habit could very well change the way businesses conduct themselves and their labor practices (ie. enslaving children). The intent behind this piece is to draw the audience's attention to this fact. It's against our current consumer back-drop (the B&W magazine ads) that has enabled the enterprise of trafficking humans (the children slave stencils) to become profitable. Let us change our contribution to the consumer landscape so that we proactively fight the enslavement of people.
Labels: reimagine
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
SNL is showing life
Monday, October 20, 2008
on the road
I'm on the road home from kirkwood/sacramento with steve.
the soundtrack
the winter souds
Sound forged like spine
It was a weekend of silence and running sessions that blew my mind. Today we drove into sacto where I worked and Steve scored himself a new tattoo. A very nice piece of body art that was serendipitous and inspired. The evening ended with a home cooked meal with some kindred souls "of old."
Much more to say and pictures to come.
(ps. gotta love the at&t wifi card)
the soundtrack
the winter souds
Sound forged like spine
It was a weekend of silence and running sessions that blew my mind. Today we drove into sacto where I worked and Steve scored himself a new tattoo. A very nice piece of body art that was serendipitous and inspired. The evening ended with a home cooked meal with some kindred souls "of old."
Much more to say and pictures to come.
(ps. gotta love the at&t wifi card)
Labels: life
Thursday, October 16, 2008
new toy
a couple weeks I got myself a new toy for all this training I'm doing for my first 50 miler. it's the Suunto t6c. i love it - it tracks everything I need and more. i've been meaning to post some training results now that I have this new fangled device. here's the first. it's from my run today which was a PR for me. 9 miles in 60 minutes. yes. now this weekend back to back 4 hour running sessions.
Labels: body
Monday, October 06, 2008
words for today
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Call&Response
On Monday night I joined a crowd of Bay Area "leaders" and community organizers to preview the benefit rock-u-mentary "Call+Response" It deals with the issue of global human trafficking. A very well done film that I highly recommend everyone watching. Performances by Matisyahu, Talib Kweli, Rocco DeLucca, + more and commentary by Cornel West. All interspersed with segments on those leading the charge against human trafficking. Please find a theater near you and see this film.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
today
I downloaded an app for my iphone that tracks my location and I thought it would be handy. The downside, after about an hour the battery was at 20%. Not so helpful when I need it to work for 3 hours. Here's part of today's workout:
My Path 30276
New: View speed, pace and other details for every GPS point! Click the show all points link below the map.Share this path | Submit as Geo Art
Distance: 10.07 miles (16.21 km) Time: 1 hour, 13 minutes, 47 seconds GPS Points: 693 (show all points)
Avg Speed: 7.31 mph Est. Max Speed: 26.60 mph (42.81 km/h)
Avg Pace: 8min 17s / mile (7min 1s / km) Est. Max Pace: 2min 15s / mile (1min 24s / km)
Labels: body
Monday, August 25, 2008
new adventure
I've begun a new adventure that culminates on December 6th in the Marin headlands. I'm going to attempt to run 50 miles. It's going to be harder than I first anticipated. Especially after I looked at the elevation profile and realized that I am going to climb 10,731 vertical feet during those 50 miles; which also means that I'm going to descend 10,731 feet. Wow. That's a lot of feet. Almost as many as 264,000 linear feet (50 miles). One the biggest challenges is going to be keeping my knees healthy enough to complete the task. I know I haven't blogged in a while - I plan an recording the ups and downs of training here. Stay tuned.....
Labels: body
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
life
Monday, June 23, 2008
Reflection
Here's a unedited reflection I wrote last night on the race:
Ironman CDA 08. What an experience. I learned something today about the power of human will and the I think the nature of our humanity. I fear that I will have a difficult time communicating it in such a way that is translatable. I will give it my best shot. Today was my third Ironman and by far the most challenging. My training had only been about 6-7 weeks; the last two weeks being drown out by other responsibilities. The very last week was very full and I had little time to keep my body limber and loose for the race. All week my muscles ached and felt tight and the little I could do didn't seem to help much. The race however won't wait, and I've been in somewhat similar situations and figured in such a long race my body would eventually loosen up.
The morning started off in a somewhat normal, aside from the fact that Chad's fiance forget to change the time on her watch so woke us at 3am instead of 4am. But breakfast went well and besides feeling a little stiff I thought I would be okay. The swim went off as it usually does. Two thousand people running into each turning the lake into a washing machine. As is typical for me I don't really loosen up on the swim until about half way through, only today it took a bit longer and I was fighting a side cramp. Out of the water at 1:10 and into the bike transition. Once on the bike everything was tight. My hamstrings, my hip abductors, my back, my neck, my chest, at any moment I thought my whole body might cramp up. I've been here before and sometimes it loosens up. Not today. Today the entire bike ride was absolutely miserable. It was 112 miles of body agony and at about 2 and half hours in I contemplated quitting. I had to fight that feeling for the next 3.5 hours. I've never felt so close to quitting as I did today. It's hard to describe the feeling inside when you're body hurts so bad all you want to is stop curl up in the fetal position and sleep. Somehow I made it through. Somehow. I made it. I felt like absolute shit in the transition area from bike to run. Dizzy, headache and my body shutting down. Run I must. I started out and it was slow going, very slow. At one point I went into a port-a-potty and the whole thing felt like it was moving.
Inside the thought was I have to save this run. I cannot give in as I've done in the past. So I stopped ate some pretzels, some broth, two cups of gatorade and internally decided that I am going to push through. I am going to finish this race on shear will power. It got me through the bike and it will get me through this run. If it means I fall over in cramps so be it, if I throw up and faint bring it on. And push I did, something inside of me took over. Call it the internal animal, call it what you will, it took over and I transcended pain. Somehow, someway it left my body and a power and energy emerged the like's of which I've glimpsed in the past. Our will is incredibly strong and if we are willing to harness it, it can bring us to new peaks of our existence.
People ask why I do it, and I have many responses to that question. Today I would say it's because we are meant to suffer and experience pain because it opens us to living power that is breathed in us.
Ironman CDA 08. What an experience. I learned something today about the power of human will and the I think the nature of our humanity. I fear that I will have a difficult time communicating it in such a way that is translatable. I will give it my best shot. Today was my third Ironman and by far the most challenging. My training had only been about 6-7 weeks; the last two weeks being drown out by other responsibilities. The very last week was very full and I had little time to keep my body limber and loose for the race. All week my muscles ached and felt tight and the little I could do didn't seem to help much. The race however won't wait, and I've been in somewhat similar situations and figured in such a long race my body would eventually loosen up.
The morning started off in a somewhat normal, aside from the fact that Chad's fiance forget to change the time on her watch so woke us at 3am instead of 4am. But breakfast went well and besides feeling a little stiff I thought I would be okay. The swim went off as it usually does. Two thousand people running into each turning the lake into a washing machine. As is typical for me I don't really loosen up on the swim until about half way through, only today it took a bit longer and I was fighting a side cramp. Out of the water at 1:10 and into the bike transition. Once on the bike everything was tight. My hamstrings, my hip abductors, my back, my neck, my chest, at any moment I thought my whole body might cramp up. I've been here before and sometimes it loosens up. Not today. Today the entire bike ride was absolutely miserable. It was 112 miles of body agony and at about 2 and half hours in I contemplated quitting. I had to fight that feeling for the next 3.5 hours. I've never felt so close to quitting as I did today. It's hard to describe the feeling inside when you're body hurts so bad all you want to is stop curl up in the fetal position and sleep. Somehow I made it through. Somehow. I made it. I felt like absolute shit in the transition area from bike to run. Dizzy, headache and my body shutting down. Run I must. I started out and it was slow going, very slow. At one point I went into a port-a-potty and the whole thing felt like it was moving.
Inside the thought was I have to save this run. I cannot give in as I've done in the past. So I stopped ate some pretzels, some broth, two cups of gatorade and internally decided that I am going to push through. I am going to finish this race on shear will power. It got me through the bike and it will get me through this run. If it means I fall over in cramps so be it, if I throw up and faint bring it on. And push I did, something inside of me took over. Call it the internal animal, call it what you will, it took over and I transcended pain. Somehow, someway it left my body and a power and energy emerged the like's of which I've glimpsed in the past. Our will is incredibly strong and if we are willing to harness it, it can bring us to new peaks of our existence.
People ask why I do it, and I have many responses to that question. Today I would say it's because we are meant to suffer and experience pain because it opens us to living power that is breathed in us.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Ironman 08 update
Ironman CDA is on Sunday. Wish me luck.
My race number is 284 and you can track the race at ironman.com if you're interested.
Right now I'm sitting outside at a cafe in downtown Coeur d'Alene. This a beautiful part of the U.S. and we're staying at this amazing house that sits on 32 acres just outside Coeur d'Alene. It's an infectious environment and as much as I want to sign up for next year I think I'm going to hold off. I am very tempted however. Very.
My race number is 284 and you can track the race at ironman.com if you're interested.
Right now I'm sitting outside at a cafe in downtown Coeur d'Alene. This a beautiful part of the U.S. and we're staying at this amazing house that sits on 32 acres just outside Coeur d'Alene. It's an infectious environment and as much as I want to sign up for next year I think I'm going to hold off. I am very tempted however. Very.
Friday, June 06, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
taxi
I needed a visa. The reason I didn't fly into Guinea-Bissau, but rather Dakar, Senegal was because I needed a visa and I couldn't get one stateside (more on this in another post). Flying into Senegal meant I would need to take a taxi down to Gabu, Guinea-Bissau. Let me rephrase that - not 'a' taxi but 8 taxi's. This does not include the drive me around taxi's Roy and I used to run some errands. Most of these 8 (6 I believe) were what is known as 'set plus' - meaning seven place. Each taxi had room for 7 passengers. The cars were about the size of a subaru wagon with a third seat bolted in back to give them an extra row of seating. As you can imagine not a very comfortable ride. Especially when traveling for hours on end. When I say hours, I mean hours. We left Tuesday afternoon and arrived Thursday morning. The majority of that time spent in a taxi, knees together up in your chest, shoulders wedged. Your ass gets tired from sitting on such a hard seat and muscles ache from not being constricted for so long.
Riding in the taxi is only 1/3 of the experience. There is negotiating the price for the taxi which always takes an inordinate amount of time. As soon as you walk into the tax depot 10 people walk up to speaking very loudly, gesturing wildly and asking you in multiple languages where you are going. They explain they have the best taxi and it will only cost you X amount of franks cefa. The first price is usually outrageous. Three to four times what you should pay. The first round through Roy did most of the negotiating, which I took notes from. Negotiating, it seems is a way of life, they love it, it means your doing "business." Here's some tips I picked up for negotiating taxis in Africa:
On that last bit of advice. At the taxi depot in Bissau on our way home we got their in the late afternoon and getting 7 people to fill a taxi may or may not happen. The price was 4,900 fc to go from Bissau to Zingchor, and on the way the taxi is loaded on a ferry and then you continue. Only the ferry is broken so the taxi can only take you to the ferry crossing. So why pay all the way to the ferry crossing? You just do. We were assured we get the difference in the money back at the crossing. We asked how much to just the ferry crossing: 1,000 fc. One more guy came, so now there is three of us. After another 30 minutes no one else showed up and we said we would like to pay for the remaining seats on the taxi and to just be dropped off at the ferry crossing. Should be 7,000 fc right? 1,000 per seat time 7 seats. Wrong. The driver wanted more money. A total of 19,000 fc. Huh? That's right 1,000 times 7 is 19,000. Who knew. Empty seats cost a lot more for some reason. Even though the taxi will use less fuel you need more money. So we negotiated with driver through a friend I made for the next 30 minutes. Employing math, and what have you. Our friend Alliou agreed with us, but the driver wasn't having it. So finally after about 30 minutes we got the price down to 15,000 fc.
This was only one instance, most of the time I enjoyed the negotiating. It's part of the culture, the experience. However, when you've been traveling for 20+ hours in taxis, your tired, hungry and patience for negotiating just isn't there.
TIA.
Riding in the taxi is only 1/3 of the experience. There is negotiating the price for the taxi which always takes an inordinate amount of time. As soon as you walk into the tax depot 10 people walk up to speaking very loudly, gesturing wildly and asking you in multiple languages where you are going. They explain they have the best taxi and it will only cost you X amount of franks cefa. The first price is usually outrageous. Three to four times what you should pay. The first round through Roy did most of the negotiating, which I took notes from. Negotiating, it seems is a way of life, they love it, it means your doing "business." Here's some tips I picked up for negotiating taxis in Africa:
- don't let anyone take your bags to their cab, if you do you most likely riding with them
- employ some phrase in some affect of " don't want to pay the white man tax" or "just because I have white skin doesn't mean I should pay more"
- say what you will pay and stare off into the distance ignoring what they are saying (this one I learned from the natives)
- have what you are willing to pay in cash in your hand
- walk away
- try to use logic when adding up the total price (this may or may not work)
On that last bit of advice. At the taxi depot in Bissau on our way home we got their in the late afternoon and getting 7 people to fill a taxi may or may not happen. The price was 4,900 fc to go from Bissau to Zingchor, and on the way the taxi is loaded on a ferry and then you continue. Only the ferry is broken so the taxi can only take you to the ferry crossing. So why pay all the way to the ferry crossing? You just do. We were assured we get the difference in the money back at the crossing. We asked how much to just the ferry crossing: 1,000 fc. One more guy came, so now there is three of us. After another 30 minutes no one else showed up and we said we would like to pay for the remaining seats on the taxi and to just be dropped off at the ferry crossing. Should be 7,000 fc right? 1,000 per seat time 7 seats. Wrong. The driver wanted more money. A total of 19,000 fc. Huh? That's right 1,000 times 7 is 19,000. Who knew. Empty seats cost a lot more for some reason. Even though the taxi will use less fuel you need more money. So we negotiated with driver through a friend I made for the next 30 minutes. Employing math, and what have you. Our friend Alliou agreed with us, but the driver wasn't having it. So finally after about 30 minutes we got the price down to 15,000 fc.This was only one instance, most of the time I enjoyed the negotiating. It's part of the culture, the experience. However, when you've been traveling for 20+ hours in taxis, your tired, hungry and patience for negotiating just isn't there.
TIA.
Labels: africa
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
mordikiah
Pictured here is Mordikiah (in back) and two of his brothers. Mordikiah and his siblings, of which, I think there is 6 in total, live down the dirt path from where I was staying/working. His father is gone to another country and mother works extremely hard to provide for her children. Often her work takes her away for weeks at a time letting the children fend for themselves. No supervision, little food if any. Mordikiah, 10 years old, to watch over the younger children. When Roy first arrived in January he hired Mordikiah to help out on his work around "the base." He would arrive every morning at 7:30 work for about 4 hours, eat lunch and then head off to school from 2-6pm. I was/am utterly humbled by this child. Not so much because of his circumstances but because of how he lived. He would always make sure that myself, Roy, Keese, and Joanne were taken care of. Insisted in getting our food for us while we finished up our work and would save us a chair to sit in. After eating he would clear all the plates and wash them. If you tried to interrupt him, he would wave his finger, shake his head no and push back into your chair. A ten year old child.
Before starting to work for Roy he had no shoes, and after a few weeks he had saved enough to buy himself a new pair of sandals. He has two outfits and one is the school uniform he must wear for school. With a smile on his face this child was more servant hearted than anyone I have ever met. One night Matisse (a man in the camp) needed money to get to the next village over to visit his dad who was dying. He came to us to ask if we could help. Mordikiah was there and overhead. Later that evening Mordikiah got paid for the last couple days of work (600 fc or $1.20) and I watched him walk straight over to Matisse. With a smile and utter confidence he handed, what was most likely all the money he had over to Matisse.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Adjusting
I'm back from working/visiting Africa and am in the process of adjusting to America. It's always strange coming back. Here's a couple photos:
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I'm one of the main instigators of ReIMAGINE and live as part of an missional order called Seven in SF. I enjoy associating with many tribes and currently you can find me writing poetry, training for triathlons, trying to acquire rock climbing skills, attempting to be an apostle of the revolution, wandering around aimlessly as I talk with myself in my head, and if I'm not at any of those places chances are I'm cooking for dinner guests and enjoying red wine.